ã€ŠA Time Traveller&#x27;s Guide To Feudal Japanã€‹


 -1 - Period Informations & Locations

    The story begins in the vige of Toyone, part of the Mikawa province at that time. The Mikawa province was under the rule of the Imagawa.

    The nearest vige is Tobishima.

    The neighbouring province, Owari - under Oda rule - had poor rtions with the Imagawa, and in June of 1560, the went to war. A famous battle took ce: the Battle of Okehazama. In this battle, the Oda managed to defeat the Imagawa force of 25,000 men, despite only having 2,500. It is one of the most brilliant military sesses in history.

    Oda Nobunaga - the Daimyo at the time of the battle - was a very young man, and went on to unify all of maind Japan. Dying before he managed to unify the surrounding inds as well.

    Japan at this time wasposed of many small factions, and nearly all of them had the goal of unifying Japan. For the Imagawa, it seemed possible, since they had such a massive force. But the brilliance of Oda Nobunaga¡¯s strategies lead to their defeat.

    In this period, the samurai were held to be warrior nobility, and were thendholders of thend that the peasants worked. If a peasant offended a samurai, it was the samurai¡¯s legal right to kill him on the spot.

    Bokken are a type of wooden katana that people would use to train their swordsmanship.

    Men-yoroi are a type of samurai mask worn with the helmet. They¡¯re usually pretty frightening.

    Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese trousers.

    Tabi are a sock that has a parting, allowing the big toe to move freely. It¡¯s used with sandals and the like.

    A dou is the main b.r.e.a.s.tte part of armour. It had pads that connect to it that protect the front and back of the upper thighs.

    A kabuto is a typical samurai helmet.

    Takamagahara is basically heaven in the Shinto religion.

 Chapter 1 - The Rice Fields

    "Technological genius ¨C Kasai Gengyo."

    That seemed to be the only title people could use to describe him.

    In his field of robotics, he was amongst the best. But that was all he had in his life ¨C his work. The man never once desired the fame, or the money that came with his sess. A simple life. Enough money to feed his family and livefortably ¨C providing that he had a family in the first ce.

    His only friend was his own creation. The world¡¯s first A.I. more intelligent than any human ¨C SAPPHIRE. SAPPHIRE then produced an A.I. more intelligent than itself, and the process repeated. Till in the end, the peak of artificial intelligence was reached ¨C the SAPPHIRE-1000.

    Gengyo did not release this technology to the world.

    No. He kept this technology to himself and at the age of 40 years old, he had one final question for it.

    "Would it be possible for me to travel through time? To a simpler ce... withoutputers. Somewhere where I can start a family in peace."

    The response from the system was instantaneous.

    [Request confirmed. Beginning transition...]

    Gengyo was startled. He had not expected it to begin right away ¨C he merely wanted to confirm the possibility.

    "SAPPHIRE-1000! Wait! There are too many neg-"

    But his voice was cut off as the room around him started to dissolve, reced by an infinite ckness.

    ...

    ...

    It was May in the province of Mikawa, and the rice fields were being ploughed and levelled ready for this year¡¯s seedlings. All the peasants above a certain age were helping out in the fields.

    "Oi... Yoritomo, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair that people get away with doing less work than us?"

    "Mmm, yeah the old women and stuff... and Miura over there..."

    "Look at him, Yoritomo. He¡¯s even got the nerve to take a break when he barely does any work."

    "Huh? You¡¯re right... f.u.c.k. That¡¯s annoying. Yo, Aritada you want to mess with him a bit?"

    Aritada took a quick nce around the field to see if anyone was looking. No one would stick up for Miura, but still, it would better to do it without anyone noticing.

    Everyone else was still hoeing away, eyes on their task. The sun was high and the day was scolding. The bamboo hats helped to take the worst of the heat away from the head.

    Chuckling, Aritada¡¯s eyes narrowed as he picked up a stone and took aim.

    Gengyo received a sudden blow to the temple, startling him out of his thoughts.

    He felt the wound on his head with his fingers, as they returned sticky with blood.

    ¡¯So it¡¯s real then... This blood is my own. These young, callused hands are also mine.¡¯

    He nced toward the two teens who were jeering at him, celebrating a sessful strike.

    Yoritomo was hunched over howling withughter.

    "Hahahaha, what a throw. The look on his stupid face!"

    Whilst Aritada had a pleased expression on his face.

    "Mmm, that¡¯ll teach him to ck off!"

    Gengyo could hear every word of their conversation, and it did not take him long to piece the events together in his head.

    ¡¯So... This is a different body? Interesting. I had wondered how my body might be able to deal with the stresses of time travel, but it seemed that was the wrong line of thought.¡¯

    The problem of time travel had been broached by many scientists, and the most reputable concluded it impossible. Einstein supposed that one would have travel faster than the speed of light ¨C which is impossible for anybody with mass. Indeed, he was right. But who needs the body in order to time travel? Sentience is weightless.

    But of course, such a conclusion was not the hard-earned result of a human mind. It was borne of the quick calction ability of the SAPPHIRE-1000 A.I. system.

    ¡¯Judging by the dress ¨C those worn, ragged kimonos that are much too short, and those simple sandals on their feet. And the tools they¡¯re using... It seems I¡¯m somewhere in the Edo period. Perhaps even earlier.¡¯

    "What a freak... That way he¡¯s looking at us, man. Does he want another stone his way?"

    ¡¯Mmm. I appear to be the source of quite a bit of aminosity. Was the previous host of this body a weakling? Perhaps. For now, I should keep my head down.¡¯

    Wisely choosing to ignore the antagonism of the teens for now, Gengyo wielded his hoe with an enthusiastic vigour.

    "Wow... look at him go. Perhaps we should throw more stones at him in future? At this rate he¡¯s going to be doing double the work."

    Yoritomo nodded in agreement, whilst leaning on his hoe and with a satisfied smile on his face.

    "Well, guess we can rest a bit. We deserve it right?"

    "Too right. We shouldn¡¯t even be here man. We¡¯re soldiers! Look at these arms."

    "Yeah. You¡¯re right. Totally right. We should be in old Yoshimoto¡¯s army getting ready to conquer Owari.

    Gengyo heard every word they uttered, and froze slightly at the mention of ¡¯old Yoshimoto¡¯ and Owari.

    "Haha, listen to you calling our lord Imagawa ¡¯old Yoshimoto¡¯. You¡¯re a bold man Aritada. We¡¯ll definitely get our chance as soldiers ¨C and then the whole of Japan will be calling our names. Yoritomo of the thousand cuts! People will travel from all over Japan just to bear witness to my swordsmanship."

    ¡¯Shit... You¡¯re kidding. Imagawa Yoshimoto? My peaceful family life is ruined before it even began. Ahhh what¡¯s up with this starting point? Didn¡¯t I tell SAPPHIRE I wanted to live a peaceful, simple life? How is Mikawa under Yoshimoto a simple life!?¡¯

    "Stupid... you don¡¯t even know how to swing a sword yet. Anyway we¡¯re definitely going to be yari..."

    Yoritomo flinched a little at that, and scratched his head. He knew the truth of Aritada¡¯s words. The peasants would be merely be yari ashigaru ¨C simple spear units ¨C or if they had some skill with the bow, they might be might be yumi ashigaru.

    "Hmph. Maybe I¡¯ll get some good loot in Owari and be rich enough to marry into a samurai family. Then I won¡¯t have to do this stupid ploughing anymore."

    "Dream on. You know what the samurai families are like. There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll marry their oh-so-pure daughters off to peasant sc.u.m like us. You¡¯ve seen the way thendowner looks down on us. He treats his f.u.c.k.i.n.g oxen better than us!"

    At that Yoritomo grinned lecherously.

    "Yeah, those women aren¡¯t as pure as you reckon, bro. I¡¯ve seen a few of them drunk ¨C they¡¯re even dirtier than the vige girls. Some even gave me some action ¨C they may as well have married me."

    "What bullshit. You can¡¯t even get the vige girls to look your way with a mug like that. No chance those pompous little samurai daughters would even spare you a word ¨C never mind their bodies."

    "Whatever, bro. Your loss."

    Thementations of the two peasant teens were heard by Gengyo, and he shared some of the sentiments as he continued to hoe at the ground.

    ¡¯Mmm. The life of a peasant in this time period is tough, with the food taxes andpulsory military service when thend holder calls. In order to live as long as possible, and watch my kids grow up I¡¯d have to...¡¯

    Gengyo froze his digging on that line of thought, and quickly admonished the n he was about to propose.

    ¡¯No. I can¡¯t spend this life dedicating myself to work just for the sake of money. It¡¯ll be better if I just enjoy what I can with my lot. That will surely be the most fulfilling way to live.¡¯

    Unfortunately Gengyo¡¯s small pause was noticed, and another stone came his way.

    This one missed ¨C but only by a fraction.

    Gengyo looked toward the two teens, only to have Yoritomo shout at him a secondter.

    "Back to work, shrimp!"

    "Yeah you little bastard, it¡¯s time you start doing the same amount as the rest of us."

    Gengyo studied them with his 40 year old gaze. They were rather ordinary looking. Not that big, or that muscr, but still the previous host seemed to bepletely at their mercy.

    His thoughts contained a certain bitterness toward the previous host.

    ¡¯How weak do you have to be to get pushed around by these two?¡¯

    But still, he resumed his hoeing without a hint of resentment. It was better not to cause a scene ¨C at least not here.

    They were average, simple minded teens but because of their bullying, they would have to be dealt with sometime soon.

    ¡¯No woman is going to look my way if I¡¯m being suppressed by the likes of them.¡¯

    Gengyo was not unattractive in his previous life, nor was he entirely socially ipetent. It was mereck of experience caused by over devotion to his craft that was ended up being his weakness.

    At the very least, he could confidently look in the eyes of these two pathetic children without fear and without flinching. It was not because of some false arrogance, or a lifetime spent receiving the approval of others. It was simply because he knew their experience to be inferior. No forty year old was going to be pushed around by some snot-nosed brats.

    "Man. He¡¯s pretty obedient eh? Makes me want to be a samurai even more ¨C having people like that under me."

    Aritada looked toward him irritated.

    "Can you stop with that shit? It¡¯s depressing, man. We can only hope to do well as soldiers. Being a samurai is impossible for us."

    Gengyo continued to diligently hoe away. He was unused to the mental strain that physicalbour brought, and he was beginning to tire.

    ¡¯There¡¯s got to be a better way of doing this.¡¯

    Of course, ploughing could be done using oxen or horses, but Gengyo did not have any of those luxuries avable to him. What he was looking for was a difference in technique.

    ¡¯Like this?¡¯

    He adjusted his arms slightly, allowing the weight of the tool to do the work for him.

    ¡¯Mm. Much easier.¡¯

    After reducing the strain on his muscles, he continued to think about his current circ.u.mstance.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t know anything about the previous guy¡¯s life, or family or anything... It should be my priority to gather as much information as possible.¡¯

    Unfortunately, as the time travel was done as a transfer of sentience, only the .u.mted experiences and memories of that belonged to him were kept.

    His current situation was ratherplicated for someone who sought a simple life, given the circ.u.mstances of the province in which he was inhabiting, and the social ss he now belonged.

    And so, he pondered upon the task ahead.

    ¡¯Given that thend is being prepared the month should be May. The battle of Okehazama will at most be in a month. Imagawa is going to start calling his men before then... so I need to immediately begin training the bow and get into a yumi unit to avoid being on the front line. That way my survival rate will be much higher.¡¯

    ¡¯Since that battle was aplete ughter for the Imagawa, I¡¯m going to have to find a way of changing history a little...!"

    ...

    ...

    A few hours passed, and an elderly peasant overseeing production on behalf of thendowner announced the end of the day.

    "Oyyyyy. Day¡¯s over folks. Go home and get some dinner.¡¯

    At this Gengyo panicked slightly. He had no idea where his home was, nor who his family members were. He looked around the rice fields wildly for any sign of a family member.

    ¡¯Sleeping outside on my first night here is going to suck. I wonder if this kid even had any family? Maybe I¡¯m an orphan now...¡¯

    With the panic still running riot through his mind, he began to follow the crowd of people already leaving the field.

    That was, until, a hand found its way to his shoulder, and the voice of a young woman filled his ear.

    ¡¯"*Sniff* Tadakata-chan, you were really going to go home without me?"

 -2 - Glossary of Characters

    Kasai Gengyo - Kah-sah-ee Geh-nnn-gee-yo - Name of main character before time travel.

    Miura Tadakata - Mee-oo-rah Tah-dah-kah-tah - New name of main character.

    Miura Rin - Mee-oo-ra Ree-nn - Tadakata¡¯s younger sister.

    Miura Fuku - Mee-oo-ra Foo-koo - Tadakata¡¯s mother.

    Miura Masaatsu - Mee-oo-ra Mah-saahh-tsoo - Tadakata¡¯s old brother.

    Miura Morohira - Mee-oo-ra Moh-roh-hee-rah - Tadakata¡¯s father.

    Makino Yoritomo - Mah-kee-no Yoe-ree-toe-moe - One of the two local bullies. A dreamer.

    Hijikata Aritada - Hee-jee-kah-tah Ah-ree-tah-dah - The second local bully. The leader of the two.

    Baba Takakage - Bah-bah tah-kah-kah-geh - Old man overseeing production.

    Gou Haru - Goh-oo Hah-roo - The bullies¡¯ love interest.

    Niwa Nakatane - Nee-wah Nah-kah-tah-neh - Thendowner - a samurai.

    Niwa Akiko - Nee-wah - Akee-koh - Thendowner¡¯s daughter.

    Kyougoku Suemochi - Kyoh-oo-goh-koo Soo-eh-moh-chee - A thug from the next vige.

    Kushizu Ujimasa - Koo-shee-zoo Oo-jee-mah-sah - A local man with a different outlook than most.

    Shibata Kane - Shee-bah-tah Kah-neh - Akiko¡¯s close maid.

    Toda Naoyori - Toh-dah Nah-oh-yoh-ree - The samuraindowner of the next vige.

    Ishiyama Takayuki - Ee-shee-yah-mah Tah-kah-yoo-kee - The head of the Niwa guards

    Jikouji Uchikage - Jee-koh-oo-jee Oo-chee-kah-geh - The head servant of the Niwa family

    Kitajo Norihisa - Kee-tah-joh Noh-ree-hee-sah - An oddd who tried out for the bow ashigaru

    Niiro Chikakore - Neeee-roh Chee-kah-koh-reh - An old man with a good aim

    Ochi Michimune - Oh-chee Mee-chee-moo-neh - The leader of Toda¡¯s mercenaries

    Suganuma - Soo-gah-noo-mah - The only man to die under Gengyo¡¯smand in the first battle

    Togashi Hiraie - Toh-gah-shee Hee-rah-ee-eh - A man found covered in cuts in Toda¡¯s dungeon

    Ii - ee-ee - A young man, amongst the survivors.

    Honjou - Hoh-nn-joh-oo - Ii¡¯s tall friend.

    Enya - Eh-nn-yah - Ii¡¯s smaller friend.

 Chapter 2 - A Broken Home

    Gengyo turned around as the scent of a woman filled his nostrils. His gaze was curious and calcting.

    A pretty young woman stood before him. She was blessed with big eyes that hid a certain mischievousness and innocence. Her long ck hair was held in a bun under her straw hat, and her full lips and small nose were well proportioned.

    ¡¯A family member perhaps?¡¯

    "Ehhh... how could you look at your sweet little sister with those mistrustful eyes? What have I ever done but look out for my Nii-chan?"

    There was an innocent smile on her lips. The type of smile that Gengyo had learned to mistrust long ago. She¡¯d definitely done something, perhaps a prank of some sort.

    Momentster he began to feel an itchy sensation on his lower back, as though something was crawling down there. The sensation travelled upwards until it reached near his right shoulder. He resisted the almost unbearable urge to scratch, aftering to a conclusion as to the source of such difort.

    "A bug, eh? This sensation... Mmm a house centipede?"

    He reached back into his kimono, grabbing the critter with his finger and a thumb before holding it towards her with a hint of triumph, he asserted his victory.

    "Wha? Aren¡¯t you scared of bugs?"

    She seemed a little impressed, but there was a stronger sense of dissatisfaction there. It seemed she had very much wanted to see her brother roll around in difort.

    Much to her dismay, Gengyo did not fear that which he had knowledge of. And insects were a hobby of his as a child.

    When Gengyo was 12 years old, he wrote a paper on jumping spiders and submitted it to the curator of a museum. The curator had sent a letter back, stating how impressed he was by the paper, and expressing his desire to meet with Gengyo. His parents had intervened upon receiving that letter, exining that Gengyo was but 12 years old.

    As you can imagine, with all this knowledge, his expression was extremely nonchnt. The house centipede wiggled madly in his grip, its legs iling creepily.

    "Why would I be? Even if they¡¯re poisonous, it¡¯s easy to iste the poison and get rid of it. It is they who should fear humans."

    His new sister leaned in close, and carefully checking his face for any abnormalities, before putting a hand to his forehead.

    "I¡¯m not sick."

    "Mmm... but Nii-chan you¡¯re so strange today. You¡¯re even talking differently."

    Her hand cupped the side of his head half-jokingly as she felt around for any bumps.

    "Wah... what¡¯s this?"

    She¡¯d found the bloody gash caused by the stone from earlier.

    "Those two again..? They¡¯re hurting you more and moretely... You need to stand up for yourself Tadakata!"

    Gengyo could not help but smile at her concern. Despite her yfulness, she seemed like a rather caring little sister. It must have been tough for her having an older brother like Tadakata.

    ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll get their due.¡¯

    He chose that moment to change the conversation and marched ahead.

    "Come on. Let¡¯s head home."

    "Uhmm Nii-chan you¡¯re going the wrong way..."

    Gengyo flinched and turned back, slightly embarrassed.

    "Uhh, I think my memory is a little messed up from that stone earlier. Please lead the way."

    At this, his sister¡¯s worry only heightened. Gengyo felt a little bad but it was the only fitting excuse for hisck of Tadakata¡¯s memories, so using it was unavoidable.

    His sister ¨C whom he did not yet know the name of ¨C walked over to him, gazing into his eyes worriedly as she ruffled his hair.

    It was as though she was the older sibling.

    "A stone? Those horrible dogs! Grrr... Really Tadakata, I¡¯m not joking ¨C they need to stop. It¡¯s too dangerous. One day they¡¯re really going to hurt you."

    At this Gengyo simply nodded, and followed by her side as they walked down the muddy path, into a forest and towards their small home.

    ...

    ...

    The scene as they opened the door was not pleasant. A middle-aged man ¨C seemingly drunk ¨C was squaring up to a taller man who was a good deal younger. It appeared to be his son.

    "The f.u.c.k? You think you¡¯re a big man now that you¡¯ve grown a little? Eh? Too good to pour your old man a drink."

    A middle-aged woman floated around the corner of the room, desperately looking as though she wanted to intervene, but couldn¡¯t find the right opportunity.

    "Uhm... dear I think¡ª"

    "No mother. He is right. I was being disrespectful. Please forgive my impudence father."

    The older man squinted up at him in his drunken stupor, trying to detect the sarcasm in his words.

    "Heh, whatever. I¡¯ll pour my own drink this time."

    He swaggered back to the low table, sitting down with his legs crossed before reaching over to grab himself another ss of sake.

    Masaatsu retreated through a sliding door that lead outside. A short timeter the sound of an axe splitting wood could be heard.

    ¡¯That was rather nicely done, young man.¡¯

    Gengyo praised in his head. It was rare to see a youth capable of controlling his emotions so well.

    The middle-aged man brought the drink to his mouth before smacking his lips together in satisfaction.

    "Mmm! Delicious."

    It was only then that he noticed Gengyo and the young girl standing to his side.

    "Ehh, Rin... and the one who¡¯s even more useless than Masaatsu... Why didn¡¯t you let us know that you were home?"

    There was an edge to his voice, as though he was daring them to provoke him further ¨C seemingly encouraged by his victory over Masaatsu.

    Rin responded on both their behalves, as she dragged Gengyo into the room towards their mother by his hand.

    "We¡¯re home..."

    "Heh. Good."

    "Wee home, Rin-chan!"

    Their young mother weed them sweetly, evidently happy to see them.

    "You too Tadakata-chan! Was work difficult sweetie? Your mother is very proud that you¡¯re able to keep up with everyone else!"

    Gengyo had to ept the praise with a false smile, not exactly thrilled to be treated as a toddler.

    "Ha? Proud? The boy¡¯s a dunce Fuku!"

    The man¡¯s voice was venomous as he voiced hisints. He clearly detested Tadakata.

    Fuku was a timid woman, and would normally seek to avoid conflict. But even she could not stand nder of her own children, and so chose to defend her youngest son.

    "Morohira... Please don¡¯t say such things. He¡¯s a good boy. Aren¡¯t you dear?"

    Gengyo did not reply. It wasn¡¯t a question that warranted a response.

    "Ha? Good boy? He¡¯s a durd! Boy¡¯s weaker than anyone else his age, and he walks around like frightened mouse. The other men make fun of me, you know? I¡¯m getting shit off them because of my own bloody son! Aren¡¯t sons meant to make their fathers proud? Or even just be normal? But no, instead that little shit¡¯s got to be the worst piece of trash in the province. Do you think that¡¯s fair, eh? EH?!"

    Morohira stood up, walking towards Fuku who flinched and shrunk back. Only when she noticed that Gengyo was in front of her did her protective instincts ovee her, and she stood in front of him.

    "ANSWER ME WOMAN!"

    "Please Morohira... He tries..."

    She was all but weeping at this point, as the red face of her drunkard husband pressed closer to hers.

    Even the mischievous Rin was nervous, feeling the tension in the room rising, her eyes darting here and there looking for an opportunity to escape.

    "Tries? TRIES? What¡¯s that word supposed to mean? How do I use that in a sentence? ¡¯Haha fes, my boy is trash, but he tries¡¯. You think they¡¯re going to suddenly stop their joking and go, ¡¯ah, well! At least he tries.¡¯ EH!?"

    Fuku frantically attempted to calm him, not realizing that he would pounce on every single word she says.

    "I know... but¡ª"

    ¡¯Oh god. Woman do you not see how drunk he is? It¡¯s foolish to reason with a drunk. If anything, you¡¯re making matters worse.¡¯

    "But...? You have the nerve to contradict your husband? FOUL WOMAN!"

    He rose his arm back, bringing it down to strike her.

    "No! Dad, stop it!"

    Rin screamed, not wanting to see her mother hurt.

    Fuku closed her eyes and turned her head to receive the strike, tears already filling her eyes.

    But the strike nevernded.

    "Father. This son apologies profusely for his inadequacies. He will work to keep from disappointing you in future."

    Gengyo pulled his mother aside at thest second, causing the strike to hit only air, and then he stood with tall in front of his father, nailing him with the confidence of his 40-year-old stare.

    Morohira could only stare in response, his mouth wide open. Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would be Tadakata who stood up to him.

    "Mother, please continue preparing the food. I¡¯m hungry. Rin, you needed the toilet right? Better get going."

    Gengyo organised escape routes for the two of them before the beet red man in front of him could regain his baring.

    Even Rina and Fuku could not help but look toward Gengyo in surprise. The ordinarily timid boy had actually stood up for his mother?

    ¡¯Nii-san actually saved me instead this time...¡¯

    Rin thought to herself as she shot Gengyo a happy smile and disappeared out of the sliding door.

    "Ah, dear, would you like some more sake with your food?"

    Fuku asked as though nothing had happened, edging toward the kitchen area where her ingredients were waiting.

    Morohira was stilling staring at Gengyo and he only half heard his wife¡¯s words.

    "Yes... if you would..."

    ¡¯Now it¡¯s my turn to leave. There will only be more trouble should I stay.¡¯

    "Father. I¡¯m going to help brother with the wood. See you at dinner."

    "What...? Oh. Alright, yes."

    Gengyo swiftly crossed the room and pulled the sliding door open and crossed the threshold before his father could change his mind.

    Masaatsu greeted him with a light nod as he stepped outside, before continuing to wield his axe and split the wood.

    Deciding that it was not yet appropriate to speak, Gengyo leaned against a tree idly as he watched his brother work.

    ¡¯He looks pretty strong. And handsome too. I wonder why the old man was still disappointed in him?¡¯

    Masaatsu shot him another nce, as he continued his work before speaking.

    "I heard. Seems like father was fighting with you guys too... Sorry you had to deal with that."

    Gengyo tilted his head, questioning the need for an apology, but asked something else instead.

    "This happens pretty often, huh."

    A question disguised as a statement, in order to hide hisck of information.

    "Sure does. Mother has it the worst... but father has it pretty tough too."

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow at that.

    "Father? Is he not the cause of all this?"

    Masaatsu shook his head, wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his kimono.

    "Nah, you shouldn¡¯t think too badly of him. The old man¡¯s got it tough. We¡¯re struggling for money, as you know, and he¡¯s getting pressures and stresses from all kinds of ces. If the sake helps him get through ¨C even if it means we have to suffer a bit ¨C we just need to put up with it, buddy."

    ¡¯Hoo... He¡¯s a mature kid. Probably better than that wife-beater deserves. But still, he has a point. It¡¯d be better if we could tame this father of mine, rather than get rid of him. A normal family should have a grandfather after all.¡¯

 Chapter 3 - Yumi Crafting

    "Masaatsu. I have a request."

    "If it¡¯s about those bullies again, I¡¯m going to have to decline. In order to be a man of good standing you need to be able to handle things like that yourself."

    Masaatsu¡¯s face was a mess of guilt as he suggested that, but still his resolve on the matter seemed rather unwavering.

    Gengyo shook his head.

    "No, that¡¯s not it. I will deal with them soon but for now¡ª"

    In Masaatsu¡¯s surprise, he missed the log he was intent on splitting before cutting Gengyo off mid-sentence.

    "What? You¡¯ll deal with them? Before when I mentioned it you would always¡ª"

    Gengyo cut him off in return and nodded.

    "Yes, brother. I intend to find some way of dealing with them, rest assured. But for now, do you have any idea where I might find some bamboo ¨C around two metres tall would be perfect."

    Masaatsu yed with his long hair in thought. His tall stature and handsome face were a poster boy image for any young samurai.

    ¡¯It truly is a shame how much birth decides. This kid deserves better than this.¡¯

    "Mmm. There¡¯s a cl.u.s.ter of bamboo further into the forest if you walk straight for about five minutes... but what do you want bamboo for? Are you going to start spear training? That¡¯d be a good idea seeing as though we don¡¯t have long left."

    "No, not a spear. I¡¯ll show you what it is when it¡¯s finished."

    Masaatsu looked curious, but didn¡¯t prod Gengyo any further.

    "Hehh... Well, it¡¯s getting a bit dark. Do you want me toe with you whilst you pick your bamboo?"

    ¡¯Truly a good kid...¡¯

    "Nah, it¡¯s okay. The dark is a mere absence of light ¨C there is nothing to fear. Thank you for your help, brother."

    Gengyo began walking deeper into the forest with a slight wave, leaving Masaatsu to his task of chopping the wood.

    ¡¯Hmm, Tadakata¡¯s changed somehow... though I can only hope he¡¯s changed enough to survive the battles toe.¡¯

    Masaatsu thought to himself as he watched the silhouette of his younger brother disappear further into the forest.

    ...

    ...

    The bamboo was exactly where Masaatsu had said they would be. It was a rather dense patch of bamboo, with no apparent route through it, leading one to believe that it had never ¨C or at least rarely ¨C been touched.

    Gengyo walked around the perimeter of the green bamboo, searching for one that met the requirements he had for it.

    ¡¯Too short.¡¯

    ¡¯Too thin.¡¯

    ¡¯Too bent.¡¯

    He critiqued each piece of bamboo ruthlessly. He did not want something mediocre ¨C something that merely did the job. He wanted something that even a master craftsman would not frown when using.

    Though Gengyo had never made a bamboo bow before, he was well aware of the procedure, and using the knowledge he had of physics, he was confident he could make one that not only looked good, but was also mathematically sound, and therefore urate.

    After a good deal of searching, he managed to find it. The perfect piece of bamboo. It was tall ¨C a little over two metres ¨C and straight. Its diameter was also of a thickness suitable for bow making.

    ¡¯Good. This just needs heat curing, and then we can get to work on the actual bow.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Following an uneventful meal, with a more docile father, Gengyo was back outside, sitting by a fire he had set up and with a machete-like deying by his side.

    It was almostpletely dark by now, and everyone else had retired to bed before another hard day¡¯s work tomorrow.

    However - spurred on by a sense of urgency - Gengyo was adamant that a bow and a few arrows had to bepleted tonight, so that he might start practising tomorrow.

    ¡¯Tomorrow¡¯s work is going to be tough... but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m unused to pulling all-nighters.¡¯

    He held the bamboo shaft over the mes, only moving it along when he was sure that the area had been hardened sufficiently.

    ¡¯Good.¡¯

    He nodded to himself, happy with the tempered state of the bamboo, and then he reached for his de.

    Using the de, he measured four ch.i.p.s into the end of the bamboo, making sure that they were an equal distance away from each other.

    And then, he pushed the de down the shaft, using the ch.i.p.s as guidance so that he might cut the shaft evenly in half.

    It was rather difficult to negotiate his way through the bamboo using just that simple de, and even more so to do it with the aim of keeping it straight. But Gengyo managed, using the precise eye he had acquired from the many years spent fiddling with circuit boards.

    And then he repeated the process again, so that he was left with the four even segments that had once made up the bamboo shaft.

    These segments were straightened using his de, forming four even strips of wood. The wooden strips were then ced on top of each other, and tied together using some hemp string.

    At this point, you could already see the beginnings of the bow. It was able to hold a good amount of tension when Gengyo folded the ends in, and so he proceeded, satisfied.

    A series of wooden wedges were then hammered in under the string, forcing the bow to assume its curved shape, and then he began to paint the bow in a glue, so that it would retain its shape even when the wedges were removed.

    Whilst the bow was busy setting, Gengyo quickly made some bamboo arrows, and sharpened them after they were fletched with geese feathers. He did not have ess to arrowheads, so he used to small stones to mimic the weight.

    As he finished up, stringing his bow, the first light of dawn could already be seen and a sliding door began to open.

    Masaatsu stepped out, fiddling with his kimono and about to relieve himself.

    He only saw Gengyo as he turned his head to admire the morning woond, and by then it was toote. Attempting to stop himself midstream, he only seeded in soiling his kimono as he almost fell from the raised tform of the porch in his shock.

    "Tadakata... What on earth are you doing!?"

    Gengyo regarded him calmly, and continued adding on the finishing touches to his bow.

    "Ah, Masaatsu, good timing. Finish your business and thene over and see what I used that bamboo for."

    Masaatsu blushed deeply, as he dashed behind a tree, member in hand, before relieving thest of his pent-up urine.

    Heaving a sigh of relief, he calmed himself.

    "Have you been out here all night?"

    "Hmm. Guess you could say that. Are you done? Come on out from behind that tree and check it out. I¡¯ll let you have the first shot."

    ¡¯First shot?¡¯

    Masaatsu thought to himself, intrigued, as he quickly adjusted his kimono and marched over to his younger brother.

    "What..? Is that a bow?"

    Gengyo nodded, and handed it to him, not resentful in the slightest of his masterpiece being used by someone else.

    "My god... this is fantastic! I¡¯ve never held a bow this fine."

    Masaatsu examined the bow, noticing the symmetry of the build and the perfect diameter of the body, and the fine upper and lower curves.

    "Did you really make this? How much does it draw?"

    At this, Gengyo could not help but be a little proud, for it had a draw strength that could even rival the European longbow.

    "110 pounds."

    "110 POUNDS? What!?! Is that even possible? I thought the maximum was around 90... and even then I¡¯ve only ever used a 30 pound bow. Can I try it? Please?"

    He could not helpughing at the excitement of his brother.

    "By all means. Here¡¯s an arrow ¨C try not to hit a tree. The tip will probably break."

    Masaatsu took the arrow gratefully, and carefully nocked it.

    "It really is 110 pounds... I can¡¯t even draw it the full way back. But if not a tree, then what am I meant to aim for?"

    "Mm. A bird perhaps?"

    "A bird? But I¡¯m going to have to find one first..."

    "Try that crow that¡¯s been watching us for the past ten minutes."

    "What? Where?"

    "To your left."

    "Oh. Right... I¡¯m going to shoot then."

    "Wait, first look along the top of the arrow, and make sure it lines up with the crow¡¯s body."

    Masaatsu followed his advice, and released the arrow.

    It flew at lightning speed due to the immense weight of the draw, and surprisingly, the arrow was even urate. The crow did not stand a chance.

    ...

    ...

    "Mother! We can cook this for tea tonight!"

    Masaatsu said, proudly presenting the dead crow.

    "What¡¯s this Masaatsu-kun? How did you manage to catch a crow?"

    Fuku wrinkled her nose slightly as she took the corpse from Masaatsu by its feet.

    "He shot it. He¡¯s a surprisingly good aim."

    Gengyo chipped in.

    "Shot it? Myyy, I didn¡¯t know we had an archer in the family. Who did you borrow the bow from?"

    Masaatsu put his hand on Gengyo¡¯s shoulder before lying on his behalf.

    "Old man Azai lent it to us, right Tadakata?"

    "That¡¯s correct. We¡¯ve decided we wish to be in the yumi ashigaru."

    They had agreed beforehand that it would be wiser not to let anyone else know of the bow, even if it was their own parents. A bow of such quality was considered a treasure, and Gengyo did not want his name to be too well known should the news of his skills spread.

    "Yumi? Mmm, that¡¯s a good idea, dear. It¡¯s a lot more sensible than being one of the yari ashigaru. But you¡¯ll need to pass the test first¡ª"

    Masaatsu cut her off at that.

    "Don¡¯t worry mother, we know how difficult it is to get in. We¡¯ll train hard and make you proud."

    ¡¯Not that you¡¯ll need to train much, though.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. Masaatsu¡¯s skill with the bow was unnatural ¨C nailing a crow first shot. It could have been dumb luck but Gengyo concluded that unlikely.

    Earlier - whilst using the bow - Masaatsu had asked Gengyo why he had decided to make it, since he had never shown an interest in such things in the past. It was then that Gengyo shared his desire to be one of the yumi ashigaru, to which Masaatsu firmly approved, and expressed his own desire to do the same.

    "I had thought being an archer was just an excuse to not be on the frontline... but after ying around with this, I realize it¡¯ll be a lot more exciting than wielding a spear."

    He had said whilst they discussed it, and now he was a veritable walking advertis.e.m.e.nt.

    "I see. I¡¯m sure your father will be proud too ¨C we¡¯ve never had a bowman in our family before."

    The now sober Morohira walked in at that.

    "Mm. It would be a step up, that¡¯s for certain. When I had to battle as a youngster it was always as a yari. It¡¯s not a fun role. Bowmen are people of skill, and so are treated much better. Do your best kids."

    He was apletely different man with the alcohol out of his system, and Gengyo nodded with enthusiastic approval.

    "I will make you proud father."

    He stated solemnly.

    At that Morohira could only scratch his head awkwardly, evidently recalling some of the events of his drunken episode.

    "Yeah... thanks."

    Fuku was beaming happily, seeing the now reconciled state of her husband and children, as they talked about their dreams for the future.

    ¡¯If only this couldst forever...¡¯

    She thought to herself.

    ¡¯If we had just a little bit more money, perhaps it could.¡¯

 Chapter 4 - Revenge

    "Here¡¯s your hoe for the day Miura-kun. You worked hard yesterday ¨C same again today please."

    Old man Baba praised, whilst handing a good solid hoe to Gengyo, and then moving onto the next person waiting in line.

    The day was hot, though it was still early.

    ¡¯This is going to be really rough... I can barely keep my eyes open.¡¯

    The sleep deprived Gengyo thought to himself, whilst moving to his spot in the field.

    All the Miura family were working in different fields to Gengyo, so he had no one to share conversation with whilst he worked, which made the day that much longer. The Tadakata of old had it especially hard, as he worked next to his childhood tormenters.

    "Another hard day¡¯s work today please!"

    Hijikata Aritada shouted over toward him, his voice thick with sarcasm.

    His friend Yoritomo couldn¡¯t wait to join in.

    "Yeah! It¡¯s bothersome for us to have to throw stones, you know?"

    At this, they shared augh, before losing interest in the already working Gengyo who spared them no attention.

    "Mmm, the ploughing is almost done, and then we¡¯ll be able to start flooding the fields. I always enjoy that part."

    Yoritomo said lightly.

    "Yeah, the flooding and seeding are decent. It¡¯s just this hoeing that¡¯s a pain."

    Aritada agreed, leaning on his hoe as he took in the morning air.

    "How many years have we been doing this for now?"

    "Hmm. Well, we¡¯re 18 now... so around 3 years?"

    Yoritomo smiled at this.

    "Only three years, eh? We¡¯ll be soldiers soon! And then we won¡¯t have to do this shit anymore. The women will respect us too."

    Aritada was a little less optimistic, and voiced his doubt.

    "Dunno. We¡¯d have to do something pretty special in order to be fulltime soldiers, else we¡¯ll be back here working this soil for the rest of our life."

    "Yeah bro. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been training. If I have to work another year here I¡¯ll kill myself."

    "Haha, why wait? I¡¯m sure your family would be proud if you sacrificed yourself to fertilise the soil."

    "F.u.c.k off bro. Have you been training too?"

    Aritada looked away before responding.

    "...A bit."

    "You haven¡¯t, have you? Come on man. You won¡¯t be able to do anything if you don¡¯t train. We¡¯re not rice farmers. We¡¯re soldiers!"

    "Yeah, I know. Just work tires me you know? But man its hot today."

    Aritada expertly changed the topic byining, having to wipe his brow before he¡¯d even begun to work.

    "Yeah. Speaking of hot, guess who¡¯s in our field today?"

    "Who?"

    "Haru. She got moved."

    Aritada¡¯s curiosity was captured, and he searched the field for her.

    "Where is she?"

    "Over there man. See?"

    "Ah... Yeah. She¡¯s f.u.c.k.i.n.g hot man."

    "Yeah... if I could get a wife like that I¡¯d be a happy man."

    "Get lost bro. I had her eyes on her first."

    At that Yoritomo simply shrugged.

    "Well, it¡¯s up to her in the end, isn¡¯t it? She¡¯ll probably end up falling for my charms."

    Not a single word of their conversation escaped Gengyo, and he smiled at this new piece of information.

    ¡¯This should be interesting.¡¯

    The day passed slowly, and there were many times where the workers needed to stop in order to relieve themselves, or fetch water. Such breaks were allowed, but taking too long to do so would result in punishment.

    Gengyo continued to work, straining to keep his eyes open despite the monotony of his task.

    ¡¯Those kids mentioned that we¡¯ll start flooding the field in a couple of days. That should be better. Even after doing this for only a day and a bit I¡¯m already sick of it.¡¯

    ¡¯Mm. Since this job really isn¡¯t for me, what could I do in the future to support my family? Something that doesn¡¯t require much effort... A merchant perhaps?¡¯

    ¡¯Nah... Trading would be too demanding, even if the money is good. Something simple where I just need to work during the day, and then I can go home and forget all about it.¡¯

    "Wait! Bro. BRO! It¡¯s her man. Look. Damn she¡¯s sooo good dude."

    Gengyo¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the enthusiastic urgings of Yoritomo.

    "Where? Over by the water? We¡¯re going."

    Aritada could not resist, and quickly began to walk towards her.

    "What? Wait for me man!"

    Yoritomo ran to catch up, and then blushed slightly as Haru nced across the field towards them.

    Gengyo grinned, and then began to follow.

    ¡¯This should be fun.¡¯

    "Hi... Gou-san. Is the water good?"

    Gou Haru regarded Aritada mildly as he desperately sought conversation with her.

    "Uhm... Water doesn¡¯t really have a taste, but I guess it¡¯s nice?"

    "Haha! Right. Right..."

    He desperately downed some water, scratching the back of his head wildly in an attempt to conceal his embarrassment.

    Yoritomo watched from behind, shaking his head at his friend¡¯s foolish attempts. But he did not have the confidence to take his ce.

    "I¡¯m Hijikata Aritada by the way, do you remember me?"

    Haru shook her head lightly, concentrating more on drinking.

    "Nope. Nice to meet you Hijikata-kun."

    Aritada looked slightly depressed at her curt response.

    ¡¯Well... of course someone as good looking as her wouldn¡¯t remember me.¡¯

    He thought to himself bitterly.

    Gengyo casually moved in between the two, approaching Haru himself.

    "May I?"

    He asked, pointing to the water.

    She motioned towards the trough.

    "Help yourself."

    Aritada and Yoritomo shared a nce, jealous of Gengyo¡¯s confidence, and slightly baffled by it.

    ¡¯Since when was that Tadakata so confident around women?"

    Aritada asked himself.

    ¡¯It seems to be that even Tadakata made a better impression than Aritada did there...¡¯

    Yoritomo thought with a hint of humour at his friend¡¯s pathetic attempt.

    Gengyo filled his cupped hands full of water, and stared around the field with lose disinterest as he sipped slowly at it.

    He sniffed the air a few times before turning to Aritada, pulling an expression of disgust.

    "That smell... it couldn¡¯t be you, right Aritada?"

    "What?"

    Aritada just stared at him in surprise. Not once had Tadakata referred to him so casually, so he had trouble even processing what he had said.

    Gengyo simply continued on innocently, as Yoritomo watched Aritada, wondering why his friend was allowing the likes of Tadakata to insult him.

    "Jeez man. That¡¯s rough. If you¡¯re stomachs that bad you can visit my ceter. My mum¡¯s good at making medicines to help with stuff like that."

    Haru put a hand to her mouth, struggling to hide a giggle.

    It was only then that Aritada understood, and he blushed wildly, attempting to exin it away so that he wouldn¡¯t lose face in front of Haru.

    "No! Gou-san... it¡¯s not like that... I didn¡¯t!"

    Haru couldn¡¯t hold it in at that, and openly giggled as she struggled to respond in what she thought would be ady-like manner.

    "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be embarrassed. Everyone gets gas."

    She quickly hurried away, as herughter threatened to consume her, condemning Aritada to be forever unable to exin.

    When she was a certain distance away, Aritada showed his true self, as he reached to grab the front of Gengyo¡¯s kimono.

    "You little punk!? Do you want to get beat that badly? The f.u.c.k was all that about?"

    His face was red with anger, as he held onto Gengyo¡¯s kimono, cutting off his retreat.

    Yoritomo was helping too, and was behind Gengyo, locking his arms. But Gengyo had no interest in escape in the first ce. He merely smiled in response to their aggression.

    "Are you sure you want to do that? Old man Baba is going to walk over that mound any second now. You sure you want to get your entire family court martialled?"

    Anyone slowing down the production on thisnd would have to either pay a fine ¨C which Aritada could definitely not afford ¨C or have their family will face punishment.

    Aritada nced toward the mound that Gengyo was referring to. He couldn¡¯t see Baba but that did not mean that Gengyo was definitely lying. Baba walked around all the fields as the day went on, to make sure everyone was behaving. And he had yet visit their field.

    There was too high a chance that what Gengyo was saying was true. Despite how much Aritada wanted to punch him ¨C he couldn¡¯t risk it.

    "Aritada... I think he might be telling the truth. I saw Baba heading this way earlier."

    Yoritomo also didn¡¯t want to have to face punishment for the likes of Tadakata.

    "F.u.c.k. Whatever. You live for now, punk. But we¡¯ll get you back. Mark my words."

    Aritada pushed him backwards, releasing him, and spat in his direction before marching angrily back across the field.

    Momentster Baba ascended the mound and caught sight of Gengyo.

    "Miura-kun. I know the day is hot, but you must still hurry back to work."

    The old man said, not too unkindly as he sent Gengyo on his way.

    Gengyo was only too happy to oblige, and began to walk leisurely across the field receiving the death stares of Aritada and Yoritomo.

    Gengyo merely shrugged. Though what he had done had broken the social etiquette that men should follow when courting women ¨C never sabotage a buddy ¨C Aritada had been nothing if not deserving of such treatment.

    ¡¯It¡¯s not going to end there, either.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. He would continue making their life difficult until they stopped doing the same for him, and he was confident it was a game he could win in.

    ¡¯They¡¯re just a couple of kids after all.¡¯

    ¡¯Anyway. That Haru isn¡¯t even that good looking. Imagine getting that fl.u.s.tered just from her? Even Rin is probably prettier.¡¯

    Being the age he was, Gengyo¡¯s standards for beauty were rather high. But that did not mean he would be unwilling to have a rtionship with a woman simply because her looks were not outstanding. Quite the opposite. He was simply better at defining such beauty, so he was able to maintain his cool when dealing with them.

    A stone came his way, interrupting his thoughts. He regarded it lightly, and dodged with little effort required.

    Another came flying, but this one was off course, so Gengyo merely red at its thrower innocently as it flew past his head.

    Aritada was fuming.

    ¡¯What is up with this kid?! Since when was he like this?¡¯

    He asked himself, as he almost entirely forgot his task, and instead continued to hurl stones at Gengyo.

    Gengyo continued to work, but as the stones came his way, he struck a variety of different poses, finding evermore inventive ways to dodge.

    After thest stone was dodged by Gengyo nonchntly doing a star jump, Aritada was ready to explode.

    "F.U.C.KKKKKK!!! Yoritomo, help me out would you? This little punk¡¯s making fun of me."

    Yoritomo couldn¡¯t help but grin at the enraged state of his usually arrogant friend, but still assented and began to help out in the artillery war against Gengyo.

    ¡¯Where are they finding all these stones? Isn¡¯t it bad to have a field so full of stones?¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself mildly, as he lifted he held his hoe like a baseball bat, anticipating the next stone.

    "What¡¯s he doing?¡¯

    Yoritomo asked, curious about Gengyo¡¯s stance.

    "Who cares? Just keep throwing."

    Aritada said irritated as he continued to search for more stones.

    The stone was thrown and Gengyo struck perfectly with the metal of his hoe.

    A loud TING resounded throughout the field, and all attention was drawn towards them.

    Only, Gengyo was seen to be busy at work, whilst the two friends had disregarded their tools and were instead ying around with stones.

    Some of the older workers shook their heads, disgusted with the work ethic of these two youngsters.

    Gengyo could not help but chuckle. These two were far too young and innocent.

    ¡¯Lunchtime is going to be fun.¡¯

 Chapter 5 - A Deal

    Lunchtime rolled around soon enough and Gengyo marched confidently toward the open-walled hut in which everyone was starting to gather for lunch.

    Aritada and Yoritomo trailed behind him with fury on their faces. He¡¯d made them receive the scorn of the entire field, and to make matters worse they still had notnded a single stone on him.

    "F.u.c.k... Hurry up Yoritomo I won¡¯t be able to eat until I beat that little shit up."

    "Yeah. I hear you."

    Rin and Masaatsu were already feasting on some rice balls, and waved to Gengyo as he came closer.

    "Oyyy, how¡¯s work little bro?"

    At this Gengyo could not help butugh, recalling the events of the morning.

    "To be honest, Masaatsu, I think I¡¯m starting to enjoy it."

    Rin raised her eyebrows at this.

    "For someone who got nailed on the head with a stone yesterday, you sure are optimistic. Aren¡¯t those two picking on you today?"

    Gengyo smiled.

    "No. In fact, someone else is picking on them instead today."

    "Ehh... I don¡¯t get it but if you¡¯re having fun, I guess its fine."

    Masaatsu agreed, whilst handing Gengyo a ball of rice.

    "Yeah, if they don¡¯t bother you that¡¯s what matters. Here you go. I¡¯m looking forward to having meat with dinner for a change ¨C that should be nice."

    Rin looked a little curious at this.

    "Are we? Howe?"

    "Masaatsu caught a crow this morning."

    "Really? But he¡¯s never caught anything before... anyway you¡¯d need a bow."

    "Yeah, Tadakata borrowed one from old man Azai yesterday"

    Masaatsu chipped in.

    "Mmm... You¡¯ve never been interested in stuff like that before Tadakata."

    "Yeah well I¡ª"

    Gengyo was cut off by the seething Aritada.

    "You. Come with us."

    He forcefully grabbed Gengyo¡¯s shoulder, and started to drag him away.

    Masaatsu moved to get up, as did Rin, but Gengyo shook his head and shot them a confident smile, freezing them in their tracks.

    "Come on. Let¡¯s take a walk down that mound. People can see us here."

    Aritada pushed Gengyo from the back, forcing him to walk forward. But Gengyo was only too happy to oblige.

    Instead, he maintained his fa?ade of innocence.

    "Do you have something secret to tell me Hijikata-kun? If you want to be friends you don¡¯t need to go through all this trouble to ask."

    At that Aritada brought his palm to his face before turning to Yoritomo andughing a little madly.

    "Haha... Yoritomo... I¡¯m just going to kill him, okay?"

    It seemed he¡¯d all be broken down, as he raised his hoe toward Gengyo preparing to swing

    Yoritomo quickly went behind him and secured his arms, preventing him from attacking.

    Aritada thrashed about wildly in response.

    "LET ME GO! I NEED TO KILL THAT LITTLE F.U.C.KER!"

    Yoritomo¡¯s grip remained firm however, as he attempted to talk some sense into him.

    "Calm down bro! If you really do kill him then we¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.e.d. No one¡¯s going to let us get away with murder. Just calm down and we¡¯ll beat him up a bit okay?"

    Aritada took a few deep breaths and stopped struggling.

    "Okay... You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get this over with."

    Yoritomo slowly nodded, and tentatively released him, ready to quickly lock him down again should he attempt to attack Gengyo.

    "What¡¯s wrong Hijikata-kun? You really don¡¯t need to be that embarrassed about asking to be my friend."

    This time Aritada just attacked instantly, seeing red.

    Yoritomo managed to secure his arms just in time before the hoe cracked open Gengyo¡¯s head.

    "F.U.C.KKKKKK THIS LITTLE SHIT! I CAN¡¯T. HE¡¯S TOO ANNOYING. JUST LET ME KILL HIM!!!"

    "Aritada! Calm down bro. He¡¯s just being stupid and messing with you."

    "Ok bro. I¡¯m just going to hold your arms all the way there, ok? Then we can stop and beat him up."

    "Nah! I¡¯ve calmed down now. Let me go."

    "Sorry bro. I don¡¯t trust you. This is for your own good, ok? Miura, get moving, yeah? No more talking from you."

    Gengyo merely smiled innocently as he walked in front with a spring in his step.

    "F.u.c.k... I¡¯m going to mess him up so bad."

    "Yeah bro, just wait till we¡¯re out of sight. And don¡¯t touch the face, yeah?"

    ...

    ...

    "Ehh? What do you mean you want to beat me up? I thought we were all going to be friends..."

    Gengyo said with a hint of sadness.

    Aritada didn¡¯t respond, he merely put all his anger into a fist sent toward Gengyo¡¯s stomach.

    Itnded, and hit hard.

    Gengyo bent over, winded from the blow. He struggled to keep his thoughts sound as he coughed, struggling for air.

    ¡¯Not yet... need the right moment.¡¯

    This time it was Yoritomo¡¯s turn. A kick to the side sent Gengyo sprawling on the floor.

    Aritada moved in, and sent more kicks to his stomach and chest, as Gengyo used his arms to protect his face.

    Aritada grew tired of the kicking, and searching for a way to make him feel more pain. He decided on blows to the back, which Gengyo would be unable to defend from.

    Gengyo struggled to get up, as his whole body wracked with pain.

    They allowed him to his stand, but not for long. Yoritomo used him as a human training doll, and tested out his shoulder throw, sending him flying.

    Hended hard on his back again, also mming his cyx on a rock causing an excruciating amount of pain.

    But he used this pain as a stimnt, and quickly crawled on his hands and feet.

    ¡¯Silly boy. This is what I was aiming for from the start.¡¯

    Gengyo stood up, slightly bent over from the pain, but with a look of ferocity about him as he held his new weapon ¨C Aritada¡¯s hoe.

    His aggressors looked at him measuredly, with a hint of fear, wondering whether he really would strike them with the hoe.

    "Pah! Cut the shit Miura. You don¡¯t have the balls to use that ¨C the injuries would be too serious. You¡¯d definitely get punished."

    Aritada taunted, slowly getting closer.

    "Oh, you¡¯re quite right."

    Gengyo nodded in agreement. His goal was not to use this as a weapon, but rather as insurance.

    "Now, watch closely. Aritada, Yoritomo ¨C you lose."

    Gengyo secured the cutting edge into the ground, whilst gripping the end of the shaft tightly. He then brought his foot down on it, quickly and deliberately.

    SNAP

    ...

    "THE F.U.C.K!? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT MIURA?"

    Aritada¡¯s anger burst forth at the sight of his hoe getting broken, and he rushed forwards towards Gengyo, intent on giving him a serve punishment for his actions.

    "Ah. Hold on there. Do you really have the money to fix a broken hoe?"

    "EH!? You broke it dumbass! You¡¯re the one who has to pay for it."

    "Tutut. You really think they¡¯re going to believe that? I left my hoe with Baba. You called me out over here, and you return with a broken hoe...? Hm. What¡¯s everyone going to think?"

    "They¡¯re going to think what we tell them to think! Let¡¯s beat him up Yoritomo!"

    "No, not at all. Why would they believe that I broke it? Everyone knows that you two are good for nothings. Do you really think they¡¯ll believe that weak little me overpowered you both and broke your hoe? They¡¯re going to call bullshit, and you¡¯ll get punished twice as bad."

    Yoritomo looked a pitifully toward Aritada at that.

    "That sounds right bro... I¡¯m sorry but my folks don¡¯t have the money to buy a new hoe. This is on you man."

    "!? Mine don¡¯t have it either dumbass. We can barely eat. How the f.u.c.k are we going to pay for a new hoe?"

    "I dunno man. I¡¯m just telling you ¨C I can¡¯t help."

    "Yeah, whatever. Miura. Even if what you said is true, and we¡¯re going to have to buy a new hoe anyway, what¡¯s to stop us from just beating the shit out you right here and now? I¡¯m f.u.c.k.i.n.g itching to do it."

    ¡¯Well this is going rather well.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself with a smile.

    "Simple. I can fix it ¨C before lunch ends even. You just have to agree to some of my conditions."

    Aritada¡¯s eyes virtually bulged out his head as he listened to this, he grasped his scalp as though he had a headache.

    "You can fix it... Huh. Don¡¯t believe you, but I lose nothing by making you try... And do you really think you¡¯re in a position to be asking for conditions, eh? We can beat you up whenever we want little man."

    At that Gengyo simply shrugged his shoulders.

    "Yes, you can. However, that won¡¯t bring the money your family needs to buy a new hoe."

    Aritada ground his teeth in irritation. There was not a single floor in Gengyo¡¯s reasoning.

    "Pah. What are these conditions then, punk?"

    "Oh, they¡¯re very simple. You just need to ask to move to a different field to me."

    !?

    "The f.u.c.k? You know that shit is hard to do. Baba is going to hate it."

    "That¡¯s not really my problem, but if you say something like: ¡¯I¡¯d like to be moved to a field where there is more work, as we get bored easily¡¯. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d oblige."

    "You little punk... You¡¯re really pushing me here."

    "Aritada, bro, that condition isn¡¯t even that bad. We¡¯ll just get moved and it¡¯ll be fine, right?"

    Gengyo nodded.

    "Yes, that¡¯s all. Of course I¡¯ll need you both to swear on your warrior¡¯s honour ¨C since you two are into that ¨C so that you will uphold you promise."

    Aritada smiled bitterly at that.

    "Since when were you so smart, kid? F.u.c.k it. Whatever. I swear on my warrior¡¯s honour, that I, Hijikata Aritada will move fields upon receiving a fixed hoe from Miura. May the death god¡¯s take my soul should I be lying."

    Yoritomo simrly repeated the vow, and Gengyo nodded in satisfaction.

    "Good. I am also a man of my word. Take this hoe and broken shaft, and find me a piece of bamboo simr in diameter and length. The diameter must be lightly bigger than that of the hole in the cutting edge, understand? I will remain here and start a fire."

    Aritada instantly turned to Yoritomo.

    "Yoritomo, I need you to do as he says. I¡¯ll stay here to keep an eye on him, and make sure he keeps his word."

    Yoritomo looked a little begrudging, but still assented and jogged down the path between the fields toward a public bamboo patch.

    "What¡¯s this fire for?"

    Aritada asked, as he watched Gengyo begin toy the base, before taking a flint and steel out from inside of kimono ¨C the same one he had used the night before ¨C and lighting the kindling.

    Gengyo didn¡¯t begrudge him this information. He had nothing really against the boy, apart from the bullying.

    "Bamboo starts to go bad after a while."

    Aritada wondered if this was another trick, and responded carefully.

    "It does..."

    "Heating the bamboo in the fire helps to kill it whilst hardening it, preventing it from going bad."

    Aritada watched Gengyo carefully as he exined this, making sure there were no lies passing through his mouth. But what he said seemed to make sense so Aritada nodded.

    "How do you know that anyway? Your family are just farmers same as mine."

    "I make it my business to know, Hijikata-kun. Knowledge is a powerful resource, is it not? It is through knowledge that I managed to beat you."

    Aritada frowned slightly at that, clearly still bitter.

    "Yeah. I guess it is... What happened to you anyway? You suddenly started to know shit? We¡¯ve been pushing you around for years. At first I felt a bit bad, but you just didn¡¯t resist at all dude. Like a dog."

    "Mmm. The weak are still people. I¡¯m a different man now though, Hijikata-kun. You will no longer be able to push me around. In the future, it might even be beneficial for you to work with me."

    Aritada flinched slightly at that, but then thinking over the recent events he nodded.

    "I¡¯d never work under you. Only as equals."

    Gengyo looked at him andughed slightly.

    "I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way."

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Decided to add a little note to this chapter, as it has proved to be controversial. He starts off as a character that is essentially looking for peace and quiet. He acted in a way that would move toward that goal. Instead of acting out revenge, he sought peace. The teens were, after all, teens, and not a serious threat.

    That is not to say that he continues to be kind for the rest of the book. Who he develops into is a strong character that I¡¯m proud to write about. By chapter 25, he has killed his first man. Read on if you¡¯re interested to see how a normal person develops and adapts to his circ.u.mstances, bing a force to be reckoned with.

 Chapter 6 - Connections

    Yoritomo came running back a few minutester, shaft of bamboo in hand.

    "Hah... hah... here... hah... it¡¯s the best I could find."

    Gengyo nodded and received it.

    "It looks good. Catch your breath and then I¡¯ll show you how to change the shaft."

    Aritada looked slightly surprised at that.

    "You mean you¡¯re going to teach us?"

    "Yes. It¡¯s a useful skill to learn - heat hardened bamboo has many uses."

    "No... It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be useful, but why teach us? We¡¯re not friends or anything."

    Gengyo simply shrugged his shoulders.

    "We¡¯re not really enemies either. We¡¯re all part of the same vige, on the same side. We¡¯re going to be going to war together soon. I¡¯m just concerned with living a peaceful life, you know? If you don¡¯t bother me, I¡¯m not going to make your life difficult."

    Aritada looked a little ashamed, as he turned to Yoritomo who seemed to share the sentiment.

    "...Yeah."

    "Alright then. Watch. You put it over the fire a bit at a time, and then you wait a little..."

    "You see it starting to brown? That¡¯s when you know it¡¯s ready. Now we move onto the next bit."

    They nodded, as the process was rtively simple, but Yoritomo still had a question.

    "Miura-san, how are you going to get the broken shaft out of hoe? It¡¯s in pretty tight."

    To this, Gengyo responded with action. He grasped the hoe that was by his side, and put it in the mes.

    The two boys started to panic at this.

    "Wait Miura-san?! What the hell man?"

    Aritada reached into the mes to try and grab it back, only to be repelled by the intense heat.

    "Hm? It¡¯s the best way to get it out. What are you worried about? This measly fire isn¡¯t enough to melt the metal."

    Aritada still looked a little uneasy.

    "Ok... I hope you¡¯re right."

    "I am. More importantly, the hardening isplete. Yoritomo, try it and feel the difference."

    Yoritomo took the bamboo carefully, taking care not to grasp the recently heated part too firmly ¨C for fear of burning.

    He nodded enthusiastically.

    "It¡¯s a lot harder. Probably just as good as the shaft was before."

    "And now, Hijikata-kun, we can take your hoe out of the fire."

    Gengyo did as he said he would.

    "See? The shaft¡¯s beenpletely burned out, and the de is still fine. Now all we need to do is hammer in our new bamboo and it¡¯ll be as good as new."

    Aritada looked pleased with the results and breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Seems like I won¡¯t have to buy a new hoe after all."

    "Indeed. Use this rock here, and hammer in the new shaft. I¡¯ll hold it to make sure it¡¯s in ce."

    "Alright."

    Aritada took the rock.

    Gengyo who was crouching down - directing the shaft - motioned for Yoritomo toe closer.

    "Watch this Makino-kun. You see how the shaft is a bit too wide for the hole? When Hijikata-kun hammers it, the bamboo will be shaved off until it fits inside. The result is a tight de that doesn¡¯t move."

    Yoritomo looked where Gengyo was pointing, following his exnation.

    "Listen man... Thanks for showing this to us. We¡¯ll be able to avoid buying new hoes in future now."

    Aritada rolled his eyes at that.

    "It¡¯s not just hoes, dummy. Anything that has a shaft we¡¯ll be able to fix. Axes, picks, anything. It¡¯s a really useful skill. Thanks Miura-san."

    Gengyo nodded, epting their thanks.

    ¡¯This is how it should be. Internal conflict is too wasteful.¡¯

    Aritada hit down with his rock a few times, firmly merging the shaft with the de. And thus, the hoe was fixed.

    "Well that¡¯s done fes. I¡¯m going to head back and get some lunch. See yater."

    They exchanged farewells and Gengyo quickly jogged away.

    "Yoritomo."

    "Yes?"

    "We need to change."

    "I agree."

    "I feel really stupid now... We spent years messing with him and he spent years learning new shit."

    "Yeah, bro. We should just focus on training."

    "Mm. That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll focus on training from now on ¨C properly this time. And when the battlees, I¡¯ll show that Miura my true potential."

    "Yeah! We¡¯ll show him what we can do."

    ...

    ...

    By then time Gengyo got back, everyone had finished eating and were heading back to work.

    Rin was still waiting with a rice ball in hand, looking relieved to see him.

    "Tadakata, you¡¯re back! What happened?"

    "I¡¯ll tell youter. Better hurry back to work. You too Masaatsu."

    Rin looked unhappy with that, but knew he was right, and so passed him a rice ball before beginning to leave.

    "You better tell uster."

    Masaatsu seconded that.

    "Yeah. Don¡¯t leave us in the dark too much Tadakata."

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. Now getting going or you¡¯ll annoy Baba."

    At that they finally left, leaving Gengyo to hurry across the field whilst stuffing his mouth full of rice ball, meeting Baba as he went.

    "Here is your hoe back, Miura-kun."

    "Thank you for taking care of it for me."

    Old man Baba smiled knowingly. He knew more about the bullying than he let on, but as there was nothing he could do to directly intervene ¨C not until it got more serious. Still, he had always been cheering Tadakata on in his heart.

    "Not at all. I can see you had your reasons."

    Gengyo smiled warmly and nodded, before returning to work.

    ¡¯Another good fellow.¡¯

    That afternoon Aritada and Yoritomo did not return to the field, which could only mean one thing: they had kept their promise.

    ¡¯Good. It seems my life will grow simpler now.

    ...

    ...

    Masaatsu and Rita ambushed Gengyo at the door house.

    "Hmm. Did you think you¡¯d be able to get away?"

    Rin would make a good criminal. Her voice was perfect, and her eyes were contaminated by a distinct touch of sadism.

    Masaatsu slivered behind him, cutting off his retreat, and locking down his arms.

    "Nii-san, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time we got some truth out of Tadakata here?"

    Masaatsu nodded deeply, mirroring her yful ferocity.

    "But of course. We¡¯re family after all. One should not hide things from their family."

    "Eh... But I haven¡¯t even tried to hide anything yet."

    Rin dismissed his protests quickly.

    "Silence! Masaatsu, what¡¯s our theory?"

    "Responding to thedy, our theory is this: you were beaten up by the two friends Hijikata and Makino."

    "You heard the man. What¡¯s say you in your defence?"

    "Uhh... is this really the right way to treat a man who¡¯s just been beaten up? You¡¯re making me seem like the criminal."

    "Oh but you are the criminal, Nii-chan! Your crime is not fighting back."

    "Ah, that¡¯s where-"

    "Masaatsu. How badly do you think he¡¯s wounded."

    "Mydy, I would guess not that badly. Tadakata here is a bit of a wuss ¨C if he was injured he¡¯d be crying about it."

    "Mhm, mhm. Your reasoning is sound, Masaatsu. I¡¯m d to have you in my services."

    "It¡¯s my honour, mydy."

    "Very well. Let¡¯s reveal the truth!"

    At that Masaatsu gripped Gengyo¡¯s kimono firmly, swiftly removing it from the upper body, leaving Gengyo¡¯s back and chest bare. Gengyo could not help but flinch at his rough actions, due to the many bruises that decorated his torso.

    They were ck and yellow and blue, and not few in number.

    Rin¡¯s sharp intake of breath perfectly and breaking of character marked their severity.

    "My goodness... Even for you Tadakata this is a bit much..."

    Tears started to fill her eyes as she looked at the battered torso of her older brother.

    "Tadakata... They did this?"

    Masaatsu was seething. Despite telling Gengyo that a real man must solve his own problems, this was too far.

    He stormed outside and returned with an axe.

    "Let¡¯s go little brother ¨C it¡¯s time to get your revenge."

    He spoke solemly.

    Gengyo was touched by their reactions, but could not help feel a bit worn out by their dramatics.

    "Masaatsu. Stop."

    He spoke with authority, startling his siblings.

    "But Tadakata... look at yourself. They¡¯ve messed you up real bad, those sick f.u.c.ks. I¡¯ve got to at least pay them back somehow."

    "Thanks, but there¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already paid them back. They won¡¯t be bothering me again."

    "Nii-san... please don¡¯t lie. These injuries are too much ¨C let Masaatsu handle it.

    Rin gently passed over his bruises with her cold hands from her now seated position in front of Gengyo.

    "You two..."

    Gengyo could not help but be happy. He¡¯d never been close with his birth family, but these two here were genuinely concerned about his safety.

    He stroked Rin¡¯s head gently as he reassured them.

    "This afternoon ¨C these wounds ¨C they were my fault. I provoked the two of them."

    Masaatsu recoiled at those words, seemingly remembering something.

    "When you said you would deal with them... This isn¡¯t what you meant, surely?"

    "Not at all brother. This was a mere piece. But I won. Trust me brother. I won."

    Gengyo quickly calmed him, as he felt there was much more Masaatsu wanted to say.

    Rin looked at him with big eyes, searching for any deceit behind his words.

    "You¡¯re probably just saying that so we don¡¯t worry..."

    "No, I¡¯m serious. Your brother is a different man now. You won¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. It¡¯s your brother¡¯s turn to protect you."

    "You keep saying that, Tadakata, but what proof do we have? You say you won? What kind of victory did you win when your body is in such a state?"

    "Did you notice that those two were ahead of you both on their way home?"

    "Yes..?"

    "Isn¡¯t that unusual? Our field is the furthest away from the house. Why would they be ahead of you?"

    "They got off early..? I don¡¯t know."

    Masaatsu and Rin shared a nce as they searched for an answer to these seemingly irrelevant questions.

    "In that case, I would also be home before you. Let me tell you the real reason: they were moved to a different field. I made them ask to be moved."

    Disbelief stered the two siblings faces. It made absolutely no sense for that to happen, yet the more they thought about it, the more it seemed true.

    "...? How? Nii-san?"

    Now that he had their attention, Gengyo was only too happy to run them through the events of the day, and share the joys he felt at executing his many ns.

    He told them of the incident with Haru, at which they burst outughing.

    "Damn that was cruel little brother. Even I might have beaten you up if you did that haha. "

    Masaatsu joked in response.

    And then he told of them of how angry the two friends had be, throwing stones. He mimicked some of the poses he had pulled to dodge and he told them of how he had drawn the attention of the entire field, framing the two who were doing no work.

    "Bahaha! Brother is too cunning."

    Rin praised delightedly.

    And then he began to tell them of lunch, to which they both began to lean in further.

    Captivated by Gengyo¡¯s storytelling skills, their anger rose as Gengyo told them of the beating he had received, but then their expressions instantly lifted as he revealed his n.

    And then he neared the end of the tale, describing the deal he hadid out, at which Masaatsu physically patted him on the back.

    "That was bloody well done, Tadakata. Really. I¡¯m proud of you bro."

    Rin didn¡¯t want to be left out, as she praised Gengyo ¨C whom she was still clinging onto ¨C with vigour.

    "Yup! Nii-san did really good!"

 Chapter 7 - The Swan

    It waster that evening that Gengyo finally found some time to himself. Dinner was finished with, and he was now sitting idly against a tree in an area a few minutes from the house.

    ¡¯Mmm. Even if my life has been a littleplicated these past two days, it sure beats sitting alone in myb.¡¯

    He fiddled with the string of his bow as the light in the dense forest gradually started to fade.

    ¡¯Hmm, the statistic that 17 hours of being awake has the same effect on the body as two sses of wine... would that mean I¡¯m a good drunk? I¡¯ve been awake for 36 hours, and I¡¯m still able to function rather well.¡¯

    ¡¯Of course, if sleep were possible right now, then I would go without resistance, but as such a thing would be foolish.¡¯

    ¡¯My time is ticking. Even if it takes everyst drop of my will power, it¡¯s important for my survival, and therefore my future, that I adhere to the thoughts and ns made by a more able minded and motivated version of myself.¡¯

    ¡¯That is to say, right now, I very much do not feel like getting up from this tree. The way it supports my back just right... and the cushioning of this soil on my rear... I could just drift away now.¡¯

    ¡¯No! Snap out of it, you silly mortal.¡¯

    At that Gengyo stood up, forcing his body into action and he began to walk deeper into the forest before his tired mind could think up any anymore reasons why it might be better to rest.

    ¡¯Mmm. A clearing would be nice.¡¯

    He continued on, with this as his goal. His direction remained straight so that he would not get lost on the way back.

    In his hand he held the fruits ofst night¡¯sbour ¨C his bow and set of 5 arrows ¨C and in the other he held a bundle of torn clothes that his mother ¨C Fuku - had been about to repair but on Gengyo voicing his interest she had willingly given them to him instead.

    In the distance Gengyo began to hear the sound of running water.

    ¡¯Mm, a river would serve my purpose well. Along the banks there will be a clear enough area for me to practise.¡¯

    He changed his direction a little and began to head towards it, having to deal with an army of overgrown nts that got in his way.

    They were not all friendly nts either. Some bore thorns that sliced Gengyo¡¯s clothes and skin whenever they managed to surprise him. Others stung him, and left irritating sores on his flesh.

    He took care to carve a path through them all, using a stick that he had acquired along the way. This would allow him to be able to find his way home easily enough, and also not have to deal with the army of angry vegetation that barred his way.

    Eventually ¨C as the going was slow ¨C the water came into sight, and with it a good deal of shingle.

    There were about 2 metres of shingle along the shore, as the waterpped gently back and forth.

    It was not a river, but a smallke ¨C perhaps 50 metres in diameter. Only one shore was essible. The other sides of theke were shielded by trees and grasses that yielded no entrances.

    ¡¯Could be an oxbowke, given its shape, which would mean there¡¯s a river nearby.¡¯

    The scenery was rather magnificent, with the low sun reflecting off the water¡¯s edge giving the area a warm glow. Ducks navigated the water with some diving deep in search of food. Secondster they would return with fish in their mouth.

    ¡¯The aquatic life seems to be rather bountiful. Fishing here would be a treat.¡¯

    A few swans nested by the water¡¯s edge, and Gengyo took great care not to rm them as he moved about preparing a target for his training.

    ¡¯We¡¯ll set up away from those swans. I would feel bad if they left their eggs because of me.¡¯

    He wrapped his bundle of clothes around a thin tree at one end of the shore, making sure it was thick enough as not to blunt the arrow should it strike wood.

    Nodding with satisfaction, he moved back around 10 paces, before nocking his arrow and drawing his bow.

    ¡¯Look down the arrow and aim for the centre of the clothes.¡¯

    He repeated the advice he had given to the dead-eyed Masaatsu that same morning, and released the string.

    THWANG

    Despite the close distance, the bundle of clothes was not hit. Nor was it even disturbed in the slightest.

    The arrow had disappeared deep into the undergrowth causing Gengyo to feel a little disheartened.

    ¡¯Yeah... It was probably a bad idea to hope I¡¯d be as lucky as Masaatsu.¡¯

    Sighing, he retrieved his arrow, before nocking, drawing and taking aim once more.

    He prepared to release his arrow once more, but stopped himself, slowly allowing the string to rx.

    ¡¯Last time... It went too far to the right hand side. I¡¯m standing straight in front. The arrow travelspletely straight from the bow ¨C we¡¯ve checked this ¨C so the only fault can be with my own aim.¡¯

    This time ¨C after drawing ¨C when Gengyo looked down the arrow, he aligned it as he did before, but then before release he turned a few millimetres left.

    THWANG

    This time, the arrow grazed the left hand size of the clothes target, almost sticking.

    ¡¯That¡¯s more like it.¡¯

    Gengyo was much happier with that kind of result, and praised himself for his analysis prior to aiming this time. With that, he felt he would be able to make progress ¨C though it was likely a bit early to be feeling that kind of optimism for he was still far too close to the target.

    After retrieving his arrow for a third time, he assumed his stance and made the right adjustments to his aim holding a certain confidence that he would be able to make the bullseye this time.

    He prepared to release, loosening his fingers on his string.

    But a sudden sh of white halted his fire, and he lowered his bow fearing the swan might get caught by his arrow.

    The swan was certainly taking it¡¯s time to move, and Gengyo started to grow a little impatient.

    "Come on, move will you?"

    "..."

    "Please? I¡¯m trying to practise with my bow..."

    He did not expect to hear the voice of a young woman tentatively offering a response.

    "Sorry..."

    ¡¯What?¡¯

    Gengyo was startled, and couldn¡¯t formte a response to this ¡¯swan¡¯ as his mind was racing.

    The undergrowth and trees surrounding the swan started to stir, as that little patch of whiteness grew, revealing features that a swan certainly would not have.

    "Uhm... Hello."

    Avishly dressed woman of notable beauty stepped out. She had a delicate air about her, with dark brown hair that brushed against full lips as she used her small snow coloured hands to try and hide herself as she spoke. Her captivating dark brown eyes darted from Gengyo¡¯s face to the floor and the area surrounding as she struggled anxiously with where to focus her attention.

    The more time went on, the more self-conscious she grew, and a pink blush lightened her cheeks that were supported by the architecture of her high cheekbones.

    The clothes she wore were no less beautiful than she ¨C as the white yukata merely served as a canvas for a most colourful depiction of nature. It began at the bottom, with a swirling orange sea in which me-coloured cranes stood proudly. Bamboo shoots shot from the sea, branching off toward the sleeves as they grew all the way to the top of the back and chest. Orange and yellow leaves decorated their branches, for fear that the outer parts of the yukata would not know what colour was.

    In spite of all this colour, the designer still chose to keep the sleeves a most pure white, which presumably was the part Gengyo had mistaken for a swan¡¯s wing.

    Finally he spoke to this swan in human form.

    "...What are you doing?"

    This only served to increase her self-consciousness, as she fretted about every little action she was making wondering what this man in front of her was referring to.

    "Sorry..."

    Gengyo shook his head, at a loss as what to do.

    "That¡¯s not what I meant. What are you doing here?"

    She peeked out from behind raised hands that covered the lower half of her face like a more refined gangster¡¯s bandana.

    "Uhm... I sometimese here. It is beautiful, see?"

    She attempted to create a more gentle conversation with the man in front of her ¨C a conversation that drew the attention away from her.

    However, Gengyo was not so lenient as to let this strange encounter pass unexined.

    ¡¯She¡¯s clearly of a more noble birth than mine ¨C most likely a samurai¡¯s daughter. Why on earth would she be anywhere near a forest that houses peasants like me?¡¯

    "Why here? There are plenty of beautiful ces. This is a ce where peasants live. It would be dangerous for a youngdy such as yourself to be caught alone."

    She interpreted a threat that wasn¡¯t there in Gengyo¡¯s words and grew further more anxious, before trying her best to please the man in front of her.

    "The... Daddy¡¯s mansion is near here."

    "Does that mean I¡¯m trespassing?"

    The girl quickly shook her head, worried that Gengyo would get angry.

    "Ah, no! Uhm... please stay...?"

    She was unsure of quite what else to say, but that was certainly thest thing she wanted him to do.

    "Why were you hiding in the undergrowth over there?"

    "I was scared... so I hid. No one else has evere here before."

    ¡¯Make sense when you think about it. The fish in thiske certainly have never been hunted by human hands.¡¯

    "Oh. Why are you wearing that?"

    Gengyo pointed, referring to the yukata.

    "Even if you are a samurai¡¯s daughter ¨C are you a samurai¡¯s daughter? ¨C it¡¯s a little unusual to be wearing a yukata at this time of year."

    Gengyo deemed her not to be a threat, so he spoke more casually, leaning his bow and arrows against a rock and sitting down.

    The girl tookfort in this, having his attention slightly diverted away from her as he admired the peaceful water.

    "Yes. My father is Niwa Nakatane... As for this ¨C it¡¯s a little embarrassing, I¡¯d rather not say."

    Gengyo¡¯s interest was heightened as his own theories began to swim around in his head. But he left it there.

    "That¡¯s fine. Well, I¡¯m going to be practising a little. Since you came all the way out here it would be wasteful to leave without enjoying the scenery?"

    The girl tentatively nodded in agreement at that.

    "It would..."

    "Then, by all means, act as though I am not here."

    It was an impossible request for such a self-conscious girl, but she did her best to fulfil it.

    Finding an overturned log, she began to sit down.

    "Ah. That¡¯s probably going to ruin your yukata."

    She halted her motioned and turned to look at the log once more. It had a green sort of algae dusted lightly upon its topyer, and given the pureness of the white that made up the yukata, there was no doubt that such a colour would stain.

    "It was probably a bad idea toe down here in that, but I suppose it¡¯s a circ.u.mstantial matter is it not?"

    She tilted her head slightly, caught off guard by a peasant speaking with suchnguage, but then she blushed, understanding what he was implying.

 Chapter 8 - Niwa Akiko

    Sighing, Gengyo put down his bow and arrow and found a rock for thedy to sit on. He cleaned it with a light amount of water before drying it with his sleeve and then with a sweep of his arm he motioned toward it.

    "For thedy."

    She blushed at the sudden formal way in which he addresses her, but gratefully shuffled over to the rock.

    "Good?"

    She nodded.

    "Yes, thank you."

    She was now able tofortably watch the scene that was ying out across the water, and so Gengyo concluded his roleplete, and moved back toward his position and began to practice.

    Within seconds, he had regained his previous level of focus, as he drew the bow string back toward his cheek.

    Remembering the previous attempts, he adjusted his aim a little over to the left, but not as much asst time. After taking a deep breath to steady his hands, he released.

    THWACK.

    A perfect bullseye from a range of ten metres.

    It took him three attempts to find the perfect shot, despite this being his first time using a bow.

    Was Gengyo satisfied? Of course not.

    ¡¯Three shots is too much. The range needs increasing, and I need to be able to hit the bullseye consistently from different angles.¡¯

    He doubled the distance from the target, so that he now stood twenty paces away, and he envisioned the parabolic path in which the arrow would follow ¨C as now gravity would start to be a factor, albeit a small one.

    "You¡¯re good with the bow."

    Gengyo shook his head. The girl had only seen his one good shot.

    "No, that is not so. Perhaps now, I might be good at making that single shot from that distance, but that is not enough to be called good with a bow."

    The girl pouted slightly at her praise being dismissed so readily. She¡¯d begun to feel morefortable around this man as she decided that he would not harm her.

    "I am a samurai¡¯s daughter you know, usually people are happy to be praised by me."

    "Is that so? Will thedy bring her household guard and arrest me for not beingpletely humbled by her every word?"

    The girl did not expect such a harsh response, and could only respond hesitantly.

    "No- uhm... The uh... Anyway! I¡¯m not ady. Please stop calling me that."

    Gengyo prepared another shot having aimed too high on the previous one as he responded idly to the youngdy.

    "Oh? You¡¯re a sir then? That¡¯s a little unusual... but I suppose there are all kinds of people in this world."

    The girl blushed once more after being corned as such, and fervently protested.

    "No! I¡¯m a girl ¨C a woman!"

    "Oh? Mmm that might be a lie. I thought there was something different about you... but to think you were a man. What a day, eh?"

    THWACK

    This arrow veered toward the left of the target, but somehow managed to stick. Gengyo tutted dissatisfied.

    ¡¯It should not take another three shots. The angle is the same ¨C well, the angle of elevation isn¡¯t, but given the distance that shouldn¡¯t matter too much.¡¯

    The girl had given him her full attention as she sought desperately for a counter argument that would prove her gender.

    "But... Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m a woman. A man would have big hands and muscles..."

    "Is that right? Then what name is thisdy called by? Surely not a man¡¯s name?"

    She responded quickly having been thrown a lifeline by Gengyo.

    "Akiko!"

    "Oh. Akiko, that¡¯s definitely a woman¡¯s name. Or maybe you¡¯ve just had a lot of time to think about this? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me what you get up to in your spare time."

    "No really, I-"

    Gengyo cut her off, choosing to y with her a little more.

    "Nice to meet you Akiko-chan."

    Akiko blushed a most fearsome shade of red, far deeper than any of her light blushes earlier and looked as though she was about to faint. She hid her face in her hands as her heart raced.

    No one had ever called her by her first name before ¨C not outside of her family. And certainly she was rarely called Akiko-chan. Was that not how lovers would address each other?

    It was too much, and she could only manage a squeak in response.

    "Niwa..."

    Gengyo released another arrow.

    THWACK

    This one hit the right hand side of the centre, but Gengyo judged it to be good enough, as he moved further toward the shore in order to change the angle but conserve the distance.

    He continued to y with Akiko nonchntly as he thought of the alternations he would have to make to his aim in order to make the target from this angle.

    "Hm? What was that Akiko-chan?"

    She physically recoiled upon hearing the way in which he addressed her again as she built up the resolve to refute him.

    "Please... Niwa-san... not Akiko, or chan."

    At this Gengyo continued to be casually merciless.

    "Ah. I suppose it might be weird for a man to be addressed using a female¡¯s name. My apologies for not showing any consideration."

    Annoyance over shadowed embarrassment as she allowed herself to shout in reply.

    "No!! I¡¯m not a man!"

    "Ah okay. Sorry for doubting you Akiko-chan."

    "NIWA-SAN!"

    "Uh, my name isn¡¯t Niwa. It¡¯s Miura. Miura Tadakata. But if it¡¯s you, just call me Tadakata-chan, okay?"

    Akiko grew exasperated as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, searching for a way to get this infuriating man to address her properly.

    "...Miura-kun, address me as Niwa-san."

    She observed Gengyo closely as she anticipated his response.

    He, in turn, released his bow string for his first attempt at this angle.

    The arrow travelled all the way across the target, scratching some of the front most scraps of cloth.

    ¡¯Interesting... It seems you can only get it to stick if you hit a perfect shot for this angle. When facing straight on it¡¯s a little more lenient.¡¯

    "Oh, okay. Hello Niwa-san."

    His response was met with a huge sigh of relief from Akiko as she revelled in the triumph of teaching this ignorant man of how to properly address people.

    THWACK

    The next arrow hit the exposed tree above the target, shattering the point.

    "You need to aim down a bit."

    Gengyo regarded her lightly with a nce, and turned back to his task.

    Nocking another arrow, he drew back, steadying his breath.

    And then he released it.

    THWACK

    A bullseye.

    ¡¯Three shots again, huh... I wonder if I go back and retry the same angles will I be able to do it in one shot?¡¯

    "See. Listen to me and you¡¯ll be an amazing archer in no time."

    "Mmm, is little miss Niwa-san familiar with the bow?"

    "Yes. I often watch my father¡¯s men training."

    Gengyo was paying her very little attention, as he moved back to the straight shot position, preparing to test whether he¡¯d retained his ability to strike the bullseye

    "Is that so?"

    "Yup. On this shot, aim higher than you think you should."

    "Hmm. I¡¯ll try that next time. Let me do it my way first, if it please the little miss Niwa-san."

    He released, ording to the previous calctions he had made whilst in this spot.

    THWACK

    Bullseye.

    Akiko pouted at that.

    "You listened to me anyway, even if you didn¡¯t admit it."

    Gengyo responded absentmindedly.

    "Is that so?"

    "Yup. I¡¯m sure."

    "Okay."

    Akiko finally caught on that he wasn¡¯t paying her any attention ¨C her father often did the same thing.

    "Hey! I know you¡¯re not listening, Miura-kun. I¡¯m thendowner¡¯s daughter, you know? I could make things difficult for you.

    At that Gengyo finally paid her some attention. He released the tension in his bow, and turned to her with a fierce re.

    "Will you?"

    "...No."

    Came the meek response.

    Gengyo nodded.

    "Good. I will do my best not to make things difficult for you either."

    Akiko c.o.c.ked her head at that. How could a peasant make things difficult for her?

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well, you¡¯re evidently not meant to be here. I¡¯m sure if your father found out, you¡¯d be in a good deal of trouble."

    She flinched slightly.

    "I¡¯m going to be in trouble anyway..."

    "Is that so? Did you run away from a festival or something?"

    Akiko chose her words carefully, as her mind raced back to the reality that she had ran away from.

    "No, not a festival. Not for me."

    Gengyo drew his bow, aiming for the already embedded arrow.

    "A wedding then?"

    THWACK

    She froze, staring at him with big eyes.

    "Bullseye."

    "How did you kno-"

    "A guess. Please tell me you didn¡¯t run away from the actual ceremony..."

    She blushed.

    "No... The hand maids were making me try on outfits."

    "And you got tired of it, and ran away here?"

    She nodded.

    Gengyo sighed, cing his bow and arrows against a rock, before giving Akiko his full attention.

    "Your father is probably searching for you."

    "Yes..."

    "He¡¯s going to be worried."

    "Mhmm..."

    "Shouldn¡¯t you go back, then? The longer you wait, the worse the scolding you¡¯re going to get."

    She shook her head urgently.

    "No, not yet. A little longer."

    "Is it really that bad?"

    She didn¡¯t reply.

    "I can sympathise with you a little. A simple life is definitely better."

    She perked up at that.

    "You think so?"

    "Yup."

    Her enthusiasm quickly died, as she voiced her doubts.

    "But you¡¯re a peasant. What would you know about theplicated?"

    Gengyo smiled a sly smile, brushing the hair back from his face.

    "More than you can imagine, young miss. You¡¯ve never had to worry about whether there will be enough food to fill your belly. Nor have you had to work all day tilling the fields. You have lived a rxed life. And now the time hase for you to fulfil your duty as a daughter, you run?"

    "No! No... it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just... Anyone but him. I would rather starve for weeks than share a bed with the likes of him."

    Gengyo scratched his chin thoughtfully.

    "Ho, quite the disgust you feel toward him."

    She nodded emphatically.

    "He¡¯s the worst person in the whole worst. I¡¯ll kill myself if I have to marry him."

    "Have you told your father? I doubt he¡¯d want to see his precious daughter unhappy."

    At this, she looked slightly mournful.

    "It¡¯s not that simple... father doesn¡¯t want me to be married either but-"

    Gengyo raised a hand, stopping her there.

    "I understand. Best not tell me too much, eh? I¡¯m just a peasant after all. You¡¯d probably feel guiltyter if you did."

    Akiko blushed slightly, realizing that her tongue had run away with her, and she was about to reveal things that an outsider must not know.

    "How long do you have?"

    "Two weeks, maybe."

    "Do you best to enjoy them."

    She saw Gengyo begin to walk away, as he lifted his bow and arrows up with him.

    "Wait! You¡¯re going already, Miura-kun?"

    "Yup. It¡¯s getting dark, little miss. It would be unwise for me to stay out much longer. You should head back soon too."

    "Oh. Do you mind if Ie back here in future? It¡¯s a rather nice ce to train my bow."

    Akiko agreed unhesitantly, calling out to him before he disappeared into the trees.

    "Okay! Will you being tomorrow?"

    "Yes, likely around the same time. See you around Niwa-san."

    And then, he disappeared into the foliage, leaving Akiko to whisper her farewells to herself.

    "Goodbye, Miura-kun."

 Chapter 9 - Market Day

    "Nii-san! Hurry upppp, the market has already started and you haven¡¯t even eaten breakfast yet!"

    Rin pulled back the covers of a very sleepy Gengyo.

    "...Five more minutes."

    "No! Nii-san, you promised mest week that you¡¯de to the market with me today. If you don¡¯t hurry we¡¯re going to miss the best bits."

    She pressed her face up close to his so that he couldn¡¯t turn away.

    He closed his eyes tight for a good few seconds, but feeling her hot breath on his cheeks and her feminine scent lingering in his nostrils he felt too ufortable to bear it any longer.

    "Fineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

    He roared with a shout, throwing his covers up as he pped his cheeks in an attempt to motivate himself.

    Rin stood there ¨C a little baffled ¨C as Gengyo danced around in nothing but his fundoshi.

    ¡¯His bruises are still pretty bad.¡¯

    She thought to herself feeling a hint of sadness.

    Noticing her gaze Gengyo looked down on himself, realizing that this was definitely not the appropriate dress to be seen in by his sister.

    "Rin."

    "Yes, Nii-san?"

    "I need some clothes."

    "Yup."

    "Will you get me some?"

    "Nope."

    Gengyo sighed, expecting as much. The clothes that he had left by his bedside had already been moved by Fuku ¨C presumably to be washed ¨C and he was unsure where he might find a new pair.

    Feeling that it was going to be embarrassing to walk about the house in nothing but his underwear, he sighed once more.

    ¡¯This is pretty annoying.¡¯

    "Rin. Where¡¯s mother?"

    "In the main room, eating breakfast."

    "Mmm. I don¡¯t think I should be seen by her with these bruises. It¡¯ll make her worry. How about... You get me a pair of clothes?"

    Gengyo proposed this idea as though it was a newfound conclusion.

    At the mention of this new line of reasoning, Rin could not say much.

    "...Fine."

    She reluctantly left, before returning a few momentster with a bundle of clothes in her hands.

    Gengyo nodded gratefully, holding his arms out to receive the load.

    "Thank you."

    Rin epted the thanks before hurling the clothes into his face with a certain amount of glee.

    "You¡¯re wee."

    "That was a bit rude."

    "Yup."

    Gengyo sighed again, shaking his head at his little sister¡¯s entrics.

    ¡¯So this is what having a sister is like...¡¯

    ...

    ...

    The vige market ce was a rather simple affair. There were fewer people gathered than one might expect in your typical market setting ¨C though that was to be expected, as the poption of the vige was at most a few hundred.

    Houses were ced sporadically, with a good distance between each one. Space was not an issue, so it did not make sense to build them tightly together.

    The streets ¨C despite not being gravelled or the like ¨C were surprisingly clean, and the peasants and merchants that were gathered in a certain clear, open area did not soil their clothes on mud or the like.

    The merchants were few but their wares were varied. Tools such as hoes and axes rested upon small stalls that had been set up earlier that morning.

    Some stalls had various essory items, such as hairpins and simple earrings.

    Other stalls sold hot food, with wooden stools lining the front of the store to amodate customers.

    All in all, it was a rather underwhelming affair, especially for Gengyo who had lived in Tokyo, and had navigated its busy streets for most of his life.

    Rin¡¯s enthusiasm far outweighed his own as she pulled him through the crowd by his hand.

    "Hurry up Nii-san! All the good things will have been sold by now!"

    Gengyo sighed as he was dragged in front of a clothing stall.

    ¡¯We don¡¯t have the money to buy any of this, do we?¡¯

    "Ahhh, look how pretty this is, Nii-san!"

    She pointed to a pink flowery kimono with shining eyes.

    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯d look good in it."

    Gengyo said neutrally.

    The store owner came over after dealing with another customer and struck up conversation.

    "Ah, thedy has good taste. This kimono is surely the only fitting dress for a flower as radiant as you."

    Gengyo spared no time for such rehearsed lines, seeing the intent behind them.

    "Sorry, we¡¯re just looking for now."

    At that the merchant pulled a face of disgust, as if to say:

    ¡¯Of course they are... filthy peasants.¡¯

    But that look quickly vanished and was reced by a more business-like dismissal.

    "Ah, please take your time. Let me know should you decide to buy any of my wares."

    At that he left, and Gengyo felt relieved to have been unburdened from the merchant¡¯s expectations.

    Rin had not noticed the nuances of such an exchange and was still ogling the many wares with keen interest.

    "Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to buy such clothes, Nii-san?"

    At that Gengyo scratched his head. He had never had much of an interest in clothes, but he did not have the heart to refute her so aggressively.

    "Well, maybe. But clothes are not simply clothes. Theye with extra situational and social strings attached. To be able to afford such clothes, you would have to be of money, and to be of money tends to make things moreplicated. People will want to rob you for your wealth, and you will have to grow strong enough to defend yourself. As we are now, if our family were to gain money we would be ruined."

    Rin listened politely as she regarded Gengyo with a curious gaze.

    "What is it?"

    "Mmm... Nothing. Nii-san is weird is all."

    Gengyo could not help but sigh. Of course, a girl as young as Rin could not understand his wariness of such a troublesome thing as money. Money had often been the cause of a good man¡¯s descent into the wickedness of hell.

    Out of the corner of his eye Gengyo spied of a weapons stallden with simple boiled leather armours and cheap swords and spears. But what attracted his gaze was not those. It was a bow.

    Pulling back Rin who was had already been heading toward an essory store, he headed towards it.

    "Nii-san? Where are we going?"

    Gengyo did not reply with words, he simply led her there so that she could answer her own question.

    No one else had bothered to visit such a stall, for the goods were presumably much too expensive and of too little use to a peasant. In times of war the ashigaru would be fitted with a simple kit by thendowner, so there was nothing to worry about on that front.

    Thisck of customers resulted in a very bored store owner, who sat in a stool behind his stall resting his chin on his hands as he idly watched those who passed by.

    He greeted them with a mix of surprise and enthusiasm as he rushed to stand up and look helpful.

    "Good day to the sir and madam!"

    Gengyo got straight to the point so as to not mislead the merchant.

    "Hello. I would like to try that bow."

    The merchant looked Gengyo up and down, firmly believing that such a bow was far too expensive for the likes of him.

    "But sir, this bow costs 70 copper coins... are you sure the sir is able to afford it?"

    At this Gengyo shrugged.

    "Well, there don¡¯t appear to be any other customers waiting, so what¡¯s the harm in me trying?"

    The store owner looked a little irritated at such ament, but did his best to maintain his gging smile.

    "Very good sir..."

    He relented and handed over the bow.

    Rin was panicked by his actions as she urgently whispered her thoughts.

    "Nii-san... 70 copper coins is way too much. That could feed us for a year!"

    Gengyo merely nodded and drew the string back.

    He held it for a good few seconds before shaking his head and handing it over.

    "I¡¯m sorry sir, the draw strength on this bow is much too light. Having be used to a 110 lbs bow, it would feel wrong to use anything less."

    The merchant regarded him with disbelief, and shook his head mockingly.

    ¡¯As if someone as poor as you could afford to use such a powerful bow.¡¯

    At that Gengyo walked away with Rin, a satisfied smile etched upon his face.

    ¡¯So, that was only 70 lbs... Interesting. It appears my bow is of rather good quality.¡¯

    Rin was mystified by his contented look and could only follow by his side curious as to what on earth that had all been about.

    ...

    ...

    As they walked back home after Rin was finally contented with her exploration of the market, they came across a rather familiar duo.

    Behind a rather run-down house a little away from the road home, the two boys were engaged in aggressive swordy.

    YAH!

    An overhead strike from Aritada was swiftly blocked by Yoritomo. Using the initiative that he had seized, Yoritomo swiped toward Aritada¡¯s right side ¨C which was promptly blocked ¨C and then toward his left, barraging him with strike after strike.

    Yoritomo¡¯s superior technique was evident ¨C no doubt as a result of his hard training ¨C but Aritada was not giving in either. Each strike was blocked ¨C though it was hard to call thatmendable, as the attacks were a little mindless ¨C but he was still forced backwards, sweating hard.

    Gengyo could not exactly praise their skill. A battle would have no ce for such a long-winded fight. There was only one thing that mattered, and that was killing your opponent quickly.

    Instead of wasting time with useless movements, they should aim for a single strike ¨C or series of strikes ¨C that would im the life of their opponent.

    ¡¯A kendo practitioner would be turning in his grave watching this...¡¯

    "We¡¯re going over."

    Gengyo told Rin ¨C much to her surprise ¨C and began walking toward them.

    "Eh!? Why?"

    Gengyo ignored her and carried on walking.

    "Nii-san! Wait! Why are you going over to them? They gave you all those horrible bruises!"

    Gengyo had neglected to tell Masaatsu and Rin about his current rtionship with the two friends, for fear they would not approve of his lenience. Children tend to be less apt at looking to the future.

    Gengyo merely stood by the side and waited until the duellists finally noticed him. All the while Rin pulled on his sleeve seeking an exnation for his actions.

    Their bout ended when one of Yoritomo¡¯s strikes caught Aritada¡¯s fingers and he dropped his sword with a yowl of pain.

    Yoritomo finally noticed them, as he turned around bokken ¨C wooden katana ¨C on shoulder.

    "Ah? Miura-san? What brings you here?"

    Rin picked up on the ¡¯-san¡¯ as she nced toward her brother with curiosity, before returning to ring at those she perceived to be ¡¯the enemy¡¯.

    "I came to the market with Rin here,"

    Gengyo ruffled her hair to ent his words and undermine the ferocity she was showing.

    Rin could only pout and groan, wrestling her way from his grip.

    "Haha. Anyway, I saw you training and I thought I¡¯de down to say hi."

    By now Aritada had alsoe over, and he raised an eyebrow at that.

    "Just to say hi? I think that¡¯s unlikely. Was there something you wanted to tell us?"

    Gengyo could not help but smile.

    ¡¯They¡¯re learning.¡¯

    "Yes. I wanted to say good job for training so hard..."

    Aritada gazed at him calctingly tapping his sword against his shoulder.

    "Nope... That¡¯s still not it."

    At this Gengyo had to p, his smile widening.

    "Haha. You got me. It¡¯s probably easier if I show you. Do you mind if I borrow a sword?"

    Aritada nodded, understanding his intent.

    "Yoritomo, pass him a sword."

 Chapter 10 - The Philosophy of the Sword

    Receiving the sword, Gengyo tested its weight.

    ¡¯My kendo lessons were few, but they should be enough to get the point across.¡¯

    He then spoke to Aritada who was standing across from him, holding his sword ready.

    "Okay. Just fight me as you had been with Yoritomo."

    Aritada looked a little sceptical, but nodded anyway.

    "Alright. Shall we start?"

    "Yup. Begin!"

    Having learned from Yoritomo¡¯s technique, he rushed in with a sense of urgency, swinging wildly in an attempt to seize the initiative and limit his opponent¡¯s movements.

    Gengyo gripped his bokken firmly and pointed it outwards so that it was almost horizontal.

    Aritada shed forward, sending a wild strike to Gengyo¡¯s right side and then a second to left the left side before he had even finished the first.

    When Aritada¡¯s wild charge reached him, Gengyo simply jabbed, extending his arms as far as he could, whilst taking a step back.

    Maximising his reach, and as such defending his own body from strikes, he was able to beat Aritada in a single strike.

    Aritada stared at the spot in which the sword had hit dumbfounded.

    ¡¯He has not yet seen through the technique it seems.¡¯

    "Again."

    Gengyo assented.

    "Alright. Put the intent to kill into each strike, and think about defending your own body."

    Aritada gripped his bokken tightly, raising it upwards above his head.

    They remained like that for a while ¨C Gengyo in his kendo stance, and Aritada ring down at him with his sword poised to split his head open

    This time, Gengyo moved forward first. Two short steps to close the distance just enough so that he was still outside of Aritada¡¯s range.

    His opponent did nothing but watch warily, his muscles tensed and ready to act.

    Gengyo returned his gaze as he positioned his sword, ready to lunge.

    Aritada did not seem to see his own state of defencelessness, as he simply stood sword overhead and waited.

    Figuring it would be rude to leave him waiting too long, Gengyo lunged forward, aiming for his belly once more.

    Aritada swiftly countered, bring his sword downwards in an attempt to throw the approaching weapon off course.

    Gengyo moved with even greater speed, and a much greater level of precision. He parried the downwards moving de, and a split secondter his de had found its way into Aritada¡¯s side.

    "Ahh! F.u.c.k that hurts!"

    Aritada copsed upon receiving the strike, holding his bruised side.

    "Mm. Have you figured out how I beat you yet?

    Yoritomo spoke on his behalf.

    "You were faster."

    Gengyo appraised the answer fairly.

    "That¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s not that simple."

    Upon receiving Gengyo¡¯s expectant gaze, Aritada could only shake his head. He did not know the answer either.

    "It¡¯s not that I am any more skilled than you, it¡¯s simply that I have greater caution for my own body."

    Aritada frowned at such an answer, clearly unhappy.

    "Greater caution for your own body? It¡¯s not like I want to get hit."

    "No, that¡¯s not what I mean. If these were real des, you would be fighting very differently. You would be more afraid of being hit by your opponent¡¯s de than you would be concerned with hitting him."

    "Well, that¡¯s true, but-"

    "And the best way to do that, whilst also maintaining chances at victory? Fight at range. Only go close enough to your opponent so that the tip of your sword can hit. Nothing more is needed."

    Aritada was quick to voice hisints.

    "...? Range? But how are you meant to parry attacks when you¡¯re standing so far away?"

    "Haha, but why would you need to parry when you¡¯re standing far away? If they swing towards you, it¡¯s simpler to just step back. The only time you would need to parry is if your opponent closed the gap faster than you could react."

    Yoritomo was nodding.

    "Hm... that makes a good amount of sense. So only ever move into your opponent in order tond the killing strike. And only do that when you¡¯re certain of victory.

    "That¡¯s the gist of it. But when you grow more skilled, you¡¯ll be able to take advantage of more of the mistakes your opponent makes. Then, you might choose to close the gap as he attacks, parry his strike, and thennd a strike of your own."

    "...I see. So we have to be the tiger. Stalk our prey till we are sure of a kill, and then move in only when we are sure of our own safety."

    Gengyo nodded, impressed by Aritada¡¯s analogy.

    "Exactly! I would say never close the gap unless you¡¯re sure you can win in at most three strikes ¨C but that¡¯s only when you grow more experienced. For now just stick to killing with one strike."

    Aritada gripped his de tightly as he mimicked Gengyo¡¯s earlier stance, with his sword pointed outwards. He took light steps back and forth, and practised lunging forward.

    He then turned to Yoritomo with a certain look of ferocity in his eyes.

    "I feel it. I definitely feel it. This is a powerfulbat style ¨C we can be great warriors with this, Yoritomo."

    Yoritomo ¨C not wanting to be left behind ¨C tried a few strikes of his own.

    Afterpleting his experimentation, he could naught but stare at his sword.

    It was not simply a sword technique ¨C it was a philosophy that Gengyo had taught them.

    ¡¯Prioritise your own life, so that you may live and grow stronger.¡¯ Growing up as peasants, such an idea had been foreign to them. Peasants were treated by the samurai as the lowest of the low ¨C worse than filth.

    Now, Gengyo had ¨C albeit through his sword ¨C taught them that their life had value, and it was through that understanding, and that feeling, that they were ovee with a sense of profundity.

    After experiencing this, Yoritomo could do nought but bow.

    Aritada noticed this, and a sh of pride washed over his face. It was a certainty that there was a battle raging in his mind as to whether he should lower himself to disying such respect.

    In the end, his humble side won, and his head bowed deeply.

    "Thank you for this lesson, Miura-san. Pleasee to watch us again."

    Gengyo was a little fl.u.s.tered by their sudden passion, for he had not taught them with the intent of evoking such emotions, to him, this was merely a sword technique.

    But still, he epted their sincerity with as much grace as he could muster.

    "You are both most wee. I will certainlye to see you again. Good luck with your training!"

    He then took his leave, with a rather bewildered Rin in tow.

    "Nii-san... What just happened?"

    Gengyo paused for a moment, stroking his chin.

    "I¡¯m not really sure either... but I guess they¡¯re good kids?"

    Rin shook her head at his benign response.

    "That¡¯s such an old man thing to say."

    Gengyo shrugged, for there was nothing else he could have said. Rin had been present herself, and watched his interactions with the two, and from it she will have formed a far better conclusion of what his rtionship with the two boys was like than if he were to exin it himself.

    ¡¯I wonder if she¡¯ll tell Masaatsu what happened... I bet that will lead to some drama.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Later that evening, Gengyo made his way to the recently discoveredke in order to get in some more practice.

    A swan was already there, rxing with its feet in the water as Gengyo strolled along the shore towards it.

    "Yo."

    Of course, this swan was no longer as swan-like as the day previous, for it was much too impractical to walk around in a yukata all the time.

    Instead, she had her hair tidily tied behind her head, and a fresh, light grey kimono adorned her body. It was tied in the middle with a gold patterned obi.

    She stiffened at Gengyo¡¯s greeting, and turned around with a slight smile on her face.

    "You¡¯reter than yesterday."

    "Mmm, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be waiting for me."

    At this, she blushed lightly and pouted.

    "I wasn¡¯t waiting for you... I¡¯ve been here all day."

    She pointed toward a basket that contained the remnants of a meal and a pair of chopsticks.

    "Hoo, is that sashimi?"

    "Yes, Shibata ¨C one my handmaids - made it for me when I mentioned I¡¯d be spending the day outside."

    "Maids eh? That must be convenient."

    "It is, but sometimes it¡¯s a little suffocating having so many people around you."

    "I can imagine."

    Gengyo ced his bow and arrows down beside a rock before turning back to Akiko.

    "Niwa-san, how much longer will you be staying?"

    Her response to the question was rather indignant, as she perceived it to be his attempt at getting rid of her.

    "It¡¯s myke, you know. I can stay as long as I want."

    Gengyo nodded in agreement.

    "Yup. In that case, do you fancy helping me with something?"

    Akiko gazed at him warily, for he had toyed with her endlessly yesterday.

    "What is it...?"

    "I want to make a raft."

    "A raft?"

    "Correct. A raft."

    "Why would you want to make a raft?"

    "Well, I¡¯ve never made one before, so it¡¯d be pretty cool to try something new. Also, I was thinking that practising shooting from unstable ¨C or moving ¨C ground will help improve my archery skills."

    Akiko rested her head on her finger awhile as she thought about it.

    "Hmm, I guess I could. I¡¯ve always wanted to get to the middle ind over there."

    She pointed towards a small 3x3 metre piece ofnd that was nestled in the middle of theke, with a few thin birch trees growing on it. There appeared to be quite a few birds nesting there.

    "Okay, when we do the raft, I¡¯ll take you there. Do we have a deal?"

    Gengyo held out his hand in anticipation of sealing the agreement.

    "Deal."

    She stared at Gengyo¡¯s outstretched hand curiously.

    After a few seconds passed, Gengyo awkwardly withdrew it, before extending the other hand as though he had simply been stretching.

    ¡¯I suppose the handshake is not well known in Japan yet...¡¯

    "Right, so, I¡¯m going to do a few shots to make sure I¡¯ve kept yesterday¡¯s progress, and then we¡¯ll get started."

    Akiko was dissatisfied with the idea of waiting.

    "Is there nothing I can do in the meantime? I¡¯m sort of excited now."

    Gengyo was quick to agree. He had been thinking of sending her earlier, but had not known how to get her to listen ¨C or whether it would be appropriate to do so.

    "Sure. Get 10 poles of bamboo, about as thick as your foot, and bring them back here. The length doesn¡¯t matter that much, but try to make sure they¡¯re roughly simr. It¡¯ll make things easierter on."

    Akiko listened attentively, and confirmed her understanding before departing at a jog.

    "Okay!"

    Gengyo watched her go as a twinge of doubt began to form in his mind.

    ¡¯Perhaps it was a bad idea to let her go herself... She seems a bit airheaded.¡¯

    But then he shrugged.

    ¡¯Well, it can¡¯t be that bad. Even someone as pampered as her will be able to do something that simple.¡¯

    He then collected his tools, and lined up some shots at ten paces.

    He shot three times, and consistently hit the bullseye having remembered the angles from the previous day.

    Nodding with satisfaction, he moved further back.

    THWACK

    THWACK

    THWACK

    He secured a bullseye within the first shot at twenty paces at every different angle.

    ¡¯Not bad... But I wonder how transferrable this will be? It doesn¡¯t seem like it demonstrates much skill to merely hit the same shots again and again. Any idiot can memorise the positioning of the bow and the like.¡¯

    Gengyo failed to recognise the brilliance of his progress. If anything, he was even harsher on himself than he had been before. But that was what had made him so sessful in his previous life ¨C that and his intelligence.

    Even after Gengyo had run through all the motions, and spent a little time thinking in between, Akiko had still not returned.

    Almost half an hour had passed, and Gengyo was actually starting to be worried.

 Chapter 11 - The Horse and The Prince

    ¡¯I suppose I better go check on her.¡¯

    Gengyo decided that it was probably for the best to take his bow and arrows with him, in case someone else came to theke in the meantime.

    ¡¯Now, which way did she go?¡¯

    He had not been paying much attention to the departing Akiko, assuming that such a task would be well within her capabilities.

    But now that such a thing had revealed to not be the case, he was in a rather poor position when attempting to find her.

    ¡¯I¡¯m guessing she went along the path she came from yesterday... so let¡¯s head there.¡¯

    Gengyo pushed his way through the foliage before looking around for any signs of Akiko¡¯s passage through here.

    There were minor disturbances in the soil, and a few broken nts, but that was not evidence of particrly recent use of the route.

    Still, it was likely that since this was the route she was familiar with ¨C the route that she came to and from theke by ¨C then she will have seen a patch of bamboo nearby.

    ¡¯Mm. That seems probable, as she seemed to know where some bamboo could be found.¡¯

    Continuing further down the route, the route became less clear. The vegetation was less dense and it was difficult to see any evidence of a recently used path through it.

    It was embarrassing, but Gengyo could do nought but resort to one thing.

    ¡¯Niwa-san! Niwa-san, its Miura! Shout if you can hear me!"

    His voice echoed around the forest, but even after waiting a solid minute for a reply, Gengyo could hear nothing.

    ¡¯Of course it isn¡¯t going to be that easy.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself with a sigh.

    Deciding that it was likely better to continue forward and hope for the best, he trudged onwards.

    He continued to call her name as he went, listening intently for a response.

    After having to jump over a stream, he began to doubt that the path he had chosen was correct.

    ¡¯I really can¡¯t see that girl being able to clear the stream with a jump... Though perhaps she could just walk through it?¡¯

    Past the stream, the trees grew sparser, allowing a much clearer view of whaty ahead.

    A thick, fallen oak tree barred the path forwards. Its trunk must have at least been 2 metres in diameter, which meant that one would have to climb two metres in order to cross it.

    ¡¯There¡¯s no way she managed this...¡¯

    Even with the aid of all the branches, it was highly unlikely that Akiko - the daughter of nobility ¨C was capable of such physical feats. If it was Rin on the other hand, her sess was all but guaranteed.

    ¡¯May as well use it as a vantage point I suppose.¡¯

    With swift movements, Gengyo hauled himself atop the fallen tree.

    Dusting off the crumbly bark that had stuck to his clothing, he surveyed the area.

    ¡¯Mm... There¡¯s really nothing noteworthy.¡¯

    He looked all around him, trying to map a bird¡¯s eye view of the area in his head so that he might make predictions about Akiko¡¯s path.

    Such a line of thought proved unfruitful however, and in the end he had to resort to a more basic form of action.

    Filling his lungs with a deep breath, he prepared for his loudest shout yet.

    "NIWA-SAN! NIWA-SAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT¡¯S MIURA. SHOUT IF YOU CAN HEAR ME."

    His voice filled the empty surroundings, bouncing off trees as it was transmitted further into the forest.

    He cupped his ears for a good two minutes, hoping with all his heart for a reply.

    But in the end, nothing came.

    ¡¯My god, this is troublesome.¡¯

    Gengyo could not help but curse at the difficulty of this supposed rescue mission.

    ¡¯She probably went home to eat or something.¡¯

    Climbing down from the tree, he headed back down the path he had followed, intent on looking for alternate routes that she might have followed.

    "He-p he-p."

    A whisper on the wind caused Gengyo to stop in his tracks.

    ¡¯Am I imagining it?¡¯

    "NIWA-SAN? CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

    After a few moments of silence, he heard it again, louder this time, but still rather faint on the ear.

    "Help!"

    ¡¯That¡¯s definitely her¡¯.

    A rush of adrenaline passed through the worn-out Gengyo and he made his way toward the source of the noise with haste, calling all the while.

    "NIWA-SAN!"

    "Miura-kun! Over here!"

    She now seemed to be about a hundred metres away, as her replies were getting stronger.

    Gengyo charged through the nt life that tore at his clothes, as he rushed toward Akiko with a strong sense of urgency.

    "Here! Miura-kun! Over here!"

    There he could see Akiko sprawled against a tree, her face white and twisted with pain, nursing her ankle.

    "Niwa-san... what happened?"

    He had his own theories, but it was better to hear it from the person in question.

    Akiko looked embarrassed at that, nodding toward arge root that was sticking out of the ground.

    "I tripped on the root... and my ankle really hurts."

    Gengyo nodded, trying to convey his understanding.

    "Okay. Do you mind if I take a look at it?"

    Akiko looked a little hesitant, slightly worried about giving someone who she had only met recently ess to her wounded foot. But then she nodded timidly.

    Gengyo moved quickly, undoing her sandal as his cold hands passed over Akiko¡¯s feet, feeling for any abnormalities.

    Akiko flinched at his touch, but allowed him to do his thing with much resistance.

    "Ow!"

    Sheined as Gengyo¡¯s fingers made their way to a more sensitive part of her injury.

    "Mm. It¡¯s not broken. Just a sprain. In a week, or perhaps two, you¡¯ll be fine."

    Akiko looked relieved to hear that, but a secondter she was rather aghast.

    "Two weeks? But that¡¯s when the ceremony is! I don¡¯t want to spend all that time inside, before spending the rest of my life with that evil toad!"

    Gengyo could understand her feelings, but at the same time he was not about to encourage her to do anything rash.

    "I understand Niwa-san, but you really won¡¯t be able to walk on this foot for a good few days. It would be better if you rested."

    Akiko did not reply, but Gengyo could see tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

    "We can¡¯t stay here all day, and it¡¯s getting dark. Let me take you home."

    Akiko did not respond, instead she simply stared toward the sky listlessly.

    Gengyo sighed.

    ¡¯How did I get caught up in this...¡¯

    He paused awhile, searching for a new approach.

    They sat in silence for a time before Akiko¡¯s gaze fell onto him.

    "Miura-kun, how were you nning to take me home?"

    Grateful that she was finally speaking, Gengyo made haste with his reply.

    "I supposed that I could carry you on my back."

    Akiko put a finger to her chin as she thought about it.

    "...Like a horse."

    Gengyo winced a little at that.

    "Perhaps not a horse... maybe a noble prince?"

    Akiko looked at him up and down before shaking her head.

    "Nope, definitely a horse."

    "Okay..."

    Gengyo could only shake his head and ept her evaluations.

    Akiko giggled at his response, before remembering her situation and looking more depressed again.

    "Come on... I¡¯ll carry you home, and then you can get a nice hot bath or something, eh?"

    "Mm... That¡¯s all I¡¯ll be able to do from now on."

    She was mournful in her reply, but did not resist Gengyo¡¯s attempt at movement.

    He helped her to up, as she stood on a single leg leaning against the tree.

    "Okay... I¡¯m going to pick you up now. Wrap your arms around my neck and put your legs on either side."

    "I know how a piggyback works."

    "Right."

    Gengyo gently lifted her up, locking his fingers behind him to support her rear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and put her legs by his side.

    Akiko blushed slightly ¨C unbeknownst to Gengyo, who was more concerned about her weight.

    "You better not be getting any weird ideas..."

    "I wouldn¡¯t dream of it mydy."

    "...Not this again."

    "Haha, sorry - Niwa-san."

    He walked steadily through the forest, doing his best to avoid any low hanging branches so that Akiko wouldn¡¯t be snagged.

    Of course, that was easier said than done, and she made sure to voice herints fervently each time it happened.

    "Horses are meant to look after their riders! I¡¯m getting scratched to ribbons by all these branches."

    "Yeah... But I¡¯m not a horse."

    They had to take frequent breaks, as the .u.mted strain quickly wore Gengyo down.

    "By stopping so much, are you saying that I¡¯m heavy?"

    "No. Not heavy. Just fat."

    She pouted and chopped down on his head.

    Gengyo mock stumbled, pretending that he was going to fall over.

    "Stop it! Even if you¡¯re pretending it¡¯s still scary."

    "Mm. I got hit in the back of the head by something, apologies Niwa-san."

    ...

    ...

    "So what now?"

    They stood at the outer wall surrounding thend holder¡¯s mansion, and Gengyo was rather hesitant to go inside.

    "What do you mean? We go inside, of course."

    "Won¡¯t it be bad for you to be seen with me?"

    It was only then that Akiko realised his point.

    "Ah... true. It would be bad if father found out about my foot as well."

    "Why would that be bad?"

    "Well, he¡¯ll stop letting me outside on my own."

    "But you won¡¯t be able to go anyway with that foot."

    At this, Akiko smiled slyly.

    "Oh, but I will."

    Gengyo had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡¯She¡¯s going to say something troublesome...¡¯

    "...How?"

    "You¡¯re going to carry me."

    Gengyo sighed.

    ¡¯I thought as much.¡¯

    "I¡¯ll be honest Niwa-san, the thought of carrying you every day isn¡¯t very appealing."

    "How rude! You should be honoured to carry yourndholder¡¯s daughter."

    "I¡¯d rather not."

    Akiko realized he was serious. Whilst he had helped her, it was merely out of goodwill, but his charity would not extend that far. They were rtive strangers after all ¨C he had no reason to go out of his way to help her.

    "...A deal then?"

    "Mmm. Are you offering to reward me for my services?"

    "Yup. Anything you like, I¡¯ll get it for you."

    Gengyo purposely gazed toward Akiko¡¯s chest, who in turn, recoiled, covering herself with her arms.

    "Anything but that!"

    "Haha. Okay. Well, how about you owe me a favour? I imagine it¡¯ll be useful to have thendholder¡¯s daughter ¨C as you keep mentioning ¨C owing me a favour."

    Akiko thought a while, trying to see through whatever trick she supposed Gengyo was ying on her.

    "Okay... but it can¡¯t be anything too crazy. And no perverted stuff!"

    "Deal. So how is this going to work?"

    "I¡¯ll be waiting here each evening. Come and get me and carry me to theke."

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow at that.

    "How are you going to get here on that foot of yours?"

    "I¡¯ll get Shibata to carry me ¨C she should be able to do this much without getting told off."

    "Heh... Alright."

    They both nodded,pleting the arrangements and then silence reigned for a while.

    "Uhh, but how are we going to get you inside now?"

    Akiko¡¯s satisfied smile faded as she realized her oversight.

    "Uhm... I suppose just carry to that bench over there, and I¡¯ll wait and hope that Shibata passes by."

    "Good enough for me."

    Gengyo was rather eager to have this whole thing done with, so he picked her up and carried her toward the bench inside the courtyard with haste.

    After cing her down and making sure she wasfortable, he left without a word ¨C not wanting to alert any of the household of his presence.

    Akiko was less subtle, and called out to him.

    "Don¡¯t forget our promise, Miura-kun!"

    With a palm to his face and a shake of his head, Gengyo walked away, a little apprehensive as to what the future would hold.

 Chapter 12 - A Miserable Morning

    After spending so long looking for Akiko, and carrying her home, Gengyo could not spend as much time at theke as he would have liked to, but he still managed toplete the tasks in which he had assigned himself.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Gengyo awoke slightlyter than everyone else.

    Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he sat up and took his time to grow ustomed to the morning light.

    He was in a rather good mood, and yawned contently.

    ¡¯This kind of simple life is what I¡¯ve needed.¡¯

    He dressed in his clothing thaty by his bed from yesterday, and prepared himself for a hearty breakfast before a hard day¡¯s work.

    Oddly, in the dining area, everyone else was eating in silence. Even the usually bubbly Fuku had a grim look on her face.

    Gengyo slowed spooned rice into his mouth with his chops sticks, as he observed the members of his family, trying to find a source of the tension.

    Rin ate quickly, with her head down, so there was no way to gather any information from her.

    Masaatsu sat upright, with a stoic look on his face, his jaw clenched tightly. Whilst Masaatsu was definitely a mature individual, and usually had a look of seriousness about his face, Gengyo did not remember seeing such intensity ever since he had that fight with their father.

    On the topic of his father, Gengyo turned to him to see if there were any differences about him. It could have been that he was drunk once more, and had done something to unsettle the rest.

    But after looking at Morohira¡¯s face, Gengyo had to do a double-take, startled by the sight of it.

    ¡¯How the hell did I not notice this sooner?¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he tried to process the monstosity before him.

    Morohira¡¯s face was aplete mess. His right eye was swollen so much that he barely open it, and his left was in a rather simr state. There were multiple cuts and bruises on his face and head, and there were the signs of stitching too.

    Evidently this had been something that had happenedst night, as the wounds had scabbed.

    Gengyo recalled thatst night they had eaten dinner without their father present, but even with that piece of information there were far too many possibilities.

    Gulping down his rice, Gengyo tentatively opened his mouth and tried to pierce the thick fog of tension that hung around everyone, and find an answer to his questions.

    "Father."

    Morohira did not look up, for he already knew what his son would ask of him. He continued to look at his bowl of rice, as something akin to shame spread across his face ¨C though it was difficult to tell exactly what emotion that was with all the bruises.

    "Mother."

    He went for his mother instead. Fuku was too soft-hearted to ignore someone.

    "...Yes?"

    ¡¯Ho... Even Fuku is barely willing to speak. This must be pretty bad.¡¯

    "Am I the only one who doesn¡¯t know?"

    Fuku paused, looking guilty.

    "Well... you were asleep so..."

    "I was, and I woke up to see my father¡¯s face looking like he¡¯s been hired out as someone¡¯s personal punching bag."

    Fuku bit her lips, struggling to answer.

    "Mother. Tell me. I don¡¯t want to be in the dark about something like this."

    "Ah shut up will you! There¡¯s nothing you can do about it!"

    Morohira cut in with anger, speaking slurred out of his swollen mouth.

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow, waiting for the outburst to die down. Oddly, despite the harshness of such words, he did not feel any of their venom directed toward him. It seemed as though they were self-deprecating.

    "Mm. We don¡¯t know that until we¡¯ve tried it. What¡¯s the harm?"

    Rin looked up, and tentatively joined in after a thought passed through her head.

    ¡¯Maybe if it¡¯s Tadakata... After all he¡¯s done recently... Maybe he could help?¡¯

    "Dad. I think you should like Tadakata know."

    "Ha? What¡¯s with that tone? Tadakata is weak, we all know that. Why don¡¯t we just leave the boy out of it? It¡¯ll be better for him."

    Although his speech wasced with irritation, and his words could be construed as insulting, it did note across that way to Gengyo. After observing his father - whilst sober ¨C he hade to see him as a rather amiable fellow. A little weak-willed. But he definitely tried. He was not saying this to be cruel, not intentionally. He was merely too irritated to hold back what he thought to be true.

    ¡¯That is without a doubt false. Tadakata¡¯s dealing with those two rascals in recent days have been borderline miraculous. Especially the way ¨C as Rin described it ¨C he has them bowing to him.¡¯

    At those words Masaatsu hastened to intervene. He was a man that always strove to speak his truth.

    "Father. I believe that to be false. Tadakata is by no means weak. We should share this burden with him ¨C it is my belief that he will be able to help."

    Gengyo nodded gratefully at the words of his siblings, and turned back to his father expectantly, waiting for a response.

    Through his battered eyes, Morohira stared down Gengyo, before relenting in his mind.

    ¡¯Perhaps... Perhaps they are right. There is something different about the boytely.¡¯

    He downed his drink with a swift motion, before wiping his mouth and turning to his family.

    "Well, since you are all so insistent, I suppose I better - but don¡¯t me me if it turns out to be too much for you, Tadakata."

    "Rest assured, I will do my best to handle it."

    Morohira nodded.

    "Well, you better listen in then. I¡¯ll tell you about it again."

    "You see, your father has been very foolish."

    Morohira seemed to be past shame at this point, as he held his head up, and looked his family in the eye admitting his sins.

    "Very foolish indeed. Do you know where I wasst night?"

    It was Gengyo who responded.

    "I have no idea."

    "There¡¯s this tavern, between this vige and the next. Some of the finest sak¨¦ I¡¯ve ever tasted is sold there, and since it¡¯s my birthday and all ¨C bet you didn¡¯t know that ¨C Fuku and I decided that we could spare a couple of coins so that I could have a night of celebration."

    Gengyo had a rough idea where this was heading.

    ¡¯The alcohol again old man... Our demons dwell in all sorts of ces. I only wish that yours was not so easy to reach.¡¯

    "I drank with a couple of pals for a good few hours, and it was fun. Really fun."

    "But then some sc.u.mbags from the other vige started getting up in our faces."

    Gengyo sought rity on exactly how the other vigers had wronged him.

    "What exactly were they doing?"

    "Mmm. We were ying Ch¨­-han with them, and they were losing ¨C a lot. We made a grand amount of money."

    "I kept betting on even, and after the third time on even, this bastard uses me of cheating!"

    "And what did you say in response to that?"

    "I told him where he could stick his usations, and let him know that the real cheater was his mother."

    Gengyo shook his head, exasperated by the old man¡¯s quick temper.

    "...Did you really have to call his mother a whore?"

    "Oy! You weren¡¯t there. You don¡¯t know what these dogs were like. They deserved every insult they got ¨C and more besides. If I saw them again, I¡¯d still remind them of how many men could be their fathers."

    "...Right. So they didn¡¯t take too kindly to your insult, I take it?"

    "Yeah, too right. The bastards. They ganged up on me ¨C didn¡¯t stand a chance. It¡¯s cowardice really, if you ask me. No honour in those dogs at all."

    "What about the friends you were with? Did they not help you out?"

    Morohira shook his head.

    "No... there were too many. We were three, and they were ten."

    "Ten? How did you manage to insult ten people so quickly? And, if you were outnumbered, what happened to your friends? Are they in as bad a way as you?"

    "Nah, they just joined in. Seems the guy I was ying with is quite a big shot in these parts ¨C some people from our own vige even ganged up me! F.u.c.k.i.n.g traitorous bastards."

    "And no, my buddies ran when they got the chance. Lucky them."

    "Lucky them? You¡¯re not annoyed that they didn¡¯t help you?"

    "No? Why should I be? No one wants to get beat up."

    ¡¯This old man doesn¡¯t have much self-respect... His own friends left him to get beat him up without doing anything, and this guy doesn¡¯t even hold a grudge?"

    "Father. Please cease to be friends with such people."

    "Eh?! The f.u.c.k are you talking about son? You don¡¯t get to question the people I hang around with."

    "No, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s entirely your own decision, but I would feel much better if my father was around people that treated him with respect, rather them abandoning him when the going gets tough."

    "What are you on about? Any sane man would run in that situation. Hell, I would have run!"

    Gengyo turned to Masaatsu.

    "Brother, if it was your friend ¨C even if you were outnumbered ¨C would you leave him to get beat up alone?"

    "By my blood, no. If you call a man a friend, you must be willing to feel pain on his behalf, else what is the value of such a friendship?"

    Gengyo nodded in agreement.

    "See, father. If your friends had stuck by you, and fought with all their strength, do you believe you couldn¡¯t have escaped with much lighter injuries?"

    "I mean, sure it¡¯s likely, but why should they? Anyway, what the hell is this? You, of all people, are talking to me about friends? Tadakata, you haven¡¯t had a single friend since you were born. What would you know about friendship?"

    *Cough*

    Rin interrupted, clearing her throat, and raising a tentative hand as though to answer a teacher¡¯s question.

    "Actually... I think he¡¯s made a couple of friends?"

    Morohira raised his eyebrow at that.

    "You¡¯re going to join in, Rin, even if you have to lie? You¡¯re my kids, and I don¡¯t enjoy arguing with you, but what the f.u.c.k do you all think you¡¯re doing questioning me and my friends? I¡¯m a 40-year-old man. I know more about the world than any of you. It¡¯s sickening to be lectured by children."

    She quickly refuted usations of falsehood.

    "Nope. It¡¯s not a lie."

    "Oh, really? Who are these magical friends, then?"

    "Hijikata and Makino..."

    She had to say it in a whisper, as an embarrassed flush covered her face.

    ¡¯It sounds even weirder when I say it out loud...¡¯

    Morohira¡¯s reaction did not help her embarrassment, as he gazed at her for a few seconds before opening his mouth and roaring withughter.

    "Hahahahahaha! Rin, you¡¯re a good girl, cheering your dad up like that! Those kids who have bullied our Tadakata for years are his friends? Pahaha. It¡¯s more likely that our crops will yield gold this year!"

    Masaatsu was able to retain a straight face, and Gengyo could not praise him for it enough. It was such a ridiculous assertion that came out of Rin¡¯s mouth that even he could not help but smile.

    ¡¯To be honest, I¡¯m not sure if you can call them friends... but we do have a rtively positive rtionship.¡¯

    He thought to himself.

    "What Rin said is true, but we have no way of proving it, so we¡¯ll leave it at that for now."

    Masaatsu intervened on Rin¡¯s behalf.

    Gengyo then took that opportunity to redirect the conversation back on track.

    "Yes. Well, regardless of all that ¨C and the matter of the people you call friends, which I still hope you will reconsider father ¨C let¡¯s finish clearing this up. Now, you got beat up, which is definitely not good. But are there going to be any long term effects? Since you mentioned you were beat up by people from our own vige."

 Chapter 13 - The Scorn of The Village

    Morohira¡¯s face soured further at the question.

    "Mmm. My honour has been shot with them calling me a cheater so I¡¯m not sure things will be that good."

    "Yeah. Do you know how the men from our vige ¨C the ones that helped beat you ¨C are rted to this ¡¯big shot¡¯ that you mentioned?

    "Dunno. They seem like his underlings though, following his orders without even thinking ¨C bloody animals."

    ¡¯This is probably bad.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself.

    "Do we know anything else about this ¡¯big shot¡¯ character? Things he¡¯s done in the past and the like."

    It was Fuku who answered this time, speaking softly.

    "I heard there were a family in the other vige that owed him money..."

    "Hmm? What happened to them?"

    "They were bullied by the man ¨C his name is Kyougoku by the way ¨C badly, for weeks on end."

    "...And how did it end?"

    Fuku struggled to keep her voice level as she continued.

    "It¡¯s a really sad story. The husband killed himself, and then his wife was captured and sold into prostitution to pay for his debts."

    Gengyo gulped.

    ¡¯My god that¡¯s grim. Why did father have to piss off such a vicious guy?¡¯

    "Uhh... Surely he¡¯s not going to hold a grudge against you, right father? He¡¯s already beaten you half to death."

    Morohira looked toward him bitterly.

    "Wouldn¡¯t count on it kid."

    Gengyo sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.

    ¡¯But my peaceful life...¡¯

    He thought to himself mournfully.

    Rin quickly snapped him out of it.

    "Nii-san, is there anything we can do?"

    "It would be unwise to make any ns before we know exactly what we¡¯re dealing with. For all we know, he might have already forgotten about dad ¨C though that seems unlikely."

    "For now, we should simply proceed as normal. Go to work, and do what we have to do. If things are different, and our position is unbearable, then in a couple of days I will make arrangements."

    Masaatsu nodded deeply.

    "My little brother has be wise. Do not try to take on all the responsibility yourself though ¨C we¡¯re a family. We¡¯ll deal with this together."

    Morohira tilted his head at this exchange.

    ¡¯Since when did my weak little son be a leader?¡¯

    Rin perked up a little too.

    "If it¡¯s Nii-san, and sure we¡¯ll be alright."

    ...

    ...

    The three siblings walked to work with their eyes darting about warily, unsure as to whether they would be the subject of abuse.

    The vigers looked at them for a little too long as they passed by, causing an ufortable feeling to begin to grow within their chests.

    "Masaatsu, Rin. Be careful today. And no matter what happens, don¡¯t react. It will make things worse."

    "Okay!"

    "I will try my best, little brother."

    Further down the road along the side of the fields, a group of five men were walking towards them taking up the entire path.

    As they got closer, not a single one of them moved to make space, and inevitably the two groups ended up colliding.

    There was a good deal of force in the shoulders that hit them, and Rin would have fallen had Masaatsu not caught her by the arm.

    The men did not even spare them a word, they simply ploughed through them as if they did not exist.

    Gengyo felt a spark of anger as he turned to check on Rin.

    "Are you alright?"

    Rin winced slightly, but nodded.

    "I was kind of expecting that."

    "Yeah. It seems likely that they are the underlings father was mentioning ¨C or at least are rted to them somehow."

    ...

    ...

    When they went to collect their tools, the surroundings were full of whispers.

    "Isn¡¯t that the kids of the cheater, Morohira?"

    "Mmm you¡¯re right. Imagine cheating other vige folk of their money."

    "Right. Such a sc.u.mbag thing to do ¨C we barely have enough money to eat in the first ce."

    Gengyo heard every word that they spoke, as did Rin and Masaatsu, but it was only Masaatsu who disyed a reaction ¨C though it was a rather slight one.

    ¡¯It seems his weakness is his family. I only hope he¡¯ll be able to contain his anger ¨C at least for now.¡¯

    Baba showed no indication that he knew of the recent happenings, and smiled warmly as he gave them their tools.

    "Good morning you three. Let¡¯s have another hard day¡¯s work."

    A breath of fresh air in an otherwise toxic fog ¨C it was relieving to be greeted by him.

    Rin seemingly though the same, as she returned his smile.

    "Thanks Baba-san! You have a good day too."

    Baba then turned to the rest of the workers - that were gathered inside the shaded dining area where they usually spent lunch - and made an announcement.

    "Right, listen up everyone! This is thest day of ploughing, and then we¡¯ll start flooding the fields."

    His words were met with cheers, as the workers were relieved at the thought of theparatively easier work.

    One worker spoke to another.

    "Finally, these calluses on my hands will have time to go down."

    "Aye bud, but you know the way the water gets your feet? It¡¯s a bit weird ¨C that¡¯s the part I don¡¯t like. Wrinkly feet."

    "Agreed. Wrinkly feet isn¡¯t great, but it¡¯s still a hell of a lot better than ploughing."

    Gengyo shared their thoughts.

    ¡¯The idea of flooding a field is certainly more appealing than that of ploughing.¡¯

    Masaatsu¡¯s and Rin¡¯s spirits were also raised at this announcement, as the attention was directed away from them, and onto something more positive that incited the workers.

    Of course, such a redirection of attention did notst long at all, and as they walked to the field they could hear all sorts of nder behind their backs.

    "Man... I¡¯m in a field with one of the cheater¡¯s kids. It probably runs in the family, right? I bet the kids are cking off on their work so that the rest of us have to work even harder."

    "You know what, that sounds right. We¡¯ll have to make sure that they¡¯re pulling their weight!"

    ...

    ...

    Those words that they had overheard earlier had not been hollow, nor had they not been shared. They meant it.

    "Oi! Can you actually do some work, kid? Or are you trying to cheat us just like your dad?"

    Gengyo ignored their shouts, and continued working at afortable pace. There was no way they could physically hit them ¨C at least not whilst they were in the fields ¨C so there was no need to acknowledge them. ying ignorant was the best route to dealing with them.

    It was not as though he was unused to the harassment either ¨C just days before Aritada and Yoritomo had been doing much the same thing, though of course it was an entirely different context.

    Back then, it had been an assault on Gengyo¡¯s ¨C or really, Tadakata¡¯s ¨C character, so that he knew what he was addressing. But now, it was a lie propagated by father¡¯s foolishness.

    Gengyo did his best not to feel resentful toward his father ¨C as it was not entirely his fault. Though he still could not help but wish that he was not a man so fond of sak¨¦. Or perhaps let him be fond of sak¨¦, but perhaps if he wasn¡¯t such a bad drunk?

    ¡¯When we get through this, I¡¯m going to have to find some way of reasoning with this father of mine, else my peaceful life is going to be a dream.¡¯

    After ignoring their shouts, a few rocks hade his way, but simr to when Aritada and Yoritomo were messing with him, he was able to dodge them all rather easily.

    ¡¯It¡¯s a little disturbing how quickly people will change.¡¯

    ¡¯Though I suppose us Japanese people, at this time in history, were a little obsessed with honour. Now that our honour has been degraded by the usations of this rather authoritative figure from the next vige, we¡¯re seen to be immoral.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    When lunchtime came around, they were not allowed to eat in peace.

    As Rin bought her rice ball to her mouth, a middle-aged man came over and spat straight into her food.

    "Dogs don¡¯t mind eating soiled food do they?"

    His actions were met with the cheers of his friends, as this was clearly just an act to impress them.

    ¡¯What a weak man.¡¯

    Gengyo could not help but look at him with a certain amount of disgust. He was clearly one of Kyougoku¡¯s underlings, but his status amongst them seemed rather low. Thus he had to resort to such low-life actions in order to gain their recognition.

    Had he not had his forty years of experience under his belt, it¡¯s very likely that Gengyo would haveshed out at the man. But now, luckily, he was able to retain his calm.

    Masaatsu looking Gengyo in the eye, seething. He was clearly trying to find an excuse to tear this guy to pieces.

    Gengyo shook his head, attempting to convey his thoughts to Masaatsu.

    ¡¯Not yet.¡¯

    He saw his brother begin to take deep breaths, calming himself.

    Rin stared at her saliva coloured ball of rice with disgust, frozen by the chaos of such a new event ¨C unsure as what to do.

    Gengyo decided her action for her.

    He took the rice ball, and threw it as far as he could. It sailed through the air andnded in a cl.u.s.ter of trees a good distance away.

    He heard the men tut at his actions, finding a new reason to criticise him.

    "Ha, the little bastard even soils thend that we live on."

    "Yeah, and he¡¯s even wasting good food."

    But his course of action was what he perceived to be optimal, for no matter how he reacted there he would not have won the approval of the surrounding people.

    He hoped, through his actions, that he could demonstrate one thing: if it was a dog that would choose to eat soiled food, then let that soiled food be found far away from the Miura family.

    He then sat down, and split his rice ball in two, giving the other half to Rin.

    She epted it gratefully with a smile.

    "Thanks Nii-san..."

    ...

    ...

    Even as the day drew to a close, they were not spared the ridicule of the other workers.

    Now, a small group of people gathered around Baba,ining about each of the Miura siblings.

    "Baba-san, that girl does absolutely no work! It¡¯s unfair that she gets the same rewards as us."

    "Same with the oldest. He acts like he¡¯s hoeing all day, but he¡¯s really getting nothing done!"

    "That Tadakata ¨C the weak one ¨C is the same too. We kept telling him to get some work done but the f.u.c.ker kept ignoring us!"

    Baba held his hands up in an attempt to calm the crowd, as he had a tired smile on his face.

    "Now now, you know that isn¡¯t the case. They¡¯re good workers, and have been for years."

    Baba was able to remain neutral - possibly due to his age. He had been through and experienced many instances of families losing their honour, and the ridicule that came with it, so he was sympathetic and understanding toward the Miura family.

    "Yeah, but their father¡¯s a cheater Baba-san. They¡¯re going to be cheaters too. They have absolutely no honour!"

    "Ah, perhaps, and perhaps not. I only see good workers, and that is what our employer wants too."

    ¡¯If that old man ever needs helping, I¡¯m going to have to make sure to stand beside him.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. Baba-san had been very supportive toward him, even in the case of Aritada and Yoritomo. And now that things had grown more serious, he still stood beside him. Or perhaps he stood not beside him, but beside the values that he held. Either way Gengyo could notmend him enough.

 Chapter 14 - Mount Fujiyama

    Later that evening, Gengyo made his way through the forest following the route they had walked yesterday.

    He was feeling mildly irritated following the events of the day, but he did his best to calm himself before he met up with Akiko.

    He passed through the remaining trees and arrived at the gateway to the courtyard that Akiko had disappeared into yesterday, and fashioned himself afortable waiting ce on a nearby log.

    There was a clear path from the mansion toward the rice fields and the like, but bordering the path were trees on each side.

    ¡¯If such a ce were to be attacked, they would have a hard time spotting any enemies.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself idly, stroking his chin.

    The wall surrounding the mansion and itsnd was not that high either. It could be jumped rather easily, and was most likely designed with style in mind rather than defence.

    And style is what it certainly achieved. It perfectly captured the height of medieval Japanese architecture with its angr tile rooves and whitewashed walls that sat upon ayer of wood.

    ¡¯If it looks this well-to-do from the outside, the inside has got to be pretty good.¡¯

    Gengyo had not gotten a good look at the inside yesterday as it had been dark ¨C even darker than it was now ¨C and he had been in a hurry to leave.

    ¡¯Anyway... Where¡¯s that girl? I¡¯m surprised that she¡¯s making me wait, considering it¡¯s her that wants to be out so badly.¡¯

    He moved closer to the gateway, intending to attempt to peer through the gap between the two solid wood doors that upied the frame.

    He leaned forward, pressing his face against the wood to secure the best view.

    But inside the courtyard he could see nothing. A mere stretch of gravel filled his view, with the bottom of some trees revealing themselves at times depending on his viewing angle.

    "BOO!"

    A loud shout directly next to his ear caused Gengyo to flinch, heavily.

    He bashed his nose against the wood, giving a snort of pain as he turned around to face his attacker.

    "Hahaha! Your face! Who would have thought you¡¯d be scared so easily?!"

    A gloating Akiko held her belly inughter as she giggled uncontrobly causing tears to form in the corners of her eyes.

    Gengyo stared at her in a stupor. It was such a ridiculous set of events that he had trouble processing what had happened.

    Holding his nose ¨C so his voice came off a little more nasally than it normally might ¨C he attempted to voice someints.

    "Did you... seriously... wait there all this time? I¡¯ve been here for like ten minutes..."

    His words only caused Akiko¡¯sughter to grow louder.

    "Hahaha... My god... hahaha... it was so worth it!"

    Gengyo could only shake his head in exasperation at her childish antics, waiting for her to calm down.

    Well, that¡¯s all he would have liked to have done, but he could not help smiling despite himself.

    ¡¯It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been involved in something so silly... It feels rather refreshing.¡¯

    Though he had been the butt of the joke this time, it had lightened his mood considerably.

    Akiko showed no signs of calming down, so Gengyo attempted to move things forward.

    "Come on Akiko, jump up. We¡¯re going to be bringing your entire household guard down on us if you keepughing like a madman."

    "Fufu, okayyy!"

    She conceded the point, covering her mouth with her hand as she moved onto Gengyo¡¯s back.

    Her hair fell past Gengyo¡¯s head, tickling his neck and filling his nose with aforting feminine scent.

    Akiko dried the tears ofughter from her eyes, and she leaned forward letting loose some idle chatter.

    "So how was your day, Scaredy-cat-san?"

    Gengyo winced a little at her question, but dared not let such thoughts ruin his good mood.

    "It¡¯s ¨Csan now? You¡¯re finally giving me the respect I deserve, Swan-kun."

    "¡¯Swan-kun?¡¯"

    "Yup. Did I not tell you? When I look at you a swanes to mind."

    Akiko tilted her head, feeling there was apliment hidden somewhere.

    "Because of the purity of my character, and my awe-inspiring beauty."

    "Nah. Just when you were hiding in the undergrowth that time, I thought you were a swan. Something about the way you acted."

    Akiko pouted, still searching for herpliment.

    "My actions were dignified and purposeful, right? Like a swan."

    "Oh no, quite the opposite I¡¯m afraid. I thought only a bird would be behaving so foolishly."

    "But-"

    Gengyo cut her off as he continued his teasing.

    "To be honest with you, Niwa-san, when you emerged I felt a little disappointed in the human race. For a good few minutes, I honestly thought about killing myself."

    She chopped the back of his head as hard as she could ¨C which incidentally was not very hard ¨C pouting all the while.

    "That¡¯s so cruel! I asked you how your day was, and then you tell say that meeting me made you want to kill yourself! You¡¯re a cold man, Miura-kun."

    Gengyo shrugged.

    "My apologies mydy. Your profound beauty makes me act unlike myself. Let me ¨C who is most unworthy ¨C return the question. How was your day?"

    Akiko was quiet for a time, realizing that she was being made fun of, but was rather unsure how to begin to deal with it. In the end, ignoring it seemed to be the best path.

    "Well... It was a little boring. There¡¯s not much I can do with my foot, so I sat in my room and read all day."

    Gengyo nodded with interest. Reading had been a favourite hobby of his in the many hours he had spent alone.

    "Mmm, reading eh? I did not realize that Niwa-san had such refined interests. What kind of things do you like to read?"

    "You¡¯re making fun of me again..."

    "No, truly, I wish to know what the kinddy reads."

    "Uhm... Poetry. But my favourite are travel novels, about people who get to go on all kinds of adventures."

    "Heh, travel novels eh? I would have thought romance or something of the like."

    "No way. Romance doesn¡¯t exist. It¡¯s just people pretending that they¡¯re enjoying the marriage they were forced into it. But anyway, did you know that there¡¯s this big mountain called Mount Fujiyama? Warriors climb it ¨C it¡¯s really hard ¨C to prove their strength."

    "Mm. I¡¯d heard some rumours. It¡¯s not that far from here I don¡¯t think. Perhaps you could visit it yourself one day."

    Akiko went quiet at that.

    "You don¡¯t want to?"

    She shook her head.

    "No... it¡¯s not that. I really want to."

    "But?"

    "There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to Miura-kun. There¡¯s no way either of us will be able to."

    Gengyo felt a little sorry hearing that, and attempted to cheer her up.

    "Sure we could. We could walk there right now."

    Akiko tilted her head. The nuance of what he meant had escaped her.

    "Don¡¯t be silly Miura-kun. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d be able to do that."

    "Why not?"

    "Well... that¡¯s... There¡¯s my father, he¡¯d never let me go ¨C especially not with you. And we¡¯d need food, and horses."

    "We needn¡¯t tell him, we could just leave. No one would ever find us if we were careful."

    Akiko started to take him a little too seriously.

    "It¡¯s too sudden... I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready to go right now."

    Gengyo shook his head.

    "I didn¡¯t mean that we should really head there now. I just meant that it¡¯s well within our capabilities. If we ever felt like it, travelling to Mt Fujiyama would be easy enough done. It¡¯s pretty far, but we¡¯d get there. We could travel anywhere we want, providing we could find some food along the way."

    Akiko stared across the expanse of water that now filled her vision, as Gengyo gently set her to the floor and she took a deep breath.

    "Mm... When you say it like that, I start to believe it to be true."

    Gengyo turned to look her in the eye, offering his honest thoughts.

    "Why shouldn¡¯t you? There¡¯s no reason for you to y out the card you were dealt, littledy. There would be no meaning to life if we gave up on our dreams."

    She offered him a gentle smile, taken in by his philosophy, and nodded.

    "I hope you¡¯re right, Miura-kun, because I don¡¯t have much time left."

    Gengyo was put off by those ominous words, and frowned slightly.

    "Not much time left... Surely you¡¯re not thinking of killing yourself?"

    Akiko shook her hands in front of her, indicating a negative response.

    "No no, nothing like that. It¡¯s just, when I get married that man, my life will no longer be my own."

    He nodded, understanding.

    "Do your best to endure, and if it is ever too much, I¡¯m sure Fujiyama would be happy to make your acquaintance."

    Silence reigned for a while, as a gloomy atmosphere began to take over.

    ¡¯The kid¡¯s got it rough, but she¡¯ll probably find that the man she¡¯s set to marry isn¡¯t as bad as she thinks. Our brain does a good job of distorting the things that we¡¯re reluctant to do into grotesque monsters.¡¯

    "Ah, Niwa-san. I have a little surprise for you."

    Her face perked up a little as curiosity took over.

    "Oh? What is it?"

    Gengyo gestured for her to follow, and they walked towards a patch of reeds that upied a spot near the shoreline.

    "Have a peak."

    Gengyo held back ayer of reads, offering a better view.

    "My! Is that the raft you were talking about building yesterday? How did you manage to get it all done by yourself?"

    Excitement now filled her eyes.

    "Aye. I managed toplete it yesterday, but it was difficult, as I spent a good couple of hours helping an injured swan."

    His teasing was met with a pout and a look of indignation.

    "You mean me? Honestly Miura-san, there has never been a ruder peasant in existence. If you spoke like this to my father, he¡¯d probably club you to death."

    "And you seem to be fond of speaking some rather grotesque words for ady, so I¡¯d say we make fairly goodpany."

    Akiko giggled, appreciating his wit.

    "Yup. Father always used to scold me about it."

    Gengyo began to pull the raft toward clearer water, fetching a long bamboo pole in the process.

    "Good, I hope he scolds you more in future."

    He then leapt onto the surface of the raft, causing it to shake violently almost throwing him off.

    He then extended his hand to Akiko to help her on.

    "I hope the swan knows how to swim."

    She gulped, but took his hand. His words were not exactly encouraging.

    Her step sent the raft backwards, causing her to lose bnce with a rather feminine squeak.

    Gengyo¡¯s grasp of her hand allowed him to quickly stabilise her.

    "Ah, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t break my bow straight away."

    She blushed, recalling the noise she had just uttered.

    "Hmph. It¡¯s so strange to stand on. Even if I did break your silly little bow - that you foolishly left right in the middle of the raft - it wouldn¡¯t be my fault!"

    Her reaction only caused his grin to widen as he poled them away from the shore.

    When they were a good distance away ¨C almost 60 paces from the usual target ¨C Gengyo took up his bow.

    "Would it trouble thedy if I were to loose a couple of arrows?"

    Akiko was kneeling down, looking into the depths of the clear water at the panicked fish swimming by.

    "Mmm, sure."

    She was not exactly paying all her attention to what he was saying.

    Not that such a thing bothered Gengyo, who already had the string pulled back toward his cheek and was lining up the perfect shot, intending to it time his release just right with the sway of their raft.

 Chapter 15 - The Peaceful Lake and the Heavy Heart

    The arrow unleashed with a loud twang, forcing their raft backwards a little.

    "Ah!"

    Akiko jumped at the sudden ssh of water.

    The trajectory of the arrow was true, and it flew the 60 paces remaining on course. The target from this distance was rather small, so anywhere near it could be considered good.

    But this arrow did not only get near, it also managed to scr.a.p.e the top.

    Gengyo nodded with satisfaction.

    ¡¯Good. The earlier shots have proven to be rather transferrable, and even this distance and instability don¡¯t affect me too much. Of course, I need to practice so that I can consistently get a bullseye from such a range, but this is a promising start.¡¯

    "Miura-kun, the wind is picking up a little..."

    Gengyo acknowledged her words, and his attention went to the water.

    With the increase in wind, waves were starting to build up across theke, taking their little raft up and down with them.

    "Hmm... Let¡¯s continue on to the ind and hopefully the waters will get less choppy in a little while."

    Akiko was still a little apprehensive.

    "Are you sure...? It¡¯s meant to be dangerous to be caught on the water when the wind picks up."

    "I¡¯m not an expert, but it should be fine for us. If theke was a littlerger, perhaps we could worry. But here even if anything went wrong, we¡¯d be able to swim back fine."

    "Mhhh... But I can¡¯t swim..."

    Gengyo tutted slightly, for he¡¯d figured as much.

    ¡¯There¡¯s a limit to how much you should shelter your daughter ¨C even if she is the child of nobility.¡¯

    "Even so, you¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s worth the risk ¨C let¡¯s go and explore that ind of yours."

    Still unconvinced, Akiko nodded reservedly, allowing Gengyo to pole them forwards.

    ¡¯I wonder how Masaatsu¡¯s getting on with his bowmanship. I should test him sometime in the future to make sure that his progress is as expected.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. He had been lending Masaatsu the bow each morning ¨C as Masaatsu tended to wake earlier than the rest of the family ¨C so that he could train. It was a rather good arrangement, in which both of them could practise the bow at the time that suited them.

    A few ducks swam by the side of the raft, curious as to what this new creature was.

    They quacked away, and some even jumped on the side of the raft, before immediately jumping back down again.

    Akiko giggled at their antics, attempting to pat them on the head.

    They grew closer to the ind, and a few nesting swans were revealed. It would make their exploration troublesome ¨C as they would have to do so without offending such residents ¨C but it was still doable.

    Gengyo jumped off first, holding a length of twine to secure the raft.

    He promptly tied it around a small tree before turning to offer Akiko a hand in disembarking.

    "Well, what do you think? This is the ind you¡¯ve always wanted to get to."

    "Mm... It feels strange. A little underwhelming I suppose. There¡¯s not much here."

    "Ah, but perhaps you¡¯re looking at it in the wrong way. We already knew that there wouldn¡¯t be much to the ind ¨C it¡¯s tiny after all. Instead, look around us at the water. Look towards the shore, does it not feel a little strange?"

    Her eyes widened as she followed his instructions, before a contended smile began to decorate her face.

    "Ah... It¡¯s being able to look at where we came from whilst enjoying where we are."

    Gengyo turned to her, surprised by the sudden eloquence.

    "That was remarkably well put, Niwa-san."

    She blushed, waving away hispliments.

    "Well, I read a lot of poetry, you know... So it¡¯d be embarrassing if I wasn¡¯t able to do that much."

    "Ho... The sheltered youngdy is not a dim as she first seemed."

    She looked away with mock disdain.

    "Hmph!"

    Gengyo recalled something that he¡¯d thought earlier.

    "You seem like you¡¯ve always wanted a pet."

    Akiko turned sharply at his words, impressed by his perception.

    "How did you know?"

    "The way you interacted with the ducks earlier. It just surprises me that a samurai ¨C someone who would have no problem paying for a little dog or rabbit or something of the like ¨C did not get one for you."

    She breathed in deeply, collecting her thoughts as she stared at Gengyo admiringly.

    "Well... He always said it would be cruel to get me attached to a pet only to have it dieter on."

    "That¡¯s a rather pessimistic stance. Everything will die at some point, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should avoid getting close to people ¨C or things."

    Akiko turned away from Gengyo to observe the nesting swans.

    "He has every right to be... Because of mother."

    Gengyo did not need to turn around to see the emotion expressed on her face, for he could already feel it in her voice. A deep, numbing sadness.

    He knew that his next question was insensitive, but he felt he had to ask it.

    "How?"

    She crouched down, running her hand through the long grass before softly whispering her response.

    "Poison."

    Gengyo tutted, feeling a good amount of distaste.

    ¡¯Poison, and on a woman. I can guess why it was done: to hurt the husband. It¡¯s disgusting though. It¡¯s no wonder her father¡¯s be as he is.¡¯

    He sighed, moved by this new emotion.

    "When I look at a man, I do try my best to seek out his goodness. But there are some people, that are so twisted ¨C so vile ¨C that the only honourable thing to do is to rid them from the earth."

    Akiko¡¯s reply betrayed a voice raw with emotion.

    "Is it not possible to see such evil when they are born? And to put an end to it all before it even begins?"

    Gengyo put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to reason with her, for that was not a healthy line of thought.

    "I¡¯m afraid not. The path a person chooses is oft as a result of the life that they have suffered ¨C but undoubtedly some people are more inclined to one route than others ¨C and as such it would be wrong not to give them a chance."

    "You see, no matter how twisted the tree may have ended up growing, it always had the potential to be straight. So when we see the twisted man, and are forced to end his life, we should not be gleeful but sad, for the world was robbed of great beauty."

    "...Like pulling up rice infected by blight."

    "Your poetic heart speaks once more."

    "But by feeling sorry for the twisted, won¡¯t that mean that more good men die? It doesn¡¯t seem right to me, Miura-kun."

    Her words betrayed a bitterness, and her watering eyes told of her anger.

    "Oh, you are right. We should always deal with them at our full strength, and only when we have fulfilled our task should we allow emotion to weaken us."

    "Do you truly think that you could kill a man, Miura-kun?"

    Gengyo spared no time in his response, for it was a question he had oft considered. In his many years spent alone, there was nought he could do to quell his unrest except consult philosophy, and with those readings his moralities grew in strength, allowing him to distinguish unambiguously between what is right and wrong.

    "If that man poses a threat to me, or those I love, then I would be able to kill such a man."

    He said resolutely.

    Akiko looks turned fearsome, as she named her own target.

    "There is one that I can definitely kill."

    He felt a slight shiver at those words, for they seemed authentic.

    Daring not to ask more, for he already knew the answer to whom, he remained silent. There was no way he could pass judgement on a man he did not know ¨C nor would it be his right to do so.

    "The wind is picking up even more... I feel like it¡¯s going to rain."

    Akiko wrinkled her brow at the prospect of getting wet.

    "It¡¯s a shame, but perhaps we should go home for today?"

    He nodded in agreement.

    "That seems wise."

    He unbound the raft and hopped on, gathering the pole in his hands to push them off after Akiko jumped on behind him.

    "Niwa-san. Would you mind holding onto my bow and arrows? I¡¯m worried they might get swept away in these waves."

    "Okay... but are you sure this is safe?"

    Her words were followed by a sh of lightning that bore a crack in the sky.

    A rumble of thunder then followed a few secondster.

    "It¡¯s safe enough, assuming you don¡¯t want to be caught out in a thunderstorm?"

    Akiko bit her lip, evidently nervous.

    "Okay... but please hurry."

    Gengyo poled them away from the shore, and it wasn¡¯t long before they had their first wave to negotiate with.

    It was not what one might call huge, but a wave of any sort was difficult to handle when you were perched atop a t wooden raft.

    Their feet were thoroughly drenched as the raft was covered in ayer of water. Akiko found herself gripping Gengyo¡¯s sleeve, trying to retain her bnce.

    The waves were more numerous than one might hope, propelled on by a vicious wind.

    The same wind had nearly enough strength to throw them off their feet, and still, they had the waves to contend with.

    Very soon the first few drops of rain began to fall ¨C at first a mere light dusting, sending rxing ripples in the water.

    But it did not take long for such a gentle down poor to transition into a barrage of a billion heavy water droplets.

    Within seconds they were soaked, but they could do nought but grit their and grip onto their lifeguards tightly ¨C for Gengyo it was his pole, and for Akiko, it was Gengyo.

    They neared the shore without having capsized and let out a sigh of relief, for the worst had been dealt with.

    Still, the rain had not let up in the slightest, and the m.o.a.ning of thunder and the shes of lightning were enough to make them feel unsettled.

    Gengyo disembarked hurriedly, helping Akiko down who held his tools.

    "Man, this is grim."

    Akiko could not agree more.

    "I¡¯m really cold..."

    She looked to be even more drenched than Gengyo, with her long dark hair sticking to the side of her face, revealing her defined features. It was a rather beautiful sight, and one that Gengyo could not help but appreciate.

    "I imagine. Let¡¯s quickly get you home, and that maid of yours will draw you a nice hot bath, eh?"

    "Mmm, that sounds nice."

    She was lifted onto Gengyo¡¯s back, and her ice-cold hands found their way around Gengyo¡¯s neck, causing him to flinch slightly.

    ¡¯Damn... she really is cold.¡¯

    Urged on by the relentless weather, he moved through the forest with haste, only slowing enough so that they would not slip on the slick mud.

    Akiko began sneezing on their way back, causing him to worry slightly.

    ¡¯A sheltered girl like her has no chance when it¡¯s this cold.¡¯

    They arrived, and took shelter under the gate¡¯s roof, waiting for Akiko¡¯s maid.

    A woman spotted them through the slightly ajar gate doors, and quickly came towards them.

    Gengyo turned to Akiko for confirmation, and received a nod in reply.

    The maid looked Gengyo up and down curiously, and the thoughts in her head were clear.

    ¡¯What on earth is the youngdy doing with a peasant like him?¡¯

    He ignored her stares, and handed her a shivering Akiko, offering a few parting words.

    "She¡¯s ice cold. Make sure she gets a hot bath, else she¡¯s liable to fall ill ¨C well, that¡¯s if she hasn¡¯t already."

    The maid did not reply, but instead turned to Akiko, and began to help her inside.

    The youngdy turned around to offer her farewells, before disappearing into the dark courtyard.

    "See you tomorrow, Miura-kun."

 Chapter 16 - Flooding

    "...I¡¯m really not looking forward to today."

    Rinined, envisioning the prospect of another day¡¯s worth of harassment.

    Masaatsu shared a simr opinion.

    "Mhm. It¡¯s going to be rough."

    Trying to lighten the mood, Gengyo offered some positives.

    "But at least we no longer have to do any ploughing."

    Fuku helped out, offering words of encouragement to her sorrowful children.

    "Tadakata¡¯s right. You get to do the flooding, and in a couple of days this drama will all pass over, and you can enjoy the easier work."

    "What if it doesn¡¯t?"

    Masaatsu¡¯s question was more directed toward Gengyo than anyone else.

    Gengyo¡¯s reply was confident and resolute, surprising his family members.

    "If today is the same as yesterday ¨C which I assume it will be ¨C then we¡¯ll set a n in motion."

    "Ha? A n? What kind of n can get us out of this mess?"

    It was Mirohara that responded with such bitterness.

    ¡¯There is always one bad apple in an otherwise optimistic bunch.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself.

    "I wonder."

    In truth, he had not yet thought of a n, for he wascking for inspiration necessary. He nned to let his mind wander throughout the working day, and hope that the dots began to connect themselves.

    "Tsch. I knew your words were empty."

    Fuku looked depressed at her husband¡¯s words, but in truth, she had not expected much from Gengyo either. Tadakata had always been a mild-mannered and weak-willed boy and though his character had certainly changedtely ¨C in her eyes ¨C she did not know of his recent achievements.

    Rin and Masaatsu were a little more hopeful, but a degree of doubt still lingered. They loved their brother, and hade to admire him, but the situation was too pitiful.

    Shrugging, Gengyo pointed the topic elsewhere.

    "That aside, how is your traininge along, brother?"

    The unexpected question caused Masaatsu to pause a moment as he sat in thought.

    "Hmm... I¡¯m not sure whether to call it good or not."

    "What kind of things have you been doing?"

    "Shooting at birds, squirrels, and the like."

    "And?"

    "Well, I find my footsteps give me away before I manage to make the shot, so I¡¯ve only hit 5 animals in thest few days."

    "Hoh..."

    Gengyo breathed out, rather impressed.

    ¡¯His training technique is poor, but his sess rate isn¡¯t bad considering he¡¯s learning two skills at the same time ¨C archery, and hunting. In fact, that kind of kill rate having only recently be familiar with the bow is a little extraordinary.¡¯

    "I know... It¡¯s shameful, but in time I will improve."

    "Not at all, it¡¯s only that the method you¡¯re using to train is rather difficult, but it¡¯s likely a better skill in the long run."

    Masaatsu perked up at those words.

    "Really? Then what method do you use to train?"

    "Uh, I just shoot a target. I can hit the bullseye from 60 paces, but of course, it¡¯s not a moving target like yours so it¡¯s less impressive."

    His eyes all but bulged out his head hearing that.

    "What!? 60 paces already? I¡¯m only at about 20 paces... How big is your bullseye?"

    Gengyo held his hands side by side, giving an indication of the size of his target.

    "My god..."

    "As I said, it¡¯s not a moving target so it¡¯s a lot easier."

    "I have a lot of work to do."

    "Yup. Me too. We need to be able to hit the bullseye at a range of 250 paces if we want to call ourselves experts."

    "That¡¯s... I understand."

    Feeling a little left out at that conversation, Rin made herself known.

    "Yeah, I¡¯m training with the naginata so I can be an Onna-bugeisha like Tomoe Gozen."

    Laughing, Gengyo ruffled her hair, enjoying her joking.

    "To be honest, I think you¡¯d make a rather good Onna-bugeisha. Though you¡¯d probably be a little too violent for the townspeople¡¯s liking..."

    ...

    ...

    Another grizzly reception awaited them at work that morning, with even more people joining in with the insults.

    "Look who rocked up to work again today. Here to collect another freebie, are ya kids?"

    "Well. It should be harder for them to cheat now that we¡¯re doing the flooding."

    "You think? Cheating¡¯s in their blood. They¡¯ll find a way. Probably only fill the bucket half full of some stupid shit."

    "Aye, true, that sounds about right."

    Gengyo spied Aritada and Yoritomo somewhere off in the corner, as they cast him a pitying nce.

    ¡¯They made a good choice. Don¡¯t join in with the bullshit, but it¡¯s not like I want you standing up for me either.¡¯

    Baba was running through the process of flooding for the youngsters that had just joined in with the farming this year.

    "Alright, so the river¡¯s a ten-minute walk from here. Take two buckets with you, and get them filled. When you get back, empty the water into the trench. Then repeat, got it?"

    They voiced their understanding, and he nodded satisfied.

    ¡¯Will this really be easier than ploughing? The buckets seem quite heavy.¡¯

    ¡¯Oh, but I suppose you can catch a break at the river a bit.¡¯

    "If I catch anyone walking too slow, or dallying by the riverside, the punishment won¡¯t be pretty."

    Baba¡¯s words instantly demolished Gengyo¡¯s reasoning and he began to frown.

    ¡¯...Surely this isn¡¯t that good? I mean, you¡¯re away from the monotony of ploughing all day, but instead you¡¯re carrying heavy buckets of water. Then again, the women ¨C like Rin ¨C are doing it, so they can¡¯t be too heavy.¡¯

    ¡¯In the first ce, is flooding meant to be done by hand, carrying buckets of water? Though I suppose we¡¯re uphill from the river, so we don¡¯t have much choice.¡¯

    "Here are your buckets. Good work again today please, Miura-kun."

    "Thanks, Baba-san!"

    Gengyo received his rather heavy wooden buckets with respect, but as soon as Baba¡¯s attention was turned around to Rin, he allowed a frown to fill his face.

    ¡¯These aren¡¯t small... Nor are they light... Could it be, I was lied to?¡¯

    Gengyo nned to find the truth of it from Masaatsu or Rinter on, but for now he could only feign a smile and do his best.

    He began to walk away, anticipating a hard days work.

    "Nii-san, where are you going?"

    He spun around to see his siblings following him, and raised an eyebrow.

    "Are we meant to be doing this together?"

    Masaatsu and Rin shared a nce that contained a good amount of concern.

    "What do you mean? That¡¯s is the best part. We did itst year and the year before..."

    Gengyo frowned, scratching his head. Hisck of knowledge of Tadakata¡¯s past was a little troubling at times.

    "Are you sure? We¡¯ll be putting water in different fields, which are different distances from the river."

    Masaatsu shook his head.

    "No, you¡¯re misunderstanding brother. All the workers fill one field at a time ¨C as we¡¯ve always done."

    ¡¯Heh... I thought they wanted to split the workers up, but I suppose working this way makes more sense.¡¯

    "Well, we better hurry then. Best not give them even more excuses to mess with us."

    And so the day passed by with idle conversation, and was ented by brief instances of remarkably dull conflicts.

    One overeager young man sprinted past them with water buckets in hand ¨C which of course were spilling ¨C and left them with a partingment.

    "Hurry up idiots!"

    They could only offer up a silent prayer for the young man¡¯s parents, having borne such a son.

    ¡¯I imagine his body finds it rather upsetting having such a poor host.¡¯

    A few secondster the boy was stopped by a rather cross Baba.

    "Katou-kun! What hell are you doing? Those buckets are barely half full. Go back and fill them up again ¨C and walk back sensibly this time."

    The boy¡¯s reaction was splendid as he walked past them, red from head to toe.

    They could not help but giggle.

    "Wow... He¡¯s even dumber than you used to be Nii-san."

    Gengyo¡¯s eyebrow twitched, even though it wasn¡¯t technically ¡¯him¡¯ who thatment was referring to.

    "Was I really that bad?"

    "Yup. Worse at times."

    Masaatsu nodded deeply in agreement.

    "Which is why I¡¯m so surprised by what you¡¯ve been up totely. Have you been hiding your intelligence from us all these years?"

    He awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he searched for a suitable exnation.

    "Uhm... Not exactly... Kinda?"

    But luckily they did not press him.

    "Well, whatever happened, I¡¯m d it did. Nii-san is much cooler now!"

    ...

    ...

    The day was nearing its close, and Gengyo very much looked forward to getting out of the scorching heat.

    Though he had a rtively pleasant day ¨C apart from the little entricities of other people ¨C the constant movement and the overpowering sun had left him feeling drained.

    "Day¡¯s almost over, Nii-san."

    Rin had noticed crouch down for longer than usual to fill up his water bucket, seemingly relishing the cold water.

    "Yup. And all three of you have done f.u.c.k all, good work!"

    A gruff, balding middle-aged man came up behind them, followed by his buddies who gave a heartyugh at his remark.

    Gengyo turned to get a nce at him, and before deciding that he was not someone he knew ¨C nor someone worth paying attention to ¨C he turned back to filling his water bucket.

    The man perceived a slight at hisck of concern, for the older brother and younger sister were cautiously moving away.

    ¡¯Probably just thinking he¡¯s a tough guy.¡¯

    The man thought to himself, deciding to mess with the kid a little.

    He walked up till he was almost directly behind Gengyo before pausing.

    ¡¯The kid knows I¡¯m here, but he still isn¡¯t reacting? What a pretentious brat.¡¯

    Taking advantage of Gengyo¡¯s crouched position the man delivered a vicious push into the middle of his back, sending him flying headfirst into the river.

    Rin shrieked at the sight, worried that her brother wouldn¡¯t be able to make his way out of the river, for it was rather fast-flowing, and the depth was not something you could gorge due to the muddy taint that polluted the liquid.

    "TADAKATA!"

    Masaatsu ran to the bank, slipping his sandals off, intent on jumping in.

    A split second before he couldplete his dive, Gengyo¡¯s head surfaced, and he swan toward the shore. It was shallow enough that he could have walked, but there were other reasons for his actions.

    He climbed the bank, as the people around stared at him in silence.

    "Ah! The water was quite refreshing ¨C just what I needed."

    He then turned to the man who had assaulted him earlier.

    "Thank you, kind sir, for your assistance. My name is Miura, what might yours be?"

    All present were baffled by Gengyo¡¯s tone and mannerisms, as though he was conversing with an amiable neighbour. They had first been caught off guard by his strange swimming technique, and now he behaved as though he did not understand what had just happened.

    Gengyo continued to look toward the gruff man ¨C who was still struck dumb ¨C expectantly.

    It took a while for the man to process what had happened, and in the meantime a silence reigned, ented only by the smile that hung on Gengyo¡¯s lips.

    Before long the other man was smiling too, and a secondter he wasughing.

    "F.u.c.k me. You¡¯re an interesting kid. Kushizu Ujimasa¡¯s the name, nice to meet ya."

    Rin and Masaatsu felt as though the world was about to open up and swallow them. What exactly was going on?

    "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Kushizu-san."

    Gengyo responded good-naturedly.

    A man behind Kushizu tapped on the back, before whispering in his ear.

    "Kushizu... That kid¡¯s the son of Miura, you know? They¡¯re gonna be trash too, are you sure you want to ¨C"

    Kushizu rounded on the man angrily.

    "Watch your mouth. I just f.u.c.k.i.n.g hit this kid in the back, with all the force I could, and hees out smiling. Is that not insane? Someone ¨C in this shitty little vige of ours ¨C can act like that?"

    He then turned back to Gengyo.

    "They say your father¡¯s trash kid. Cheated. But you don¡¯t seem much like trash to me."

    "Thank you very much. But my father ¨C whilst not the greatest man history has known ¨C did not cheat. I will make sure to prove his innocence."

    "Hoh... Good luck with that, kid. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll manage, but I¡¯ll be watching, so be sure to make it interesting, yeah?"

    With that, the man by the name of Kushizu Ujimasa concluded his first conversation with the genius that was Miura Tadakata, formally, Gengyo.

 Chapter 17 - A Plan

    "Yeah, in the end he was pretty pleasant, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he just pushed you into a river for no damn reason!"

    Masaatsu was stillining to Gengyo about his actions, even as they opened the door to the house.

    "Perhaps, but the majority of the vige is against us, and in the end he saw past all that did he not?"

    "Only because the way you responded was absolutely insane. How did you stop yourself from punching him?"

    The young man shrugged. When Kushizu was looming behind him, he had expected something of the sort.

    "Well... Me getting angry wouldn¡¯t have solved much, would it?"

    "That¡¯s true but..."

    "I agree with Nii-san on this Masaatsu. Even if he didn¡¯t really stand up for himself, the way he responded was amazing!"

    Masaatsu nodded.

    "There is no doubt that it was amazing, and the best thing to do, but still... I can¡¯t help but feel dissatisfied."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re in no position to be going out making more trouble ¨C in fact, we need to do the opposite. That Kushizu seems to have an interesting character, and he¡¯s respected. It¡¯s worked out in our favour, really."

    "Ughh, but I still can¡¯t help wanting to punch him..."

    He clenched his fists tight, trying to control his anger.

    It was then that Morohira walked in, still covered in his wounds ¨C though the bruises were starting to go a more yellow colour than blue now ¨C and looking to be in a rather foul mood.

    "What¡¯s all this about wanting to punch someone? Don¡¯t you think I want to do the same?"

    Masaatsu hung his head a little shamefully after being overheard by his father.

    "Of course I do father... Hahh, it¡¯s probably better that I calm down. You¡¯re all right."

    The old man heaved himself down by the table, pouring himself a drink.

    "That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. More than any of you can imagine, I want to punch that Kyougoku and put him in his ce. A fair fight ¨C that would be nice."

    Gengyo - who initially had not been paying his father¡¯s bitter ramblings much thought - suddenly perked up.

    "You think you could beat him, father?"

    Morohira shot a nce his way as he raised the ss to his lips, searching for any sarcasm in his son¡¯s words.

    He tutted, but chose to answer honestly.

    "Yeah, without a doubt. I used to fight in the vige festival, and I won for ten years straight. Even if there were three of him, I could still probably win."

    His oldest son nodded enthusiastically. It was a tale he had heard before, and was one of the reasons he admired his father so much. But Masaatsu had not yet had the chance to prove his skill, so Morohira still deemed him to becking.

    He was not the only one who was listening attentively ¨C Gengyo also had his ears primed, with his mind awhirl with certain thoughts.

    "Even with those injuries, could you beat him?"

    "Hah, are you making fun of me kid? My injuries are all but healed ¨C that bastard wouldn¡¯tst two seconds."

    Gengyo snapped his fingers in excitement (it was an old habit of his from a time when he had spent his evenings with his mindset on solving certain problems).

    "Brilliant."

    His sudden outburst attracted the attention of the entire room, and irritated his father.

    "I knew you were taking the piss..."

    "No, father, that¡¯s not it. I now have a n to regain your honour."

    "The f.u.c.k are you talking about?"

    Rin grabbed at his sleeve in excitement.

    "Really, Nii-san? Please tell us!"

    "Father, will you fight Kyougoku tomorrow?"

    His father frowned, confused at the question.

    "Eh? I mean, if the idiot is dumb enough toe at me alone, then I¡¯ll knock the shit out of him."

    "Good. I can arrange that."

    "..? How?"

    "I¡¯ll make an announcement at work tomorrow, forcing him into a duel. He will ept, else he¡¯ll lose honour. And upon our victory, he has to admit the truth."

    Masaatsu had a hand on his chin, processing the details.

    "How do you know he¡¯ll ept? Father¡¯s a good fighter after all ¨C he¡¯s certain to lose."

    "Too right son. I¡¯m going to y around with the shape of the bastard¡¯s spine ¨C see if I can make a nice circle out of it."

    "Haha, him epting depends on father, for Kyougoku will be allowed a wooden weapon ¨C a club or something, and father will have to fight unarmed."

    The room froze at that unexpected detail, with their eyes widening.

    Morohira slowly ced his ss back down on the table, allowing it to make no sound as it made contact with the wood.

    And then he sat back, brushing his hair off his face, and covering his mouth with a hand.

    His shoulders started to heave up and down and his face contorted. It looked as though the man was having a seizure.

    That was, until, a boomingugh escaped his lips and he copsed to the floor in a mad fit.

    "Hahahahahaha! Oh, that is f.u.c.k.i.n.g brilliant!"

    Rin turned from their father to share a questioning nce with Gengyo who only shrugged in response.

    It was only Masaatsu who seemed to be able to understand his father¡¯s reaction.

    Suddenly theughter stopped, and Morohira pulled himself bolt upright, before standing up in front of his children.

    "This, this is a good f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea. Worry not, Tadakata, I can break him even if he brought a katana. And with this, he will have to bear the humiliation that I have felt ¨C sorry, that we have felt."

    Gengyo grinned, inspired by his father¡¯s extremely positive reaction, and he pped his hands together.

    "I¡¯m looking forward to this!"

    ...

    ...

    Later that evening, Gengyo made his way to Akiko¡¯s mansion.

    He spotted the sleeve of her kimono sticking out from behind one of the gate¡¯s pirs, and sighed to himself.

    ¡¯How did I manage to get caught out by such an obvious hiding ce?¡¯

    Strolling past the gate, he muttered to himself as though oblivious to Akiko¡¯s presence.

    "That swan... She¡¯ste again..."

    He could see the sleeve shake slightly, spurred on by Akiko¡¯s repressed giggles.

    When he passed the pir, she was so easy to see that it almost felt bad to drag this out anything further. But still, the girl didn¡¯t budge, seeming to believe that Gengyo wouldn¡¯t find her.

    He made a ruckus as he sat down on a rock, muttering to himself all the while. And then with his sandals slipped off, he crept toward thedy who fancied herself a ninja.

    A firm pair of cold hands mping down on her shoulders caused her to jump up with a terrified shriek.

    She dashed forward a few metres before turning back, only then realizing it was Gengyo.

    "Ah! You..."

    Gengyo smiled lightly, enjoying his stab at a little revenge.

    Thedy in question had a much harder time calmer down, with her hand on her chest, heaving deep breaths.

    "How are you, miss Niwa?"

    "I was fine...."

    She murmured pitifully.

    "Haha. Cheer up ¨C it was just a little bit of payback."

    She coughed lightly into her hand, attempting to lead the conversation away from her defeat which she was evidently embarrassed about ¨C betrayed by the blush that decorated her cheeks.

    "Ahem... Shall we get going?"

    At that, the youth in front of her straightened up, growing serious.

    "Niwa-san, before that, I have a request to make of you."

    The girl stiffened, rmed by his sudden change in disposition ¨C she felt like she was dealing with an entirely different person.

    "W-what is it?"

    He retained his seriousness, and stated his want clearly, with a degree of bluntness.

    "I want to meet your father."

    She reeled back at those words, shocked.

    "Ehhhh?! What¡¯s this all of a sudden?"

    "Could you pretend that I helped you whilst you were lost in the forest, or something simr, to put him in a position where he owes me a small favour?"

    Akiko blinked her eyes, with her head full of questions.

    "But why...?"

    "I understand it will be ufortable for you ¨C given your rtionship to him ¨C but I¡¯m in great need of his assistance. Do not worry, I will not be attempting to force him to do anything."

    "Eh, that¡¯s not what I meant... I did promise you a favour, but this is a little..?"

    Gengyo bowed at his waist.

    "Please, Niwa-san, this is a matter of great importance to my family."

    The littledy felt immensely ufortable at having this ¨C rather odd ¨C peasant bow toward her. Rightly, a peasant should be prostrating themselves simply being in her presence, but this man had a certain air about him that forced one to look past his ss.

    "Mhhh, please raise your head Miura-kun."

    She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her fists as though she was trying to work up the willpower to make a decision.

    "Alright! I¡¯ll do it. But you have to make sure to keep holding your end of the bargain up ¨C trips to theke every day, got it?"

    The young man smiled at her straightforwardness, pleased that it was her that he had to make this request of.

    "Now that, I think I can do."

    Akiko returned his smile, feeling a sudden enthusiasm for the task ahead.

    "Okay! How are we going to do this?"

    "Uh, what I said earlier, about you getting lost. We can say that you got lost because of the dark ¨C that way he won¡¯t stop you from going out in future, but will scold you a little about being careless. Is that fine?"

    "Mhmm, not bad. I think I can pretend to walk normally long enough whilst I deal with father, and then I¡¯ll get him to talk to you."

    Gengyo was surprised by her confidence, and realized that she and her father must have a better rtionship than he expected.

    "That¡¯s perfect. Thanks again, Niwa-san."

    ...

    They then proceeded to spend the rest of the evening back by theke, until it got dark.

    They took to the waters on the raft once more, and Gengyo practised his archery from the same distance, this time managing to strike the target at 60 paces consistently.

    When they disembarked, Akiko had expressed her interest in wanting to help him train, and so he had immediately put her to good use.

    Through a little contraption ¨C though it was possibly too simple to be called a contraption, for it was a mere log and some twine ¨C he brought in training that anticipated the movement of his enemies.

    "Push now!"

    He called out to his helper, who promptly pushed the log with all her might.

    It followed a parabolic path, like all pendulums might, and sped upwards.

    Gengyo released his arrow a second after the push ¨C as he needed a moment to measure the speed ¨C intending to hit it at its highest point.

    This being his fourth shot, the bullseye was almost preordained given his past record, and it sunk into the target without much fuss.

    Akiko felt almost as much joy as he did at finally making the target after a good three missed attempts, and she shot him a proud thumbs up.

    "Good work, Miura-kun!"

    He returned the gesture, smiling.

    ¡¯I¡¯m d she¡¯s having fun.¡¯

    He proceeded to increase the distance at varying angles on his different shots, so that by the time the evening had concluded he was able to hit a bullseye at 80 paces whilst on the shore, a bullseye at 60 paces whilst the target was in motion, and a bullseye at around 70 paces when on the raft.

    It was a step up, and with the addition of the motion training ¨C inspired by Masaatsu ¨C Gengyo had a good feeling about his rate of progress and felt as though everything was finally starting to tie together.

    Still, he could not shake the hint of anxiety he held in his heart about the meeting he intended to have with Akiko¡¯s father.

 Chapter 18 - The Master

    "Are we really doing this?"

    Came Akiko¡¯s anxious question as they stood outside the mansion¡¯s gates, preparing themselves for the task ahead.

    "Aye. I¡¯ll wait in the courtyard and you meet with your father."

    She nodded taking deep breaths to steel herself.

    "Okay..."

    "Maybe if I had a better style of dress, this might be easier. Perhaps a clean kimono and a katana at my waist."

    "I don¡¯t think that matters for you."

    Gengyo tilted his headed at the curiousment, but allowed it to slide.

    "Good luck."

    "Yup. Let¡¯s go."

    They walked slowly into the courtyard, each feeling a little apprehensive.

    "I think you should sit down on the bench."

    The young man shook his head.

    "I don¡¯t want to give off an impression of disrespect on my first meeting. I¡¯ll stand."

    "Okay..."

    She moved off toward the main building ¨C the only two-story building in the dwelling ¨C passing rows of bungalows along the way.

    These lesser buildings were meant for the guards, maids and the like.

    ¡¯Speaking of guards... There will be some on patrol. Hopefully they don¡¯t kick me out before Akiko finishes.¡¯

    He even heard a soft bray of horses, following his eyes toward what appeared to be a stable.

    It was such a grand piece of space that Gengyo could not help but shake his head at the wealth demonstrated by the owner.

    The architecture inside was as splendid as that of the outer wall, following the same style. Thatched and tiled rooves, with the rest of the buildings being made almost entirely out of wood, aside from a few instances of whitewashed material that patterned in at times.

    ...

    ...

    Akiko was extremely nervous as she entered the main building, and when her maid, Shibata called out to her she jumped so high that she almost left a hole in the roof.

    "Akiko-sama, what are you doing walking on that foot?"

    She quickly came towards her, supporting her shoulder.

    The youngdy was grateful for the assistance, as simply walking over here had left her all but sweating in pain.

    "Thank you. I need to see father, but I can¡¯t let him know about my foot."

    The maid raised an eyebrow. The girl in front of her had refused to see her father for a good time, due to the marriage that she would have to undergo, but now all of a sudden she wanted to see him?

    ¡¯I bet it has something to do with that man.¡¯

    The maid did not entirely trust the peasant she saw carry her mistress back yesterday. It was remarkable that thedy had not caught a cold. But aside from that, she could not fathom how such a man had grown to be so close with her. He was moderately good looking ¨C not that she believed Akiko would trust him simply because of his appearance ¨C but after all, he was a peasant. An existence even below her, a maid.

    But s, she had sworn that she would keep herdy¡¯s secret, even from her father, and after spending so many years attending to her they had grown close, so she did not wish to be the cause of her mistress¡¯s misery.

    Perhaps it was that man that had been the source of her happiness these past days, despite the looming marriage?

    ¡¯Even if it was... I cannot help but worry.¡¯

    "I understand mydy. I will help you to your father¡¯s room. Then, I will heat a bath ready for when you have concluded your business."

    Akiko smiled.

    "Thank you, Kane."

    They negotiated with the stairs carefully, sparing Akiko the most amount of pain possible, but making their ascent slower than it might have been.

    They paused outside thendholder¡¯s room, noticing that the light of the candle me was passing through the rice paper sliding door.

    She took a deep breath, and clenched her fists before speaking.

    "Father."

    Her voice was loud and clear, and the shadow of the man inside the room flinched across the screen.

    "Akiko...?"

    Came the surprised voice of a very tired sounding man.

    "Yes, father."

    She slid the door open, revealing the haggard visage of a once strong man. He was not at all too old, perhaps in his thirties, but he seemed to bear a great weight, as he had the face of a much older man.

    She felt a degree of guilt seeing her father as such, for she knew part of it was her fault. She had not made things easy for him with the uing marriage.

    Shibata bowed upon being revealed to the master by the opened door, before averting her eyes and remaining quiet, letting them know that they were free to speak.

    Her father offered her a tired smile, evidently happy to see her.

    "What does this pretty daughter of mine require of me?"

    Akiko returned the smile, feeling much the same way. Though out of stubbornness she had refused to see him, she had missed him greatly.

    "Uhm... I would like you to reward a man that helped me."

    The master tapped his fingers on his desk as a degree of surprise circted within him. This was the first time his daughter had asked such a thing.

    "How might he have helped my daughter?"

    Akiko put genuine feeling into her acting, drawing on how she felt days before when Gengyo truly had rescued her.

    "It got dark quicker today, and I got lost in the forest. It was really scary. But he came out of nowhere and guided me home."

    His finger tapping continued as he pondered on the matter. He did feel grateful toward this man for helping his daughter, for there were a good deal of people that would find another use for her, especially considering how beautiful she was.

    "A good man. A gold coin would be a fitting reward."

    Akiko gasped at her father naming such an expensive reward, but managed to collect herself and shook her head.

    "No father. I¡¯ve already offered him such things... but he has a different request."

    He raised an eyebrow, stopping his finger tapping as he waited expectantly.

    "And what might that be?"

    "He... Wants to meet you."

    The tapping resumed, and he stared off into the candle.

    "Hoh... Who is this man?"

    The master¡¯s interest was piqued. Most men would have been blinded by the reward of such a massive amount of coin.

    "Miura, father. He¡¯s one of your workers."

    "A peasant? Interesting..."

    He nodded to himself, before pinching out the candle me and standing up to meet his daughter.

    "Very well. Take me to this man."

    Akiko winced at the prospect, for it would no doubt reveal her wounded ankle.

    "Apologies father, he¡¯s waiting in the courtyard. I¡¯m very tired, and Kane was saying how she¡¯d drawn me a bath, so I would like to attend to that."

    A brief moment of suspicion shed over her father¡¯s eyes, but he waved his hand and dismissed her anyway.

    "As you wish. I¡¯ll deal with this on your behalf."

    Akiko bowed lightly as her father began to descend the stairs, not moving until he was fully out of sight.

    ¡¯Miura, eh?¡¯

    Her father thought to himself. He recalled such a name, but could not ce any faces. He did not pay much interest in the affairs of his workers, believing that they should be given their due amount of privacy.

    He crossed the courtyard with swift steps, intent on dealing with this quickly.

    He noticed the torch of his guard shining by the face of a young man. The guard¡¯s stance was aggressive, and he held the handle of the sword on his belt firmly.

    "Don¡¯t you realize how bullshit that sounds? You better leave before I start getting unfriendly."

    "Leave it!"

    Came the master¡¯s voice from across the courtyard as he marched closer.

    The guard recognized it immediately, and bowed at his waist, his boiled leather armour groaning as he did so.

    "My lord!"

    He nodded at his guard, dismissing him.

    The soldier was well trained, and stood up quickly, marching away with even measured steps, before stopping about twenty paces away, should his lord require his assistance.

    Gengyo was calm when facing this grandndholder, and bowed simrly at the waist.

    "Rise. Miura, I presume?"

    Gengyo stood up slowly, and answered with as much respect as he could manage.

    "Yes my lord."

    "Niwa-san is fine. Thank you for looking out for my daughter."

    The young man¡¯s shoulder twitched slightly at that choice of words.

    ¡¯That¡¯s more true than you imagine.¡¯

    "I merely did my duty as a servant of the Niwa household."

    The master waved his hand impatiently, dismissing the formalities.

    "What is it that you ask of me?"

    He could not help but smile at the directness of Niwa¡¯s question, as he was a person who could also appreciate bluntness that was not beautified by meaningless words.

    His reaction surprised the master, as not many dared to smile in his presence.

    "As you say Niwa-san, I have a request of you. The honour of my household has recently been tarnished due to usations from a man the vige over."

    Niwa frowned, not liking the direction this was headed in.

    "You want me to restore the honour of your household? How? Kill the man? Your request is much too bold, peasant. There is no way I would sully the honour of my house, by killing the worker of another samurai just to restore your own."

    Gengyo shook his head.

    "You misunderstand me, honourable Niwa-san. I do not ask for you to take on that role."

    His frown deepened, annoyed by Gengyo¡¯s indirectness.

    "What is it then? Spit it out."

    "Tomorrow, I will arrange a fight. The loser of the fight with be branded a liar. I wish for you to stand judge for this fight, so that the conditions of it will not be breached, and winning will have meaning."

    He stroked the short beard that decorated only his chin, and pondered the peasant¡¯s words.

    "Hoh... That¡¯s a good way of settling this. By the way, what vige might the opponent be from?"

    "Tobishima."

    His eyes flickered with a certain light upon hearing the name of the vige, and his fist clenched, before a smile began to decorate his face.

    "Good... Very good. Young Miura-kun, I will oversee this fight of yours. Schedule it for sundown, and I will be there. The venue shall be the centre of town. I will organise an arena."

    Gengyo did not quite understand his suddenly positive reaction, but nor did he care. He bowed deeply.

    "Thank you very much, Niwa-san."

    "Good. With this my debt to you is repaid. Off you go."

    His words were blunt, and most would take offence at them, but such was his right as a man of a higher social ss. But to Gengyo, it made matters easier. He nodded, and began to take his leave.

    Just as he pushed open the gate, he was stopped by the shout of the master.

    "Young man! You¡¯d better win."

    Gengyo acknowledged his words with another nod, and disappeared from thepound.

    He was rather pleased with his day¡¯s work, and felt that his family would enjoy the fruits of hisbour. He felt grateful toward Akiko, for making it happen. Though she had owed him a favour, he still could not help but think that he now owed her.

    It seemed as though he would not be able to fulfil his promise to take her to theke tomorrow, but he reasoned that she would understand as her father would most likely tell her the results of their conversation.

 Chapter 19 - Due Preparations

    "Hahah, I¡¯m looking forward to this."

    Fuku was still worried about the whole arrangement, and looked rather uneasy as she served the family their morning rice.

    "I am as well."

    Gengyo shared the opinion of his father. With the events ofst night, he now had a good deal of confidence about the whole affair.

    Masaatsu¡¯s thoughts were on the fight itself.

    "How are your movements, father?"

    "I¡¯m good son. Did some stretches this morning, and now I¡¯m feeling fluid."

    He threw a few practise punches in the air to ill.u.s.trate his point.

    Though he still looked to be a mess, with his face covered in his old wounds, they could only ce their trust in his words.

    Rin did not care much for the fight itself, but was more looking forward for the drama to end. She had not been able to talk to her friends since it had begun, as their parents had told them to stay away, and she was excited at the prospect of spending time with them once more.

    "Please be careful dear."

    Fuku was part of the reason Morohira had stopped fighting in the first ce. He had promised her that he would no longer fight, after she cried for hours each time he sustained an injury.

    "Haha, don¡¯t worry about it, dear. This will be a piece of cake."

    He was itching to fight once more. He had a natural aggression present in him that he needed to vent, and so looking back, it was possibly a bad idea to make him stop fighting. The drinking was likely a by-product of those unreleased stresses.

    Though, of course, this was simply Gengyo¡¯s analysis based on his father¡¯s behaviour ¨C he did not know what was truly going on in his father¡¯s mind.

    But still, he spoke, and voiced his want.

    "Father, if this goes well, I want you to make a promise."

    His son was dead serious, but Morohira was in far too good a mood, causing him to take Gengyo lightly.

    "Sure, sure, name anything."

    "I want you to stop drinking."

    The old man¡¯s smile faded at that, and he put his chopsticks down quietly.

    Rin looked back from her brother to her father anxiously.

    "Look son... I know I¡¯m bad with the drink, but... I¡¯ve got nothing else, you know?"

    His boy nodded, having already thought of that.

    "I know father. What do you prefer, drinking or fighting?"

    He frowned at the question, but paid it due consideration, giving an honest response.

    "Well, fighting. Definitely fighting."

    "If you could take up fighting again, would you stop drinking?"

    Morohira turned to Fuku, who was anxiously watching over the exchange.

    "If... If you promise not to hurt yourself too much, I would prefer that you fight rather than drink."

    Fuku had to suffer her husband¡¯s drunken behaviour for years now, and though he had never actually hit her, he did leave her painfully frightened at times.

    Guilt covered Morohira¡¯s face as he realized the true meaning of those words. It meant that he had caused her life such misery over the past years with his drunken antics, that she would rather suffer the worry of his injury, than deal with his drunkenness anymore.

    He put a hand round her shoulders, and stroked her hair before bringing her in close and kissing her atop the head.

    His eyes were filled with affection, and Fuku had a shy smile on her face, as she sank into her lovers embrace.

    Rin was beaming, pleased to see a rare disy of affection between her parents, as their rtionship had be strained as ofte.

    Masaatsu¡¯s usual stern look had indeed also softened.

    Gazing down into his wife¡¯s eyes, Morohira made his decision.

    "Alright son. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll take up my fists once more, and throw out the depraved me that leaned on the bottle."

    His eyes teared slightly as he made that deration.

    "I¡¯m sorry Fuku. I¡¯m so sorry ¨C for everything. All you¡¯ve had to put up with. My dear, beautiful wife, I will worry you no longer. I will hold you in my arms and support you for the rest of our days."

    Gengyo smiled lightly, satisfied.

    Whilst he did not entirely believe that Morohira could fulfil all the promises he had made, it was still a step in a better direction, and one that lead toward his dream of a peaceful family life.

    ...

    ...

    As the three siblings arrived to work that morning, Gengyo immediately approached Baba, speaking quietly.

    "Good morning, Baba-san."

    Baba raised an eyebrow. It was not umon for him and Gengyo to exchange morning greetings, but he could sense a different intent in the boy¡¯s words today, and his behaviour and actions all confirmed it.

    "Morning,d. Is there something you need?"

    The young man was pleased that his overseer with quick on the uptake, and phrased his proposal as politely as he could.

    "This morning, just before we start the day¡¯s work, may I make an announcement whilst everyone is gathered?"

    One raised eyebrow turned into two, as Baba¡¯s face contorted with surprise.

    "Hoh... That¡¯s a rather unusual request young Miura. I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s rted to the lost honour of your family..?"

    "That¡¯s right."

    "Permitted."

    It was Gengyo¡¯s turn to be surprised. He had not expected the old man to ept so quickly.

    "What..? Oh, I mean, thank you very much Baba-san."

    Gengyo bowed at the waist in thanks toward Baba-san, and as he did so he felt a certain familiarity with action. He felt as though in recent days he had been bowing rather a lot.

    Baba nodded, and Gengyo judged the conversation over and started to return to his siblings.

    "Ah, but if this is something silly, you¡¯ll have to face certain punishments."

    Came the ominous partingment.

    He stiffened slightly, a little put off by the threat.

    ¡¯Still, it depends on what you call silly, right? Surely my arrangement shouldn¡¯t fall into that category?¡¯

    When he neared, Masaatsu called out.

    "Sess?"

    "I think so..."

    "Aren¡¯t you nervous about speaking in front of so many people, Nii-san?"

    He shrugged. The actual speech itself was not something he cared about. He was merely interested in the results. After spending a good portion of his life doing speeches for newly released products, he¡¯d basically killed any fear he had of public speaking.

    "Should be fine."

    Rin looked doubtful as she empathised in her head with his position.

    ¡¯If it was me, I¡¯d be so embarrassed...¡¯

    A few more minutes passed, and almost all the workers had arrived.

    Baba drew everyone¡¯s attention with a few short ps.

    "Good morning everyone. Before we get into the shift, one of our workers has requested your attention. Miura-kun, if you would."

    He gestured toward the boy, who received his signal with a nod, and stood up grace, moving swiftly toward Baba-san¡¯s side, maintaining a bodynguage that was the very epitome of confidence.

    "As you all know, my father has recently been used of cheating."

    His voice was clear, and loud, making it audible to all of the many workers present.

    His eyes danced over the crowd, and he noticed a few sour looks of people dying to interrupt. But s, him speaking had been permitted by Baba, and thus in going against him, they would, in turn, be offending Baba.

    He spotted a few of his acquaintances, whose faces were filled with friendly interest. Although Aritada¡¯s face was tenser than you might expect, seemingly feeling the anxiety in Miura¡¯s ce.

    Rin and Masaatsu were willing him on so strongly that their emotions were transmitted through their faces. Their shining eyes told him all he needed to know.

    "This, I assure you is false."

    He paused once more, knowing the primary thought in people¡¯s heads would be: ¡¯what of the proof?¡¯

    "Now, it is easy to sully someone¡¯s name without grounds, but much more difficult to stand and defend such usations."

    The crowd seemed to be following, but still, the same harshness remained in the air.

    "That is why, my father, Miura Morohira, challenges the user, Kyougoku Suemochi, of Tobishima vige, to a duel."

    Whispers filled the air as the crowd grew more unsettled, dying to shout something out.

    "Now, we all know that my father is a skilled fighter, so that it would be unfair on Kyougoku-san. Therefore, my father will be unarmed, and Kyougoku-san will be allowed any weapon that does not hold metal."

    The crowd grew more restless, and he left them like that for a time.

    He watched them whisper to one another, noticing a few flickerings of approval. Even Kyougoku¡¯s underlings seemed supportive of the duel.

    After all, the odds were very much in Kyougoku¡¯s favour, were they not?

    "Now, some of you here know Kyougoku-san. Please inform him of the fight. Tell him to go to the market ce, where he will find a ring made and overseen by the honourable Niwa-sama himself."

    At that, a few over-enthusiastic individuals could not contain themselves, despite knowing the consequences.

    "How the f.u.c.k¡¯s he done that!?"

    "F.u.c.k this is gonna be good!"

    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g Miura is going to be beaten up in front of the master himself, what an honour!"

    Thatst remark provoked a good deal ofughter, but Gengyo waited patiently for it to pass before resuming.

    "The loser of the fight will be branded as a liar. The winner will have all charges cleared, and be known to be the one who speaks the truth. Niwa-sama will make sure this conclusion is carried out, regardless of the result."

    Not much attention was paid to this, as everyone had assumed it from the start, but still, it needed to be said even if it was a simple formality.

    "Then, that will be all. The fight will be held at sundown today. I hope to see you all there."

    With that, his speech concluded, and he nodded toward Baba in thanks.

    Baba resumed control of the situation as Gengyo headed back to his siblings, noticing Kushizuughing loudly out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡¯I hope you found that entertaining, old man.¡¯

    Masaatsu and Rin were beaming with pride, sticking their chests out as though they had already regained their honour ¨C and more besides.

    "Little brother that was brilliantly done."

    His formal praise caused a smile to creep out onto Gengyo¡¯s lips, which only widened after Rin joined in.

    "Yup, yup! You were so confident, Nii-san! I¡¯m really proud. Really, really proud! You looked so cool, and everyone listened to you... all those girls in the vige are going to be trying to steal my Nii-san now... got to work hard!"

    Gengyo awkwardly half-smiled at thest part. Whilst he certainly wouldn¡¯t turn away the chance at meeting a woman, she would have to be of a special character if his image of a peaceful family life were to be manifest.

    "I¡¯m d you approve."

    "By the way, Tadakata, that part ¨C about the master being present ¨C is that true?"

    ¡¯Ah, I forgot to tell them about that.¡¯

    "Yeah, I met with himst night. He¡¯ll see to it for us."

    "Hah? You met with him? Just like that?"

    "Yup. He¡¯s a kind man. I paid him a visit and announced my plight, and he was only too happy to lend a hand."

    Gengyo felt a little bad at lying to his brother who had nothing but good intentions, but he felt that if he were to reveal too much, and his rtionship with Akiko got out, there would be no end of trouble involved.

    Masaatsu seemed to harbour some suspicions, but did not voice them. Instead, he put his hand on his brother¡¯s shoulder, and offered hismendations.

 Chapter 20 - Fight Day

    The meal before the fight was filled with excitement ¨C mainly Morohira¡¯s.

    "This is going to be so f.u.c.k.i.n.g good. I can¡¯t wait to decorate that bastard¡¯s skull with a few hundred bruises."

    "Now, now, dear, you have to make sure to eat all your food first. You can¡¯t fight on an empty stomach."

    A smiling Fuku gently chastised her husband who followed her orders instructions as though he were her child.

    Gengyo was enjoying his meal as well, envisioning the sess of his n. He only hoped that his father was as skilled as he had boasted, otherwise, all this nning would have been for nought.

    Rin kept stealing rice from Gengyo¡¯s bowl, though her bowl was still full.

    When asked what she was doing, a rather odd "it tastes better like this" came in reply. At which he could only shake his head and deal with it. Little sisters were meant to be a bit of a pain at times, were they not?

    ...

    ...

    The family passed many people on their road into the vige, and the reactions to their presence were varied.

    "Good luck Miura-san! Make the vige proud!"

    Is what the majority called out, hoping to secure favour should the fight go well.

    Others simply remained silent, not wanting to offend either side.

    Though it was not like any kind of reaction could have dampened Morohira¡¯s spirit. He marched in front, urging his family onwards.

    "Come on you lot, we¡¯re going to bete!"

    Fuku was carrying a basket with a few small jars of water in, and some rice balls. She was going all out to make sure that her husband had everything he needed in order to fight to the best of his ability.

    The children had been made to wash, and put on clean clothes so that they would be at their best when presented to the vigers.

    Gengyo had gazed at his cleaned-up sister with a degree of curiosity,paring her appearance to Akiko.

    He realized that she was a good deal smaller than Akiko, and with her darker hair, but her beauty had a different sort of charm to it. Akiko was without a doubt a beautifuldy, whereas Rin was more a wild type. She was cute at times, but was tomboyish in her mannerisms.

    ¡¯The husband that gets Rin will have an exciting life.¡¯

    Though exciting was an umbre word, for she could quite as easily turn his life upside down as she could lead him on all sorts of adventures.

    ...

    ...

    When they arrived at the market ce, it was already bustling with a couple of hundred vigers, and was thusly rather packed.

    Master Niwa had made good on his promise, and a wooden arena - standing about half a metre off the ground ¨C had been erected. It was around the size of your average boxing ring, and square-shaped simrly.

    There were tworge wooden seats elevated alongside the arena, with one being upied by the master.

    Next to him, he spied a familiar swan, once more dressed in a white yukata, though this time it was a pure white, without an artist¡¯s drawings adorning it.

    Her brown hair was tied up, with a hairpin through it, and it shone in the flickering torchlight, telling tales of the effort put in by her maids beforehand.

    She was undoubtedly beautiful, and he could hear the young men in the vige talking about her as he passed.

    On that front, he could not help but feel a little privileged, for he knew who the swan was behind the feathers.

    They were recognised immediately by the crowd.

    "Oi! It¡¯s Miura!"

    "Finally!"

    The crowd parted to allow them through. Noticing this, the master nced over.

    "Oh, young Miura, wee! Is this your family then?"

    He called over, and Gengyo walked closer before answering.

    "Yes, Niwa-san. This is my father, Morohira, my mother, Fuku, my older brother Masaatsu, and my little sister, Rin."

    "Very good. Come on up, then, and we¡¯ll get this fight underway."

    He gestured toward a wooden bench that had been positioned beside the two chairs. It could be considered a great honour, for the master was putting them on the same level as him.

    "Thank you, Niwa-san."

    Gengyo took the lead, and ascended the stairs that lead to the arena.

    He bowed his head lightly in greeting to Akiko as he did so, for the sake of politeness.

    "Good eveningdy Niwa. I hope you are well?"

    She smiled lightly, feeling a rush of energy from the secret they shared as she pretended otherwise.

    "Good evening, Miura-kun. I am, thanks to you."

    Her father, knowing a ¡¯truth¡¯ behind this exchange maintained his smile, but the same could not be said for Gengyo¡¯s family.

    They stared at him curiously, wondering what kind of rtionship he held with the highly esteemed master¡¯s young daughter.

    Rin¡¯s gaze contained a hint of aggression as she offered the youngdy a smile.

    ¡¯This stupid noble trying to seduce my Nii-san...¡¯

    The rest of the family offered their respects to the master, and then it came Morohira¡¯s turn.

    Niwa nced at the man calctedly, and could not help but feel a stab of disappointment.

    ¡¯The man who we¡¯ve pinned our hopes of winning on is already covered in bruises?¡¯

    "Good to meet you Miura-kun. Your son has told me much about you. You¡¯re a brave man to take on your opponent under such conditions."

    Morohira scratched the back of his head embarrassedly as he received praise from the master.

    "I will do my best to give you an entertaining fight, lord."

    The master nodded, no longer expecting much from him.

    Gengyo nced around the crowd, searching for someone.

    "Niwa-san, has Kyougoku arrived yet?"

    "He has. He arrived about 15 minutes ago, but he¡¯s eating it seems."

    The conversation ground to a halt and an awkward silence reigned. The rest of the family felt too ufortable in the presence of the master to speak, whilst Gengyo sat in thought.

    Niwa Nakatane felt none of that tension however, only acute boredom. His fingers tapped against the arm of the chair ¨C as was his habit ¨C and he willed the events to move faster. It had been a while since he hadst journeyed out, due to some of the recent affairs he had to attend with, and whilst he was here he was determined to release as much of his pent up stress as he could.

    He rekindled the conversation with the youth beside him, searching for some way tobat his boredom.

    "Young Miura, you work in my fields, correct?"

    "Indeed, Niwa-san."

    "How do you find it?"

    "It is good, honest work, and the overseer ¨C Baba-san ¨C is fair and honest."

    Nakatane nodded. It was a neutral response, but what else could the boy have said? No one is openly going toin about their job to the employer, especially when their financial situation is as dire as that of a peasant.

    He led the topic of conversation elsewhere, trying to probe the character of the boy who had orchestrated this entire asion.

    "War is on the horizon."

    "It does seem that way."

    Another neutral response. There was neither fear nor delight upon his face. It was as though he viewed it to be trivial.

    Of course, for Gengyo, it was quite the opposite. He viewed it more as a chore, and a step in the wrong direction.

    "It should be a good opportunity for us. The Oda are weak. Are you not excited at the prospect of getting some of the spoils? It might be a chance for you to earn some good coin."

    Gengyo turned and nced at Nakatane in the eye. There were so many things in that statement that he disagreed with that he was having trouble where to start.

    "I do not care for coin."

    ¡¯Empty words. What man, especially a man who is not of coin, does not want more of it?¡¯

    "Nor do I think it is wise to look down on the Oda. Their Daiymo is young and untested, and most see that as our assurance in victory. But does that not also mean that we do not know what he is capable of? There is a good chance that the boy is a genius, and he will lead his troops to victory."

    His fingers ceased their tapping, and he stared back at the youth in surprise. He did not think that he would have this much of an opinion on military matters.

    "...There are many that would call you a coward for such ament."

    Gengyo scoffed.

    "Let them. I will be fighting all the same. But it is a foolish man who rushes recklessly into battle, even when he holds the advantage."

    "You don¡¯t think we can defeat the Oda?"

    "Oh, without a doubt we are capable of it. But the thing everyone seems to be overlooking, is that the same is true for them."

    Nakatane leaned back in his chair, and looked upwards.

    ¡¯To think I would be discussing military philosophy with a peasant...¡¯

    Despite feeling that dull sense of absurdity, he saw the wisdom in the words that were spoken. He was not a warmongering man, though in his youth he had achieved personalmendation by the Daimyo for his exploits on the battlefield.

    Gengyo spotted a figure walking through the crowd towards them.

    "It appears the opposition has arrived."

    "Hoo! You¡¯re right! Let¡¯s get going then."

    Morohira had noticed too, and had stood up and begun stretching his arms out, before rolling his neck.

    Kyougoku climbed the tform, with a wooden bokken in the belt of his stylish kimono. He was dressed rather well for a peasant.

    He stood oddly tall for a Japanese man, with a height that was at least above six foot. He was around a head taller than Morohira, and had a good deal more muscle mass besides, with a shiny bald head.

    From appearances alone ¨C with Morohira covered in bruises, and Kyougoku looking like a medieval body builder ¨C the fight was a done deal.

    "Kyougoku, you bastard! Do you know what I¡¯ve had to put up with because of the lies you spread about me?"

    Morohira was fired up, shouting across the arena with a vein bulging on his neck.

    Kyougoku drew his wooden sword, resting it upon his shoulder before twisting his face arrogantly.

    "Hah? Lies? But you¡¯re Miura the cheat. Everyone knows that."

    The crowd were shouting all sorts of vulgarities as well, though they all came together to form abined mass of iprehensiveness.

    Simply from his actions and the suffocating arrogance that he portrayed, even Gengyo felt the urge to punch him.

    "Your father can beat him, right?"

    Nakatane was seething as though it was his honour that had been challenged. It seemed that the arrogant brute had gotten under his skin too.

    "I hope so."

    "You f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard! I¡¯m going to beat you so much worse than you beat me. I¡¯ll make you wish that you had killed me back then."

    "Ha? But I did beat you, didn¡¯t I? What makes you think you can beat me now?"

    These words were for the crowd. This man was an entertainer, and one that seemed to be confident in his victory.

    Even Gengyo was unsure at this point. His father had not exactly proved to be a reliable man in the short time that he had known him.

    He could only hope that his words held some amount of truth.

    ¡¯I¡¯ve done all I can old man... The rest is up to you.¡¯

 Chapter 21 - The Slaughter Begins

    Morohira¡¯s rage peaked.

    "Bastard!"

    He breathed, as he ran forward,mencing the fight.

    He aimed low on Kyougoku, intending to use his shoulder and tackle him to the ground.

    s, he was not given the chance. The wooden sword had a far superior reach, so the big man simply stepped back and aimed a strike toward the bent-over Morohira¡¯s head.

    It was a tense moment for the onlookers, for such a strike, from their standpoint, seemed to be unavoidable. Rin had one eye closed in anticipation, whilst Gengyo¡¯s eyebrows were deeply furrowed.

    THWACK

    Two raised arms blocked the downward strike, followed by an expression of intense pain.

    Having received such a strike, the man was forced to retreat back, rubbing his injured forearms.

    "Kakaka, why don¡¯t you just give it up, Miura-kun? You know you can¡¯t beat me. Not like this."

    Morohira didn¡¯t reply. His eyes were intense and focused.

    Gengyo was sitting there in shock at the strength of his father¡¯s bones. Rightly such a strike would have crushed the forearms of a lesser man, but now he already had his fists thrown back up into the air, ready to attack his opponent?

    ¡¯This doesn¡¯t look good though, old man. Your opponent is skilled in the sword ¨C he¡¯s not going to let you get close.¡¯

    It seemed his father was thinking the same thing, as he walked closer to Kyougoku, but stayed out of range of his sword.

    His opposition waited patiently, with caution, put off by the look of confidence in his enemies¡¯ eyes.

    Morohira began to bounce from his left foot to his right, like a boxer might, intending to make his movements harder to predict.

    He circled around the ring, waiting for his moment. He hounded the unsuspecting Kyougoku until he was all but trapped in the corner.

    And then, using the wooden fencing as a springboard, he aimed a kick toward the taller man¡¯s head.

    THWACK

    A swift stroke of the sword toward his outstretched thigh, and he was cut out of the air, hitting the wooden surface below with a great force.

    He barely managed to roll away before the tip of the sword hit the position he was previously at.

    Watching him struggle to his feet, and step forward with a slight limp, a smile began to distort Kyougoku¡¯s loathsome face.

    He took the opportunity to speak to the crowd once more.

    "You see this? This is the man that challenged me to this fight, and see how it ends? The man¡¯s a liar and a cheat!"

    Mainly cheers greeted his words, though there were a few bitter faces in the crowd, seemingly more disgruntled at theck of a real, enjoyable fight, than the loss of Morohira.

    Nakatane also seemed to be losing interest. He¡¯d grown rather fond of the idea of a man from his vige winning, for reasons that those around him did not have a grasp of, but now such a thing was out of his reach.

    Gengyo, Rin, and Fuku were tense all over their bodies, rmed by the extremely one-sided fight in front of them.

    But in contrast, Masaatsu appeared to be very rxed.

    The reason for his calm demeanour waspletely unknown to Gengyo, for all he could see in front of him was a one-sided ughter.

    The slowed Morohira was chased around the ring by a relentless Kyougoku who was utilising his range to its fullest, hitting his enemy with an endless stream of jabs and shes.

    Such strikes ¨C though light at first ¨C were taking its toll on the unarmed fighter, and though he tried to counter, none of his limbs were long enough to even get close to the range provided by the sword.

    And thus he was hounded, his ribs being yed by the point of the sword as though they were some grisly musical instrument, and his face contorted fittingly with the pain.

    The two women could barely watch the fight at this point, and even Akiko, who had no connection to either of the men in front of her ¨C except through Gengyo ¨C was averting her eyes, displeased with the now rather horrific spectacle in front of her.

    A step forward, arms stretched to their fullest, sword extended as far as it might, and Morohira was forced against the wooden fence that bordered the ring, letting out a roar of pain as his rib broke.

    The same jab movement was repeated, but this time using his palm, the wounded man managed to deflect it away from his chest ¨C though it struck his arm instead.

    This was no longer a fight. It was a one-sided ughter.

    Gengyo began to have second thoughts about the whole thing.

    ¡¯They... Assured me that he would be able to take on Kyougoku, even if he had a sword. This wasn¡¯t meant to be a fight at all ¨C the sword was simply a means to bait him here. But this? This isn¡¯t how it was meant to go.¡¯

    ¡¯Is this my fault, for believing in the boasting of a man? Is it not rare to find a person that can urately evaluate his own ability? Perhaps... Perhaps this will be my first defeat since starting this new life.¡¯

    The thought of losing filled him with a sense of disgust. And though he was not in the arena, he very much felt a part of this fight. As did the rest of his family. Theirbined will, begging for Morohira to win was likely the only thing that kept him going. For he was now decorated in many bruises, and though his face had escaped most of the damage, the skin under his clothing would not boast a pretty sight.

    He was stumbling around the ring as though drunk now, and Kyougoku chased him wherever he went,ughing maniacally.

    Such a scene had continued for almost ten minutes, and even the crowd were growing disgusted at the muscle-heads sadistic actions.

    "Finish it!"

    They cried.

    "Finish it! Put the dog down!"

    And being the entertainer that he was, Kyougoku could not ignore such shouts, and he moved to secure his final blow.

    He performed his usual jab, anticipating the palm of Morohira that moved to defend itself. Targeting his outstretched arm, he struck downwards, forcing it out of the way. He struck then twisted his h.i.p.s and aimed a strike to the man¡¯s left-hand side, before bringing his sword down atop of Morohira¡¯s head as the man bent down in agony.

    A hollow ringing noise echoed around the arena, like two blocks of wood colliding.

    Morohira copsed to the floor as though someone had relinquished the control of his body.

    A scream rang out ¨C Fuku¡¯s ¨C she called her husband¡¯s name, and copsed to her knees as tears began to decorate her face.

    Rin moved forward tofort her, though she was in a simr state.

    Masaatsu¡¯s face caved in, as though someone had just destroyed every single belief that he had held.

    Gengyo stared forward, shocked. He realized something, then. Despite his father getting ughtered in the fight, and despite telling himself that he anticipated his loss, he still had held onto a belief, somewhere in his heart.

    But now that man, whom their family had ced their hopes upon, was now lying in the centre of the ring, unmoving, blood pooling onto the wooden surface around his head.

    Kyougoku moved forward, his face a mask of savagery. With his sword still drawn and ready, it was obvious what he intended to do.

    The crowd were also a maniacal mess, but their noise was not heard by Gengyo. He was focused entirely on what was going on in front of him.

    He moved up from his seat, the muscles of his legs tensing before propelling him forward toward the arena. His mouth was open, intent on releasing a shout.

    The demon in front of him grew closer, already starting his swing.

    It was only then that Gengyo realised that he was toote, too slow, and he hurried himself forward.

    But as he made it to the top rung of the fence post, the enemy was already upon his father, sword raised, ready to deliver his final sentence.

    And then, his eyes shot open.

    Kyougoku realised his error, and hastened to step back.

    But his actions were toote. The man on the floor had already issued a sweeping kick toward his legs.

    His feet were taken out from under him, and hended heavily.

    A beast thenunched itself upon him ¨C that was not how a man was meant to move. He sent a fist toward his torturers face, allowing him to see the stars that he had felt for a good while.

    He then performed another action that would dumbfound the already chilled onlookers, who had condemned him as dead.

    He stood up, snapped the sword over his knee, discarded the pieces and then he waited.

    He slicked his hair back with the blood that decorated his skull, and then he bared a fearsome smile whilst issuing his death sentence.

    "Come on then, let¡¯s fight."

    Gengyo was still paused, one leg atop the fence, frozen. Not once in his life had he witnessed such a variable, something that was so impossibly inhuman that one could never factor it in, nor even im it existed.

    He had discovered, in his father, the power of humanities hidden beast. His little shadow. That overwhelming might of strength that he could bring forth when he put everything on the line.

    The man in front of him was not simply his father, it was a man possessed by such a shadow.

    The area around them was encapsted in silence, as all watched on, jaws agape.

    A terrified brute of a man, made his way to his feet, raising his fists, trying to convince his broken mind that such a thing was not possible, that the man in front of him was too beaten, too broken, to put up any fight.

    Morohira, for his part, disyed no such a motion. His bloodied face was intense and focused. He raised his fists upwards, forcing a new kind of momentum into his body. His shoulders shifted the left, and to the right, as he walked across the arena with all the authority of a king.

    Storming up to the castle of Kyougoku, he delivered him a forceful front kick that sent the man crashing into the hard surrounding fences.

    Just that one move was enough to defeat him, and he copsed to the ground, winded and struggling to breathe, his eyes a mask of terror.

    "Up."

    Morohira would not allow him off that easy, and he waited patiently for the man in front of him toe to his feet. He even walked back toward the opposite side of the ring.

    They met once more in the middle, and he still moved with his same indomitable aura, as though he was controlling the very air around them.

    A lightning-fast right hand easily made its way past Kyougoku¡¯s guard, sending him reeling backwards. But thebination was by no means done, as a left hand made his face symmetrical once more, before Morohira used the momentum of the punch to twist his body around.

    Before anyone could even tell how he had done it, he had his arms firmly nted around Kyougoku¡¯s waist. His opponent sensed danger, and struggled with all his might, but it was far toote for that. Morohira lowered his h.i.p.s, before exploding upwards, forcing this beast of a man over his shoulder ¨C sending him sailing through the air.

    It was an astonishing feat, but they were not given time to marvel, as he had already pounced upon his downed opponent, straddling him.

    Fist after fist reigned down.

    One

    Two

    Three

    ...

    Thirty

    He did not stop, even when the man had ceased to move. He wished to decorate his face the same way his had been distorted. But he was not a maniacal man ¨C he ced himself above his opponent, and with each strike he controlled the force, ensuring that he would not be killed.

    He still had to live out his days as a humiliated mess ¨C no one could save him from that fate.

 Chapter 22 - Aftermath

    Hended one final punch, shook his bloody fist, and stood up on shaky legs.

    The toll the fight had taken on him had not been light, and it was no exaggeration to say that he¡¯d used everything he had.

    The crowd were still in an awed silence at this point, ncing from the bloody body of Kyougoku, up at the mangled mess of cuts and bruises that was Morohira.

    Though he was unsteady on his feet, and exhausted beyond belief, he was still forcing his body to perform an action, and slowly his arm travelled upwards.

    It reached the peak, and a clenched fist was shown, signifying his victory.

    It was only then that the people remembered how to utilise their voices, and cheers erupted from all sides.

    Even those that did not support him at first cheered for him. They were awed by the willpower demonstrated by a man that was at an overwhelming disadvantage, and had sustained injuries that most of them could not bear, and still gone on to win the fight.

    "GOOD FIGHT MIURA-SAN!"

    They called.

    A small smile lit up Morohira¡¯s lips, as he received the approval of his people.

    He then began to grow faint, and shaky, truly having used all he had.

    But as he was about to fall to the ground, he felt an arm move to support him.

    He turned to steal a nce, and noticed Gengyo with aplicated look on his face.

    He forced some words out of his lips, to try and still the concern that he knew his son felt.

    "I won son... We won."

    Seeing the state of his father, so brutalised from the fight, yet still caring about his family first and foremost, his eyes began to water, and before he knew what he was doing he had the old man embraced in a tight hug.

    "I¡¯m proud dad... Really proud. You¡¯ve saved our family."

    Caught off guard by his son¡¯s embrace, he still found himself smiling momentster. The familial bond that they felt, strengthened only by oveing an adversity together, was a moving feeling, and one that would make even the coldest of men light up with a smile.

    Fuku and the rest of the family were busy stumbling their way into the ring, as much of a mess ¨C if not more ¨C as Gengyo had ended up being.

    He stepped away from his father, satisfied, a grin still firmly nted upon his face, and his ce was immediately taken by an emotional Fuku.

    Her face was awash with tears that continued to flow, yet a smile was still struggling to make its way through. She flung herself toward Morohira, forgetting his weakened state as she kissed him again and again, allowing his spouse to get an understanding of the great relief that she felt.

    Masaatsu and Rin made their way to Gengyo¡¯s side, watching on the scene with gentle smiles.

    All theplicated emotions that were passing through their hearts made them feel older than they were.

    Rin leaned her head onto Gengyo¡¯s chest, using his sleeve to dry her tear-stained face, before hugging his arm tightly.

    He gently stroked her head, fully understanding what she was feeling right now, for though he was much older than she, it was a set of emotions new to him, and ones that he felt immense gratitude for being able to experience.

    Masaatsu hand patted Gengyo¡¯s shoulder a couple of times, and they shared a knowing look. He appeared to be in a much better state than he had been earlier, as his belief in his father had proved itself not to be ungrounded, and despite the odds, his old man had triumphed. There was no experience in the world that could bring a young man greater pride.

    The cheers of the crowd, a sniffling Rin, and an energetic Fuku. Though not what Bach might have thought to include in one of his Concertos, it was certainly a symphony of sound that seemed like perfection to all present.

    Nakatane watched over the scene with satisfaction. These were his people, and this was his vige. They had triumphed over the unrest caused by a member of the neighbouring vige, and had once moree together as they should.

    Akiko felt herself bing emotional as she observed the youthful vigour with which Fuku and Morohira held each other, and she wondered whether such a scene would ever exist for her.

    Her father stood up a momentter, addressing the crowd, and feeling a sense of satisfaction in the words that he spoke.

    "Hear me, people of Toyone. This man before us is Miura Morohira."

    A round of cheers greeted his words, as the crowd called the name of the victor.

    "In the sight of all those present, he has triumphed in his duel over Kyougoku Suemochi."

    Another set of cheers sprang to life, as the crowd cursed Kyougoku, and hisck of honour during the duel.

    Gengyo could not help but shake his head at the fickle nature of the masses.

    "Not only that, he did it when the odds were entirely stacked against him!"

    The cheers rose once more, but he continued to speak over them.

    "And as per the conditions of the duel, Miura-kun is hereby cleared of all charges, and the brute Kyougoku is hereby exposed to be a liar!"

    The crowd grew ever more hateful toward the downed Kyougoku, some reaching out toward him.

    "Sc.u.mbag! Lying about shit like that!"

    Though it may be an unseemly change of attitude to you, to the people of that time the duel was a sacred rite. If one were to fight for an idea, and be victorious, it would only be the case if the gods willed it to be so.

    Four of Kyougoku¡¯s underlings had to cut into the ring, and carry their unconscious ally away through the crowd. The people were dying to litter his body with a fresh batch of bruises, but Nakatane made sure that the men were allowed a path through the crowd, for it was the honourable thing to do.

    With that, he announced the conclusion of that night¡¯s event, along with something extra.

    "As thanks to Miura-kun for a splendid fight, my own personal medical team will be tending to him."

    A surprised noise was uttered by the crowd, before they began to nod. It was a great honour, but it was likely the most appropriate thing to do.

    He then began to disperse the people, before walking toward Morohira ¨C who was currently being looked after by Fuku ¨C to offer hispliments.

    "You fought bravely Miura-kun. Very bravely indeed. It is rare to see a man go to such lengths for the sake of victory."

    Morohira listened politely, and did his best to respond despite the pain it brought.

    "Thank you... very much... lord."

    Nakatane nodded his understanding, as he realized how painful it must be for him to talk.

    "Your style of fighting is remarkable indeed... That final disy, after you disarmed him? Splendid, truly splendid."

    The wounded man nodded his appreciation with a slight smile and a nod, for that was all he could manage.

    Of course, the master was not going to take offence at such a gesture.

    "You¡¯re likely one of the best unarmed fighters in all of Mikawa. It¡¯ll be an honour to have you serve under me when we begin our invasion on the Oda."

    A weak "yes sir," was said in response.

    Then, the master turned to his sons, evaluating them once more in turn, wondering if they held any of the skill that their father had.

    He spoke to Masaatsu first, noticing his height and broad shoulders, and nodded to himself at the intensity and firmness of his gaze and stature.

    "You seem to be a strongd. Do you hold any of the skill that your father has?"

    Masaatsu bowed lightly, receiving the lord¡¯s question.

    "My father has taught me a few things, but as of yet I remain untested, so I dare not say."

    He once more found himself nodding inwardly at the humbleness of the boy¡¯s response. He had a grace unbefitting of a peasant.

    He nced briefly a Rin, making a remark in his head on her beauty, before turning to Gengyo.

    He paused a little, not entirely sure of what to say.

    "Well, I suppose this turned out as you expected, eh?"

    "As I hoped it would, perhaps. Not exactly as I expected. I realized today that it is just as foolish to attempt to predict too much as it is not to predict anything at all."

    An eyebrow was raised in response to those words that contained a degree of profundity that was unbefitting of one so young.

    "You have wisdom beyond your year¡¯s child. This, and how you¡¯ve spoken to me earlier. I cannot help but wonder, did you perhaps have a teacher? Someone who taught you in the ways of philosophy?"

    Gengyo wondered quite how to reply to that. To the people that he respected, he made a point to be as honest as possible. The true answer would be, yes, he had teachers as a child. But none had taught him in the ways of philosophy or the like.

    "No, I¡¯m afraid not. I give my thanks for your high appraisal of me ¨C though I fear I might be undeserving."

    Nakataneughed at that. He¡¯d handled thepliment with a good degree of grace, though it was quite different to that of his brother. He patted his shoulder good-naturedly, before suggesting that it was perhaps time that they retired for the evening.

    The crowd had already begun to disperse, and soon they began to follow. Akiko, Nakatane and their guard mounted their horses and rode back toward the mansion ¨C though of course not before leaving their farewells.

    Before she left, Akiko had managed to slip a whisper into Gengyo¡¯s ear as she passed, reminding him of their promise.

    Gengyo had looked her in the eye and nodded seriously. He owed her a great debt, and he would make sure to repay it.

    Rin had noticed such an exchange and frowned, wondering what kind of rtionship her brother held with a noble¡¯s daughter.

    The two boys supported their father ¨C all but carrying him ¨C back to their home, and half an hourter, a team of three medical specialists came to review his injuries.

    Holding a certain curiosity as to how medieval medicine worked, Gengyo opted to remain behind and oversee the medical procedure.

    One woman perceived this as a slight, and mentioned as much.

    "Do you really think the Lord would want us to harm your father? There¡¯s no need for you to stay and protect him."

    In response, she had been met with a shaken head.

    "No, I¡¯m merely curious as to how a doctor operates."

    She had raised an eyebrow at that, seemingly still not believing him, but had chosen to remain silent, merely getting on with her task.

    A few stitches were required in ces, and all sorts of injuries were bandaged. Care was taken not to wrap anything around Morohira¡¯s chest, to allow his broken rib to heal properly.

    And before long they were done, the conclusion marked by a smiling Fuku bringing them a tray of rice balls ¨C which they graciously epted ¨C to thank them for their hard work.

    They headed out soon after, and the family were left alone, gathered in a small room around the bed in which Morohiray.

    Gengyo breathed a sigh of relief, which was soon reciprocated by the other members of the family. They were d the whole thing was over, and exhausted besides.

 Chapter 23 - Pleasant

    The next day at work was pleasant, as one might expect. The hostilities had ceased, and those that had yed an active role in making their lives a misery over the past few days had rather docile ¨C almost worried ¨C looks on their faces.

    Though there were a very small group of people that had not held anything against them, despite the allegations.

    One of them was, of course, Kushizu, who greeted them warmly as they arrived and took a seat in the eating shelter ahead of the day¡¯s work.

    "Haha, good showd! That was a bloody good show!"

    He patted Gengyo¡¯s shoulder good-naturedly, as though they were closer than they really were. But Gengyo did not shy away from his straightforwardness, on the contrary, he warmed to it.

    "I¡¯m d you approve."

    He said neutrally, trying to suppress the grin that was threatening to break free.

    "You told me, eh? And it happened as you said."

    "I think you¡¯re giving me a little too much credit. It¡¯s more like it happened how I hoped it would."

    Kushizu nodded seriously, before breaking intoughter once more.

    "You¡¯re having me on eh? Ya don¡¯t need to worry about all that humble stuff around me. Free as a bird around me, that¡¯s how you can act little man."

    Now he really did smile. It seemed Kushizu¡¯s evaluation of him was higher than it possibly should be.

    Later came a familiar pair, Aritada and Yoritomo.

    They stood awkwardly, not knowing quite what to say, until Yoritomo finally spoke up.

    "...Sorry for not helping you."

    Gengyo instantly shook his head.

    "No, you made the right choice. If I¡¯d wanted help, I would have asked. Besides, neither of you owe me anything."

    Aritada opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it again, before thinking of something new to say and finally speaking.

    It was a rather amusing sight to watch ¨C like a feeding goldfish.

    "Still, it was impressive."

    "Yes. Father is quite the fighter."

    "I don¡¯t mean that. The nning. No doubt that was you. You pulled that thing over us, and that was in the heat of the moment. You did the speech yesterday too. It was definitely you."

    He strove to prove definitively that Gengyo was the mastermind behind all that had happened, even without having him deny it in the first ce.

    ¡¯Well, against you it wasn¡¯t in the heat of the moment, but still, your thinking wasn¡¯tpletely wrong.¡¯

    He patted his friend on the shoulder, who looked anxious to say more, and prove his idea to be right.

    "Yup. I did a bit of nning. But it didn¡¯t really go as I expected, so in the end, I can¡¯t take much credit."

    He looked at Gengyo in confusion at thatst line, but didn¡¯t think to push it, deciding that it was merely him being humble.

    Receiving suchpliments from people made Gengyo start to feel awkward. It put him in a position he did not want to be in. He would rather talk freely with the people, than have them hold him in awe over something that wasn¡¯t entirely true.

    And so he moved to execute that.

    "How has your sword training being going?"

    They turned to share a nce, before Yoritomo spoke first.

    "It¡¯s been going good, but..."

    "I¡¯lle down for a while and have a look the next day off we get."

    Having predicted what they were about to say, Gengyo smiled warmly.

    A grin broke across their faces too.

    "Thanks, Miura-san. We¡¯ll see you around then."

    ...

    ...

    It waster that evening, and Akiko was carrying a small basket whilst she hung from Gengyo¡¯s back.

    "Aren¡¯t you curious as to what¡¯s inside?"

    He had acknowledged the basket, but not asked about it as Akiko hoped he would.

    "Would you like me to?"

    But when he was as straightforward as that there was no way she could say yes, least she embarrass herself.

    After she remained quiet, he chose to speak once more.

    "Its food for thedy, isn¡¯t it?"

    She pouted slightly, annoyed that he had guessed it straight away, and then she supposed that it was rather obvious ¨C what else would she be carrying? Some foreign musket?

    They reached the shoreline of theke, which was dry and peaceful after the hot weather of the day.

    Gengyo found a less rocky part, and began to sit down when Akiko motioned for him to stop, handing him the basket.

    He took it, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

    "What¡¯s this?"

    "Just open it."

    He did as he was bid, and in it he found a thick wool nket nestled on top.

    "Oh."

    He folded it into a small square for her to sit on, before moving to ce it on the ground, only to be stopped once more.

    "Dummy. It¡¯s for both of us."

    He grinned at the dummyment that was so rarely directed his way, before opening it wider and sitting down.

    "Mhm. It¡¯sfy. Good idea bringing it."

    "Right?"

    Akiko sat beside him, venturing further into the basket.

    "Here."

    She presented him with a little wooden box, with a pair of chopsticks nestled on top.

    "Ho... A bento, eh? Did you make it yourself?"

    She blushed at his ridiculousment and all that it might imply, before giving a rather huffy "as if," in response.

    He had already attacked a slice of raw salmon, and was relishing the vour. He had not tasted something so full of life in a while.

    "Mmm. It¡¯s good. Do you eat this all the time?"

    Akiko was moredy like in her approach, delicately slicing small, mouth-sized pieces with her chopsticks before spooning them toward her mouth.

    She frowned at his mannerisms, but then she realized her father was much the same when it came to eating.

    "Mostly."

    He gazed toward her after that half-hearted response, still chewing on his salmon.

    "Something on your mind?"

    She paused awhile, not sure how to begin, or whether she should in the first ce.

    "It makes sense now, why you seemed down those days."

    Gengyo paused in thought at the sudden change in topic.

    ¡¯Hoh, she¡¯s got a good eye. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d hidden my feelings well.¡¯

    "I guess it does."

    "But you didn¡¯t tell me, until you needed my help."

    "That¡¯s right."

    She looked annoyed at his casual response.

    "You could have, you know? I would have listened."

    Herment made him cease his chewing, as he stared toward her, before swallowing.

    She blushed under his gaze, before writing off her earlierment and turning away from him.

    "Only if you wanted to though."

    He smiled at her kindness, gently touching her elbow with his fingers and offering her his true thoughts.

    "Niwa-san, you¡¯re far too kind."

    She pouted, still looking away, but her blush grew a little more intense.

    "I enjoyed our evenings together. That was the only reason I did not mention it. You helped me to forget and clear my head."

    One eye looked toward him.

    "...Really?"

    "Yup. And you¡¯ve helped me out a good deal by getting your father involved. I think I might owe you a favour."

    Now that attracted her attention.

    "A favour... That sounds good."

    The way she phrased it made Gengyo grimace slightly, realizing that her favour would probably entail something unreasonable.

    "After you see the present I brought you that favour should be worth even more."

    She smiled warmly, finally finding the opportune time to give her gift. She reached once more into that basket of hers that seemed to be holding all manner of objects, and drew out ten military-grade arrows that had been lining the bottom.

    She gently ced them into his bamboo quiver that was nestling nearby before handing it to him.

    He could only stare at the outstretched handed, utterly baffled.

    "Uhm... What did I do to deserve a present?"

    She huffed at his apparent thick-headedness, before exining it to him.

    "A well done for oveing your family¡¯s problem... And maybe a thank you..."

    "Ho..."

    He received the quiver that had a new weight to it, and inspected one of the arrows.

    "These are some quality arrows. Thank you very much Niwa-san."

    He reached out and ruffled her hair out of habit from bing ustomed to doing it with Rin. Though the response was not quite the same. With every second his hand remained, Akiko blushed a deeper shade of red, before finally exploding in a fit of embarrassment.

    "Please don¡¯t touch my hair!!"

    She swiped his hand away, holding her head miserably.

    Though her reaction was fierce, it was still incredibly cute, so Gengyo did not feel even a single drop of regret.

    ...

    ...

    The time passed with idle conversation in regards to the fight, and they enjoyed a pleasant evening together.

    After sending Akiko into the trusting protection of her closest maid, Gengyo made his way home in high spirits, clutching his new quiver of arrows and his bow.

    He took as much pleasure in these moments of happiness as he could, for he had no idea how long it wouldst.

    His family life was more than he could have ever wished for, and he valued each of his rtives more than he could describe. It was a beautiful feeling he found, the feeling of belonging.

    He¡¯d even started to make a few friends ¨C or perhaps it would more appropriate to call them allies.

    And so he walked the trail home with practised ease, now being able to navigate without problem even when the darkness had discarded all the light as it had now.

    He smelled the pleasant scent of smoke on the air, theorising that Masaatsu must have already lit the garden fire to dissuade bugs.

    A yawn escaped his lips, instigated by the feeling of contentment that was tickling his heart.

    He flicked one arrow into his hand, admiring it once more.

    ¡¯Akiko has a good eye for gifts. Practical ones are definitely the best.¡¯

    He wondered how he might exin the acquisition of the arrows to Masaatsu ¨C for he intended to allow his brother to use them, in order to aid his practice.

    With such idle thoughts dancing around him, he saw his house looming in front, lit up by the outdoor fire as he had predicted.

    He paused a second, allowing himself to enjoy the full view of his home.

    "Are you sure this is the right house..."

    Disturbing his peace, he heard what he thought to be a whisper, and nced in its direction.

    Seeing a shadowy figure crouched down, he continued to observe with a piercing gaze.

    Though their behaviour was odd, he still had no grounds to assume what they might be doing.

    That was, until, a torch was lit in the darkness after the sound of a fire starter flitted through the trees a couple of times.

    Five figures were illuminated, and they stepped out with all the boldness of police officers.

    Weapons hung at their waists ¨C bludgeons, rusty katanas, axes, and one even held a spear in his hand.

    Gengyo¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he watched their intimidating figures walk closer to the house.

    He heard a voice that he thought was rather familiar, calling for the torch to be passed to him.

    The face of a bloodied Kyougoku was illuminated, twisted with rage and carrying a head full of thoughts of vengeance. It was only then that he understand how dire their situation was.

    He shook, praying they weren¡¯t about to do what he deemed they would.

    But the gods were not watching on that day, for the torch was thrown,nding on the thatched roof of the Miura household.

 Chapter 24 - Madness

    Within seconds the whole roof was engulfed in a vicious me. It crackled madly, as though mocking him. He felt as though a stake had been driven through him at the sight.

    A deep worry radiated out from his heart and reflected back off his ribs. He began to sweat fiercely and breathe heavily as he worked his brain to the fullest.

    ¡¯Should I give up my position, and call out to my family, warning them of the fire?¡¯

    Such was his line of thought, but the problem was: what then? The only advantage he held over the attackers was the fact that he was hidden, and if he gave himself away he feared there was nothing he and his family would be able to do.

    He saw Kyougoku pick out two men.

    "Go round the front, and capture anyone trying to escape. No killing. I want to make this f.u.c.ker suffer."

    The men nodded obediently, one holding a bludgeon, and the other a spear, and they quickly ran around to the front of the house.

    These movements and what Kyougoku had just spoken allowed Gengyo toe to a decision: wait. It seemed that he wanted the family alive, at least for now, so there was a good chance he would warn them of the fire.

    Of course, he could not be certain, and the stress of such a gamble caused him to clench his fists so tightly that his fingernails drew blood. He hated the thought of ying with his family¡¯s lives, and an intense fear as to the consequences of his misjudgement burned inside him.

    A few seconds passed, and Kyougoku continued to watch the mes with a maniacal smile on his face. Taking in deep breaths and emitting a pleasured sigh, as though he found a deep sense of satisfaction in the entire thing.

    It made Gengyo sick to the stomach to see such madness, and so close to him. A dangerous madness that was putting the lives of his entire family at risk.

    He cursed himself for not noticing such insanity sooner, and not predicting the reaction. He had contented himself in the knowledge that he had the backing of the master. He had not anticipated that there was someone mad enough to even go against thendholder, Niwa-san.

    "OYYYYYYY MIURAAAAA. YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIREEEE, BETTER WAKE UP, EH?"

    He finally spoke up and warned the family of the crisis that they faced, and Gengyo ran a hand across his forehead that was slick with sweat, breathing a sigh of relief.

    Those with Kyougoku continued to make noise, adding to the mour.

    Gengyo started to hear voices from the inside ¨C screams more like. He could not make out distinct words or people above the roaring mes, but he could hear all too well the fear that those voices held.

    They likely understood the situation, just from the shouts, and were panicked as to where they should flee. The most pitiable part was that there was nowhere. Only into the arms of their aggressors.

    The backdoor was kicked through ¨C it was such a mess from the mes, that no other method was present. A cloud of smoke swam out into the yard, and Kyougoku shielded his eyes from the attacks of such a cloud.

    In the smoke, two figures could be seen. A tall man supporting another by his side.

    Gengyo knew at once who they were, but he could not feel relief upon seeing them, for Kyougoku¡¯s men were already moving forward, and their eyes were all but closed, protecting them from the smoke.

    Coughing fiercely, and stumbling in their blindness like moles, they were easily beaten down. The first man attacked with the blunt head of his axe, driving it into Masaatsu stomach, instantly downing him.

    He groaned loudly as he tried to support his father, ensuring that he would not experience such a fall.

    But his efforts were in vain, as the second man had already clubbed his father over the back with his bludgeon, sending him careening to the floor.

    Still engulfed in smoke, and all but immobilised, the disoriented Masaatsu and Morohira were dragged out towards Kyougoku, and then restrained. Their hands were forced behind their back, bent at the elbows ¨C so they could not summon any force ¨C and then a man sat on each of them, utilising his full weight, and tying their hands up with his arms. They had no way of moving.

    Kyougoku took great delight in watching the younger man struggle with all his might to free himself, andughed heartily.

    "Go on then young buck, try and escape. The second you do my boy will bury his axe in your skull."

    He then turned to the man of the hour, and crouched down so that he was all but eye level.

    Morohira stared up at him with eyes reddened from the smoke, and spat out his evaluation of the beast in front of him.

    "You¡¯re a f.u.c.k.i.n.g coward Kyougoku! I won that fight ¨C fair and square. And you have toe here and try and murder us in our beds? You absolute f.u.c.k.i.n.g dog!"

    "Hmm..."

    The brute in front of him stared at him for a few seconds, as though thinking. His smile did not waver, and a secondter he sent a fist toward Morohira¡¯s face, rocking his head to the side.

    "Now,"

    He stood up and spoke as though scolding a naughty child.

    "Every time you attempt to insult me you will be punished, understood?"

    His question was punctuated by a series of screams that rang forth from the front of the house.

    ¡¯Rin... And Fuku.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself, his heart tearing itself apart. It seemed Morohira and Masaatsu had sent the girls out the front, hoping to allow them to escape, whilst bearing the brunt of the enemies anger themselves.

    s, their sacrifice had been for nothing.

    The brute¡¯s face turned downright demonic as he took the sickest satisfaction in those screams and the reaction of Morohira, whose face fell, and looked as though he had lost all will to live.

    Masaatsu, on the other hand, grew even fiercer, struggling with all his might, his anger overwhelming him.

    Yet, the club of an axe handle over the back of his head was his only reward.

    Rin was dragged around the back, screaming from her pain, her face awash with tears. The hair that she was dragged by tore out in ces, leaving bloody marks. Her body collided with numerous obstacles along the rough forest floor, only serving to worsen her torture.

    Fuku on the overhand was carried over a man¡¯s shoulder, wriggling with all her might to get free, pounding on his back. But her efforts only served to irritate him, as his grip remained firm.

    She was thrown to the ground, hard, as soon they drew close to Kyougoku. Shended heavily, crawling along the floor in agony, struggling to breathe, as the wind was forced out of her.

    A tear fell from Morohira¡¯s eye at the sight of his wife and daughters misery, and he amassed a well of fury. Knowing he could not escape as he was, he chose to conserve it for a better time.

    Rin was thrown next to her mother, her exquisite appearance now almost ruined by patches of blood and streams of tears.

    Gengyo had to physically restrain his arms that were reaching for the string of his bow. Every fibre of his being demanded he take vengeance ¨C immediately. But his brain, the most powerful organ in his body, ordered him to wait, for now was not the time to act. There was no way he could kill the men quickly enough that his family would not be harmed.

    "You see, Miura. I truly hate you, with every fibre of my being."

    The demon pressed his face up against the downed Miura once more, relishing theplete authority that he held over him.

    "But killing you... That¡¯s so simple. So quick."

    He moved over to Fuku, who was still crouched on the floor, and he raised her up.

    He ran a hand down her cheek, slowly, gently. She shivered at his touch that was the height of perversion, of repressed feeling, ofplete and utter madness. It was a touch that sought to control.

    Morohira¡¯s mouth opened wide, and his eyes sank. He could not stand that man¡¯s touch upon his dear, delicate wife.

    But he was not finished there. Looking Morohira in the eye, he continued to foul his wife.

    His hand made its way into her the top of her kimono, moving down toward bare skin.

    Though they could not see the hand underneath, all present knew what was going on. Fuku stared hard at the floor, clenching her fists, as tears silently ran down her face. She did her best to bear his groping, but could not hold back her yelp as he pinched her bare n.i.p.p.l.e.

    "You have a beautiful wife, Miura..."

    He said softly in a voice that was sickeningly sweet, causing Morohira to gag.

    He contented himself now with a handful of the softness of her rear, before turning his eyes toward his next target.

    "And a beautiful daughter too..."

    Rin recoiled at his gaze that was dripping with l.u.s.t, attempting to step backwards, her tears flowing even faster now. But the solid mass of a man behind her prevented her from going any further.

    A pair of strong arms restrained her, and the sickness of Kyougoku loomed ever closer.

    His thick fingers slowly pushed back the bloodied hair off her face, ever so gently.

    Her face tightened as she attempted to bear it as her mother had.

    But then his face grew closer, and his tongue sullied her cheek, tasting her tears.

    SMACK

    Gengyo could endure it no longer, and punched a tree hard, releasing his anger. Again and again he threw his fists, tearing the skin of his knuckles into a bloody wreck.

    Kyougoku moved back toward Morohira, talking all the while.

    "You see Morohira. I want you to suffer, a good deal, before you eventually die."

    "In the end, I suppose, you¡¯ll be begging for me to kill you, won¡¯t that be nice?"

    "You think I¡¯m sick, perhaps? You know nothing about sickness, or madness. Before I finally release you and your family from this world, I will have you watch as I take your daughter and your wife into my bed."

    "Ho... That¡¯s quite the face you¡¯re making. I wonder how you¡¯d feel after actually experiencing it? I¡¯m quite the sick man, as you know. When ites to the art of lovemaking, I like to think that there is no one as depraved as me."

    "Of course, after I¡¯m done ¨C if they¡¯re still alive ¨C your women will be the pleasure toys of my men for a time."

    He paused his demented monologue, and looked around as if realizing something.

    "Ah... There was another one, wasn¡¯t there? Where¡¯s the boy, Morohira?"

    He¡¯d finally noticed that Gengyo was not present.

    "I¡¯ll be damned if I tell you!"

    Morohira physically spat in his direction, but that only caused Kyougoku¡¯s smile to grow wider, as he¡¯d found the perfect excuse to send another beating his way.

    With the father now covered in fresh blood, he turned to the son.

    "Anyway, we have no use for this one. May as well kill him and free up some men."

    He spoke so casually when regarding Masaatsu¡¯s life, but his men knew he was serious, and dragged the boy forward, forcing him to his knees.

    Kyougoku whipped his katana from his scabbard, and lined up the killing strike. He needed no preparation before taking a life.

    Seeing this, Gengyo cursed. Drawing back the string of his bow in one fluid motion, releasing his arrow.

    The opportunity he had been waiting for had note, and now, in his state of fury, the only option he had was to push his body to the limits, and fire with as much speed and uracy as he could summon ¨C no, even more than that. He would go beyond any restriction that attempted to hold him back, and save the lives of his family.

 Chapter 25 - The Gaze of a Slighted Man

    The brutish man did not even see the arrowing. It prated the soft skin of the back of his neck, before tearing through his throat and peeking out the other side.

    He paused his sword mid-swing, and frowned deeply, looking terribly confused.

    Reaching toward his neck, he made contact with the arrowhead, and his fingers came away covered in blood.

    He swayed wildly as though drunk, his eyes bulging in his head as a look of fury started to possess him.

    He took his sword, summoning thest of his strength, and moved toward Morohira.

    But the wound was too deep, too debilitating, and he only managed to mouth the word "how", followed by a spurting mouthful of blood. He fell to his knees, and the sword fell from his grasp, before finally, hended face down in the dirt, with a stream of blood trickling out of his neck.

    It was a messy end for a man who fancied himself above thew and came as a shock to all those that followed him.

    They had worn twisted grins that had risen up as a result of the depraved pleasure in which they indulged, and the powerful feeling they felt in suppressing someone else. Now such a look had been reced by ckened faces. Faces full of uncertainly.

    They were men that had fancied themselves as powerful, but it was but a guise given to them by the existence of Kyougoku. A man that they submitted themselves to.

    Now that such a man ¨C who they had deemed to be all but invincible ¨C had been killed so suddenly, without any warning, they were at a loss.

    Fear was the first emotion they felt when the shock began to subside, and they nced at each other for reassurance.

    The man with the spear seemed to be the most panicked. He moved behind Fuku, forcing her into position through the utilising of his spear shaft about her neck, and voiced his doubts to hisrades.

    "What the f.u.c.k do we do!? Who the f.u.c.k was that shooting? The city guard? We¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.e.d... We¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.e.d I tell you! Why did I trust Kyougoku... He said we would be fine. Did I not warn you? I told you this was a bad idea! We should just run... Get out of here. While we can!"

    The man restraining Masaatsu ¨C having forced him to the floor once more ¨C feigned calmness, though his face was slick with sweat, and his voice was unsteady.

    "Fool! Stop panicking. It¡¯s obviously just one man. The vige guard patrols in pairs. So what if Kyougoku got f.u.c.k.i.e.d? There¡¯s still four of us."

    The two remaining men nodded at that, seeing the sense, and the man with the bludgeon spoke up.

    "Yeah, yeah. F.u.c.k the baldie. We¡¯ll deal with this archer, and then we¡¯ll have the women to ourselves, ain¡¯t that special?"

    The Miura family were sharing nces, knowing full well who it was.

    Even with a bludgeon at her throat, Rin¡¯s tears were still drying up as she dared to hope, and put her faith in Gengyo.

    With her free hand, and the attention directed away from her, Fuku adjusted her kimono at the chest, and looked toward her husband.

    Morohira¡¯s face was that of a tiger waiting to pounce. He knew his moment woulde, and the second that it did he was determined to tear apart those before him.

    This all happened in less than a minute, but Gengyo was already on the move. He had a strategyid out in his head, and pushing his body to its limits, he sprinted through the forest, around the perimeter of the house, choosing his next target.

    Once the line of sight was good, it took him but moments to release his next arrow, and then he was on the move once more.

    They heard a whisper on the wind, much like that of earlier, and flinched in fear, using their hostages as shields.

    But such tactics were of no use against a man as urate - and as determined - as Gengyo, and with a smooth sound, like that of a knife through meat, another life was taken.

    Masaatsu had known instinctively in his heart that he would be first, and as soon as he heard the rumours of an impact, he freed himself from a now weakened grasp, and dove forward seizing Kyougoku¡¯s sword, whirling around to threaten all that looked toward him.

    Blood stained his kimono, with the source not far behind. A man ¨C the wielder of an axe ¨Cy motionless, with an arrow through his ear, and a face etched with a permanent expression of true fear.

    He understood his role, and Gengyo¡¯s aim, even without prior discussion.

    He swung his sword aggressively toward his enemies, only aiming to incite fear within them, as he used his words to do the true damage.

    "Do you now see? The vige guards havee. It¡¯s over for you ¨C unless you run."

    His words cut at a fresh wound, as the already terrified and directionless men became furthermore fearful.

    It was the spear wielder who spoke up once more.

    "He¡¯s right! Please, let¡¯s get the f.u.c.k out of here!"

    He was ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice, but given his weak character, he felt even more fearful at the prospect of fleeing alone.

    The man with the bludgeon that spoke earlier felt the same fear as hisrades.

    "Yeah... But the women! I¡¯ve note all this way, and suffered all this to go back empty-handed! So what if it¡¯s the vige guard? We can handle two of them, easy. We¡¯ll just sit it out and wait for them to run out of arrows ¨C then we¡¯ll take em!"

    With Rin as close to him as she was, and her scent in his nose, he was overflowing with l.u.s.t. He was far from a handsome man, and had never bed someone as pretty as she, and so was filled with a deadly reluctance.

    Thest man still said nothing, merely continuing to restrain Morohira with all his might, and whimpering ever so slightly.

    He closed his eyes tightly and prayed to the gods for the first time in his a.d.u.l.t life. He begged for them to forgive his many sins, and to allow him to live. He promised to live out of the rest of his days as a good man ¨C a charitable man. And save those before him. He would even spare those here, if only they should choose to let him live.

    But though the gods may have heard his words, they did not believe them, for when he opened his eyes he let out a shriek.

    His finalrade with any degree of reliability was copsing forward, an arrow protruding from his left eye.

    Rin fell with him, trapped under his heavy mass, and filled with an overwhelming sense of disgust as his sweat and blood soaked her back, and coated her skin. She wriggling fiercely, managing to free herself, before bending down and snatching the club.

    She saw the corpse of Kyougoku in front of her and brought her bludgeon down toward his back with all the strength she could muster. Itnded with a satisfying meaty sound, and she nodded to herself, before using the sleeve of her kimono to clean her face with a fearsome intensity.

    The wickedness of Kyougoku had left a deep impression on her, and she wished to rid herself of all traces of their interaction.

    She then turned around with a savagery in her eyes, threatening the two remaining criminals with her club.

    "You idiots! That¡¯s not the vige guard ¨C it¡¯s someone far scarier!"

    She paused for a second, overwhelmed by a concoction of relief and intense anger, and her tears filled her eyes as she used all the strength she could muster to shout out.

    "MY NII-SAN!"

    The men shrank back at her words, with the same timidness of a house cat. They felt nothing at what she said, but the intensity of her words elerated their already racing hearts, and they wanted nothing more than to run for their lives, though they knew full well how exposed they would be.

    Their inaction was fatal, and another arrow imed another life, this time finding its way into the right eye.

    With Gengyo constantly on the move, firing his arrows from different angles, the hostages they held as protection were effectively useless.

    Morohira stood up slowly, cracking his neck as he yed with the axe in his hand. His gaze was murderous as he red menacingly at the man that held his wife.

    He spoke slowly, and calmly, but his words were dripping with a blood-curdling ferocity.

    "Release ¨C my ¨C wife."

    The man didn¡¯t need to be told twice. The fearsome trio of wronged souls in front of him, all mouring for his life was enough for him to forget the danger that fleeing presented.

    He stumbled backwards, away from his captive, dropping his spear in the process, and ran raggedly into the forest.

    The father lifted his axe, aiming it just right, before sending it hurtling toward the exposed back.

    Itnded, though not exactly where he had aimed. The man fell to the ground sporting the brand new fashion style of an axe in the head.

    Though Morohira¡¯s throw had not been the one to im this man¡¯s life. A split second before it hadnded, an arrow had pierced the man¡¯s heart, sending him stumbling straight into the path of the axe.

    The old man nced in the direction that arrow was released from, tutting slightly, feeling a little dissatisfied at not being able to exact his revenge.

    But when he saw the haggard figure of his son strolling toward him, bow over shoulder, quiver in hand, and face stern, his feelings were reced with an acute sense of relief.

    All watched his figure steadily grow closer ¨C dancing in the light of the mes ¨C in silence. The state of their spirits was unsettled, as all sorts of emotions raced through their hearts, watching their little Tadakata, who all had thought to be a weakling, march toward them, having saved all their lives.

    Rin was the first to break free from the pack, and she ran toward him, tears flowing once more, plunging herself into his warm embrace.

    He held her tightly, resting her head onto his chest as he gently stroked her head.

    Though he had saved her life, he felt a deep guilt, having let her be exposed to the darkness of man.

    "I¡¯m sorry Rin..."

    He said through a breaking voice.

    "Stupid..."

    She looked up from his chest, revealing the wide smile that was decorating her face.

    "You saved us... From that. From all he would have done... I¡¯m so d... I¡¯m so d you¡¯re my brother Tadakata."

    The rest of the family watched on their interactions with smiles as Gengyo looked up from his sister, and toward them. They nodded at Rin¡¯s words, feeling much the same way.

    They did not say much, for words could not do their feelings justice.

    Rin separated herself from Tadakata still holding onto his sleeve, and the family turned to look at the still zing fire that was devouring their home.

    Their emotions toward it were strange. Though there was a hint of sadness there - having watched their family home that they had spent so many years in be burned to ashes - there was no hint of despair. They all held a hope. Not in an idea, but in a person.

    Morohira started to chuckle to himself, observing the mes.

    Masaatsu raised an eyebrow.

    "What is it?"

    "Well... It seems the Miura family lives on, haha."

    There was no humour in it, but the thought itself still provoked an odd tickling that soon had the whole family¡¯s faces lit up with smiles as they giggled.

 Chapter 26 - Justice?

    Though much had happened, and the house zed with all the light of a midday sun, it was still the dead of night.

    The euphoria that came with them oveing the most extreme peril that they had ever faced began to wear off, and none knew how to proceed from here.

    Though they kept quiet, in their hearts, they were hoping to hear from one man.

    He understood his responsibilities, and spoke on their behalf, lending direction to his dear kin.

    "We need to fetch the vige guard. It¡¯s better to let thendholder know of this straight away, so we show we have nothing to hide."

    Morohira yed with the stubble that had begun to decorate his chin before nodding.

    "Aye, that seems like a good idea."

    Masaatsu was of the same opinion, and volunteered up his services.

    "If that¡¯s the case, shall I go and bring them here?"

    Grateful for his volunteering ¨C as Gengyo had no idea where he might find the patrolling guards ¨C he agreed.

    "If you would brother, thank you."

    His brother smiled lightly at the unnecessary thanks, before setting off on the path toward the vige at a light jog.

    ...

    ...

    Ten minutester a pair of disgruntled guards stumbled over the many of obstacles of the forest, before arriving to see the charred remains and thest flickering embers of the Miura house.

    One made a disinterestedment as he casually observed the pitiable sight.

    "Hoh, been a while since we¡¯ve seen a house burn."

    "Yeah, who did you say burned it down kid?"

    The young man had to hold back a sigh, as he¡¯d already told them the story multiple times, though they had not paid much attention.

    "Kyougoku, from the vige over."

    "Mm, is that right? And where is that Kyougoku now?"

    "He¡¯s de- Ah! Watch where you¡¯re stepping!"

    One of the guardsmen had neglected to check his footing, and his foot hit the corpse of the deceased spear wielder, sending him hurtling on top of it.

    "Eh... What the fuc-"

    He stumbled up from the ground, recognising the object that was hidden in the shadows to be humanoid, before seeing the axe sticking out of the back of his head and freezing.

    "Boy... What the f.u.c.k is this?"

    The other guard came around to look, and fixed Masaatsu with a simrly aggressive gaze.

    "It¡¯s like I told you, they burned down our house and tried to kill us, so we fought back."

    "¡¯They¡¯? You mean there¡¯s more like this?"

    Masaatsu was frowning, unhappy with their attitudes.

    "Well, yes."

    "Bring us to them."

    The family were watching from a distance away as the young man nced toward them. Gengyo caught his gaze, understanding the situation before nodding for him to continue.

    Irritated by his hesitation, the guards grew increasingly aggressive and one pushed his shoulder, urging him forward.

    "Hurry up kid, we don¡¯t have all night."

    He relented, and began to walk them toward what had once been the rear of the building, and closer to where the rest of his family stood.

    He pointed toward the four corpses that were rather close in proximity.

    The guards moved forward, sharing a nce.

    They turned over the corpse of Kyougoku, and gasped.

    "F.u.c.k me... That¡¯s brutal."

    They moved off, inspecting different corpses, noticing the uracy of the marksmanship and single obvious blow used to kill them.

    They straightened up, turning to family, hands fiddling with the hilts of their sheathed swords.

    "So, who killed them?"

    The family looked confused at the rather unexpected question. Did it matter who killed them? The point was that these men had tried to murder them, and they had acted in self-defence, managing to live.

    But Gengyo knew as to the reason for this question. It was why he had made certain to im all the men¡¯s lives himself, rather than letting his kin bloody their hands.

    He stepped forward, revealing the bow that he held ¨C for it had been rtively hidden behind Rin who stood by his side ¨C and announced himself.

    "It was I."

    It was enough evidence for the guards who preferred to keep things simple. All the men had been in by an arrow, and the man before them was holding a bow. In their minds it added up.

    They nodded as though good-naturedly, before drawing their swords almost in unison.

    "You¡¯vemitted the crime of murder numerous times this evening. You will havee with us, as our prisoner, and it will be up to the master to decide what punishment you deserve."

    There was a certain glee in the guard¡¯s voice as he announced the sentencing, possibly due to the excitement he felt at finally being able to make a non-trivial arrest in this rather peaceful vige.

    Gengyo handed his bow and quiver to a baffled Masaatsu, before walking forwards and showing the guards his empty hands.

    The guard who had announced his arrest grinned, and forced his hands behind his back, tying them tightly with a length of twine.

    "Wait wait wait! What the hell!? These people tried to kill us! And you¡¯re arresting Nii-san?"

    Rin burst out, infuriated by the guard¡¯sck of recourse or understanding, and the delight they felt in putting her brother ¨C who had saved their lives ¨C under arrest.

    Morohira picked up a discarded bludgeon, toying with it threateningly.

    "Are you sure you want to do that now?"

    The guards were put off by his n.a.k.e.d aggression, and when Masaatsu drew his katana and stood to join him they started to feel the first chills of fear.

    They were but guards to the master. Children of servant families that stood slightly higher than that of the peasantry. Though slightly older than Gengyo and Masaatsu, they still had yet to witness their first battle.

    Yet the other men present had taken part in a most grisly and threatening situation,parable to that of any battle. Such was the difference in the aura¡¯s they now put out, and the guards realized just how precarious their position would be if they were to engage in battle with such bloodthirsty individuals.

    But despite their efforts, Gengyo shook his head sternly.

    "I will be back soon enough. This is merely a formality."

    They looked dissatisfied at that, Rin most of all, as a frown began to crease her forehead.

    To her, he offered a smile.

    "You¡¯ll ruin your pretty face doing that, little sister. Don¡¯t worry ¨C I¡¯ll be fine."

    The guards fear started to subside, having been given back their authority by the very man they had captured.

    "A wise choice."

    One of them uttered conceitedly.

    But a vicious re from Morohira soon shut him up.

    "Eh!?"

    At that the guard hastened to leave, motioning to hisrade, and pushing Gengyo forward.

    ...

    ...

    He was marched into town under the cloak of silence, as not even the guards spoke. An odd tension hung in the air. Though they were arrogant and felt they were very much in charge, there was something about the man that they pushed in front of them that made them wary of saying something foolish.

    The few vigers that were still up shot him curious nces. Some conversed with one another, trying to guess what crime he hadmitted.

    "That¡¯s Miura¡¯s boy innit?"

    "Ayed."

    "What do you suppose he¡¯s done?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t dare to suppose nothing. The Miuras have proven to be an unpredictable bunch, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯d do something dishonourable enough to get them arrested."

    "Hoh... The other day you were calling thatd¡¯s old man worse than rotten, and now you¡¯re sticking up for them?"

    His friend shrugged.

    "Aye, I¡¯m not the smartest, but I do learn from my mistakes. Thatd spoke up for his father at work, in front of all us farmers. I reckon that¡¯s a goodd."

    "Did he? Aye? Howe I¡¯m only hearing of this now?"

    "Mmm, I dunno. I thought you¡¯d already known."

    The bickering of the two buddies grew quieter as they walking deeper into the heart of town.

    They soon arrived at the market square, and went off down a path that ran between two houses.

    Ahead, Gengyo could see a bamboo cage that looked more fitting for a beast than a man, for at most it stood but a metre high.

    He nced toward the guards, his gaze asking whether that was truly his final destination.

    "Yeah, you¡¯re going to spend the night in there. The master will decide what to do with you in the morning."

    That same gleeful smile emerged on his face as though he took pleasure in the suffering that Gengyo was about to endure.

    But the youth calmed himself with a breath, and as they opened the door of his new prison, he stepped in freely, stooping over, before sitting cross-legged in the centre with is hands still firmly tied behind his back.

    "It¡¯s a good look for him."

    The other guardmented, sharing augh with his partner.

    And so the door was tied shut with a thick strand of twine, and Gengyo was left to deal with the difort alone.

    ...

    ...

    The hours passed slowly. Having been around midnight when he was ced in the cage, dawn took almost 6 hours toe.

    Just before the first morning light could be seen, his ufortable sleep was interrupted by a set of whisperings from rather nearby.

    "Miura-san... Miura-san..."

    He opened his eyes to see Aritada and Yoritomo standing in front of his bars.

    He smiled, a little happy to see them.

    "Hello."

    Yoritomo looked relieved at seeing him wake up so quickly, and hastened to say what he intended.

    "I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re in here, but I definitely know it wasn¡¯t your fault. The vigers feel the same."

    "Well, I¡¯m d to hear that."

    Aritada - irritated by the indirectness of Yoritomo - took over.

    "Yeah, what he said. Anyway, we thought you could use something to eat."

    He shoved his hand through the bars, revealing at palm that held a single rice ball.

    "That does look rather delicious, but there¡¯s a bit of a problem you see."

    "Hm? What do you mean?"

    "Well, they tied my hands up."

    "Hoh..."

    Aritada slowly slid his hand back out the bars, a little embarrassed, feeling as though he had overlooked something obvious.

    But he was saved by the habits of Yoritomo.

    "I can cut you free ¨C I always carry a small de just in case. It¡¯s pretty useful."

    Gengyo was pleased to hear that, having had the flow of blood in his hands severely restricted he was suffering from a vicious case of pins and needles.

    He moved himself around, so that his hands were closer to the bar, and allowed Yoritomo to cut through his bindings.

    He flexed his freed hands with a satisfied smile, offering his thanks.

    "Thanks for this you two, it seems I owe you a favour."

    Aritada waved away his thanks, simply saying one thing.

    "Just make sure to tell us what happened when youe and see our sword training on rest day."

    His smile widened, and he nodded in agreement.

    "That, I can do."

    ...

    ...

    The two men hurried away before they were caught, and Gengyo stealthily feasted on the rice ball, before positioning his hands as though they were bound and closing his eyes to another round of poor quality sleep.

    He was awoken once more a few hours after dawn had broken, with the clopping of hooves tickling his ears.

    He caught sight of a refined kimono swinging past the end of one of the houses, and cracked his neck, readying himself for whaty ahead.

    ¡¯So, part two eh?¡¯

 Chapter 27 - The Price of Misinformation

    The lord strode forth with two of his men in tow, his face full of thunder, with deep creases sullying his forehead.

    He neared the cage and barked an order to his subordinates whilst he fixed Gengyo with a furious re.

    "Open it."

    The men did as they were bid with haste, taking great care not to worsen their lord¡¯s mood.

    The bamboo door was open within seconds ¨C the twine easily sliced through - and Nakatane pointed at the prisoner.

    "You. Out. Now."

    He crawled his way out of the cage on his hands and knees. Upon seeing that Gengyo¡¯s hands were not tied, the master¡¯s eyes flickered with irritation, but he did not mention it.

    "Can you ride?"

    "No sir."

    He made haste in response, and did so with rity and respect, for the enraged individual in front of him was rather different from the man he had made contact with previously.

    "You will run then. Follow my horse."

    He marched swiftly away, expecting the young man and his guards to follow immediately.

    Daring not to betray his expectations, they hurried along after him. Three horses were present, and the master ¨C followed by his men ¨C mounted one each, before setting forth along a road out of the vige at an urgent pace.

    The vigers looked on at the strange scene of Miura¡¯s youngest son sprinting behind the mounted master for all his life was worth. But Gengyo did not have the luxury of paying them any of his attention, having to dedicate all his energy to the task of keeping up with the well-bred horses.

    He was caught off guard by the master¡¯s brusque behaviour, having him pegged as an amiable man earlier on, but he supposed ¨C as they had not shown him any redeeming qualities ¨C that the fault of his mood likelyy with the misinformation spewed by the guards. It was almost unfathomable how detached and irresponsible the men were in regards to their job.

    They soon sped out of the vige, down the gravelled track that led to the lord¡¯s mansion. The footing ¨C having been made with horses and carts in mind ¨C was unideal for a human runner. Every stride he took required more energy than it might, as with each stride the stones were forced backwards a bit before supporting his foot, allowing it to push off.

    Needless to say in a very short amount of time he was exhausted. The stamina he had was as a result of working in the rice fields, and it did very little to support him in this fast-paced run.

    But he dared not slow nor stop. The angered man that rode ahead ¨C though perhaps in truth he was angry at misinformation ¨C held his life, and the life of his family in his hands. Should he slip up, and insult the man by not respecting hismand, who¡¯s to say he would be given a second chance to prove his innocence?

    Thankfully, after another few minutes passed, the walls of the mansion loomed into sight, and secondster they had made their way to its gates.

    Gengyo had to make a mighty effort to stop himself from copsing. His heart was pounding and his breathing was ragged. Even standing as he was ¨C with hands on his knees ¨C felt exhausting.

    The droplets of his sweat hit the floor, and he reached up to dry his face with a sleeve, and then he had to continue forward once more as the guardsmen opened the gates, allowing the horses through.

    The master was in such a fit of fury that he did not even unsaddle the horse that he usually dotted over and cared for as though it were a second child. Instead, he dismounted swiftly, motioned to one of his stable hands, before ring at Gengyo and striding toward the mansion.

    Taking that as a signal to follow ¨C though there was still doubt in his heart ¨C he hurried after him, making sure that he would not lose sight of him within the many halls of the grand building.

    He noticed that Nakatane tore his sandals off, and left them by the door, before proceeding inside barefoot. He hastened to do the same.

    The cool of the smooth wooden floorboards felt pleasant against his sweltering feet that had roasted inside his sandals during the run. He used that sensation as a stimulus, and focused on it, attempting to calm his breath and his mind and prepare himself for the task ahead.

    They soon came to a set of stairs, which the master proceeded up, two at a time. Gengyo followed shortly after him, careful to maintain a slight gap.

    The master entered a room via a sliding door a few momentster, leaving the entrance open. Taking this as a signal for him to follow the master inside, Gengyo stepped into the room, and quietly slid the door closed behind him, before standing still, awaiting further instruction.

    Nakatane was seated at his table, fixing the young man in front of him with a cold, and curious re.

    "Sit. And speak. If I don¡¯t like what you have to say, assume that I will grow very angry."

    Of course, he needed not mention what thed should speak of. Nor did Gengyo ask. He took his seat opposite the master, bearing the full weight of his intimidating re, and using the fewest amount of words possible he spoke.

    "The man who my father duelled with, Kyougoku, attacked my home and my family at the second of hour of dark yesterday evening. In response, I killed him and all four of his men."

    The expression upon the master¡¯s face shifted. This was evidently new information to him.

    "Hoh..."

    He fingers tapped upon the wood of the table, as for the first time he drew his gaze away from the boy in front of him, and instead directed it toward a half-empty ss of sak¨¦ that grew warm on his table.

    He stroked his short beard lightly, processing what had just been said. After a few seconds his temper red up once more and his fist drove into the wood of the table.

    Gengyo flinched slightly at his reaction, and bowed his head, as though in apology.

    A whisper of guilt passed over the master¡¯s face, as he waved his hand and hastened to correct him.

    "No, that¡¯s not for you. It¡¯s for those useless guards of mine."

    Still daring not to break his tone of the highest respect, Gengyo responded lightly.

    "I see..."

    "Would you like to know what they told mest night, upon imprisoning you? They told me that a local vige man had gone on a rampage, killing a series of travellers and that his name was Miura."

    To his eternal shame, Gengyo could not hold back a tut. He was tense from dealing with the master¡¯s fluctuating rage, but upon hearing something so mindlessly incorrect, something so easily corrected, his tut came almost instinctually.

    He reddened slightly, embarrassed at his inappropriate reaction.

    "Ah... My apologies, lord."

    Watching the youth wriggle so ufortably after his outburst, the lord could not stifle his chuckle.

    "Hahaha. Lad, I thought I told you to call me Niwa?"

    Gengyo raised his eyes up from the floor, seeing a glimmer of hope.

    "Ah, yes. Niwa-san."

    "Good. Now ¨C you¡¯ve put me in a bit of a situation. Whilst I did not entirely believe that you had done as my guards had said, that does not mean you escape punishment."

    "I understand."

    He¡¯de here prepared for the worst, but still wished to work towards a better result that would not cause too much hurt to his family.

    "Very well. Tell me what happened, in detail, from the very beginning."

    Nodding, the young man obliged.

    "That evening I had spent deeper within the forest, practising my skill with the bow."

    "Hoh? Are you going to try out for my bow ashigaru?"

    "Yes, sir. That is the n."

    "Good, we¡¯ll see how you do. Do continue ¨C I won¡¯t interrupt you again."

    Doing as he was bid, Gengyo continued.

    "On my way back, as I mentioned, the hour had grownte. I was talking my time, enjoying the evening. And then I heard whisperings. Kyougoku and his crew came out from the forest, and lit a torch, before throwing it at the roof of my house."

    "Ah yes, the guards did mention something about your house burning. They supposed it was a cover, or something of the like? Oh, right, sorry. Continue."

    Almost immediately breaking his promise not to interrupt again, the master motioned for him to continue his telling.

    "Well, the house caught fire, and my family fled outside. They beat my father and brother to the ground, and dragged my little sister by her hair. Kyougoku said that he wished to see my father suffer. He passed his hands all over my mother, before contaminating my innocent sister with his foulness."

    Nakatane was imagining the scene in his head, but in Rin¡¯s ce sat his Akiko, and instead of Gengyo¡¯s mother he saw the face of his departed wife. He could see the young man¡¯s fist bunch up as he recounted the tale of the previous evening, with his face an undisguised portrait of pure disgust.

    "And then, he threatened to **** them both, before deciding that it was pointless to allow my brother to live, and acted with the intent to take his life. That is when I took his instead."

    Caught up by thest detail, the master posed a question.

    "How?"

    "With my arrow, through his neck."

    Gengyo stated that fact without emotion. It was the first time he had taken a life, but if there was ever a being more deserving of death than Kyougoku, than that person would be the devil himself. He had acted solely with the intent of saving his loved ones, and that relief he felt upon seeing their still lively faces, reced any guilt he held toward ending another¡¯s life.

    "That¡¯s quite the shot... What of the rest of them?"

    "The same. They were holding my des to my family¡¯s necks. I did not wish to risk their lives."

    Nakatane¡¯s brows furrowed slightly at the rather surprising facts. It was a difficult feat for any archer to shoot with that degree of uracy ¨C especially when a misfire could mean that hurt their own people.

    His fingers continued to dance across the wood of the desk, and he sat in thought.

    "I deem your actions justified..."

    "Thank yo-"

    "However, it is not entirely down to me."

    In response to Gengyo¡¯s questioning look, he exined.

    "The men you killed were not men of this vige, and so I do not have full authority on handling this matter."

    "Surely the otherndholder will share the same opinion? Even if Kyougoku was one of his workers, he was one of the most depraved dogs to walk the earth. Surely he wouldn¡¯t sully his honour by defending such a man?"

    "Hoh, you¡¯d be surprised. But that can wait forter."

    He stood up, and opened the door, shouting the name of one of his servants.

    A secondter a friendly-looking old man appeared.

    "You called for me lord?"

    "Yes. Send some of my men with a cart to the Miura household, north of the fields, and tell them to retrieve the five bodies left there. Bring them here. Also, find the Miura family ¨C all of them, and bring them here as well."

    Easily absorbing that amount of information, the old man bowed lightly.

    "Yes my lord."

    And turned to leave.

    Just as he was about to disappear down the staircase, Nakatane stopped him once more.

    "Ah, you don¡¯t need to worry about the youngest son! He¡¯s in here with me."

    "Understood lord."

 Chapter 28 - Bowmanship

    They listened in silence to the old man¡¯s retreating footsteps upon the staircase, straining their ears as it gradually faded from noticeability.

    Taking the return ofplete silence as a signal, the master spoke, his top-knot wobbling slightly, as though afraid of the sudden movement.

    "We have time."

    Not quite sure what to do with such a statement, a question was forced.

    "Is there something you intend to do?"

    Running a finger along the short sideburns of his beard, he thought a moment.

    "There is. You¡¯ve captured my curiosity, with your tales ofbative feats."

    "It feels a little wrong to call them tales, Niwa-san, but I¡¯d be happy to perform for you with my bow, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re getting at."

    In truth, with such unnecessarily poetic phrasing, Nakatane had expected to catch the younger man off guard a little, but the boy responded as though not noticing.

    ¡¯Just where did he be so familiar with such words?¡¯

    The anger he felt earlier had been borne partly of a disappointment. He had thought, toward this younger man, he had behaved charitably, and had felt rather pleased with his actions. And then, the guard hade to him in his moment of contentment ¨C when even his daughter sought hispany ¨C and told him what he had. He had been especially vulnerable in that moment, when he expected the bliss to continue a while longer.

    And so his anger had risen, and edged on by the guard, he had almost directed it entirely at someone who¡¯s side of the story he had not heard. Now he was secretly d that he had not done anything too rash.

    "Ah, yes. That is what I was getting at."

    He stood up, hands on h.i.p.s, and leaned backwards stretching his spine before letting out a satisfied sigh.

    "Well, follow med, we¡¯ll see what you can do."

    Rising at his call, they tread barefoot down the halls and stairs in which they hade, this time taking an exit through a door located at the rear of the house.

    Quickly finding his pair of straw sandals and fitting them, he turned to Gengyo, wondering why he had not done the same.

    "One moment, Niwa-san, I¡¯ll fetch my sandals from the front."

    Realizing where he had erred, Nakatane quickly found a pair that looked as though they might fit Gengyo, and offered them to him.

    "Here. May as well just use these."

    Though the shoes were clean, and looked as though they were rtively new, Gengyo was hesitant about wearing them.

    "Niwa-san... but do these not belong to someone else? They¡¯d feel a little wronged if I were to use them."

    The master shrugged.

    "It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, just tell them I said it was fine."

    Still a little reluctant, as his own shoes were but a short distance away, Gengyo slid into them, realizing that the Nakatane was not exactly the patient type. Or perhaps he was more excited to see his bowmanship than he was letting on?

    The grounds to the rear were far more spacious than one might have initially imagined. In it, there seemed to a dedicated space suitable to train anything.

    There were not one, but two sandy sumo rings to the far right-hand side, and these were a good size too, at least four and a half metres in diameter.

    There were a couple of guards training with bokken in arge square-shaped section of the courtyard, where the ground was made to be solid with smooth bricks giving the feet of the fighters a solid foundation.

    And then, further to the left side of the grounds, there was an area that appeared to be dedicated almost entirely to archery. It seemed the guards tended to train with their bows in groups, as there were a series of 6 targets lined up, with a wooden wall behind them to catch any stray arrows.

    Nakatane led him there.

    "These are the 50 pace targets. You¡¯d stand there, where the brick of the ground begins to meet with the gravel. See how it forms a line?"

    Gengyo took in this information, ncing toward the straw targets that bore palm-sized red bullseyes.

    Past this row of 6, there were three at the 75 pace range, and another one sitting at 100.

    "What¡¯s the test for bow ashigaru like?"

    Having already been enthusiastically exining various things to do with the shooting range, he was only too happy to answer.

    "Good afternoon, sir."

    His beginning was interrupted by a guard, who bowed lightly in greeting, before moving toward the targets bow in hand.

    Nakatane regarded him lightly with a nod, beforemencing his exnation.

    "The bow ashigaru test is simple, really. At 50 paces you need to be able to the target 6 times out of ten shots, and then at 75 paces you need to be able to hit one out of five shots."

    "In battle though, would you not simply be picking an angle and firing? There¡¯s no real uracy involved."

    The master did not mind this question which may be viewed by a more uptight man as a form of impudence, as it was seemingly undermining the way in which he operated.

    "Ayed, I think so too. But that¡¯s just the way in which it¡¯s done. It¡¯s a way of separating the workers into units, and at least this way they have to earn their position. If not, everyone would want to be bow ashigaru, would they not? It¡¯s a lot safer than sitting on the front."

    "Hmm..."

    Gengyo understood the reasoning, which was clearly not that of Nakatane¡¯s own, but he still felt dissatisfied with it.

    "Well then young Miura, shall we see how you fare against the old test?"

    He pped his hands together, betraying his eagerness.

    "I think I¡¯d like that."

    He had a certain degree of confidence in regards to the test. His own training had already surpassed the ashigaru test recently, especially with his training in motion, and the results of which were evident when one looked at the lifeless corpses of Kyougoku and his crew.

    "Yanagizawa! Lend thisd your bow, would you?"

    The master called out to his guard who was in the middle of firing his next shot.

    The man looked disgruntled, and his thick moustache twitched. He stilled the tension in his bow, and un-nocked the arrow, looking Gengyo up and down. He noted his well-kept appearance, but the ckened rags that he imed to be clothes betrayed his true rank. He was a peasant.

    Evidently looking down on the man, he came over and held out his bow.

    Grabbing it firmly with one hand, and looking the arrogant man in his eye, Gengyo paid a second insult to his pride.

    "I will be needing some arrows, if you would."

    Feeling a certain amount of rage at such a lowlife giving him an order, he looked to his master.

    Nakatane¡¯s only reply was a nod, as though he was oblivious as to the unspoken conflict in which the two had engaged.

    It was a small smidgen of satisfaction that he received upon having the guard deliver him his quiver of arrows, but the disgust he felt at having someone evaluate him merely based on his birth had needed to be dealt with.

    Now, he intended to teach this man a very valuable lesson. To teach him why the modern world had neglected to enforce the tradition of ssism so strongly ¨C though it was not as though it did not exist.

    "Shall I begin?"

    He asked, looking toward the master, who nodded, folding his arms in anticipation.

    He toyed with the bowstring in his fingers, feeling the weight of its draw, and making the necessary adjustments in his head. It was 20 pounds lighter than the bow that he had made, making it a top of the range 90-pound bow.

    The guard¡¯s face was full of pride as he watched the youngster feel its draw weight. Everyone knew that the cost of such a bow was equal to more gold than a peasant family would see in their entire lives.

    ¡¯I bet you¡¯re loving holding such a weapon, are you not, peasant sc.u.m?¡¯

    The guard thought to himself.

    Noticing his smug re, Gengyo muttered ament just loud enough for him to hear.

    "A little lighter than I¡¯m used to... but it¡¯ll do."

    The guard¡¯s face went white. That was thest thing he thought he¡¯d hear the boy say.

    ¡¯Nah... He¡¯s just making it up. 90 pounds is the top end for any bow.¡¯

    Nakatane had heard him too, and not knowing the true weight of the bow he did not show any surprise.

    "Will it be a problem?"

    His main worry was that the show that he¡¯d been looking forward to would be ruined.

    Gengyo shook his head, taking up and arrow and nocking it.

    "No, it should be fine."

    He breathed in deeply, and released, watching the path of his arrow with a tension in his heart.

    SMACK

    Thrown off by the weight of the bow, and ovepensating, the arrow had just clipped the top of the target, before missing and hurtling straight into the wood.

    "Hahaha-"

    The guardughed loudly, before quickly reaching a hand to his mouth to muffle any further sound.

    Nakatane looked appalled. He¡¯d expected great things from the boy, given his ount of the death of Kyougoku, but now all he felt was a dull sense of disappointment.

    The guard moved forward, picking up the bamboo quiver, smiling like a lion upon seeing an injured calf.

    "Aha, I better take these back, before you break any more arrowheads."

    A firm hand on his wrist prevented him from going any further.

    "Apologies. That shot was to test the capabilities of the bow."

    The guard felt an acute sense of disgust at having a peasant¡¯s hand in contact with his skin. Having to physically prevent himself from hitting the boy, he turned to his master once more for intervention.

    Even he was doubtful at this point.

    "Look Miura-kun... Sometimes when the moment demands it, people demonstrate skill far beyond their normal capabilities. I¡¯ve seen it on the battlefield countless times myself. Shall we just leave it at that?"

    Gengyo was adamant, his hand still on the guard¡¯s wrist, as he stared him down with a fierce gaze.

    "No, sir. On my honour, the next arrow will find its way to the centre of that bullseye."

    Nakatane sighed slightly, waving his hand at Yanagizawa to stop.

    ¡¯I suppose that is one of the limitations of being so young..."

    He thought to himself.

    With great reluctance, the guard released the quiver, and Gengyo turned back to the target, taking in a deep breath.

    Nocking the arrow once more, he took aim after evaluating the previous shot in his head.

    His fingers left the bowstring as one ¨C a swift, clean release.

    The arrow travelled straight, as though unaffected by gravity, and plunged into the soft straw of the centre of the bullseye.

    He nodded with satisfaction, turning back to his quiver to retrieve another arrow, and taking note of the shocked countenances of the master and the guard as he did so.

    The second shot was made in a simr manner,nding so close to the first that the sharpened point sliced through the fletching, sending the goose feather fallingzily down to the ground.

    Transfixed by the motion of the fluff, a small smile began to break out onto Nakatane¡¯s face.

    ¡¯That was no fluke ¨C thisd¡¯s got skill.¡¯

 Chapter 29 - Toda The Honourable Samurai

    "Lad, shoot one more at this range and then we¡¯ll move up a bit."

    Excited to see the full extent of his abilities, Nakatane hurried him forward.

    But it was not as though Gengyo minded. He¡¯d already memorised the specifics needed to shoot a constant central bullseye at this range anyway.

    He notched his bow, and this time did not even pause to aim, merely bringing his string back with haste, and releasing it sharply.

    Yet it still flew toward its intended position, nestled almost on top of the other two arrows.

    He¡¯d realized the importance of the speed of your shot after the previous evening¡¯s events, and had - in his confidence ¨C deemed it appropriate to test such speed at this range which was now rather trivial for him.

    The master hurried off toward the 75 pace range, awaiting Gengyo, who was busy collecting his things. As he bent over to pick up the quiver, he noticed that there were only two arrows left, and he turned to the guard once more.

    "Would you mind getting me a few more arrows? I¡¯m going to run out pretty soon."

    The guard waspletely dazed, and dumbly stuck out his hand to receive the quiver, before turning around and doing as he was asked.

    He felt a good deal of shock upon seeing the youthnd such perfect bullseyes so easily. He had been training on these grounds, in the master¡¯s services, for years, and fancied himself to be the best archer amongst the guards. But even he ¨C whilst he could secure consecutive bullseyes ¨C could not do them with the extremely high degree of precision that Gengyo had demonstrated.

    There was a hint of respect in his gaze when he delivered the arrows to the boy now, but a distinct feeling of jealousy came along with it. Still, he shared the master¡¯s opinion, and wished to see just how much he could do.

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready, Miura-kun."

    Flexing his fingers a little, Gengyo pulled the bowstring ¨Cplete with a freshly nocked arrow ¨C back past his cheek, and released.

    It was cleanly done, and the arrow flew higher into the air topensate for the pull of gravity. The parabolic path in which it followed was aimed to perfection, and it thudded into the centre of the 75 pace bullseye.

    "Hoh! You¡¯re even better than I thoughtd!"

    The master eximed excitedly, pping his shoulder. It was a lucky man that was able to witness such finesse at the 75 pace range.

    Smiling lightly, Gengyo continued the show for his audience of two, andnded a further couple of arrows into the centre of the bullseye, before lowering his bow and looking toward the master expectantly.

    "100 paces now?"

    "Right you are, let¡¯s see what you can do."

    They wandered over to the lone 100 pace target that was rather ragged from disuse, as no one had deemed it worthwhile to change it.

    When looking at it from the range they were, the distance seemed rather substantial, and you could get a true sense for the skill required to hit it.

    This time Gengyo angled his bow rather high, causing a frown on the guard¡¯s face.

    ¡¯There¡¯s no way that¡¯s going to hit ¨C it¡¯s far too high.¡¯

    But the young manpensated for such an angle by using a lesser amount of force, only pulling the bowstring back to around 60 percent.

    It made for a much more exciting shot. It shot high up into the air, looking as though it was set on a straight road over the target, but just before it flew over, it dipped,nding in the centre of the bullseye.

    Nakatane could not help but p at such skill.

    "Now that, was a marvellous shot."

    Another arrow was already on his bowstring, and this time he aimed lower, attempting to make the path shallower.

    It sped forward with great speed, maintaining a height that was only slightly over that of a target, and then it dipped slightly, flying toward the previous arrow, slicing straight through its shaft, before embedding itself into the spot the previous arrowhead had begun to call home.

    Gobsmacked. Even the master could not offer up apliment, he could only gaze at the shattered remains of the previous arrow, his jaw ck. Such pinpoint uracy was almost iprehensible. There would always be slight changes in a shot, surely.

    The guard felt as if he was going mad. As if the purpose of the boy in front of him was simply to tell him that his life had been worthless. That every second he had put into wielding the bow had been for nought, and would continue to be for nought for the rest of his life.

    He sought out the hairs of his moustache in which he normally extracted a moderate amount offort, but today he had to hold himself back from the strong desire to tear them out.

    His pride crushed, and his anger boiling, he posed a question, figuring he had nothing to lose.

    "How... is it you do that?"

    Gengyo answered honestly, not in the least worried about sharing his methods.

    "I remember the previous shots, and adjust my shooting angle and draw strength ordingly."

    Both men listened intently to what he had to say, and ran it through their heads, thinking it over.

    But, they both came to the same conclusion: that was simply too ridiculous. The changes to the shooting angle, by just fractions of a degree, had huge implications upon where the arrow ended up. It was surely impossible for anyone to be able to deal in such tiny amounts.

    They chalked it up to him not wishing to reveal his technique, and who could me him?

    "Welld, you¡¯ve definitely earned a ce in the bow ashigaru. Your years of training have definitely paid off! If any man were half as dedicated to his craft as you, he would stand at the forefront of his profession."

    Gengyo said naught to that, for in truth, his time spent training had not even reached a month yet. Though he supposed you might refer to all he had done in his previous life as preparation, and therefore a form of training. He knew that if he had not had those experiences, that taught him how to truly utilise his brain, then he would not have been able to achieve such a level of archery so quickly.

    The noise caused by a stumbling servant girl drew their attention, as she called out the master¡¯s name.

    "MASTER! Pleasee to the front urgently! Toda-sama hase to pay a visit!"

    A deep frown creased Nakatane¡¯s forehead, as all traces of his earlier good mood disappeared.

    "He came faster than expected. You¡¯d bettere with me."

    He said, referring to Gengyo, who in turn nodded obligingly and returned the guard¡¯s weaponry with a light thank you.

    Given the panicked state of the maid, and the stoic expression the master had now adopted, Gengyo felt correct in assuming that the man they were about to visit was not to be taken lightly.

    When they exited by the front, they were noticed immediately.

    "Niwa, you old dog! After all the trouble you¡¯ve caused, you still dare to move slowly?"

    A man mounted high on a horse, and dressedvishly called down to them. There was never a person more fitting to be called snake-like. He had long, greasy ck hair flowing down from a top knot, angr eyebrows and thin menacing slits that he supposed passed as eyes. A pointed goatee sitting under his chinpleted the appearance.

    It did not take a genius to figure that the rtions between the two samurai were not good. For with him, Toda had brought 6 guards that were dressed in full battle attire, sitting atop war horses that snorted angrily.

    And when dealing with a man ¨C who presumably should be of equal status ¨C he did not deem it necessary to even show the slightest bit of respect, refusing to even step down from his horse when speaking.

    Nakatane had to offer up a false smile as he struggled to hold back his anger.

    "What is it that has gotten brother Toda so upset? You should know that the Niwa household would do their utmost to fix whatever wrongs have beenmitted."

    Toda harrumphed at that but clearly delighted in the submissive attitude that the master was forced to take.

    Gengyo watched on with curiosity, wondering what about the man in front of him would be forcing the master to behave as such.

    "You know full well what it is. One of your peasants killed five of my people, and you did not hand him over immediately? Are you gambling with your life, little Niwa?"

    Raising an eyebrow at the tant threat, the young man looked up at the master to gauge his response.

    "Aha, you jest. I merely deemed it to be too insignificant to bother you with."

    "Is that so? Where is this boy, then? My people tell me that it was but a young man? I¡¯ll be needing his family too. You have to set an example with this kind of thing, Niwa."

    "Ah, please do not be so hasty, brother Toda. Your men attacked their home, and they barely escaped with their lives."

    Putting his hand up, and looking to his men with a face of confusion, he spoke.

    "And?"

    The menughed at their master¡¯s humour, evidently being told to do so.

    ¡¯What a vain man.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself, disgusted by the spectacle. Men like him were scourges to the earth, and many a time he had pondered upon what caused such malevolence.

    "Haha..."

    Nakataneughed drily, detesting every second of this hateful business.

    "He was not the aggressor, is my point."

    "Hoh, that¡¯s your point is it? Tell me Nakatane, are all lives equal?"

    Knowing full well where he was going with this, the master offered up an unenthusiastic response.

    "Perhaps..."

    "Wrong! The life of the peasants in the field are not equal to that of an honourable samurai. The men your worker killed were valuable assets of mine, you see? They took a good deal of training to be as effective as they were. So not only has he killed my men, but he has also wasted my time. Do you understand how bad that looks?"

    He could not believe such arrogant words were actually being spewed. If anyone dared to speak as such in modern times, they would have received a prompt smack.

    ¡¯Perhaps that is the problem then, he did not receive the smack that he was due?¡¯

    "I see... But even the best horse can miss a jump. Was it not your men who ended their own lives, in that sense?"

    Twisting his face with irritation, he uttered his displeased response.

    "Niwa... you¡¯re testing my patience. Bring me the boy, so I can execute him for all to see. And bring me the family too. Actually, it doesn¡¯t have to be the same boy. Just bring me anyone, and a family to go with them. We¡¯ll get them killed quickly, as we can go back to our business, yes?"

    "Hoh, that young man standing next to you is a peasant, is he not? I¡¯ll take him!"

    He spurred his horse forward, taking a few steps toward Gengyo, and his guards followed.

    Nakatane urged the young man back with a hand, standing to face the aggressors himself.

    "That¡¯s a little unreasonable, brother Toda... Perhaps we can discuss alternative ways of solving this? Ways that would benefit us both? iming the lives of more people won¡¯t bring your men back."

    "No. I set out today with the intention of killing, and I will not be leaving until I have done so."

 Chapter 30 - A Fly on the Wall

    A sleepy Akiko peeked her head out of the window of her second-floor room. She ncedzily around the courtyard, trying to find the source of the noise.

    It wasn¡¯t long before she spotted the overbearing greasy figure of Toda sitting atop his stallion, surrounded by his ferocious-looking guards.

    At the sight of him, her breath caught in her throat, and she immediately ducked back inside the room, her heart beating wildly, and a sickness beginning to permeate up from her stomach.

    The level of disgust ¨C but also fear ¨C that she felt toward Toda Naoyori was iprehensible to the average person. She had been aware of his existence since she was very young. When she was a toddler, he assumed power of the neighbouring vige, due to the sudden death of his father.

    And increasingly, with each year, she had grown to dislike him further. And very quickly that dislike turned into hatred.

    She had only just awoken, and after a pleasant dream of being carried along gently by a flooding river, her mood had been pleasant.

    But a single nce of that greasy snake was enough to ruin it all.

    She peeked out again, with a hint of worry. Every time that man had visited, something unpleasant had followed.

    Akiko took great care not to be seen, only allowing her eyes out over the frame, as she looked on over the situation.

    She could not hear quite what words were being spoken, but she noted the repulsive way in which Toda was gesticting, and the mild manner in which her father was being forced to respond. And then, next to her father, she thought she spied a familiar figure. But from the angle she was looking at, and because her father and the man were standing side by side, it was difficult to make out many features.

    She continued to observe after her near-midday awakening. There was nothing much she was expected to do anymore. She was allowed to live as she wanted, within reason.

    As a child she had been engaged in a rigorous education, how to stand, how to act, how to do basic cooking ¨C though that was never really that important, as the servants would cook for them anyway ¨C how to dress, and recently, how to act toward your husband.

    But since she had secured a marriage, that education had stopped, seeing as it was now unnecessary. That was the only silver lining in the whole affair. She¡¯d absolutely detested the lessons, and would much rather have learned about history, or the like.

    The only two skills that she learned through her 14 years of education that she deemed to be valuable were riding, and reading.

    Though they always told her she was a little too wild on the horse. Galloping off and living her guards bbergasted.

    And reading allowed her to learn what they did not deem fit to teach her. Of history, of Japan, and even of the world. In her explorations of numerous literatures she had not found a single one written by a woman, and many a time she had frowned in thought at that.

    Still, in such books, she had read of the exploits of incredible women, such as Empress Jingu and her expedition in Korea, and also of the general Tomoe Gozen. It had been a dream for her, when she a little younger, that she could grow up as they, and learn martial arts and the sword just as the men did, and be one of the Onna-bugeisha.

    She figured if that happened, and she had shown any amount of skill, perhaps they would not force her into a marriage so quickly, and instead see her as the other men, as a warrior.

    She noted Toda start to grow more aggressive, pointing toward the figure of the man hidden behind her father. A few of his men followed up behind him.

    At this, she noted with a hint of pride, that her father stood in front of the man - forcing him backwards ¨C as though to protect him.

    And then the identity of the man was revealed, and she stared forward with a good amount of shock.

    ¡¯Miura!?¡¯

    Her heart began to beat faster once more, trying to figure out the implications of his presence within her courtyard. Did he somehow offend Toda? Was that why he had attempted to reach for him? And why was he with her father in the first ce?

    At Nakatane¡¯s interfering actions, the mounted snake began to shout, ovee by anger.

    "You mean to stand in my way Niwa? You should know that it¡¯s no trouble for me to simply burn your vige to the ground instead, is that the path you want?"

    Her father responded, keeping his voice level so that she could not hear him.

    "Innocent? What does it matter? Are peasants not all the same breed? If one peasant has sinned, then we merely need to kill a few in return."

    Again, her father¡¯s response was not something she could make out.

    "Hoh. It seems you¡¯ve be something of a peasant sympathiser, Miura. I had always known you were beneath me, but to think that you have fallen so low. You¡¯re even inviting one into your home, like that scruffy little dog behind you."

    The conversation went back and forth, with Toda insulting Nakatane time and time over, and the older man responding with as much calmness and grace as he could muster.

    Akiko hated seeing her father like this, her heart aching. She knew he was a good man, and that he would do right by his people... But some things are too difficult to find a good solution to, and sometimes there is only a choice between two bad ones.

    She felt a different sense of worry for the man behind, who was watching over the situation with that calcting gaze of his. She wondered what was going on in his head at times, for she had him pegged as an interesting man. And perhaps, a caring man too. He had gone to great lengths for the honour of his family, and had even treated her kindly ¨C whom he did not know too well.

    ¡¯Are he and I friends?¡¯

    She wondered.

    It was a difficult thing to establish. They were cordial with one another, and spent a good amount of time together, making each otherugh. But was that enough to make them friends? She did not know.

    The control that had been ced on her life since a young age had starved her from such rtionsh.i.p.s, and now that one was beginning to form, she had nought but her knowledge gained from books to judge it by.

    She did know one thing though, and that was that she enjoyed hispany. Whilst she was all but confined to her room with this injury of hers, the one thing she looked forward to was her time spent at theke in the evenings.

    The conversation down below was interrupted, as a few of Nakatane¡¯s guards began to march through the entrance.

    The older man¡¯s face fell, as he realized what would follow them.

    A guard behind them spurred on a horse that dragged a grisly cart behind it, with a cloud of flies following along the way.

    She could see nothing of the bodies except from a stray arrow sticking in the air ¨C one that she recognised.

    ¡¯Are those not the same ones I gifted him? I...¡¯

    She paused, wondering what this signified.

    Had he killed livestock? Or were those even his arrows in the first ce? The plumage was rather unique, being red, but it would not be impossible to find such arrows elsewhere, surely?

    But a familiar set of people walked into view from behind the cart, and his involvement in something was all but confirmed.

    She recognised Gengyo¡¯s little sister, Rin, and not for the first time sheplimented her beauty.

    ¡¯His sister¡¯s really pretty... So is his mother.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Gengyo panicked upon seeing his familye into view, instantly realizing that everything had very much gone down the pan.

    Toda nced from him, back towards his family, then back towards him, before a huge smirk covered his face and he began to chuckle.

    "Gahaha, so that¡¯s how it is, eh Niwa? That¡¯s definitely this dog¡¯s family ¨C they look too simr. And they were brought in with the bodies of my men. So you¡¯ve already gathered all the pieces for me, how kind of you."

    "Wait! Do not be rash, I-"

    He waspletely ignored by Toda who turned to his men.

    "Capture them. Feel free to kill those that struggle."

    Was his coldmand, and his men instantly spurred into action, sending their horses forward and pointing their shining weapons at the guards who stood in their way.

    "F.u.c.k!"

    Nakatane cursed loudly, his fist clenching. He ground his teeth hard, as his brain raced with a tide of options. All that he had nned, all that he had sacrificed, was about to be for nothing.

    But was it worth it, if, in the end, they were all the ythings of such a venomous tyrant?

    "MEN! Heed my words! Do not allow those dogs an inch closer ¨C all that do, should meet the end of your de."

    A great cheer resounded out from the men. They had been pushed around by Toda¡¯s people for far too long, and now they had finally been given the opportunity to fight back.

    The guards at the front of the cart brandished their spears, pointing them threateningly toward the approaching horses.

    Guards sprang out of the entrances of houses, bows drawn and pointed at their quarries. At such close range, a kill was all but guaranteed.

    There were in total 6 bowmen, and 11 infantry. The odds were very much not in Toda¡¯s favour, and his men were looking back to their master nervously.

    The snake¡¯s face was a mask of displeasure, looking as though he was ready to cover Niwa in a thick mucusden with venom.

    "So? You¡¯ve made your choice then, old man? You¡¯ve finally gone mad?"

    "I have."

    "Even after offering your own daughter up to me, like the whore she is, you make this choice? And for what? Peasants? Your vige will be burned to the ground, this is not a fight you can win."

    "I¡¯m aware. But it¡¯s better than suffering under sc.u.m like you. My dear daughter is far too precious to be your toy ¨C it has taken me too long to realize what my heart has always known."

    "Pity. She will still be my ything. I will ride into this vige on the morrow, with my men, and we will **** and pige all the way up to your mansion¡¯s gates. And when we get here, what do you think will happen? Hoh, I think I¡¯ll leave that to your imagination. But even if she has to spend her life as a drugged mess, your daughter will not be free from my reach."

    "You f.u.c.k.i.n.g swine! I¡¯ll make sure to take your head before she can even catch sight of you!"

    "Hahah. I¡¯m actually looking forward to this now ¨C I can finally wipe out your stain without having to suffer the Daiymo¡¯s punishments."

    Gengyo saw an opportunity to speak, and though he knew his voice would not be wee, he still felt it would not hurt to try.

    "It is still dishonourable to attack us immediately upon the morrow. The Daiymo will not improve ¨C not at this time, when we are preparing to go to war. A week, at least, would give you some smidgen of honour."

    Toda red down at him, shocked that he¡¯d actually spoke up in his presence. His face contorted with disgust, as though he was looking at the infected corpse of a gue victim.

    He then looked back at Niwa, acting as though he had not spoken at all.

    "But since I am an honourable man, I will give you five days to ¡¯prepare¡¯. So that you can have fitful dreams in which my face will be featured."

 Chapter 31 - War

    ¡¯War?¡¯

    Rin heard them say, looking to Masaatsu who was simrly shocked.

    War was thest thing they had expected to ensue after that night.

    The soldiers radiated an intense bloodl.u.s.t, and the two samurai conversed aggressively. It was an intimidating sight.

    Past the rows of spears and men, she could see theposed figure of Gengyo, looking toward them with worry written in his eyes.

    She wondered what would happen, knowing that they had been the catalyst that started it. But more than that, she worried for her brother.

    But had their master not defended them? Why had he done that? He owed them nothing. They were peasantry. Did the reptile man not say that he had given up his own daughter for the sake of peace? Why was he now unwilling to merely sacrifice them?

    Not to say she wasn¡¯t grateful. But she was confused, and therefore mistrusting of such a decision. It couldn¡¯t truly be for them, could it? What sort of samurai ever showed any altruism toward the lower ss?

    Was this not merely himshing out, unable to bare the others demands? That made more sense. If that was the case, could they assume themselves safe?

    ¡¯But why have we been brought here... What of Nii-san?¡¯

    The rest of her family stared forth dazed, wondering just what they had ended up in the middle of, their heads filled with thoughts simr to her own.

    ...

    ...

    ¡¯War?¡¯

    The same word reached another young woman¡¯s ears, though her reaction was very different.

    She had heard her father¡¯s words, calling for her to be saved from that vile man¡¯s grasp. But she had also heard his, promising to make her the ve for all his fiendish desires to be carried out on.

    ¡¯That will never happen.¡¯

    She affirmed to herself.

    ¡¯Even if we don¡¯t win, I will take my life, so that my father does not need to worry.¡¯

    She did not feel hope in regards to victory, but still her heart was put at ease. This way she could die at peace with her family, and not have to suffer for them.

    The odds were very much not in their favour, hence the need for peace in the first ce, but out of nowhere ¨C perhaps it had been something the younger man had said ¨C her father had found the resolve to risk everything.

    In the deration that he had uttered, she felt a great deal of pride. Most would call his actions simply foolish, but truly it was the height of honour.

    To fight despite the cause being lost, for the sake of your own honour. Was that not what it meant to be a samurai?

    He was a noble man, one that had even been momentarily recognised by the daimyo for his military valour. And now such a man had returned.

    She saw him now ¨C not with her eyes but with her heart - as a warrior fully armoured with a fearsome men-yoroi adorning his face, and his katana poised toward the enemy.

    It was a figure that she would put her faith in, even if it meant her own death, she would never again deign toin. This was her father, and the man that she was proudest of.

    By his shoulder was Gengyo, who once dressed in peasantry she saw to be surrounded in a swirling ck mass of smoke and darkness. But it did not frighten her. It felt like the smoke of a fire, and in it, there was a warmth. If she had to describe what it was in one word, it would be potentiality. She did not know who or what he currently was, but she strongly felt that there was something about him could ignite this little province that they lived in, or possibly even all of Japan.

    That feeling grew stronger when he opened his mouth and dared to speak in the presence of those two dragons. Yet was it truly daring? What would fire have to fear of a dragon?

    ...

    ...

    "I look forward to seeing your head on a stick."

    Were Toda¡¯s final words as he spat at Nakatane¡¯s feet, and charged past the guards ¨C who had stood down on the master¡¯s orders ¨C with his entourage in tow.

    A dishonourable man might have decided to kill him there and then, and assure his own victory. But that was not a path that Niwa would ever choose to take.

    He paused a few moments, allowing the sound of galloping horses to fade from earshot, and then he addressed his men, who were still looking toward him expectantly.

    "Men! You¡¯ve always served me loyally, and a good few of you have even gone to war with me."

    Those that had, raised their spears with at shout at those words.

    "But our moment this time is dire. You all know how well that bastard outnumbers us."

    "That is not to say that all is lost, however! You have seen the stupidity with which that dog carries himself ¨C even a sheep would have a chance at outwitting him."

    A few genuineughs rippled out from amongst his people.

    "And that is what we will bank on. Through this victory, we will gain much. Honour. Land. And gold! All those that prove their worth in this battle will receive more than his fair share."

    All as one their spears were raised at that. Through his experience he knew the hearts of men. Money, and woman were the only two things you could count on to motivate them. And what was so wrong about that? He did not care if they only served him for the coin. He would make sure to do right by them all the same.

    Though he was not aware of it, this integrity that he showed had inspired more than your run of the mill loyalty.

    "The preparations will be underway soon. You are hereby relieved of any night-time duties. Go home. See your family. Take care of yourselves men, and in this battle toe I will put everything on the line to assure your victory."

    Not a single man was a fan of night duty, and his decision to let them sleep was a popr one.

    "In the meantime, those bodies are collecting quite a stench. Burn them. Do not worry about respect for the ashes ¨C do whatever is easiest."

    "Miura family, I see you have found your way here as well. I have heard of your plight from young Miura-kun here, and am aware that you do not have a ce to live. As such, my men will set aside three rooms within the servant¡¯s quarters for you to use."

    "In this time of strife ¨C and all the times in between ¨C we should stand together as one. We are people of the same vige, and will not lose from being cordial with one another, regardless of rank. I trust that you men will act in ordance with these views in future."

    Few men remained unwavering at that, knowing that they had been less than civil toward the peasant folk at times.

    Gengyo¡¯s family bowed deeply in their gratitude, and their youngest son followed suit.

    Seeing him do that, Nakatane frowned, and smacked the back of his head.

    "Don¡¯t."

    "Ow..."

    Rubbing the back of his head in confusion, he could not stop a smile from forming.

    ¡¯Aye, he¡¯s definitely a righteous man.¡¯

    "Ishiyama, follow me up to my room. And if any of you see old man Jikouji, send him up too."

    "Yes sir."

    A middle aged man with a shaven head - and a short full goatee - walked over,manding an air of authority. He bowed his head lightly, before waiting for his master to move, with his arms neatly positioned behind his back.

    "Let¡¯s go then."

    Gengyo watched as Nakatane took a few steps away, before turning his gaze to his family, looking forward to theirpany.

    Another smack on the back of head caused such thoughts to evaporate, as he turned around to see the master scowling.

    "What¡¯s with the hitting? I¡¯m going to be getting brain damage at this rate."

    "It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯d being tood. You deserve a hit for making me wait. Or do you not think that¡¯s fair?"

    He lifted his hand threateningly with an eyebrow raised, making Gengyo fully aware of what furtherints would lead to.

    He made a point to keep his lips tightly sealed, and the master nodded approvingly, before moving off in the direction of the mansion.

    The leader of the guards, Ishiyama watched the exchange with curiosity, but showed no such emotion, nor did he speak.

    ...

    ...

    They arrived back at Nakatane¡¯s room, and the owner of which instantly slumped behind his desk, a tiredness oveing him.

    He noted the two hovering by the doorway and urged them inside.

    "Sit wherever you please. Just leave room for Jikouji who should being soon."

    "I¡¯m already here, lord."

    The old man spoke from behind the two gentlemen who were making their way to their seats, and hastened to join them.

    The positioning of their seating was a little tight, and an unfortunate Gengyo found himself seated in the middle of the two older men.

    To say he feltfortable there would be a rather grand falsehood.

    He did not know quite why he had been summoned alongside the two other men, who clearlymanded positions that far outweighed his own.

    Nakatane was not about to relieve the tension either. He sat with his head in his hands, as he felt the full gravity of his actions.

    "What have I done..."

    He muttered under his breath.

    "I cannotment on the wisdom of your decision, but sometimes it is better to listen to the heart, rather than the head. Else when our hours growte we will find ourselves swimming in the waters of regret."

    The master nodded meekly, almost submissive. He clearly held a good deal of respect for the older man, and Gengyo found himself wondering what exactly their rtionship was. He guessed that it erred on the side of teacher student.

    Hepsed into silence, before the old man spoke up once more.

    "Who is the young fellow beside me, Nakatane? And what did you hope to gain by bringing him here, during this time?"

    The lead guard nodded slightly. It was a question he also wanted to know the answer to.

    The master sighed lightly in response, not having an adequate exnation.

    "My gut. I went with it. He¡¯s thed that killed Toda¡¯s men when they attacked his house. One of the best archers I¡¯ve ever seen. As for why he¡¯s here... Just my gut... Ah, why bother. Young Miura, why did I ask you here?"

    Gengyo flinched at being thrown such a curveball.

    ¡¯How on earth am I meant to know that!?¡¯

    Was the prevalent thought rushing through his head, but he did his best to remain calm, and give a passable response.

    "Perhaps because you are unsure what to do?"

    Nakatane clicked his fingers.

    "Yeah. That. Honestly, I¡¯m not expecting much from you, kid. But you seem to have a rather good head on your shoulders. Just sit there, and the grownups will talk. If you think of anything clever to say, I¡¯ll listen."

    "Oh, but if it¡¯s stupid, you¡¯ll get a smack."

    His words were a little condensing, but Gengyo did not take offence. Quite the opposite.

    Though the little threat toward the end made him frown.

    ¡¯Just what about my head has made him so fond of smacking it?¡¯

    "Yes, Niwa-san. I¡¯ll do my best."

    He nodded with approval, before turning to his loyal retainers to begin their discussion.

 Chapter 32 - The War Council

    "So, we¡¯re outnumbered. Any ideas of how we might win?"

    This question contained no hope at. It was spoken by a man that was seemingly resigned to his fate.

    "How badly are we outnumbered?"

    Gengyo posed the question, having known nothing about the two viges¡¯ military affairs.

    "By 200 mounted mercenaries."

    The old man responded without looking his way.

    "And we have what? 100 men?"

    "Correct."

    "Can we not afford to hire any mercenaries either?"

    The old man sighed slightly at that, clearly not seeing the point in educating this young man.

    "No child, that Toda has been involved in all manners of nefarious dealings. His coin far outweighs our own. Even if we were to tax the peasants so heavily that they were all but starving, we would still not be able to afford even twenty."

    "I see. So he has around three hundred men in total then, matching our 100 and then the mercenaries on top."

    "That is correct."

    "How much of their numbers and our numbers will be made up of bow ashigaru?"

    He sent a nce toward Nakatane, wondering whether he really had to keep answering these questions, but the master merely nodded slightly, causing the old man to sigh once more.

    "10 archers from the guards. 10 archers from the peasantry. There will be 40 peasant yari ashigaru, and 40 guard yari. The enemy¡¯s numbers will be simr, only they will have 40 mounted archers on top of that."

    "Hoh..."

    ¡¯This is rather grim.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. But the odds were not impossible. They were only outnumbered 3 to 1. In two weeks¡¯ time the Oda would win a battle where they were outnumbered 10 to 1. If thought of like that, it was well within their grasp.

    "Well, then, let us continue. First off the field of battle needs setting, least even if we win we¡¯ll have more damages than we can suffer."

    The master nodded.

    "Good. Where do you propose the field of battle, then?"

    The old man brandished a detailed map of the surrounding area that included the location of all the houses in the vige, the forested area, and the rice fields. It continued all the way to the border of Tobishimands.

    It was wellbelled in kanji, and it was easy to distinguish one feature from another.

    He pointed to an area ofnd just north of the rice fields. Judging from the scale of the rest of the map, it seemed to be about 1km wide, and 2km long. On its eastern side it was bordered by an area of the forest.

    There were no houses in the direct vicinity of the field. It was a good location.

    "Good."

    The lead guard agreed.

    "Yes, by positioning there we¡¯re blocking the only road into town, so we can force them to fight on that field."

    "What of strategy, then?"

    Jikouji continued.

    "Well, it¡¯s basic, but cavalry is always burdened by trees. If we can bait them into chasing us into the forest, then we will have the advantage."

    "How do you propose we do that?"

    "Toda is not known for his intelligence. If we train the vigers, and get them to feign desertion upon seeing the enemies numbers, and get them to run into the forest. We¡¯ll leave like 30 or so ¡¯loyal men¡¯ behind, who stand firm, until the cavalry start to charge, before they route too upon your orders."

    Nakatane frowned.

    "Will they really fall for that?"

    "I cannot say, but in my mind it is the only possible road to our victory."

    He looked towards Gengyo.

    "Any thoughts,d?"

    "It is a good n, but-"

    "But?"

    "I fear we will not be able to execute it without Toda finding out our intentions beforehand."

    The old man chipped in.

    "Your meaning?"

    "Well, he certainly has informants positioned within the vige. Else he would never have found about the death of his men so quickly. He likely learned of it even before you did, Niwa-san."

    "That¡¯s easy enough dealt with then, we simply capture the spies before leading the training."

    His fingers stroking his chin, Gengyo proposed something else.

    "What if, we leave them to their spying. We train all the vigers as one, without care, to execute a strategy ¨C one that Toda will spare resources in acting to counter. And then, on the night before the battle, we imprison all the spies ¨C for we can identify them through the course of the five days ¨C and then inform the men of our true battle n."

    The three men ran it over in their heads, before finding themselves nodding.

    A smile broke out on Nakatane¡¯s face at the idea.

    "Good! That ys with that arrogance of his perfectly as well. He likes to think of himself as clever. If he believes that he¡¯s already outwitted us, simply by countering that strategy he already knew of, then he will let his guard down and be more vulnerable to the real one."

    "And what might this false strategy that we propagate be?"

    The old man turned to look at Gengyo for the first time.

    "I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t thought that far yet. Ideally, it would be something that would force a portion of his men to position themselves in a certain location, to counter an ambush or something of the like, but in reality, we¡¯re in a different location and can overwhelm their forces before reinforcements have time to arrive."

    "I see..."

    The rest of the room went into thought for the while, as they let their imaginations take over, and envisioned a strategy that Toda would find believable.

    It was Ishiyama, the guard, who came up with an idea first.

    "The river, perhaps. We can train them to run to the banks of the river. The horses will find it difficult to navigate the steep banks, and we¡¯ll fashion 80 long-shafted spears, about 6 metres long, and we¡¯ll have them hidden on the banks of the river. That way, if they deem it fit to check, they¡¯ll have all the evidence they need."

    Jikouji took over from there, inspired by the groundworksid by the lead guard.

    "Good. And then we¡¯ll train our men to act on the day, pretending they can¡¯t see any chance at winning, and they abandon their weapons and run to the forest. But in the forest, we¡¯ll have another set of long-shafted spears that they can rearm themselves with. Toda will likelyugh, and send his men to hunt them down, as we¡¯ll have you, lord, chasing after them, iming that you¡¯ll take their lives yourself because of their cowardice."

    Gengyo grinned.

    "I like this. We can turn the forest into a mounted man¡¯s worst nightmare. We¡¯ll have the men run off in different directions, and put a good deal of thin, strong twine, at head height to the mounted men, and that¡¯ll take out a good few. We should leave the bow ashigaru out of this though."

    "Hoh, what do you mean by that?"

    Nakatane asked, hoping the boy was not saying that out of cowardice.

    "We¡¯ll set up in position beforehand within the forest, and after the mercenaries have taken the bait, we¡¯ll start reigning fire down upon the guards and the ashigaru of the enemy. When we have their attention, and they start toe towards us, we¡¯ll make a move and regroup with you. We should try and get as many of the enemies horses as possible, and form up an improvised yari cavalry unit. With those long yari that we fashioned earlier, we can decimate them. We can probably take their bow ashigaru out in one fell swoop."

    With this icing on the cake, all the men present began to feel a certain degree of excitement. Even the old heart of Jikouji started to quicken, and his palms began to sweat.

    Was there truly hope?

    One man though, Ishiyama, still had his doubts, and so voiced them.

    "I believe this is a good n... however, what if he decides to send some of his men out beforehand, just ten even, then whilst we do battle, the vige will be burning behind us, and the women and children will be ughtered."

    Gengyo shrugged at that, not seeing the need to worry at such small numbers.

    "Arm the women."

    "What?"

    They were shocked at his nonchnt response. What would arming the women achieve?

    "Come on, it¡¯s not that crazy an idea. Give them a few days training with basic spear movements, give them some medium-sized yari that they can handle, and the mounted enemies shouldn¡¯t be a problem. They¡¯ll probably be some decent archers amongst the women too. Of course, those too old and too young should not be expected to fight. But some of the women are just as fierce as the men, you know?"

    "I have this little sister, you see. And honestly, I would not like to be the man on the horse riding toward her when her spear is poised. I think other women in the town will be just as fearsome."

    Nakatane ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts with his daughter. He recalled when she had mentioned wanting to be an Onna-bugeisha when she was little. Perhaps... as a sorry, for all that he had put her through. A few days of training, would that please her?

    Still, the thought of her engaging in battle filled him with worry.

    Gengyo continued, attempting to convince the other men. It was rare to find a female warrior. They were like a different breed. It seemed absurd to drop weapons in the hands of the women and suddenly expect them to fight.

    But was that not exactly what they did with the yari ashigaru men?

    "There should be at least 40 fighting women, with good length spears. Do you really think they¡¯ll be unable to deal with just 10 men? You¡¯re looking down on them too much."

    "Ah, fine. The boy¡¯s right. We simply don¡¯t have the men to spare for anything otherwise."

    Nakatane finally relented, feeling a certain bitterness at it havinge to this.

    They wallowed in silence for a while, thoughts of the n passing through their head.

    Ishiyama turned to Gengyo.

    "You mentioned setting traps in the forest. Who will do this when we are unsure of who to trust?"

    "My family and I can. It shouldn¡¯t be too much work."

    The master nodded.

    "Good enough for me."

    "And the women¡¯s training. What will we say for that?"

    "So that they can be closer to the men before the battle, and experience what they might."

    "...That¡¯s not great, but I suppose it will do."

    Seeing that there were not more questions, Nakatane began to wrap things up.

    "Well, we¡¯ll start getting the preparations underway. Gather the vigers, announce what¡¯s ahead. Any work in the fields will be suspended until after the battle. We will train the ¡¯strategy¡¯ twice a day. And let them know that the test for the bow ashigaru will be held tomorrow."

    "Will I need to take that test, Niwa-san?"

    "Mmm. No..."

    Hepsed back into thought again, and seeing that he wasn¡¯t about to speak any time soon, Jikouji stood up and made a move.

    "I will make haste with the preparations, then."

    Ishiyama followed suit.

    "As will I."

    Gengyo looked from the retreating duo to Nakatane ¨C whose eyes were still zed over in thought ¨C and wondered whether to stay or leave.

    His decision was made for him, as he noticed the old man Jikouji gesturing for him to follow.

    He bowed his head lightly toward the lord, and then moved towards him.

    "Walk with me a while."

    The old man said, as Ishiyama disappeared down the stairs.

 Chapter 33 - A Harsh Lesson

    "Who taught you?"

    Came the blunt question, as the old man paused and turned to look Gengyo in the eye.

    Given the situation, the young man had been prepared for something odd to be said.

    "I¡¯ve been asked this before. There is no one - in this life - that has taught me."

    The old man squinted slightly, put off by the unusual phrasing of his reply. But after a short examination, he could only sigh, and continue walking.

    "You are an odd individual, Miura-kun. It seems young Nakatane sensed that too."

    "I see..."

    "Your strategical mind is most developed for someone of your age. It was I who taught the master what he knows of strategy, and he has an aptitude for it. s, his problem is that he cannot formte ns under stress."

    "You¡¯ve served Niwa-san for a long time, then?"

    Jikouji responded without inhibition toward the casual question, seemingly rxed in the young man¡¯spany.

    "I have served the Niwa¡¯s for 50 years, after pledging my life to Nakatane¡¯s father."

    Gengyo whistled through his teeth, impressed by such a number ¨C it was even longer than he had been alive.

    "Ah, this way."

    The old man corrected him, as he was about to turn right down the new corridor, but instead they were to continue on.

    After a short time longer, they arrived at a small set of sliding doors ¨C deceptively so ¨C for once they opened it, a sizeable dojo - with beautifully polished wooden floorboards ¨C came into view.

    Without a word, the old man slipped out of his tabi, and slowly put them to one side. He moved purposefully, but slowly, as though he was taking part in an age-old tradition.

    The young man beside him deemed it appropriate to do the same, and attempted to copy the tranquillity with which the old man moved.

    They stepped inside. Jikouji moved to the corner of the room, where a row of bokkon were held neatly in a stand.

    He withdrew two, before handing one to Gengyo, who was hovering a short distance away.

    As soon as the younger man¡¯s fingers wrapped themselves around the smooth wood, a strike was sent toward his head. This was no warning, and it travelled with a terrifying swiftness.

    Thoroughly caught off guard by such a strike, he barely managed to stumble backwards out of its path, but as a result hended hard upon his bottom.

    "What the hell old man?! Wasn¡¯t that a bit dangerous?"

    The sudden strike had fl.u.s.tered him, and he forgot to show Jikouji the proper amount of respect.

    "The way of the warrior waits for no man."

    Came the curt response, as he resumed his stance, allowing Gengyo to his feet.

    "Way of the warrior? I never imed to be a warrior..."

    The young man protested.

    But the grace period had already ended, and before he could resume an upright position, a perfectly straight downward strike was sent in an attempt to spill the juices of his head.

    A little more prepared for such an attack this time, he blocked the strike with a single arm on his bokken. But one arm was not enough to negate the forcepletely, and the wood still rebounded off his head at a decent speed.

    "We are not what we im to be, rather we are the picture formed by our actions."

    Gengyo rubbed his head furiously, trying to ease the pain quickly so that he could focus. He did not know the intent of the old man, but he sure as hell would not suffer a beating freely.

    "I¡¯m not certain I agree with that philosophy of yours, old man. The emperor is born the emperor, is he not? His actions held no part in his birth."

    He offered a strike of his own to punctuate his point, lunging deeply, using the full extent of his reach.

    Jikouji turned side-on, allowing such a strike to easily slip past him, and in the meantime, he shed toward one of the outstretched arms that had yet to retract, solidly hitting the meat of Gengyo¡¯s forearm.

    "Arghh!"

    The young man grunted in pain, dropping his sword almost immediately.

    His opponent showed no hint of guilt, and instead chose to refute the earlier statement.

    "An emperor that does not act like an emperor will soon be a dead emperor."

    Gengyo grimaced, deciding to concede the point as he reached down for his sword.

    "Fine, let¡¯s say that philosophy is viable. But how does that serve as an excuse for striking me before I was ready?"

    His sword was quickly struck from the loose grip in which he was holding it, and it fell to the floor with a tter.

    "A warrior must train, and be willing to suffer."

    The younger man tutted, feeling as though he was holding a different conversation to the old man in front of him.

    "As I said, I¡¯m not a warrior, nor would I like to be."

    This time Jikouji did not wait for him to pick up his sword, and instead struck toward him, despite him being unarmed.

    Panicking upon seeing the solid wood that was being sent toward his ribs, Gengyo darted backwards, putting even further distance between him and his sword.

    His opponent was not so forgiving however, as he chased after him, speaking as he did so.

    "You think you can kill and remain unchanged? That is the height of ignorance ¨C you must honour the dead."

    Gengyo gritted his teeth, finally realizing the meaning behind this. Still, he had no sword in his hand to fight back with, and he was being driven even further across the room by the old man¡¯s furious onught.

    "How is that honouring the dead?"

    He tried to step around the old man ¨C now that he had reached the wall of the room ¨C so that he could retrieve his sword.

    His attempt was cut short by the shaft of Jikouji¡¯s weapon. The wind was forced out of his lungs, and he copsed to the floor like a trampled balloon.

    "You are letting them know that they died at the hands of a warrior, and therefore with honour."

    He struggled to get up, though was only able to crawl on his hands and knees as he struggled for breath.

    "They... don¡¯t... deserve... respect..."

    He managed to force out in a voice that was all but a whisper.

    A merciless strike to his back forced him back to the floor.

    "False. It is our duty to show them that honour."

    This time he did not move until he had recovered fully. And then, he scrambled to his feet in haste, sprinting past Jikouji, and throwing himself toward his weapon.

    The old man watched all this without a hint of a reaction, almost making Gengyo feel foolish.

    "Why?"

    He closed the distance and struck from overhead, aiming for the top of the old man¡¯s skull. His strike was sent sideways by a casual tap of the old man¡¯s sword, and a turned foot found its way into his gut, before a second strike spun round and ttered again his temple, sending the young man copsed on his back to the floor.

    "The gods chose to protect you and your family. You must show them that they saved an honourable man. If the wind had been but a bit stronger, your arrow might have missed."

    Gengyoy on his back, his grasp still on his sword. His head bounced with a dizziness, and a trickle of blood ran down his nose.

    "You muste to terms with the fact that you have taken lives. And no matter who they are, in your heart you should grant them honour."

    Still feeling dizzy, he unsteadily moved to his feet, using his free hand to wipe the blood that was trickling down from his nose and onto his upper lip.

    "What... happens then?"

    He did not attack this time, and merely stood in his stance stoically as he gave his reply.

    "Then, you will have understood the foundation of bushido, and what it means to be a samurai."

    He charged in, yet this time Gengyo was ready for him, and blocked the sideward strike. Unfortunately, he was totally unprepared for the elbow that found its way to his stomach as the old man closed the gap before knocking the sword from his grasp, and kicking him to the floor.

    "I am not a servant. I am a samurai that serves under the Niwa. By birth and by heart that is my rank."

    He crawled toward his bokken that was a few metres away, and carefully got to his feet, wary of any cheap strikes.

    "Then, what do you mean by telling me all this?"

    "The master has ced trust in you. You must carry yourself with the heart of a samurai, least you let him down."

    "The master has been good to be me. But what is it you say that I must do? Walk the path of a warrior? How?"

    The old samurai lunged forward, shing toward Gengyo¡¯s neck. He countered it lightly, swinging his sword in preparation to block the next strike, leaving them at a stalemate, with their swords locked against each other.

    "Investigate the matter of Bushido daily, ande to terms with your status as a warrior, and take responsibility for those whose deaths you have caused. A samurai must also dedicate part of his day in grasping the long and short sword."

    "And in doing that, I will repay my debt to Niwa-san?"

    He pushed hard against the old man, ending their deadlock, and shing toward his side.

    Such a strike was easily blocked by the old man however.

    "No, but it is a start."

    Simrly, Gengyo blocked his strike also.

    "Then that is what I will do."

    He began a series of attacks of his own, aiming high above the old man¡¯s head ¨C but lightly ¨C before hurrying into a strike toward his side that was easily blocked, and then, he mimicked Jikouji¡¯s move from earlier, and sent a spinning kick toward his stomach.

    The old man twisted to the side, barely avoiding the kick, but Gengyo regained his bnce faster, and quickly struck down on his sword, hard, sending it flying from his grasp.

    It ttered loudly across the wooden floor, as the old samurai looked toward his empty hands with surprise, and then a flicker of a smile emerged as he looked toward the younger man.

    "You learn quickly young man. If you master your mind, and heart, then it would be my honour to serve young Nakatane alongside you."

    He bowed lightly toward Gengyo, indicating his respect.

    The younger man reciprocated by bowing deeper, showing even greater respect.

    "Will you teach me the sword, Jikouji-san? There is much that I have to learn."

    He shook his head lightly.

    "The sword is a spiritual pursuit, as well as a martial one. I can teach you strikes, but not the meaning behind them. It is up to you to find your own sword style. Though I will oversee your training from time to time, to make sure that you are not deviating from the path."

    "That¡¯s good enough for me."

    Came the response of a grinning Gengyo.

    It was only then ¨C now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off ¨C that he started to feel the bruises, and winced slightly.

    The old man noticed this andughed.

    "Haha, worry not. You¡¯ll be right as rain in a few days."

    He then retrieved both their swords, and stored them away neatly on the rack, before exiting the room and gently closing the door behind them.

    "You cane and train in here whenever you wish, though you might find more meaning in training elsewhere. I have matters to attend to now, I rmend that you go and see your family. They¡¯re in the third servant building from the gate."

    Gengyo bowed again toward the departing Jikouji.

    "Thank you very much."

 Chapter 34 - The Importance of Family

    ¡¯A warrior, huh?¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself as he walked toward the row of servant bungalows.

    It was not a path he had ever wanted to pursue, but then he supposed he might have been a little na?ve in his thinking. How would one be able to live a peaceful life if they were unable to protect themselves and their family?

    How could you do everything necessary to defend your tranquillity ¨C including the act of killing ¨C without adopting the mindset of a warrior?

    Of course, he did end up taking his first life yesterday, but he had not had time to properly consolidate such an event. He knew it had altered his psyche slightly ¨C a few bricks were taken out of an otherwise stable structure ¨C but he did not know how to address such problems.

    It was rarely a situation a modern man would have to deal with, aside from perhaps soldiers. Though some never seemed toe to terms with that act, and developed psychological issues.

    In following the path of a warrior, he hoped he might find the answers that modern people could never provide.

    For that, he was grateful for Jikouji¡¯s lesson, though he supposed his motive was not simply to help him. He was more inclined toward cultivating something within him that might better serve the master.

    His ruminating was interrupted by a servant girl carrying a tray of empty dishes, whose mind seemed to be elsewhere. She failed to see where the porch had ended, and stepped off without anticipating the drop.

    The result was a little bit of chaos.

    She dashed about, incredibly fl.u.s.tered and embarrassed by her clumsiness. Seeing as though it was right in front of him, Gengyo helped out, handing her two of the wooden bowls that had rolled away.

    "Thank you."

    She bowed lightly ¨C her face a deep shade of red ¨C and hurried to leave.

    The young man stopped her, feeling a little guilty about doing so.

    "Do you by any chance know where the Miura family is staying?"

    A hint of recognition passed over her face, as she looked him up and down, only seemingly taking note of his appearance just then.

    "Ah... uhm, your mother and sister are in the bathhouse, and uhm... your father and brother are behind the third bungalow, sitting in the garden."

    "A bath, eh? Well, thank you."

    He bowed lightly in return to her, and moved toward the building she had pointed out.

    When he rounded the corner of the back of the bungalow, he noticed them instantly. They were sitting on a stone bench in the peaceful garden, observing the salmon swimming in the small pond and sharing idle conversation.

    He approached them quietly, before speaking up from right behind them.

    "Hello."

    "Ah!" Was the all but simultaneous response.

    They turned round to identify their assant, and smiles soon formed quickly.

    "Haha, it¡¯s Tadakata, eh? All in one piece, that¡¯s good to see."

    His father spoke jovially, patting his shoulder roughly.

    "All in one piece, but still bruised. Brother, where did you get that wound on your head?"

    Gengyoughed away his concern, simply happy to be reunited with them after the trials ofst night and today.

    "Haha, well you know how it is sleeping in a cage. But it¡¯s all sorted now ¨C master Niwa is a good man."

    "Aye, he¡¯s certainly got guts. Him dering war on Toda like that. Gets my blood pumping it does ¨C that¡¯s what a samurai has got to be like."

    Masaatsu was a little more reserved in his evaluation.

    "He is certainly a good man... but I cannot help but worry. It is well known that Toda has mercenaries under hismand. Do we really stand a chance?"

    He smiled at his brother, respecting his worry, but carefully setting him at ease.

    "Do not fret, brother, Niwa-san let me sit in on his nning ¨C we¡¯ll be fine."

    He squinted, as though trying to see through the pretence behind such words, but he seemingly found none, and instead did as his father had, and patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

    "If you say so brother, then I¡¯ll trust it. But do not forget that we are here too ¨C you do not need to shoulder any burden alone."

    Though he had said nothing, Masaatsu had guessed that his younger brother had some sort of role in what was about to transpire. Such was the man his little brother had be, that he could even stand beside samurai and not look out of ce.

    "I have no doubt brother, and I will definitely need your help. We must find time to polish our bowmanship together before the battle."

    "Hah? Did you youngins forget the man that defeated the demon Kyougoku unarmed?"

    "Haha, of course, you will be needed too father ¨C the master needs every man he can get, and I do not doubt that he will be d to have you in his service."

    The old man nodded seriously, twice, before bursting out inughter, and pulling his son into a bear hug, pping him vigorously on the back.

    "Ahahaha, I¡¯m d nothing happened to you kid, you¡¯re a goodd."

    "You too, dad."

    Through the suffocating lock of the hug, he managed to squeeze out an additional question.

    "So mother and Rin are bathing, then?"

    He was released at that, as his father took great delight in exining what had transpired.

    "They wouldn¡¯t let us in without bathing and changing our clothes haha ¨C we are quite the mess. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re enjoying the bathing arrangements of a samurai mansion, eh? I¡¯m quite looking forward to it too."

    "We¡¯ll be able to go once they return, little brother. We¡¯ve each been given a clean set of clothes to change into as well."

    "Hoh... It seems we have even more to thank the master for."

    "My thoughts were the same. Even the servants that dealt with us ¨C despite pointing out that we needed to wash ¨C did not show too much disrespect, and acted as though we are equals. It seems as though they took the master¡¯s earlier speech to heart."

    "Mm... I¡¯m happy to hear that."

    ...

    ...

    A short whileter, after a period of idle conversation, they were interrupted by a lively Rin who spotted Gengyo upon rounding the corner, and ran up with arms spread to give him a hug.

    "Nii-san! You¡¯re alright!"

    The young man quickly dodged her embrace, and held her back with his palm.

    "Careful Rin, you¡¯ll get your new clothes dirty."

    She pouted lightly, pretending to resist.

    "It¡¯s fine! C¡¯mon Tadakata..."

    "Haha, you look pretty, little sister."

    Her skin was a light pink from the heat of the water, and her previously bloodied hair was cleaned vigorously, and was shining once more. She was dressed in a new, dark grey kimono, with a matching obi around her waist. Looking at her now, none could guess that she was of peasant origin.

    She shamelessly did a little spin to show off.

    "Do you think so?"

    "I¡¯m of the same opinion ¨C you look like a samurai¡¯s daughter, Rin."

    Masaatsu agreed.

    "Hoho, if she¡¯s a samurai¡¯s daughter, then does make you a samurai¡¯s wife, my dear Fuku-chan?"

    Fuku bashfully epted her husband¡¯spliments, whilst attempting to stay from his grasp as not to soil her freshly washed skin and clothes.

    They had to all but drag him toward the bathhouse in the end.

    ...

    ...

    The time passed quickly as they enjoyed the heated water of the bathhouse, sharing idle conversation.

    The tall and handsome Masaatsu was the perfect image of a young samurai, and a few of the servant girls blushed as he passed, adorned into his new kimono.

    That was not to say the change in Gengyo¡¯s and Morohira¡¯s appearance was any poorer, as they were able to walk with their heads held high.

    The rooms that they were given were clean, and fairly new as well. Their father had rolled upon the fresh tatami, eximing how bouncy it was, and it did not take Rin long to drop her newfounddylike disposition, and hasten to do the same.

    Fuku felt awkward seeing the food that was brought to them, as usually she was the one to do the cooking. Too much hospitality could leave one feeling ufortable, but after the enthusiastic dining of her fellow family members, she soon joined in.

    They spoke long until darkness began to reign, for there was much to speak about.

    Their life had been the very epitome of chaos sincetest night, but thanks to Niwa¡¯s generosity, they had been able toe out of it rather well.

    Gengyo carefully took note of their smiling faces, and hardened his resolve. He decided, for definite, that he would do as Jikouji said, even if it was only for the express purpose of paying back the master, it was certainly worth it.

    Talk began of the war, and the smiles started to fade. The youngest son did his best to assure them that every effort was being made to ensure their victory, but it still could not be helped that they held doubts.

    When the meal had concluded, he excused himself, and headed toward the gate.

    He saw the flickering of a guard¡¯s torching toward him in the distance, and hurried himself behind a building, thinking that it might be better if he was not seen.

    He heard the sound of retreating footsteps, and the re of the torchlight grew dimmer, he then headed toward the gate, which was slightly ajar as usual.

    He briefly wondered whether he was wasting his time, for given all that had transpired, it would be almost impossible for Akiko not to catch wind of it.

    He imagined she would be rather joyful now, since the marriage that she had so detested had been called off. And he dared not me her, after seeing her potential spouse in person. He could quitefortably say ¨C even after his 40 years ¨C that Toda Naoyori was one of the worst people he had met.

    But seeing that was as it was, he wondered whether she would still seek to escape the confines of the mansion¡¯s walls, in order to feel the freedom of the forest.

    Though he needed not have worried. Right beside the mansions gates, leaning against a pir, he saw the outline of a woman.

    "Even when war is on the horizon, thedy still fears nothing."

    She perked up at his words, seemingly surprised.

    ¡¯He came...¡¯

    She thought to himself, as she looked at him up and down. He seemed like a different man now, even the air about him had changed.

    His short hair was pushed back, with a small topknot sitting on top, and his jaw was fastened tightly shut, with a yful smile sitting on his lips.

    But there was something more fearsome about him now, something sharper. She almost dared not to speak.

    "Miura-kun..."

    Was all she could manage to get out.

    "Aye, it¡¯s me. Shall we?"

    He offered his back for her to climb on, but she shook her head.

    "It¡¯s feeling a little better today, so I think I might try walking awhile."

    He nodded, still smiling.

    "That sounds like a good idea. But don¡¯t push yourself too much, as you¡¯ll only prolong your recovery."

    "Okayyy."

    She began walking ahead with a slight limp, proving that she was able, before turning back with a look that told him to hurry up.

    "Aren¡¯t we in a good mood today? Well, I suppose it¡¯s natural after what happened. You¡¯re finally free, eh?"

 Chapter 35 - A Friend

    "Do you ever look at the reflections across the water and see all the different things your mind can imagine?"

    Came the question from Gengyo¡¯s left, after they¡¯d been sitting in a peaceful quiet at thekeside for a few minutes.

    "Hmm? I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean ¨C show me if you like."

    "Okay. Look over there, you see how the willow tree reflects off the water?"

    "I do."

    "As the water ripples, the shape changes, and your mind sees all sorts of different things."

    "Hmm..."

    He focused his gaze on the spot she had mentioned, staring intently at the branches of the tree that were swaying across the water.

    He did so for a little while, and was about to tell her that he could not see anything, but finally some part of his brain offered a different interpretation, and the swirling mass of branches created arger shape. The small parting within the branches looked to be a huge open mouth, and the branches around it formed the shape of a giant head.

    "A whale."

    "A whale..? Ohh, I see it too. I¡¯ve only ever seen them in books, but they¡¯re said to be really big."

    "Indeed. What did you see?"

    "A man dying. Do you see how the branches stick out? It looks like someone on their back, reaching toward the sky."

    "Hoh... I see it. A rather grim interpretation though."

    The squawking of a pair of angry swans interrupted their conversation. It appeared there might be a fight, but neither of them wished to be the first to engage.

    ¡¯Swans are one of the most beautiful creatures in the wild, but in the end, they¡¯re subject to rage just like the rest of us.¡¯

    It ended with one swan flying a little ways away, andnding gracefully on the clear surface of the pond. It held its head high, and moved regally as though nothing had happened at all.

    "Hey, Miura-kun?"

    "Mhm?"

    "Did you really kill those men?"

    He responded unhesitantly.

    "I did."

    "I see..."

    She broke off into silence.

    "There is something more you want to say, is there not?"

    She nodded, but struggled to find the words.

    "There is something... different about you now."

    "Hoh, you¡¯re quite the perceptive one. I do feel a little changed."

    "Is it not weird, to have that on your mind, that you have taken a life?"

    "It is. But it would have ended the same, for the war with the Oda is all but guaranteed."

    "No... It¡¯s different ¨C I think ¨C to kill on the battlefield, and to kill outside of your home."

    "I would imagine you¡¯re right, though I¡¯ve never been on a battlefield."

    "But there¡¯s something... I don¡¯t know, perhaps ¡¯sharper¡¯, about you now."

    "Sharper, eh? Do you mean you¡¯re intimidated by me?"

    He turned and made her bear the full weight of his gaze.

    She met it unflinchingly, and shook her head.

    "No, not of you. You¡¯re a good person, Miura-kun."

    "Hoh... I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that, but I appreciate your kind evaluation."

    "You know, I was watching today."

    "What were you watching?"

    "When that sc.u.mbag Toda came in, and was insulting father. It was strange seeing you stand next to him."

    "I imagine it was. It¡¯s not every day that a peasant is allowed to stand alongside a samurai."

    "No, that¡¯s the weird part. You didn¡¯t look out of ce, even though you were dressed as you were."

    "Did I not? Perhaps that¡¯s only in your eyes, because you know me. I imagine the other observers could not bear to see me so close to the master."

    "Maybe..."

    The conversation went cold once more, and Gengyo reclined further back on the woollen nket that Akiko hadid out,plimenting the full moon for its brightness.

    It felt strange to see the ducks asleep. Though he supposed that he¡¯d seen it before. Still, he wondered about their sleeping schedule, for they seemed to never sit still throughout the day, whereas a cat would happily lie about for a long time.

    A sleeping duckling drifted a little away from its family, edged on by theke¡¯s current. It was aical sight to see it open its eyes and swim madly to re-join its kin.

    "Hey, Miura-kun."

    "Hmm?"

    "I think, I don¡¯t want to die."

    He turned his head at the odd statement, evaluating the mouth that had uttered them, and the lips that sat slightly ajar revealing a top row of pearly white teeth.

    "I imagine not. I don¡¯t particrly wish to die either."

    "Mm... But, in the end, we¡¯ll most likely die in a few days¡¯ time. I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to deal with that."

    "That¡¯s a bit pessimistic. We have a very good chance of winning ¨C the odds are not stacked too highly against us. You need to stay strong, Niwa-san. I think you¡¯ll find that your father has an important role for you in the battles toe."

    "My father? What? How do you know that? There¡¯s no way."

    "Just a hunch. Anyway, I imagined you¡¯d be feeling a little happier upon being freed from such a marriage. I have to say, your future husband wasn¡¯t exactly a charmer."

    She giggled at his tant understatement.

    "That¡¯s for sure... And I am happy. I just feel a little sad when I think about how it might all end soon."

    "I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much. Your father will do his best for the sake of victory. He¡¯s got Jikouji and Ishiyama to help him out too, so I reckon he¡¯ll be fine."

    "I hope so... I forgot that you¡¯d met Jikouji. He¡¯s such a sweet old man ¨C he¡¯s like having a grandpa."

    "Haha..."

    Heughed grimly, thinking sweet was not exactly the word he would use, especially after he ran a finger along the hefty bruise that stained his forehead.

    "Will this continue, Miura-kun?"

    "What do you mean by this?"

    "Our time by thekeside, together."

    "Would you like it to?"

    She pouted. That was not the response that she had wanted to hear.

    "Are we friends?"

    "Friends with thedy Niwa? I would never presume to be so lucky. But if that is an offer, mydy, then I would bid that you call me by my given name, Tadakata, and we might solidify such a friendship."

    "There you go again, teasing me... but..."

    She blushed lightly, causing Gengyo to feel a certain amount of nostalgia, recalling how fiercely she had blushed when they had first met.

    "Tadakata-kun... you have to call me Akiko too."

    "Sure, Akiko-chan."

    She looked a little upset at how easily he was able to call her by her first name, and she wondered whether to even bother to correct his teasing.

    ¡¯But he¡¯ll keep calling me that in future if I don¡¯t tell him to stop...¡¯

    She reasoned, dreading such a thought.

    "Not ¨Cchan!"

    "Fine. Akiko-kun."

    She sighed, figuring it was the best she could put up with. And it was not as though it was inappropriate anymore, for even though she was the daughter of a samurai, she very much felt ¨C especially in recent times ¨C that they were equals.

    "Well then, Akiko-kun, how about this, in response to your earlier question, why don¡¯t we postpone out next meeting until after we have won the battle? You see, I¡¯m not too fond of that pessimistic attitude of yours, and even if I have to take on the whole army myself, I¡¯ll make sure to prove you wrong."

    She giggled, but was a little saddened by his response. Though she knew it was not done out of ill will, rather done out of the hope that there would indeed be a future for them.

    Still, she could not help but think that this would be theirst time together, should they lose the battle in a few days¡¯ time.

    "You¡¯re thinking something miserable again, aren¡¯t you?"

    "No..."

    She was evidently lying, and they both smiled, knowing full well that he was right.

    "It is a pleasant location, though. Very pleasant indeed."

    "That¡¯s true. It¡¯s a shame you had toe and spoil it when you did ¨C now all the birds are flying away."

    She joked lightly.

    "And yet the swan still remains."

    They both knew full well which swan he was referring to.

    He got to his feet and moved toward the water, lightly dipping a finger in, feeling the cool sensation against his skin. He ventured in the whole palm, and pushed it through the liquid, feeling the way in which the water resisted.

    It was extremely pleasant to focus all of one¡¯s mind on such a peaceful task, as he tried his best to remember the sensation before he lost it for the next few days.

    He did not realize how attached he had be to such a ce, and the significance it had started to bear for him.

    "You¡¯re such a child, Tadakata-kun."

    Akikomented lightly, seeing him sshing in the water.

    He afforded her a carefree smile, motioning for her to do the same.

    She stood up, moving to his side, watching his motion in the water, before attempting to mimic it on her own.

    Instantly she understood why he had such a satisfied smile on his face. The coolness of the water was an anchor that kept her in the moment, and allowed her to fully enjoy everything about it.

    A mard picked up his green head, and stared at them condescendingly, as he went about all his duck activities.

    "We¡¯re even being looked down on by birds now."

    Gengyomented.

    "At least he didn¡¯t say anything out loud."

    A quack a split secondtely immediately invalided her statement, and the two burst out into a fit ofughter, thoroughly frightening the old duck.

    They took their time to enjoy themselves at theke, both realizing that it could be theirst, and then they began the slow walk through the forest, back toward the mansion.

    After warming her foot up a little, Akiko was walking much better now, so their stroll was peaceful.

    "The smell of the forest after a hot day is so pleasant. I wish I could wear it as a perfume."

    "It is indeed. Though I think you might have all manner of insects chasing after to you if you were covered in the scent of the forest."

    "Haha, that might be a way of defeating Toda!"

    "I¡¯ll make sure to mention it to the master, haha."

    "I do like the scent the forest has after rain too. It smells so fresh and peaceful."

    "I would hasten to agree with you. I rarely hear peoplementing on it, so for a while I thought it was only me who could smell it."

    Such was the idle conversation they shared, and before long the mansions gates loomed into view.

    They slowed down to a pace that was all but a crawl, as neither wanted to leave here, and face the future.

    Akiko¡¯s words grew few, and she grew tenser than she had before.

    Gengyo thought he knew the reason for such behaviour, and refrained frommenting.

    That was, until, just as he was about to enter the gate, he felt a pulling on his arm that made him stop.

    A split secondter a small pair of arms found themselves around his back, and a pretty little face was pressed into his chest, her eyes closed tight.

    He was caught off guard by such action, but a momentter, he smiled, and returned her embrace, understanding how she felt.

    "Please... Tadakata-kun... stay safe. You promised we would go back to theke together, so you have to okay?"

    "Mhm, I understand."

    A few droplets of tears squeezed themselves from her closed eyes as she freed herself from his cradle, and hurried through the gates of the mansion before he could respond.

    He watched her silhouette fade, and smiled lightly, clenching his fist.

    ¡¯We¡¯ll win. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡¯

 Chapter 36 - An Unexpected Responsibility

    "Nii-san, wake up! Everyone is going already."

    Rin came in to wake a rather sleepy Gengyo, who was catching up after spending the previous night inside a cage.

    "Mmm... Where are they going?"

    He rubbed his eyes sleepily, not quite sure what was going on.

    She sighed at hisck of awareness, but dutifully exined.

    "We have to go to the market square to train with the rest of the vigers and servants ¨C that¡¯s what the old man servant said."

    "Jikouji?"

    "Mhm, that¡¯s him."

    He pulled himself from beneath his covers, and shrugged on his new kimono, shaking away thest remnants of sleep.

    He, Masaatsu and Rin had been sharing one room, whilst another was used by Fuku and Morohira, and thest was used as a dining area. It was a little cramped with the three of them, but his siblings were careful not to wake him as they went about their business.

    By now all the food in the dining room had been cleared away, and by the looks of it there had been a couple of tasty dishes. However, all that remained were two rice balls, but the young man did not utter a singleint as he picked them up, and followed his family out the door.

    Immediately Morohira was there to poke fun at him for oversleeping.

    "There he is! Sleep well did ya princess?"

    "It was very pleasant. How was your sleep, grandad?"

    "Granddad..."

    Masaatsu was smiling at their banter, looking as refined as ever in his new outfit.

    And Fuku was fussing about them being on time.

    "We better get going..."

    She kept reminding them. But it took Rin¡¯s assertion for any movement to finally happen.

    "Hurry up you slow toads! We¡¯re going to bete."

    And then she marched authoritatively on ahead, toward the wide-open mansion gates.

    "Slow toads..."

    Morohira and Gengyo shared a nce, running the word over in their heads. Almost simultaneously they decided that they were not terribly fond of it, and made haste to overtake Rin.

    She seemed wise to their antics however, and ploughed on even more aggressively ahead.

    Masaatsu and Fuku were left in the dust shaking their heads at such foolishness so early in the morning.

    The courtyard had long since been empty, and the Miura¡¯s seemed to be thest family to leave.

    Just as they were about to pass through the gate, a shout rang out behind them.

    "Oi! Miura-kun!"

    They turned around as one, for it was a name they shared, and to their surprise they saw the panting figure of Nakatane jogging toward them.

    He neared them, and rested with his hands on his knees, breathing wildly.

    "Where... Were you?"

    They all knew who the question was directed at, though it was never specifically mentioned.

    "Asleep, Niwa-san. I did not realize you had need of me."

    "Asleep, is it..? And where... are you going now?"

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow, as he thought that much was obvious.

    "Toward the market square, like all the other people."

    A prompt smack on the top of his head determined whether that was the correct reply.

    "You buffoon, you¡¯re a bow ashigaru, why would you be attending yari training?"

    "Oh... so that¡¯s what it was."

    "Correct. Now, tell me again, where are you going?"

    "I¡¯m not sure... I¡¯ve passed the test, so perhaps to training?"

    He raised his hand as though to smack him again, and the young man flinched in response, but he was made to look foolish as the hand continued onwards toward his own head, which he then scratched.

    "What¡¯s the matter with youd, got a twitch?"

    Gengyo could tell that he was struggling to stop himself from smiling, and that question was by no means genuine, so he ¨C in a futile attempt to retain his dignity ¨C chose to ignore it.

    "But as a matter of fact, you are wrong, again. There are currently 30 men waiting at the archery range behind my house. You¡¯re going to go there, and evaluate your futurerades."

    None of the Miura family looked surprised when they heard that Gengyo had made it into the bow ashigaru. After the demonstration of his skill that night, in their hearts, they had all but confirmed that he would enter.

    Still, they did not expect him to be admitted so soon, and to have skipped the test was unheard of. But of course they did not know what he was up to yesterday morning.

    "Oh, in that case, can I bring my brother along? He wants to try out for the bow ashigaru to."

    The young man pointed toward his older brother, who received the gaze of Nakatane with a stoic expression etched upon his face, and with a light bow to demonstrate his respect.

    Internally, Nakatane nodded vigorously with the approval. The young man was in his mannerisms and appearance far ahead of that of the majority of samurai youth.

    "Very well. Young man, follow your brother to the archery grounds. I have a matter to attend to, and then I will be with you shortly."

    He then turned on his heel to leave, and headed toward one of the other buildings that were scattered across the mansions vast grounds.

    Gengyo bid farewell to his family.

    "Well, I suppose I¡¯ll see youter then. Have fun with training!"

    "But me and mum aren¡¯t going to be training..."

    Rin corrected. The women were told to attend for a different reason.

    "Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be so sure."

    Furrowing her eyebrows at his cryptic words, she went quiet.

    Morohira used that opportunity to hurry things forward, as they were already extremelyte.

    "Well, good luck with your test Masaatsu".

    "Yup, good luck, Masaatsu!"

    Fuku joined in.

    His epted their best wishes with a small smile, feeling rather nervous about the whole affair. But soon his family were heading down the road into the vige, and he was left to follow his younger brother as he felt the pressure mounting.

    Gengyo skirted around the outside of the building, heading towards the grounds that he knew would be beyond. As soon as they rounded the corner, and the first sumo ring loomed into sight, they could already see a group of nervous-looking men.

    They stood hovering near the archery range, some evaluating the distance to the targets, and others merely standing still, trying to still the quickness of their racing hearts.

    There were none that he recognised amongst the 30, but there were a good amount who seemed to recognise him. They looked Gengyo and Masaatsu up and down with wonder, trying to figure out exactly what good fortune had been thrown their way for them to be dressed sovishly.

    Most in the vige had given him up as dead after they heard the news of the murders. And when they saw Toda galloping away with his men in tow, his death had all but been confirmed.

    Yet here he was, with his brother beside him, looking better than he ever had in his life.

    A series of murmurs passed round, and before long a youth who was a little older than Gengyo stepped forward and posed a question.

    "Are you both here for the ashigaru test?"

    It seemed like a silly question, but given how they were dressed, no one could be sure. He did not exude confidence as he asked it either, and stood stiffly, his voice on the point of quivering.

    "He is, I¡¯m just watching."

    That raised even more mutterings as they wondered why someone who was not taking the test would be able to simply stand there and watch. It was a mandatory requirement for all who were not in the bow ashigaru to endure yari training.

    The brothers ignored them as they shared a quiet conversation, with Gengyo pointing out features of interest within the training area, as Nakatane had done with him the day prior.

    It took a further ten minutes before the master showed himself, strolling into the training area idly.

    "Miura-kun."

    "Yes?"

    "Why haven¡¯t you started?"

    "Pardon?"

    "I asked you to take over the exam, did I not?"

    "I don¡¯t think so-"

    "Well, you wereining about the test yesterday. So why don¡¯t you show me what a better test looks like?"

    "Right now? With no preparation?"

    "Exactly. Good luck. I¡¯ll be watching from over here."

    Nakatane did exactly as he said, and moved to sit on the porch, arranging himself sofortably that it looked as though he had been sat there all morning.

    Gengyo rubbed his temples. The master was a hard man to keep up with. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he was simply over evaluating his ability, or whether he expected everyone around him to be able to read his mind. Either way, he had made an affirmation the previous day, and did not n to break it so quickly.

    Instead, he turned to his fellow peasants who were staring at him wide-eyed, wondering how on earth he was able to interact with the master so freely.

    He opened his mouth to speak, but could not stop the sigh that came out first.

    "...As you know, I am Miura Tadakata. Yesterday, I took the bow ashigaru test, and now today, it seems I will be overseeing you as you take yours."

    "Now, I imagine you¡¯re all quite familiar with the procedure, as it is not exactly ssified information. But today, we¡¯re going to switch it up a little."

    He paused briefly as he wondered just how he was going to switch it up, and then he decided he would simply evaluate them based on his own training routine.

    "Okay. You will shoot at ranges of 50 paces, 75 paces, and 100. You will get one shot at each range. The three ranges will be worth 1, 2 and 3 points respectively, providing you hit the target. No extra points will be awarded for securing the bullseye."

    He nced around the yard, and spied the gong that he had seen yesterday. It had arge log that served as a striker, and such a log was strung up by two sets of thick twine, and when allowed to, it would oscite freely. He chose that to hold the target for the motion test.

    "There will also be a motion test. You will have the same ranges, but the targets will be moving. Each hit will be worth three times the points. In order to pass this test you need eight points. Does everyone understand?"

    As ever, his public speaking skills were impable, and he showed not the slightest hint of nervousness, and even passed his gaze along the row of men before him, inviting them into the discussion.

    The young man from earlier stuck his hand up.

    "Yes?"

    "What if less than ten people pass?"

    The pessimistic question reflected his confidence entirely, and even the coldest man might feel a little bad for him.

    But Gengyo did not afford him any raft to cling on to. He wanted all the participants to do their best, without any kind of safety.

    "Then I will be very disappointed."

    Nakatane was watching the proceedings intently, though he tried his best to be casual. If you looked closely, the smallest hint of a smile could be seen on his face, trying its best to breakthrough.

    "I should be over here..."

    Masaatsu, of his own ord, walked over to where the rest of the participants were standing, before looking toward his brother expectantly.

    Gengyo acknowledged his decision with the briefest of nods, before assuming his role as the bow ashigaru examiner.

    "Alright then, let¡¯s get started."

    He pointed toward the man who was closest to the range, and gestured for him to step up to the mark.

    There was a bow, and a quiver of arrows lying ready against a stand, and he took them up with shaking fingers.

 Chapter 37 - Yumi Ashigaru Exam

    Gengyo did not make an attempt to still the man¡¯s nerves as he looked toward him, wondering if he should begin.

    "Go whenever you¡¯re ready."

    He nocked the arrow unsteadily, and took aim. His form was poor, and his focus was off, but by some miracle the arrow managed to pin itself into the very edge of the 50 pace target.

    The man nced toward him once more, this time smiling, clearly gleeful at securing the first shot.

    "Good. One point secured. Next target."

    He moved to the 75 pace range, a little more confident than before. He was able to calm his nerves this time, and correct his form.

    The arrow flew more purposefully, and secured itself within the soft straw target.

    "Two more points. Three points in total. Next target."

    The rest of the men watched on, looking tense. They knew that it would be them soon, and whilst they didn¡¯t especially want to see someone be humiliated, they did not want anyone to do well either, for that would lower their own chances of passing.

    The same man attempted the hundred pace range ¨C a range that very few of them had trained at ¨C and missed by a good distance, but still he walked away feeling rather pleased with himself.

    "Need to get 5 points on the motion one... then I¡¯m in."

    His buddy congratted him with a p on the shoulder, before stepping up to the line next, feeling the added pressure of his friend doing well and not wanting to be the one to fail.

    It was only then that Gengyo realized he¡¯d made an oversight. Whilst he was confident in his memory, it was still a push to record the points of 31 people. That, if simplified to its fullest, was at least 31 digits, and the maximum capacity of the average human¡¯s short term memory was said to be 7.

    He did not want to risk it.

    He turned to his brother for assistance.

    "Brother. Remember this man¡¯s points for a moment. I need to speak with Niwa-san."

    Masaatsu nodded withoutint.

    He then apologised to the man who was about to fire.

    "Sorry, I will be away for a few moments, but you can start whenever you like. Good luck."

    He patted him on the shoulder, before turning his back on the events that would unfold behind him, and walked toward the master, who sat idly, fanning himself.

    He pretended to be surprised as Gengyo drew near.

    "Ah! Young Miura, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

    "I¡¯m assigning the men points. Do you have some spare sheets of paper, and possibly a pot of ink and a brush so that I might keep track of their scores?"

    "Hohoh, are you suggesting that you will write their names down, Miura-kun?"

    "I am."

    "Do you remember when I asked you, on the eve of your father¡¯s grand fight, whether you had a teacher?"

    "I do."

    "Could it be, that you lied?"

    "It¡¯s moreplicated than that. My teacher does not exist in this world."

    Put off by his curious way of phrasing, Nakatane took it to mean that his teacher had died, and ended the discussion at that.

    "Ah, so that is what you meant. Very well, I will fetch you those little utensils. How cruel you are, to interrupt your master¡¯s quiet time in the shade! s, life is but a stream of misery."

    He ended up soliloquizing alone, for Gengyo had long since thanked him with a bow, and returned back to overseeing the exam.

    Nakatane stood up, and briefly watched over the young man¡¯s performance, before heaving a sigh and wandering up to his room.

    By the time he returned, they had already gotten through 9 participants. It must be said of the master that when he was inclined to do so, he could move frightfully slowly, even a tortoise would have to tip his shell at his mightyck of speed.

    He hovered quietly behind Gengyo who was in the midst of giving out instructions to the next participant. The man had imed never to have held a bow like that before, and for some odd reason was having trouble nocking, though the process itself was rather self-evident. Still, the examiner ¨C who was almost 30 years younger than he ¨C dutifully tough him how.

    The man stood out from the rest of the participants by the air of calmness he exuded, which was second to only that of Masaatsu.

    Even when he could not fathom how to nock the arrow, he did not grow fl.u.s.tered, nor did Gengyo grow impatient.

    And as it happens, that was the right choice on the part of the younger man, as the old fellow proceeded to bring the string back with skill, andnd a bullseye at both the 50 pace range and the 75 pace range, before hitting the target just short of the centre at 100 paces.

    It was then that Nakatane chose to interrupt ¨C though the other participants had long since been staring at him nervously ¨C and offer Gengyo his stationary.

    "Here you are,d. Now I will be sitting in the shade, understood? It would be best not to disturb me."

    Gengyo ignored the threat at the end, and quickly thanked him, before turning to the old archer who was still waiting by his side.

    "What¡¯s your name friend?"

    "Niiro."

    "Niiro? 6 points. You shot well."

    He wrote the man¡¯s name down on the thin washi paper as he spoke, taking care to keep his characters small. As he could not ask the man what kanji his name was spelt with ¨C since very few peasants were able to read or write ¨C he simply wrote down the names in hiragana.

    "And you?"

    He asked of the person who had gone before Niiro, who then promptly stated his name. Gengyo had memorised the number of points those few people had gathered, so that was not an issue for him.

    The vigers were muttering about him being able to write, but when he nced toward them they soon silenced.

    And then they proceeded on with the testing, with Masaatsu up next.

    His older brother shot well, securing one bullseye at the closest range, and hitting both of the targets at the higher ranges.

    Of the first test, there was only one other participant that reached the level of Masaatsu and Niiro, and that was the youth from earlier, who had been standing for thest hour ¨C whilst the rest were doing their tests ¨C whispering wildly to himself, as he shivered in apprehension of the exam ahead.

    When he grasped the bow however, despite still being nervous, there was a different look in his eye. Or there would have been had he kept them open.

    Watching him, Gengyo was a little befuddled. He secured the right aim, but before he shot, he closed his eyes tight shut, before pulling his fingers away from the string. His lips were moving rapidly all the while, as though in prayer.

    His prayers were seemingly answered, as the first shot was a perfect bullseye. He looked ted for a split second, before his shoulders drooped once more and he began to scold himself in a fit of pessimism.

    "You can proceed to the next shot."

    Gengyo encouraged him onwards, a little intrigued by his mannerisms.

    He proceeded to the next target, his mad begging to some god or other growing furthermore intense, so much so that Gengyo could almost make out words.

    And then the arrow was released, firmly puncturing the centre of the bullseye.

    He went to celebrate, before swiftly stopping himself and resuming his muttering, moving on to thest target.

    With this, he secured the most spectacr shot of the exam. A centremost bullseye. Even Niiro had to nod his head in respect at such an achievement, whilst the rest of the peasants ¨C especially those that had scored poorly ¨C looked from the target, back to the pale boy in shock.

    They had all pegged him as a nonentity due to his self-deprecating mannerisms and sickly appearance. Thatbined with his maniacal mutterings was more than enough for them to stop paying him any attention.

    The one who reacted least was the archer himself. Though, this time, he did not scold himself, so Gengyo supposed that he might be happy with such a result.

    And with that young man, the first test was concluded. Gengyoter learned that his name was Kitajo.

    After some fiddling with the gong, and moving it out of the way of the striker ¨C so that the striker could swing freely ¨C and affixing a target to the beam, they were ready for the second part of the test.

    He had wondered whether the master mightin about his manhandling of the ceremonial gong, but had deemed it inappropriate to ask for permission. After all, Nakatane had expressly told him that he was not be bothered, had he not?

    "So, the rules are simple. I¡¯ve set up the three marks for you to stand behind ¨C 50, 75 and 100. I will swing the striker, and from there you have three seconds to shoot. If you take longer than three seconds, then that shot no longer counts. Any questions?"

    A thin arm stuck itself into the air.

    "Other than what happens if less than ten people make the cut?"

    And back down it slowly slithered.

    "Good. Well, same order asst time. Let¡¯s get going."

    The first man walked up to his mark, nervous. He drew his string, and waited for Gengyo to set the log in motion.

    "Go!"

    Came the shout as the striker simultaneously started moving. The man ¨C put off by the time limit ¨C released his arrow much too early, before he had a clear grasp for the motion of the device. And as a result, his arrow missed by a good distance.

    He cursed aloud, and hurried to the next mark, intent on making up for his mistake.

    This time, after the starting shout he spent a second longer, attempting to predict where the swinging log would end up. But he had not looked long enough, for the target sailed away from the path of his freshly released arrow.

    And on the third shot, he spent far too long.

    "Times up!"

    The examiner called, putting a halt to the test.

    "F.u.c.k!"

    The man cursed, mming the bow off the floor in his frustration.

    ¡¯It¡¯s so f.u.c.k.i.n.g unfair! Why this year?¡¯

    He thought to himself, before his rage lent him a false confidence and he spoke aloud.

    "This is bullshit, kid! This test is f.u.c.k.i.n.g impossible! No one is ever going to be able to hit three of those in a row ¨C especially at 100 paces. Why the f.u.c.k do we need to anyway?"

    There were a few murmurs of agreement from amongst the men.

    "Pass me the bow."

    Gengyo walked forward, undeterred by his words.

    "Eh!?"

    "Give me the bow."

    The man spat at his feet, before handing the bow over, thinking he was about to proceed on with the testing.

    But contrary to his expectations he nocked an arrow, and to the man he turned and spoke.

    "Go on then, push it."

    The man looked at him doubtfully, his face still twisted in a scowl. But still, he did as he said. Who would not want to see the man fail his own test?

    ¡¯He¡¯s even trying from 100 paces too ¨C what a disgrace.¡¯

    He heaved the striker backward as far as he could, before sending it forward with all the strength he could muster. Such a force rocked the frame that was holding it up, but it managed to keep itself from copsing.

    However, the striker was moving at a vicious speed, obviously done out of spite. It was at least three times faster than what the man had to aim at.

    But Gengyo did notin, even as the man counted the seconds loudly, and instead, he narrowed his gaze, and aimed for the middle.

 Chapter 38 - Yumi Ashigaru Exam (2)

    THUNK

    Before the arrow had even hit he had already turned back around to face the participants.

    "This test is nothing if not doable. Do you really think that the enemy will stand still, or walk into the path of your arrow? Folly."

    They looked from him, back to the arrow sitting in the centre of the bullseye, as the target still swung back and forth. A few gulped, realising the exact calibre of the man they were dealing with ¨C it was no wonder the master had put him in charge.

    Nakatane smiled widely from behind his fan as he watched the proceedings. It was unfortunate for the vige man that it was Gengyo who he had chosen to underestimate.

    Gengyo then turned to nce at the man who was still standing beside the swinging striker, looking stunned. In front of 30 people he had been proven to be a fool. His skill was simply not adequate. And in throwing a fit of rage he had further dishonoured himself.

    "With a total of three points you have not passed the bow ashigaru test. Next participant."

    And so the man¡¯s fate was decided, as he looked around the training grounds, wondering where to go. He thought he should leave, but in the end decided to stand a ways away, so that he could wait and see how his friend had done.

    The motion test was cruel in a sense, for none had been prepared to face it. But that was a fault on their own part. Instead of training to pass the test, they should have trained themselves for battle, and then the test would have been an easy essory to aplish.

    As it happened, few managed tond an arrow, and those that did could have been said to have done it out of luck. But such was the nature of the test: difficult, but the rewards were immense.

    The man¡¯s friend was the second to fail, but he epted it with far more grace than hisrade.

    Seemingly expecting such an oue from himself, he gave a self-deprecating smile before moving to join his buddy.

    The first to hit a target on the test was old man Niiro, who secured the 50 pace target without any changes in his technique. He merely waited for the target to near the centre, and shot as he normally would. At the 50 pace range this was adequate, as his uracy with static targets was phenomenal, so he was allowed a ratherrge margin of error, and managed to pin his arrow in the outer rims of the target.

    The same strategy was not enough to carry him through thest two targets however, and he missed those by a decent margin.

    He bowed lightly toward Gengyo after he shot, awaiting judgement.

    "8 points. Niiro-san, you¡¯ve passed."

    Though his position ¨C at least at that current moment ¨C was higher than that of Niiro, he would not bring himself to talk down to the man, by affording him a lesser honorific. Positions of power are often temporary after all, and it would be foolish to offend people ¨C especially those of skill ¨C during your reign.

    The other participants who were stilled unsettled upon seeing another examinee secure a target on the motion were not given a chance to breathe, as up straight after Niiro was Masaatsu.

    Gengyo watched his older brother walk up to the mark expectantly. He knew what his training had entailed ¨C with hunting animals and the like ¨C and was keen to see how he would perform.

    "Ready?"

    "Ready."

    He pushed the striker as he called out the startingmand.

    He flinched, as a split secondter an arrow pinned itself firmly into the target on the striker that had just swung near his head.

    "Aha..."

    He uttered a dryugh, stilling his rapidly beating heart. He knew his brother would be urate, but he had not expected him to be so fast.

    He stepped forward a few steps, to observe the position of the arrow on the target. It was just touching the red of the bullseye. An excellent shot.

    Masaatsu had not been concerned with pinpoint uracy when training, he had merely been bothered with hitting the target, for if you were an animal, say a bird or a squirrel, if an arrow hit you at all you would be finished. It waspletely unnecessary to be aiming for the eyes or the like.

    The crowd gulped once more.

    "They¡¯re monsters..."

    "Yup, I¡¯m guessing it runs in the family?"

    He had made it look so effortless that even on the first shot all got a taste of his skill.

    They moved to the 75 pace range, and yet another target was secured. This arrownded a little further from the bullseye than the other, but it was still a respectable distance from the outer rim.

    And then on the final shot, contrary to the first two shots, he paused a couple of seconds, tracing the motion of the osciting striker with his bow, before finally, he released.

    It was a flight that did not look as certain as the previous two, and upon the initial milliseconds of release, observers had deemed it certain to miss. However, just before it passed the striker, it was offered the very edge of the target.

    CLAP CLAP CLAP

    Niiro stood there, shaking his head wordlessly as he apuded such skill. He now knew full well the difficulty of such a shot, and it felt wrong not to pay it its due respect.

    Masaatsu bowed lightly in his direction, epting his praise.

    "With a total of 18 points you have passed the bow ashigaru test. Well done, brother."

    He patted his older brother on the shoulder, who attempted his usual stoicism, but could not stop the slightest slither of a smile breaking out. That soon transitioned into a full-blown grin.

    "Thanks Tadakata. I¡¯m not at your level yet, but soon... Haha."

    Gengyo weed suchpetition wholeheartedly. If his brother were to outperform him in the art of the bow, he would be nothing but happy.

    "You¡¯re very close. I can see your hunting has paid off."

    "Yes, I suppose it has. I never thought such training practices would prove to be this helpful though. But then, I never thought my brother would be the one examining me!"

    Nakatane had been observing the older sibling with interest, impressed by what he saw.

    "So there¡¯s another little monster amongst that Miura family? What kind of deeds did their ancestors do to have so much talent concentrated in one ce?"

    He muttered to himself, listing their different skills upon his fingers, as he remembered the awe-inspiring fight between Morohira and Kyougoku.

    Thest participant of note was the frail-looking Kitajo, who Gengyo watched approaching with interest, wondering how he might hit moving targets whilst he shot with his eyes closed.

    "Hello Kitajo-kun, are you ready?"

    The tense boy looked up sharply, as though surprised to be asked such a question.

    "Ah... yes."

    He didn¡¯t exactly radiate confidence, but the young examiner allowed him to set up as he pleased without interfering, and instead walked toward the position of the striker.

    His eyes were already closed and his bow was drawn, causing Gengyo to frown a little as he sent the striker into motion, calling out to the candidate.

    He did not even open his eyes then, and instead did his routine wild muttering before releasing the arrow.

    It travelled confidently, at a good speed, but in theplete wrong direction. Instead of toward the target, it seemed to be an assassination attempt as it only barely missed Gengyo by the tiniest of amounts.

    He opened his eyes, and looked around, wondering where the arrow had gone. He looked like a cat that had just entered a room for the first time.

    And when he saw it embedded in a nk of wood only a few centimetres from the examiners head ¨C who was staring toward him with an eyebrow raised ¨C he grew panicked.

    "Ah! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Didn¡¯t mean to do that."

    Gengyo shook his head, not holding a grudge in the least. Still, he was surprised by such inuracy, especially from the boy who had shot so brilliantly on the standing targets.

    He waved those concerns away, and asked him to proceed to the next mark, before he pushed the striker, and this time found something to hide behind.

    This time his eyes were open by the smallest amount, allowing him to see the tiniest of slithers of the world around him. He was no longer muttering, and was instead speaking quietly.

    "Please, please, please let me hit the target, please, I will give you all my voured rice balls for a month, please, please."

    Now that he had heard the contents of his begging, the young examiner wished he hadn¡¯t.

    The arrow was sent, as Gengyo made sure to keep himself firmly tucked away behind his shield.

    THUD

    ¡¯Well, he¡¯s hit something, at least.¡¯

    He thought to himself, poking a head out to try and track it down.

    To his surprise, and to that of the rest of the observers, the arrow had managed to find its way into the soft straw of the target.

    He grinned upon seeing that.

    ¡¯That¡¯s more like it.¡¯

    Though Kitajo was a stranged, and his shooting style was far from conventional, he¡¯d found himself hoping he would pass after seeing his incredible performance on the static targets. If he could learn to shoot moving targets ¨C and perhaps with his eyes open ¨C he would be a valuable asset in the battles toe.

    He watched the boy shoot his final shot with a greater amount of expectation, and was not too disappointed as he saw it miss the target by a pretty small amount.

    "10 points. Congrattions Kitajo, you¡¯ve passed."

    "Ah? What? But I missed?"

    "Correct. But you¡¯ve secured the 8 points necessary to pass."

    "Oh... Oh! Ok! Thank you!"

    That head of his that was inclined to arger degree of pessimism than most finally got word of his victory, and a big smile blossomed on his face as he walked over to stand beside Masaatsu and Niiro who had also passed.

    Of the rest of the participants, none was particrly impressive, but a further two managed to pass by the skin of their teeth.

    And so, on Gengyo¡¯s improvised test, only 5 people had passed, meaning that they failed to meet their quota of 10 by 4 ¨C if you included Gengyo.

    The solution to that was extremely simple, as there were 4 participants that had secured 6 points.

    "Since no one else managed to get 8 points, you four also pass."

    He pointed to four men who had been looking rather despondent at having failed the test, cheering them up instantly.

    No one dared toin about the testings any longer, or the way the final participants were chosen. As now, it had been proven, that it was done fairly and with reason and was by no means an impossible test.

    Nakatane strolled over after the rest of the candidates were sent home, and only the 10 men that would serve in his bow ashigaru were left.

    They stood in a line ¨C of which Gengyo was not part of ¨C and he walked beside them, looking into their eyes and evaluating their reactions.

    ¡¯They¡¯re certainly an interesting bunch.¡¯

    Was his final conclusion. Of course, there were a couple of normal men mixed in there, but the vast majority of those who had passed could be deemed as odd in some way. And it made sense too, for only those that had not stuck to convention had the skill set necessary to pass.

    ¡¯It was a good choice to let thed do the exam ¨C good choice Nakatane.¡¯

    Heplimented himself for his idea, and patted thed in question on the shoulder as he did so.

 Chapter 39 - Yari Training

    Having been awoken earlier than normal by her father, Akiko struggled to stifle a yawn as she rode atop her patient mare, amongst the guards who were heading to a training session in the centre of town.

    Her father had told her that he was unable to attend, and having her go in his ce would raise the morale of those training.

    She hadn¡¯t protested in the slightest, as there would be nothing else for her to do that day, and if anything she was d to be able to help.

    The servants had gone on ahead, and even the guards that would be part of the bow ashigaru had been told to attend, so almost everyone in the vige would be present - including all the women. That was, of course, aside from those taking the bow ashigaru test.

    She recalled Gengyo mentioning something about wishing to join the bow ashigaru, and briefly considered whether or not he would be taking part in that morning¡¯s exams. She would have wished him luck with all her heart, yet she knew that was thest thing he needed. After having the privilege of watching him train, she knew the basic test that her father carried out would be a breeze.

    They overtook some of the families that were runningte to the training session, and they all stopped to bow in her direction. It made her feel rather awkward, but she still offered them the most genuine smile she could muster.

    Though she had spent most of her life in this little vige of theirs, she had rarely ventured outside the protective mansion walls, and as a result the people she saw were basically strangers to her.

    "We¡¯re nearing the market ce, mydy."

    The guard to her left informed her, though it was something she already knew herself.

    The number of people were growing, as was the noise, with the vast majority of the vigers hovering in the market square.

    That is not to say that the square was too full, or that there was no space to move ¨C quite the contrary. The square wasrge enough tofortably hold a number that was even five timesrger than what there were.

    It grew a degree quieter when they caught sight of the beautiful Akiko sitting high on her white horse, smiling gently down at them.

    She hurriedly dismounted ¨C much to theint of her guards ¨C as not to offend anyone. It was natural for most samurai daughters to feelfortable standing higher than peasants, but that was no longer the case for her.

    Since meeting Gengyo her views had developed considerably, and she no longer viewed them as separate to her, rather as a part of the same collective. This was especially the case now that they were in a time of war, and each and every one of them would have to join together if they wanted to have any hope at defeating their foes.

    The vigers stared at her, wide-eyed. She did not realize just how beautiful she was. Even if they overcame the fact that she was of the samurai ss, there were very few that would be willing to approach her.

    She bowed deeply toward them, as the crowd of people gawked, their jaws dropping,pletely thrown off guard by such a development. Small children tugged on their parent¡¯s sleeves, begging to be lifted up so they might see something other than a sea of legs.

    "Let¡¯s work hard today."

    They were simple enough words, but her intent was genuine, and felt by everyone present.

    A certain love-struck youth in the back gave a yell, with his fist pumped into the air.

    "Yeah!!!"

    Much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the crowd that soon became a rumbling sea of chuckles, even Akiko could not suppress a smile at his boldness.

    But when theughter died down, she did not let it go unmentioned.

    "Thank you for your support."

    With her approval, the youngd ¨C who must have been at most fourteen ¨C grinned widely, his previous embarrassment forgotten.

    Jikouji watched on from his saddle with approval, deeming the timing to be right as he rode forward.

    "Thank you for heeding the master¡¯s summons, people of Toyone."

    He did not shout, but his voice carried across the open square, heard by all. With the receptiveness that Akiko had created, they were all more than willing to listen.

    "Today, as you know, we will be engaging in Yari training ¨C however, this time, things will be done a little differently."

    "Instead of the women making our meals today, they will join the men in training with the spear ¨C though it will not be to train their battle technique, it will be to train their spirit, for in the fight ahead the strength of one¡¯s spirit will y just as big a role as one¡¯s sword."

    It was important that he praised it in this way. Should Toda choose to send men to attack the vige in advance of the battle, he would normally send few, ten at most. Yet if he was to learn that the women would be armed, he would no doubt send much more, invalidating their strategy.

    It was an idea that Gengyo had proposed in the meeting, but Jikouji had the experience necessary to make it effective.

    It was well-received, and there was a certain excitement present throughout all of those present. The men were increasingly motivated enjoying the chance to show off a little to their spouses, or perhaps even to a love interest. And the women were keen to try what they had always seen the men do.

    Even Akiko had not known what was toe, and was looking up at Jikouji with surprise written all over her face.

    He shot her a warm smile before continuing on.

    "As such, thedy Niwa will be training with us, so work hard!"

    There were a few genuine cheers at that, mainly from young men, but some women joined in too, voicing the excitement that they were feeling.

    And so the guards proceeded to mill through the crowd, organising the people into ranks, so that by the end there was a square of about 150 people ¨C each with a good few metres between them and the next person ¨C all equipped with wooden staffs that would serve as a substitute for a spear.

    Those too old or too injured to fight had been helped to one side of the square, slightly away from the training, and were asked to contribute to making a meal. That was not to say that they were extraordinarily busy. There was more than enough time for them to watch over the training. It was a peaceful, pleasant affair.

    Jikouji stood at the very front of the ranks of people ¨C both guards and peasants ¨C and waited patiently for a silence to fall.

    "Good. You will do as I do ¨C watch closely."

    He performed the most basic of thrusts, but with such powerful technique. He twisted his h.i.p.s, and forced his shoulder forward with aggression. A fearsome strike.

    The people followed, sending out their strikes. Those that had taken part in such practices before ¨C mainly the guards ¨C let out a "YAH!" toplement their motion.

    "Louder!"

    Jikouji ordered. Shouting helped to force the breath out of the lungs in a manner that was necessary for creating a powerful strike.

    "Again!"

    They had struck forth three times, and by now there was a simultaneous "YAH!" sounding across the entire market swear. It was a mighty sound to behold. If an observer were to be hit with such a roar, and not feel the slightest trembling of emotion, then I do dere that such a man has long since grown cold.

    Akiko approached the training with seriousness, her brow furrowed in concentration. It was a practise that she had always wished to engage in, and so she would not forgive herself if she did not give it her all.

    Elsewhere amongst the crowd, there was another youngdy that shared such a mindset, though hers was a more recent acquisition.

    The youngdy Rin ¨C or perhaps she might be mistaken to be such, but there was never a woman to be more like a tiger than she ¨C wielded her spear with a passion. She did not care for appearance in the least. Instead, she allowed herself to be overwhelmed by an honest desire to perform the strike until perfection.

    Her mother beside her already had the beginnings of sweat forming on her brow. She was a softer sort than her daughter, but with a fearsome heart, and though she could never im to be able to take a life, she still wished to support her family as much as she could ¨C whatever might be asked of her.

    Morohira grinned at the passion of his daughter, understanding it more than anyone else.

    He believed his shout to be more fearsome than anyone¡¯s present, and his strike more perfect, wielding his spear with more vigour than three menbined.

    His belief was supported by the nces of the men surrounding him that contained a hint of reverence.

    "Continue."

    Jikouji ordered, before walking through the ranks of people, correcting form and offering hints where he deemed necessary. He paid particr attention to Akiko, for he knew just how much this meant to her.

    "Aim your point a little higher, and aim to keep your shaft perfectly horizontal."

    "Like this?"

    She demonstrated the strike with his improvements.

    "Good."

    He proceeded onwards through the crowd, wandering past the Miura family. He paused for a few seconds, observing the spirit of Morohira before shaking his head.

    In his shadow he noticed a young tigress struggling to show her fearsome might. Heplimented her focus, before interrupting it as he offered her improvements.

    As it happens, it was much the same advice that he had given Akiko earlier. She epted his corrections with dignity, taking not the slightest offence nor feeling her confidence ebb in the least. All that her focus allowed her to care for was improvement, and she could tell with one strike that the form in which she had just been shown was superior.

    They practised the basic thrust for a good amount of time. The yari is an unwieldy weapon, and heavy, but extremely effective. Even if dulled it could pierce the thickest of armours should it have enough weight behind it.

    But as the master duellist Miyamoto Mushashi once said: "They are good for the field and nothing more." Jikouji was of the same opinion, in that they were only useful in a battlefield situation due to how c.u.mbersome they were. As such, there was no need for fancy techniques, and the single most powerful thing the future soldiers in front of him could learn was how to thrust.

    ¡¯Perfect that, and you will conqueror.¡¯

    He reasoned to himself.

    A few hours of thrusting passed, and the spirit of many began to die. Judging it to be time, Jikouji called for a break, and sent them to have lunch.

    There were sighs of relief as they dropped the heavy yari to the ground, and dragged themselves over to the eating area.

    After lunch, there was a slight change in setup.

    "I have noticed when watching you all thrust, that the same mistakes are being made by many people. To make my teaching to those people easier, I will split you into groups."

    He began with a point toward Akiko, who stood in the front most row.

    "Lady Niwa, the point of your spear is still dipping."

    She epted what most would see as shaming with grace, nodding lightly. He had chosen her first because he had hoped she would react as she did, so that he could avoid offending anyone ¨C and thus breaking their spirit ¨C right off the bat.

    "Youngdy of the Miura family, you face the same problem. Come up here and stand besidedy Akiko, if you will."

 Chapter 40 - Yari Training (2)

    He then pointed to a few other people - most of which being women as the problem was one caused by ack of strength.

    They were then sent to another part of the square, and told to get into partners.

    "Your job as partners will be to keep watch on each other¡¯s form. If their point dips, let them know."

    Jikouji exined, before leaving them to sort the pairings out amongst themselves, and returning back to the rest of the waiting vigers.

    Most of the people within the group knew one another, and so they were able to quickly establish partners. Even the few men in the group did not have trouble.

    Akiko, on the other hand, nced around rapidly, trying to search for someone who would be willing to pair with her. There was an awkward smile hanging from her lips as she worried about being left tillst, or without a partner at all.

    Rin watched her acting like a frightened rabbit for a little while, before shaking her head, and pulling on thedy¡¯s sleeve.

    "I¡¯ll go with you."

    Relief passed over Akiko¡¯s face, alongside recognition as she remembered Rin¡¯s face.

    "Ah, thank you Miura-kun."

    She said a little breathlessly, evidently extremely pleased to have finally found a partner.

    Rin did not go out of her way to make the older womanfortable, and instead walked a distance away, setting up her stance with her wooden pole in hands.

    "Ready?"

    Thedy adopted a more serious expression, mirroring her partner¡¯s ready position before nodding.

    They both struck out at the same time, eyeing each other keenly. It was not just her form that Rin was critical of, it was everything about her.

    "YAH!"

    There was not a single fault in their first strike, and so they wordlessly transitioned into the second.

    "YAH!"

    It soon became a test of endurance, as they continued to send out strike after strike, attempting to hide their fatigue. Akiko did not know when she had begun topete with Rin, but it certainly had not taken long for her to be influenced by the younger woman¡¯spletive air.

    Under the heat of the midday sun, they were very soon glistening with sweat. But even as these salty droplets stung their eyes, they remained entirely focused, intent on not being the first to lose.

    The rest of the group - who had taken several breaks already - shared nces as they stared across at the unyielding maidens who had not lowered their spear once for almost an hour.

    Jikouji ¨C who had been keeping an eye on them for a while ¨C had a light smile on his face. He did not know quite why they had reacted to each other so strongly, but he thought that he might have some sort of inclining.

    "Sorry Miura-kun, the point of your spear dipped a little too much on thatst strike."

    Announced Akiko, breathlessly.

    "Funny... I was just about to say the same to you Niwa-kun."

    The older woman¡¯s brow twitched slightly at the honorific used, but she did not wish to lower herself to such pettiness in front of the fiery littledy before her.

    They leant heavily on their wooden poles, breathing wildly as they attempted to assert their im to victory in their unofficial contest.

    "Really, Niwa-kun, for thest few hundred strikes your form has been less than perfect, it was only just now that I decided to say anything, as not to hurt thedy¡¯s feelings."

    "You needn¡¯t have worried. If the point of my spear was dipping at all, then it was only because I was so distracted by your inability to keep yours high."

    "Huh? I did not realize the samurai were such sore losers."

    "Quite the contrary, Miura-kun, for I did not lose."

    "Ohh, true... you did lose quite a while ago."

    "True? It seems we are in agreement then, I won, correct?"

    "A pretty face, but very clogged ears it seems. Perhaps you should clean those out before we talk any further."

    "How rude..."

    "Shall we continue then? Since you don¡¯t want to ept that you¡¯ve lost."

    "Hoh, the same to you. Since you are unwilling to ept your defeat, this time we will make it all the more obvious."

    They resumed their stances and went back to thrusting. Much the same pattern continued on throughout the day, with neither one of them willing to ept defeat.

    And then the training practice began to draw to a close, and they all gathered to feast on the dinner that had been prepared for them beforehand.

    "By my counting, I¡¯ve won 5 times, and you zero."

    "There are a couple of ws in your calctions there, Miura-kun, in fact it was I who won 5 times, and you zero."

    Though the practice had drawn to a close, their arguments still continued.

    A group of three girls came over, calling for Rin.

    "Rin, let¡¯s go get some food. What are you still standing around for?"

    She promptly waved them away, still busy arguing with Akiko.

    "You guys go on without me, the youngdy Niwa has asked me for help in counting."

    They stared at the unusual pair with curiosity, noting the aggression in Rin¡¯s voice, before shrugging and turning to leave.

    "Help with counting? My counting skills are more than fine, thank you very much."

    "Apparently not. You still can¡¯t see that you¡¯ve lost."

    "Mmmm... It¡¯s impossible to argue with you. Nor do I want to. In my eyes, I have won, that is all."

    "The same goes for me then."

    She sighed at that, before turning toward the food with a final partingment.

    "I¡¯m far too hungry for this ¨C after all, I used a good deal more energy since I was keeping my point up."

    "Hoho, is that so? Is that how we will decide the winner then, whoever eats the most must have used to the most energy."

    "My... It seems everyone is capable of some degree of intelligence every now and then. Very well, Miura-kun, I ept your challenge."

    "I am a genius, after all. To keep things simple, we¡¯ll just eat rice balls."

    "What about drinking, and soy sauce?"

    "Drinking is allowed, but soy sauce isn¡¯t."

    "Very well, you have yourself a contest."

    Rin pushed her way through the crowd ¨C as she had far more experience at such a thing ¨C and secured arge te of rice balls for themselves. There were a fewints, but she managed to protect her prize all the way back to where Akiko stood.

    "That was pretty impressive..."

    Thedymented genuinely. To her, that mass of bodies was a wall, and not something that could be so easily navigated.

    "I am, yes."

    Rin waved away herpliments, and looked around for somewhere to sit. There were rows of benches lined up for the vigers to sit on, but she wished to steer clear of those for she had no doubt that there would be more than a fewments about the number of rice balls she had taken. There looked to be about 20 in total, and that would ordinarily be enough for at least 6 people.

    "Over here."

    She motioned toward a group of logs thaty outside one of the vigers¡¯ houses, lightly dusting it off before promptly sitting down.

    Akiko wrinkled her nose at that action, as the log had looked to contain a good deal of mud.

    "Are you not worried about getting dirty?"

    "Nope. I can clean when I get home, so what¡¯s there to worry about?"

    "I suppose you¡¯re right..."

    She relented, lowering herself onto the log.

    "Here."

    She was handed her first rice ball, and a split secondter Rin had already taken a bite out of hers. She cared not fordy-like mannerisms, and did not pay the grains of rice that stuck to her lips the slightest bit of attention before she moved onto the next one.

    Not wanting to be left behind, Akiko quickly did the same.

    After the first two bites, both were filled with confidence, feeling that there was lots of room left and that thepetition would be an easy one.

    But after the second rice ball, that confidence was soon reced with unease. They watched each other closely, their eyes begging for the opposition to give in.

    When she picked up the fifth rice ball, Akiko did so with an expression of the utmost disgust. The nearer it came to her lips, the less determined she was to eat it. She saw that Rin was already halfway through her fifth, and ventured a bite, holding her nose against the rice smell that her body had grown to hate.

    They crawled through the fifth and sixth, nearing the seventh.

    It was then that Akiko admitted defeat.

    "...I can¡¯t, you win... Just let me never eat rice again."

    "I win..? Thank god... I think I¡¯m going to die."

    They held their bellies, feeling a mighty sickness overwhelm them.

    "This was a pretty bad idea..."

    Rin admitted, thoroughly regretting the whole affair.

    "Oh god... I have to ride a horse after this ¨C I honestly think I¡¯m going to throw up."

    "You¡¯re telling me... I have to walk like this... Well, maybe walking is better than riding. I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never ridden."

    "You¡¯ve never ridden..? Really?"

    "No, I haven¡¯t. We can¡¯t afford a horse so... there¡¯s really no chance of that."

    Akiko paused a little while in thought, still thoroughly nauseated by her sickness.

    "You¡¯re staying with us in the mansion so... if you¡¯d like, I can teach you how to ride."

    Rin¡¯s eyes widened at that. The thought was clearly appealing.

    "Really? Would that be okay?"

    "Of course, I don¡¯t have anything else going on after all."

    "Alright!"

    "But maybe let¡¯s not do it tonight? I feel like if I move too much that my belly might explode."

    "Yeah... let¡¯s take it easy tonight, and remember never to do this again."

    "Agreed."

    And so the day of training was concluded, with the majority of the vigers feeling thoroughly exhausted, and a certain two youngdies feeling a certain amount of congestion within their stomach area.

    Morohira¡¯s boomingughter after he caught sight of them waddling along like old grandmas did not help, and they both shared a nce, feeling the sickening sensation rise up in their throat once more.

    Akiko had chosen to walk, fearing that the motion of a moving horse was all that was needed to genuinely send her into a vomiting fit. It worked out fine however, as Rin was in very much the same position, and instead the two walked side by side, right at the back of all the vigers.

    A small escort of guards surrounded them, with Morohira and Fuku tucked inside the protective circle as well.

    Jikouji felt like a grandfather might when he watched the two youngdies interacting. Akiko motioned for Rin to stroke her horse that was leading by the reigns ¨C for she was clearly eager ¨C and the woman in question tentatively reached out, making contact with the soft fur before rapidly withdrawing her arm and looking toward Akiko with a gleeful smile.

    ¡¯That youngdy has been far too long without friends. It would be nice if this was the beginning of something new for her.¡¯

    He thought to himself, a gentle smile resting upon his lips.

    ¡¯I¡¯m sure it will bring ease to Nakatane, for I know how much he has always worried about her.¡¯

 Chapter 41 - Final Preparations

    When war is afoot there is an unusual air about a ce. It grows heavy from the apprehensive hearts of the people. Personalities are prized to the extremes, and ¨C broadly ¨C you are left with two types of people. One type endeavours to do all they can, and all that they have ever wanted to do, so that if they were to die they would not die with regret.

    The other type sits almost mopingly, ovee by a certain lethargy as they reflect on the events of their life, tainted by a nostalgia that pollutes their brain and dilutes their thought.

    Such had never evene close to being the case in Toyone, as the people were blessed with a degree of confidence from the exercises that they were made to perform.

    Every day the women would spend in the town square, honing their technique with the spear. After the second day, the men only spent their mornings in practice with weaponry. Their afternoons were filled with a series of manoeuvres, cultivating them into soldiers capable of carrying out the fake strategy.

    Of course, none of that second part of the day ¨C although they poured their sweat and blood into it ¨C particrly mattered. The only important part was the deception. The men needed to believe that what they were doing was essential to their survival ¨C they needed to believe that their sess was dependant on this strategy.

    The only man fitting to lead them was Ishiyama, who was most adept in not letting a hint of his emotion show. Even the guards that had served under him for many years did not sense that something was off.

    He pushed them to work hard, so that their afternoons were fraught with difficulty. But any less and it would not have achieved the desired effect. And no man dared toin, for they knew just how important the exercises were.

    That is, of course, aside from those few whose loyaltiesy elsewhere.

    It was frighteningly easy to detect the traitors, as they were the only men who forced their aching bodies to move after dark.

    They moved quietly along the roadside, not particrly caring about remaining hidden. This group of three had the utmost faith in their own intelligence, and believed themselves to be the most cunning of foxes, receiving a certain thrill from the act of disguising their intentions so adeptly.

    But foxes were not the only nocturnal animal in that part of the forest. Ishiyama sat curled up in his cloak, his back against a set of trees, and his face hidden by dense foliage. But his view of the roadside was still enough for him to imprint the identities of the foxes onto his memory.

    It was decided that he keep their identities to himself until the very eve before the battle, for he had the most adept mastery of his emotions, and the more people that knew, the more likely it was for the secret to be revealed.

    During these days before the battle, there were a certain group of people who had a few promises that they were busy keeping.

    One such man was Gengyo, who stood now, his bokken drawn and his mind focused.

    To his front and sides there were nought but trees, and the ground was littered with all kinds of curiosities.

    Yet his intent was to pass them by without leaving so much as a whisper ¨C he desired for his footwork to be as light as the touch of a feather.

    When he had first approached this task of his, he had done so with an open mind. He had not nned in the least. He did not even know where he should practise. But in the end, his feet showed took him themselves, and he found himself standing beside the charred remains of their home.

    It was a ce the held an emotional significance for him, as it was the first ce he had taken a life. In that sense, it felt most fitting to practise here.

    At first, he had swung his sword down swiftly, counting the strikes until he reached one hundred. His mind had been awash with all kinds of thoughts as he did so, and some of them caught his interest.

    He wondered whether this was part of cultivating the warrior spirit within himself. He certainly appreciated the zen-like element, as toward the end the strikes had proved almost meditative.

    He soon found himself trying to empty his mind to the degree that he could, but he found it be an impossibility. Instead, he proposed that he might instead focus absolutely on one idea within his mind. He had thought a good deal on what that idea would be before attempting anything.

    In the end, he had settled on the imagery of water. Though a clich¨¦d idea in some sense, he could not shake that it was something that perfectly matched him. He had a degree of familiarity with the gentle liquid, and no matter where he had moved in his previous life, he had always sought out a body of water in the times that he neededfort.

    And so now he moved, attempting to be as subtle as a single drop of waternding amongst a vast, raging sea.

    But no matter how he tried, the weight of his body always caused a twig to snap loudly, and forecast his location to the entire forest, and his mind was still as turbulent as a summer storm.

    He sighed,menting hisck of progress. He had been here for a good while, as his body refused to allow him to rest with the battle so near.

    He recalled the events from earlier that evening, allowing himself a small smile of satisfaction. The vigers had been all called to the market ce, and the traitors had been exposed and imprisoned.

    Many had outright called for them to be killed, but Nakatane had argued against it.

    "Allow them a few hours to reflect on theirck of honour. After we win this battle we will allow them to dine together for eternity in the darkness of hell."

    That had been more than enough to win over those that had been mouring for blood.

    And then the true strategy for tomorrow had been revealed.

    "Men and woman of Toyone, now that the rats have had their legs cut, I will inform you of the true path that we will take to victory."

    "Women ¨C you have not spent this week training in vain. You must remain vignt whilst the men wage their war. We will arm those fit enough to fight, and you will stay to defend what is ours should that dog Toga try anything dishonourable."

    "And as for our n, I know many of you feel restless. You worry about how we might attain victory now that Toda knows everything that we will attempt? To you, I ask you to steady your heart, for it is us who remain that step ahead."

    "When we organise our ranks tomorrow, they will expect us to flee toward the river. Instead, I ask that you flee in the opposite direction. Discard your weapons as you wish ¨C there will be pikes awaiting you once you make your way inside. Aim to pretend that you feel fear. With this we will crush their mercenary unit beneath our heel, and reap all the rewards of victory!"

    The crowd had been perfectly silent as Nakatane¡¯s deep voice had drifted over them. They lent their ears intently, and the more they heard, the more excitement they felt.

    It was not long before fists were raised in a vicious cheer that shook the ground, as the anger of betrayal was converted into a fiery motivation to crush the enemy that sought to take theirnd away from them.

    Their lord had not failed, not in the least. Instead, he had always known of such a possibility, and used it to his advantage. In such a lord, they would ce their trust without qualms, for the n in which he had proposed was their best chance at survival.

    He raised his hand for quiet, and gradually the cheers began to die before he spoke once more.

    "As a precaution, anyone attempting to leave the vige tonight will be captured. Those that are unable to be captured will be killed. You have been warned, so do not be foolish."

    It was a necessary precaution in case there were more rats that had yet to reveal themselves.

    The women had received their new role with relish, and the 50 or so that lined up to receive their weaponry and armour did not do so with a look of distaste upon their face.

    Rin and Akiko had stood next to each other inline, smiling as they shared a light conversation. To Gengyo it seemed as though they were excited for the opportunity to demonstrate their worth.

    He did not know precisely how he felt about Akiko charging into battle, for he had not seen anything of her fearsome side. Instead of inside the town square, his hours had been spent training with the rest of the bow ashigaru, under the guidance of the senior guard Yanagizawa who he had shot alongside on that very first day.

    His rtionship with the guard had grown to be more that of equals, as the guard knew just how frightening Gengyo¡¯s archery skills were. And in the end, the practice had proved far too basic, and the new recruits had insisted on a series of ranges being setup that were based upon the young man¡¯s motion test.

    In a way, he wished that Akiko was more interested in archery than the spear, and worried that her training would not be enough.

    But though he had not seen them train, during meals in recent days he had often heard Rin speak of her as though she were some fearsome lioness, ready to take the whole province by storm.

    And if his courageous little sister were to say so, he felt rather tempted to believe it.

    He¡¯d taken notice of how close the two had grown, as Akiko¡¯s evenings hours were now spent with a different Miura, teaching Rin to ride the horse.

    He¡¯d caught the asional glimpses of them at y, and each time ¨C no matter what he mood ¨C he could not help but smile.

    Thus, shrouded in the pristine darkness of the forest, and the smell of wet ash burning his nostrils - with the battle ahead and thoughts of his dear ones on his mind - he clenched his bokken tightly and swore an oath.

    ¡¯No matter the tide of tomorrows battle, even if I have to tear this very world apart, I will achieve victory and protect those precious to me, so that they might continue to smile as they have been.¡¯

    He then tightened his jaw, and straightened his back, before marching back toward the mansion to prepare himself for battle.

 Chapter 42 - A Chilling Fog

    A thick fog floated heavily in the early morning air, iming the skies before the sun had yet to assert its dominance. Any sound was suffocated, and the temperatures remained chilly.

    The people awoke from their restless few hours of sleep, peeling the covers away from themselves reluctantly as they dreaded the stinging of the cool air upon their bare skin.

    Some moved themselves toward the kitchen, attempting to stomach a light meal. Most simply sat by the fire, unwilling to do anything further.

    "The air is far too cold for June."

    An old man remarked to his wife, as he rubbed his wrinkled palms together in a futile attempt to generate some heat.

    "It is the presence of death. We are no strangers."

    His old wife replied grimly.

    Not one man was able to crack a smile. Nor were pleasant conversations able to be shared. A current of nervousness infected thend for miles around.

    Beginning with the dou ¨C the chest te ¨C they passed their fingers across the cold,cquered leather, fastening it above their shoulders. Further leather pieces hung from the dou, in an attempt to protect the leg and lower body.

    Soon the cold of the leather started to fade, edged on by the heat of their bodies, and so they reached forward to retrieve their arm guards. After a shin guard was secured to each leg, the peasant¡¯s armour wasplete.

    Dressed in the dull boiled leather, the ashigaru all looked alike as they left their homes, with weapons in hand. The only way to tell man and woman apart was the slight bulge offered by the chest. The rest was hidden by a conical leather jinagasa that sat atop their heads.

    The figures walking into town emerged from the fog like phantoms. They had moved onwards, attracted by the bright torchlight. The atmosphere was oppressively heavy. Three demons sat mounted with their red armour reflecting the flickering light, and their men-yoroi frightening even their allies.

    It was difficult to tell them apart, especially with the armour on. Though the unmasked woman that sat atop her horse beside them was no mystery.

    With her armour a simr red to her father, and her beautiful face painted white, she was an inspiring sight, and no doubt one that the vige women would put their faith in when the time came.

    In thisnd of death, she could be called the goddess.

    The rabble of armed men and women were separated with a motion from Jikouji, and the two ranks stood opposite each other.

    The guards were distinguishable by their dyed ck armour that was simr to that of peasants in everything but colour.

    All in the square were armed. The bow ashigaru with their bows, the samurai with their katana, and the rest with their steel-tipped yari.

    "Are they ready?"

    The central demon asked of the man next to him.

    In response, a horse was turned, as the head of the guards turned to face those who he had spent these past days instructing.

    "The master asks: are you ready?"

    He spoke only slightly louder than normal, yet the response was instantaneous.

    Butts of spears were mmed against the floor and feet with stamped.

    "AWOO!"

    "Good."

    Nakatane urged his station forward, separating himself from his guards before he turned to face the men also.

    "Men of Toyone. Peasantry or guard. Samurai or servant. Today we fight not for riches, not for honour, and not for glory. If those are what you seek, then it would be better to end your lives here. We fight because we have encountered something unforgivable. Something that wishes to burn our homes to the ground, to **** our women, and to cut open our children."

    "This is your vige. These are your homes. Fight not for me. Fight to protect your families, your own people. Wet your spear with the blood of our enemies, and I guarantee, should victory be kind to us, you will be well rewarded."

    A powerful wave of emotion passed over the men. It was a blunt speech, and an honest one, but it ignited a rage in them that could not be inspired in any other way.

    Even young Gengyo was moved, as he clenched his hand into a fist, and gritted his teeth, his blood boiling.

    ¡¯I will, with this warrior mindset, carve open their stomachs before they can even deign to touch my people! This is not the man I wanted to be ¨C this is the man you made me. Do you feel that Toda? That trembling in your heart? I¡¯ming for your head.¡¯

    The demon in red then turned his steed to face the other group.

    "Women of Toyone. This world disregards your importance. Mostmanders would see you as too weak to fight. As would I have, had the times not been so dire. Protect our homes, and protect yourselves."

    His daughter rode up alongside, her face stern and elegant. Her fingers locked tightly around the shaft of her spear, and she hoisted it up into the air.

    "Do not worry, father, we will send the brave men that think toe here straight to hell!"

    "AHAW!"

    A feminine war-cry resounded, as the women responded to the will of their newmander. Though feminine, it was chilling, for it was dripping with bloodl.u.s.t.

    "Good."

    The demon in red took a few steps back, and allowed themander of the infantry, Jikouji, to assume his role.

    Being old as he was, the troops made the mistake of rxing slightly.

    "ASSUME BATTLEFIELD POSITIONS!"

    A terrifying roar made the whole poption collectively flinch, including Nakatane.

    Not a single action could be carried out under the pressure of such amand, aside from those that demonstrated absolute obedience.

    The old man rode on, as the grey wisps of horsehair that clung desperately to his red helmet started to fly. It was a fitting decoration for his kabuto, for his own old hair looked much the same.

    The master, after a slight paused, put his heels into his horse, urging it behind the old man. And then the ranks of yari ashigaru began to file off, following behind the two samurai at a slow, rhythmic jog.

    Ishiyama stood before the 20 bow ashigaru, his ck men-yoroi mask decorated with a full horsehair goatee.

    "You know your role, follow me."

    He galloped away at an inconsiderate pace, leaving his men to flounder behind him at a jog. It did not take them long to clear the central vige houses, and soon they neared the forest.

    Gengyo ¨C who ran ahead ¨C turned to share a nce with Masaatsu. That slight slither of concern he had proved to be unfounded, as he was greeted with a stern nod in response.

    A nervous smile decorated the young man¡¯s lips as he turned back around, and they plunged their way into the vegetation of the forest. Their footsteps were loud on the twigs underneath, sounding like they were somerge c.u.mbersome beast. Though he knew that such a sound would not be heard by the enemy, it still caused him to feel unsettled, and he sortfort in squeezing the grip of his trusty bow.

    With the rising sun, the fog began to disperse, and they plunged deeper into the forest, aiming toward a position that would give them a full view of the battlefield.

    Ishiyama had dismounted some time ago, and led the men on foot.

    They slid down steep hills made of loose earth, and mbered over rocky inclines. The going was tough, and very soonrge gaps started to form in the line that they had been running in.

    Theirmander ran as though unfazed by such terrain, steadily increasing the lead between him and the man behind.

    Gengyo was drenched in sweat after having run for almost an hour in such a fashion, and when he turned around he could see that the rest of the men were no better off.

    They¡¯d had to run whilst holding their quivers in their hands, for fear of losing the arrows, but all the little inconveniences mounted up, and by the time Ishiyama finally stopped most of the men were a single step away from absolute exhaustion.

    He pointed wordlessly. Following his finger, those that had kept up with him could see the field of battle, and if they looked further to the left, they could catch the slightest glimpse of the right nk of the yari ashigaru unit.

    Gengyo ¨C having been in the upper half of the line ¨C paused by the side of the hill to offer a hand to his ggingrades who were having trouble negotiating thest obstacle.

    Even the guards took his hand gratefully, before falling to the damp earth barely able to breath.

    Theirmander did not carry a bow, and instead sat atop a rock, the tip of his sword buried between his feet, whilst the hilt was grasped with bow hands. He observed the battlefield intently, searching for any changes.

    A little whileter, the exhausted men were forced to rise after a low tremble started to massage the earth.

    "Earthquake?"

    An older guard asked.

    Ishiyama shook his head, his boiled leather armour creaking as he did so.

    "No, soldier. Calvary."

    Upon his words a vast troop of mounted men ¨C armed with all sorts of different weapons ¨C entered the battlefield, roaring at the top of their lungs.

    They screamed all sorts of curses, beating their weapons loudly, and riding around in circles, attempting all sorts of clownish acts.

    One man stood with his two feet firmly nted to the back of his horse, as he rode with his kimono parted, and his manhood swaying proudly in the wind.

    They soon settled down about a kilometre away from Nakatane¡¯s troops, though they were still very loud and unpleasant.

    Their ranks parted, and three men rode to the front.

    One wore a set of full armour, a dark shade of green, with aughing ck men-yoroi covering his face. There was only one man that would have such taste.

    The other to his side was a great brute of a man, standing over two metres tall, and even higher whilst mounted. His bare arms were grotesquely big, and the 3-metre long naginata that he held looked like a toy in his grasp. His armour was almost none existent. He only wore a tattered Dou over his bare, unclothed chest, as though it were some type of vest. To be fair, it was impressive that he could find any armour that fit him in the first ce.

    And then the final man. One would not know where to begin describing him, for there seemed to be very little that was note-worthy. Perhaps the fact that he was a mounted man, dressed almost identically to the guards? It could be deemed to be impressive to be leading a samurai¡¯s household guard whilst you were not a samurai yourself.

    But he looked thin, and wiry, and Gengyo wondered whether such a man would really be much use on the battlefield. But he supposed whatever weakness his enemy brought forth would make things all the better for him.

    Toda turned to his retainer on the left.

    "Did you check the river banks?"

    "I did, my lord, they were as those men said. There are enough long poled yari there to arm the entire ashigaru unit."

    "Kahaha, excellent. And what did you do with said yari, my little friend?"

    "They are currently being broken up for firewood back at the vige, lord."

    "Tsch. You could have done something more exciting than that."

    "Apologies, my lord."

 Chapter 43 - Playing With Ants

    "Well, no matter, there is very little today that can spoil my mood."

    Toda had a grin that much resembled that of his men-yoroi. He looked across the battlefield, wondering what the most fun way of dealing with the ants in front of him might be.

    He was aware, through his superior intelligence, of exactly what Nakatane was about to do next. Hence he had the control entirely. He was the ywright to this grand performance.

    He looked to Ochi on the left: he was continually clenching and unclenching his grip upon his polearm, admiring the bulging veins in his forearm as he did so.

    Toda sighed at such stupidity. He knew that if he sent him and his raging dogs to attack, the battle would be over all but instantly. The enemy would flee toward the river after discarding their weapons, and they would find nothing there. It would be a ughter.

    He ran and finger under his kabuto, trying to deal with the bothersome itch that such a tight helmet often generated, pondering as he did so. He wanted to y with that old fool Nakatane, and drag the battle out of for as long as he could.

    He¡¯d always found himself despising the man, ever since he was a child. There was something about his moralities that truly infuriated him. He supposed it was because of their foolish nature. Back when he had to sit in on the long conversations his father and that man would share, he had truly wished to drive the chopsticks in his hand through each other their eyes.

    And then, when he had finally got that father of his out of the picture, things started to look up. The world had be infinitely more enjoyable, and he could y with things as he wished. Money was not an issue, as long as you forgot to care about pointless things.

    But, stupidity enough, money gave you an incredible amount of power, and it had been easy enough to suppress the little vige of Toyone after recruiting a single mercenary unit for a price that he deemed to be menial.

    Heughed as he recalled how that old fool had even been willing to give away his daughter in order to protect that pathetic little town of his.

    ¡¯But now, she will be mine all the same. I imagine she¡¯ll be much more fun than those vige girls.¡¯

    "Ochi. Send some of your bowmen to annoy them a bit. Don¡¯t kill too many, just scare them."

    That great mammoth of a man looked rather unhappy with thatmand, for he¡¯d been itching for blood for far too long. But still, he gave the orders, and watched as he 40 bowmen galloped away.

    They urged their horses on withshes to the side, hollering like wild animals, as they stood up in their stirrups and drew back their bowstrings, steadily closing the distance.

    Toda watched on with a little smile on his lips, wondering how Nakatane might respond.

    They neared the enemies¡¯ ranks, and arrows started to fly from their short, horseback bows. He heard some fine screams as a few of the arrowsnded, one catching a man in the knee, and the other tearing through a man¡¯s cheek.

    "STAND FIRM!"

    A rallying cry rang across the battlefield, full of emotion. It was one that Toda recognised instantly. His eyes began to narrow as his grotesque smile grew even more perverse.

    ¡¯Kahaha, is it getting a little tough for you, Niwa, seeing your people die right in front of you? Get used it. There is much more where that came from.¡¯

    He watched expectantly, waiting for them to run toward the river. The hors.e.m.e.n were recalled and 10 soldiersy dead, with another 5 wounded. Cries wereing from their ranks, and each one was a sweet delight to his ears.

    "F.u.c.k! There¡¯s no way we can win!"

    "Yeah! What the f.u.c.k are we doing? I don¡¯t want to die!"

    Their shouts were heard even as far away as he was, and then, they started to throw down their weapons one by one.

    The first man dropped his spear, and ran toward the forest, screaming.

    Another two men followed.

    And before long the entire unit was copsing in a wave of routing as the twomanders struggled to keep everything together.

    "WHERE ARE YOU GOING YOU COWARDLY BASTARDS? I¡¯LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

    Nakatane attempt to ride in front of the fleeing peasants, and bar their path with his horse. But they managed to scurry around him.

    Now almost all the men had disappeared into the forest, still shouting loudly. The furiousmander turned to his captain.

    "JIKOUJI! AFTER THEM! COWARDS SHOULD BE CUT DOWN!"

    "Kaka..."

    A muffledugh escaped the fingers that were pressed against his pale lips. His face twitched. Once, twice, and then on the third time he could not hold it in.

    "Kahaha, that old fool! Even with your strategy your own men abandoned you! It seems I needn¡¯t have bothered at all!"

    He was beside himself. His whole body heaving withughter, he had to clumsily dismount his horse for fear of falling, and then the chuckle permeated throughout his body once more, and soon he was all but rolling on the floor.

    Ochi watched the measly man chuckling away, and sniffed with distaste. To him, strength was everything, and if not for the coin, who would never follow such an insect of a man.

    "Agh, fine! Go hunt them down, Ochi. But capture that old man alive! I want him to be there when I¡¯m ying with that daughter of his."

    The bear-like man smiled a wide smile, revealing rows of ckened teeth, and he let out a loud bellow to his men with a sword raised in the air, and then he proceeded to gallop toward the forest. Words were not needed, and each of his men understood the signal, as they followed behind him letting loose bestial battle cries.

    Toda lifted off his helmet. "A savage bunch," hemented, mbering back onto his horse. "I was rather enjoying myself... But I suppose that oaf is far too stupid to understand the rather subtle humour of all this."

    "That must be so, lord."

    His retainermented tteringly.

    ...

    ...

    "They¡¯re moving."

    Niiro noted lightly.

    "They are."

    Ishiyama affirmed, remaining stock still.

    "When will we move?"

    "When the time is right."

    As always, the lead guard was a man of few words. He did very little to set their nerves at ease, and some of the more weak-hearted amongst their men, such as Kitajo, were having trouble settling.

    "This... This is really not good, Miura-san, we¡¯re definitely going to die."

    Gengyo patted thed on the shoulder.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. Everything is going ording to n, just calm yourself."

    "But we already lost 15 men! How are they meant to defeat 200 with just the amount that they have?"

    ...

    ...

    Back in Toyone, all left behind were gathered in the market square. It was the safest strategy they could utilise, and the one that made the best use of their numbers.

    A child began to cry loudly, shattering the silence, causing Akiko to flinch. Its grandparent hurried tofort it, but by then it was already toote. The people were already far too tense. How could they not be? Their very lives depended on the result of the sh on the battlefield, and not a single one of them knew what was going on.

    The 50 or so women Akiko had under hermand clutched their yari nervously, wondering whether anyone would truly attack. Some even wondered if it was better if they did. At least then they would have something to take their mind off the agonising wait.

    She desperately wished to offerfort to the people, but she did not know whether it would have any effect, as she herself was greatly unsettled.

    An old couple passed through the masses, handing out some treats that had been baked the night prior. Grateful hands received them, and whispers of thanks passed round.

    Shivers started to fade as the rising sun warmed their backs.

    Somehow, it felt wrong for the world to be so bright in such a time. The fog had been far more fitting.

    Her horse snorted impatiently, as she patted her head attempting to calm it down. The horse could feel the danger of the present moment acutely, and did not like it a single bit. Had it been a less disciplined horse, it would likely have thrown its young rider a long time ago, and have galloped toward the hills.

    Rin smiled up at her warmly, as thoughpletely unfazed by all that was going on.

    She tookfort in the strength of her younger friend, and reaffirmed her conviction clenching her spear tightly.

    "Mummy, what¡¯s that smell?"

    A child at one corner of the square asked, looking up at his anxious mother with big round eyes.

    "It¡¯s the treat that the nice olddy gave you."

    "No, it¡¯s not that mummy."

    His older brother picked up on it.

    "Ah, I smell it too."

    The rest of the people in the square could hear their conversation quite clearly, and soon the majority of them were also sniffing the air.

    "It¡¯s smoke, young ones. Look up to the sky."

    The olddy from earliermented lightly, as though it was something that did not involve her in the slightest.

    Akiko followed the crooked old finger that was pointed skyward. Her heart sank, as dread began to fill her blood. A great, daunting cloud of smoke was billowing into the sky, reaching its fingers toward the sun in an attempt to block out its light.

    In this moment of fear, she froze, as a hysteria gripped the people who knew exactly what such a dark plume signified.

    ...

    ...

    Into the forest, things proceeded as nned. The fleeing men split off into groups, retrieving the stashed long yari that had been stored there since the night prior.

    When they had fled earlier, most did not even need to act, for they felt a genuine sense of fear seeing theirrades fall to the mass of arrows that came toward them. They were d to have this as their n. With their backs against the trees, and the longest yari most had ever seen gripped in their hands, they felt a good deal safer.

    Nakatane and Jikouji had dismounted, moving toward what they knew to be the centremost position of the cl.u.s.tered men, so that they mightmand, and also retrieve some spears for themselves.

    A quivering peasant caught the master¡¯s eye as he pressed his back firmly against the tree, with his yari in hand. He brought a fist to his heart, and nodded deeply toward the man.

    The man nodded back, a little more courageous than before.

    The wait was sickening. They had expected the enemies to chase after them almost immediately, but now the adrenaline had all but worn off, and they were left in silence with their thoughts.

    A few quivering men felt their dders loosen, and tears begin to fall down their cheeks as their thoughts inevitably went toward death. It was not the actual state that they feared, but the pain thates before it.

    Not a single man could call them cowards however, for despite the extreme fear that they felt, not a single one abandoned their post, or fled further into the forest. The opportunity had always been there, but none had even thought of taking it.

    Perhaps that was to Nakatane¡¯s credit, or perhaps it was to their own. Either way, it was the right choice to make that day.

 Chapter 44 - Chaos

    The mercenaries¡¯ cries, and the sound of their horses¡¯ hooves were amplified by the men¡¯s fear, yet still they held on as such terrifying noises grew closer.

    The threshold into the forest was crossed, marked by the breaking of hundreds of twigs, and the riders rode deeper, possessed by an animalistic bloodl.u.s.t, and ovee by a sense of perversion as they hunted for prey.

    Deeper and deeper they rode, and at speed too. The distance that took the men a good few minutes took them mere seconds.

    Horses were said to have to slow down when passing through trees, but that was not the case for them, who, as mercenaries, had often spent their time lurking in the forest, and had grown ustomed to riding through it.

    Galloping as fast as you could, whilst dodging obstacles that could be life-threatening, brought a certain thrill, and they were confident in their abilities.

    THUCK

    That was, until, the front-most man ¨C who Ochi used as a tracker ¨C rode straight into the first of the wire traps. And now, his body rode on without him for a few seconds, before copsing from its mount leaving a spurt of blood to cloud the air.

    His head blinked a few times in surprise, before it was crushed underfoot by the hoof of the horse of the man behind him, who did not have enough time to slow down before his neck was also slit by the tiny, barely detectable wire.

    Ochi, who rode in third, roared at such cowardly tactics, urging his horse onwards as though to show he was not scared of a measly wire.

    And then, with a sh of his huge naginata, the wire was cut.

    Grunting towards his men, he warned them to be careful of wire traps in future, and split them into a series of groups so that they might avoid them better.

    The men were undeterred. If anything, they were more excited after seeing the sight of blood ¨C even if it was that of their ownrades. It had been months and months since they hadst done battle, having to sate their desires with random acts of theft, and the few women that Toda sent their way.

    Nakatane¡¯s men did not know quite what had urred, but after hearing the rhythmic beating of hooves begin to slow, they hedged a guess.

    It was chaos within the forest, as the men attempted to imitate their leader, and slice through any wire that got in their way. The problem was, it was so thin that it was all but impossible to see.

    But that did not stop them from charging in wildly. It did not even make them want to slow down and ride second. Instead they fought to make their way to the vanguard, so that they might have a chance at slicing through such a wire themselves ¨C or even better, be the first to find prey.

    The result was a good many causalities, as a taller man ¨C who was not quite at head height with the wire ¨C had it grind through his rips before finallying to a stop an inch away from his beating heart. He lived, but he mas as well have died, for the man could not stay mounted, and met his end under the rear hooves of his friend¡¯s horse.

    Others were not so fortunate. Or perhaps were more fortunate, as they managed to live, but at the cost of an arm.

    Some did not get hit at all, though they rode straight through the wire. But it was impossible to say that such people lived on, happily, without a single injury, for their dear steed had been beheaded, and now they were sailing through the air,nding heavily against the hard roots of a tree. Perhaps they would have even cried if they saw the state of their mangled legs, but they could not feel them.

    The wires served their part in creating absolute chaos. Their numbers had been thinned without a single engagement, and the forest was nourished with many gallons of their blood.

    But unlike an ordinary cavalry unit, this did not serve to make their morale drop. They did not fight for victory, merely the thrill of battle. As such they were uncontroble ¨C almost. That would be if Toda had not offered the amount of coin that he had.

    Ochi grew angrier with each man he lost,shing out aggressively at any strands of wire that he found in his way. He forced his way back to the front, making his men regroup behind him as he secured a path which they could ride through. They were reluctant but not disobedient, as they all knew of the big man¡¯s temper. It was no ident that he had ended up in charge of 200 of the most bloodthirsty men on earth.

    The hooves grew closer to Nakatane¡¯s position and their beating hearts grew faster.

    Perhaps they could simply remain like that, hiding behind the tree, and allow these barbarians to pass? That way could they not return home to their families? Could they not give their dear wives one final kiss, or share one final story with their enthusiastic youth?

    Nakatane knew exactly what they were thinking. And as the ground rumbled, and the mounted beasts howled, he was the first man to step out from the trees and make his stand.

    "OORAH!"

    Possessed by a furious energy, he thrust out with all the aggression of a war god, puncturing Ochi¡¯s stallion through the chest with the sharpened wooden point of his lengthy spear.

    The mammoth fell from his mount clumsily, his head colliding with a nearby tree root. He ceased to move, and a pool of blood began to form around him.

    "ARM THESE SPEARS MEN! VICTORY SHALL BE OURS!"

    He stood in front of the charge of over 150 hors.e.m.e.n, alone. But he did not give a single inch of ground. He met the charge of the next man in line, roaring vengefully, possessed by all the rage and power that had .u.mted in his body over these past years.

    The hors.e.m.e.n shrieked like a pack of hyenas, fanning out, each eager for a piece of the man who had brought down their leader.

    And those men met the points of 65 spears, held in the paws of lions. They roared with the same fury their lord had shown, inspired. They cared not for the fear present within their hearts. Tears still clung to their cheeks, and still ran down from their eyes. But they gave it everything.

    A man, who had spent all his years as a rice farmer, punctured the chest of a mounted beast, feeling the sticky blood run down his spear and cling to his hands.

    He shouted. Not because he was scared, or because he was disgusted. But because nothing in that moment felt more right.

    "ARRRRH!!"

    The man next him caught the entire weight of a horse on the end of his, as he flew backwards before the butt finally caught against the ground, and the horsed reared, impaled.

    His rider fell to the floor, only momentarily dazed, before he charged manically toward the man who had downed his horse, sword in hand.

    The man froze. There was nothing to arm him. His spear was thoroughly stuck. His feet turned away, so that he might run, but his body was unwilling. A jagged, rusty sword, neared his neck, intent on iming his life. But his body would not allow him to dishonour himself through cowardice. He closed his eyes, prepared to die.

    THWACK

    The sound of a head being served. Yet it was not his own. He dared to open his eyes, wondering whether he would now catch a glimpse of heaven. Yet instead he saw a red demon, flicking blood from his sword. From the horsehair he recognised Jikouji.

    Feeling the fresh blood warming his feet, he struggled to process what was going on.

    "FIGHT ON, BRAVE SOLDIERS!"

    The old man roared across the battlefield, his powerful voice inspiring the men.

    He found reason, and scrambled over to his spear, pulling it free as he stepped over the body of hisrade, and back into the thick of the fighting.

    With the initial charge, they had dealt a heavy blow. Such was the power of an ambush. Yet it was still not enough. These were hardened warriors, wielding swords and axes, and their opponents merely had sharpened sticks. Their numbers still out-weighed Nakatane¡¯s men, and now the tide of battle started to turn in their favour.

    The master fought, drenched in blood, surrounded by three men, barely hanging on to his life. He struggled to keep them at a distance, but to make a fatal strike would be to hand them his own head.

    And behind him, a giant was waking from its deep slumber. It grunted as it felt the sticky blood that clung to its bald head, letting out a roar. Ochi was consumed by rage. Not because he had been injured, but because he had missed out on the best part of the fight.

    He saw one of his men fighting a peasant nearby, and strode toward them.

    "Ochi-sama!" His man called, as though pleased to see him alive.

    The giant paid him no attention, and carried on walking, as he sent his closed fist toward the peasants head.

    CRWK

    A sickening crunch sounded out, as the man¡¯s skull caved in, and his measly leather hat rolled away.

    His man did not react with fear, for he knew full well of his master¡¯s strength.

    "Off."

    He pointed to the horse.

    "But Oic-"

    His naginata found its way through his chest, before he was lifted up on the end of it ¨C using only a single arm ¨C and was sent flying against a tree.

    "Insubordinence will not be tolerated."

    The mammoth muttered to himself, as he pounced atop the horse that shrieked out after having been forced to bear its weight. It pottered unsteadily, struggling to remain bnced.

    But the mammoth did not have time to concern himself with it.

    ¡¯Mmm. It¡¯s always better on a horse.¡¯

    Was his only thought as he rode toward the man that had dealt him, and his men, such a blow.

    Jikouji ¨C who had been darting across the battlefield, helping anywhere he could ¨C noticed the giant approaching, and called out a warning.

    "Nakatane! Behind you!"

    Surrounded by three men to his front, he did not have to check just what he had to watch out for, and instead chose to trust entirely in the old man, and threw himself off to the right.

    SWISH

    It proved to be the correct decision, as a colossal naginata shed through the air at a speed that could be deemed nothing if not unnatural.

    That was not to say that the only thing it hit was air.

    A man cried out as he looked at the empty socket where his arm had once been.

    "Cripples are useless."

    The de finished the job, beheading him, and ending his screams there and then.

    Such was the mammoth¡¯s reputation. All that followed him knew of it, and that was why he was in charge.

    Nakatane struggled to his feet, drawing his katana, looking up at the beast of a man that towered before him.

    "F.u.c.k me..."

    He cursed. He knew that if such a beast was allowed to roam the battle than their already dire fight would certainly be lost.

    The sharp de of the naginata travelled down the steel of his sword, before he finally caught it on his crossguard. His knees almost buckled under the pressure of such a strike, and he grunted with exertion, throwing it off to one side.

    He looked up resentfully, seeing that the strike was sent with only one arm, whilst the other was being used to steer his horse.

    The speed of such a strike was uncanny too, and it likely would have been faster had he still been riding that great big bull of a horse that he was earlier.

 Chapter 45 - An Awakened Giant

    Nakatane prowled around Ochi slowly, tracing out a circle. He attempted to force the horse to turn awkwardly, possibly breaking a leg in the process.

    But his opponent was an experienced rider, and the horse was made aware of his intentions all along. There were no sudden movements, and so no risk of injury.

    He stepped forward, shing upwards. The giant oaf of a man easily caught such a strike on the metallic shaft of his naginata, before sending a strike of his own toward the other man¡¯s ribs.

    With both hands on his sword, he attempted to stop the swing, only to feel his feet travel a little off the floor, before gravity pulled him back without a shred of mercy.

    ¡¯He¡¯s strong... far too strong."

    Hemented, spitting out the blood that had filled his mouth after the momentum of the strike shook his internals.

    Behind this huge mountain he could see his men, struggling on, and Jikouji darting about, assisting where he might. The tide was very much against them, and he knew that if it were to continue like this, then the chances of them winning would be virtually zero.

    He had to gamble.

    He drew his wakizashi, holding it in his left hand, whilst he continued with his katana in the right.

    Ochi did not care what his intentions were. He pushed forward domineeringly, sending a sh toward his shoulder, and then another lightning-fast one toward his ribs.

    He held onto his katana just long enough for it to be sliced in half, before he had rolled out the way and was on his feet again, gripping his long yari.

    He spared his abandoned pair of weapons a sympathetic nce. He¡¯d had them for many years ¨C they were given by his father on the day that he had stepped into manhood.

    The mammoth held no concern about his nostalgia, and easily dodged the spear¡¯s thrusts as they came toward him and his horse.

    His control of the animal was uncanny, and he moved it like an extension of his own body. Nakatane¡¯s n to attack his mount instead of him began to crumble, as the unwieldy nature ofrge yari made him struggle to defend against Ochi¡¯s simrly long naginata.

    Ch.i.p.s of wood flew everywhere, threatening to blind them. The strikes were fast and continuous. His opponent no longer cared about wounding him, it seemed, but rather about shortening that spear of his as he went to work like a lumberjack.

    The smaller man did his best to make that difficult for him, by striking again and again toward the horse¡¯s rear, and toward his chest. But for every strike he shot, the mammoth sent two in return.

    Eventually, as though a beaver had been at work on it, the yari started to thin in the middle, until with one final strike, Ochi aimed high, cutting toward Nakatane¡¯s head.

    He was forced to raise the shaft of the spear to defend himself, but the wood splintered mightily, the whole thing snapping in half. Barely losing any of its speed, the shimmering de of the naginata continued on toward his shoulder, cutting deeply.

    "NOOO! NAKATANE!"

    Jikouji¡¯s anguished cry rang out.

    ...

    ...

    The cloud of smoke drifted closer, as did the enemy, who were forecasting theiring with the most maddened shouts.

    Akiko clumsily tookmand.

    "E-Escort the vigers to the other side of the square... We will form up and try to deal with them."

    She looked around, wondering what else to do, her mind growing numb.

    A hand on her leg, and she nced down to see Rin¡¯s face smiling reassuringly up at her.

    She nodded twice. Once for Rin, and another for herself.

    ¡¯Calm down...¡¯

    Taking a deep breath, she filled her lungs, her eyes closing slightly. Her mind shed with images of her loved ones. Of her sweet father that hade around, and gone to war for her sake. Of old man Jikouji who had taken care of her for the longest of times. Of Shibata who she had always been close with. Of Rin who had recently found a ce in her heart. And, of him, whom with she had a promise to keep.

    She clenched her fist, the boiled leather groaning as she did so, and she reaffirmed to herself.

    ¡¯I will not die.¡¯

    "How many are there?"

    She asked, her voice hardened, and stronger now, and her vision calcting.

    "15 mydy."

    "15? We have nothing to fear then. Vigers, we will take over from here! Rest at ease, this is a foe that we can handle."

    "I need twenty women who are confident in their abilities."

    She spoke to her unit as they gathered around her. A few tentative hands shot into the air, whilst there were other hurried ones, such as Rin, who was nothing if not ready.

    "Good. We will set an ambush at this point. Four people behind each house. The rest of you, sit amongst the vigers. Lay your weapons at your feet so they cannot be seen. Remove your helmets. If they make it past us, or if we are experiencing difficulty, I will call on you, so be ready."

    She did not have a vast knowledge of military strategy, nor did she know what tactics might be best fitting for the situation they were in. But she did know how her father intended to fight today, and she knew that the surrounding buildings would allow them enough cover to do the same.

    Her people hurried into position, doing as she said. She spied Rin¡¯s mother looked mightily worried as she ced her yari by her feet, removing her helmet, and sitting in between a pair of children. She nodded, pleased with how disguised they were. Unless you were expressly looking for armoured women, you would not see them.

    She dismounted her horse ¨C knowing full well how much attention that would attract her ¨C and tied the reigns behind a building, keeping it hidden. She assumed a position next to Rin, as they grasped their medium length yari, and the calls of the mounted warriors grew closer.

    ...

    ...

    "NOOO! NAKATANE!"

    An anguished cry rang across the forest. The bowmen flinched, knowing full well who that cry was referring to.

    Ishiyama stood up wordlessly, and pointed to 5 guards.

    "You, you... you. Come with me."

    Watching him go, Gengyo panicked, grasping his arm as he tried to stop him.

    "Wait, Ishiyama-san! Our mission is of the utmost importance to the oue of this battle. If we do not aplish it, how are we meant to grasp victory?"

    The lead guard rounded on him, angrily.

    "You think I don¡¯t know that!? But it¡¯s the same for them! If they lose we¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.e.d!"

    The frustration was evident within his voice, as he bit his lip, still wondering whether this was the correct decision. The rest of the unit were startled, seeing him grow so angry.

    Gengyo¡¯s hand slid off his armour, as he grasped his hair in vexation.

    "F.u.c.k..!"

    The guard started to calm, seeing the boy was just as frustrated as he. He grasped onto his shoulders and shook him, bringing his face in close.

    "You lead!"

    "What?"

    His brows twitched in confusion.

    Ishiyama brought his armoured head down quickly, head-butting the boy between the brows.

    "I said: you lead! You¡¯re a smart kid, yeah? I give mymand over to you! Do not f.u.c.k it up, understand?"

    "But..."

    "There¡¯s no f.u.c.k.i.n.g time! I¡¯m gone, kid. Do you best."

    The young man shook his head disbelievingly. This was the embodiment of chaos. Not once in his mind had this ever factored into the n.

    He pulled back on the arm of the head guard who was attempting to leave, and returned his headbutt, injuring himself on the hard kabuto helmet as he did so.

    "You better f.u.c.k.i.n.g save him!"

    He nodded, his anger all but disappearing.

    "Yeahd, leave it to me."

    He gestured toward the men who he had chosen, and began to sprint through the forest toward the scene of battle.

    Gengyo wanted to roar from the frustration he felt, but now ever single pair of eyes were on him, waiting for the nextmand. He struggled to calm himself, letting its brain do what it was good at.

    By the sound of things, they could not rely on Nakatane¡¯s reinforcements any time soon. It would be a miracle if they won in the first ce.

    Toda was unlikely to stay waiting forever, and he dared say that he would likely follow the mercenaries in soon ¨C that was, if he had not already heard the battle, which from his position so far away was unlikely, but it was not an impossibility.

    It would be very difficult to hit Toda¡¯s men from the position they were in, as they were almost three hundred metres away. But at the very least, they could take out a couple of men, and if the unit chose to charge at them, they could pick off as many as they wished, before running.

    The enemy had bow ashigaru of their own, but they were rendered effectively useless since he had the forest on his side, and he and his men could hide behind the trees.

    But these few things were by no means enough to guarantee their victory over Toda, especially when they had so few men. They needed something extra.

    ...

    ...

    The men grew closer, as did the ming torches which they carried. The harsh hooves of the galloping horses pounded the loose stone road, send small pebbles flew everywhere.

    Akiko and her group were behind the first house along such a road, whilst the rest were scattered further along.

    "They¡¯reing closer..."

    Rin whispered behind her. The young girl had her eyes closed, and was concentrating entirely on the sound of beating hooves.

    A ming torch flew up into the air above them,nding lightly upon the straw roof.

    VWOOF

    Within seconds the entire roof was engulfed. Taking that as her signal, Rin pounced out like a fearsome tiger, jumping high into the air, and striking the lead rider through her neck with her sharp steel-tipped yari.

    Shended gracefully, as the man copsed behind her, his neck spurting a fountain of blood.

    The other riders barely slowed, and she stood in front of them, calmly, unmoving. The horses parted before her as though she were the Moses of a four-legged sea. The hungry mercenaries did not have time to ponder why they had chosen to ride around such a young girl, but the aura about her was intimidating ¨C bloodthirsty ¨C and it had been their instinctual reaction.

    Inspired by such courage, the rest of the group charged out from behind the house, attacking thest few horses that had not yet passed.

    Akiko aimed high, intent on piercing the man¡¯s thick chest, but the uneven footing rendered her off bnce, and the de dipped lower than it was meant to, puncturing the muscr chest of the angry ck stallion.

    It reared immediately, sending its rider crashing against the earth. He was soon finished by another one of the women.

    The horses had passed, leaving them, and their two dead men behind. The women sped after them, watching as the second group went to work, managing to spear the nk of a horse, yet the beast kept on riding.

    The third group was luckier, as a big muscr brute of a woman, Itou, tackled a horse with her shoulder after timing her charge perfectly. From such momentum there was no recovering, and the startled rider lost his helmet mid-air, only to have his brains dashed against the cobblestones a secondter.

    By the time the riders had arrived in the square they had slowed, and five of their men had been killed. It was not a huge number, but it was satisfactory, as the length of their shortened yari was not ideal for confronting a horseman¡¯s charge head-on.

    The twenty women under Akiko¡¯smand arrived soon after, cutting off their escape route. The mercenaries red toward them, their faces twisted in a savage irritation.

 Chapter 46 - Courage or Folly?

    A little boy began to cry, ovee by fear, his dder loosening onto thep of his grandmother.

    He was not the first either. Even a few grown women began to cry. Though these women were not armed, because of their softer nature, so in that sense their fear was to be expected.

    That was not to say that the armed women felt no fear at all ¨C quite the contrary. Fuku who was nestled amongst the crowd froze as she stared up at the great big bearded burly barbarians, who had their faces caked with dried dirt and blood, seeming to have never washed. And their armour was in no better state, some parts of the dou missing, revealing a hairy chest and a bare n.i.p.p.l.e.

    ...

    ...

    "Do you really intend to THAT?"

    Masaatsu cried in outrage.

    "I do."

    "But that¡¯s madness! There¡¯s no way that will work. Even for you brother, it¡¯s certain death!"

    A strange calmness overtook the young man as he grasped his brother¡¯s shoulder.

    "It¡¯s all we have. Are you sure that¡¯s exactly where he left it?"

    It was Niiro who answered.

    "I am sure. But with this, I¡¯m of the same opinion as your brother. That can¡¯t possibly work... besides your bow is much too big."

    "I¡¯ll make it happen. Do as I say, and don¡¯t take any unnecessary risks. If they get within 50 meters of you, start to run. Got it?"

    The men nodded doubtfully. The risk for them was minimal, but the young man¡¯s intent was all but suicidal. Not a single one believed in his chances, but nor could they offer up a better solution.

    "I will be off, then."

    With his bow slung over his shoulder, and his quiver in hand, the young man slid back down the hill in which they had ascended, and plunged deeper into the forest. He ran at an all-out sprint, which raised some doubts as to whether he would even be able to cover the distance necessary. But there was no time to worry about limits. Time was of the essence.

    With his parting, Niiro tookmand.

    "The kid is insane, but we must do our part."

    No one raised anyints, and followed him down the other side of the steep hill, jumping over logs and weeding their way through bramble bushes as they neared the edge of the forest.

    They counted to 60 in their heads, as they had been instructed, before stepping onto the grassy in, and drawing their bows.

    Range: almost 300 metres. They needed to pull the bowstring back as far as they were able to even make the distance. And even then, it was questionable as to whether they would hit anything.

    The enemy¡¯s unit was facing forward, and had not noticed as they emerged by their left nk.

    Like a swarm of stinging bees, the arrows were released, high up into the air. They disappeared for a time, slowing down greatly, before gravity began to exert its will, and they plunged down toward the heads of the idle ashigaru.

    The first arrownded by the foot of a spear wielder, who jumped in surprise and fear, causing a disturbance that was noticed instantly.

    With the attention of the unit captured, the remaining arrows proceeded to take at least five lives.

    The enemy called out in rage, seeing theirrades fall to such a cheap blow, and spotting the aggressors standing, bows drawn, on the edge of the forest.

    Toda wheeled his horse arrowed, tutting with distaste.

    "What the f.u.c.k are they doing? Stupid insects..."

    He had been rxing in thought, letting his imagination take hold, thinking about the joyful tortures toe. Only to have his ruminating interrupted by a handful of men who couldn¡¯t grasp the idea of defeat.

    He waved his hand.

    "Sanjo, deal with them."

    "Yes, my lord."

    His frail retainer nodded without hesitation, pondering what the most efficient way to deal with the bowmen would be.

    ¡¯With calvary,¡¯ he reasoned, ¡¯this would be a piece of cake... but it seems now I must make a few sacrifices.¡¯

    "Peasant ashigaru, charge."

    He said softly, as though it was a passingment. The peasants looked at him angrily, knowing full well why they had been chosen instead of the guards. But it was not an order they could refuse, even taking too long to follow it could leave them in danger.

    They detached themselves from the rest of the unit, as the spear and bow peasantry began to walk toward their opponents, nning to run faster only once the aggressors had released a second volley.

    Such thoughts were futile however.

    "Move faster, or we will also shoot you."

    He spoke softly once more, and there was not a hint of threat in his voice. But the man was not joking. He would most definitely order his guards to shoot them down ¨C and the guards would do so dly.

    They began to pick up the pace, facing a second volley ¨C this one was much more urate ¨C and their numbers quickly dwindled. Only a single shot missed, and of the 50 ashigaru that had initially charged, by now, after two volleys, only 30 remained.

    The bow ashigaru began to fire back, but Gengyo¡¯s unit merely retreated behind the trees, only showing themselves once a shot was loaded.

    It was a ughter. The men did not even reach the trees. The unit that had trained in motion only grew more urate the closer they got. It was a pointless waste of men. It was to the point that Niiro and the others could not even feel good about their victory.

    "They all died."

    Todamented emotionlessly.

    "They did not perform as well as I expected, my lord."

    "Well, it¡¯s fine."

    "Perhaps we should merely move away. I dare say they will not stray too far from the trees, and it is not worth losing our guardsmen to such sc.u.m."

    "Do what you want. We¡¯ll have Ochi lend us some hors.e.m.e.n, and we can make a sport of killing themter."

    The disciplined guardsmen marched a further hundred metres away, each in step with the other, creating rhythmic beating sounds as they moved.

    "Tsch, what now?"

    "It did not go quite as Miura-san expected... But I suppose we stick with the n."

    Niiro replied to the irritated guardsman¡¯s question.

    "Aye... But they¡¯ve moved away."

    "Then we will move closer. Let us sit outside of their range, and wait until Miura-sanes."

    ...

    ...

    Ishiyama ran through the forest, katana in hand, hurdling over the many bits of debris like a furious rabbit. Drops of glistening sweat spun off him toward the ground,nding lightly, contrasting against his heavy footsteps that pounded the earth.

    The men with him had long since fallen behind, but he cared not. Even if his heart were to burst, it would be preferable to beingte to his lord¡¯s side.

    The sounds of battle did not seem to be getting nearer, and he ran ever more aggressively, pushing his legs as fast as they would go, even as they burned in protest.

    His lungs had long since failed to supply the oxygen that he needed to his body, but that did not cause him to slow, instead, he sped up.

    His helmet was burdensome, so he removed it. His armguards rubbed incessantly, so he cut them free. His sword weighed down his arm, so he cast it aside, drawing his wakizashi in its ce.

    Arge patch of thorny brambles imed to be an obstacle, but he simply powered through them, ignoring them as they tore at his clothes and armour.

    His shaven head dripped with blood from the many branches that wed at his scalp, but he felt no pain, only irritation as the droplets impaired his vision.

    He caught sight of a de shing through the air, and his speed increased yet again as he drew nearer.

    A gruesome man, wielding two katana bore down on a peasant, barring his path. He simply drove the short de of his wakizashi through his neck, severing his life without even slowing.

    He nced around frantically, searching the red armour of his lord.

    A mounted rider stood in his way, obstructing his vision, so he quickly hamstringed the horse, and plunged his de through the fallen riders eye.

    A more fearsome sight would be hard to find, as the red armoured Ishiyama red around the field of battle, his face and teeth stained with the blood of his enemies.

    He carried on, frantically looking for his master.

    And then when a mountain stepped to the side, he caught sight of a familiar red armour. He saw the figure of Jikouji doing battle with a beast almost three times his side, attacking with a skilful series of strikes.

    His speed was unmatched, and he left a graze on the man¡¯s arm, making him twitch in pain. Yet a single swipe from his naginata, and the old man was sent flying, revealing the man he was so desperately trying to protect.

    Nakatane was sat against a tree, clutching the deep wound of his shoulder, as blood continued to pour forth. Faint speckles of red could be found leaking from the corner of his lips.

    Jikouji struggled to his feet on shaking legs, spitting a mouthful of blood from the broken ribs that he had received.

    The air parted, allowing the snaking de of a heavy naginata through. The old man raised his sword to protect himself from the strike.

    But it was toote. His grasp of his sword was too infirm. He did not stand a single chance of defending against such a powerful strike.

    "BASTARD!"

    Ishiyama roared, using the small de of his wakizashi to just barely deflect the strike that had been aimed toward the old man¡¯s head.

    His master recognised him instantly.

    "Ishiyama... Why have youe?"

    He asked through the weakest of breaths.

    "Do not speak my lord! I will take care of this."

    He did not turn around when he spoke, for that would be to hand away his own life. Instead, he stepped lightly around the mammoth warrior, his wakizashi held in a reverse grip as he focused intensely, trying to anticipate the next strike.

    "But... Who is leading your men?"

    He leaned back, barely dodging the lengthy naginata de that had searched to im his head, before swinging his legs, and regaining his bnce, closing the gap with his dagger held firmly against the shaft of the polearm, as he attempted to strike toward the giant¡¯s chest.

    With his free fist, such an attack was easily defended, and Ishiyama was soon sent flying next to his master.

    "The... boy... my lord."

    He replied through shaking breath, forcing himself to his feet, ignoring the pain. He was in no better condition than Jikouji, but he gritted his teeth, and attacked as one with the old man backing him up.

    "The boy..? Ah... Miura... Hahaha... the boy."

    The master rolled the word around in his mouth, growing delirious from theck of blood. Heughed to himself, wondering why when Ishiyama mentioned his name, did relief immediately follow.

    The duo sprung forward, in a blinding whirlwind of speed. With his weapon, Ishiyama controlled the naginata, preventing the giant from using it to defend himself. Jikouji issued a lightning-fastbination, beating aggressive rhythms down the length of the solid metal pole, before he stepped inwards, using the full strength of his body to deliver a sh toward the mammoth¡¯s abdomen.

    SLSSHH

    A tiny movement of the butt of the naginata blocked the strike, but for the first time that fight, the giant was forced back, leaving two deep trenches where his feet had once been.

 Chapter 47 - A Womans Strife

    Ochi grunted in irritation, setting upon his two assants with a renewed vigour. He struck toward the old man¡¯s ribs, only to have his de deflected by the edge of Ishiyama¡¯s wakizashi. Jikouji stepped inwards, breaking through his guard, and aiming low, at the mammoth¡¯s monster of a calve muscle.

    ...

    ...

    The remaining mounted men licked their lips, admiring the huge feast of civilians that sat right next to them. Their eyes flickered from their prize, back to their aggressors, and their savage grins only grew wider.

    A little boy began to cry louder, attracting the attention of a lumbering horseman, with hair so long that it looked like it had never been cut, and scars so savage that he seemed have spent his entire life fighting.

    He strolled toward the boy, keeping one eye on the women behind him, enjoying the absolute power he held in that moment.

    ¡¯Kukukuku, what fools.¡¯

    He thought to himself, bringing the heavy de of his longsword high into the air, and feasting upon the boy¡¯s fearful expression.

    It would be the perfect buffet, yet his grandmother did not show the slightest hint of emotion. Still, with his sword flying toward the boys head, he reasoned that with enough blood they might be able to awaken something in her yet.

    "NOW!"

    A cry sounded out behind him. He did not pay it the least bit of mind ¨C of course they were going to cry. He hoped they would.

    That was, until, he saw the barbed point of a spear sticking through his chest, with pieces of his right lung hanging off it. He frowned slightly, not feeling any different, touching the cold metal ¨C wet with his blood ¨C with shaking fingers.

    He turned to look at his attacker.

    A young woman. Pretty enough. But crying. He wondered: why are you crying? Have you not won this fight?

    And then his body convulsed, sending a torrent of blood bursting from his lips, as his heavy body crashed to the floor, only missing the young boy¡¯s feet by the smallest of fractions.

    His eyebrows were still set in a look of curiosity, as they would for the rest of eternity.

    Armed women began to rise from the crowd, forming a barrier between the savage hors.e.m.e.n, and the civilians thaty behind them.

    Akiko lead her twenty women forward,pletely surrounding the group.

    She shot Fuku a look of sympathy, as tears freely flowed down the soft-hearted woman¡¯s face, and blood ran down the length of her spear shaft. But yet she had still retrieved her weapon, and was standing now, ready to fight.

    She pondered for a second whether to offer them the chance of surrender, but when she took even a single nce at the maddened looks that were still firmly etched upon the beast¡¯s faces, she knew that such a thing would be a mistake.

    Instead, she gave a singlemand, for the first time in her life.

    "Kill them all."

    Rin responded without hesitation, kicking off from the floor, and flying lightly through the air. Her target looked shocked at such agility, and barely had time to deflect the savage thrust that was bearing down on his neck. But the kick that followed was another story, and he fell from his horse.

    Under the barrage of half a dozen spears, he was dead before he could even tell that he had hit the floor.

    Simr stories were yed out elsewhere, with the hors.e.m.e.n being heavily out-numbered. But the trouble urred when a group of the weaker women congregated together, almost 5 of them. Yet their numbers no longer meant anything to the enemy. They stabbed at the target, leaving shallow wounds, but he shrugged them off with a mere grunt, cutting toward them with his gruesome axe.

    Improperly trained, and unsure as how to defend, his target was killed instantly, her young, teenage face, forever of a mask of pain as the sharp axe burst through it, crushing the skull and destroying the brain.

    "Kakaka, more, MORE!"

    Heughed insanely, running a tongue down the length of the sharpened axe de, tasting the strong iron filled taste of blood.

    The women froze with fear upon seeing theirrade cut down so easily, and in such a brutal fashion. They instinctively took a step back, allowing him even more room to wreak havoc.

    Rin and Akiko were busy with their own trials, and had not yet managed to spare a nce in their direction. Instead, the mighty duo were ying the rest of the hors.e.m.e.n at a speed that brought hope to their ranks.

    With every horseman that fell, there was a cheer.

    But still, in certain spots, not even 10 fighters - though of course these were some of the weaker bunch ¨C could manage to bring down one man.

    He continued to absorb the jabs toward his torso and legs, virtually ignoring them, as though they were as much bother to him as a small insect¡¯s sting.

    And whoever stepped in too close, he would open their skulls, or rearrange their spines. On his third kill, he aimed for the head, swinging in low and slicing through the throat with ease. It even made its way through a good amount of the spine, but to his utmost displeasure, it still hung on by the thinnest of strands.

    "F.U.C.K!!"

    He cursed loudly.

    Rin looked up, following the sound, and flicking the blood from her de after the most recent kill. She felt a chill pass over her, noting the partially served head. There was something about it that she felt a degree of familiarity with.

    ¡¯It can¡¯t be... Mum?¡¯

    She panicked, dashing over. Consumed by worry she ignored the fight that was going on right next to her, and gently turned the head over.

    A sigh of relief, but also of pain. It was not Fuku, but it was another woman that she had known for a long time, and one that the whole vige would feel grief for upon her passing.

    She looked up, fury present in her eyes as she saw the beastly horseman continue to manhandle his aggressors.

    This time she really did see Fuku, who managed tond a deeper wound on his side.

    ¡¯Nice one, mum.¡¯

    She praised internally.

    The horseman had something to say too, spinning around vengefully, irritated by the more serve pain.

    "F.U.C.K.I.N.G WHORE!"

    He roared, turning on her.

    The spear point that she offered up in her defence was casually brushed aside, as he stepped inwards rapidly, knocking the spear from her grasp.

    Rin was running over before she even had time to think. The distance was not favourable however, and here, where she was, by the horseman¡¯s backside, she did not have enough time to deflect the de that sought to im her mother¡¯s life.

    Instead, she leap upwards, standing on the back of his horse, before driving her spear deep through his shoulder. His weapon arm lost strength, and stability, sending the bloodied axe off course. Instead of iming her head, it fell, burying itself into her side.

    With no room left to wield her spear, she brought the shaft under the horseman¡¯s throat before he had time to react. Utilising the entire weight of her body, she pulled, serving his supply of oxygenpletely.

    His thick arms grasped behind him, his nails wing at her face, and his hands pulling her hair. But she did not yield. She gritted her teeth, pulling even harder.

    The horse no longer had anyone to control it reared, sending them both crashing to the ground. Shended on her back, heavily, the wind forcing its way out of her lungs. She desperately struggled to breathe, but all the while the strength in her arms did not ebb, even as the weight of the burly man threatened to crush her.

    His curled fingers and crippled arm twitched furiously, climaxing,pletely starved of oxygen. He let loose onest maddening fit, before his body grew still.

    Though she was hurt ¨C her back throbbed fearsomely ¨C she did not rest for even a second. She wriggled her way out from under the burdensome corpse, ignoring the blood that clung to her face and armour, and she ran toward her mother.

    Fuku,y on the ground, her face white, with two other women tending to her.

    "Mum... Mum? Are you okay? Mum!"

    She tried to get her attention, so worried that her questions almost became aggressive.

    The benevolent woman, even in this moment of her greatest pain, still pushed her weakened body to smile for the sake of her weeping child. Even as beads of sweat decorated her forehead from the exertion, she did not stop.

    "Rin-chan? She¡¯ll be fine, but she needs to rest, okay? We¡¯ll take good care of her."

    A caring hand found its way to her shoulder, and the young girl stared up at its owner with tear-filled eyes.

    She recognised the face of one of Fuku¡¯s close friends, Auntie Koide, and foundfort in its familiarity. Koide had been around her ever since she could first remember, and if it was her, she was sure her mother would be okay.

    A gurgling sound rang out as Akiko dispatched thest horseman, before running over to Rin¡¯s side.

    "How is she, Rin?"

    She smiled, even as the tears still ran.

    "Auntie Koide says she¡¯ll be okay."

    Akiko looked toward the woman who seemed to be Koide, who nodded upon meeting her gaze, and sighed with relief.

    "Really? I¡¯m d... Really d."

    She looked toward the women who were less fortunate than Fuku, grief filling her heart. She wondered whether this could be still considered a victory, even when they had lost five of her own.

    But when she measured it against the possibility of every single one of them dying, she could not let her heart s.u.mb to weakness, and in that sense, felt triumphant.

    She looked down toward her armoured hands that were filled with blood, clenching them. The vigers that had fled to one side of the square, away from the fighting, started toe towards them tentatively, smiles threatening to break free as the knowledge that they had lived another day started to sink in.

    Of course, there were many tears too, as friends and family of the fallen discovered their mangled corpses.

    ¡¯This is not the end, either.¡¯

    Thought Akiko sadly, knowing that the men will have suffered losses far worse than their own. Still, selfishly ¨C as all them would ¨C she could not help but hope that amongst the fallen were not her close ones.

    ...

    ...

    "Where is he?"

    "How should I know?"

    "Didn¡¯t he say at most he would be 10 minutes? What¡¯s the hold up?"

    "Just shut up, and wait."

    The guards were bickering amongst themselves as Gengyo had yet to arrive. Contrary to their behaviour, the peasants said nothing. Whether it was out of respect for the young man, or simply because they were used to having things not go their way, it was hard to tell.

    The enemy had all but ignored them as they marched closer, closing the gap so that they were only slightly out of their bow range.

    The field was vast, and t, affording one a good view of the entire area. But with the morning sun beating down on their backs, and the ins remaining unchanged, a dull sense of anxiety was present. The adrenaline of doing battle had worn off long ago, and now, with Toda virtually ignoring them, it did not feel like battle at all.

    That was, until, a ck horse burst out from the trees a distance away.

 Chapter 48 - A Dark Horse

    "That¡¯s him! That¡¯s him!"

    They fumbled around as though startled, as Masaatsu urged them on.

    "Quickly now! Close the distance and begin fire on the enemy troops!"

    Gengyo ¨C who had spent thest ten minutes learning how to control the horse ¨C pushed the animal to its limits, closing the gap between himself and the enemy.

    "Do you feel there¡¯s a slight breeze today?"

    Toda asked of his retainer absentmindedly.

    "A little, lord."

    "Ah, one moment please sir, it appears those stragglers are causing more trouble."

    "Do what you must. I wonder what is keeping that big oaf Ochi, though?"

    "I could not say, lord, excuse me."

    "Yari guards, retreat backwards at once! Bowmen, assume frontwards position, and return fire whilst staying out of range!"

    There was an urgency in his voice that was not present when he was dealing with the lives of the peasantry. But these guardsmen were different. Each required a good deal of training, and cultivating. They were not something you could simply recruit.

    The soldiers marched out range rhythmically, making haste. Not a single one fell to the first barrage of arrows, as they decorated the earth instead.

    The bowmen assumed position, bows already drawn, and released their arrows.

    "F.u.c.k!"

    Niiro cursed, seeing the speed with which the arrows were released. Their bows were evidently of a much higher quality, and the range was even further than their own.

    "Run back!"

    Masaatsu ordered, remembering what his brother had said about taking risks.

    They sprinted backwards as fast as they were able, barely avoiding the hail of arrows that attempted to decorate their heels.

    "We can¡¯t keep this up! Their range is much higher than our own!"

    A guard cried in dismay.

    "I know... But we have to keep their attention."

    The ck horse was driven faster, as Gengyo drew his bow back, finally getting into range.

    He lined his aim up with his intended target, and released. Toda noticed him drawing in first, whilst his wiry retainer was still busy overseeing the movement of his troops.

    Sensing the impending danger that came from an arrow intent on taking his life, he acted immediately to remove himself from its path. With an outstretched arm, he dragged his man toward him.

    FLUSCH

    "AHHHHHHHH!"

    The scream of an arrow piercing bone. He stared at his bloody wound with wide eyes, breathing heavily, struggling to control the pain. He red toward the man on the horse, who was riding ever closer, but was still at least 300 metres away. And then, he turned to his lord, who was looking at him without a hint of concern.

    It took a great effort for him to contain his anger, as he realized exactly what had happened. But after a deep breath, he regained his calm. He was used to be treated as such after all.

    Another arrow was already pulled from the quiver, and into a bowstring that was swiftly drawn.

    It was terrifyingly urate, arcing toward Toda¡¯s head, who was pulled out of its path by the very man who had just received an arrow on his behalf.

    "Damn that ant..."

    His retainer cursed. It was just one man... But how could they deal with him? The ten archers that he had with him were busy trying to keep those other insects at bay. If things went on like this, it was only a matter of time before one of them got hit again.

    ¡¯F.u.c.k... It hurts.¡¯

    The throbbing pain from his arm clouded his thought. He bit down hard on his lip in frustration, feeling a vengeful hatred for that man that sat on the horse so arrogantly, drawing his bow again and again as though he had all the authority of the gods on his side.

    "Go on and kill him."

    "Pardon lord?"

    "Kill him. Everyone else is busy. Kill him. He¡¯s only got a bow. It should be easy enough."

    "But¡ª"

    He went to protest, but could not think of an alternative. Perhaps it would be possible... if he simply dodged, surely he could close the gap easy enough?

    "Go on, hurry up."

    Toda tapped on the tip of the arrow yfully, as the maddening smile calved into his men-yoroi started to seem even more fitting.

    "Agh..."

    He barely held back a fully-fledged scream, as he fumbled with the scabbard of his sword, and hastily drew it. He briefly wondered whether to be grateful that his dominant arm was not the one that was injured, and then decided against it, resuming the current of rage that he felt toward the ck horseman.

    "YAH!"

    He spurred his horse into motion, holding his sword high in his single arm.

    SWOOSH

    An arrow aimed for his head immediately put him back in his ce. It would have taken his eye had he not managed to dodge to the side at the veryst second, instead, a deep cut manifest itself on his cheek.

    He gulped, feeling the slightest chill of fear, wondering just what kind of bowman he was dealing with.

    He spurred his horse forwards, encouraging the rage to grow so that it might swallow the fear. The distance between the two closed, as the mounted bowman continued to gallop forwards, not fearing a close-range battle in the least.

    200 metres.

    ¡¯My god... The size of that bow!"

    He had been around mounted bowmen a good deal, in the form of Ochi¡¯s men, but not once had he seen anyone capable of wielding a full-sized yumi on horseback... The version they used was almost half the size. And he did it with such precision, with no signs of awkwardness.

    He began to sweat, his sword still raised high in the air. The arrows grew ever closer. He began to move more sporadically, intent on confusing the bowman¡¯s aim by travelling from side to side.

    It worked, for a time.

    100 metres.

    SPLURGH

    Another arrow made its way into his left arm.

    "AAGGGH!"

    He roared in pain, his raised sword quivering, threatening to fall.

    ¡¯Surely... This can¡¯t be...?¡¯

    He wondered whether he would meet his end at the hands of this bowman. The way the man was dressed caused the acid in his stomach to begin to rise. The man was a mere peasant.

    "Haha!"

    He started tough maniacally, wondering if this was the cruelty of the gods. They wished for him to meet his death by the hands of someone from the very ss he wished to escape.

    Though there was something odd. The kimono he wore was not that of a peasant, it was that of someone higher up, a guard perhaps.

    He started to see meaning where there was none.

    ¡¯He¡¯s like me then... Half peasant, half something else.¡¯

    His rage was dying, reced by a numbing fear as his thoughts went toward death, and the arrows grew ever close to iming his life.

    50 metres.

    An arrow buried its way into the upper part of his chest, puncturing a lung. It was so deep that he could not cry out in pain. Blood spurted up from his mouth, and the grip on his sword grew looser, still he did not allow it to drop.

    The distance was closing too fast. The bowman would not have time to nock another arrow.

    He smiled grimly, his lips a blood red.

    ¡¯At least I can take you with me, you bastard!¡¯

    He prepared to swing downwards as their horses passed by each other.

    But the man betrayed his expectations, attempting something oundish.

    He discarded his bow, lifting his feet up from the stirrups and onto the saddle. He squatted, his hands on the reigns. Slowly and tentatively, he released them, putting his arms out wide to retain his bnce, and just before their horses passed each other, heunched himself with the full momentum of a speeding horse.

    Gengyo caught the retainer midswing, so that instead of meeting the de, the only thing that hit him was the hilt. He speared the man off the horse, crashing to the ground on top of him.

    Bothnded heavily, winded, though Gengyo¡¯s fall was cushioned slightly by the man¡¯s body.

    They struggled fiercely, as both ¨C though in serve pain, andcking breath ¨C fought for their lives. In this tight grapple, the retainer could not move his sword in the least, and he was virtually an arm down.

    Gengyo sent a fist crashing down into his cheek, beating him savagely. The man tried with all his might to pull his katana free, and drive it into the soft flesh of his belly, but the gods were not with him that day. His rage was no match for the godlike determination with which the young man fought.

    And as he barely held onto his consciousness - after having his brain resound off his skull countless times with each strike that pounded his face ¨C he noted those eyes, and it was only then that he realized he never stood a chance. The boy held a will that he did not have, he feared, no matter the situation, he could never defeat him, unless he found such a purpose himself.

    Just before his weapon was wrenched from his grasp, and the pointed de was driven through his throat, he asked a question in a breathless voice.

    "Why... Do... You... Fight?"

    SPLURT

    It was not a question he could answer with words. He knew of some of theponents: he wished to protect those dear to him. But that was not all he felt. That could not exin the fire that burned within his blood, giving him the energy to aplish any task. There was much more, but he knew he would not find answers by sharing conversation with a dead man.

    "Holy f.u.c.k.i.n.g shit." Kitajo breathed. The rest of the unit shared the sentiment. They¡¯d been under a continuous hail of arrows, but by now, a rhythm had been adopted, and their anxious hearts drifted toward the one this whole n relied on, and soon their eyes follow.

    They¡¯d seen the swordsman ride toward their leader with a hint of worry, knowing the absolute advantage a katana held over a bow once the range was closed.

    But seeing him pounce from his horse without a hint of hesitation, and beat the man to death, they could not help but feel fired up.

    Even as they stood in front of 50 men, armed with only their bows, they dared to hope of victory.

    "Can we actually do this?"

    A guard asked, for the first time feeling hope.

    "Of course we can. Keep your eyes on that man ¨C he¡¯s my brother."

    Masaatsu said confidently, with pride.

    Gengyo took the scabbard from the retainer¡¯s corpse, hanging it around his waist, before sheathing the katana alongside it.

    He walked casually to retrieve his bow, eyeing Toda who watched him without a hint of emotion.

    The horses had not gone too far away, and he remounted Ishiyama¡¯s ck stallion.

    He held his bow up high in one hand, and reared his horse upwards.

    "TODA! IT¡¯S TIME TO PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!"

 Chapter 49 - A Life That Matters

    Yari troops! Engage that man on the horse."

    He spoke with indifference, as though he could not see any possible threat. Of course, the unmounted men would never be capable of catching Gengyo, unless he made a fatal mistake. But they could make things mightily difficult, as they did now, half charging toward him, and the other half forming a wall around Toda.

    If he had more arrows in his quiver, it might have been possible to simply pick the men off one by one until there were none to defend their master, but unfortunately for him, his ammunition was not bottomless.

    He urged his horse forward, his bow sped as though he was ready to fire. The soldiers roared out aggressively, seeing the chance to dismount him as he nearly entered the range of their yari.

    His veered sharply right, ditching any of the soldiers that had managed to keep up, andpletely passing the wall created by their charge.

    Now the field was open, and the only threat to his rear. Toda sat, dismounted, hiding behind his men - whose spears pointed out - as though he were inside of some war-loving tortoise¡¯s shell.

    He spared him the briefest of nces, pulling his bowstring back. Toda responded by ducking further down amongst his men, not offering even the slightest hair on his head to be aimed at.

    SPLUT

    "ARGHH"

    The sound of his men dying, to which the snake-like man waspletely indifferent. He peaked out through the gaps offered by his men¡¯s legs, wondering why the scream had been further away from him than might be expected.

    Only, his vision was obscured by the bodies of his yari wielders charging past, roaring loudly, as they struggled ¨C as per their lord¡¯smand ¨C to keep up with the mounted man.

    SPLUT

    "ARGHH"

    An almost identical set of sounds rang out. At this point, Toda deemed it might be worth the risk of taking a nce out over the top of the bodies.

    He stood up straight, easily seeing over the heads of his men due to his height.

    "F.u.c.k!"

    He cursed, for the first time feeling the first trembling of discontent.

    "What are you doing, you animals!? Get over there and stop him killing our men!"

    That monstrous man on his horse no longer wielded his bow in hand ¨C that was slung over his shoulder. His armour was sttered with ruby droplets of blood, covering him all the way up his arm, and decorating his face.

    He wielded his sword with precision, staying a good deal ahead of his pursuers. Those he hunted held the wood of their weapon up in a pitiful form of defence, only to have it sliced in half, and the metal of a sharp sword plunged into their throat.

    They soon learned to run, but when a lion is hungry, it will not stop until it has had its fill. He chased them down ruthlessly, even as they ran in opposing directions. The yari behind him were not given the chance to catch up.

    The three remaining bowmen ran toward their spear-wieldingrades, utilising every drop of energy in their body to try and outrun this demonic horseman.

    They passed through the spearman¡¯s ranks, and carried on running, whimpering with each nce they took back. The ck horse and his rider did not slow their pursuit in the least. It was as though he did not see the wall before him. And with hisst three arrows, he drew his bow, and imed their lives.

    He barely managed to reign his galloping horse in before the wall of spears punctured his chest. He turned swiftly, speeding toward hisrades.

    He arrived by their side, still looking in the direction of his pursuing enemies. They were tiring fast, but still chose to keep up the chase. They neared. 120 metres. 110. The distance growing ever shorter.

    His men looked up at him in awe. He had single-handedly ughtered their greatest obstacle. The act of killing a man who was armed with nought but a bow was not impressive in the least, but doing so when those bowmen were so close to their yaripanions was beyond bold. If he had slowed in the slightest, he and his horse would have be a pincushion for 25 spears.

    "Focus your fire on those 25 men. If they get too close, run, I¡¯ll hold them up."

    "Yes sir!"

    A guard responded instinctively, only a secondter realizing how he addressed him. It was an instinctive reaction to the ease with which the boymanded, and after the spectacle he had just shown them, it felt like a crime to not show him the highest respect.

    Masaatsu struggled to hide his smile. It was a fact, he thought, that there was not a single man quite like his brother.

    The unit drew back their bows, sending a volley of arrows toward the approaching men.

    FLOOM

    An easy target. Every single one of their arrowsnded, though some decorated the same target. 12 Men fell in the initial volley.

    "I¡¯m out!"

    A guard called, waving his empty quiver to ill.u.s.trate his point. Gengyo acknowledged it with a nod, before turning back to face the horde of angry guardsmen who were drawing ever closer.

    50 metres.

    FLOOM

    In the second volley, 10 men fell.

    "I¡¯m out too, brother!"

    Masaatsu called.

    "Me too!"

    Kitajo seconded, looking rather worried.

    "Same here!"

    A guardsmen called.

    "We¡¯re all out."

    Niiromented pointedly, ceasing the continuous stream of notifications.

    30 metres.

    "If you have confidence, step forward. I do not think I am capable of dealing with 3 spearmen alone."

    Gengyo stood in front of his men, astride on his horse, sword drawn. The opponents were filled with rage. Theirrades had been killed all around them. And by who? Mere peasants. If they could simply close the gap, even one of them, they would hold the advantage.

    The first man ran into range, thrusting his spear toward the horse¡¯s undercarriage. Gengyo leaned low, and awkwardly brushed his strike aside.

    He barely had time to regain his bnce before the next point was closing in, aiming for his lowered head. He moved out its path by a fraction, though a line was still drawn in blood beside his eye.

    And then the third - almost immediately after the second ¨C was virtually impossible to dodge. He was tilted to one side of his horse, having just dodged the previous blow, and now the sharpened tip of the speed neared his chest.

    He raised the point of his sword in a futile attempt to block the fatal blow. But it would never make it in time. The best he could do was to dodge just enough to avoid harming any of his vital organs.

    SMACK

    Suddenly, the spear was wrenched backwards, before falling to the ground. On top of its wielder sat Masaatsu, who beat the aggressor savagely, until his bow snapped in half, and then he resorted to in fists.

    It did not take the rest of the men much longer to follow either, as Niiro cracked his bow over the back of one of the spear wielders heads, sending him crashing to the floor. A pair of guards ¨C inspired by the courage of themoners ¨C wrest the spear of thest guard from his grasp, before one kicked him in the chest, and the other drove its point through his throat.

    Gengyo watched the chaos, momentarily startled. In truth, he had expected nothing. It would have been perfectly natural for them to remain idle, for they were virtually unarmed. He would not even have found fault in them for doing so.

    But despite the risks, and despite theck of weaponry, they had saved him from a bloody, and possibly ruinous fight. He could not fathom their motivation, but he did know one thing: he was d to lead such courageous men.

    A current passed through his body, seeing them going to work, and now, even in the midst of battle, covered in blood, he found himself smiling.

    But he could not remain cheery for long. Even if the enemy had suffered such serve losses, it did not count for much unless they were to take Toda¡¯s head. The state of Nakatane¡¯s battle remained uncertain, so their best chance at victoryy in their hands.

    But now, the one thing that they had to their advantage had been used up, and Toda was still snuggly surrounded by his remaining 25 guards. To him, that was likely a victory, for there was nothing his enemy could do to him now. He merely had to sit and wait for Ochi to return, and then the rebels would be ughtered like dogs.

    "Men, I have something to ask of you."

    Gengyo began, attracting his unit¡¯s attention.

    Those that had bloodied their hands stood up, some holding one of the three spears that they had pilfered.

    "You¡¯ve killed many men today, as have I. But the one man whose life matters is still sitting over there, safe behind his men."

    He pointed to Toda, who had remounted, but was still sitting inside his circle of guards.

    "We are bow ashigaru. But before that, we are men of Toyone. And though our arrows have run out, is our fight over?"

    "No!"

    A peasant man pounded his spear against the ground. His face was fierce and firm.

    The rest found themselves nodding in agreement with him.

    "Will we take up arms, and continue? The advantage we had is long since lost. But if we manage to im Toda¡¯s life, it is possible to win this fight even with the small numbers we have."

    Masaatsu walked slowly away from the gathered men. Their eyes followed him, watching him go. He knelt beside the body of a fallen man with an arrow through his chest. Unpeeling the dead fingers, he sped the weapon firmly, and called out.

    "I am with you, brother!"

    Gengyo nodded toward his sibling gratefully, before turning his gaze to the rest of the men.

    "How about the rest of you? Will you stand here, alongside me, and secure absolute victory for the vige? Will you put an end to Toda¡¯s terrible treatment today? Or will we suffer under his foul ruling?"

    The man from earlier spoke once more, but hesitantly, feeling a certain pressure due to the weapon in his hand.

    "I... I will fight!"

    "Good man."

    Niiro looked from the man, back to Gengyo, shaking his head.

    "Lookd... This is... Unwise. You¡¯ve done miracles so far... but this... this won¡¯te cheaply. That aside, I¡¯m with you. I don¡¯t have many years left ¨C better me than one of you youngin¡¯s eh?"

    "I agree. That¡¯s for the rest of you too. There is a very good chance that we will die. However, I will still make this promise: Toda will die alongside us."

    "F.u.c.k it..."

    A guard cursed, before continuing, raising his spear upwards, and his blood boiling.

    "...I¡¯m in too!"

    His buddy next to him watched him carefully, before mimicking his motion, lifting his spear skyward.

    "Well, if you¡¯re in, I¡¯m in too. Let¡¯s put this bastard to rest!"

    "Me too!"

    A peasant man hurried to retrieve a weapon, before announcing his participation.

    Before long, the vast majority had armed themselves with a yari, yet oned still remained.

    "Kitajo. You don¡¯t have to join us. None of us would hold it against you."

    He was visibly quivering. Ever the nervous boy, a scenario that spelt almost certain death was something he wanted to avoid more than anything. Yet he could not bring himself to speak the words of dismissal.

    He clenched his fist tightly, not calming even as his nails tore open the soft flesh of his palm. He bit his lips, drawing blood, staring toward the ground as his tears began to fall.

    "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll do it, Miura-kun... I¡¯ll do it."

    Gengyo retrieved two spears, before handing one to thed, dismounting his horse as he did so. With a pat on his shoulder, he weed him.

    "You¡¯re a courageousd, Kitajo-kun. Let¡¯s get through this, yeah?"

    "Mhm..."

    He agreed, taking the spear in unsteady hands.

 Chapter 50 - A True Monster

    Ochi¡¯s fight with the lion-hearted retainers continued, with his advantage only growing. The battling around them had begun to stabilize, with the weaker men dying off first on both sides. The tide of war no longer tipped in either group¡¯s favour, though the number of hors.e.m.e.n soon started to match the number of spearmen.

    The unmounted men found themselves grouping together in twos. A certain duo ¨C who had spent the majority of their time together ever since they were children ¨C fought back to back.

    "Aritada... you holding up?"

    Yoritomo asked through ragged breath, as he and the burly horseman attacking him allowed each other a brief respite, trying to look for any gaps in the other¡¯s defence.

    Redirecting a downwards swing with a heave of exertion, his buddy gave voice to the affirmative.

    "Aye... Barely. Ishiyama and Jikouji aren¡¯t doing so good though... Someone needs to help them out."

    He struck out with his spear finding the flesh of the horse¡¯s upper thigh. The beast snorted in protest, rearing up. His experienced rider managed to stay in the saddle, but his mount was by no means fine. It was lucky to still be standing, never mind with such a weight pressing down upon it¡¯s back.

    Yoritomo found simr sess. Using the briefest moment when his aggressor¡¯s eyes drifted away from their duel, he thrust out at lightning speed, not giving him any time to react. The sharpened stake at the end of his polearm burrowed its way through the muscle of the mercenaries¡¯ shoulder.

    The force of the strike proved to be substantial. As well as tearing open the man¡¯s shoulder, he was able to knock him from his saddle, sending him crashing to the floor. Before he had any time to recover, the young man¡¯s bloodied yari punctured his chest, sending him to hell with the rest of hisrades.

    He quickly whirled around to help his buddy, overwhelming the injured horse with a jab to its side. It was not a terribly damaging strike, but that, coupled with it¡¯s an earlier injury, was far more than the horse wished to handle. It copsed sidewards, willing to do anything to dull the pain.

    Having already anticipated that his horse ¨C at some point in the near future ¨C would fall, the rider had already freed himself from the stirrups, and gracefully rolled to his feet, wielding a katana in each hand and grinning with a mouth full of ck teeth.

    "Ya whunt to die boyeh?"

    He asked, in a thick ent, his words barely recognisable.

    Even if he were to ask them in Spanish, the intent would still be understood, and their reply would be the same.

    "Get f.u.c.k.i.e.d saddle muncher."

    Aritada responded, wiping the sweat from his brow as he closed in with aggression, intent on finishing the fight quickly now that he had Yoritomo to help him.

    The sharpness of his spear point was guided away with ease by the two katana, but the other spear point ¨C sent out at much the same time ¨C was a different story, as it tore off a chunk from the side of his belly.

    The man grunted, losing his grip on one of the swords so that he might mourn his injury with an attempt at stemming the relentless flow of gushing blood.

    In that moment of weakness, his life was imed as two spears pierced his torso, lifting his feet off the floor.

    They freed their weapons and nced around the battlefield, thoroughly exhausted from the time spent doing battle.

    "You¡¯ve improved again, Yoritomo."

    Aritadamented idly, as though they were not in a battlefield at all, but inside a dojo. It was an odd sensation. They had been fighting for so long that though he was trembling with fear, his adrenaline no longer permeated throughout his bloodstream, and his thoughts drifted toward the mundane.

    "As have you, bro."

    There were numerous scraps going on, but from a casual nce, they could not see anyone that needed help.

    Morohira had been shouting for a good while, his energy never seeming to dip. He was a fierce fighter, and many of the foes had fallen at his feet. He did not have much technique - aside from his spear thrust ¨C but what hecked in technicalities, he made up for in spirit, and pure animal aggression.

    Many men that battle had fallen at his feet. He sprinted here and there, fighting with whatever he could get his hands on. His spear had long since been discarded after it was rendered a splintered mess, and now he fought with an axe in each hand, both from separate men that he had in.

    He fought with such barbarism, and was covered in so much blood, that at times the enemy had trouble telling him apart from their own.

    A lithe mercenary pointed his spear toward him from the back of his horse, picking him as his next opponent. Both were decorated in blood, and it was sure to be a gruesome sh.

    The horse galloped, and Morohira followed, sprinting in toward its side. He swung his axes as though to strike, and upon instinct, the slender rider shielded his horses nk with the metallic shaft of his spear.

    But it was the greatest of miscalctions. His predictions were based on logic. But there was none that could constrain Morohira. The swinging of his axes had merely been a side effect of the swinging of his arms. And that still was a mere offshoot of a more bold intent.

    He sprung upwards, using his powerful legs, and catching the rider full force, sending him crashing from his mount. It was over in an instant, with an axe buried in the startled man¡¯s skull, freeing him from all the ailments of mortality.

    He gruffly wiped the blood from his face with the back of his palm, looking around the battlefield for the next man.

    Overwhelmed by the powerful concoction of lifesaving hormones that were swimming around in his, he let out a bellowing roar.

    "AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR!"

    Smashing the fists that wielded the axes together.

    The two boys watched such an aggressive fighter, turning white. Could that still be called human?

    "Think he could take on the big f.u.c.ker?"

    Aritada asked, referring to Ochi.

    "Dunno... But I don¡¯t want to try asking."

    Morohira was doing a fine job thinning the enemies number¡¯s as well, so to bring him away from the carnage of a the multipersoned fight might be to their disadvantage in the long run anyway.

    Still leaning heavily on his spear ¨C though his breath was gradually returning ¨C Aritada¡¯s gaze was captured by an object by his feet, and after a sh of inspirations, his fingers were soon working on the fist-sized rock, loosening it.

    He tossed it up and down in his hand, smiling.

    "Now this... This is something we can do."

    After the years spent practising throwing stones at Tadakata, his aim was rather good, and with the size of the mammoth¡¯s bulbous head, there was not a single chance of him missing.

    TCK

    It resounded off the bare head with a distinctive hollow sound, as though he had hit a chunk of wood instead. The giant visibly flinched, but could not spare them the time to turn around, as his attention was entirely upied by the two in front of him.

    "Hoho... I like where you¡¯re going with this, Aritada."

    Yoritomo found a rock of his own, andunched it toward the giant. His aim was a little off, and he only seeded in hitting the top of his shoulder, but still it was enough to distract him.

    Ishiyama, though greatly exhausted and with an almost unfathomable amount injuries, still kept his calm and analysed the intervals in which the giant¡¯s attention wavered.

    He did not know who was providing such a distraction, but whoever it was, he was grateful.

    After a time ¨C at least to the two throwing stones ¨C the effectiveness appeared to wear off.

    "Damn it... Come on, we¡¯re moving in."

    Aritada moved forth, spear in hand,pletely disregarding all his instincts that cried out, warning him of how dangerous that man was.

    After a brief paused, Yoritomo followed, discarding the rock that he had been about to throw.

    The giant¡¯s back was toward them, and there wasn¡¯t the slightest hint that he could defend. But something made them hold back from striking. Even without him looking toward them, it felt like a mistake to imagine him as defenceless.

    Looking down at his shaking hands sped upon his spear, and his arms that refused to move, Aritada shook his head roughly, attempting to dispel his irrational fear.

    He thrust out quickly, his strike containing his pure intent to kill, aiming toward the centre of the mammoth¡¯s torso.

    SHINK

    But his strike never made it to it¡¯s intended target. There was a sudden blur in his vision, and then he felt a force upon his pole, redirecting his spear toward the side.

    He frowned, striking again, motioning for his friend to do so as well.

    SHINK

    The first strike was once more deflected, whilst the second was dodged by the tiniest of margins.

    Ishiyama caught sight of their baffled faces, fully understanding the emotion that they were feeling. Such speed shouldn¡¯t exist. Nor should such power. It was not wrong to say they were dealing with a monster.

    But that was not to say having the two extra boys did not work to their advantage. It allowed Ishiyama and Jikouji the briefest of respites so that they mightunch a move aggressive, and therefore more effective attack.

    Only, they were rapidly nearingplete exhaustion, whilst that giant had yet to even sweat. With every second they spent fighting, the pain continued to grow worse as the effects of the adrenaline wore off. The more the fight dragged on, the more of a disadvantage they were at.

    As Ochi¡¯s naginata sn.a.k.e.d behind his back - dealing with the swift spear thrust that was targeting his torso ¨C Ishiyama went in with speed, getting in closer than he ever had before. He prevented the giant from swinging his point back around, and allowed Jikouji to deal out a series of strikes.

    He went for the single unguarded piece of the mammoth¡¯s body: his free arm. It was of such size, andposed of so much dense muscle that it likely weighed the same as an average man¡¯s body.

    The old man riddled it with cuts, struggling to strike a tendon and render it useless. He almost seeded in slicing through the bicep, but the arm was moved at thest second, and he had to settle for a lump of forearm.

    Still, it was not a negligible wound. It would surely render that arm difficult to use for a time.

    Or not. That line of thought was instantly proved wrong as that great tree trunk assumed the speed of a serpent, and coiled it¡¯s thick fingers around Ishiyama¡¯s neck, imprisoning him.

    The grip was tight, and though the leader of Nakatane¡¯s guards struggled, he could not loosen it. He was lifted off his feet, high into the air. The pressure upon his neck increased, cutting off his oxygen supply.

    Though his lungs had all but gone to the grave, his fight had not yet died. He stabbed again and again on the giants arm, wielding his wakizashi with a brutal urgency.

    The other men were kept at bay using his now freed naginata, and no matter how many wounds Ishiyama inflicted, the terrifying grip never seemed to loosen, and he began to walk a one-way path to hell.

 Chapter 51 - A Pyrrhic Victory

    They watched Ishiyama being plucked from the ground in dismay, attacking with a renewed vigour. But the monstrous man that was Ochi regarded them lightly. From the start, one hand was all he had used, and now, even though the other was upied, nothing had changed. He proceeded to slowly crush the life out of the entrapped man, whilst turning side-on, so that he could give his three attackers the attention they deserved.

    The head guard¡¯s face started to turn a frightening shade of blue, and his strikes to the mammoth¡¯s arm became even less effective. His legs stopped their kicking, and eventually he became rather still.

    "ISHIYAMA!"

    Jikouji cried out, attacking desperately, trying to cut him free.

    The cry awoke a weakened Nakatane, who was barely hanging onto his life. His eyes opened by the tiniest of fractions, just in time to see Ishiyama being pulled toward Ochi¡¯s open mouth.

    This was war. And war was bloody. But there was a line that very few dared to cross. Helplessly, they watched their fallenrade being raised up, as though he were some tender chicken leg.

    Feeling a violent sickness rise within their stomachs, they could do nought but watch as the giant opened his mouth wide, aiming his sharp teeth toward the soft flesh of Ishiyama¡¯s neck.

    He tore open through the skin with great delight, not because he wished to pursue a finer vour, but merely because he relished the fear such an act inspired in those around him. And who could me them for being frightened? Who could look into the eyes of a man that couldmit cannibalism so easily without feeling even the slightest chill of fear?

    Jikouji fell to his knees, horrified, watching as his dear friend met his end by the mouth of a giant who¡¯s lips were stained with his blood.

    Yoritomo was no better. Unable to stomach such a sickly sight, he heaved up the entire contents of his stomach, not stopping even when all that came up was but a thin clear liquid.

    Aritada stood shivering, struggling toprehend such devilism.

    And their lord, Nakatane, let out of the faintest of whispers.

    "Ishiyama... fight..."

    SPLURT

    A deadened arm once more regained life, forcing the point of carefully sharpened wakizashi through the unguarded eye of a feasting mammoth.

    It slid in with such ease, and so quietly. The only thing that made a noise was the pressured stream of blood that spurted out.

    A man once thought to be a monster let out a very human cry, his muscles twitching reflexively as he cast away his prisoner with force, sending him hurtling into a tree. His fingers reached for the hilt of the de, grasping it tentatively, before pulling it from his eye with a roar.

    He whirled around widely, like a wounded bear, struggling to see. But his efforts were cut short, as the bloodied point of Aritada¡¯s spear made its way through his chest.

    He turned his head to face the boy, who was still quivering in fear, white as a sheet. His body convulsed violently, before he let out a mouthful of blood, the thick droplets sliding across the smooth wood, before making their way to the ground.

    His hands made their way toward the spear, grasping it firmly. Dismayed, Aritada dropped the spear, ovee by a deep fear, watching the man slowly slide himself off the thick wood.

    He grunted slightly from the exertion, wiping the blood from his mouth.

    SWISH

    With a gentle sound, the air shed, and a chunk was cut out of the big man¡¯s neck.

    Despite his head being half severed, Ochi¡¯s eyes still flickered behind him, looking toward the old man that had struck at him ¨C a testament to his incredible will.

    But even as he attempted to struggle with the spear once more, the next strike was already on its way, and with a clean slice, his head was cut away from his body. It rolled off, hitting the ground with a resounding thunk, whilst his body remained skewered on the spear, before life left his legs, and he fell crashing to the floor.

    "AH!"

    Yoritomo shouted as the head rolled near his feet, looking up at him, and blinked one final time before life waspletely snuffed out.

    Jikouji ¨C who could barely remain standing ¨C ran over to the fallen Ishiyama, searching for any signs of life. There was no movement within the body, but there was a sickening depression visible in the back of his skull where it had fractured upon smashing against the tree root.

    A tear ran down the old man¡¯s cheek as he came to the realization that he would never hear his friend speak again. But despite his horrific injuries, the man ¨C who in life had shown very little emotion ¨C had a satisfied smile etched upon his face.

    "You did it Ishiyama... You really did it..."

    He spoke mournfully. Even Aritada and Yoritomo who had not known the man nearly as well as him were greatly saddened by his death, for he was undoubtedly a courageous man.

    Nakatane barely clung on to his consciousness, his hand still struggling to stem the flow of blood that was leaking from his side. It had slowed down considerably, but he was still in no state to move. Yet he pulled himself to his feet regardless, much to the dismay of Jikouji, who ran to his side, supporting his shoulder.

    "Nakatane! You musn¡¯t walk! You should remain there, and allow us to bring your doctors to you."

    "And when might that be?"

    He asked in a thin voice that was all but a whisper.

    There was nothing the old man could say.

    "The battle is far from over, Jikouji."

    In front of them thest few stragglers were still battling it out. Many corpses littered the forest, and a stench of blood hung on the air. It was difficult to walk without someone¡¯s innards clinging to the soles of your feet.

    The bodies of horsesy scattered everywhere, almost as frequently seen as humans, but a good few still hung around, riderless.

    With a final swing Morohira imed the life of thest man.

    It was hard to cheer at their victory, for it had been most pyrrhic. A more dismal scene it would be hard to imagine. Of the 80 men who had started the war, barely twenty remained. Perhaps a colder man might call that a good amount, considering the amount of men they had to deal with. Yet every single life lost was something that could not be brought back, and so, with their victory, it was hard to wonder whether they had truly gained anything.

    This should not be said to undermine their achievements, however. Every single one of them fought like winged lions, truly earning their ce amongst the living. It was a feat that very few men could replicate. Those that survived were the best of the best. Even if they still quivered in fear. Even if their garb was still that of a peasant. I put it to you that these men had the blood of gods running through their veins, and it was to Japan¡¯s eternal misfortune that their names were not better known.

    ...

    ...

    The sound of approaching horses filled Gengyo¡¯s men ¨C who were busy arming themselves ¨C with a painstaking nervousness. Who would they find mounted? If it was Ochi, they would die. If it was Nakatane... Well, they still might die.

    "No... It¡¯s noting from the forest."

    Kitajomented fearfully, straining his ears.

    What he imed was proved to be true a momentter, as around the bend of the track that led into Tobishima, a group of galloping hors.e.m.e.n were revealed.

    Gengyo¡¯s heart sank as he wondered whether to give the order to retreat to his men. There were revealed to be ten armoured hors.e.m.e.n, wearing a garb that he was familiar with. It was the same style that the guards wore when they apanied Toda on that day, five days prior.

    And behind them, there was a fat old man seated on a small pony, and looking very confused as to what was going on.

    They neared the two groups that were facing off, and snippets of conversation could be overheard.

    "What¡¯s all this? This isn¡¯t what you promised when you brought me here!"

    The old man eximed huffily, like some giant middle-aged child.

    "Shut up fatty. Toda, the f.u.c.k¡¯s going on sir?"

    The odd mixture of respect and disrespect made their rtionship seemplicated, and even more so still when his lordpletely ignored his way of addressing him.

    "Where¡¯s all the men gone, sir? Don¡¯t tell me you lost them to this rabble? Want us to kill them?"

    Another man chimed in, shooting the guards who were surrounding Toda a condescending look.

    "No. Get over here, and be quiet."

    They obeyed hismand, arriving by his side, but the second part of that order was a little more difficult.

    "Sir. That fatty is the ¡¯buisnessman¡¯ you asked us to bring."

    Toda shot him a look of annoyance.

    "Yes ¨C I¡¯d guessed."

    The rotund man took that moment to chime in, his chin wobbling as he did so, causing beads of sweat to flick onto the ground.

    "You¡¯re Toda? This is not at all what I had expected. Your men told me that you would have a business opportunity for me, but have not even won the battle yet!"

    Toda watched him talk with disgust, his despise for the shape of the other¡¯s body not very well hidden.

    "The battle will be won very soon."

    "In that case, I wille backter ¨C you should have brought me along when you weren¡¯t ready. The business I deal in is a ris-"

    He was cut off by a drawn sword pointed toward his throat.

    "If you continue talking, I will kill you."

    The merchant gulped deeply, his Adam¡¯s apple being caressed by the cold steel de. One look into the other¡¯s eyes, and he knew he was deadly serious. No matter how hard he looked, he could not find a trace of warmth.

    One of the mounted guardsmen struggled to hold in augh, seeing the state the wobbling businessman had gotten himself into.

    "Mmfhh... What are we doing about this lot boss?"

    He stifled it, pretending it was merely the start of a question instead.

    Toda sheathed his de, and returned his gaze to the peasants before him, who had now armed themselves with the spears of his fallen men. He felt a degree of familiarity for the man on the ck stallion, but struggle to ce his face.

    But he had decided on one thing: that man would suffer. This battle was not meant to be taxing in the least, and then this peasant had rolled along, seemingly on a whim ¨C since the rest of his people had already fled ¨C and was causing havoc amongst his troops.

    "We wait. There is nothing they can do, and once that oaf Ochies back, they¡¯ll be crushed like the ants they are."

    "Hoh... If you say so. Hey, boss, is that a bow ashigaru unit?"

    Toda went red with anger, as he sensed the contempt within that question.

    "You shut up as well! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t kill you too!"

    He iled around, throwing threats. The men did not take him seriously, and most barely managed to hold back theirughter. To lose more than half your men to a single unit of bow ashigaru was a joke. Sure, he was a man that had the money to spare, but this was just in wasteful.

 Chapter 52 - A Final Charge

    "Miura-san, sir, what the hell do we do?"

    The men were rattled, and rightly so. Their already slim chances at victory had grown even slimmer. It would be wise to retreat... yet aftering this far, it felt brutal to have to give up.

    Gengyo stroked his chin, trying toe up with an alternate n of attack. But with the numbers they had, and with no arrows left, there were very few options open to them.

    He sighed, desperately wanting to cut off Toda¡¯s head, but he felt wrong forcing the men to do so.

    "The odds are not in our favour. If would be better to retreat."

    He turned his horse away, and began to walk toward the forest at a slow trot. It was a decision he did not want to make, but it was likely the right one.

    "No..."

    A small voice spoke out from behind him. The men turned, surprised.

    "Kitajo..?"

    Gengyo asked tentatively, struggling to believe what he was hearing.

    The boy reaffirmed his motivation, grasping his spear tighter, and hardening his face. He was unable to hide the fear, but he spoke again this time, stronger.

    "No! We can¡¯t leave it like this. You called me brave, Miura-san..."

    He sniffed, struggling to continue.

    "No one has ever called me brave. Everyone has always called me a coward... But I haven¡¯t done anything yet! I haven¡¯t fought with this feeling. You¡¯re the brave man, Miura-san!"

    "I know you want to fight... I can see it. Everyone here knows you do... I¡¯m scared. Really scared. But you¡¯re far braver than me - than any of us! If it¡¯s you, Miura-san, then we can win! We can kill that bastard!"

    He spoke passionately, even as his eyes clouded with tears. Everyone knew how hard that was for him to say. And because they knew that, what he said was all the more powerful.

    Gengyo could say nothing. His gaped, his mouth opened. He had never thought his actions ¨C and his words ¨C would have such an effect on people.

    "F.u.c.k it... If that little shrimp isn¡¯t going to run, then what would the rest of us be like if we did?"

    A guard spoke, grinding his teeth. It was a hard choice to make.

    His words brought murmurs of agreement through the men.

    "Aye. I¡¯ll fight as well. Ain¡¯t much left in this world for me. Wife died a few years past. I¡¯ll be honest with you fes ¨C this is the most excitement I¡¯ve had in decades. I¡¯m in,d. Let¡¯s cut that f.u.c.ker to pieces."

    Niiro spoke next, stepping up to stand beside the guard and Kitajo. There was nothing Gengyo could offer them, aside from a nod filled with the utmost respect. These were brave men.

    "You¡¯re a brilliant man, little brother. Even if these men had not chosen to stand beside you, I always would. You¡¯ve saved us countless times ¨C let me help to save you."

    Masaatsu then turned to face the rest of the men who had not yet spoken, his long hair whipping around as he did so.

    "And what about the rest of you? I¡¯ve given up on living today. I care not for it. I will throw away my life without the slightest hesitation for the chance to stand beside my brother, and achieve the glory that he speaks of."

    "Do you not tire of being simple peasantry, and simple guards? Surely you feel it. There¡¯s something here. Our fingers are wrapped around the strings of fate. It¡¯s up to us. We of low birth have been chosen to decide the oue of a samurai¡¯s battle. This is the pinnacle of my life. I¡¯ve never felt such energy. I am honoured to serve at my brother¡¯s side."

    He spoke with the vigour and passion of a general. Listening to him, Gengyo felt a chill crawl up his spine. To think there would be such a great man that thought so highly of him.

    The men were as affected by the speech as he, and those that hesitated found the courage to move forward.

    "To hell it with it... I¡¯m here! The kid¡¯s right. This is our moment to prove our worth!"

    "Aye! I used to dream of this as a boy. And now my time hase. I¡¯m scared ¨C f.u.c.k it, I¡¯m terrified ¨C but I¡¯ll be damned if I live the rest of my life in regret."

    "I¡¯m with youd!"

    The cries rang out, and morale soared. Spears were raised high, and intents were solidified. Despite the overwhelming disadvantage they sat at. Despite thepleteck of a n. Despite theirck of experience. Despite their intense fear. In that moment ¨C though they were putting their lives on the line ¨C for the first time in their years of existence, they had finally begun to live.

    There were no words that could do such passion justice, and so, theirmander did not speak any. Instead, he grinned widely, inspired by their courage, as he hoisted his spear high into the air to reciprocate their calling.

    With a heel to the side of his horse, he began to trot forward toward their foes. In that moment, their emotions were so in tune with one another, that a formation did not even need to be spoken. The men assumed a casual arrowhead as though they had been doing such a thing since the day they were born.

    Their speed matched that of their leader¡¯s mount, and they ran forward, closing the distance between them and their enemies, their spears fully extended, ready to tear apart all that stood in their way.

    "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    A fierce cry ran out as they charged. A cry that was fuelled with a life time¡¯s worth of emotion. They felt not a single aching in their bodies, nor the slightest niggle of pain. Their condition was perfect.

    The long grass cowered away from their mighty step, and they elerated forward, growing every closer to the baffled enemy, who could not believe that there would be any foolish enough to charge so mindlessly to their deaths.

    But that was exactly what they were ¨C fools. The most high-ss fools that had ever lived. The intensity of their feeling, and the ferocity of their morale cowered the enemy, who feared facing their aggressive assault head-on.

    Orders were called out by a green serpent, and a wall of 25 spears was formed in front of them. Mounted men kicked their horses into action, aiming to pincer their nk once the charge had been met.

    Even as these vicious points stabbed outwards, begging to im their lives, not a single man cowered. They did not even slow. Instead, they sped up, reaching a faster speed than they ever had in their lives. Any limiter ced upon their muscle usage was removed, as mind and body truly connected.

    A ck stallion charged forward, forming the point of this arrowhead. A spear was brandished, and only a single man entered the rider¡¯s eyes. He ignored the yari wall, and focused every fibre in his body on killing a single man.

    He raised himself up to the saddle, with more ease than he had that time before. He crouched like a hunting tiger, his bnce impable, and his intent merciless.

    VWOOF

    A heavy impact. Their momentum was substantial, and the great beastly ck warhorse forced a sizeable gap in the wall of men. They pierced him with their spears, wounding him deeply, but he refused to go down. He reared, kicking out with his front legs, before brutalising them with his rear hooves.

    The rest of the arrowhead met the wall a secondter, widening the gap, and killing many with the initial mad charge.

    A venomous man squealed in fear as he kicked his horse desperately, willing it to move.

    It was far toote, however. The crouching tiger had already begun its leap. The distance between the two of them was immense, and not something that could be traversed in a single jump.

    And yet, he was threatening to do just that. A barrage of spears punctured his body, slowing him by a mere fraction, but he barely felt it. There was only one man in his eyes.

    His leap, even with the momentum of their charge, had proved to be too short. There was no way he could make it. But nor was this his queue to give up. Wielding the heavy yari in a single arm, he begged his muscles to let loose their fullest capacity, and lend stability to his strike.

    His arm extended forwards at a speed that should not have been possible, and his strike remained true.

    SPLUT

    A wound appeared on the serpent¡¯s throat. A wound of the smallest proportion, inflicted by the very tip of the sharp steel yari.

    He wed at it, wondering why such a tiny stab was yielding so much blood. He began to choke, terrified. His eyes bulged as he struggled for air.

    Feeling left his legs, and he started to real sideways, before his body went numb and he fell to the floor, dead.

    The smallest of smiles was present on Gengyo¡¯s lips as he felt his vision cken, and allowed his consciousness to fade. He fell to the floor, victorious.

    He did not know what had transpired from this point out, but had he seen it, then it is likely that he would be unable to hold back his tears.

    The men¡¯s morale had soured to a height that they had not reached even as they charged. They burst through the wall of men, and surrounded Gengyo¡¯s body, fighting like a bear that had its cubs threatened. Not a single de, nor a single spear managed to reach theirmander¡¯s body after that. They fought on, all but overwhelmed by the mass of people that pressed against them. They fought bitterly, for the longest of times, doing more than humanly possible.

    Not a single one of them showed weakness. And not a single one of them regretted their decision. They fought with the courage of lions, and even when they were covered in injuries, the men refused to go down.

    They would have happily died that day. But with its strange intent, fate decided that their annihtion would note to pass. Just before they reached the point of true exhaustion, a drumming of hooves soothed their ears, and from the forest, two red demons rode, leading a horde of bloodied men.

    The reinforcements acted without hesitation, crashing into the mass of men that had surrounded the remnants of the bow ashigaru unit. Within minutes the battle was over, and the men were parted, revealing the bloodied corpse of Miura Tadakata, who at the age of 18, lead a unit, and slew the enemymander with his own hands, securing victory and peace for the people of his vige.

    His legend would be remembered for a long, long time.

    END

    VOLUME 1 COMPLETE

 Chapter 53 - A Dream

    His dreams were violent, and his spasms left his caregivers anxious. He dreamed of this life, and the life past. It grew harder to separate the two. He found himself back at high school, sharing conversation with a girl he had once liked. But the scenery around him was distorted, as though he was looking at everything through the lens of a telescope. Her mouth opened wide, never seeming to close. The room trembled, and all the objects around them started to fly inside her gaping jaw.

    The space around them copsed, and everything went dark.

    Quiet. A very long quiet.

    And then. A spark.

    The tiniest of sparks. But within that dark space it seemed as bright as the sun. He shielded his eyes, trying to resist its sudden rays. The spark began to grow, as though aggravated by his resistance. Soon it had be a shocking sphere of pure white light that scorched his eyes and threatened to confiscate his vision. With it came a heat. A powerful heat. As though he was standing next to the sun.

    Instead of bing charred, his skin boiled, as though a liquid. He watched on in terror as it began to flow off his body, exposing the tender muscle below. That too began to liquefy, abandoning him to the floating pool of skin below him.

    Very quickly, his skeleton was revealed. Though his nerves had long since abandoned him, he still felt the deep scolding pain.

    The space began to pulsate, as though growing smaller. The ball of light grew unsettled, and started to bounce around. It made contact with his sea of flesh, drawing the liquid into itself.

    The liquid transformed around it, refusing to follow its spherical shape. It stretched off to form five thin tendrils. It did not stop there however, as these tendrils thickened, and grew longer, differentiating even further.

    The skeletal body that Gengyo now upied felt a distinctive chill, despite the heat that had once been. For the sphere now assumed the shape of a human body. N.a.k.e.d. It looked very much like his own.

    But there was still a thin amount of liquid left, and it drizzled on of the figure¡¯s head, coating him in a fleshy juice.

    As soon as it touched the skin, it was already assuming a new form. With moments, a kabuto as ck as the abyss decorated its head. And the face was soon covered by a men-yoroi of the oddest design. He had never seen one quite like it, and before the jaw waspleted, he was unable to identify quite what it was.

    With a thick forehead, giant eyes, a wide nose,plete with a jutting jaw of thergest proportions, he was able to ce it as a gori. It felt wrong to look at. It was a creature that felt unbefitting of a men-yoroi. Yet there it was, sitting upon the face in a shade of ck slightly lighter than that of the kabuto.

    The liquid ran down on to the shoulders, granting the humanoid figure a pair of shoulder pads, mimicking the colour of the kabuto. It drifted down the chest, forming a splendid dou, and before long the entire figure was dressed in a set of Edo-style samurai armour

    Thest slither of liquid on the floor ran outwards, turning itself into the smooth steel of a sword de, and then a finely crafted hilt of a simr shade of ck.

    Only when the liquid waspletely used up did the figure move. It reached down toward the newly created katana, grasping it firmly in its hands.

    It then took two steps towards what remained of Gengyo, driving the cold de through his ribs, aiming at a heart that was no longer there, yet still ending his life.

    His eyes shed open as he let out a cry of fear.

    He sat upright, momentarily confused. He was in a small, clean room, his legs covered in a soft nket. A stabbing pain echoed across his torso, reminding him of his many wounds. He nced down toward his chest. His kimono was parted slightly, revealing a neatyer of fresh bandages.

    A head peeked past the open door.

    "Rin..."

    He breathed, his throat raw from theck of hydration.

    "Nii-san!"

    She shouted, tears running down her pretty face, as she dashed into the room, hugging him tightly.

    Her tight embrace made the pain a slight bit worse, but he dared not say anything, and instead patted her head gently, returning the hug. Her shoulders heaved up and down and her tears soaked into his clothes.

    "It¡¯s alright."

    He soothed.

    "I¡¯m okay."

    She looked up him, taking in his face, forcing herself to believe that it was true. Her dark brown eyes were beautiful, warming his heart. He had not expected to wake up again, but he was d he had, even if he only got to see Rin one more time before he passed, his battle would have been worth it.

    "Nii-san... I was so worried..."

    She sobbed, attempting to stem the flow of tears with the back of her clenched hand, but failing miserably.

    "The doctors said... they said... it would be a miracle if you made it... they couldn¡¯t believe that you were still alive!"

    "Hoh... Those are some harsh doctors, writing me off like that. Look at these arms, I¡¯m far stronger than I look!"

    Despite the pain, he did a mock pose, tensing his bicep under his sleeve.

    A brief giggle offered a temporary reprieve from the tears, but before long they had started again, and she wrapped him in another tight embrace.

    "Are you really okay..? You¡¯ve been asleep for a whole two days... you, mum, and Masaatsu... you were all hurt so bad."

    Hearing that Gengyo spoke with urgency, worried for the safety of his family.

    "Mum? Masaatsu? How are they now?"

    "They¡¯re okay ¨C they weren¡¯t hurt as bad as you... Masaatsu is walking, but mum is still resting in bed ¨C though she¡¯s been awake a few times."

    He sighed with relief, rxing back into the hug, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.

    "And dad?"

    Sheughed bitterly when he mentioned father, sparking his curiosity.

    "Ha. He was covered in so much blood, but once we got his clothes off, there was barely a scratch! That stinky old man had me worried for so long..."

    Gengyo could not help butugh too at that. It did sound a lot like Morohira.

    "That crazy bastard... He almost gets beaten to death when he¡¯s out just drinking, and then you put him on a battlefield and he returns unharmed? There¡¯s no justice in this world!"

    She giggled, thoroughly agreeing.

    "Ah, Nii-san, let me go and get them. They¡¯ve been really worried too."

    She wriggled free, bouncing toward the door, sending him a big smile before she exited. He shook his head at her energy, finding himself smiling as well.

    ¡¯What a wonderful little sister.¡¯

    He thought to himself genuinely.

    He heard little snippets of conversation as she ran out into the garden area to fetch his father and brother. They arrived hurriedly, struggling to believe what they were hearing.

    "My god... You¡¯re actually alive!"

    Morohira said bluntly upon seeing his youngest son sitting upright in his bed.

    "Wow... That¡¯s a bit of a poor reaction, dad."

    Hemented lightly, greatly amused by his father¡¯s straight forwardness.

    Masaatsu shook his head in disbelief.

    "If you had seen the state of your body, you wouldn¡¯t be knocking him for that. You¡¯re lucky to be alive, little brother."

    Their shock did not conceal their happiness. Both their faces had immediately lifted upon seeing him, and they each wore a wide grin, even the normally stoic Masaatsu neglected to assert his calm demeanour.

    At the risk of spoiling the mood, Gengyo turned serious.

    "I honestly did not expect to be alive today. Tell me brother, what happened?"

    He saw Rin tear up slightly upon his statement, but it was something he felt he had to say. With his family, and those that he deemed to be close, he made a point to be as honest as he could.

    Masaatsu sighed, nodding in agreement.

    "I feel the same. It was madness, brother. After they saw you kill Toda, the men became beasts. I was the same. I¡¯ve never felt so strong in my life. I don¡¯t know how long we fought, but we surrounded your body. And then, out of nowhere, the master came, and saved us. I don¡¯t know what happened after that... I cked out. It was crazy."

    His younger brother looked at him with disbelief.

    "You... Held off 35 armed men with just the few that we had? I... How many survived?"

    Masaatsu shook his head as though exasperated.

    "That¡¯s the thing brother, all of us survived the battle! It was strange... It was like we weren¡¯t allowed to die. None of us were. We just fought, wanting to protect you."

    "What!? No one died?!"

    Gengyo all but shouted. Such a thing was downright impossible. Well, perhaps if they were the most elite troops, who had spent their lives training... then such a thing might not be considered so surprising.

    "Ah... I mean, no one died in battle. There was one man ¨C Suganuma-san ¨C do you remember the middle-aged man, who was one of the first to join your charge? He died this morning. I was by his side. A courageous man, brother. And do you know what hisst words were they?"

    "Tell me."

    Gengyo spoke tentatively, picturing the man¡¯s face. He knew exactly who his brother was talking of, and after all he had learned, and all he had done, his loss hurt all the more. Those men who had followed him into battle that day would earn a ce eternally within his heart.

    ¡¯I cannot fathom how such fine people could have gathered in one ce, but I will be certain to remember their names for eternity.¡¯

    "He asked of you. And when I told him that you were still alive, he closed his eyes and breathed hisst. And do you know what? He died with a smile on his face."

    Hearing such a thing, even Gengyo ¨C after all his years of experience ¨C could not help the tears that rushed to his eyes. He clenched his fist, shaking his head.

    ¡¯Who am I to be deserving of such loyalty?¡¯

    "I... This man, when will his funeral be held?"

    "Tonight, brother, with the rest of them."

    "And his family? What of them?"

    "A wife and a son, about 10 years old."

    "I will be attending this funeral. I need to meet with his family."

    He began to struggle to his feet. He did not know what time of day it was, but he knew it was not yet evening by the sunlight that shone through the paper walls. He needed to get ready. This was one event he could not afford to miss.

    ¡¯And whilst I¡¯m at it... I need to visit the rest of them. I owe them too much.¡¯

    Morohira forced him down by the shoulders, much to his protest.

    "Kid. Calm down. Your wounds have barely been closed, you need to take things slowly. It¡¯s only early morning yet, you do not need to rush. Ideally, you should stay in bed for a few days longer... But I can see that¡¯s not happening."

    "I agree with father."

    Masaatsu seconded.

    The youngest son sighed, struggling to calm himself. He reasoned it should not be too much bother to remain sitting a while longer.

    "Fine..."

    "Good! Nii-san shouldn¡¯t be foolish, especially after leaving us worried for so long. You have to be obedient!"

    Rin chimed in, approving of his meekness.

    She presented him with a te of food that had been waiting on a tray in the corner of the room.

    "For starters, eat this!"

    Arge te of rice and fish. At one point it would have been a most delicious meal, but now, staring at it, he could not think of anything he wished to do less.

    He looked up, opening his mouth toin, only to have it quickly closed again when he saw the intense res the rest of his family were sending him.

    --

    Hello, and wee to a new volume of TTG. I won¡¯t go into too much detail about what is going to happen, but let¡¯s just say that Gengyo won¡¯t remain a peasant for very long.

 Chapter 54 - Meeting with the Master

    "Tasty?"

    "Mm..."

    It had not taken long for his body to realize how hungry it was, and before he knew it he was wolfing down the food.

    His family watched on as though he was some exciting zoo exhibit.

    "Brother... I should let the master know you¡¯ve woken up ¨C he was strict about making me promise to do so."

    Gengyo nodded without inhibition.

    "By all means. I wish to see him too."

    Masaatsu nodded his understanding before turning to leave out of the door.

    His younger brother heaved a sigh as he stretched back, enjoying the feeling of being full. Aside from the dull aching pain, he felt very much alive, especially after two day¡¯s rest.

    "Dad, will you help me in to see mother before the masteres?"

    Morohiro nodded, slipping an arm under his shoulder and helping him to his feet. A wave of dizziness hit and he almost fell over.

    "You alright?"

    "Yeah, just a bit dizzy."

    Rin went ahead and opened the doors, making sure there wouldn¡¯t be anything in their way. With each step the skin around his abdomen and chest was forced to stretch, irritating the wounds thaty around there.

    With a brief spark of curiosity, he was almost tempted to inspect them, wondering what was just so bad about his injuries that the doctors had rendered him dead. But after recalling the expression his family members had worn when talking of them, he thought he better not.

    Fukuy asleep in a pillowed bed that sat slightly off the floor. She lookedfortable, but her face was a frightening shade of white.

    "What happened to her?"

    He felt a new kind of stabbing sensation in the pit of his stomach seeing his beautiful mother looking so frail.

    "A bastard speared her side."

    Morohira informed him, clenching his fist in anger. Seeing him like that Gengyo could appreciate exactly what he was feeling. No doubt if his father had been there, then something like that would definitely not have happened.

    "So Toda really did send men to attack the vige? That sc.u.m. How many did we lose, Rin?"

    Rin answered immediately. Each loss was still fresh on her mind, and she regretted them intensely, feeling that if she were to act faster, and more efficiently, then no one should have died at all.

    "Five. But a few more are wounded... It¡¯s not very good, but Akiko, I mean, Niwa-san, did all she could."

    "Not very good? Are you kidding? The whole vige would have been ughtered had you not fought. Inparison, five losses is very little."

    She looked up at her older brother, searching for any trace of deceit in his eyes, but she could find none. He meant it exactly as he said it.

    "I suppose so... but still..."

    He reached out to pat her head.

    "I know. It hurts. I feel the same. But it should hurt. The least we can do for the dead is mourn them. I hope we never reach the point where the death of ourrades does not bother us."

    "Mmm, I guess you¡¯re right..."

    Morohira shrugged, chiming in.

    "Aye, I agree with the kid, but of course there¡¯s always a simpler solution."

    Both turned to him expectantly.

    "And what might that be?"

    "Just don¡¯t die."

    He said with a straight face as though he truly believed he¡¯d cracked the riddle.

    There was silence for a few seconds, before a pping sound resounded throughout the room, as Gengyo face palmed dramatically.

    "Rin... Remind me never to take father seriously."

    She nodded firmly.

    "Mhm, got it!"

    Morohira looked startled, as though he was genuinely confused, looking from one sibling to another, searching for some support, and growing increasingly desperate as they continued to nk him.

    "Eh?! What do you mean?!"

    They left him to suffer for a while, as Gengyo allowed himself a smile now that he was satisfied his mother was okay. Putting his hands on his lower back, he stretched backwards, enjoying the pleasurable sensation of loosening his muscles.

    Perhaps it was because he¡¯d been in bed for two days, but he simply could not get enough of stretching.

    He was mid-stretch as Masaatsu walked back in, staring for a couple of seconds wondering why his brother was standing so strangely.

    "Stretching."

    He informed him pointedly.

    "Oh."

    Masaatsu nodded a couple of times to himself, clearing up whatever was going on inside his head.

    "Ahem. I¡¯ve spoken to Jikouji-san. He¡¯s going to inform the master and they¡¯ll be here very soon."

    "Alright. Let¡¯s head to the dining area so we don¡¯t disturb mother¡¯s rest."

    He wandered out of the room slowly, struggling to keep his bnce whilst avoiding the worst of the pain. It made for an unusual looking walk, but it helped to keep the pain to a minimum.

    He heaved a sigh as he sat himself down with his legs crossed behind one side of the low table, looking out of the open door at the pleasant sunshine warming the pebbled road outside.

    Rin sat herself down beside him, whilst Morohira sat at the narrower end of the table right next to them. Masaatsu preferred to stand.

    Gengyo¡¯s fingers drummed on the surface of the table, filling the otherwise silent room with a steady tapping noise. The arrival of the master seemed to have sombred the rest of the family¡¯s mood.

    ¡¯Perhaps they¡¯re nervous.¡¯

    He proposed to himself, as he nced around wondering why everyone looked so stiff. It was only then that he realized what he was doing with his fingers. He immediately stopped, hoping his body had not done that in an attempt to imitate Nakatane.

    A dragonfly flitted its way confidently into the room, buzzing past Gengyo¡¯s head. With a quick movement, he caught it from the air, cupping it within his hands, not harming it in the least.

    He sat there admiring the creature¡¯s beautiful blue body, reaffirming his conviction that he was very happy to be alive.

    Nakatane and Jikouji soon arrived, and slipped off their sandals by the door. Gengyo ushered the dragonfly out of his palm, and stood up with the rest of his family as they bowed toward the master. For his part, the master simply waved his hand, dismissing the formalities.

    "No need for that."

    He sat down at the table opposite Gengyo, who hastened to sit down as well. Jikouji sat by his side. Nakatane spent a good while staring, looking him up and down.

    Masaatsu interpreted this silence to have another meaning, and motioned toward his family.

    "Come, we should leave Tadakata to talk with the master alone."

    They nodded without the slightest hesitation. The atmosphere was far too heavy for them, and they would take any opportunity to escape should it present itself.

    Gengyo watched them go with a sigh. If they had known Nakatane better, then he doubted they would feel so ufortable around him. Granted, he was in a position far above their own, but his personality made such a social gap easily breachable.

    Though it was not his intention to make the rest of the young man¡¯s family leave, Nakatane did not stop them, for it would make his conversation easier.

    They listened to the footsteps gradually quieten upon the loose stones that lined the path.

    "How the hell are you alive?"

    Nakatane asked pointedly.

    "Pardon, Niwa-san?"

    "I saw the state of you. Several of your vitals were pierced. By rights you should have died days ago."

    He raised his eyebrow at this new information. The master had no reason to lie.

    "Hmm... Perhaps I simply recover fast?"

    The master shook his head in exasperation.

    "Are you showing off, kid? My wounds were not nearly as bad as yours, and I¡¯m still walking around like someone stuck a pipe up my arse."

    Gengyo chuckled lightly at his phraseology, enjoying seeing a more casual side to the master.

    "Nakatane, suchnguage is unbefitting of the master of the Niwa household."

    Jikouji corrected gently, though he too was smiling.

    "Eh, it¡¯s fine."

    He took in a deep breath, bringing himself back to the conversation that he wanted to have.

    "Regardless... I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive."

    Jikouji seconded that.

    "As am I, young man. It would appear you¡¯ve taken what I said about the warrior spirit seriously."

    "Ah, thank you. I¡¯m rather d to be alive as well."

    Even with the seriousness, it was almost impossible for Gengyo to allow his good mood to spoil, and he could not help but speak lightly.

    "Oh, by the way, good job on defeating the mercenaries. That was very well done. I heard it was thanks to you that I¡¯m alive."

    Nakatane¡¯s smile wavered slightly when he brought up their battle with the mercenaries.

    "Aye... But still, we did not manage to do it without Ishiyama¡¯s help. Had he not havee... We¡¯d probably all be dead."

    "He had me worried when he left, but I¡¯m d he managed to help you. Where is he now? Normally wouldn¡¯t he be with you?"

    Jikouji and the master shared a sad nce before turning back to Gengyo, who was trying to decipher just what that nce meant.

    "Ishiyama... Ishiyama died bravely ying a monster, granting us victory in the battle."

    The old man spoke solemnly, struggling to keep his voice from choking.

    The smile faded from the young man¡¯s face as he took in the loss of yet anotherrade.

    "I¡¯m... Damn it... I didn¡¯t know him well, but he was certainly a good man."

    "Ayed, he was one of the best. When we came and found you after you¡¯d killed Toda, we thought history was repeating itself. I¡¯m d the gods were not so vicious."

    Nakatane spoke truthfully. In the face of suchments the young man could no longer joke. The conversationpsed into silence for a while, before Gengyo voiced a question.

    "Has much happened whilst I was out?"

    "No... Everyone¡¯s just been trying to recover. We have not yet even set foot in Tobishima, so only the god¡¯s know what we¡¯ll find there."

    Nakatane tapped his fingers upon the table, trying to recall anything else of note.

    "Ah, tonight, we will gather in the marketce and hold the funerals. Will you be well enough to attend?"

    "Yes. There are a few people I need to pay my respects to."

    Jikouji voiced his concerns at that.

    "There¡¯s no way you can walk the distance into town with the state of your body. Even a horse would be burdensome for you... but still, you cannot ride, can you?"

    Gengyo scratched the back of his awkwardly with a shy smile.

    "Actually... I learned recently."

    The two older gentlemen stared at him, gobsmacked.

    "Are you telling me what those men said is true, then? That would mean... You only learned how to ride during the battle?"

    Jikouji¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief as he voiced the facts.

    "Something like that..."

    Nakatane opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again with a shake of his head.

    "Very well. I will prepare you a horse for travel this evening."

    Jikouji spoke, sounding a bit more helpless than before.

    ¡¯Perhaps I should have kept that a secret?¡¯

    Gengyo pondered, seeing how soul crushed the two older men were feeling.

    ¡¯Is it really that impressive, though?¡¯

 Chapter 55 - A Funeral Pyre

    And so, just before sunset, the vigers were gathered in the market square. It was the first time everyone had gathered together since before the battle, and now their numbers had been thinned quite substantially.

    Arge pyre had been constructed in the centre of the square as almost 70 bodies were ced individually on burnable beds, with their arms crossed peacefully. It was an impressive architectural feat, as every single body was visible to the mourners, creating a glorious pyramid of twigs and sticks.

    "He¡¯s over here."

    Masaatsu directed Gengyo, leading him toward the body of theirrade.

    The body was dressed in a simple ck kimono ¨C possibly of higher quality than any he had worn in life, a testament to the respect Nakatane was showing toward the dead ¨C and sat upon a bed of twigs, raising him up to the height of the young man¡¯s waist.

    Just as his older brother had said, the man had died with a smile. His face looked so peaceful ¨C so rxed ¨C that it was hard to believe that he was dead at all. If not for the chilling shade of white his face had gone, then it would be easy to mistake it for a man who was enjoying the warm evening sun.

    Seeing him like that, Gengyo felt a deep guilt. He had led Suganuma, and in return, the man had died. Had he been a morepetent leader, would he still be alive?

    It was also true, though, that he had not expected any of them to survive, so that only one man dying should fill him with joy. And it did. Just not enough to overpower the regret he felt at losing this man¡¯s life.

    "Suganuma-san," he spoke, bowing deeply, "thank you... thank you very much. It was my honour to fight alongside you. Please enjoy the warmnd of Takamagahara without any more worries."

    He stood still for a while, only moving due to his brother¡¯s urgings.

    "Come brother. We should leave."

    A women marched up behind them, with her son¡¯s hand in her own.

    "Are you Miura Tadakata?"

    She asked aggressively.

    Gengyo turned around to address her.

    "You bastard you kill-"

    Upon seeing the tears that stained the young man¡¯s face, her rage dwindled as quickly it hade, and her face softened. A secondter she found herself struggling to hold back her own tears, sniffing wildly, and blinking furiously as her eyes started to water.

    She could not stop the torrent of emotions that were so fresh in her heart, and the tears came forth quickly.

    "Why... Why did he have to die for you?!"

    She sobbed, hitting his chest with weakened punches.

    He did not avoid a single one as his guilt intensified.

    "How are we going to manage without him..? My boy is too young to work! We¡¯ll starve! And for what!?"

    "Oh! Dear, how cruel you are..! And for you to die with a smile... as though... as though it had all been worth it. But what of us!? What of me, and your sweet son? Were we not deserving of such loyalty?"

    Gengyo grasped her shoulders firmly, ovee by passion at hearing herment her husband¡¯s passing.

    "Please Suganuma-san! Do not me your husband. He is the bravest of men. Please feel proud that you were his wife!"

    She stiffened at his touch, sending a p toward his cheek at his words.

    "Pride!? You can only say that because you are not us... We won¡¯t be able to survive the winter!"

    Ignoring the stinging pain that stabbed at his cheek, the young man hastily tried to dispel her worries.

    "No! No, that won¡¯t happen. The master is an honourable man. You will receive a good amount of coin to reward Suganuma-san for his courage... And... And I¡¯ll take care of your finances too... What I have is not much, but I will make sure that Suganuma-san¡¯s family do not experience any problems."

    She froze in shock hearing the young man¡¯s deration. Even her young boy - who had watched their interacting with a resigned expression ¨C had his eyes widened as he stared up at the man in front of him, wondering whether such words were true.

    "Is that... Is that really true? Young man!? Is that true?"

    She wed at his shoulder urgently, physically searching for a trace of hope.

    "It is true. I swear upon my honour, that I, Miura Tadakata will take care of your finances for as long as you need me to."

    He said solemnly.

    She copsed to her knees in relief, her tears flowing even more violently before as her body convulsed aggressively with each sniff. She prostrated herself at his feet.

    "Thank you... Oh thank you so much! Come, son, thank the kind young man!"

    She dragged her son down towards her by the hand.

    With haste Gengy brought her to her feet, helping her son up as well. It rmed him to see her go so far in thanking him, when it is he who should be thanking her.

    "No, please, Suganuma-san, this is my honour. I owe it to your husband."

    He bowed deeply towards them.

    "Please ept my thanks. If you ever need anything, call for me, and I will do my best to take of it in Suganuma-san¡¯s ce."

    Masaatsu watched on, relieved. He had worried that his brother might change, even a little, due to the glory he had gained in battle. But it appeared his worries were for nought, as his brother turned out to be an even greater man than he had thought.

    Suganuma-san could say nothing in response, as tears choked her voice, so instead Gengyo turned to her son.

    "Be strong,d. Eat as much as you can, so that you can grow into a fine man, just like your father."

    The boy, for his part, smiled a determined smile that contained a hint of sadness as he nodded at Gengyo¡¯s encouragements.

    At that, the young man took his leave, and walked away, struggling to regte the intense emotions that were raging through him. He felt a deal of relief that he was able to meet with Suganuma-san¡¯s wife, and say what he had intended. Granted, he did not manage to do it in the most respectable manner, but he decided not to criticise himself too heavily.

    He did not even manage to walk 10 steps before a body jumped out in front of him.

    "Miura-san! Sir! I did not expect to see you here, especially up and walking about! I¡¯m d to see you alive."

    The man patted him on the shoulder aggressively whilstughing deeply, clearly pleased to see him.

    Upon seeing Gengyo¡¯s baffled expression, he slowed down.

    "Could it be... You don¡¯t remember me?"

    "Uhm... Rokkaku-san..?"

    His smile widened upon hearing his name, and he patted his shoulder even more, evidently excited.

    "You remember me? Hahaha! That was a glorious battle, sir, you¡¯re a crazy one!"

    "It was a little difficult to recognise you without the guard¡¯s uniform on... But it seems you¡¯re all just as crazy as me. Masaatsu told me what happened after I passed out."

    Heughed even more.

    "Hahaha, maybe... When I think back on it ¨C I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m alive. Did you do a deal with the gods perhaps? Hahaha!"

    Another man hobbled over on a crutch, his leg raised up.

    "My god! It really is you, Miura-san! I thought I heard someone say your name... but to think you¡¯re actually here!"

    A peasant man hobbled over, eximing loudly in surprise when he confirmed that it really was hismander.

    Gengyo turned to greet him, looking toward his leg in worry.

    "Nishina-san! It¡¯s good to see you well... What¡¯s wrong with your leg?"

    "Ah, ¡¯tis nothing. Just some sc.u.mbag jabbed me in the upper thigh, so feels a bit stiff. I¡¯ll be ready to fight under you again very soon,mander!"

    The young man paused at that, before responding hesitantly.

    "Ah... I don¡¯t know that I will be leading again in future. It was just because Ishiyama-san had to leave in the middle of battle."

    Nishina frowned at that, confused.

    "Why wouldn¡¯t you? We won the battle because of you! It would be madness on their part if they didn¡¯t let you lead again."

    Rokkaku seconded that, speaking passionately.

    "Yeah! I¡¯ll be damned if I fight under anyone but Miura again! I want to feel that feeling again. It was f.u.c.k.i.n.g intense!"

    Nishina couldn¡¯t agree more as he turned to the guard.

    "Right!? I haven¡¯t been able to drink any sak¨¦ since then... It just wouldn¡¯t be the same. Nothing canpare to it."

    Rokkaku pped his back hard, evidently more than pleased to have found someone who shared his opinion.

    "It¡¯s the same for me! It¡¯s been so boring... I just can¡¯t bring myself to touch the stuff. I never thought I¡¯d say this, but I¡¯m f.u.c.k.i.n.g excited for the next battle!"

    The young man looked at them, a little baffled. He had experienced a feeling of intensity as he rode toward the yari wall ¨C it was as though his blood was boiling from the relentless roaring of a lion. But he did not expect the men under him to feel like that... and especially to such a degree that they would forsake other means of pleasure just so that they would not sully it.

    A few more bodies detached themselves from the crowd. Amongst them, Gengyo recognised Niiro and Kitajo.

    They reacted with a simr amount of surprise as Rokkaku and Nishina did, but they were more than d to see each other. Gengyo was especially d to see that Kitajo was okay. He even felt that the boy appeared to be a degree more confident than he was previously.

    ¡¯It¡¯s probably my imagination though.¡¯

    Niiro¡¯s tired face seemed to have a new energy about it, and there was certainly a vigour to his speech that had not been present previously.

    More and more people came from the crowd, and each of them greeted theirmander excitedly, sharing simr sentiments. The young man was surprised to see that some unusual friendsh.i.p.s had formed between the members of the group. Rokkaku talked excitedly to a peasant, who, from the snippets of conversation that Gengyo overheard, had fought directly by Rokkaku¡¯s side in the battle.

    Before long, the entire unit was back together, aside from the recently departed Suganuma. The spirit amongst the group was strong. In the morbid setting of the funerals, their cheerfulness stood out, and their words were heard all over the square.

    Even then, Rokkaku appeared to be the loudest, and his words rang loud and clear, heard by every person present.

    "Hahaha, I tell you what, after that battle I had the best s.e.x of my life! My wife didn¡¯t know what hit her!"

    There was a silence as the entire square went quiet ¨C even Gengyo¡¯s unit ¨C as they processed just what had been said. Rokkaku¡¯s wife - who had heard such a deration as she was talking to a group of friends ¨C blushed intensely.

    The guard stared around wondering what all the fuss was about. The rest of the unit watched him, intrigued by his boldness, before his peasant friend burst outughing, and soon the rest of the unit followed. Before long the entire market square shared a chuckle at expense of Rokkaku ¨C who for his part merely shrugged, still wearing a wide grin.

    Nakatane shook his head, a light smile ying on his lips as he watched the excitement with which the men that Gengyo had led carried themselves. Even Jikouji beside him ¨C though he had been numbed to such things a little with age ¨C had his curiosity captured.

    Themander was not separated from their antics in the least. He shared conversation as though he were talking to a group of old friends, as his initial reserved attitude soon faded, and he learned tough alongside them. Masaatsu was a degree quieter, but not because he held distaste for their attitudes, simply because he did not know quite how to join in.

    That was of no problem though, as young Kitajo felt much the same, and the two soon struck up conversation, and the foundations of an unlikely friendship started to beid.

 Chapter 56 - A Morbid Ceremony

    "People of Toyone, your attention please."

    Nakatane called out. The crowd grew gradually quieter, and he only spoke again once silence reigned.

    "We stand here victorious, despite the odds that were stacked against us. But that victory hase at a cost ¨C as we knew it would."

    "These," He motioned toward the funeral pyre, "are some of the bravest men and women to have walked this sacrednd of the rising sun, and it is our duty to remember their names for eternity."

    "Join me in prayer, as I ask the gods to wee them into Takamagahara."

    Jikouji passed him a ming torch that he carefully received with both hands before he began the ceremonial chants.

    "Gods, forgive the sins of us weak mortals as we beseech you to show benevolence toward us lesser beings."

    He paused as he waited for the gathered people to repeat back his chant.

    "These men and women, though lowly in life, in death they awakened their godly blood, and proved their right to stand in your presence."

    "We ask that you grant them safe passage, and that they are able to experience all that they could not on this mortal ne."

    With that the chants reached their conclusion, and he pointed the flickering me toward a nearby bundle of kindling that had been purposely left exposed. It took but a moment for the fire to catch, and it spread very quickly.

    With a series of crackling, the entire base was drenched in a me that climbed up to the top of the pyramid, soaking the corpses in its warmth.

    There were very few who did not shed a tear as they watched their friends and family being devoured by the hungry me. The ash drifted skyward, and they prayed that it was enough for their loved ones to make it to a better ce.

    Nakatane and Jikouji watched Ishiyama¡¯s body disappear into the mes, as their grief rose up even stronger than before. The master clenched his fist, feeling rage at the loss of his head guardsman who had served by his side for many years. He attempted to hide the tears that he shed, but it did not escape the old man who knew him well, for his face was simrly drenched.

    The darkness of mortality was lit up by the sacrifices of those that had fallen before them. To mourn was to show respect. But to show grief for too long would be to the great sadness of those we care for, for it renders their sacrifice irrelevant, for you stand even weaker than before.

    At least, that was the sentiment they held when they struggled to smile despite the wave of grief that washed over them. For some it was easier than others, but the attempt was still made.

    Heaving a deep sigh, Nakatane attempted to set aside his sadness ¨C at least for now ¨C and addressed his people once more.

    "I..."

    He paused, his voice choking. Jikouji grasped his shoulder firmly, nodding slightly, to show his support.

    The master returned the nod, drawing in a deep breath, before beginning again.

    "I will move onto a lighter topic now. Rewards! Haha!"

    He forced a heartyugh, despite its difficulty. A few managed to chuckle in return, as ears perked up at the mention of reward.

    "All who served ¨C including the women ¨C will receive 10 silver coins for their service. If a member of your family that served has passed away, then that will be 50 silver coins. You may collect it on their behalf."

    Whispers passed over the crowd as the people discussed the reward.

    "10 silver coins!? That... That¡¯s enough to feed us for 10 years! How? How is the master able to afford this?"

    The rewards were immense, and Gengyo nodded with approval. He knew that no matter what it took the master would do his best to do right by his people. But he did not know quite the extent the master had gone. His treasury had been entirely cleaned out in order to give this prize to the people.

    His family would certainly struggle with coin for a while... But he hoped that they might find something in Toda¡¯s residence that would make up for their losses. Of course, he was prepared not to find anything at all as well.

    Jikouji handed him a scroll that contained the name¡¯s of everyone in the vige who had served in battle. It also marked whether such people had died or not. It was a rather morbid thing to read, and as his eyes passed of the name Ishiyama, he felt something tighten.

    Clearing his throat he began to read them out.

    "Reizei Koresuke... 10 silver coins. Pleasee forward to collect your reward."

    A middle-aged man stepped forward, carrying himself with a bit of a limp. Nakatane plunged his hand into a small chest of coins, and counted out ten before cing them firmly into the man¡¯s hands.

    "Thank you for your service."

    The man bowed gratefully, almost overwhelmed by the amount of money he was holding. He grasped it tightly with both hands, walking through the crowd with them still firmly sped, making certain that he would not drop a single coin.

    When the man had once more returned to the mass that was the crowd, the master continued on with the list, calling the name of a deceased woman. Her 11-year-old daughter came forth on her behalf, encouraged by her father. Nakatane offered her a smile, handing her the coins kindly, and doing his best not to increase her nervousness.

    The going was rather slow because the master made sure to give each recipient his full attention, but none grew bored, for the anticipation of such a handsome reward was enough to still any restlessness.

    Men from Gengyo¡¯s unit were soon called up, much to the encouraging cheers of theirrades, who pped them on the back as they passed through the crowd. The men marvelled at the amount of coin that they returned with, struggling to believe that it was real.

    Morohira¡¯s name was called, and he passed through the crowd with confidence. As he neared the front, someone shouted out to him.

    "THE BEAST!"

    He turned to see the raised fist of Kushizu, who had battled alongside Morohira. The two had a certain respect for each other, especially since that bloody affair. ¡¯The beast¡¯ received the praise with a hearty chuckle, as he raised his fist back.

    "Aye! I¡¯m the bloody beast!"

    His deep shout was almost a roar, and soon other men offered a few shouts, hailing him as the beast. Aritada and Yoritomo joined in. There was not a single man more deserving of such a title. He had fought like a man possessed, inspiring a degree of fear even within his ownrades.

    Nakatane watched the exchanges with amus.e.m.e.nt, handing him the coins.

    Morohira nced down toward his palms, counting the coins just to be sure.

    "Hang on, master, you¡¯ve put 11 here."

    "A fitting reward for ¡¯the beast¡¯, would you not agree?"

    A chuckle spread amongst the crowd, and the two men shared a grin. Grasping the coins in his hand, he nodded toward the master with respect, before turning back to walk toward the crowd.

    Rin was next up, encouraged on by Akiko who stood beside her. Other women amongst the crowd wanted to offer her their support as well, though they were a little more reserved than the men, and only deigned it polite to do so silently.

    "I heard from my daughter that you fought like a tigress, young Miura-kun."

    Nakatane praised as he handed her the reward.

    She blushed slightly at the praise from someone of such high standing, but still, she attempted to ept it humbly.

    "It was your daughter that fought like a lioness, sir."

    She responded tentatively.

    He smiled at her response as he watched her go with a certain amount of approval.

    And then Masaatsu walked up, his expression firm ¨C though it threatened to break at any moment from the shouts that came from his unit.

    "Go on Miura! Get those coins!"

    The shouts were so foolish, but it was intentionally so. It had quickly be a game to see if they could make the recipientugh as he went up to collect his reward.

    To his credit, he managed to remainposed, but as soon as he returned back to the men, he quickly broke into a fit ofughter. Gengyo grinned widely, seeing his brotherugh so fiercely.

    But that could not distract him from the nervousness that sat upon his chest. It began in his stomach as a series of butterflies that soon flittered up toward his heart. He wondered why he felt nervous about collecting a simple reward in front of this amount of people? He had done so without a hint of emotion in front of crowds hundreds of times this amount.

    ¡¯Perhaps... Perhaps it¡¯s because I care what these people think of me?¡¯

    He reasoned.

    "Miura Tadakata! Come up and collect your reward."

    His name was spoken, and his thoughts immediately narrowed. The nervousness intensified and he felt a rush of adrenaline.

    He stepped through the crowd of people that parted upon his walk outwards. They looked towards him, watching him pass. He wondered why the crowd was so silent.

    "MIURA!!"

    A shout rang out, and he nced back to see the raised fist of Rokkaku. His normally rxed face and cheerful smile were gone. His expression had hardened into one ofplete seriousness.

    "MIURA!!"

    A series of other men raised their fists to call his name, his brother and Kitajo amongst them.

    "MIURA!!"

    And then, the entire unit had their fists raised after calling his name. He stared back at them, his body ovee by a sudden chill. The look in their eyes was fearsome. He could not process the fact that these men, with those expressions, were calling his name.

    Time felt slowed as he turned back around, only to hear another barrage of cheers spur him onwards.

    "MIURA!!"

    He met Nakatane¡¯s gaze, and his steps paused. In his eyes he saw reflected the same intensity that had been demonstrated by the men he had led.

    It took a great effort to resume his walk forward, and he felt as though it took an eternity.

    He arrived next to Nakatane, and stepped up onto the wooden tform, affording him a view of the entire crowd.

    The master put his hand on his shoulder, and turned with him to face the crowd.

    "Now... Miura here. Hmm... What should we do with him? Will ten silver coins cut it?"

    "HELL NO!!"

    Rokkaku called out, quickly putting a hand over his mouth, realising that he had spoken out of turn.

    "Hahaha. I agree! The boy led only 15 men against Toda¡¯s 100. Well... 110. And the little rascal actually won! So, what do we give to the boy that killed Toda with his own hands?"

    "90 SILVER!"

    A man called out.

    "1 GOLD COIN!"

    Shouted another.

    "A HORSE, BECAUSE HE WENT AND KILLED THE OTHER ONE!"

    Rokkaku shouted, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the rest of the crowd.

    Nakatane also smiled at that.

    "That¡¯s good... It is good. But those do not utilise his particr talents... Instead, I¡¯ll offer him this: join me, and be the leader of my ¨C not yet formed ¨C special forces unit. I¡¯ll give you 3 days to-"

    He did not manage to finish his speech, as the youth beside him forecast his eagerness.

    "I ACCEPT!"

    Gengyo shouted unreservedly, perhaps a little too keen.

    "Are you sure? It¡¯s a position of great responsibility..."

    He nodded seriously, repeating himself.

    "I ept."

    In battle, he had discovered a side of himself that he did not know existed. Now that the war was over, he had not known what direction to pursue. And then, Nakatane, had offered him ¨C a peasant ¨C the position of a lifetime. A position that would guarantee the safety of his family. And above all, a position that would allow him to fight alongside those brilliant men that he had discovered when times were the toughest.

    "MIURA!! MIURA!! MIURA!!"

    His men shouted their roaring approval, sharing his sentiment. They could not step back in the realms of men after they had tasted what it meant to be a god.

    //Author note

    Just putting it here because I often find myself ignoring the designated authors thought when I¡¯m reading.

    As forecast, Gengyo has stepped up in the world. What this means is, of course, an even more exciting novel, as he has more opportunities as a character. What I have nned is exciting even me, and I can¡¯t wait to right it.

    Also, I want to thank you. The support over thisst week has been incredible. I think, perhaps, you are one of the best - if not the best - fanbase on this entire tform. We didn¡¯t quite meet out 250 powerstones goal... but that¡¯s okay! I think we¡¯ll definitely meet it this week! How about, we keep it lower, and shoot for 260? I¡¯m pretty confident we can get this, as the amount of followers has increased substantially sincest week! And as always, if we manage it, I¡¯ll release two bonus chapters on sunday ^_^.

    Thank you

 Chapter 57 - A Conversation by the Candlelight

    Gengyo heaved a sigh as he removed his sandals by the door. It had been a long evening, and now he found himself utterly exhausted. There were still celebrations going on inside the market square, but he had excused himself and rode home.

    In the heat of the moment he had epted the position of special forcesmandant, though he had no idea what it actually entailed. It was not as though he regretted the decision ¨C quite the contrary ¨C but his brain had been itching to think more on it, and his growing tiredness had provided an adequate solution.

    He still wore a smile on his from the time he had spent enjoying thepany of those who had served in his unit.

    ¡¯Or perhaps now they will be members of my unit indefinitely?¡¯

    There was still something that bothered him though.

    ¡¯What exactly does ¡¯Special Forces unit¡¯ mean?¡¯

    He wondered how much Nakatane might expect from him, or whether the duties might even be rted to battle at all.

    Suddenly, a shadow was cast out in front of him, causing him to tense up and turn with a start.

    He immediately rxed as he saw a familiar figure blocking the light of a flickering torch.

    "You came back early as well?"

    Nakatane shrugged.

    "There did not seem to be much point in staying. May I?"

    He motioned toward the entrance of the house.

    "But of course."

    Gengyo gestured inwards. It was the master¡¯s house in the first ce, what right did have to refuse him?

    The young man went on ahead, fetching a bottle and two sses, before sitting down at one end of the table with a relieved sigh. He was joined a momentter.

    "I had been wanting to talk to you, Niwa-san."

    Nakatane reached forward, pulling the cork from the bottle, and giving it a brief sniff before nodding with approval. He quickly poured himself half a ss, closing his eyes pleasurably as he enjoyed the bitter vour of the sake.

    "That much was obvious, hence why I¡¯m here."

    He drained the ss before pouring himself another.

    "Really thoughd, you should spend some time thinking before epting positions like that... Had I been Toda you would have been signing your life away."

    "But you are not Toda."

    Gengyo rebuked pointedly.

    The master held his gaze for a few moments before chuckling.

    "No... At least I am not Toda."

    He cleared his throat, cradling his ss with the fingers of one hand, whilst he toyed with the bottle in the other.

    "I¡¯ll level with you boy, you have a talent. One that is rarely seen."

    He took another sip from his ss.

    "You have more than proved your worth... and for me to ignore you would be a great foolishness on my part."

    "Ha... A great foolishness. Well, that certainly would not be the first time."

    Hemented to himself.

    The young man was getting the sense that Nakatane had more going on in his mind than just the contract. No doubt it was about Ishiyama, or perhaps even about the deaths of the other vigers.

    "Anyway, this vige owes you a debt. It would be wiped out had your unit not achieved what it did. Thus my reasoning. I offered you something that was mutually beneficial: you offer me your services, and I help you in cultivating your talent."

    Gengyo nodded his ascent.

    "It is more than satisfactory for me, Niwa-san. You forget that I am merely a peasant. Whatever you were to offer me, I would gratefully ept, even if you did not exin your reasoning."

    "Ha! Those who only look at birth are fools. It does not determine talent."

    He brought the cup up to his lips before pausing with a frown.

    "Well... Clearly. That did not even need to be said."

    He took a sip, that look of distaste remaining.

    "Anyway... The terms. That¡¯s the reason I came here... Mmm let¡¯s see..."

    He looked toward the ceiling as his fingers unfurled from around the bottle and he spent a few moments contemting.

    Gengyo waited patiently, not showing any signs of urgency, his attention remained unwavering.

    "Firstly, you¡¯ll have to move house."

    The master announced raising a finger as he nodded to himself. His behaviour was a little more erratic than normal ¨C the alcohol was clearing having an effect.

    "Pardon, Niwa-san?"

    "What I said. You need to move house. If you¡¯re going to be leading men, then you¡¯ll have to have your door open to visitors at all times. It would be easier to do that by moving you away from your family."

    "Hoh... I see..."

    Picking up on that reaction, Nakatane teased him lightly.

    "What, you going to miss your family? Haha, you¡¯ll be 5 minutes away. Ishiyama-"

    His smile faded as he mentioned his departed retainer¡¯s name, and he had to make a visible effort to stop himself from choking up.

    "Ishiyama¡¯s house... It will be cleaned, and then it will be yours. But I warn you, do not do anything within those walls that will sully his memory, or you¡¯ll have me to answer to."

    The young man could tell that he was dead serious, and he nodded firmly in reply.

    "Good... Good. That house will also symbolise your status. It of a simr build to Jikouji¡¯s, with two stories rather than one. It is perhaps more space than you might need... but I¡¯m sure you will find some use."

    "Forgive me for interrupting, but did Ishiyama not have any family? Would they not be residing in his house currently?"

    His finger tapping grew a deal slower, and his eyes distant. It appeared the young man¡¯s words had sparked a memory.

    "No... He had a wife when he was a young man, but she died, and he never remarried... no children."

    "Anyway. That¡¯s not what I wanted to be saying. That house is now yours, do what you wish with it. Meals will be brought to your room at set times ¨C Jikouji will handle that. You will no longer have to work in the fields. You will receive a payment of 1 silver coin each week."

    He listed off each thing utilising his fingers, before waggling the few that were left, wondering if he had forgotten something.

    "And what will my duties be, so that I can enjoy such favourable conditions?"

    Nakatane grinned, carefully cing his ss back on the table.

    "Now that¡¯s the exciting part, is it not? Let¡¯s see... Let¡¯s see..."

    "Ah, yes. You¡¯ll be recruiting men for your unit... About 50 I suppose... Imagawa wille knocking sometime soon expecting men to be sent to fight on my behalf, so you had best train them quickly. I¡¯ll leave everything regarding that unit to your discretion. Don¡¯t let me down."

    Gengyo¡¯s fingers made their way to his chin as he already began to n his next steps, and he almost forgot to reply.

    "Ah, of course Niwa-san."

    "Good. That won¡¯t be all though ¨C such conditions are too favourable. Your talent needs cultivating. Continue working on your swordsmanship as Jikouji told you, and begin to practice with the spear. There are numerous manuals on strategy lying around ¨C you¡¯ll be expected to read those. No one has time to teach you, so I hope you will do well by yourself. Ah, but an odd question here and there can¡¯t possibly pose too much harm."

    The young man barely listened to the second half. Thoseter terms were easily aplished. His mind was entirely preupied with the possibilities thaty open to him in regards to choosing a unit.

    "Young man? Are you listening?"

    "Hm? Yes, those are fine too, Niwa-san. I¡¯ll make sure not to let you down. Thank you."

    "Eh? Alright I suppose..."

    A little underwhelmed by Gengyo¡¯s easy eptance of the conditions, Nakatane flow was temporarily broken, and he instead filled the silence with a sip of sake as he watched the young man sit in thought.

    ¡¯I wonder what he¡¯s thinking?¡¯

    He pondered briefly, before shaking his head, realizing that was a futile question.

    He eyed his empty ss before doing a brief shake of the bottle, realizing that there was but a slither of liquid remaining. He tutted lightly, before pouring it out.

    With a swift motion, the ss was empty, and after a slight stretch the master struggled to his feet.

    Awakened by the movement, Gengyo returned from his thoughts.

    "Ah, are you leaving?"

    "Aye. That¡¯s all I needed to say. The night is still young, but you should get some rest. You¡¯ll assume your post first thing tomorrow ¨C so enjoy yourst night as a simple working man."

    The young man stood up alongside him, seeing him out.

    "I will, thank you. You should get some rest too, Niwa-san. I imagine these past few days have been rather busy."

    The master slipped into his shoes with practised movements before waving away Gengyo¡¯s concerns with a limp hand, stepping off the porch.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll take more than sleep to ruin this old body of mine!"

    He shook his head lightly in response to the older man¡¯s jokes, a slight smile on his lips. They both knew why it was that he could not sleep. But in time, he hoped, the grief would begin to abate for him. It was not pleasant to see such a decent person suffer.

    Just before Gengyo turned to go back inside, Nakatane stopped him.

    "Ah! I almost forgot. Be ready early tomorrow morning. We¡¯re heading to Tobishima to set things in order. And of course, I¡¯ll need my new retainer with me, haha!"

    "Got it. I¡¯ll be up early."

    "Goodd. Goodnight then!"

    He said with a wave of his hand, as he stumbled half-drunk back toward his mansion. Gengyo watched him go, almost expecting him to fall. When he disappeared from sight, he turned back inside, and hovered briefly by the door of his room, wondering what to do. It only took a moment for him to make his mind up, and he quickly prepared himself to slip into bed.

    What he had hoped would be a good night¡¯s sleep was ruined by his racing thoughts that endlessly rushed about, each holding a different piece of a grand puzzle. But such was the curse of the strategical mind.

    // Author¡¯s note

    Thanks very much for reading this chapter. The support over these past few days has been insane, and our ranking is blowing up. I appreciate it so much! This novel means a lot to me. It¡¯s a hope. On that note, I hope you, the reader, are able to aplish something that you didn¡¯t think you could do today. Push past your limits!! :) Thank you

 Chapter 58 - Into Tobishima

    By early morning, the master and his two retainers were mounted, travelling toward Tobishima. They were not kitted out in full armour, but it was not as though they werepletely defenceless either. Each of them had a sword at his hip, and with them they had brought the men who would form the foundation of Gengyo¡¯s Special Forces unit.

    Aside from the men who had fought with him in battle, there were three extra men in the unit. Morohira was one. As soon as he had heard of the formation of the Special Forces unit, he wanted to be a part of it. The man loved to fight ¨C and who would not want to fight alongside their own family? He figured that since his son was in charge, he would be able to do pretty much as he pleased.

    But that had proved not to be the case, and now he walked alongside Masaatsu, grumbling as he carried a spade and yari just like the rest of them.

    The other two recruits were Yoritomo and Aritada who Gengyo invited on a whim, and was as yet still unsure how they would perform.

    The stallion the young man sat mounted on was a pure ck, almost identical to Ishiyama¡¯s. The simrity was so striking, that the boy could not help but hold suspicions that such an arrangement had been done purposefully.

    A flock of crows took flight as they neared, abandoning the corpses on which they were feasting.

    Jikouji wrinkled his nose.

    "The stench is quite... something."

    "Yes, it¡¯s a smell that I hope I don¡¯t be too familiar with."

    Nakatane agreed.

    After the battle, only the bodies of theirrades had been taken. They were far too exhausted to care about the rest. But it was not as though they could simply leave them in the middle of the field forever. Afterall, this was now theirnd, and it was the main route into Tobishima. It would be most unwise to leave it to sully.

    "Tell your men to leave their tools here. We will deal with the bodies on the way back."

    Gengyo nodded, before repeating the order to his unit.

    "You fes will be d to hear that we can leave the spades here. We can enjoy the hard work on the way back, but for now, let¡¯s see what Toda¡¯s been hiding, eh?"

    Sighs of relief sounded out as the heavy spades slipped from their hands to the floor. It was aborious task carrying both that and the yari. But their exhaustion did not stop their excitement. Toda was a man of immense wealth, and their imaginations ran wild in anticipation of what they might find.

    "Let¡¯s go then, Commander Miura Sir!"

    Morohira called out, much to Gengyo¡¯s annoyance. His father could be rather childish at times, and ever since he had heard Rokkaku utter that series of titles jokingly, he had not stopped saying it.

    The rest of the unitughed, but the young man let them have their fun. Perhaps it was an inappropriate way of behaving toward yourmanding officer, but he did not care for that kind of formality. The way he saw it, the more freely his men were able to act around him, the better they would perform as a unit because there would never be any fear of approaching him.

    It was not like Gengyo could spot everything, and so in his men, he ced a trust that they would be an extension of his eyes and ears.

    Nakatane and Jikouji were observing the young man rather intensely, though they attempted to do it without his notice. It was always a worry that a position of power might change one for the worse, but so far ¨C much to their relief ¨C they did not notice anything untoward about his behaviour, though they disapproved slightly of his casual rtionship with his men.

    Before long, they arrived at the vige. The first thing they saw were the rice fields which were rather different to their own. They had not had the time to properly flood the fields, so the crops were not growing optimally. Yet the vigers of Tobishima had seeminglypleted their flooding a long time ago, and the rice looked well on its way to maturity.

    The three mounted men took note of this, though each for different reasons.

    They steered their horses toward a cobblestone path that lead to the heart of the vige, with a few houses scattered en route.

    They walked at a slow cautious pace in silence. The only sound was that of the clopping horse¡¯s hooves, and the heavy footsteps of the men that followed behind. Though nothing had been said, each of them held a degree of nervousness, for they did not know whaty ahead. It was quite possible that Toda left some men behind at his vige, having underestimated their resistance.

    Their pace slowed further as they reached the end of the first house, fully expecting something to jump out. The group paused, and with a nod toward Nakatane, Jikouji drew his sword, and slowly trotted forwards first.

    He neared the edge of the corner, straining his neck to try and peek around, his sword raised, ready.

    "AH-"

    A short scream that was quickly cut short as Jikouji¡¯s de shed through the air and travelled toward the soft flesh of a young neck.

    The de had stopped a millimetre away from flesh, and a terribly skinny boy stood shivering in his rags as he copsed to the floor in a pool of his own urine, prostrating himself toward Jikouji.

    "Please... mister... I didn¡¯t mean to hide... please mister Toda... I didn¡¯t mean any harm."

    He whimpered, not daring to look up.

    The fearsome look that had decorated Jikouji¡¯s face soon faded as he looked toward Nakatane and Gengyopletely baffled.

    ¡¯It seems the boy thought we were part of Toda¡¯s entourage...¡¯

    The young man dismounted from his horse, and with a quick movement, he pulled the young boy to his feet ¨C he was all but 9 ¨C and forced thed to look him in the eyes.

    "It¡¯s alright boy. No one is going to hurt you here. Sorry for scaring you. We¡¯ll all be fine."

    He almost had to support the boy¡¯s entire body weight himself, as thed was so afraid his legs would not hold him steady.

    "Is that your house?"

    Gengyo motioned toward the building behind them.

    The boy nodded, shaking with fear.

    "How about you go inside, eh? We¡¯ll handle things from here."

    The boy looked back toward him, uncertain.

    "Go on."

    He encouraged.

    The boy took a step away before looking back to see if he was being pursued. When he saw that Gengyo had not moved an inch, he bolted, heading straight toward the door of his house. He pulled it open with a firm movement and dashed inside. The sound of bolts being drawn and shutters being locked let them know that he was still very much uncertain.

    The young man looked toward the door for a few more seconds before shrugging. It would have been nice to get some information out of him, but the little boy was far too afraid for something like that.

    He nced toward Nakatane and Jikouji. Neither of them voiced their disapproval, so he remounted, and they rode further along the road.

    A skinny old couple quickly shuffled inside as they saw theming. Simr to the young boy, the doors and windows were tightly locked.

    The townspeople were unusually timid. Even if they had caught wind of the results of the battle, and had learned that their master had fallen, there was still no need for such caution. Nakatane¡¯s reputation was well known, and any sensible man would not treat the peasant folk too cruelly, else there would be no one left to farm thend.

    This odd behaviour caused Gengyo¡¯s frown to deepen as such disys continued all the way up to Toda¡¯s mansion. One thing that was rtively easy to deduce was that they did not receive enough food. Each and every person they saw looked frail, and their bones were very visible.

    ¡¯Could it be that...¡¯

    His thoughts were cut off as he finally took notice of the imposing structure before him.

    "My god..."

    He breathed, awed.

    "Ayed. That was my reaction as well when I first saw it."

    It was less a mansion and more a castle. A grand four-storied building of such magnitude and style that even the Daiymo could not frown if he ever had to stay it in. It¡¯s architecture perfectly captured the height of Japanese fashion at that time. With high stone walls and beautifully curved tile rooves, it was a sight to behold.

    It looked almost brand new. Evidently, a lot of time was put into its upkeep. Its size would prove almost fatal to any team tasked with cleaning it. Gengyo did not envy those who held that job one bit.

    For some reason, they had all instinctively paused before opening the two grand wooden doors. They were varnished a dark brown and curved inwards toward the top.

    The young man nced around, and noticed an apprehensiveness about hisrades. It was not something he himself could feel, so he did not quite understand it. With a shrug to himself, he dismounted his horse and walked toward the two doors.

    He ced a palm against the wood and pushed, almost falling over. Due to their size he had exerted a considerable force in order to get them to move, but the doors themselves had provided little to no resistance.

    They swung open, revealing the interior. Evidently, whoever was dwelling inside at the moment did not deem it fit to lock the door. However, they had already nned ahead for the instance where they were met with a locked door, so there was no keeping them out either way.

    A vast hall was revealed. A red carpet ran down the stone floor from the doors, bordered by a series of pirs. It continued onwards towards a set of steps. Atop these steps there sat a rather well-cushioned throne. It alone - with its wood and plump stuffing - stood out. Everything else was immacte. Not a single spot of dust could be found.

    He stepped inside, his footsteps echoing off the stone floor, resounding throughout the room.

    "What a vain f.u.c.k.i.n.g bastard."

    Nakatane said with distaste, looking at what could only be described as a throne room. It was a mighty waste of money simply to exert a little bit of prestige.

    "Indeed."

    Jikouji emerged from beside him, and continued walking further into the room. He inspected various points, looking for decorative effects that might be of some value.

    "These pirs are pure marble... that cost of such a thing is hard to imagine."

    "I agree. The value of the material itself isn¡¯t that significant, but to have it transported here and sculpted must have cost a pretty penny."

    Genyo agreed, shaking his head lightly at such frivolity.

    "Oi! This looks expensive!"

    Rokkaku called from over by the throne chair. All eyes in the room turned to him as he pinched his fingers together and attempted to w something out from the centremost part of the chair¡¯s arm.

    He held it up a blood-red crystal, squinting as it glittered in the sun.

    "Gods... Is that a rugby?!"

    Jikouji eximed, his eyes wide.

    //Authors Note

    Thanks for reading!! I hope this new release time is okay for you as well c:

 Chapter 59 - A Sealed Room

    Jikouji eximed, his eyes wide.

    "A ruby eh? There will likely be one in the other arm."

    Gengyomented, not quite as excited as the rest of them. He had never cared much for jewellery and the like. To him, this was simply a rock ¨C albeit a rock that would sell for a pretty price.

    Rokkaku nodded. He could already see the other glistening red gem, and he moved to pry it free with the point of his dagger, though when he handed the gems over to Nakatane he did so reluctantly.

    "Don¡¯t look so disappointed. I¡¯ll give you each a cut of the coin we sell this for. The more we find, the bigger your rewards."

    That brightened his spirit, and he renewed his search with a glint in his eye, keen to find more goods. The rest of the men overheard and moved to do the same.

    "I think we¡¯ve found everything this room has to offer. Let¡¯s move on."

    Gengyo suggested, motioning toward the two stone archways that sat either side of the throne.

    Nakatane nodded in agreement.

    "Alright, let¡¯s get going then."

    They headed through the archway on the left, choosing it at random. They reasoned they could explore the other er. But as it turns out the two gateways lead to exactly the same ce. It was a small area with a high roof. There was nothing of note apart from a spiral staircase that sat in the middle of a stone wall.

    There were two choices, up or down. There was no spoken discussion on which they should choose first, as they simply followed the master that headed upwards.

    The wooden nks of the stairs creaked under the weight of their bodies, but it held out and allowed them to reach the second floor.

    This floor was more like that of a normal house, as long as you ignored the balcony view that it afforded of the throne room. The ceiling stretched out high above it, continuing on until it met a series of beams, and a view of the underside of the roof¡¯s tiles.

    Given the roof above them, it seemed this was the highest floor. It was home to a great many rooms, as one looked around there were around 16 doors scattered, each with a good distance in between so the rooms would be sizeable.

    These doors were of a western hinged style, and the majority hung open at least a fraction. The wooden floor was partially carpeted in red, and there did not seem to be any tatami insight. Whilst not very Japanese, it was undoubtedly stylish, and with the numerous potted nts ced here and Gengyo found it was very much like a hotel.

    Not giving voice to such a thought, he instead spoke to his men.

    "Search each room as you please. Of course, look for valuables, but if you encounter a person, detain them and shout. If you are unable to detain them without putting yourself at risk, then it is fine to draw blood."

    "Yes, sir!"

    With a few replies confirming that they had received the instruction, the men started to split up and search the rooms. Some went individually, some went together.

    "Are you not going to join them?"

    Nakatane asked, as Gengyo remained behind with him and Jikouji.

    "No, something has caught my eye."

    He spoke, moving forward as he did so. His movements conveyed a purpose, as though he knew exactly where he was going, prompting a second question.

    "What has?"

    "Every door on this floor is open, except for one."

    He pointed to a door that sat directly opposite the staircase. Whilst the other doors were a dark brown varnished wood, this one was almost ck, and was studded with metal in ces. It¡¯s position and it¡¯s appearance were more than enough to arouse suspicion.

    They arrived by the door, and Gengyo pushed out with a palm to test it. The thing did not budge in the least, confirming that as well as being shut, it was also locked. Judging by therge keyhole that sat in the very centre of the door, they would not be able to open it without a key.

    "Rokkaku!"

    The young man called out.

    A head stuck out from the door of one of the rooms.

    "Yes, Miura-san?"

    "Do you still have your axe with you? There¡¯s something that needs breaking."

    "Oh, if it¡¯s something breaking you need, then I¡¯m more than d to help!"

    He moved toward them enthusiastically, drawing the woodcutters axe that hung at his waist, and leaning his polearm against the wall. They had been prepared to cut through the thick doors that made up the gate of the house ¨C this door was measly inparison, and the resistance it offered would certainly not be enough.

    "This door here. Thanks for the help, Rokkaku-san."

    "My pleasure!"

    He heaved his axe upwards, before striking toward the door with his entire weight behind it. The de was met with a satisfying crunch as chunks of wood splintered everywhere.

    With the second swing a solid crack had formed in the door, and after a strong kick, it burst open, revealing the interior.

    The men stood stunned for a moment at the unexpected sight.

    "Am I... in heaven?"

    Rokkaku wondered aloud as he stared forwards, taking in everything.

    The room stank of a strong perfume that clung to their throat causing them to gag. It was bad enough that it warranted a hand over the mouth to act as a makeshift gas mask.

    The room was dominated by arge four-poster bed. It was almost double the size of a normal king-sized bed, and could likely easily fit around 8 people. It looked mightilyfortable as cushions were strewn about everywhere, of varying colours. The wooden floor was covered by a thick fur rug that undoubtedly was extremely pleasant to walk on barefoot.

    There were no windows in the room however, and it was lit entirely by candlelight. A fire dwindled miserably in the hearth, seemingly having run out of wood. But it was not as though the room was cold. In fact, it was pleasantly warm, which did make sense since the door had been closed so firmly.

    It was without a doubt Toda¡¯s bedroom. No other room would warrant locking. That meant that it had been closed for a good couple of days.

    But none of those things drew their attention. Not even the bedside cab - that was sure to contain some goodies - could tear their eyes away from the sight that they held before them.

    Like a family of cats, the most beautiful women one could ever hope to seey about. Their seating arrangements were not limited to the bed, nor was it limited to sitting at all. Mosty on their backs as though they had experienced the most pleasurable thing in the world, each looking entirely rxed.

    As they charged in, the she-cats merely regarded them with big round eyes, and a few blinks, before sighing in pleasure and resuming their rxing.

    That alone would be seductive enough in itself, but coupled with their attire ¨C which was so scant, that they may as well have worn nothing at all ¨C it was a killerbination. They wore thin silks that were all but transparent, each with a different colour. A green, a red, a yellow... almost as if that colour was all there was to their identity.

    The women were young, for a certainty, but not so young as to be prepubescent, evident by the full pair of b.r.e.a.s.ts each of them sported.

    Their jaws were all but on the floor, but as soon as they had time to process exactly what they were seeing, both Nakatane and Jikouji lowered their gazes. Rokkaku did not even pretend to show any discretion and merely kept staring as though he was trying to record every detail.

    Gengyo nced around the room, his expression neutral, and his eyes cold. With their initial attention captured by the perfect figures before them, not a single one of them noticed the sixth woman that hid behind the remnants of the broken door, a fire poker raised.

    Her and Gengyo locked gazes. Even whenpared the angelic she-cats thaty in the rest of the room, she was a good deal more beautiful. She hair of the deepest ck,rge round eyes, high cheekbones, and big full lips. As though that were not enough, she had the most ravishing curves that any man could wish toy eyes on, withrge firm b.r.e.a.s.ts, and a plump bottom.

    But contrary to the heat that such a women would insight in most men, she was met by Gengyo¡¯s overwhelming coldness.

    "I do not rmend doing that, youngdy."

    His voice was calm, andcked any trace of fear. She nced toward the fire poker in her hand. Suddenly it seemed to grow a good deal smaller, and she lowered her arm slowly, letting it slide from her grip.

    "Who... are you?"

    She asked meekly, her voice trembling.

    "Not Toda. And you?"

    "...Ishiabera."

    ¡¯Is she trying to say Isabe?¡¯

    "A western name? Fine. What¡¯s wrong with these women?"

    "They¡¯re... fine. Just dim-witted. Toda-sama was kind enough to take them in."

    He tutted lightly, stepping past one of the women that was syed out on the floor, regarding him sleepily. He approached a draping red cloth, and cut it free from the bedpost.

    "Wear this. Cover yourself up."

    He threw it towards the woman who had introduced herself as Isabe. It was only then that she looked down on herself, and offered a slight blush. It seemed that she was so used to dressing so lightly that she had forgotten it was abnormal.

    He proceeded to do the same for each of the she-cats, though some threatened to roll out of it, but it only took a stern re to render them obedient.

    The other three men struggled to calm down after the bodies were covered up, but it had felt a little inhumane to cover their faces as well, and each of them was a heart-breaking beauty, so it could not be helped that their hearts still raced. Rokkaku looked disappointed and had even opened his mouth to protest, only closing it once he realized just what he was about to say.

    "Now that we can look where we wish to freely, let¡¯s try and piece this together, shall we?"

    He said that in an attempt to hurry Nakatane and Jikouji into collecting themselves. They both hesitated a moment, before nodding vigorously, eager to cover up their uncertainty.

    "Very well. Are we you ves, Isabe?"

    His perfect pronunciation of the name that she had attempted to deliver caught her off guard slightly, but she still managed a slippery response.

    "No... we¡¯re well taken care of."

    "Isabe, these women are on drugs. I do not think they have much choice in the matter."

    She physically took a step back as he hit the nail on the head, quivering slightly.

    "No! Not drugs. Toda-sama would never ¨C they¡¯re just slow in the head."

    Gengyo tutted once more, turning to Jikouji.

    "You once told me that Toda was involved in all manner of nefarious dealings. Do you know anything about any drug-rted activities?"

    "No, he kept his illicit activities very well under wraps"

    "I thought as much..."

    The young man nced around the room. He reasoned that the substance would be fairly obviously ced, as these stupefied women were able to find it. Or perhaps it was administered by Isabe. Either way, it would be present in the room as the door had been locked the a good few days.

    He noticed one of the women toying with arge jar, as though it were the most precious thing in the world. Following his gaze, Isabe grew a good deal more anxious.

    ¡¯So this is it, eh?¡¯

    He picked up the bronze pot, and removed the lid swiftly, revealing a strong-smelling, fine brown powder.

    "Opium."

    He stated matter-of-factly.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    And so we begin down the rabbit hole of all of Toda¡¯s dealings. I hope no one felt too ufortable as I was describing the appearance of the women. I tried to do it as straightforwardly as a I could, but if you felt I could have done a better job, do let me know.

    Thanks for reading!! :)

 Chapter 60 - A Sealed Room (2)

    "Opium?"

    Jikouji repeated in disbelief.

    "Exactly. These women are currently under the influence of this little brown powder. Now... Isabe, I can assume from how you¡¯ve been responding to my questions that you will not be cooperating? That¡¯s fine. But your master Toda is dead. It¡¯s foolish to keep up this pretence."

    Her eyes widened at the mention of Toda¡¯s death.

    "Dead..? But how..? He-"

    She looked back from Gengyo, and then toward Nakatane.

    "It can¡¯t be..."

    She whispered.

    "Your thoughts are correct. That man is the honourable Niwa Nakatane. He delivered Toda a crushing defeat, and ended his life."

    He toyed with the jar, recing its lid and holding it loosely. He could see traces of anxiety present on Isabe¡¯s face as he treated it so casually, threatening to drop it at times.

    "Do you not feel relief? You¡¯re quite clearly a ve. Toda is dead ¨C you have the opportunity to regain your freedom. As do the rest of these women."

    Her soft and innocent expression - that had looked so fearful before - started to fade. The mask had been removed, and anger reced it as her lips curled up in a vicious smile.

    "What? Do you think you¡¯re heroes? That you can just charge in here and save us? You¡¯re delusional. You¡¯ve only made our lives worse. Perhaps being a ve is not the best life, but at least we were fed. At least we were warm."

    Gengyo shrugged.

    "That¡¯s up to you. We are simply here to reim a little bit of what Toda has taken. We¡¯re more robbers than heroes. Though, I do think if you¡¯d been discovered by true bandits, this conversation would not be had. You would be r.a.p.ed, or killed. Perhaps both."

    He wandered over to the bedside cab, allowing her to ponder on what he had said. Judging by the expression she wore, it was not something she was particrly fond of hearing, but it was certainly the truth.

    Nakatane and Jikouji were surprised by his coldness toward the woman. They had watched him treat the vigers they encountered with warmth, and patience, and they could not help but wonder what about this woman was so different. If anything, should he not be treating her even more gently ¨C after all, she was so beautiful.

    A few trinkets were to be found in the drawers. A golden hand mirror, some jewel-encrusted rings, a few nes, and other things of that sort. The majority were pieces of female jewellery. It seemed the man had enjoyed dressing these docile she-cats with his wealth.

    He pushed all the items that held any amount of value into a small wooden jewellery chest, and as he passed them, he gently removed the pieces that the women were wearing. They regarded himzily, caring more about the jar of opium he¡¯d left on the cab than what he was doing.

    He handed his haul to Nakatane, waking the older man up from his thoughts. The three of them had been leftpletely dazed. This perfumed space was like a thick oilke, and only Gengyo could traverse it freely. What they had seen and been awed by, he had looked upon with distaste.

    He was a man that did not hold a single degree of sympathy for the ugly monster that was other people¡¯s s.e.x.u.a.l fantasies. When he looked toward the women, he could not see their beauty, instead, he saw on their skin the thick ugly slime that Toda secreted with his twisted touch.

    A degree sympathy had been willing to show itself, for this was not a situation of their choosing. But toward Isabe, he was unable.

    "We¡¯re done here. Shall we go and check the lower floor? I would ask our friend Isabe, but sometimes not knowing is better than misinformation."

    "Ah, yes..."

    Nakatane nodded slightly, and moved back out the door, towards cleaner air. Rokkaku needed a little more persuading, but he made his way out as well.

    The rest of the men were emerging from their rooms too, showing off the pieces that they had found. Golden candle holders, a few jewelled quills, and other more mundane items.

    They smelt the scent of perfume drifting from behind Gengyo and his group, and they each held a degree of curiosity, but none could see past them.

    "Good work everyone. We¡¯ve collected a few pieces of jewellery too. Let¡¯s head downstairs and see what else our buddy Toda has got stashed away from us, eh?"

    There were enthusiastic nods, and with a gesture, Gengyo motioned for Morohira to lead the way. Enjoying that responsibility possible more than he should, his father strode to the front with a swagger, and trotted downstairs as though he were a king showing guests around his grand castle.

    The men passed on ahead ¨C Rokkaku included ¨C and the young man spoke to the two older men who were left behind.

    "We can deal with the women in thereter, but it should be done delicately, as that¡¯s an extremelyrge quantity of opium, and if you ingest even the smallest amount, you¡¯re going to be out of it for a while."

    "I see. So that was opium, eh? I think I¡¯ll leave the handling of this to you. That room made me rather light-headed."

    Nakatane responded, back to his old self.

    "Opium of all things though. Imagawa-sama ced a strict ban on its import... To think Toda was insane enough to deal in it. That is more than enough to exin his wealth."

    Jikoujimented, shaking his head in disbelief.

    "I have a feeling it¡¯s not only that, though. There was a merchant who joined him mid-battle. I¡¯ve been curious as to who he was for a time... but now, after seeing those women, I¡¯m thinking that he was a ver."

    "A ver?! You mean to say that he was going to sell off my people? That sc.u.mbag!"

    The master clenched his fist, and a glower of rage crossed his face.

    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. He has no qualms about keeping drugged women as ves, so morality is certainly not an issue. Regardless... We should get moving. The sooner we clean this up the better."

    "Aye. I will be d to leave this ce."

    Nakatane began down the stairs, and they followed.

    "Ah! Give me a moment. I left the jar of opium with those women. Go ahead without me, I¡¯ll be down in a second."

    They nodded, and continued downwards, as he dashed back toward the room.

    With slow movements he removed the jar from its resting ce, giving a cold nce toward Isabe as he passed.

    She regarded him disinterestedly, as though she held not a single care what he thought of her. The red cloth that had been dr.a.p.ed around her was also discarded in the corner, as she now sat on the bed.

    "What is it you fear, Isabe? Working in the fields? Going hungry? Or will you simply miss being able to wear such expensive trinkets? You¡¯re the only one who is not out of their mind on drugs. Were you his favourite, then? Did he treat you well?"

    He studied her face intently, taking in the slightest twitches of muscles, keen to get under her mask.

    "Yes, he treated me very well. And now we will all go hungry, because of you."

    She spat out with venom.

    He showed not the slightest trace of emotion at her words, and instead raised his hand high.

    Instinctively, she flinched, and turned away, expecting to be hit.

    "A lie. He beat you, just as he beat them. There is no way someone with Toda¡¯s appetites would engage in a loving s.e.x.u.a.l rtionship. You can smell it as soon as you walk in - though you try to hide it with your perfumes. Each of you stink of it ¨C but you most strongly. You carry the stench of... humiliation."

    He paused for a second, as he observed her expression.

    "A person like you would notst as a farmer. Your hands are too soft. Perhaps you can go into prostitution ¨C there would be many ces that are willing to have you. But who¡¯s to say that you will be treated fairly? You will likely end up a ve again. Perhaps to an even worse man. A grim prospect, would you not agree?"

    She frowned bitterly. It was everything that she already knew.

    "Yet, there is still another option. There is a job that even you can seed at. A job where you won¡¯t have to be a ve. You won¡¯t have to sell your body. You won¡¯t have to be beat. I¡¯m sure you know what I mean, don¡¯t you?"

    Her bitterness disappeared as confusion took over. Her thoughts raced, assembling all the pieces of the recent conversation, and attempting to put them together. But none of it made sense. No such grand job could be found.

    But even though her heart told her that this man was simply toying with her, she still spoke out. What did she care if she suffered one more humiliation?

    "...What job is that?"

    He offered her a small smile as he folded his arms and spoke slowly and clearly.

    "Work for me. You have a particr set of talents - ones that I can put to use."

    She reeled back in surprise, her eyes firmly locked with his.

    And then, she began tough. He¡¯d yed her well. She had to give it to him ¨C that was one grand punchline.

    "Ahaha, you¡¯re a cruel man!"

    But he did not join in herughter. Quite the contrary- his smile faded, and he allowed a deathly chill to enter his voice.

    "I am not joking."

    Herughter soon faded too, as she felt the room be a degree colder.

    "You go too far... From the very start you looked at me with disgust, as though I were some flee ridden dog. You care not for my body in the least... you see me for what I truly am."

    "I do. But though you smell fouly, you have a frightening deal of potential. I say it again: I have a use for you."

    Shepsed into silence, her forehead wrinkling in concentration.

    He patted the metal of the opium jar with his fingers, before leaning in close and whispering toward her ear. She froze as he came closer, her hairs sticking up.

    But as he finished what he had to say, they hadpletely rxed. He moved away from her, and she looked at him with disbelief.

    "That is how you will find me, should you decide favourably."

    "But is that not a bit much..."

    "No. It is just enough."

    He waved his hand as though to shoo away any of her doubts, and turned on his heel ¨C jar in hand ¨C and moved toward the door.

    "It¡¯s a good opportunity, Isabe. You might even get the chance to save those littlembs behind you."

    She nced toward a girl, dressed in green silk, who was rolling on her back and gargling happily, like a child. Guilt filled her heart, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gengyo leave, and that guilt was soon reced by urgency.

    She reached under the bed, grabbing what she knew to be Toda¡¯s kimono. She threw it on. It was rather loose, but it would serve its purpose.

    She dashed hurriedly around, cursing Gengyo under her breath.

    ¡¯Why did that damnable man make it so difficult?¡¯

    //Author¡¯s Note

    A little different to what I have written thus far. But intelligence notices opportunity and takes it. Thanks for reading folks!! :)

 Chapter 61 - The Lower Floor

    Gengyo caught back up with the group easily enough. As he progressed further underground via the wooden steps, they began to be reced by stone. The air grew a good deal mustier, and he was overwhelmed by the humidity and dampness.

    They had stopped before a barred iron gate, and were discussing what to do next. The iron poles gave a good indication of just how damp the area was, as they were covered in rust. It appeared ¨C judging from the keyhole ¨C that they would need a key if they wished to pass.

    The corridor they had gathered in at the bottom of the stairs was entirely made out of stone. Had it been wood, or something simr, it would have rotted long ago from the damp. It was dimly lit by a series of torches, and they could see hinged steel doors hiding inside the walls. They could tell it was steel, because it was a degree less rusty than the iron gate they stood before.

    "Miura-kun, you¡¯ve caught up. We were just discussing how to proceed."

    Jikouji informed him, ncing toward the bronze jar that he was holding.

    "Do you want me to get it open?"

    Gengyo asked, looking toward Nakatane.

    "If you can, then that would make our trip down here a little bit less pointless."

    He replied, as though the answer was obvious. The young man nodded. He had merely asked in order to get permission. He walked over to his men who were crowding near the bars.

    "It¡¯s pretty grim down here, eh fes? What do you reckon we¡¯ll find?"

    They shared his sentiment. There was not a single man that wouldn¡¯t. Unless, perhaps, he had grown up with a family of rats.

    "I¡¯m betting on flour or grain."

    Yoritomo suggested, given the coolness of the ce.

    "Stupid. There¡¯s no way you could store that down here ¨C it¡¯d go rotten in a day with all this damp."

    Aritada retorted.

    "Aye, it would. I dunno what you could stick down here, Miura-san. All of its gonna go bad."

    Rokaku said, agreeing with Aritada.

    "Well, let¡¯s check it out, shall we?"

    From a distance the door looked to be mightily rusted. But close up, it was even more so. He ran a finger along the poles, inspecting the damage. He pinched one, applying a little bit of pressure. It crumbled straight into his hand.

    He looked back toward Nakatane with a triumphant look on his face. The older man could only shake his head.

    "Yeah, whatever kid."

    Heined, motioning for him to get on with it.

    He took his foot back, and kicked outwards toward the gate. His foot went straight through the few poles he made contact with, and loosen the rest. A second kick aimed toward the hinges, and it bent forward. After a third, it waspletely on the floor.

    He dusted the rust particles from his hand, before stretching his back out and looking upon his handiwork with satisfaction.

    "Very subtled. Now whoever is down here got a nice warning signal."

    The mastermented, attempting to even the score.

    Gengyo merely shrugged.

    "They¡¯ll know soon enough. Draw your axes men, and let¡¯s get these door¡¯s cut open!"

    His words were met with a roar of enthusiastic approval as the men charged forth with vigour, brandishing their tools, and setting to work on the doors. Those with sense aimed for the locking mechanism rather than the steel frame of the door itself, as it appeared to rather thick. They were able to move freely as Jikouji had suggested they leave their pikes behind ¨C they would be useless in an altercation down here anyway.

    They had to be careful of their footing as they swung, as the stone floor was slippery from the wet. It did not hinder them too greatly though, as a duo of guards who now served under Gengyo managed to pry the first door open.

    Theirmander wandered in after them, wondering what he might find. The first thing he saw were his men¡¯s backs stiffen, putting him on guard. And then he smelt the awful scent of pure sewage, and gagged, his eyes watering, blurring his vision as he looked upon the horrific mess of a person thaty on the floor, savaged.

    In a pool of his own urine, and with his own faeces decorating the floor,y the most malnourished man that Gengyo had everid eyes upon. His limbsy by his side uselessly, as he stared up at them with his lifeless eyes. But he was not quite dead. His visible ribcage still heaved up and down in a resentful attempt at breathing.

    He did not want to enter a step further into the room. He wanted to m the door closed and never look back in again. But it was his duty, and his men looked to him for guidance. He stepped forward attempting to gauge the man¡¯s condition. He could not see any visible wounds, or anything of that ilk, he was merely starved. A drop of waternded on his head, and a tongue snuck out, greedily capturing the precious droplet.

    "Can you stand?"

    He asked the man.

    There was not a single word of response. The man did not have the energy.

    "Help him up. He needs food and water."

    He ordered. His men moved forward, wrinkling their noses as they each slid an arm under the man¡¯s shoulder, and all but carried him from the room. Nakatane caught sight of the walking corpse, and called out, startled.

    "Miura! What the f.u.c.k is that?"

    "Exactly what it looks like, I¡¯m afraid. A man half starved."

    They drew the attention of the rest of the men, who took a break from their task and stopped to gawk at the skeleton-like figure.

    "We don¡¯t have any food for him, I¡¯m afraid..."

    Jikouji pointed out guilty. They had not thought to bring food for this trip, as they had assumed it would be short.

    "There¡¯s some bread and water upstairs!"

    Kitajo called out, recalling the dining area that they had raided.

    "Good. Kitajo-kun, will you lead the way to it? I dare not make this man wait a second longer."

    The young boy nodded seriously, straightening his shoulders to bear the weight of the new responsibility ced on him. He moved forward at once, only looking behind him to make sure the other two men were following.

    The stick-thin man did not say a word, but his eyes said it all. They were full of desperation.

    "I hope... I really hope... that this is not the sign of things toe."

    Gengyo muttered as he watched them go. He did not know if he could stomach much more of this. Such neglect was pointlessly cruel. To lock a man up for such a time, and to leave him until he got to such a state. It was an unfathomable cruelty.

    Not a single man in the room could voice disagreement.

    He nced at the doors, trying to decide which was the closest to breaking.

    "Who was working on this door?"

    He pointed to one that had caved in near the lock area, and looked ready to fly open at any second.

    Rokkaku raised his hand proudly ¨C still cheerful despite the grim scene from early.

    "Good. Continue."

    He did not need much motivating. Rokkaku loved breaking things. Who did not? It was a rather satisfying process. Perhaps that was how he managed to always stay rxed and upbeat.

    With a few extra beatings of the axe, it was caved in enough to see part of the inside. A single kickter and the entire thing was off its hinges, falling heavily to floor, raising a few droplets of water along with it.

    The young man shielded his face from their sshes, and when his hand moved down he was greeted with another horrific sight.

    "..."

    Everyone had crowded round to observe, but not a single one of them could find the words to describe what they were looked at.

    There, against the wall, sat a single corpse. It looked to be that a woman, though it had be harder to tell due to the decay. In the corpse¡¯s arm it cradled a certain thing, as though it was the most natural image. Its own head.

    The floor was ck in ces from dried blood, and a rat scurried past their feet, apparently done feasting. Arge needley conspicuously in one corner, with a length of twine threaded through it.

    "Don¡¯t tell me..."

    He nced toward the corpse¡¯s hand, and his suspicions were confirmed to be true. The end of a piece of threaded twine peaked out from through the corpses skin. It looked as though someone had purposelessly sewn her head to her hand.

    "That sick bastard..."

    Nakatane cursed ¨C having seen it too ¨C thoroughly outraged.

    "Come. We can do nothing here, but there still might be some people in these rooms that are alive."

    He reassigned his men to their tasks of beating down the doors, as he listened to Nakatane and Joukoji discuss what to do with the woman¡¯s body.

    "We should just leave it here, Nakatane-kun. It serves no purpose out there. Even if we were to return it to the woman¡¯s family, it would only cause them grief. I mean, look at it!"

    "But even if it¡¯s deformed, it¡¯s still the body of someone they cared about. They have a right to know what happened to her."

    "Sometimes not knowing is a kindness in itself. This is not your responsibility. You don¡¯t have to dirty your hands with this kind of thing."

    "If we were to cut the head free, then it could still be reattached. I imagine it would be a good deal less horrific than looking at this monstrosity."

    Gengyo suggested.

    "You want to go and snip each thread that tied it together? That¡¯s a grisly task, young man."

    Jikouji warned.

    "I think it¡¯s worth doing. We killed Toda ¨C who was obviously starving them ¨C granted. But I killed all their working men as well. There will be a good deal of animosity toward us. We should do whatever we can to build a stable rtionship with the people, else Tobishima will only grow harder to governter on."

    Nakatane tilted his head, listening intently.

    "Do you think the same should be done for the men that died on the battlefield?"

    Gengyo shrugged.

    "Perhaps. It would be a good deal of work, because if we wish to do it, it should be done properly, in the same style that wememorated our own dead. But it would prove greatly beneficial in the long run. That, and if we offer them support with food. With this, it would not take them long to truly be your people."

    The master sighed slightly. He knew what the young man was saying was right, but he still held his doubts.

    "But is all that work really worth it? I do not want to sound cold, but what would I gain by taking care of so many people? It doesn¡¯t seem like it would be a mutually beneficial rtionship, especially since they can¡¯t offer up fighting men."

    "The majority of our iees from selling the rice grain, correct? We would be effectively doubling it then. You saw the state of their fields ¨C perfect. Even with the men gone, the women will be able to work them, and in time the children will grow, and there will be fighting men as well."

    Jikouji raised his hand, as though to ask him to pause as he shook his head dramatically.

    "Alright, the young man has me beat. It truly makes me feel old when I see the youth speak so enthusiastically. There is sense is what thed says, Nakatane. We should treat these people as our own, and they will return us with favour, in time. An investment, I¡¯d say."

    //Author¡¯s Note

    More grisly details toe! Even more than you might expect, because tomorrow there will be a triple upload. We absolutely crushed the powerstone goal of 260, thanks very much! I hope you enjoy the bonus chapters c:

 Chapter 62 - Tortured Souls

    "An investment eh?"

    The master mused.

    "Very well. But if we are to do it, then I will not allow half-heartedness. We must devote all our efforts into making this work. Jikouji, I¡¯ll leave you in charge of it, as young Miura needs to concentrate on getting his men ready for the uing war."

    "As you wish."

    Jikouji bowed lightly, as they heard another door burst open.

    "F.u.c.k!"

    They heard the axe wielder curse, as everyone crowded round to observe what was inside.

    The small body seemed to be that of a young boy. But judging by how thin he was, and theck of any kind of movement, he appeared to be dead. That was not the chilling part, however. What caused them to back away in horror were the numerous cuts that decorated his limbs. These were not random cuts either, they were cuts that specifically targeted the tendons, so that even if he were to ever escape, he would not be able to move his limbs.

    The wounds have be crusted with clotted blood, so it seemed he had survived the ordeal of having the tendons sliced. Perhaps it would have been better had he died? Thed likely thought so. The pain he experienced was unimaginable.

    Gengyo moved closed, cing two fingers on his neck, struggling to feel a pulse. The skin was cold to touch, like that of a dead man, but he felt the faint pressure of a heartbeat. And then the boy¡¯s head moved, and he stared up at him with pleading eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

    "Sorry, I can¡¯t hear you."

    The young man apologised, despite his intense focus.

    The boy opened his mouth, and apparently repeated the same set of words, as the movement of his mouth was the same. Gengyo stared, and attempted to decipher his lip movements.

    "Please... kill... me..."

    He thought he saw, and looked down to the boy who nodded slowly. There was a sinking feeling of guilt in the young man¡¯s stomach. Whilst it wasn¡¯t his fault, he regretted that he would not be able to help the boy further. s, fixing so many severed tendons was out of his field of expertise, and the other doctors of that time would have had no chance as well. The boy would have to live the rest of his life, in pain, as a cripple. Perhaps he might gain a degree of movement in his arms and legs, but he would never be able to hold a hoe again.

    "Niwa-san... May I borrow your wakizashi?"

    The master knew what his intentions were, and he didn¡¯t like it in the least.

    "Wait,d. He¡¯s still alive. He¡¯ll be able to recover to a degree."

    Gengyo shook his head.

    "He would live the rest of his life in excruciating pain, unable to work for his food. It is kinder to take his life now, as he wishes it."

    "Is that really what you want?"

    Nakatane asked to the boy, who nodded slowly in reply.

    "Very well... here."

    He drew his wakizashi reluctantly and handed it to the young man, who handled it carefully, as though it were a bowl of boiling water.

    He approached thed, and knelt down in front of him, putting a hand upon his shoulder.

    "We¡¯ll take you back to your family after this, okay? I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve been very worried about you."

    Again, a slow nod.

    "I hope the gods take pity on you in your next life, and do not force you to relive anything like his again."

    He spoke as he drove the short wakizashi through the boy¡¯s chest, puncturing his heart. His eyes left Gengyo¡¯s and he nced down at the de, noting the pool of blood. A secondter, his eyes clouded, and he was dead.

    He carefully slid the de out from the boy, and cleaned it on a scrap of the youngd¡¯s clothing, before handing it back to Nakatane.

    The air around them was heavy, as they had all watched the scene with great reluctance. It seemed the more doors they opened, the heavier their hearts became.

    "Continue."

    He said to his men, a little despondently. They returned to their tasks, but without the same vigour as before. No one wanted to witness what was behind the next door.

    But regardless of their wishes, the next door was open soon enough. They heard a very human yelp of surprise as the door swung open, and they rushed forward, hopeful.

    From the ceiling hung a man who had his hands strung up by a pair of chains. He was topless, and his torso was littered with scars and fresh cuts from whishes, and knife shes. Judging by the age of some of the wounds, he had been here quite a while.

    But when he looked at them, his gaze was not that of a tortured man. It held an intensity that one would struggle to find even amongst the living. Gengyo met his gaze without a trace of agitation, before he turned to observe the rest of the room.

    In the corner, a most disgusting sight had escaped their notice. There sat crouched a small man, with well-muscled arms, clutching onto a rusted de as he held his head into his chest in fear.

    It didn¡¯t take less than a second to connect the dots, as the young man strode over, wretching the de from his grasp with one fluid movement, and hauling him to his feet in another.

    As he was made to stand up, there was a distinct jangling sound, attracting their attention to the set of keys that hung at his waist.

    "So... this is your doing."

    It was not a question.

    "Yes... but it was only on Toda-sama¡¯s orders! Though I don¡¯t forget to have fun now and then gehehe"

    He spoke fervently, and manically, as though mad, and his nervousughter at the end of his announcement only served to make Gengyo¡¯s rage boil over. He sent a fist toward the man¡¯s grotesque, sweaty face, hitting him hard and drawing blood, allowing the body to fall from his hands to the floor.

    He then instead turned his attention to the man hanging from the roof. He was as thin as the other¡¯s that they had found, but he contained a degree more life. Loosening his sword from his scabbard, Gengyo struck out at the chains.

    They were thick, and it required multiple hacks, but eventually, they snapped, sending the man plummeting to the ground, but now free. The young man caught him, and helped him stand, as he was unsteady on his feet.

    "No. No! NO!"

    The torturer muttered, growing increasingly agitated.

    "You can¡¯t take my toy away! There¡¯s no one else that will give me such fun!"

    Everyone turned to him, shooting him a look of utmost disgust. They each wanted to tear his head off right then and there, and there was a man among them who had the authority to do so.

    The master stepped forward, brandishing his sword and swinging it toward the cowering man¡¯s head without mercy. He whimpered pathetically, raising his arms in the air in a futile attempt at stopping the downward moving de.

    CLANG

    The de did not meet it¡¯s intended target, as another de blocked it.

    Nakatane frowned angrily, ring toward the wielder.

    "Boy! What is the meaning of this?"

    "Sorry, Niwa-san. I understand ¨C this is a man that deserves to die, more so than anyone. But it is not for us to take his life. He will be worth a good deal more to us if we allow the vigers to extract their revenge on him."

    The master looked back from Gengyo to the despicable torturer, his grip on his sword tightening, before finally he sighed and sheathed his sword.

    "Very well..."

    He muttered despondently.

    Gengyo turned his attention back to the injured man.

    "Can you speak?"

    He opened his mouth wide, and with a great effort, he managed to force out one word.

    "Wat...er."

    The young man nodded his understanding, and turned toward Yoritomo and Aritada.

    "Take this man upstairs to where Kitajo went, and fetch him some water."

    "Got it."

    Aritada nodded, moving his arm under the injured man¡¯s shoulder, as Yoritomo reced Gengyo and did the same.

    He watched them go, before turning back to the torturer.

    "On your feet."

    The man whimpered, but did not move.

    He raised a fist threateningly.

    "I said, on your feet."

    This time he was a little morepliant, and he slid up the wall reluctantly, shivering in fear.

    The young man grasped the bundle of keys that hung from his waist and tore them from his clothing with force. He moved through his people, and toward the next door, trying each key in the beaten lock until one finally turned, and he pushed it open.

    They were met with the skeleton of what seemed to be a man. A few tufts of hair still clung to the chalk-white scalp, but aside from that, there was not much to tell that he had once been living.

    The stench was unbearable as well, so he turned away from the corpse for now, and moved toward the rest of the doors.

    The scenes were just as unpleasant, and in the remaining four doors they found nothing but corpses. They had men fetch lengths of cloth from the upstairs, and they wrapped the bodies in it so that they could carry them. The corpses were ced in the throne room, and they each heaved a sigh of relief, d to be out of that musty, hellish bas.e.m.e.nt.

    They had tied the torture¡¯s hands together with a length of twine, and forced him to move forward without a hint of sympathy.

    They waited downstairs upon the throne¡¯s steps for the two men to finish the first meal that they had consumed in a long time. The mood amongst them was low. But how could it be otherwise? They had seen some of the most grisly sights that humanity had to offer. Even on the battlefield you could not find some barbarism.

    "So how will we return the bodies now?"

    Nakatane asked Gengyo, as it had been his idea in the first ce.

    "We won¡¯t. They wille and collect them."

    "Ha? How do you propose that woulde about?"

    "We head to the centre of town, and start making a bit of noise. They are sure toe. Maybe it¡¯ll take a while, but curiosity will outweigh fear in the end."

    The master shook his head.

    "Everything seems so straightforward after you speak it. But you hold more secrets than you should. I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you for a while ¨C but did not want to call you out in front of your men ¨C how did recognise that the brown powder was opium?"

    The young man shrugged, as though it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    "I¡¯ve seen it before. There are all kinds of people in taverns."

    "I suppose..."

    Nakatane responded, seemingly dissatisfied but he did not push him any further, for which Gengyo was grateful. It would be rather hard to exin that in his time every piece of information could easily be essed instantaneously. And for a time he had held a curiosity toward the psychology of drug users, and in the process, he had ended up learning about the drugs themselves.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    The first scheduled chapter of today. The two bonus chapters will be released very shortly!

 Chapter 63 - Retribution

    The two weakened men were helped down the stairs a timeter, looking a little brighter than they had previously.

    "Can you speak?"

    Gengyo asked upon seeing them.

    The first man shook his head, but the second ¨C who had his body riddled with numerous cuts ¨C managed a reply.

    "I can, now that my throat is no longer so dry."

    "Good. My questions for you are very simple: who are you, and why did Toda have you imprisoned down there?"

    "My name is Togashi Hiraie. The bastard arrested me because me and a few others showed dissatisfaction toward his rule. That f.u.c.ker took our women as though they were his own! He sold some of them... and kept the rest for himself."

    His said angrily, clenching his fist tightly.

    "So he really was a ver..."

    Gengyo muttered in thought, before turning his attention back to the man.

    "Well, Toda is dead now, Togashi-san. I am sorry to hear of your struggle, but your family may still be amongst the living. You¡¯re free to do as you wish."

    He turned around to Kitajo, spurred on by a sudden idea.

    "How much food is left upstairs?"

    Kitajo looked a bit surprised by the sudden question, but he still answered dutifully.

    "Uhm... a lot."

    "Enough to feed the entire vige?"

    "Maybe... but not for long."

    He raised his eyebrows toward Nakatane, as though to ask for approval.

    The older man shook his head, as though exhausted by all the ns that Gengyo seemed to have.

    "Do as you want."

    "Good. Alright men, those of you who aren¡¯t supporting one of the injured, fetch a few bags of food from upstairs."

    Morohira frowned in dissatisfaction clearly not relishing the idea of bing a carthorse.

    Noticing this, Gengyo spoke to his older brother.

    "Masaatsu, do you think you could search for a cart? If we could find one then it would make our task a good deal easier."

    His father opened his mouth wide as if to say: "What!? Why does he get the easy job?"

    Masaatsu grinned, knowing exactly what his brother was up to. The young man returned the smile, looking toward his father, urging him to stopining.

    Conceding the point the older man waved his hand and followed them upstairs with a sigh.

    Before long the throne room had be a storage house, as multiple barrels were ced on the floor, alongside a few sacks of rice grain. The young man watched the foodstuff pile up with satisfaction, as he organized the next parts of his n internally.

    Jikouji and Nakatane were only too happy to let him take charge of this part. Like the rest of the men, after seeing the grisly sights that they had today, they were not exactly filled with optimism, and the energy required to keep up with the younger man¡¯s enthusiasm was not something they could muster.

    Besides, it was a good test of his leadership qualities. He had done well in battle, granted, but that did not mean he was would make an entirely sessful leader. But as they watched him more, their approval grew. He held a respect for his men, as they held a respect for him. He treated them as friends, but he also expected their cooperation. It was a very healthy rtionship.

    By the time they were done, the men were exhausted.

    "Good work fes. You can rest for a bit now."

    They rested their bottoms upon the cold stone steps, sighing with relief as they relieved their aching muscles, and wiped the sweat from their brow.

    Masaatsu came in a few momentster, looking excited.

    "You found one, then?"

    Gengyo guessed, seeing his expression.

    "Not only that, brother, there are two cart-horses in the stables to the rear! It¡¯s a big cart ¨C 6 wheels ¨C it¡¯ll have no problem handing this amount. You can even put the dead and wounded on it."

    Caught up by his brother¡¯s enthusiasm, he began smiling too.

    "That sounds perfect. Where is the cart now?"

    Masaatsu¡¯s grin widened.

    "It¡¯s right outside the front."

    "Perfect!"

    Gengyo praised genuinely, patting his brother on the shoulder, pleased with his decision making.

    "You¡¯ve done well brother. Our job will be much easier now. Go and rest. Father looks pretty miserable ¨C perhaps you could cheer him up a bit, haha?"

    Morohira overheard, and responded grumpily.

    "Don¡¯t bother!"

    The young man turned his attention toward the 4 men who had been supporting the two wounded.

    "It seems there was no need to save your legs for carrying the men back into town. Come and help me load this into the cart. We¡¯ll let the others rest for a bit, eh?"

    They nodded. Whilst they had been pleased not to be doing any work, it had made them feel a little bad after seeing how exhausted the others had be.

    Gengyo took the lead, heaving a bag of rice flour onto his shoulder, and setting off toward the door.

    Nakatane and Jikouji watched him, a little surprised that he was taking part in thebour himself. He had a good amount of men at his disposal ¨C there was no need to exert himself.

    But when they saw how the men responded to his efforts, his reasoning became clear, and they themselves wondered whether they should join in.

    In the end, they did, caught up in the young man¡¯s flow. The cart was quickly loaded with the 7 of them working together. Two people helped to carry the bodies, leaving them near the front, and another two helped the wounded men inside the cart.

    "Are we going back into Tobishima?"

    Togashi asked to Gengyo as he helped him toward the cart.

    "That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure your family will be d to see you."

    The thin man shook his head despondently.

    "Would that I had family... They have all died. I nned to kill Toda should I ever escape from those wretched walls, but now, I am unsure what to do."

    "Can you fight?"

    Togashiughed slightly, before grimacing from the pain it caused.

    "Fighting is what got me into this mess ¨C it¡¯s one of the few things I¡¯m good at."

    "Then why not join me? I have a need for men."

    The man stared at him, startled, struggling to formte a response.

    "But I-"

    Gengyo cut him off.

    "You don¡¯t need to respond now. Go back to your vige, see your people, and then decide if you truly don¡¯t wish to re-join them."

    He helped him up to the cart, before walking back to load thest few sacks of rice. Togashi watched him go, staring at his back with curiosity, his thoughts a raging torrent of confusion.

    Nakatane wiped his brow, now drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. He could not remember thest time he had engaged in such manualbour. The only thing he had ever put any real physical effort into was training his sword.

    Gengyo was not in such poor shape, but the sight of his exhausted men and the exhausted master caused him to consider something new.

    "I¡¯ll have to focus on conditioning the men..."

    He muttered under his breath as he walked past. Nakatane overheard him, thinking that his men were not the only ones that needed conditioning. It was humiliating for him to be brought so low by such basicbour, and he vowed to put more time into the upkeep of his body.

    Once the loading of the cart was done, and the horses were attached, the young man turned to the master for approval.

    "Shall we set off then?"

    "Aye, let¡¯s."

    He replied, having now recovered his breath.

    "Let¡¯s be on our way then, men."

    With a light tug, Masaatsu pulled the reigns of one of the carthorses, and lead them forward. The rest of their group followed, walking slowly behind, d to finally be out of that mansion.

    A good deal of time had passed since they had first set out that morning, and now the sun sat lower in the sky, threatening to set at any moment. The men would have been mightly hungry had they not managed to snack on Toda¡¯s leftovers, so it was rather fortunate that such supplies had been discovered.

    They did not see a single viger on their way back toward the centre of the vige. It seemed they had taken note of their arrival beforehand, and deemed it safer to stay out of their way.

    It was a little demoralising for the men, as they had expected to win the viger¡¯s favour merely with the cart that they towed. But there was no one to see their offerings.

    There was a raised wooden tform, roughly where the centre of the vige might be, and they stopped there, unloading the bodies, andying them gently down beside each other.

    "What now?"

    Nakatane asked, after that task had beenpleted.

    "This."

    Gengyo responded, and stepped up onto the tform. He took a deep breath, and filled his lungs, before letting out a loud shout.

    "PEOPLE OF TOBISHIMA ¨C HEAR MY WORDS. TODA IS DEAD. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER. PLEASE FIND RETRIBUTION FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE."

    His voice rang out loudly across the vige. A few flinched, startled by the sudden shout. They waited for a few minutes, but not a single thing moved. Not even the air, for there was no wind that day. A frightening stillness.

    They looked toward the young man, their expressions saying it all: "what now?"

    But he showed no traces of disappointed, he merely opened his mouth wide to speak once more.

    "PEOPLE OF TOBISHIMA ¨C HEAR MY WORDS. TODA IS DEAD. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER. PLEASE FIND RETRIBUTION FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE."

    Once again they listened for a few minutes, and heard nothing, aside from the mming of a door, and the tweeting of an annoyed bird.

    "PEOPLE OF TOBISHIMA ¨C HEAR MY WORDS. TODA IS DEAD. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER. PLEASE FIND RETRIBUTION FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE."

    They waited a few moments more, and in the house nearest to them, he spied a shutter loosen, and the head of a young woman stick out. She spied the sacks of rice that had holes in ces, causing some of the precious grains to spill out over the surface of the tform.

    Her belly rumbled involuntarily, and her mouth salivated. She could not remember thest time she had eaten rice.

    He smiled toward her, nodding encouragingly, before turning his back to her again, and renewing his shout.

    "PEOPLE OF TOBISHIMA ¨C HEAR MY WORDS. TODA IS DEAD. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER. PLEASE FIND RETRIBUTION FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE."

    They heard another shutter open, as another head poked out. And then they saw the door of the first woman open, as she cautiously made her way out. Gengyo stepped toward a barrel, causing the woman to flinch. He removed the lid, drawing out a piece of bread. He held it up, for her, and the other few who had been enticed, and then he threw it toward her.

    It was a good throw, but an even better catch. There was no chance that she would let such good food sully. She grabbed it and ducked back inside, digging in greedily. She shared it with her younger brother who watched anxiously from behind the door.

    And then he renewed his shout.

    "PEOPLE OF TOBISHIMA ¨C HEAR MY WORDS. TODA IS DEAD. YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER. PLEASE FIND RETRIBUTION FOR THE CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST YOU IN THE MARKETPLACE."

    //Author¡¯s Note

    First bonus chapter for today. Hope you enjoyed it! There will be another one very soon ^_^

 Chapter 64 - Righting The Wrongs

    Slowly the people came, enticed by the food. They nced toward the wrapped corpses warily, but the relief quickly came when firmly secure in their hands was a loaf of bread. They tended to retreat back to their homes after that, just as the first woman had. But after a time, they ventured further out, testing the waters.

    The young woman neared the tform, ncing from Gengyo toward a rice sack with urgency, struggling to swallow her saliva.

    "...Can I really take that bag of rice?"

    She asked hesitantly.

    The young man nodded reassuringly.

    "Of course. That¡¯s the only reason they¡¯re here ¨C we have no other use for them."

    He hefted the bag up, and handed it to her.

    "Be careful, it¡¯s rather heavy."

    The weight was no issue, as she cradled it in her arms almost disbelievingly.

    "Ah, before you go, do you recognise any of these bodies? We found them when we were raiding Toda¡¯s mansion."

    She grew a degree warier now that she had been made to turn back around, but she still did as he said, hoping that there truly was no hidden strings attached.

    She nced at them from a distance, her eyes widening in surprise.

    "I do... They were taken away a long time ago."

    Her eyes grew even more sad as she looked upon the body of the young boy whom they had put out of his misery.

    "Do you know him?"

    Gengyo prodded.

    "Yes. He was my little brother¡¯s friend."

    She responded, looking toward the young man expectantly as if to ask: "is there anything else?"

    He nodded at her unspoken question.

    "You can leave now if you wish."

    With hurried footsteps, she stepped back into her home. There was an audible cry of surprise from her younger brother as he caught sight of her cargo.

    It caused them to smile lightly, and Gengyo turned toward Nakatane.

    "Ayed. I¡¯m pleased we decided to do this."

    "As am I."

    Jikouji murmured with a faraway look in his eye, as though he was remembering something from his youth.

    Many of the vigers were watching them, even if they could not see them all. They spied out through cracks in the wood of their houses, wondering whether this really was what they imed it to be, as a more suspicious event would be hard to imagine.

    The young woman¡¯s sessful iming of a bag of rice and bread brought them hope, as they came closer, looking upon the bodies of the dead as Gengyo had asked.

    "That¡¯s... That¡¯s Kayade! My sister!"

    A man screamed, looking toward the skinless corpse that had once been his sister. He was rather surprised that someone could still recognise the body, even with its condition, but the young man still nodded.

    "I see. Would you like to take her with you? Or perhaps you might like to wait. In a day or two, a funeral will be held for the men of Tobishima who died fighting for Toda."

    The man bit his lip, as tears started to fall down.

    "Kayade... Poor Kayade."

    He groaned. It took him a few moments to register Gengyo¡¯s question.

    "Ah... I should take her home... So that we can mourn her properly ¨C and then... a funeral?"

    "That sounds fine. You could bring her back for the funeral, and there would be no problem."

    He nodded once, twice, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his tattered kimono. He looked from the body, back to the sack of rice he held in his hand. His thoughts were obvious.

    "I¡¯ll help you carry her, if you like?"

    "Ah... ok. Yes... okay."

    "Alright, I¡¯ll just get rid of this so it doesn¡¯t get in the way."

    He purposefully removed his sword and scabbard,ying them down on the tform. He had passed it off as something else, but in truth, it was done so that he might pose less of a threat.

    Being the astute minds that they were, Nakatane and Jikouji fully understood his actions, and they had to physically stop themselves from shaking their heads. His ability to handle people was frightening.

    He moved toward the legs of the body, preparing to lift it as he waited for the other man to get in position. He had to struggle with the bag of rice that he was holding, but apparently, he was unwilling to let it go. They managed anyway, as he cradled her shoulders, whilst Gengyo heaved the legs.

    The man directed them, leading him towards a certain house.

    As they neared, the door was pushed open, apparently of its own ord. Their step did not falter, and they promptly walked inside.

    Their reception consisted of a middle-aged woman, who Gengyo assumed to be that man¡¯s mother, and an older couple, who he assumed to be his grandparents. He had wondered why the man ¨C given his age ¨C was still around. Presumably, he should have been drafted for the war? But as he watched him walk, this answer soon became apparent, as he had a rather vicious limp.

    They set the body down, and the tears began almost immediately.

    "Oh... Kayade... Kayade-chan!"

    The mother threw herself at the skeletal remains of her daughter, clutching them tight.

    It was then that Gengyo judged it to be a good time to leave. Not saying a word, he bowed lightly, and moved toward the door.

    The elderly gentleman ¨C who was likely the man¡¯s grandfather ¨C stopped him.

    "Thank you, young man. Thank you very much."

    His words wereposed, but his voice was choked, and it seemed he too was in the midst of grief. The younger man nodded deeply in reply, attempting to convey his feelings, and then he truly did leave.

    By the time he neared the tform, other people were already on their way to secure some food. They inspected the bodies too. Most people recognised them, as the vige was a closely nitmunity ¨C only driven apart by Toda¡¯s cruel reign. And so the number of corpses soon became zero, and their food stock started to dwindle, but it appeared everyone had taken their fill, and were now back in the safety of their own home.

    And so, Gengyo cleared his throat for one final announcement, happy with the day¡¯s oue.

    "WE HOPE THAT EACH OF YOU HAS TAKEN THEIR FILL. WE WILL BE HERE A FEW MOMENTS LONGER IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT. A FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD IN TWO DAYS TIME ON THE FIELD THAT CONNECTS TOBISHIMA AND TOYONE FOR YOUR MEN WHO FELL UNDER TODA¡¯S HAND..."

    He paused a second, collecting his breath, and looking toward a certain individual behind him.

    "AND, JUSTICE WILL BE DELIVERED, AT YOUR HANDS. THIS GROTESQUE LITTLE CREATURE BEHIND ME WAS ONE OF TODA¡¯S DOGS. HE TORTURED YOUR FRIENDS, AND HE TORTURED YOUR FAMILY. THOSE IN TODA¡¯S DUNGEONS SUFFERED GREATLY FROM HIS CRUELTY. ON THAT DAY, TWO DAYS HENCE, HIS FATE WILL BE DECIDED BY YOU."

    He finished strongly, coughing slightly from straining his voice so heavily. He could not remember thest time had to shout, but he knew for a certainty it was not something he enjoyed.

    "How¡¯s that?"

    He asked of Nakatane.

    "Good. We will see whether you manage to win these people round. If you do though, there will be a reward in store."

    A reward? Gengyo raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had already been rewarded the day prior with this new position.

    "What kind of reward, Niwa-san?"

    "Coin. So that you might recruit more men."

    He held back a groan. Was that truly a reward? He had hoped that would have been something that he was guaranteed, especially since Nakatane expected him to raise a full unit before Imagawa came knocking.

    Still, having his own coin could prove beneficial, he supposed. It would allow him more freedom in cultivating what he wished to, as if there was ever a thing that annoyed him most it would be restriction. For creativity to be held back by material resources was a great tragedy.

    "Very well. I¡¯ll do my best."

    An appropriate response. The master nodded his head withoutint.

    Though Jikouji had been tasked with overseeing their rtions with Tobishima, it seemed to have fallen to Gengyo to kickstart the project. But that was of no consequence to the younger man, as such motions did not feel taxing in the least.

    The young man turned to his men, judging their mood. Of the two live men who they had found in the dungeon, only one remained.

    "So, you decided to stay after all, Togashi-kun?"

    He asked of the skinny man.

    "I did... I did. Seeing my people after so long ¨C it was heartwarming. But I have changed too much to return to that simple life. I have a feeling that under you, I will be able to grow stronger, so that the likes of Toda will never best me again."

    He admired the man¡¯s honesty and straightforwardness. His understanding of his own feelings was remarkable, and his expression of them even more so. Despite his trauma, he appeared to be rather level headed, and his choices were rational. It was an exciting man that he had encountered, and he judged himself lucky to have him as one of his men.

    "I hope you find what you¡¯re looking for, Togashi-kun. But I have a feeling you will."

    "Aye bud! Wee to Miura¡¯s Special Forces unit under Niwa-sama thendholder of Toyone."

    Rokkaku seconded cheerfully, poking at an already open wound.

    "Again with this Rokkaku-san... We don¡¯t need to choose a name."

    Gengyoined wearily.

    "Maybe... But what happens when we do something amazing? What will people call us? The winged dragons? The demon soldiers?"

    "Ok... Please, neither of those two."

    Niiro grumbled, thoroughly disliking such cheesy titles.

    "We¡¯ll think of something, in time."

    The young man assured them.

    "What about The Immortals? Even with the odds stacked against us, we¡¯re still alive, ain¡¯t we?"

    Rokkaku called out enthusiastically.

    "That does sound pretty cool..."

    Kitajo said in a quiet voice.

    "It¡¯s fitting for someone as powerful as me."

    Morohira agreed.

    "I¡¯d rather not jinx my life like that, thank you very much."

    Gengyo waved the idea out of the window. The subject of titles was thest thing on his mind. He wondered whether his men would still have time to think about such trivial things after he subjected them to their new training routine?

    He grinned at the thought.

    Rokkaku visibly shuddered.

    "Man... that look. I think our boss has thought of something evil! Better watch yourselves in future."

    The young man did not rush to dispel their fears, and merely continued smiling as an ominous chill washed over his men.

    A few more vigers came to collect their foodstuffs as the men continued with their idle conversation. And then, with the setting of the sun, they took the remaining food with them and left toward home.

    As they passed the bodies, the topic of the funeral was discussed more thoroughly, and through the medium of Jikouji, arrangements were made to have it prepared for the date that Gengyo had promised. The work would be ratherborious, as it had been the previous time, but now that they had discussed the rewards for doing so, not a singleint was to be had.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Last chapter for today. I hope you all enjoyed the bonus chapters. Thanks for reading c:

 Chapter 65 - A New Home

    They walked on through the vige. As they passed the houses, some of the men took their leave, returning home to their families for the evening.

    Before long the only ones left were those that dwelled within the Niwa estate, and Togashi. Nakatane lead the way, and soon they found themselves outside an unfamiliar home of rather grand proportions.

    "This is yours now, Miura-kun."

    "Eh!?"

    Masaatsu and Morohira gasped in surprise, turning to Gengyo for an exnation. He met their surprised stares with a simple shrug. There was not much that required exining.

    "I see. Thank you."

    He said not impolitely.

    "It has been cleaned and tidied. There is very little that remains left inside, aside from the essentials. Do with the space as you wish."

    The master continued, a little sadly, clearly remembering something in regards to Ishiyama.

    He turned his face away, hiding his expression as he took his leave.

    "It is time we went. Enjoy your evening in your new home, Miura-kun."

    And so he walked away. Jikouji nodded toward them before following him.

    "Things keep changing."

    Masaatsu noted a little pensively as silence began to reign.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it too much. It¡¯s just a formality. It¡¯s like me being in a different room ¨C I¡¯m only a short walk away. You and the rest are free toe by whenever you like. Treat it like a second home."

    "I wish I could... but look how grand it is!"

    His brother replied, staring up at therge two-storied house in awe.

    "It¡¯s ¡¯my house¡¯ now, so it¡¯s a house of the Miura family too. Are you and father not of the Miura family?"

    Morohira needed no persuading ¨C he was not the type to restrain himself merely for the sake of politeness.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it kid, I¡¯lle by every day and use your bathing tub."

    The young man grimaced.

    "Maybe not that..."

    "Haha, joking. Anyway, Masaatsu, we best leave your brother to it, eh? He¡¯s a retainer now. Can¡¯t be smothering him all the time."

    For once he showed a hint of maturity, and lead his oldest son ¨C who still looked rather unsure ¨C away, after they exchanged farewells.

    He heaved a sigh, watching them leave. They were his dear family, but it had been an exhausting day, and it felt good to finally be alone. He stepped up onto the porch of his new home, taking in the feel. It was only then that he noticed a figure out of the corner of his eye, and jumped slightly.

    "Togashi!? Ah... You¡¯re still here."

    He eximed, struggling to calm his racing heart. The man had remained so quiet and so still whilst he had been chatting with Nakatane and the rest, that he had forgotten he was there. It was most uncanny.

    "I am, sir."

    "You don¡¯t have to call me sir, Miura will do."

    He responded back, a hand on his chin as he pondered their current situation. He wondered why he had made such an oversight that he had forgotten to find a ce for Togashi to stay, but his brain was too tired to contemte for long, and he made a swift and simple decision.

    "May as well stay here, Togashi-kun. I¡¯m sure there are plenty of rooms."

    The skinny man grew fl.u.s.tered, as though he had not expected such a proposal.

    "No! Heavens no! I could never stay in such a grand ce. I¡¯m a peasant! I haven¡¯t washed in god knows how long... I would soil the room."

    With a hand on his shoulder, and a gentle tone, Gengyo worked to calm him down.

    "Togashi-kun. Calm down. I¡¯m a peasant too. And if it makes you feel any better, there¡¯s a bathhouse over there ¨C you can go and take a dip. But if you¡¯re too tired it can wait till morning."

    His eyes widened at Gengyo¡¯s statement of his social ss, and he moved his mouth to protest, only then realizing he knew nothing of the young man¡¯s origins. He followed the finger that the young man was using to point, and his eyes fell on the bathhouse.

    He imagined the warm water against his skin, and he became acutely aware of just how filthy he was. He¡¯d been stained by months of blood, urine, sweat and faeces. It would be a blessing to be clean again.

    "...Can I really? But I have no clean clothes ¨C it would be a waste."

    "Nonsense. There are clean kimonosid out upon the shelves inside. Find one that fits, and you¡¯ll be a changed man."

    He took a nce at Togashi¡¯s long rugged hair, and thick manly beard, and wondered whether he should suggest that he had those trimmed as well. But he could not bring himself to. For some reason, it suited the man, even if it did not look entirely clean.

    "Are you really certain I¡¯ll be okay..?"

    He asked hesitantly, looking toward the bathhouse longingly.

    Gengyo pushed him lightly on the back.

    "Go on. Stop being so shy. Spend as much time in there as you like, and don¡¯t worry about knocking when youe back, just head inside and pick a room. I might be asleep, I might not. We¡¯ll see what happens."

    Then, he turned and began making his way inside. The skinny man bit his lip nervously, wondering whether it really would be fine. But fearing thatining any more would anger his new boss, he decided to take him up on the offer, and walked slowly toward the bathhouse, his heart pounding.

    The young man secretly turned back around to observe his newest subordinate, making sure that he made it to the bathhouse fine.

    ¡¯He¡¯s an odd man.¡¯

    He thought to himself. Odd, but extremely likeable. He was d that the man had decided toe with him, as he had a feeling that they would get on rather well.

    He wandered into arge reception room that greeted the entrance of the house. There was nothing in the room, apart from a small solid wood table, atop a fresh tatami floor. The table was not empty, however, and upon it sat a bundle of different scrolls, a bokken, and a wooden pole that would serve as a training substitute for a yari.

    He shook his head lightly with a chuckle. Nakatane¡¯s words were never to be taken lightly. He had delivered on his conditions exactly as he had said, and now it was Gengyo¡¯s turn to do the same.

    He picked up a scroll at random, undoing its seal and allowing it to roll open a little.

    "Sharp arrow formation."

    He read aloud the first sentence. Underneath was a beautifully drawn diagram consisting of numerous triangles, crosses, circles and squares. Heter read a key that defined each. The triangles as archers, the crosses as yari, the circles as hors.e.m.e.n, and the squares as katana units.

    It was a rather aggression formation that sat the archers in front, roughly in the shape of an arrow, with a second row of archers behind them, followed by a line of pikemen, and then two columns of hors.e.m.e.n and katana units behind it.

    He grinned as he reviewed the numerous formations, anticipating their uses. He found their positioning to be rather informative, though there were some that were quite obviously floored, which he quickly identified and ignored.

    He read through the scrolls at speed, asionally pausing to envision such formations, or such positions in his head, and get a feel for how they might be utilised. The time passed quickly, and soon his candle had already burned halfway.

    TAP TAP

    The sudden noise broke his concentration, and he raised his head, looking toward the door.

    "Like I said Togashi-kun ¨C there¡¯s no need to knock."

    Silence. Absolutely no reply.

    He waited for a few moments before speaking again.

    "Togashi? Are you there?"

    Still, there was no reply, and his curiosity began to be reced by worry. A scene where the frail man had fainted upon making his way to his door yed out in his head, and he rushed to open it with haste.

    "Togash-"

    He began, sliding the door open, only to swallow his words midsentence as he caught sight of a rather familiar face.

    "Akiko..."

    Her lips came together in a sweet smile, casting light on the entirety of her beautiful visage. He had not seen that face so close for what felt like a long time, and he stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck.

    "Ah, sorry! Doe in ¨C it¡¯s pretty nippy outside."

    She stepped gracefully inside after him, a smile still blossoming on her face.

    "I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be awake, since it is ratherte."

    Shemented lightly, not taking her eyes off him.

    "Ah, is it? I¡¯ve sort of lost track of time... haha."

    It was odd. Ever since the battle, he had an urge to see her, but now that she was here, he didn¡¯t know quite what to say.

    "So I see."

    She said, looking toward the scrolls that were scattered across the table and floor.

    "You¡¯ve only been here a few hours, and you¡¯ve already made quite the mess."

    He grinned at that, and announced his condition proudly.

    "I have the ability to cause a mess even without wishing to."

    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s all that umon... Nor do I think it¡¯s something you should be proud of."

    She retortedying low his quip.

    They held each others gaze for a few seconds, each of them smiling, as a silence began to brew.

    "You know, it¡¯s really good to see you again."

    Gengyo said genuinely as he sat himself down by the table, before clearing a few scrolls and gesturing for her to do the same.

    "It is, though I see you¡¯ve changed once again."

    She said cryptically, still maintaining her smile, as she sat down beside him.

    "Have I? I don¡¯t feel too different."

    She shook her head emphatically.

    "No, Tadakata-kun. You are certainly different. You¡¯re the hero of Toyone now. You couldn¡¯t have done that without changing."

    He quickly brushed that ridiculous title aside, highlighting her own achievements instead.

    "You are the people¡¯s hero, I¡¯d think, Akiko. I heard from Rin how you lead the women and managed to defeat the mercenaries. I¡¯d like to thank you for that. If not for you, then my fight would have been for nothing."

    She blushed lightly, interpreting a double meaning to his words.

    "Please... Don¡¯t say such things. Your mother is in bed injured because o-"

    "Stop. My mother is alive because of you. Even if she got injured, she will recover."

    He cut her off midsentence, his gaze gaining a serious intensity.

    "Ah..."

    She opened her mouth to speak, before closing it again. Her smile faded, and she began to look at the ground.

    It was more than obvious what was going through her head, and so Gengyo reached his hand out to offer her somefort. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, turning her to look at him.

    "Akiko. Women died under you, correct?"

    "...Yes. My poor leadership caused their loss of lives."

    "Women and children lived because of you too, correct?"

    "..."

    She could not answer. She knew he was right, but she could not help but dwell on the losses. She shook her head fiercely, trying to rid herself of the wave of guilt that attempted to grip her.

    It was only then that she realized Gengyo¡¯s touch, as she struggled to process it. She turned her face away from his, hiding the redness that now invaded.

    "...T-Tadakata. I¡¯m... I¡¯m really lucky to have met you."

    She said, stuttering as she attempted to hide her embarrassment.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Chapter was a littlete today, sorry x-x. This week let¡¯s aim for 600 powerstones. If we hit it, I¡¯ll release 3 chapters on sunday again. Thanks for reading!

 Chapter 66 - Misunderstandings

    "It is strange how things turn out."

    He mused aloud.

    She could not agree more with that statement. The twists of fate were too numerous for mortalprehension. But it felt wrong to call what had happened fate. Fate is something that was always meant to be... But with him, it could not be called that.

    "You know, I was surprised when you epted father¡¯s proposal so quickly."

    "Oh? Why¡¯s that?"

    "I¡¯m not sure... you just seemed like you were happy with what you had... I didn¡¯t realize you had ambition."

    He raised an eyebrow at her words.

    "Mmm, I suppose you¡¯re right. This was never my goal. It more just happened. Perhaps if I had been offered the same opportunity a few weeks ago, I might have refused."

    "What changed?"

    She asked softly, turning her head to look up at him.

    "It¡¯s hard to describe... but in short, it was because of a feeling."

    "A feeling?"

    She asked, as though dissatisfied with his response.

    "Aye, a feeling. A feeling I had during the battle."

    "What kind of feeling?"

    She pressed him, her eyes not leaving his as she locked him into answering.

    He looked away as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, wondering whether he really should make an attempt at describing it. Would she not find such a thing repulsive?

    "A... This is going to sound really stupid."

    "What feeling, Tadakata?"

    "Euphoria... I suppose. Everything seemed to align perfectly. Even though those spears were poised ready to take my life, I did not feel fear as I charged towards them... I felt invincible. A fire was in my blood ¨C it was such a powerful feeling, Akiko. I thought, perhaps, that if I could live my life chasing that feeling, then maybe life would be worth living."

    She listened intently, as she too turned her head to ponder, freeing herself from his arm.

    Seeing her actions, he grew a deal nervous, wondering whether it was the right idea to share what he had felt like that. He knew the other men had felt it too... but he wondered whether his feeling was different.

    "Tadakata, is that truly what you want?"

    She said atst.

    "I think so."

    She turned back to look at him, offering a small smile that seemed to take a great effort to force.

    "Then... I will support you."

    "Akiko..."

    What she said evidently opposed what she felt.

    "What¡¯s wrong?"

    "It was silly, but I had thought once the battle was over, that we might spend more time together. But soon you will be going away again... and then you will be going away again after that."

    "No, no... Listen it won¡¯t be like that. We can spend time together. More than we ever might have. Through the day too ¨C won¡¯t that be better?"

    He urgently tried to reassure her, feeling a stabbing guilt as he looked into those sad eyes.

    "Dummy!"

    She hit his chest with her fist as tears began to fill her eyes.

    "You almost died! Do you understand how worried I was? And how it felt not being able to see you? And now you want to fight even more... What if you really do die next time?"

    She yelled, her tears choking her voice and staining her cheeks.

    His eyes widened, startled by her outburst, before a momentter he began to smile asprehension set in.

    ¡¯So that¡¯s what it was...¡¯

    He was not smiling with joy, but from the warm feeling that filled his chest from the young woman¡¯s kindness.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Akiko... I didn¡¯t realize."

    He pulled her into his chest, gently patting her back as he tried to calm her.

    "You¡¯re right... I was close. But I didn¡¯t die. Nor do I intend to. Can you trust me?"

    She looked at him with her tearfilled eyes.

    "Y-you really intend to continue?"

    "I do. But I won¡¯t die. I won¡¯t evene close."

    He said resolutely, firmly believing his own words. There was not a chance he coulde close to such an overwhelming disadvantage as he did on the field of battle that day. If he could survive that, then the future was limitless.

    "...Promise?"

    "I promise."

    She put her arms around his back, returning the hug, burrowing her face in his chest as she foundfort in his scent. She drew deep breaths in an attempt to try and calm herself.

    SLMMM

    In that moment, the front door slid open, and Gengyo looked upwards, meeting the gaze of a rather bewildered Togashi. They stared at each other in silence for a moment, as Akiko continued to sniffle within the young man¡¯s embrace, unaware of the other man¡¯s presence.

    "...Was your bath pleasant?"

    He asked lightly.

    "It was, Miura-san. I feel much cleaner now... Ah, forgive me, I did not realize you would be with your wife."

    He hurried across the room, pointing to the stairs as though to ask for permission. Gengyo gave a firm nod, as Akiko peaked her head up, blushing firmly. She looked as though she wanted to refute his statement, but in the end, she did not, and they merely watched as he disappeared into one of the side rooms, and heaved an audible sigh of relief.

    "...Do you think he misunderstood?"

    Akiko asked tentatively.

    "Oh, definitely."

    She giggled at his bluntness, sniffing away thest of her tears. It was not an overly unpleasant title, so she did not mind too much.

    "Are you feeling better now?"

    He asked, as her face still wore a more genuine smile.

    She stood up and stretched her back, sighing with pleasure from the relieved tension.

    "Yup!"

    She said firmly.

    "I¡¯ll trust you, Miura Tadakata, so you better do good!"

    "Good? I can do a little better than good. Perhaps great? I think I¡¯ll give being great a stab, see how that turns out."

    "Aha, do try!"

    Sheughed once more, using the sleeve of her kimono to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

    TAP TAP TAP

    The sound of the first droplets of rain hitting the porch. They came lightly at first, but their intensity increased rather quickly, and quite soon there was a steady torrent of raining down.

    He acknowledged the droplets lightly, feeling rather d to be inside.

    "There is something about the rain," he began, "that makes me so very rxed ¨C at least, when I am inside."

    "Yup, you feel happy to be at home and amongst the warmth, and it clears the air so you can sleep well."

    "Exactly."

    He agreed with her assessment, wandering in to examine what he thought to be the kitchen area. There were the flickering embers of a fire that had once been, surrounded by an encas.e.m.e.nt of stone. There was a sheet of metal that slid across the top of the fire, and could be used to heat various items.

    He nodded with approval.

    ¡¯It¡¯s a deal better than the more primitive open fire, but it¡¯s not as though it¡¯s perfect.¡¯

    He thought to himself as he reached within a basket full of firewood, and drew two logs to try and recapture the roaring me that had once been.

    He noticed a simple iron kettle, and carefully removed the lid to see if there was any water left inside. As it happens there was, a finger inside the liquid confirmed it to be cool, and recently filled.

    Beside it there were two jars both boasting a good amount of sencha ¨C green tea ¨C leaves.

    ¡¯Jikouji really took good care of the details.¡¯

    He thought to himself.

    "Would you care for some tea, Akiko?"

    He called to her, as she sat fiddling with a scroll, watching him investigate the kitchen.

    "I would, thank you."

    He nodded, taking the order, as he filled two cups with the hot liquid.

    "How are you finding the house?"

    She asked as he carried the two steaming cups toward the table.

    "To be honest, I haven¡¯t really explored it. But, I mean, it¡¯s nice."

    "Just nice? You¡¯re so strange, Tadakata. Surely this is much grander than the house you used to live in... yet you don¡¯t even bat an eye."

    He shrugged, setting the tea out in front of her, before he sat down alongside her.

    "I don¡¯t know. It just doesn¡¯t excite me, you know? As long as I can eat in it, and sleep in it, and it keeps the rain off my head, then I can¡¯t reallyin."

    She blew lightly on her tea, shaking her head.

    "So strange. Even Rin says you¡¯re weird."

    He c.o.c.ked his head at that.

    "Tell me more."

    "Haha, wouldn¡¯t you like to know!"

    He grinned, already knowing it wouldn¡¯t have been that easy.

    "Still, you getting on so well with my sister is rather surprising."

    "Is it? Am I really that hard to get along with?"

    She asked, pouting.

    "I wouldn¡¯t say so. But Rin is pretty fierce, I thought she¡¯d probably make you cry."

    "What a rude way to speak of your sister!"

    She said, mock scolding him.

    "Mm, in my eyes, it¡¯s a good thing."

    "What? Making me cry?"

    "Exactly."

    He didn¡¯t bother to correct her, as they both knew full well which part he was referring to. She giggled lightly at his humour as she toyed with the bokken that still sat perched upon the table.

    "It¡¯s weirder for me that you and my father get along so well."

    He grimaced at that, wondering whether he and Nakatane really did get on. He seemed to recall a good few times where the older man had hit his head.

    "Well... we seem to have a certain understanding toward each other."

    Was the best he could manage.

    "Really? Just an understanding? He often speaks of you when we eat together."

    "Everyone seems to be speaking of me. Well, do I get to know any of these things that he spoke of?"

    "Mm... No. But they¡¯re mostly good things."

    "¡¯Mostly¡¯?"

    He remarked, a little put off by her use of the word.

    "Yup. Mostly."

    He sighed, shaking his head and taking a sip of his tea, watching the rain fall down aggressively.

    sh.

    A sudden light permeated throughout the room, and a few secondster the low rumblings of thunder could be heard.

    "Lightning, eh?" Hemented absentmindedly, enjoying the warmth of the tea.

    "Is it not a bitte, Akiko?"

    He asked as they sat in silence for a while longer. Her contented smile faded at his question, and was reced by a look of realization, as she stood up anxiously, heading toward the door.

    "Ah! I¡¯d-I¡¯d forgotten. I need to be getting back... It must be reallyte. Oh, what will Shibata think seeing mee back sote!"

    But the rain was too heavy. She knew that should she step outside she would be drenched in seconds, and that she would require a bath to warm up once again. It was a futile effort. She turned around to Gengyo, her eyes begging for a solution.

    He stood up, nodding at her request, setting down his tea.

    "Fair maiden, since you are in need, it is time I revealed my true identity."

    She looked toward him, her eyes round.

    "I AM THE GOD OF THUNDER!"

    He shouted, ring his arms out of wide. He paused, looking toward her. That had been her queue tough. But instead of disbelief, upon her face he saw understanding.

    "Ahem..." He coughed lightly in his hand.

    "RAIN, DISAPPEAR!"

    He pped his hands together, his face a mask of intensity, as hemanded the rain to cease its torrents with authority. She whirled toward the door, fully expecting the downpour to begin to slow.

    But much to her disappointment, it did not, and she turned back to Gengyo for an exnation.

    "I was joking..."

    He said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

    "Oh..."

    She murmured, beginning to blush as understanding set in.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Yeah... The chapter was reallyte today, sorry folks. But I hope you enjoyed ^_^

 Chapter 67 - The First Mission

    "Why not just stay the night?"

    He asked, gesturing to the doorways of one of the many rooms. Her blush only deepened at his words and her fists clenched.

    "Ah, no. Not like that. I mean just borrow one of the rooms and try to sleep a little while the rain dies down."

    He quickly moved to clear up her misunderstanding.

    "...Where will you be sleeping?"

    "I think I¡¯ll stay down here a little longer. You go ahead and choose a room ¨C it doesn¡¯t matter which. I won¡¯t disturb you, so rest assured."

    She bit her lip wondering whether this really was the right course of action. What would people think if they saw hering out of his house early in the morning... of course, they¡¯d think ¡¯that¡¯. She felt embarrassed just contemting it. But still, it would be ridiculous to charge through the rain only to bepletely soaked.

    "Fine... I¡¯ll go ahead and try and sleep a little then."

    She said, nodding, more to assure herself than anyone else. Gengyo returned her nod with a smile, trying to imply that it¡¯d be fine.

    She tentatively began up the stairs, reaching her hand out to open the first door, before recoiling as she remembered Togashi was in there. She took a deep breath to steel herself, and then walked stiffly along thending onto the next room.

    She wanted to say goodnight to Gengyo, but from the embarrassment, she could not bring herself to. She slid open the door, and closed it hurriedly, as if to block any prying eyes.

    He watched her go, amused by her dramatics, as he turned keenly back to his scrolls, enjoying his reading all the more after his conversation with Akiko.

    ...

    ...

    He was awoken by the strong stench sak¨¦ sitting right under his nose. He flinched from its foul odour, his eyes shooting open to see his vision filled with a grinning Nakatane.

    "Ahaha! Wakey wakeyd!"

    "Isn¡¯t it a little early to be drinking?"

    Hemented unenthusiastically as he wiped the sleep from his eyes feeling utterly exhausted. Judging by his current surroundings, it seemed that he had fallen asleep whilst reading the scrolls, and the dull aching of his forehead confirmed that he had indeed slept against the table.

    "Probably."

    He agreed, setting down arge sack upon the table, marked by the audible nging of metal.

    "And this is?"

    "Yesterday¡¯s haul."

    Nakatane said, peeking inside and removing a golden candle holder, examining it with a squinting gaze.

    "I can¡¯t really see the appeal in having it golden..?"

    "Neither can I. Aesthetically, it¡¯s a bit of a disgrace."

    The master gave him a funny look at that, as though dissatisfied with his answer.

    "Well... Let¡¯s get down to business then..."

    He brought the bottle close to his nose, savouring the scent as he continued his speech with a good deal more vigour.

    "You¡¯re going to head to Toyokawa and sell these."

    Gengyo leaned back onto his hands, enjoying the springiness of the tatami underneath his palms as he stifled a yawn.

    "I see... Why me? This seems more of a merchant¡¯s task."

    "You¡¯ve only been in your position for a day, and you¡¯re already being insubordinate?"

    "You know that¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing... Please, I only just woke up. Can we keep things simpler than usual?"

    "Tsch. You¡¯re what, eighteen? And here you are acting older than Jikouji... Well, fine. If you want simplicity, I¡¯ll deliver. Whilst you¡¯re in Toyokawa, you¡¯re going to be recruiting. You can take 5 gold coins from the amount you get to recruit men for yourself. And then I want you to recruit some men to serve directly under me."

    He nodded slowly, processing the information.

    "How many do you want?"

    "I want to reform the strength of our original unit, so about 80 men."

    "80... That¡¯s a decent amount..."

    He mused, stroking his chin.

    "How long will it take for us to ride to X?"

    "Half a day, perhaps less if you ride fast."

    He grinned at that, having a sudden sh of inspiration.

    "What¡¯s that look for?"

    The master asked, a little put off by the sadistic edge to his smile.

    "You¡¯ll see."

    "Right... Well, I¡¯ll leave you to it."

    He turned to the door to leave, before whirling back around and pping his forehead as though he had forgotten something obvious.

    "Best not leave that in the middle of the room, eh?"

    He took it up in his hands and began up the stairs, deciding that it would be much safer to leave their quarry behind closed doors. He passed the first, thinking that the second looked to be the most inconspicuous.

    "Ah wait-"

    Gengyo realized where he was headed, and felt a sudden chill down his spine as the master¡¯s hand stretched out and pulled open the door revealing a sleeping Akiko.

    He sighed, preparing himself mentally for the tribtions ahead.

    "What¡¯s up with you, kid?"

    "Eh?"

    Nakatane was looking down on him from atop thending, his eyebrows raised.

    In disbelief, he mbered up the stairs after Nakatane, looking inside the small room. It waspletely empty, aside from a perfectly made futon in the middle of the room.

    "Ah... I mean, it¡¯ll do I suppose..."

    ¡¯She must have gone before I woke up.¡¯

    He thought, greatly relieved by Akiko¡¯s quick thinking. Had she been revealed, fast asleep, they certainly would have had some exining to do.

    "Of course it will."

    He gently put the sack down in the corner, taking care not to break any of the pieces inside, and with that, he took his leave.

    "I¡¯ll be expecting good news."

    "I¡¯ll do my best."

    ...

    ...

    Around an hourter, the Special Forces unit were gathered outside of Gengyo¡¯s house, having been rounded up by Masaatsu and Togashi. They exchanged conversation fervently, evidently excited for the task ahead. They assumed it would be training, but they relished the thought, for it would be their first training session as a new unit.

    "The master Niwa has delivered us our first mission."

    He announced.

    That only served to increase their excitement.

    "Already? Hell yeah! We finally get to go and kick some ass again!"

    Rokkaku pumped his fists enthusiastically, getting ready for the fight ahead.

    "Ah, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be that kind of mission ¨C unless things go very wrong."

    "What d¡¯ya mean boss?"

    One of the guards asked, confused.

    "We¡¯re going to Toyokawa for recruitment purposes."

    "Toyokawa? Really? I¡¯ve always wanted to go there. Apparently there are more people than our vige, and Tobishimabined."

    Kitajo said, ted.

    "Even more than thatd, but it¡¯s a good distance away. How are we getting there?"

    Niiro spoke, asking the sensible questions.

    "We¡¯re going to walk."

    Gengyo said emotionlessly.

    "..."

    It took them a few moments for them to process just what had been said, before there were a few outraged cries.

    "WALK? BOSS, WE¡¯LL DIE. IT¡¯S WAY TOO FAR."

    A guard fell to his knees just contemting the thought.

    "Oh, don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll run too."

    He said, struggling to hide his smile as he watched the anguish spread amongst them.

    "It¡¯ll be fine. We need to build our endurance if we¡¯re going to have any sess as a unit. This is a good start."

    The groans still came as he spoke those words, but they were less dramatic, as they started to see the bigger picture.

    "Whoever arrives there first will get a ride on the way back. Their mount will be whoever came inst ce."

    Faces went white as they contemted the cruelty of that statement. Whoever came inst ce would be without a doubt the weakest runner, and with an extra burden on their back they would be lucky if they made it home at all.

    "Do you a feel a bit more motivated now? Good. Go and collect a sword each from the armoury, we will begin our run as soon as you get back."

    Gengyo was as good as his word. The moment everyone had arrived back ¨C now armed with a sheathed sword in their hand ¨C he began to jog forwards. Those with any sense followed immediately, making sure not to fall to the back straight away.

    The directions Nakatane had given him for getting to Toyokawa were simple ¨C follow the road north, and then follow the road north some more. If you think you are lost, and have gone the wrong way, just keep following that road, and you will soon end up at your destination.

    The march was arduous. When they were running, they wished they were walking, and when they were walking, they wished they were running. Their calves ached, their shins did too. Their feet had gone numb hours ago, and blisters quickly began to form.

    The distance ¨C in our units ¨C would be roughly 30 miles. Gengyo acted as the pacemaker, but he quickly became aware that he was not amongst the fittest of the men. His body began tog, and his breathing wasboured, but he pushed himself on despite the pain. As the leader, he had to set a good example.

    Kitajo seemed to find it easiest, as he stuck nearest the front, not slowing to join the rest. Whereas Togashi likely found it the hardest. He had been chained up for months, and his body had deteriorated. It was likely too harsh a first test for the man, but Gengyo could not afford to take things slow with the battle so near. He had to push their limits mentally and physically so that they could make the most progress in the shortest time possible.

    To the skinny man¡¯s credit, though he was likely in the worst shape, he did notin a single time, and instead wore a fierce look of determination as he ran beside therger Rokkaku who was sweating furiously.

    The hard stones of the road quickly began to bruise their feet, so they moved to the softer surrounding grass. But with that there was the danger of rabbit holes, so they had to keep their guard up at all times, lest they fall over and lose their position, falling behind the rest.

    Morohira carried the sack of goods, but still kept up near the front. His physical condition was so good that it was almost intolerable for the rest, as they watched him run with a smug smile, heaving the heavy sack, making sure they saw him do it. He had certainly not offered to carry it out of good will. He merely liked the idea of hefting such riches, but also the prospect of gloating when their march came to an end.

    With theing of afternoon, and the vicious beatings of the boiling sun, they neared their destination, spotting the vast expanse of houses upon the horizon.

    "Wow... It¡¯s huge."

    Kitajo breathed. He had never seen so many houses in his life. With its port came great amounts of trade, and even greater amounts of people. It made sense for them to want to settle closer to their ce of work.

    "Indeed, look past it, and you will see the ocean. Wee to Toyokawa, men."

    //Authors Note

    Thanks for reading!! :)

 Chapter 68 - Toyokawa

    The arrival of one surrounded by so many armed men was enough to draw a few curious nces.

    ¡¯Looks like a bigshot has arrived.¡¯

    Was the general thought as merchants eyes drifted back toward their customers, pretending they had never looked away at all. The central road was lined with stalls, each boasting a variety of different goods.

    A good deal of the wares were imported, as Gengyo managed to spy a few mirrors and other such European ssworks.

    The road was absolutely packed with people, and the only way to pass through was to barge past the mass in front of them. There were a few shouts ofint, but as soon as they turned around to see the scale of the young man¡¯s entourage, they soon held their tongues and made way.

    He held no interest for these small scale stores. He needed arger shop, one that was perhaps a permanent feature, as that would demonstrate a degree of integrity on the store-owners part, as they had managed to survive for a time without offending anyone too powerful.

    The men marvelled at the taste of the sea air, and could not get enough of it. They opened their mouths wide, allowing it to fill their lungs, remarking how fresh it felt.

    They passed down the main road and neared the port where many men were at work unloading supplies from arge European trading vessel. Its huge three masts towered over all the surrounding Japanese sh.i.p.s, evidence of its ability to handle the mighty ocean, and travel halfway around the world.

    Judging by thenguage they were speaking, Gengyo thought them to be Portuguese, and eyed the crates they were unloading with interest. He had an idea what might be inside, only he knew he certainlycked the coin to afford it.

    A little disappointed by that ¨C though not too put off, as Nakatane had promised him a good amount should his business with Tobishima prove sessful ¨C he made his way along the port area, careful to stay out of the way of any of the men hard at work.

    His soldiers eyed the white-skinned Europeans with interest. They were a good deal taller than they were, and their shoulders broader ¨C though Rokkaku still stood a simr size.

    Their appearance lead to numerous conversations ¨C ones that Gengyo did not weigh in on ¨C as he allowed the experienced Niiro to exin who they were to the rest of the men.

    Just as he was about to pass it, a stall out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The table was littered with all manners of finery, and even some of the Portuguese men had gathered round to inspect the wares. There was jewellery of all kinds, and of course such items would be hot topic, so there were 5 men standing guard as their master did business.

    He smiled, before calling Morohira over and reaching into therge sack, pulling out one of the rubies. He approached the stall, making certain that the sack remained out of sight ¨C the merchant would hold the advantage in their bargaining if he realized he had much more that he needed to sell.

    "Hello."

    He approached the stall, and leaned lightly upon the table. The merchant regarded him lightly with a nod, before resuming a rather broken conversation with a Portuguese man who was haggling for a gold banded ne, from which dangled a series of jewels. He held up a roll of silk, demonstrating how soft it was by rubbing it upon his face.

    The merchant shook his head, holding up his fingers to symbolise the number of silken rolls required: 2.

    The Portuguese man grew red in the face at such boldness, and would have caused more of a scene had he not seen the aggressive stares of the guards bearing down on him. Instead, he simply spat on the floor and walked away.

    "Tsch. A barbaric people."

    The merchant muttered under his breath, before regaining his face of friendliness, and turning to Gengyo.

    "Yes, young man? What is it that you would like to buy?"

    "Ah. I was rather hoping that you would be doing the buying."

    "Hoh..."

    The man¡¯s interest was captured as he looked toward Gengyo with expectation in his eyes.

    Slowly and deliberately, he removed the fist plum-sized rugby from the sleeve of his arm. Greed instantly lit up the merchants eyes, as he immediately offered his price.

    "5 gold coins!"

    He said, a little too breathlessly. The young man shook his head with a light smile, as though amused by such jokes. In truth, he had no idea about the fair selling price of such an item, but he knew that he would not be offered it. At least not straight away.

    "Come now, let us not joke. We¡¯re both men of business, yes? Let us be fair, and honest with one another. We know ¨C yes we do ¨C that this ruby is worth at least 10 times that amount."

    Those who overheard what he said went white, discussing such a sum of money.

    "50 gold coins..."

    He heard a man behind him breathe.

    The merchant grew nervous, and his hands started to shake as he thought about dealing his pursue such a blow. But he quickly collected himself. He was experienced after all. A deep breath was all that he needed.

    "...Do not y me for a fool, child, please name a sensible price."

    "Oh, but that price is sensible. Of course, you will not be selling it as a lump of ruby. You¡¯ll process it, adding it to other bits of jewellery, and you¡¯re looking at a selling price far above 50 gold. Now ¨C return your request. Offer me a sensible price, or my business goes else well."

    He turned on his heel to show that he was serious.

    "Wait! Young man! Wait!"

    The merchant called out urgently, his face slick with sweat. Gengyo turned around, an eyebrow raised.

    "Yes?"

    "40..."

    "Pardon?"

    "40 GOLD COINS!"

    He shouted,ughing maniacally as though he had finally broken. Such an amount of money to be spent so quickly was madness... and yet the young man was right. The value of the rugby was far beyond being simply a ball of solid mineral.

    Gengyo quickly stretched his hand out with a smile.

    "We have a deal."

    As far as he was concerned, any price that could get an experienced merchant so worked up was bound to be decent. And when hepared it to the prices of living that he had learned, and his first experience in the market with Rin, he felt it was rather fair.

    The man took his hand, shaking enthusiastically, his palms immensely sweaty. He set upon the table 5 bags of coin, sliding it across the table, holding both his palms outward in anticipation.

    He gently popped the ruby plum onto the man¡¯s hand, as he pocketed the coin pouches with another. He left satisfied, looking forward to seeing how much they might earn after selling all their wares. After all, a single ruby had sold for 40 gold coins, and he still had another, and many more other items.

    His men stared at him in awe.

    "Bloody 40 gold coins! We¡¯re rich! Rich I tell you!"

    Morohira yelled, dancing happily, seeming to think that such an amount of money belonged to him.

    "Mmm. We¡¯ll see."

    Gengyo tossed one of the coin bags in the air, enjoying the weight of the metal as itnded into his hand. His father stared at the bag with hungry eyes, waiting for the next instance in which it was thrown so that he could snatch it from the air.

    Heughed heartily at such a look, sharing the amus.e.m.e.nt with his brother, who also seemed to know exactly what Morohira was thinking.

    "Remember fes, Niwa will give you all a cut of what we sell this for, so be patient."

    He reminded them, as he proceeded to look for the next buyer.

    They wandered the streets for a good while, searching for suitable selling points. With time, the sack grew lighter, and their amount of coin grew heavier. He gradually worked out the market price for certain items, and made sure to get his fair price for each thing he sold.

    By the time he had finished, they had amassed a terrifying amount of gold. Perhaps enough to buy a vige outright. He had gradually be trusted enough to carry around the sack ¨C now full of money ¨C and he walked around cautiously, like some kind of coin goblin. But even if he was a little odd, Morohira¡¯s actions provided great amus.e.m.e.nt for the rest of the men, who were growing tired.

    With the beginning of sunset, the amount of people in the streets began to lessen, and they set up a stall of their own.

    With a pair of bokkenying at his feet, Gengyo watched on, letting Rokkaku advertise their business.

    "Recruiting men! Recruiting men! 10 silver each! Then 1 silver a week after that! Recruiting men!"

    They very soon drew the attention of the surrounding men. Most were simple peasants that lived in the nearby housing. Poor quality, and likely untrustworthy. What he sought were ronin. Someone to bolster their ranks. But of course, ronin were samurai, and deserved respect.

    But not all samurai were as well off as Nakatane and Toda. Some only had their rank to cling to, and no finances to speak of. If he could attract such people, he hoped that he would be able to select the honourable, and the skilled, and filter them out from the rest.

    Still, that did not mean he immediately dismissed the peasants. He treated everyone the same. But he had a rough idea of what he wanted, and subjected them all to a test.

    "Good day young sir, is your offer true? 10 silver, and then 1 silver a week?"

    "It is."

    Gengyo nodded,ying down rxed against the corner of a building, putting on an aloof air, trying to project the aura of a young samurai lord.

    The men surrounding him only served to bolster his image. He hoped he would get a glimpse of the man¡¯s true character in seeing how he reacting when he was treated with such dismissal.

    As it happened, the man¡¯s smile did not fade, and he continued to wait for Gengyo to speak.

    He yawned loudly, beforezily pointing to Togashi.

    "Togashi-kun. Duel this man, would you? Whoevernds the first strike wins."

    He nodded toward the bokken thaty at his feet, and both men stepped forward to grab them. He had picked Togashi, judging him to be weakest, so that he might catch a glimpse of the other man¡¯s skill.

    He stepped up, giving them space, before giving themand to start.

    "Begin."

    The two men stepped forward, each eager tond the first strike.

    THWACK

    With a sickening jab to the stomach, the peasant was left doubled over, reeling from the pain. They had not even caught a glimpse of the strike, all they could see was Togashi still lunged outwards, his face a mask of the utmost seriousness.

    Gengyo coughed into his hand, surprised.

    "Er... Togashi wins. If you can stand, then duel once more. We will do the best of 3."

    The peasant man struggled to his feet, his face white. His sword no longer held any intent behind it, and in truth, he looked terrified at the prospect of facing Togashi once more.

    But he did not flee, so themand to begin was given.

    This time the peasant struck outwards first. It was dodged by the skinny man with ease, as he stepped to the outside of the stretched arms, and kicked toward the other man¡¯s feet, and sending him flipping to the floor after a push to his shoulder.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Finally released on time today!! YAY!!

 Chapter 69 - Recruiting

    ¡¯Jesus.¡¯

    Was Gengyo¡¯s only thought as looked at the peasant syed out upon the floor. Even if the peasant was exceptionally unskilled, it would be hard to dominate the fight sopletely.

    ¡¯He might even be better than Jikouji...¡¯

    He pondered, reevaluating his n.

    "Alright, Niiro-san switch with Togashi. Togashi-kun, good work."

    The man nodded seriously, handing the bokken to Niiro who stepped forth and assumed his stance.

    "Right, if you cannd a hit on Niiro, then you can join."

    The peasant looked terrified at the prospect of fighting once more, and the tip of his sword quivered, but he did not flee, so his motivation proved to be substantial.

    Old man Niiro was a more average fighter, but he an unyielding aggression that lent extra weight to his strikes.

    The peasant man was quickly pushed back, holding his sword to protect his face, as he fled like a frightened rabbit. He sustained numerous injuries to his ribs and to his shoulders, but none were enough to make him drop the weapon.

    He tried a few strikes of his own, but under the onught of Niiro¡¯s attacks, he was unable tond any. Eventually, he was cornered against the wall and had to yield.

    Gengyo felt bad for the man, and admired his courage in carrying on fighting despite the fear he felt. But he did not have enough skill to join their ranks. Not for the money they were offering.

    He gently informed him that he wasn¡¯t what they were looking for, and proceeded to test the next person.

    A small crowd of people had begun to gather, so they needed not to wait. Another peasant man stepped forward, wearing a straw hat. He was broad in the shoulders, and his gait was that of a confident man.

    He nodded briefly towards who he assumed to be the young master, before collecting the bokken that was offered to him.

    "Niiro-san, take a break. Kitajo-kun, you¡¯re up."

    "Eh!?"

    The boy gasped in surprise, pointing to himself to make sure that he had not misheard.

    "Correct, you."

    He could not believe that he was the one to have been picked. He was an immensely frail boy, and go up against such a burly opponent... Well, it was unlikely he¡¯d be able to counter a single strike.

    But his leader had a degree more confidence in him than he did in himself. He was aware of the changes the boy had gone through, and wished to cultivate him further.

    The two men gripped their bokken firmly, and after a word from Gengyo, the fight began.

    Therger man regarded his opponent lightly, underestimating him, but not lessening his attacks. In fact, he dove in stronger, and more aggressively, keen to make a good impression.

    Putting his whole weight behind the strike he swung his sword toward Kitajo¡¯s midsection. An undodgeable blow, given the speed it was moving at.

    The boy¡¯s instincts forced him to raise his elbows high, holding the sword downwards, interrupting the ferocious charge of the other wooden de.

    THWACK

    The crushing sound of wood on wood reverberated throughout the port, as the spectators watched on, startled.

    Not only had he blocked the strike, but he had not given an inch of ground in the process. Those frail skinny arms managed to generate enough force to block such a powerful blow.

    The burly peasant¡¯s eyebrows twitched in shock. He had put everything he had into that single strike, and it had been dealt with so easily. It angered him, as though the boy was calling the strength that he was so proud of useless.

    He pushed forward, sending a flurry of strikes toward the young man, who dealt with them calmly,pletely different from his normally nervous disposition.

    The men of the Special Forces unit roared with approval watching their youngest member fight so fiercely. It brought pride just seeing himst this long.

    Even though, in the end, a strike had managed to sneak past his guard, losing him the fight, not a single person could criticise his performance.

    "Well fought, Kitajo-kun. Well fought indeed."

    Gengyo praised genuinely, patting him on the shoulder. It felt odd, for he shared the pride that the rest of the men felt in seeing him perform so brilliantly. It was a feeling he was unused to, and one he wished to experience more of.

    "Well, the rules are rules. Wee to the Niwa Special Forces unit."

    He said, speaking to the big man as he reached into his sleeve and presented him with 10 silver coins.

    "Hah...hah... Thanks..."

    The man said, removing his straw hat from his head as he crouched to his knees and panted loudly. His forehead was slick was sweat. It had clearly not been an easy victory. Inparison, Kitajo looked like he¡¯d only gone on a short walk, for he was not out of breath, and was barely sweating.

    With that, the Special Forces unit recruited their first member. The crowd grew even more excited when they saw that the reward for joining had not been a lie, as more and more people came, wishing to fight for such excellent pay.

    It must be understood that this was far above a peasant¡¯s normal wage. At most, you would be receiving 50 coppers a year, and here they were on 1 silver a week. It was no wonder they drew a crowd.

    Due to this, Gengyo was able to be more selective, and sent out better fighters, with harsher winning conditions. His test for the men that he recruited and the men that he recruited on Niwa¡¯s behalf were the same. The only difference was that he chose the men he liked most for his own unit.

    The men were told on the spot which unit they would belong to, and so they were able to familiarise themselves with the people that they would be working alongside in future as they watched the rest of the fights.

    There were some pretty gruesome disys, as unskilled fighters took to the ring fighting against the likes of Morohira. Needless to say, the conclusions to those fights were not pretty, and they were lucky if they could retain their consciousness.

    These fights continued well on into the evening, and by the time the recruitment process had finished, the sky waspletely ck. Had it not been for the torches that lined the streets, then business would have been impossible to conduct.

    Patrolling guards regarded the mass of men anxiously. Their group numbers of around 5 would have absolutely no chance of dealing with such an amount of people. And each of those people sat and obediently listened to the orders of one man.

    "Once more I would like to wee you all to Niwa Nakatane¡¯s army. My name is Miura Tadakata, and I am in charge of the Special Forces unit. As promised, you have all received your ten silver for passing the test, and as promised, you will receive your 1 silver per week."

    He allowed his words to soak in before speaking once more.

    "Niwa Nakatane is the samuraindholder of a vige called Toyone. This vige is located 30 miles south from here."

    He saw a few people flinch at the distance, dreading walking it in the morning.

    "We leave tonight."

    Their expectations were instantly crushed, and looks of outright worry spread across their faces. They would haveined, had they not seen the steeled expressions of the Special Force¡¯s veterans who look as though this had been expected all along.

    Now that new members had been recruited, those that had served alongside Gengyo felt their positions increase slightly, as others looked to them for guidance. It was a role they performed admirably, keeping the rest in line ¨C at least for now.

    For even if they were being paid a fair wage, the men before him were essentially contracted workers. They could not be relied upon for absolute loyalty. He nned to instil discipline within his own unit through training, and use that to influence Nakatane¡¯s unit, and dissuade insubordinate behaviours and cowardice.

    "Go and tell your families. Tell your friends. But you must return within 15 minutes."

    It was a gamble saying such a thing. The men held 10 silver coins within their palms. Coins that they essentially had earned by doing nothing. Allowing them to leave now gave them the option not to return.

    He knew this as he said it. That¡¯s why he wore a smile. A smile that forecast that he knew. And as his eyes drifted across the men, a few shifted ufortably, feeling as though their thoughts had been revealed.

    "Go."

    With that word, those that had family to see left. The rest waited patiently, dreading the distance they had to cover.

    If not for the new members, Morohira and the rest of would have beenining too. But there was one thing that caused a sigh of relief amongst them.

    "By the way, the punishment was a joke. You don¡¯t really have to carry the winner on your back, Togashi."

    Even though they were not the ones doing the carrying, none of them wanted to see the man suffer. Through his polite mannerisms, he had made a good impression. Through his excellent sword skills, he had made an even better one.

    15 minutes passed, and the majority of the people had returned. A few arrived a couple of minuteste.

    "There are three people who have not returned. Does anyone know who they are?"

    A few hands shot up in the air, as people were eager to call out those more cowardly than they.

    "Aye! I do!"

    "Good. Whoever finds those men, will receive their silver. Do not worry about harming them in the process."

    He spoke casually, as though such a thing had been a predetermined process.

    They were only too eager to fetch the swindlers, and a group of 15 men instantly dispatched, sprinting so that they might im the silver first.

    The rest studied the young man in front of them carefully, pleased that they had not made such a mistake. There was a ruthlessness in his smile earlier. Only those foolish enough to look past that had attempted to flee with the coin in hand.

    His own men were surprised by his actions. He¡¯d always been a rather lenient man, at least with them. But none could fault his decision. It would set a good example to the new recruits: cheating will not be tolerated.

    The first man was dragged to the square by a pair of brothers. He kicked and screamed his apologies, his right eye swollen. He was flung down at Gengyo¡¯s feet, sobbing.

    Gengyo barely looked at him, instead, he nodded toward the two young men with approval.

    "Good. Split his coin amongst yourselves."

    They wretched the coin back from his palm, sending a kick to his stomach to stop his resistance.

    ¡¯A rather cruel pair of siblings.¡¯

    He remarked to himself. The only order he gave was for the man to be captured ¨C the injuries they had inflicted themselves. He did not scold them for their actions, he merely recorded the urrence in his mind, so that he might better understand and predict their character.

    "Very good. You may go now."

    He said, referring to the man on the floor.

    He stared up at him, wide-eyed, thinking it was some kind of trap, but desperately hoping it wasn¡¯t as he climbed to his feet in haste, and ran like a frightened rabbit as fast as his legs could carry him, crying all the while.

    The other cheaters were dealt with in the same way. A stern punishment, but not excessively cruel. A man who could be reasoned with, but one that must certainly not be taken advantage of. And so the new recruits began to better understand their leader.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading c:

 Chapter 70 - The Days Before Battle

    The march back home was gruesome. He did not push them quite as hard as he had on the way there, but the .u.mted exhaustions of the day meant that all the men found it to be rather difficult.

    When they finally arrived in Toyone, it was only a few hours before dawn, so most of them had trouble keeping their eyes open. Gengyo jogged on ahead, and could not find evidence of any housing facilities for them to stay. But the men were so tired as to not be fussy, and the night had remained dry, so many of them were happy to sleep where theyy.

    And so, with theirst of their energy, they helped to construct arge bonfire, and with that roaring mightily, they gathered around and took some well deserved hours sleep. Of their own ord, the Special Forces veterans stayed and slept outside as well, which helped to keep things in order.

    Their leader caught a couple of hours sleep himself, but with the breaking of dawn, he went in search of Jikouji.

    The elderly man was where he always could be found at the beginning of the day ¨C inside the dojo practising his swordsmanship. He entered quietly, and waited until he had the old man¡¯s attention.

    "Grab a swordd."

    He did as he was instructed, though as he picked it up, he was a degree more cautious than he had been thest time, and so he was able to casually sidestep the downward stroke that had been aimed at the back of his head.

    "Not bad ¨C you¡¯re learning."

    He said with a degree of approval as he lunged forward, his stance widening, and his sword closing the distance at a terrifying speed. Gengyo hooked under the de with his own, redirecting it off to the side, as he attempted to imitate Togashi by stepping around the de and dealing with the other swordsman¡¯s feet.

    His n worked, as with his widened stance, Jikouji was not as well bnced. His lead leg kicked out from under him, forcing it forward, so that hended in the splits. With that Gengyo judged the fight to be his victory, and aimed to lightly jab the old man in his torso, so that he could im it more officially.

    SMACK

    But with a powerful swing of his sword, Jikouji sent his de ttering across the room. Inpromising his opponent¡¯s stance, he had let his own guard down, seeing victory too early. As it happens, the old man was far morefortable in the splits than he had supposed, and was easily able to counter his strike.

    He smiled self deprecatingly, understanding his error.

    Jikouji rose out from the splits.

    "You¡¯ve improved. But it¡¯s still not enough. A fight is not over until one person is dead, or in this case, until one of us hasnded the blow. Do not get ahead of yourself."

    "Aye."

    Wiping the sweat from his bare chest on a towel, he asked the more important question.

    "So, what is it that I can help you with?"

    Gengyo smiled. It was obvious he hade here with a different purpose in mind than swordsmanship.

    "There are currently over a hundred men asleep on the ground outside. They¡¯re fine now, but I imagine things will grow a little moreplicated if they begin to get hungry."

    "Hoh... so that¡¯s it."

    He nodded as though he was remembering something.

    "You¡¯re quite speedy, I must say. We had not expected you back for another day at least."

    "Mmm... But it was wise of you to let me know. I had not included them when drawing up the meals list for today. Anyter than now, and they would have gone hungry. In regards to housing and the like... there¡¯s some space left in the guards¡¯ barracks for about 40 men. For the rest we were nning on tents, and then we¡¯ll look into more permanent buildings after our war with the Oda."

    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you then."

    He bowed slightly and made his way to the door, closing it quietly behind him.

    And so the new men began to settle in. Large tents were pitched for them, and their meals were scheduled. The only duty they had to attend to during the day was training ¨C it was an ideal life.

    The funeral ceremony yed out with Tobishima as nned, and rtions with the vige people were improved as Nakatane lead the service. The work to be done in the fields was all nned out, and very soon farming had begun once more in both Toyone and their new vige ally.

    The women that had been left inside Toda¡¯s castle came out a few dayster of their own ord, after the drugs had worn off. Two had been captured from Tobishima a few years back, and their own family had believed them dead. The reunions were heartwarming. The others had note from Tobishima. Their own homes were far away, as they had been ves for many years. It was an easy choice for them to make ¨C they would rather work in the fields and live amongst true love andpanionship than attempt to do otherwise and return to the life of very.

    But there was one woman that people did not catch sight of, no matter whom you asked. Not even the 5 young ve girls knew where she had gone. That woman was, of course, Isabe.

    But such small curiosities were far from people¡¯s minds ¨C especially Nakatane¡¯s. He had been more than happy with the amount of coin the young man brought back, and the number of troops as well. It was lucky he had acted so quickly, as two days after the funeral of Tobishima, an emissary arrived, mounted on a white horse.

    "Summons from his lord Imagawa-sama, Daimyo of Mikawa."

    Was all he had said, speaking to Nakatane casually as he handed him a tightly bound and sealed scroll. He did not take offence at his tone that was almost condescending ¨C he had much bigger things on his mind, and as the mounted man rode away, he had already begun reading the letter of summons.

    It had stated that three days hence, they were to gather at Washizu in preparation for their invasion of the Oda upiednd of Owari. It was nothing that they did not know, aside from the length of time that they had, which inspired a degree of urgency within him.

    Jikouji had been taking care of the training of his troops for the past couple of days, and he had no doubt that their progress would be substantial. A yumi ashigaru unit had been drafted, using the testing procedure that Gengyo had defined before. But the young man was not there to lead it this time, instead, he was off elsewhere.

    In fact, Nakatane did not even know where he was. He did not know what his training entailed. Nor did he ask it of the young man, nor did the young man speak about it. He could only hope ¨C though he felt a degree of anxiety ¨C that they were fit enough to do battle.

    With the coin that he received for the sessfulpletion of their tempering of Tobishima, Gengyo had bought a substantial amount of equipment. He¡¯d managed to source it rather cheaply, but the quality of it was remarkable. Nakatane caught sight of a shipment of bows ¨C each of which he was barely able to pull back, for their draw weight was so heavy.

    There had been armour too ¨C great crates full of it. He had not inspected those too thoroughly, but he assumed that it must have been something a degree better than the norm, for he had been willing to supply Gengyo¡¯s men the standard guard grade armour himself.

    Steel tipped long yari and crates full of finely crafted katana were brought in too, all on the back of ox-drawn wagons,den with the goods.

    He and Jikouji had watched them unloading with wonder.

    "You would think he¡¯s drafting an entire army..."

    Jikouji had muttered. Nakatane was of the same opinion. Such a variety of weapons was unusual, especially in those quantities, and certainly more so because they were ordered by the leader of a mere 50 men.

    ...

    ...

    "It will be our final training session tomorrow, Togashi-kun."

    Gengyo remarked, as they shared their evening meal on the small table in the reception room.

    "Do you think we are ready?"

    The man asked. He had been filling out a good deal over thest few days, as his body remembered the size it was ustomed to. With his long hair and beard, he was gradually growing into a rather fearsome sight.

    "I wonder. We¡¯re certainly not where I would like us to be... But I will do some final tests tomorrow, and we¡¯ll see what happens."

    He said, spooning some rice into his mouth as he chewed in thought.

    "Will we be sparring again tonight, Miura-san?"

    For thest few nights, Gengyo had dedicated a few hours to training in his weaponry. He spent around an hour sparring with Togashi with both the sword and spear, whilst he spent the rest of the time contemting and evaluating his own styles in both martial artforms.

    "Yes, I would like to."

    "Very good. You¡¯ve been improving quickly."

    There was, of course, one reason why he had chosen Togashi as a sparring partner ¨C the man¡¯s skill with the sword was terrifying. Even with the spear it would be difficult to find his match. And above all ¨C unlike Jikouji ¨C he had been more than willing to help him train, as it also benefitted himself. With all the time spent in Toda¡¯s dungeon, he felt his skills had gone rusty.

    With each bit of his old skill that he gained back, Gengyo improved to match it. That is why those words he had just spoken were not empty in the least. He truly thought that the young man¡¯s rate of improvement was impressive.

    More than that though, he admired his dedication. As he went about his own business in the evenings, he caught sight of his new boss drenched in sweat, repeating the same strike for the thousandth time. Othertimes he caught him leaning on his spear, his eyes zed over, deep in thought. At times he did not see him move even for 30 minutes.

    He did not rest evente into the night, reading his strategical strolls by the candlelight, after he had finished conversing with the youngdy who often came to visit.

    He felt rather baffled at such discipline, especially in one so young. It caused him to reflect on what had been said to those days before.

    "I¡¯m a peasant too."

    ¡¯Could he really be?¡¯

    He thought to himself. In the face of such dedication and aptitude for improvement, even a samurai would have to bow low. Togashi himself almost wished to bow low. The mental fortitude was uncanny, and it rubbed off on himself, so that even when he wished to be resting, he found that he could not. Instead, he would take a step outside, and hone his swordsmanship even further.

    He knew he was not the only one who admired their young leader. The other men ¨C the veteran¡¯s of the unit ¨C looked toward him with a great amount of respect, andradery. It was of such a degree that he himself could not understand it. He could only assume that it was due to fighting alongside him in battle ¨C for he had heard of the young man¡¯s feats. The newer men saw it too, and were rather nervous about it. They were unable to put a foot wrong, for they knew the older members would not forgive them.

    That being said, when it came to training, he was a different man altogether. A ruthless demon that sought only progress. And progress was what he got. No matter how hard he had to push them, he would always force them to progress.

    ...

    ...

    And so thest training sessionmenced.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    We¡¯re nearing the battle with the Oda rather quickly c:

 Chapter 71 - The Final Training Session

    They had set up their training camp a mile and a half outside of vige. In it was virtually everything they needed. There were ten static archery targets, ten osciting archery targets, and rows of straw dummies for practice in hand to handbat.

    Lines were drawn indicating the various shooting ranges.

    "FIRE!"

    He called out, and twenty men released their arrows, and twenty arrows punctured their targets on both the osciting ones and the static ones. The range was 75 paces, and such uracy could be judged to be good. But that was far from the case for theirmander.

    The rest of the men cycled through their shots, only one man missing at that range. And then they moved to the 150-pace range. Even for Gengyo, at first, this had proved to be challenging.

    "FIRE!"

    But now, as the arrowsnded, there were very few that missed. After each man took his shot, the uracy could be judged to be above 90%. It was far under what he hoped for them to achieve, but in the time period they had, he judged it to be passable.

    "TRANSITION TO PIKE FORMATION!"

    He barked, as they stood in a t line, each holding their bows, with their long yari at their feet.

    "YAH!"

    They let out a collective cry as they uniformly cast aside their bows, and assumed a ready position with their long yari in hands.

    He nodded with approval. A mere few days prior, such an order had caused chaos, with each man out of step with the other. Now was a great improvement, and it was far faster. With the cement of their yari at their feet during bow formation, they were able to switch between the two weapons fluidly, and with precision.

    It was an idea that he had gleaned from reading one of the old scrolls that Nakatane had delivered to him, but he had developed it further. A truly adaptive unit that could tackle any opponent. With their uracy, they would crush the enemy from a distance, and with their strength, they would tear him apart should hee closer.

    "YARI WALL!"

    He called to them to assume a defensive position, in which their pikes extended outwards, ready to crush any cavalry or foot units that would dare to charge toward their sharpened steel points. It was simple, but effective.

    "YAH!"

    They readied themselves within a fraction of a second, calling out boldly as they did so. Their faces were firm, and their stances were tense. Their feet were locked solidly into the floor. It would be difficult to move them.

    ¡¯Good.¡¯

    He thought as he evaluated them. But this was the bare minimum he expected.

    "BREAK THE ENEMY LINE!"

    He cast his arm downwards, signalling for them to charge, and with a roar, they began forwards at a good speed. Their pace was not terrifying fast, but it could not be. What mattered was that they ran in time with one another, so they hit the enemy line as one.

    They did as was expected of them, holding their heavy yari straight and with stability as they ran forward. The army of straw dummies were obliterated, each receiving a spear through their chest.

    Once they broke the line with their spears, they cast them aside and drew their swords. It was as they were trained to do, and they executed it perfectly. He could not fault them in the least. Most soldiers would hold onto their yari, even when at close range. But such weapons were unwieldy, and only good until the gap had been breached. Once they were at close range, a sword unit would tear a yari unit to pieces.

    The straw soldiers were left ravaged, with pieces lying everywhere as the men merciless cut apart their straw bodies.

    Gengyo pped loudly.

    "Very good."

    The men were of the same opinion.

    "YEAH!!! WE DID IT!"

    Rokkaku roared, immensely satisfied. It was a procedure that they had spent many days perfecting, and each time at the end their leader would shake his head and speak the dreaded words: "not good enough." They were words that built up a good deal of frustration, and now, on this final day, they had finally mastered the tactics that he had masterminded.

    In theirpleted form, each man was well aware of the strength. The fluidity of their changes was terrifying, and their arsenal was at least three timesrger than that of another unit. They had many more cards to y, and they were able to y them effectively.

    Anothermander might look upon Gengyo¡¯s ill-treatment of the weapons with distaste, saying that they should not be treated so harshly, or cast aside at all, for they were worth a good amount of coin. But it was not a sentiment the young man shared. The value was in the man himself. Once the battle began, it did not matter where his weapons were broken or ruined by the end, all that mattered was victory.

    But there was a reason why there were not more units like their Special Forces unit ¨C ones that were able to fight with three different weapons depending on what situation they were presented with. And that reason was simple: the burden of carrying such equipment was too immense.

    That was why the pikes were left at their feet, and the bows were cast away once they switched to another weapon. It was too impractical to do anything else.

    "Alright fes, prepare for the final test."

    A collective groan went around as they knew what was up ahead. Each man collected his yari, and they collected their bows. They also each fetched a tunic that was weighed down to simte the approximate weight of their armour.

    All in all, it was a rather heavy affair, especially when you were facing the distance that they were.

    There was no need for any words or introductions, and once everyone had their equipment on ¨C Gengyo included ¨C he lead them at a run away from their camp.

    They ran through the forest, and up over many hills along the forested path, holding their bow in one hand, and their pike in the other. It was an acquired skill holding the spear point so that it did not bounce off the ground, but one that they had learned quickly.

    This training run had been done by them every day, and every day the distance was the same: 9 miles. It was the most important attribute of their unit that everything else hinged upon: endurance.

    On the first day, they had run the distance with a series of breaks, 3 in total. It would have been too much to ask them to run the entire thing straight away.

    It must be understood that this run was different from the 30 mile march that they had endured ining home. In that march, it was a mixture of both running and walking, allowing the different muscles required for each to rx as they performed the other. And also, during that, they had not been carrying such a weight.

    Today was the first day where they had faced the 9 mile run without the prospect of a single break, and each man began it with a deal of apprehension, unsure as to whether they truly would be able to run it.

    Even Gengyo feared it a little. He knew that this kind of progress was truly pushing the limits of what was physically possible, but he had a firm belief that inpleting it, that their growth would be all the better. He wanted to give his new unit the best foundation possible for the uing battles.

    Theypleted the first three miles without too much of a sweat, surprising themselves. On the first day ¨C each of them remembered ¨C that they had almost copsed, but it seemed their body was gradually growing conditioned.

    Around the fifth mile, the pain started to set in, and they began to doubt themselves further, wondering whether they should not just stop now, and then try to catch upter?

    But not a single man did, and they all pushed through until the eighth mile. They were barely standing at this point, and their breathing wasboured. It took a great deal of mental strength to simply take the next step. Their bodies screamed at them to stop. But not a single man wished to be the first to quit. They didn¡¯t want to be the ones to hold their unit back.

    Neither did Gengyo. The thought of quitting did not even cross his mind. The only thing he was concerned with was finishing, and how long it might take for that to happen.

    They exited the trees, and each of them knew this to be thest half a mile. Their minds felt a deal refreshed as they forced themselves to run thest small amount. Their digestive systems even started to grow angry at them at this point, iming there was no more energy to be found. It was not a few men that felt their bowels growing loose, wondering whether they might end up covered in their own faeces.

    But they managed it. Every single one of them. Gengyo could barely remain standing as he finished first, but he forced himself to, so that he could congratte all those that came after him.

    Kitajo was a fast second. He could have easily taken the lead, but he knew that it was important to allow Gengyo to remain in front.

    His leader congratted him with a solid pat on his shoulder, as he did with the rest of them.

    They copsed to the floor in disbelief, so d that it was over. But more than that, they each felt great pride, for they had not given up. What they had deemed impossible a few days ago, had now been made possible, and it was all thanks to the harsh leadership of that young boy in front of them.

    Grins went round as they truly began to feel the progress. It was phenomenal. Immense. The new recruits began to get a taste for why Gengyo was so revered by those that had fought alongside him. He pushed his men to aplish the impossible, and that they did.

    The afternoon, as always, was spent sparring. It was the part they had learned to look forward to. In the past, it was simply another part of training, but with the harshness of the morning routines, they felt as though it was a reward, and some even went home to study the sword more, so that they could best their partners.

    Because of this training, not a single one of them felt apprehensive about the battle ahead. Not only did they not feel apprehensive ¨C they felt excited. For what other men could have undergone training harsher than theirs? What army could deal with their advanced tactics?

    They had joined for the coin, but now they had something more to work toward, a different meaning, and they imagined that meaning would be found upon the battlefield, just as the veteran¡¯s before them had found it

    And so the Special Forces unit concluded it¡¯s final training session before the Imagawa invasion of Mikawa.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading c: Since we absolutely crushed our powerstones goal of 600, I¡¯ll release 3 chapters today

 Chapter 72 - The March

    They were awoken early - a little before dawn. The march to Washizu was a long one, but travelling great distances was not something they were unused to and so none of the Special Forces unitined.

    He had spent the previous evening saying his farewells to Akiko, and to Rin, and to his mother ¨C who had awoken a few days prior. Their parting was not as sad as it might have been, for each of them held a degree of faith in the young man.

    As a retainer, Gengyo was allowed to ride. He did so just behind the carts drawn by the oxen which held their supplies. He shared idle conversation with the men as they watched the sune up, and stifled yawns. They were in good spirits, and were eager to do battle.

    It was an interesting contrast from the main unit, who were made up of the guards and peasants who had survived the battle with the mercenaries, and all the new members that had joined them. The veteran men did not look too out of sorts, but the new members beside them were quiet. Far too quiet. Inside their chests burned the first embers of a smoky fear that would threaten to suffocate them.

    He took note of their behaviour, as did Nakatane, both thinking the same thought.

    ¡¯They must be blooded, and quickly.¡¯

    If they did not receive anybat experience before one of therger battles that were bound to happen, then they would simply flee, the stresses would be far too much for them.

    Nakatane dropped back to trot alongside him.

    "Still hold the same opinion about our war with the Oda?"

    He asked, recalling the boy¡¯s less than optimistic response when they had first met.

    "Mm... I have faith in my men."

    He said carefully, not willing to say anything otherwise. They were about to serve under a man who ¨C historically speaking ¨C had lost a battle in which he held the absolute advantage. He had 25,000 men, and was beaten by a mere 2500. He did not hold much faith in the man¡¯s leadership.

    But for now, he was calm, and would go along with the flow of history.

    "What a boring answer. I, myself, am looking forward to it. It will be nice to go on the warpath without having to worry about defending ourselves."

    "It will certainly make a change. And this time the odds are not stacked so highly against us."

    He had other thoughts on his mind, however. He knew Imagawa¡¯s true ambition as he set out on this march. His target was the capital: Kyoto. With his 25,000 men, he nned to plough through all the provinces that stood in his way.

    Oh, how he would havemented if he had been told he would fail at the very first hurdle, and to a mere 2500 men.

    Their forces had been divided up into two armies, roughly equal in size. The first army, would be led by Imagawa himself, and their target was the border fortress of Washizu. Whilst the second was led by one of his retainers: Matsudaira Motoyasu.

    "That¡¯s right, eh. I¡¯m keen to see how your unit will perform. How were you training them?"

    "Mainly in endurance. I do not wish for them to tire in battle."

    He responded evenly, not giving too much away. He wished to surprise Nakatane, so that he might enjoy the experience more fully.

    On the road they met with other samurai from other viges. They brought men either equal or superior to theirs in number. Thendholder samurai from the various viges were polite enough, and came to see Nakatane to pay their respects, as he did with them in turn.

    But those fromrger establishments, and bigger and more well-known families were less liable to even look in their direction. They had hundreds of samurai under theirmand ¨C it was a rank they cared not for.

    Such people were breeds apart from the likes of Nakatane, andmanded thousands of men under them, making up the bulk of Imagawa¡¯s forces.

    Gengyo paid attention to their various banners, recording the faces of their leaders, and the names that went with their crest.

    It was a while on the road before they finally caught sight of the Imagawa himself. Or at least, of his camp. The Daimyo seemed to be resting his feet inside the huge tent that had been pitched for him.

    His tent was surrounded by hundreds of other smaller ones, looking more like a small town than an encampment. Soldier¡¯s sat enjoying food by a fire, trying to stay out of reach of nagging flies.

    A bald emissary came to greet them, informing them that they too should construct their tents and rx. Imagawa would want to see themter in the evening.

    They did as they would told, but came away feeling a little unimpressed. It was Imagawa who had called them to arms. Could he note and greet them himself?

    The tents were pitched quickly, and they sat around the fire enjoying the first meal of that day, greedily filling their empty stomachs. It had not taken them as long as they had expected to get to this point, but the reason for that seemed to lie in the fact that they were not actually at Washizu. Instead, they were camped a few miles away, at a point where the fortress was only barely visible on the horizon.

    Gengyo nced around their vast encampment.

    ¡¯If they were to lead a single army ¨C even just 2000 in number ¨C then they wouldpletely eradicate us... There are no defences in ce. None whatsoever.¡¯

    He harboured a preconceived opinion of Imagawa, despite having not met the man, and everything thus far pointed to that opinion being justified.

    He kept himself on his guard. He did not trust the man to lead them correctly. He did not want his men to suffer because of someone else¡¯s faults. Even though the siege of the first two fortresses ¨C historically speaking ¨C was meant to go their way... he dared not leave their fate in his hands.

    He sat on a log by the fire as the men pitched the tents around them. Nakatane sat next to him, whilst Jikouji was busy organising the unloading of supplies.

    "What¡¯s that brooding look for?"

    He older man asked him, wondering why his Special Force¡¯s unitmander was so quiet.

    Gengyo looked back at him, unsmiling, his eyes serious.

    "Even though he is our Daimyo, we must take caution. I fear he does not care as much for our lives as he does his own."

    Nakatane raised his eyebrows, responding casually as though such a notion was self-evident.

    "Of course,d. We just follow the orders we¡¯re given and try not to die in the process."

    "I guess so... This meeting that you¡¯re going toter, what will it be like?"

    "It¡¯ll just be the bigshots pretending to discuss ns, though everything is decided already. The only purpose in me going is to find out what our role in the siege will be."

    He looked bored simply talking about it.

    Gengyo nodded his understanding, as he shifted around to watch his men at work.

    Morohira was scolding Rokkaku for not holding the tent tightly enough whilst he hammered the pegs into the ground.

    Kitajo was sharing a lively conversation with one of the newer members ¨C someone only a little older than him ¨C as they handed down supplies from the cart.

    Each of the Special Forces members were lively and animated, despite their underwhelming reception. They trusted that in the battles ahead, they would have their moment. They would be able to make everyone look their way, and wish that they had paid them more attention from the start.

    From their high spirits, he himself drew strength. Even if theirmanding general was ipetent, it was possible for them to perform well. He reaffirmed his resolve: this first battle would be theirs. And with that simple promise to himself, no longer did he feel the lethargy that came with anticipating ipetence. Instead, he felt fired up, as he nned numerous strategies within his head.

    When Nakatane slipped awayter that evening, he barely noticed him leaving, having been so caught up in idle conversation with his men, as they sat by the fire and shared a meal.

    The meeting seemed to span a rather long time, and must have been even longer for the master, and when he returned he looked bored beyond belief, and immensely tired, but before he retired to get some sleep, he came over to make an announcement.

    "We fight tomorrow."

    He said simply, and quietly, but his words reached all their ears for they were listening intently. The Special Forces unit responded with energized cheers, excited to have their chance presented to them already. The main unit, on the other hand, looked more than a little apprehensive. Their faces were white, and some were downright terrified.

    He held a hand up for quiet, and there was soon silence once more.

    "It¡¯s said that Washizu has 300 men defending it, so Imagawa is sending 1000 men to attack it ¨C we¡¯re part of that number. The attackers seem to be mainlyposed of us smaller units thate from viges."

    Gengyo stroked his chin, processing such information. Realistically, they could send all 12000 men to attack at once, and bombard the enemy with wave after wave of arrows. But it seemed he wished to keep his main forces fresh forter battles, perhaps believing those units to be superior.

    Still, he would notin too heavily as such an opportunity was perfect for his men.

    "Who will be leading?"

    He asked.

    "Okabe Motonobu ¨C one of Imagawa¡¯s senior retainers."

    The name was familiar to him, but he did not know much about the man, aside from what Nakatane had already mentioned. He just hoped that he would not be too restrictive in hismand.

    Seeing that there were no more questions to be had, their master bid them a good night, and turned toward his tent, Jikouji followed toward his own a momentter.

    "Alright fes, we better go get some sleep as well. It¡¯ll be our first battle tomorrow ¨C don¡¯t want you falling asleep on the job."

    "We¡¯re back! Back to kick some asses again! I¡¯m reckoning that it¡¯ll only take one battle, and all of Japan will know our names!"

    Rokkaku said, all but shaking with excitement. He was like a child on Christmas eve, albeit a slightly murderous child.

    "One battle? You¡¯re a bit optimistic..."

    Niiromented dryly, spooning thest of his rice in his mouth before stretching slightly.

    "We¡¯ll aim for it."

    Gengyo proposed.

    "We¡¯ll aim to be the ones to take theirmander¡¯s head. It¡¯s doable."

    "HOH!? REALLY? HELL YEAH!"

    Rokkaku shouted, even more pumped up than before.

    Morohira was grinning maniacally as well, already iming themander¡¯s life as his own.

    Their young leader smiled at their enthusiasm, feeling rather excited himself. He¡¯d put in a good amount of work into the preparation for these battles ¨C he would not allow it to go to waste. With a clenched fist, and his blood on fire, he retired for the evening.

    It turned out to be a mistake, as he tossed and turned his mind full of thoughts as battle, and as he heard the warhorn summoning them to awake from their slumber, he had barely slept a wink.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Hope you enjoyed, one more chapter toe!

 Chapter 73 - A Different Approach

    Their short march toward Washizu began at dawn, and ended rather quickly. They marched behind ten white horses, each holding a mounted rider. Gengyo guessed that the middlemost man ¨C who wore armour of a different colour to the rest ¨C was Okabe Motonobu. The men around him each wore green armour, whilst his was almost yellow.

    In the armour department, his men¡¯s armour was not far below theirs. They marched proudly in their new garb, each of them armoured like a samurai might be ¨C aside from theirck of a men-yoroi. Nakatane had watched them appear in the morning with great surprise. Such quality armour was expensive. Highly expensive. Yet the youngd ¨C merely with the coin he was given ¨C had managed to find enough to arm his entire unit.

    The effect it had on their morale was tremendous. Each of them wore a full set of the ckest armour imaginable. For it to gain such a deep shade of ck, it must have been left to soak in the dye for days.

    It gave them an almost supernatural quality as they walked, for such a mass of ck felt suspect to the eyes.

    Their leader was dressed identically to they, not caring about standing out.

    The peasants from other viges eyed them enviously, thinking that they were an entire unitposed of samurai. It was rare too ¨C they thought ¨C to see so many samurai who had dedicated themselves to the art of the bow.

    For that was how they were kitted today ¨C a bow in their hand and a sword at their waists. The yari had been left behind for it would be of no use in a siege battle.

    As they drew closer, Washizu grew everrger. It was not granted the title of ¡¯fortress¡¯ for nothing. Within its high walls was basically a small town, alongside towering structures, with wooden foundations and white-washed walls and fabulously curved tile rooves. The tallest building stood in the centre, and was at least six stories high ¨C an immense architectural feat.

    But what bothered them now was not the wonderful architecture of the innermost buildings, it was the almost unconquerably high walls before them.

    They paused only just outside of arrow range. The three hundred defenders stood ready inside, each gripping a bow, and looking down on them angrily, daring them toe even a little bit closer.

    There was only a single weak point within the castle¡¯s defences. The defences offered a wall for the archers to stand behind, with only a narrow slit present for their bows. This allowed them to win almost any ranged battle. And the high walls made it almost impossible for them to be scaled without the aid of adder, yet whilst climbing you were the most vulnerable person on the battlefield, and the chances of you making it to the top were very slim.

    This single weak point was the castles gates. If they could be burned off, using arrowsden with oil sacks and then fire arrows after them, then it would be easy enough. They would be able to take advantage of their numbers, and destroy the forces inside.

    But that was when theirmander spoke for the first time.

    "I have a single order: capture this fortress without burning the gates, or harming the structure in any way. We will have use of itter."

    No one dared to talk back, but it was a rather shocking revtion. The only other paths open to them were routes that were outright suicide. A frontal assault, or exchanging fire with the archers who held such an absolute advantage that it might be impossible to hit any of them at all.

    But the day was so pleasant. The light breeze tickled the grass beneath their feet, and gently swayed the foliage above their heads. So now, as they stood on the edge of the forest, it was impossible for Gengyo to feel angered.

    Even if theirmander did not give care for their lives, it did not mean that they had to walk a path straight into hell.

    "Each household will receive twodders ¨C put them to good use."

    He said coldly, as his men passed amongst their ranks deliveringdders. The young man looked upon the flimsy wooden object with disgust. Getting them in range of the walls would be a task in itself, yet actually daring to climb such a poorly made device was liable to get them killed not from an arrow, but by the harsh hands of gravity.

    A certain samuraindowner, who had named himself Itou, nced in their direction pompously, retrieving hisdder as though it was a gift from the Daimyo himself.

    "...Don¡¯t get beaten by that."

    Nakatane whispered, cing his hopes at securing victory in Gengyo.

    "I won¡¯t."

    Gengyo assured him. The likes of those who dared to raise their head in arrogance because of some imagined difference between them... Those kind of men would never have enough brain power to spare to make a significant contribution to anything.

    This eager man gave an order to his men, intent on securing good favour by being the first to set foot on the field of battle.

    "Forwards men! Bow ashigaru, bows at the ready!"

    He had his men march swiftly forward firing as they went. A few arrows hit them in return, and a couple of his men fell, but it was not enough to even make him flinch.

    Feeling pressured by the man¡¯s eagerness, the other leader¡¯s urged their men forward, aiming to attack the same part of the wall as Itou. With their numbers, a concentrated attack was sure to lead to victory. There would be casualties ¨C of course there would. But victory would be theirs in the end.

    Okabe nced at their battlingzily, shaking his head.

    ¡¯This is why Imagawa refuses to take you small samuraindowners seriously.¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he nced back to see if all the men had left.

    "Oh."

    He muttered under his breath, slightly surprised. He thought there was one more unit still left to leave, but he appeared to have imagined it, and with a shrug he turned back to watch the disys of battle

    "Where are we heading to?"

    Nakatane asked, a little breathlessly as they sprinted through the forest, intent on getting out of sight as quickly as possible.

    As the rest of the men were focused on the battle to the front, Gengyo had ordered them to discretely enter the forest. The other samurai lords concentrating all their resources in one ce was beneficial to them, as the defenders would respond by doing the same.

    "We look for the right ce to get inside."

    The fortress was surrounded by a dense forest that was difficult to navigate because of its bracken, but it offered the perfect cover for their movements. The adrenaline was already pumping in the veins of those that followed behind, as they knew what they were doing to be against the protocol.

    They had disposed of thedders quickly. Such things were c.u.mbersome when running through the trees, and likely would be of little use when they actually attempted to scale the walls.

    The Special Forces unit grinned fearlessly, such a run being easy on their systems which had been tempered to deal with far harsher demands. The main unit, on the other hand, weregging, and as breathless as their leader. But it mattered not. They did not slow their pace to amodate.

    The towering cemented walls were surrounded by a few hundred metres of grassy ins where the trees had been cut back to prevent any attackers from using them to climb over the walls.

    But the walls were notpletely straight, they were slightly inclined, so that climbing them was still possible, but immensely difficult.

    Gengyo led the way through the forest, using his sword to hack at any branches in their way, so that the path for those behind them might be a bit easier. Very few would approve of his misuse of the weapon, fearing that it would dull the de. But it mattered not to him.

    They sshed through streams, not caring as the water soaked the tabi.

    Even as they ran, an eye was always kept on the structure beside them, searching for any weaknesses, and looking for the opportune ce to attack.

    By now, they were a good distance away from the rest of the army, and not a single man was looking their way. Not that they could see them even if they did.

    The main unit was gging ever more,pletely breathless. Moments like those made Gengyo immensely grateful that he had given endurance the attention it deserved.

    Eventually, they stopped, much to the relief of the main unit. Gengyo spied a position where the rear gate was located. The walls were high ¨C a good 15 metres. But the holes where the cement had crumbled away meant there was enough space for finger holds.

    Nakatane came by his side, huffing and puffing. Jikouji was nearer to the rear, as a warning to any of those new recruits that had second thoughts and wished to try running.

    "Is this it?"

    He asked, a little unimpressed. If anything, the walls were higher than the point where the bulk of the army was attacking. He thought thed was aiming for a point that was easier to scale.

    "It is."

    His mind was still awhirl with thoughts, so he did not borate further upon why he had chosen here, and instead he looked toward his men.

    "Which of you has the best eyesight at a distance?"

    He was looking more toward Kitajo, as something told him the boy was amongst some of the more eagle-eyed.

    "I¡¯m pretty confident about that."

    A man stuck his hand in the air, a grin confident grin on his face. He was one of the newer recruits, and was around his mid twenties in age.

    "Asano? Alright. Come and stand beside me, tell me how many men there are watching on that wall?"

    Asano walked over confidently, squinting his eyes as he searched for any signs of life.

    "Three, I¡¯d reckon."

    "Three?"

    Gengyo repeated, impressed. He had not been able to see any.

    "Aye. Three. They don¡¯t seem to be looking much over here though ¨C they¡¯re more focused on the battle over there."

    "Hoh..."

    That was the clincher. It was good to know where the men were, and how many they were, but if they were unable to take them out, then that information was useless. They were a good 500 hundred metres away from the walls, and the forest would run out in another hundred metres, meaning they would have to cross through at least 300 metres of long grass without being seen before they even had a chance of making a killing shot.

    It was a conundrum and one where each solution would still be them taking an immense risk.

    There were very few men stationed on the walls. About 1 for every 2 hundred metres of wall or so - the rest had been posted to deal with the bulk of attack a few kilometres away. If they could take out the three men that had a view of their approach, then the rest of the n would function smoothly.

    "Grass..."

    Gengyo muttered under his breath, staring a clump of the thick green leafy nt by his feet.

    "What are you thinkingd?"

    Nakatane asked, observing the expression he was wearing.

    "This: we harvest some grass, and be one with the ins."

    He said, a little unclearly, too caught up in his idea to exin itpletely.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading everyone! That¡¯s thest chapter for today, I hope you enjoyed the bulk release.

 Chapter 74 - A Cunning Plan

    "Men!"

    He called out, grabbing the attention his unit, and that of the main. The confidence with which he called out to them made them listen, even if they were not from his unit. And still, each of them had a degree of familiarity with this man, and knew he was not to be taken lightly.

    "Grass. I want you to pick bundles of grass. Grab it as low down on the stem as you can, and put it in a pile over here."

    He leant down to demonstrate what he meant, picking up a thick wad of the long grass, and cing it in a pile.

    The men looked at him as though he had gone mad. They were on a battlefield. What use could a simple nt serve? Was he merely killing time whilst he thought of a n?

    But Masaatsu took a knee, and started to pick the grass as he was ordered. Kitajo followed a momentter. Very soon the whole Special Forces unit were doing as theymanded, knowing their leader to be a man ofpetence.

    With a disbelieving nce toward each other, and after staring at Nakatane, only to be greeted by a look of ferocity that asked: "why haven¡¯t you begun moving yet?", they soon joined in.

    Gengyo, joined them too, and the pile of grass quickly became rather substational.

    ¡¯That¡¯s likely enough...¡¯

    He mused, conveying his thoughts to the men, who stopped and waited eagerly, keen to see what he would do with it.

    He nced amongst his men, wondering who should be chosen for the task he had. It needed to be a man of patience. Someone who was able to move slowly, and carefully, despite the pressure.

    "Niiro... Kitajo... Masaatsu. Come over here, I want to try something out."

    He selected them quickly. Kitajo might have been an odd choice because of that anxious nature he had, but he was quickly proving himself to be reliable, and Gengyo needed a man that would not miss his shot.

    Niiro wandered over, reaching Gengyo first.

    "Stay still."

    He said, as he lifted the old man¡¯s arm and began inserting grass into the various joints of his armour. It was a tight fit, and the grass did not fall out. Very quickly, the old man¡¯s arm was a limb made of pure grass, and the young leader¡¯s intentions became clear.

    "Brilliant... This is brilliant."

    Nakatane praised, a devilish grin spreading across his face. If a soldier¡¯s entire body was covered with that grass, and he kept his head down, he would be able to make it to the wall with ease.

    Even Jikouji abandoned his post by the rear to admire the handy work, shaking his head at theds cunning.

    "You see what I¡¯m going for, then? The rest of you,e over and help Masaatsu and Kitajo get their camouge too, and then we can get this show on the road."

    His inspiration was of course taken from the modern ghillie suit used by the armed forces. And if anything, this looked even more like the real thing, as the grass they used was freshly picked, and still retained it¡¯s colour.

    By the time they were finished, there were three ¨C vaguely human shaped ¨C grass monsters standing before them. Grass hung low down from their helmet, shielding their faces, but not impairing their vision too significantly. Their bows had been included amongst the grassy mess, as had two arrows.

    Even the main unit grew a little excited looking at the final product. With this, they reasoned, it would be possible to get close to the wall without anyone even seeing.

    "Good."

    The young man said in approval, as he inspected the front and back to make sure there weren¡¯t any patches left showing.

    "I¡¯m guessing you already know your task, right? But I¡¯ll tell you anyway, just to make sure: Get close enough to the wall to make a killing shot on the three people Asano spied earlier. Take it slow. No need to rush. Just make sure, above everything, that you do not miss."

    "Masaatsu, take the man on the left. Niiro, head for the man in the middle, and Kitajo the man on the end."

    They nodded their understanding, and he motioned for them to begin. They walked quietly toward the edge of the forest, where the foliage grew less thick, before they began to crawl. There was something a little terrifying about seeing them lower themselves to the ground, bing all but invisible.

    Even though they knew what was happening, it still felt odd. It was as though their eyes and brain were out of sync.

    They watched with anticipation as the green masses crawled outwards. At times it was impossible to tell where they were, but the odd bending of a grass stalk - that lookedpletely insiginificant, as though a mouse had trampled it, or the breeze had blown ¨C gave them the chance to follow their progress.

    They kept their cool, and did not try to rush. Even Gengyo¡¯s heart was beating fast watching them go forward anxiously. It only took a single mistake for them to give themselves away. But it was as Asano said, and the attention of the guards was focused on the battle being carried out by the main forces.

    Though even if the guards had been looking straight down, they still would not have seen or felt the deadly forces that were creeping ever closer, intent on iming their lives.

    He saw one of the green masses make the distance, and rise up slightly.

    "My god..."

    He breathed. He had not expected it to work so effectively. Even when they were stood up in a half-crouch, it did not look unnatural in the least. The power of camouge was terrifying, and he made a mental note not to overlook it at any point in the future.

    The only time at which the guards would have been able to notice something was off, was the instant before their deaths, when the bow string was pulled back, and a solitary arrow was revealed.

    But by that point, it was already toote. Three arrows left their bows simultaneously, and as quietly as a leaf falling onto the surface of a pond, three lives were taken, and three bodies slipped to the floor,pletely devoid of notice.

    The three men had executed their roles perfectly, bringing a thrill to battle that was more akin to a chess match. It was beautiful. A beauty he had not realized existed within war, but one he was more than d to discover.

    He smiled widely.

    "Time to move onto the main event."

    Time was precious, and they had to move quickly before the bodies were discovered. They had a clear running for the wall. It was an opportunity that demanded they cease it.

    "Anyone who believes they are capable of climbing the wall, follow me. Niwa-san ¨C wait for the signal!"

    "What signal!?"

    He called out as the young boy rushed on ahead, and did not reply. Hot on his heels was every single member of the Special Forces unit. Though the task was rtively difficult ¨C scaling the towering castle walls with merely their hands ¨C the adrenaline that rushed through their veins begged for them to do something, and so it was an easy choice.

    They did not worry about remaining hidden, as there was no one to see them, the only thing that they had to concern themselves with was speed.

    Seeing them charge over, the three camouged snipers also rushed towards the walls, attempting to get a head start before the rest came.

    It was only when you stood directly under the 15 metre high walls that you could appreciate their magnitude. The incline that they had was precious little, but it would still make the ascent a tad bit easier.

    As they looked up, they could see the small gap in which the enemy archers would shoot. It was only just big enough for them to crawl through.

    Gengyo began his climbing immediately, his fingers finding their way between the bricks, dragging him upward. He had nned his technique beforehand, and once he was there, it was quickly set in motion.

    He worked his way up to halfway, not daring to look down. Heights had always been a weakness of his, but not to the point where he would allow it to limit him. He began to slow as the footholds on the uneven bricks grew fewer. He took his time to pick out a stable position before moving onto the next.

    Those that were unsure how to tackle the obstacle copied their leader, mimicking his technique. They climbed with their bows slung over the shoulder and a quiver of arrows hanging at their belt. It made the going slightly tougher, but it was worthwhile as it gave them more options should their concealment bepromised.

    Morohira quickly ascended till he was level with his son, before rushing on ahead eagerly. They slid through the wooden archers cage andnded heavily on the ground below.

    They spared not a nce for each other, and instead looked around thepound. The ground beneath their feet was pure stone, and there were only two buildings within the vicinity. No civilians were present, as it appears they had already been evacuated.

    Those details were not the ones they searched for however. They looked out for the blue kimono, and brown armour of the defenders, their eyes darting back and forth to make absolutely certain.

    None could be seen, aside from the corpses of those thaty nearby.

    He dared to look downwards, helping the others up. 23 made it up ahead of the rest, seemingly the more skilled climbers. That was the point at which Gengyo chose to move, and by how things went, it was likely not a moment too soon.

    It was only as he tore his eyes from the climbers down below, and looked back toward his intended target, that he noticed a foot step out from the corner of one of the buildings.

    Hezily nced around, before he made eye contact with Gengyo, and with widened eyes he opened to mouth to scream, just before an arrow punctured his throat.

    Lowering his bow, the young man motioned for his men to follow, and with a finger to his lips, he ensured that they would remain quiet.

    Past the first building, and behind the second, there were another three guards looking out onto thend below. They were immediately taken care of. Some even ended up with three arrows in their bodies as men drew their bows and fired at the same time.

    They moved on past that building, ncing down the length of the wall. There were no men in the area ¨C at least for now.

    Their time for true action hade. They moved onwards down the steep slope, and toward the gate. It was barred securely with three beams of strong, green wood. Even if they were to set the gate on fire, it appears it would have taken a while to get through.

    It required ten of them to lift the first beam upon their shoulders, and heft it to the ground.

    As they worked, a few more men made it over the top of the wall, and following the instructions of Masaatsu ¨C who had been posted in case of such an urrence ¨C they soon joined up with the rest of their unit.

    The second beam was then removed, and ced to the floor. Though it almost destroyed their back and hamstrings, they still had to lower it slowly for fear of making too much of a noise.

    And then the third was off, and the gates were left bare. Rokkaku strode forth confidently, flexing his muscles beneath his armour. He was joined by the new recruit who had battled Kitajo ¨C Sasaki.

    And together the two burly men pulled the heavy gates open. The sunlight burst through, as did they. Gengyo shot forward, moving toward where his men were still climbing the wall. He quietly informed them of the gate¡¯s opening, before he turned toward where he knew Nakatane to be.

    He waved his arms high over his head, before he turned his palms inwards, and gestured for them toe towards him. He repeated the motion three times, and waited, his heart beating rapidly.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Nearing the climax. I hope you¡¯re enjoying it so far! Thanks for reading c: This week let¡¯s aim for 1400 powerstones, and then I¡¯ll release 3 chapters on sunday again.

 Chapter 75 - For Victory!

    Momentster Nakatane stuck his head out from the trees, tentatively looking in Gengyo¡¯s direction to make sure that he had interpreted the signal correctly.

    Responding to the unspoken question, the young man repeated the earlier signal, encouraging him. That was more than enough for the older man, and he burst out from the trees, his men shooting out behind him.

    Despite there being no one to see their crossing, they still sprinted with the utmost urgency, quickly arriving by Gengyo¡¯s side, who promptly led them through the gates.

    "By the gods... We¡¯re in!"

    Nakatane whispered, struggling to hold back his excitedugh. It had been too easy. Far too easy.

    Both units reformed on the inside, assuming formation so that they would be ready for battle at any time.

    Adrenaline surged through their veins and their heartbeat thundered in their ears. It was frightening, but so very exciting. Even the newer members were able to appreciate the thrill. Lead by the young man, they had been lifted up into the roles of predators ¨C the top of the food chain, and now they stalked past the buildings, quietly closing the distance between them and the defending army.

    The density of the building cement allowed them to remain far away from prying eyes ¨C though there was still a few guards en route who were swiftly taken care of.

    Their footsteps grew ever quieter as the sounds of battle grew closer ¨C they quickly neared the climax of the hunt.

    With their backs against the side of the colossal administrative building ¨C that sat in the centre of the fortress ¨C Gengyo led them, poking his head out.

    The backs of the defenders were facing toward them, ever so temptingly. They all concentrated on reigning fire down upon the inste attackers who believed they could overpower them simply with brute force. Theirmander ¨C an old samurai wearing the blue garb as his men ¨C stood a few metres back from his troops, out of the reach of any arrows.

    He frantically gave orders for quivers to be refilled, and for oil to be poured, as they rained fire arrows down upon the enemy.

    "Have your bowmen follow me, and prepare your infantry to charge."

    Gengyo whispered to Nakatane who stood anxiously by his side, wondering what the young man was seeing. At his words, the grin of a hungry cat lit his face ¨C the boy had spotted prey!

    The order was passed quietly along the line, as the men awaited the signal. In truth, it could be done at any moment, but something made him pause ¨C instinct it seemed.

    His inclining turned out to be right, as a stray arrow flew high above the defender¡¯s heads, embedding itself into the roof of the grand administrative building with a resounding thud. That was the clincher for the mother bird who resided within the rafters, still holding on in an attempt to protect her young.

    She flew out, cawing angrily, swooping low with her talons bared towards the unmasked face of the defendingmander.

    He flinched upon hearing the caw so close to his ear, as he turned his face to see the exposed w. He shielded his eyes as he swatted it away, cursing the "damned bird".

    In that moment when his attention was distracted, Gengyo moved out from behind the building, his bow drawn. His men followed, and as did the bow ashigaru unit.

    He must have sensed something was wrong, for in the instance before they loosed their fingers from the bowstring, he turned around, noticing them.

    VWOOSH

    And then the volley was fired.

    It was every archer¡¯s dream. A target all but 200 paces away. So big, and so still. Even if they had not trained at that distance, it was almost impossible to miss.

    Many men fell from that single round.

    An arrow embedded itself firmly into the old samurai¡¯s chest. He nced to look down at it with distaste, before drawing his sword and shouting out to his confused men.

    "INTRUDERS! ARM YOURSELVES FOR BATTLE!"

    He bellowed loudly, attempting to rally his troops.

    But it was a lost cause. As per the n, the men of the yari ashigaru unit had finished getting into position, and now they charged, spears held low, ready to skewer the enemy.

    It was the perfect first battle. More lenient circ.u.mstances one would be unable to find. The defenders were in chaos. In their hands, they still held bows, and some had yet to fullyprehend what was going on.

    Even without the experience, they were able to feel what theirmanders felt. The instinct of a wolf who sought to devour its wounded prey.

    "RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

    They screamed manically,mitting themselves fully to the charge.

    They hit, like a second volley of arrows, mming the men up against the very wall they had believed would defend them. Lives were taken in an instant, and multiple injuries were caused. But more than anything, the true chaos of the battlefield was manifest, with all its screaming and noisy shing of des.

    Miraculously, the old samuraimander was still on his feet, struggling to stay the ruthless points of two of Nakatane¡¯s spearmen.

    "SWORD FORMATION ¨C WE¡¯RE JOINING IN ON THE PARTY!"

    Gengyo called out. His men responded instantaneously, it was the instruction they had been waiting for. Without even the slightest hesitation, their bows were cast aside onto the floor, and their swords were drawn, ready to charge.

    The bow ashigaru that stood alongside them look startled at such a sudden transition and struggled to keep up.

    "LET¡¯S SHOW THEM HOW IT¡¯S DONE! CHARGE!"

    He roared, leading the charge, mming across the hard stone cobbles, intent on securing the enemies smooth transition into hell.

    Nakatane ran alongside him, his face wearing an eager smile. It was an absolute ughter. And after their recent hard-fought victory against Toda, such a delicious meal of blood that was so easily delivered was most wee.

    The two men flitted past the spear-wielding troops before them, eager to get in on the chaos, not caring for who their target was.

    There was a man who did not think so freely though. He had one goal from the very beginning. He had imed he would, and by the gods he was keen not to go back on his word.

    "OLDDDDDDDDDD MANNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

    He called from across the battlefield, his blood on fire, eager to take down the biggest target that he had ever faced - amander!

    The old samurai heard his call, casually spitting out a mouthful of blood, as he pulled his sword from the spearman in front of him. He showed not a trace of fear on that worn face of his, epting the challenge wholeheartedly.

    They shed, and two different fighting styles were immediately manifest. Morohira embraced his instincts, preferring a bestial style that insisted on absolute pandemonium. Whereas his opponent had been trained formally, and his movements were crisp and clean.

    But his injury was nagging him. There was no way he could conserve the strength to deal with the viciously powerful strikes that were sending the most intense vibrations down those old arms of his.

    After the third strike that he had blocked, his nerves ignored him, and his contracted muscles loosened, dropping the sword from his grip.

    He watched it fall with a peaceful look in his eye. Holding his head high, without a trace of fear, he embraced his death, and his head was severed from his body in one magnificent sweep.

    "RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    Morohira let out a cry of pure adrenaline upon the sessful hunting of his prey, as he stepped past the corpse and joined the rest in sentencing the few remaining defenders to death.

    Nakatane and Gengyo cleaved their way through the sea of men, each covered in blood ¨C even their teeth were stained with it. Though the thick liquid continued to mount, and threatened to impair their vision, they did not stop swinging, for they were men who though vastly different, still shared their love for a perfect victory.

    Aritada and Yoritomo engaged inbat, wielding a weapon that only a month prior they could only dream of using. They fought back to back, as they always had, not giving a single inch of ground away to the enemy.

    Under Gengyo¡¯s leadership, they had trained with the sword vigorously and had improved vastly, bing a force to be reckoned with.

    Masaatsu drove his sword through the chest of yet another enemy, only to dodge to the side as someone else¡¯s de burst through the body. Their swords were withdrawn, and the body quickly fell to the floor, revealing a bloodied Kitajo, whose face was unusually serious, but instantly broke into a smile as he saw Masaatsu on the other side.

    The yari ashigaru had their fill as well, poking holes in enemies whenever they were given the opportunity. And before long, not a single enemy soldier remained standing.

    FWOOSH

    Gengyo tilted his head lightly to the side as an arrow spun past. It seemed their allied forces were still firing.

    "What¡¯s going on up there?"

    Okabe askedzily, turning to one of his samurai for an exnation.

    The man he had asked instantly went red, for he had been thinking the same thing just a minute before.

    "Er... Forgive me, Okabe-sama... I do not know... Perhaps- er... nevermind."

    He responded,pletely fl.u.s.tered.

    Okabe looked down on him with narrowed eyes, a little disgusted.

    ¡¯This world is full of ipetent men ¨C yes, it is indeed.¡¯

    He thought to himself, turning his eyes back toward the fortress, whose men had ceased returning their fire.

    ncing around the bloodied battlefield, Gengyo saw only two of their own men that had fallen ¨C both yari ashigaru. It was an impable victory.

    He raised his sword upwards.

    "VICTORY GOES TO THE NIWA ARMY!"

    The men reciprocated, raising their weapons high, responding with shouts so loud and fierce that their vocal cords began to feel as though they might tear.

    "AWOOOOOOO!"

    Even Nakatane himself had his sword raised in the air, shouting loud, burning thest of his adrenaline. Jikouji was at it alongside him. Never in their lives did they think the Niwa family name would be the one shouted when victory was imed.

    The proud Oda g pped by the side of the central administrative building, letting everyone know for miles around that this magnificent fortress, that was all but imprable, was the property of the Oda family.

    A young man strode over to it, with an amused smile on his face. He lowered it the ground swiftly, as he pointed to one of the yari ashigaru to fetch him something.

    The man returned with a blue pot of paint that had been lying beside one of the archery targets in the square, evidently left in haste.

    He drew up the brush, and began painting with firm swift strokes like that of a calligrapher.

    Nakatane peered over his shoulder with anticipation.

    Within a moment, the kanji for ¡¯red¡¯ was painted, and a few secondster, the kanji for ¡¯feather¡¯ was drawn alongside it. Together it read...

    "What is that...?"

    Okabe asked again of his retainers. A disturbance had been heard within the fortress ¨C something of a loud shout, and then the Oda g had fallen.

    "It reads... Red Feather..?"

    His retainer whispered alongside him.

    "FOOL!"

    He promptly smacked the man¡¯s bare head for his ipetence.

    "That¡¯s a family name... Now tell me... Who the f.u.c.k is Niwa?"

    //Author¡¯s Note

    So this waste. Reallyte. Sorry. I¡¯ll say it¡¯s been a busy day, which is true, but I could have had this prepared yesterday. Yet I did not, because I only had 3 hours sleep the night previous, and the words would not flow as I wished. Since this is a climactic part, I wanted to put more time into it. Tomorrow¡¯s chapter will be a littlete also, since I¡¯m behind schedule. But I¡¯ll fix that in a couple of days. Thanks for reading everyone! I hope it was worth the wait.

 Chapter 76 - The Niwa Army

    "CEASE YOUR FIRE YOU FOOLS!"

    Okabe shouted angrily, as he galloped towards the army that was still loosing volley after volley of arrow fire, apparently oblivious to their victory.

    They turned to him for an exnation, and seeing the mystified looks on themanders faces he could do nought but curse bitterly under his breath.

    ¡¯Bloody ipetent swines.¡¯

    He massaged his temples with his forefinger and thumb, attempting to keep his cool, and process exactly what had happened. He did not care for the hundreds of looks that were sent his way. They could wait. No - they must wait.

    THUMP

    Across the now silent battlefield, the sound of something heavy falling rang out. He perked his head up, alert.

    THUMP

    Another sound rang out, almost identical to the first. With that second sound he was able to locate the direction from which it came, and he turned his calcting gaze towards it.

    SCROOP

    The heavy wooden gates of the north side of the fortress of Washizu swung open, slowly and deliberately. Such gates had been fortified with bars of iron. It would have been a difficult task to get through them. And yet that task had seemingly beenpleted for them. But by whom?

    Out of the opened gates - which had by now captured the attention of all upon the battlefield - strode three men, swaggering proudly like a trio of east-end gangsters that had even the police under wraps. But they had every right to walk so confidently.

    And behind them, a sea of ck poured out as one great tidal wave, before the light caught them, and men could be identified. The ck was not longer as deep as it seemed, for the men¡¯s armour was stained with a crimson glow, and the spear points behind them were stained with a simr shade of blood.

    Such an image caused them to look back on the three men that led them. And to their surprise, those men were also drenched in the sticky liquid. They pondered on why they did not notice it at first... Perhaps it was because they wore it so naturally, that it did not warrant another look.

    The central man, who wore a set of scarlet red armour, held a head in his hands, grasping it by its hair.

    "Is that..."

    "It can¡¯t be..."

    Themanders whispered amongst themselves, praying that the head he held was not that of the defending general.

    They strode right through the ranks of men, who wore baffled looks on their faces, but instinctively stood aside to allow them to pass. There was an aura about them as they walked - even the simple yari peasantry held it - that was all but untouchable, like the coldest breeze.

    If they had been intent on taking Okabe¡¯s life, then their mission would have been remarkably easy, as they were allowed to walk freely until they were right in front of him.

    Though the three of them bowed low, and the one who was dressed in red offered up the head, Okabe still did not feel much taller than them.

    "Okabe-sama, the defending General¡¯s head. Washizu is yours."

    wless. From start to finish. They had executed the mission delivered to them perfectly, and did not even stumble at the final hurdle: showing respect, and remembering who their superior was.

    A slow pping sound drifted out, as Okabe brought his palms together, shaking his head whilst he wore a slight smile.

    "Excellent. Truly excellent. So you are Niwa, then?"

    He praised, speaking to Nakatane.

    "That is this one¡¯s humble name, my lord."

    He responded tteringly, knowing better than anyone how touchy the nobility were.

    "You have pleased me, Niwa. I expected this siege tost at least a few days, but you handled it in a few mere hours. Yourpetence will, of course, be rewarded. You will receive 300 gold coins for your contribution and- ah. Was it you that cut off this man¡¯s head?"

    "Respectfully lord, it was not I. It was one of the men."

    "I see. That man will also receive 50 coins for his contribution."

    Even Gengyo stiffened a little at the mentioned amount. He could only hope that his father would not be so bold as to waste it on alcohol. But by the gods, it was a reward long overdue. His contributions to the battlefield had been overlooked for too long.

    The young man was not the only one surprised by the amount, as Itou stepped forward, all but choking after hearing how much the man he had looked down on earlier had won.

    "But Okabe-sama! They left the battle and snuck in the-"

    "SILENCE!"

    Okabe thundered, projecting the true bearing of a general, his eyes narrowing as he looked down upon the measly existence of Itou, as though he wished to crush him.

    It took mere fraction a second for the small-timemander to realise the mistake within his outburst, and he dropped to the floor, prostrating himself as he bowed towards the general.

    "FORGIVE THIS ONE¡¯S FOOLISHNESS OKABE-SAMA!"

    The fear was evident within his voice that was only a single octave away from a scream.

    The general sniffed with distaste, before turning his gaze toward the rest of the men who he knew to be dissatisfied.

    "I gave you all the same order. A single, very simple one. Capture Washizu ¨C don¡¯t break the gates. The rest of you demonstrated your worthlessness by charging headfirst into the wall, wasting the lives of your men. It honestly sickened me to the stomach, having to watch your stupidity."

    "But, luckily for the rest of you - as your men would have been wiped out by now ¨C there is a single man among you that has demonstrated his worth, and in the process saved my patience which was beginning to wear thin. He used his brain, and took advantage of your stupidity. He deserves the gold more than any of you. It is more likely that he will know what to do with it."

    "My-"

    Nakatane opened his mouth to protest the extensive praise that was directed his way, but after a single tug on his arm from Gengyo, he turned to see the young boy shaking his head.

    "What is it, Niwa?"

    Okabe asked, noticing the exchange.

    "Ah... My lord, I just wanted to sincerely thank you for your praise."

    He said, a little fl.u.s.tered, having to make something up on the spot.

    He narrowed his eyes, not quite believing him. But eventually, he shrugged his shoulders. Whatever that exchange had been about, it was of no concern to him. He was simply here on the orders of Imagawa, and no doubt the Daimyo would be pleased with such a speedy victory.

    "Very well. We shall head back to camp, and you will receive your rewardster on."

    He turned his horse around without a second word, expecting full obedience, and he was right to. He was a general of the Daimyo¡¯s army. None would dare to refuse hismand.

    As the men moved forward, they began to stand upright, and Nakatane stared at Gengyo with a questioning look on his face.

    "Why did you stop me?"

    "I knew what you were about to say. I don¡¯t need the credit. It¡¯s enough for me that we secured victory."

    "Yes, but still-"

    "No. I am your retainer, Niwa-san. You looked past my peasant status, and gave me this opportunity. What I achieve, are your achievements also, for you¡¯re the one who gave me the power to do this."

    The master let out a sigh.

    "Sometimes I remember that you¡¯re still only eighteen, but you speak as though you¡¯re as old as Jikouji."

    "Older still."

    Jikouji seconded, smiling with approval at the young man¡¯s modesty.

    Amongst the ranks of the Special Forces unit, there was a good deal ofmotion.

    "Bloody hell Morohira! You knew you¡¯d get gold from the start. Damn it! I wish I¡¯d targeted him instead."

    Rokkakumented loudly, his mind filled with dreams of all that he could buy for the absurd price of 50 gold. It had only taken 5 gold pieces to recruit around 35 men... so perhaps 350 men... of his very own. Or even a vi in the middle of the mountains! And a few women to go with it.

    Morohira had his chest puffed out proudly, epting all the praises and curses of his fellow men at arms without a hint of modesty. His oldest son would be embarrassed had he not been used to such disys by his father. So instead, he also felt a degree of pride, for he knew that he would ¨C despite all appearances ¨C use the money to look after his mother.

    Yoritomo and Aritada were conversing excitedly, recalling the variousbinations they had pulled off on the battlefield.

    "Bro! I actually managed the Swallow¡¯s Wingbo on some guy who was swinging at me with this huge ass sword."

    Yoritomo said proudly.

    "Aye, I saw. But the best move was definitely when I took those two guys on at once. Got one right in the knee before I kicked the other in the chest. They were goners after that."

    Niiro and Kitajo smiled silently, listening to the conversations that were going on around them. They were more prone to withdrawing inside themselves than others, and often found that they enjoyed the quiet whilst they were surrounded by a storm. It was a trait the two shared, despite the difference in their age gap, which allowed them to get on rather well.

    If you were to see Kitajo but a month prior, and then look at him now, you would be almost unable to recognize him. Gone was the boy who walked with his head down, and shoulders hunched over, frightened to make eye contact.

    Now he walked proudly ¨C though not quite as proudly as the rest ¨C not looking away too quickly when he made eye contact with another soldier from another unit. His gait was measured and consistent, and in his mind, for one of the first times since he had been born, there was peace.

    There was no voice, criticising him. Instead, there was a peaceful quiet. He felt like a monk standing on top of a mountain.

    Even Masaatsu ¨C who had always been a well-roundedd ¨C was growing as a result of his experiences. No longer was he just a man that looked like he might be a samurai. Instead he was someone who lived the life of a samurai.

    In the face of chaos they had found a man capable of delivering order. And to that man, they pledged their loyalty. Whether they had fought under Gengyo before or not, they all understood that they had found the warm patch of sunlight in an otherwise dark and crowded forest. And by staying with that sunlight, they knew they could grow to reach wonderous heights and experience unbelievable things.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Managed to finish it!! Now I can catch up my on my sleep haha. The busy period of thest few days is over, so I¡¯ll get back to releasing everything on time. Thanks for all your support, and I hope you enjoyed c:

 Chapter 77 - Favourable Results

    The soldiers looked at them strangely as they returned to camp.

    "The siege was meant to take three days... don¡¯t tell me they lost?"

    Was amon whisper that went around. They were men of therger armies, and felt themselves to be above the likes of themon rabble a couple of smallndowner samurai could drum up.

    But then they saw one of Okabe¡¯s personal guard clutching a servered head in one arm, whilst Okabe wore a small smile on that pale face of his, which was a rarity in itself, and certainly not something that would happen should they be defeated.

    But yet the men that railed directly after them looked just like that. As though they had suffered the most miserable defeat of their lives. It was unsettling how many contridictions were present merely within the men¡¯s behaviour, as directly after them, a small group of ck armoured soldiers ¨C with some ashigaru behind them ¨C were conversing andughing loudly, paying no attention to the curious nces that were shot their way.

    Imagawa waddled from his tent ¨C his fat belly jiggling as he did so ¨C wondering what all the fuss was about. He leaned on a tent pole, with an apple sped in his meaty grip, munching away whilst he stared at Okabe with a questioning gaze.

    The guardsmen passed the head back to his lord, who in turn dropped it by Imagawa¡¯s feet. It was less than polite, but seemingly the two men were rtively close, as Imagawa did not even flinch, or take note of theck of respect.

    "And this is?"

    "Themander¡¯s served head."

    Came the pointed response.

    "Ho... Who struck this head from its shoulders?"

    Okabe turned around in his saddle to look toward the men.

    "Well? Who was it? Make yourself known."

    So much encouragement was not required, as Morohira pushed his way through the crowd, still stained in the crusted blood of today¡¯s battles. It was unarguable ¨C even from just a nce ¨C that this man had fought fiercely.

    "Hmm... You¡¯re rather small."

    Hemented idly, still munching on his apple as he looked Morohira up and down. He had to physically restrain himself from bristling. His height was always something that had beenmented on as he grew up, and as an older man. It was part of the reason he hade to love fighting so much in the first ce ¨C so that he could show those taller than him that height means nothing.

    ¡¯If you stand too high for me to reach your throat, then I will sever your hamstring and make you kneel.¡¯

    Was the thought that had always passed through his head.

    "How much did you promise him as a reward, Okabe-kun?"

    He asked idly, licking his fingers as they grew sticky from the apple juice.

    "50 gold coins."

    "50 eh..."

    He wandered back inside his tent, casting his apple core away. It flew across the crowd of gathered soldiers bouncing off the helmet of one of them, whose distaste was evident by his wrinkled brow.

    And then he returned with a huge wooden chest. They only way he was able to carry it was with both arms, pulling it towards him, and even then he was huffing and puffing. He dropped it with a loud bang, before dramatically producing a key a holding it up for all around to see.

    He inserted it and unlocked it in one fluid motion, casting back the lid to reveal that it was full to the brim of gold coins.

    A gasp passed through the crowd, for such an amount of money they had never seen in their lives. At the very least there was 10,000 gold in there.

    He picked up a few coins in his hand and began to count.

    "37... 38... 39..."

    "49...50, and 51, so that none can say the Daimyo is not generous with his troops."

    He said, pettily trying to one-up his general. Okabe did not even flinch at such a notion. He could not care in the least, for it was not his gold.

    "Hold out your hands."

    He ordered, speaking to Morohira. He did not need to be told twice, as he had his hands cupped so tightly that they would have no problem retaining even water.

    And then, he pped 51 gold coins into them, taking pleasure in the expression of glee that Morohira wore upon receiving such an amount of money. It was wondrous to him, that one could be so enticed by coin. But of course, he held no value towards it, as it was something that had always been freely avable to him.

    "Go on now."

    He motioned for Morohira to shoo, before he pped his hands twice and waited.

    Momentster the head-severer was back amongst his unit, and Imagawa was sat down in afortable chair, as his servants worked busily, transferring hot coals from the indoor fire, and loading them with dry wood, so that their Daimyo would not grow cold.

    "Now, Okabe, it seems you have quite the story to tell. It is as of yet not even sundown, and you im to have captured Washizu in that amount of time, how?"

    "Hm... I wonder."

    He stroked the short goatee beard that stuck to the end of his long face, more than taking his time to respond.

    "Well, I suppose I had better leave this task to someone else. All I know is that the Niwa army managed to get inside and y the defenders."

    Imagawa frowned, holding an expression that said it all. By the looks of it, he shared Okabe¡¯s question from earlier that day: "who the f.u.c.k is Niwa?"

    "I see... Niwa, reveal yourself."

    He was not surprised by Okabe¡¯sck of awareness in what had happened during the battle. The two shared the same opinion on the smaller armies of the retainers: they were expendable. It was pointless to spend any effort inmanding them, for it is likely that you would be unable to do so, or their ipetence would get in the way. And so, before the battle, they had reached the consensus that they should be left to do as they please.

    Nakatane nced briefly at Gengyo, wondering whether they really should reveal just how they had gotten inside. But with a nod from the youngd, he was reassured. There was nothing present within the strategy used, or the tactics employed, that would cause them any trouble in the future. It was merely a n made up entirely for the situation they had been facing.

    He took a few tentative steps forward, catching Imagawa¡¯s gaze.

    "Closer man."

    He was made toe closer, until he was standing by the fire, directly opposite Imagawa, sitting under his scrutinising gaze.

    "So you¡¯re Niwa, eh? Mmm, perhaps your face does seem familiar. But s, your name does not. Well, not that any of that matters. Walk me through the actions of your men from the beginning of the battle to the end. Try not to make it too boring."

    "By yourmand, Daimyo-sama."

    He bowed deeply, before recounting their tale.

    "As the othermanders rushed for the wall, we abandoned ourdders and made our way through the forest."

    "Why?"

    It was an odd question, that caused Nakatane to pause slightly, as he was not the one who hade up with the why in the first ce, but he felt he might have guessed the young man¡¯s reasoning.

    "Simply because exchanging arrow fire with men sat inside an archer¡¯s cage is suicide."

    He words, of course, caused a fewmanders to bristle. Both from his words, and from realizing their own stupidity. They had been caught up within the flow of Itou, assuming they had to show a good impression by not showing hesitance in front of the general.

    "Good. Continue."

    "We continued within the forest until the northern wall began to run out, and then we attacked at the corner of the eastern wall."

    "Attacked? How? No man is fool enough to leave any section of his walls unguarded."

    "We took out the three guardsmen that were able to see us by use of the bow."

    "...Unless you have amongst your men some of the best archer¡¯s in all of Japan, then I think it would be impossible to make such a shot from the edge of the forest. I¡¯ve been to the battlefield myself. If such a w was present within their defences, then we would have taken advantage of it from the start. You had better stop leaving information out, otherwise, I might grow cross."

    He bowed low once more.

    "Forgive me, Daimyo-sama."

    It was not that he had intentionally left information out, it was merely that he was wary of Imagawa¡¯s earlier remark: that boring he was something to be avoided.

    "Using the nearby grass, we camouged our men so that they were able to sneak close enough to make the killing shots."

    "Camogue?"

    He frowned as he rolled the word around on his tongue.

    "I see... Continue."

    He had disbelief written all over his face, but did not give voice to it, asking the man to continue.

    "And then, one of our units scaled the walls, and opened the gates from the inside."

    "Mmm, I see where this is going now. It must have been a bloody battle for your men, eh? A brave sort they are. At most you had what, 150 men? Against their 300, brutal. How many did you lose? I¡¯ll make sure topensate you for your losses."

    Nakatane coughed ufortably.

    "Er... 2 men, Daimyo-sama ..."

    His words caused Imagawa¡¯s eyes to all but bulge out of his head, as he chocked on his words.

    "T-two... men?"

    Even Okabe turned around to look at him sharply. He had indeed seen the number in which they emerged with, but he had merely assumed that they had entered with more, possibly 200-250.

    "That¡¯s correct, my lord..."

    He shook his head madly, as if trying to toss the number around enough so that it could find a fit somewhere within his brain.

    "How...?"

    He asked breathlessly.

    "We caught them by surprise... They were not in a fit state to meet us, Daimyo-sama."

    "...Are you telling me, you moved a force of 150 soldiers within the fortress of Washizu, and brought them behind the attack force, all without being seen?"

    He voice was tainted with disbelief. There were guards positioned everywhere. The chance of such a force staying hidden was virtually none ¨C at least, he himself could not see a way in which it had been done.

    Gengyo, on the other hand, was baffled by his disbelief, as were the rest of the men. In the moment, it had been simple. All they did was go slow and shoot anything that moved. It was not exactly the revolutionary strategy Imagawa seemed to be looking for.

    "Yes, my lord."

    He said firmly. There was something about the confidence in which he announced it that caused Imagawa to pause for a moment. They would find out whether what he said was true or notter ¨C when they moved to upy Washizu. But for now, it would not hurt to let him have his glory.

    He massaged his temples vigorously, before reaching a conclusion.

    He dug his hand within the chest of gold, holding arge amount within his palms. He handed it to Niwa rather hastily, apparently keen to let this business rest for now.

    "There are around 300 coins here. No doubt Okabe offered you a simr amount. Your contributions are immense, and I¡¯m sure your fellowmanders are grateful to you, for you saved the lives of many of your men."

    He bowed gratefully, taking that as his signal to leave.

    "Ah, Niwa."

    Nakatane turned around.

    "You havee to my attention."

    Were thest words he spoke, before retiring back inside his tent, as Okabe followed behind him.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    On time today!! Woo!! Hope you enjoyed c:

 Chapter 78 - Celebrations

    It was a night of celebration for the Niwa army as they raised sses in the name of their victory, and toasted for future victories toe. It was inevitable that they got drunk ¨C perhaps too drunk. Even Gengyo took a sip of the liquor as he joined in the festivities.

    "Come ond, let¡¯s have a chat."

    Nakatane steered him towards his tent by his shoulders, as Gengyo insisted that he wasn¡¯t drunk.

    They pushed the p of cloth - that made up the entrance - aside, revealing a table drenched in coin.

    "This is...?"

    Gengyo asked, pointing toward it.

    "Correct. The coin that Imagawa gave us."

    "I counted it, and it came to 323 gold pieces."

    Jikouji added, sitting on a chair by the candlelight in the corner, sipping on a ss full of sake. He wore a contented smile on his face, like a cat that had eaten its fill, and was now bathing in the warm sunlight that flitted through the window.

    "Hoh... a generous amount."

    Hemented.

    "It is. It certainly is."

    Nakatane nodded twice, agreeing wholeheartedly. It was an amount that had fallen into their hands so easily,pared to what they had gleaned from Toda after sacrificing up many lives.

    "But it is not an amount that I can take. Not myself. We would not have had such a victory if it wasn¡¯t for you."

    "Niwa-san... we¡¯ve been through this, I¡¯m your retainer."

    "Exactly. You¡¯re my retainer. And you should be rewarded as such."

    He slid a preallocated amount of coin across the table with his hands, bringing it towards them.

    "150 gold coins."

    "But Niwa-"

    "Take it. If we are to serve together for a long time ¨C as I hope we will ¨C we should do things fairly. You may not think you require a reward now, but in time you would. Take it now, and use it however you wish."

    Gengyo bit his lip. He really disliked the idea of taking money from Nakatane. It was not something he felt he deserved. He wanted to at least repay the debt he owed to the man. But in this matter, he seemingly had no choice, so he took it within his palm, and slipped it into arge leather coin pouch, before burying it firmly within his kimono. He nned on sharing it with the menter, but as of now, they were much too drunk to be trusted with money.

    "Goodd. Now go and enjoy the rest of the celebrations."

    Nakatane looked satisfied as he gestured toward the door, as did Jikouji. It was a relief to them being able to reward the youngd what they thought he deserved. To be right, he deserved even more, but they knew if they gave him more than they took for themselves, then he was have refused even more vehemently.

    Once more the young man rejoined the lively party, that was so loud it threatened to disturb the sleep of the other, less sessful units. But no one dared toe over to chastise them. They were wary of Imagawa¡¯s partingment. No one quite knew where the Niwa army stood in the eyes of the Daimyo, so they proceeded cautiously.

    "Ayyyy! Look who¡¯s back fes!"

    Rokkaku called out, threading his around Gengyo¡¯s shoulders as he called out to the rest of the men, still drinking avidly from the bottle in his hands.

    "Awahhh!!! It¡¯s the boss! Hahaha,e and get more drink Miura-san!"

    Some of the men called in response, their voices attempting to break through the roar of drunken singing as Kitajo yed a drum with an intense look of concentration on his face. He appeared to be more of the brooding drunk type.

    The new recruits were as much a part of the celebrations as the older ones, as the big Sasaki was engaged in a wrestling match with Morohira as the rest bet on the oue with coin flying everywhere. The difference in size between the two was vast, but as Morohira had proved time and time again, his strength was not to be underestimated, and if anything, he was even better unarmed than he was armed, and Sasaki was having a rather hard time.

    Togashi looked to be enjoying himself as well. Gengyo had noted as they had battled, the man had stayed close to him, like some unofficial guard. He was grateful for the loyalty the man demonstrated, but worried that he might be approaching things too seriously, as to make it difficult to fit in with the rest of the men.

    But he needn¡¯t have worried, as he and Niiro were sat on a log together, swaying in time with the song as they sung with all their hearts.

    "There once was a maid from by the gulllllleyyyyy..."

    "Mannnyyyy a man¡¯s heart sheeee did sulllyyyyy..."

    "But whennnn I caught sighhhht of herrrr beinggg bulllieeedddd..."

    "I took the chance toooo proveee I wassss moreeee thannn oneeee bigggg bellieddd mannnn... As I stooodddd besideee herrrr and beatttt themmm bloodddyyy withhhh a pannnn..."

    Gengyo ¨C who was a little less drunk than the rest ¨C watched with great amus.e.m.e.nt what havoc the liquor was causing to their behaviour.

    He caught Masaatsu sitting in between Aritada and Yoritomo, as the three of them argued fiercely ¨C albeit drunkenly ¨C of what sword technique was superior. It was amusing that even when victory had been taken, and though they had been given the chance to rx, the thing still foremost on their minds was the sword. It was rare to find such dedication, and also a little surprising for Gengyo to see his brother so engaged in it. He had not realised he shared the two boy¡¯s fondness for the sword.

    A great bonfire raged in the centre of their circle of partying. It was beautiful to see that even with the liquor running through their veins, the men retained their sense of honour, and there were no serious altercations, only good-natured scuffles. It was a very healthy form of partying, motivated by the need to celebrate, rather than to escape.

    Food was ever-present, as one of the new recruits was taking his job very seriously. In one of the past conversations he had shared with his leader, he had found out that the man was once a chief to one of the samurai households in the area. But had quit, after growing tired of the monotony of the kitchen.

    After quitting he had not lost any of skills, as Gengyo sampled some of the roast chicken that had been left ¨C still hot ¨C on a table, waiting for them to be eaten.

    "Delicious!"

    He shouted, a little influenced by the alcohol.

    "Thanks boss!"

    The man called out in return.

    "Ay! Boss? Wanna wrestle?"

    Rokkaku asked, as he and a group of other¡¯s gathered round their leader to share more food and more liquor. The suggestion was met with numerous roars of approval from the rest of the men, as they called for their leader to demonstrate his skill in the art of unarmedbat.

    "Go on boss! Wrestle!"

    He had initially thought of refusing, not wishing to embarrass himself in front of the men he would lead, but by now the attention of the rest of the unit had been attracted, and even Morohira came over, having won his bout with a now bruised up Sasaki.

    "Go on son! Show them how the Miura¡¯s fight!"

    "FIGHT!"

    Niiro bellowed, extremely drunk, before he had Togashi shared a look and burst outughing.

    The young man raised a hand, as a circle formed around them, with other¡¯s calling for the bout. They had not seen their leader wrestle with anyone. Even duels were a rarity, so they were genuinely excited to see how he would handle the colossal Rokkaku, who only stood slightly smaller than Sasaki.

    "Fine! Rokkaku! LET¡¯S WRESTLE!"

    "WOOOOO! LET¡¯S GET IT!"

    Rokkaku roared, pumped. They all knew their boss to be a brilliant man, but he thought, in this at least, he could best him.

    The rules would be that of sumo, as all wrestling bouts tended to be. If any part of their body ¨C apart from their feet ¨C touched the floor, then it was a point to the opponent. Or if they got pushed outside of the circle, they would also concede a point.

    The two faced off against each other, swaying slightly from the liquor.

    They quickly assumed the grappling position, with their hands on each other¡¯s shoulder¡¯s fighting to get on the outside, so that they could control the movements.

    In raw strength, Rokkaku was years ahead of his young leader, but wrestling ¨C especiallypetitive wrestling ¨C was more a chess match than it was a disy of raw power, more so if your opponent would not allow you to engage in raw power.

    Rokkaku lowered himself, and used his body weight to push the lighter man forward. With his hands still on the tall man¡¯s shoulders, he pulled the left shoulder more towards him, forcing the bigger man to take arger step with his lead leg.

    In that instance, he slipped from his grasp, lowering himself so that he was almost parallel to the floor, and extremely low. With that, he exploded, throwing himself at the knee, ruining his bnce, and sending him crashing to the floor.

    "OHHHHHHHHH! THE BOSS HAS GOT MOVES MAN!"

    Yoritomo shouted above the noise of the cheering crowd. It was a very basic wrestling technique, but the execution was perfect.

    "You slippery bastard!"

    Rokkaku shouted, roaring withughter as hey sprawled out on the floor.

    "But this next point is mine!"

    He went in, feigning that he would resume the grappling position, but instead, he went low, and captured the young man¡¯s legs, leaning backwards and tossing him over shoulder as though he weighed as little as a bag of flour.

    Gengyonded heavily, and the wind was forced out of his lungs. But he also could not help chuckling. It had been a while since he had engaged in wrestling of any sort, and he had forgotten how adrenaline-filled it could be.

    "Good!"

    He shouted, dusting his clothes off.

    "Rokkaku, what points are we aiming for?"

    "Mmm... Best of three! It alles down to this one boss!"

    "I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way."

    They prowled around each other, waiting to counter their opponent¡¯s next move.

    Rokkaku tried again to get in low, but this time Gengyo was prepared for it, and countered by going even lower, as they resumed a grappling position attempting to push each other out of the ring.

    Rokkaku managed to secure the outside position with his arms, but the younger man had let him do so, as he reached for his neck, attempting to control his head. The goal was achieved and he forced the head downwards.

    The bigger man forced his head back up immediately, but in the instance where he had lost sight, the younger man had moved, and gotten extremely low, driving forwards at an impressive speed, and securing both knees with his hands.

    There was no chance of him remaining standing after such an attack to his weak point, and he fell heavily to the floor,ughing all the while.

    "WOHHH!! THE BOSS ACTUALLY WON!"

    The men cheered all the more. Even Rokkaku did. They were not in it simply for the victory, but to enjoy the thrill of the contest. Gengyo raised his hand up, epting the cheers, before he helped Rokkaku to his feet, and raised his hand up as well.

    The cheering increased, as Rokkaku epted his loss withoutint, impressed by the young man¡¯s technique.

    "You¡¯re so slippery, boss! So damn slippery! But good fight!"

    "Aye big man, good fight!"

    He returned the praise, having genuinely enjoyed it. And so that brought an end to the night of celebration for the Niwa army, and they each began to drift towards their tents, catching some sleep in preparation for the next task that was bound toe their way.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    A little more rxed chapter - the men have to have some fun now and then. Hope you enjoyed c:

 Chapter 79 - Tè‰’kaidè‰’ Road

    A couple of days passed, and their forces remained stationary. The men of the Special Forces unit stayed in good spirits, especially after having received 2 gold each from their leader.

    And then two mornings hence, as they sat around the fire, sharing breakfast, and attempting to break free from the morning drowsiness, a messenger rode into camp.

    He rode one stallion ¨C that was breathing mightily ¨C at a borderline gallop, whilst he lead the other by the reigns. Clearly, he had been riding rather hard, which warranted the two horses, so that he could give one a chance to rest whilst he rode the other.

    He jumped down and headed straight for Imagawa¡¯s tent, before kneeling by the entrance, and announcing himself loudly.

    "Marune has fallen! Victory goes to Matsudaira-sama, and to the Imagawa forces!"

    This shout attracted the attention of the majority of the camp, as whispers broke out.

    The p of cloth - that shielded the entrance to Imagawa¡¯s tent ¨C trembled, and the man emerged himself, his teeth sunk firmly into peach as he allowed the sticky juices to run down his many chins, before his tongue chased after them greedily.

    "Mmm, he has? Good. He took longer than he ought to though ¨C we¡¯ve been waiting for days."

    The messenger dared to nce up with a look of curiosity.

    ¡¯Longer than he ought to? Wepleted the siege in a measly 3 days!¡¯

    He thought to himself, but of course, he dared not to voice such opinions to the man himself, lest he wish to have his head rolling.

    "Has he already begun moving toward the Tokaido road?"

    He asked of the messenger, finishing most of the flesh of the peach, before putting therge seed within his mouth so that he might clean off any debris that was still stuck to it.

    "He has, my lord."

    "Mmm, good. You may go now."

    Gengyo watched the exchange with a degree of disapproval. The messenger had clearly ridden throughout the night so that he might deliver the news promptly, but he was immediately dismissed without even the slightest courtesy.

    "Get ready to move. We¡¯ll meet up with Matsudaira along Tokaido road, as nned."

    His words were spread further throughout the camp by his men, who echoed them off precisely as they had initially been spoken. It did not take long for the men to pack away their things, as they had all been expecting this for a while.

    Matsudaira Motoyasu was a member of the Matsudaira n, who were at the time forced retainers of the Imagawa. He and Imagawa did not get on that well ¨C as the Daimyo looked down upon him and upon his n ¨C but he still followed the orders as they were put to him, for he had no other choice.

    The Niwa army began their march toward the Tokaido road in high spirits, feeling well-rested. They were likely the most confident unit in the entire army at that point ¨C which, in itself, was fine, Gengyo decided. He merely had to work to make sure that there was never such a scare that the confidence would start to fade.

    Tokaido road ¨C which was their target destination ¨C was one of five important trade routes in Japan at that time, and thus it was well known and well worn.

    They passed numerous viges on their way. All of which were left empty. But it was not as though they passed the viges without a second thought. By the orders of the Daiymo, each and every settlement was looted, so that they could stock up on supplies for the march ahead.

    Even Washizu was looted as they passed it. The men went inside to inspect the damage, and it was found that Niwa¡¯s words were true. There was a field of dead men, and a flock of carrion birds, but no other men wearing the Niwa uniform ¨C the two fallen had already been taken days before.

    It was odd walking as part of such arge group. When the frontmost man stopped, it took a few minutes longer for the back to begin to stop. As it was the same when the frontmost man began walking again. It was more like how a fluid might behave, than a group of people. Of course, there was no one Gengyo could share this appreciation with, so he did so in silence.

    They walked from dawn till just before sundown, not stopping once. They ate on the move, and drank too. But it was not especially taxing ¨C and certainly not for the Special Forces unit ¨C as they were moving at all but a crawl. But that was the case forrge armies ¨C they had their supply carriages to take care of.

    They made their stop before sundown, and the men stood in ce, wondering whether this would be their stopping ce for the night.

    A man - bearing the yellow Imagawab-like crest upon his sleeve ¨C galloped down the line, appearing to be looking for someone.

    He sped past them, before violently reigning his horse to a halt, and trotting back.

    "Niwa?"

    "Correct."

    Nakatane responded to the question.

    "Follow me; the Daimyo wants to see you."

    He stepped off as to move along the line of people, before he was corrected by the servant.

    "Have your men follow as well."

    He raised an eyebrow at that, wondering quite what he would find at the front of their pack, but still followed the orders anyway, and called out for his men to follow.

    They marched swiftly toward the front where the reason for their summoning became clear. Blocking the road forward, were a group of around 500 men, spears poised.

    Imagawa turned to look at them out of the corner of his eye as they approached.

    "As you can see Niwa, we have something of a problem. You¡¯re one of the fewndholder-lords who¡¯s name I know, so it falls to you to deal with it. Treat it as an honour."

    "These men insist on being sent to the grave, which is all very well, but how dare they hinder our progress!"

    "Now, I want you to deal with them. We will set up camp here, and rest the men."

    It was an exceptionally petty way of reacting to the threat. Of course, the purpose of their blockage was obvious: to slow down their advance. That was all they could hope to achieve, however, as in a frontal assault in which Imagawa utilised the entirety of his forces they would be crushed.

    But the Daimyo wished not to give them the satisfaction of having slowed him. He chose to stop here, as though they had intended to set up camp all along, whilst having some of the lesser-lords deal with the measly numbers, and tidy it all up by morning.

    "It would be my honour, Daimyo-sama... but I fear I do not have enough men."

    Niwa bowed low, searching for more favourable conditions.

    "Bah! More men? There are a mere 500 hundred ¨C a rabble! You should pierce through them as a warm knife pierces butter... and yet you ask for more men?!"

    The fat of his chin wobbled furiously as he spoke, genuinely seeming irritated.

    "...I will put one more of thendholder lords under yourmand. That ought to be enough!"

    In response Niwa simply bowed lower, unspeaking. Their battling would be more favourable than before, but it seemed they were still destined to be outnumbered.

    "You!" He pointed to one of his guardsmen that sat attentively upon his horse. "Choose one of thendholder lords, and bring him to fight with Niwa."

    He left without a second word, heading over to wait beside his tent that was already under construction.

    Nakatane breathed a sigh at his behaviour, turning to Gengyo for his opinion.

    "What do you reckon?"

    "It depends on who they send to help us... but it¡¯ll probably be fine."

    He mused, making mental notes of theposition of the enemy forces. There seemed to be a cavalry force of around 50 strong. The rest was made up of yari ashigaru and bow ashigaru. He could not see the yellow and ck Oda flower hanging on a banner anywhere, but he could only assume that those men were his.

    Truthfully, he was unsure of what Oda¡¯s motives were in sending such an amount of men to basically die. But he imagined he would find out soon enough.

    The men around them started to fall back, setting up camp along the road, whilst they stared off against the army of men who were around a kilometre away.

    They heard the drumming of marched feeting from towards their rear, as a middle-aged man ¨C dressed in full battle attire, in a dark blue suit of armour ¨C lead his men towards them, bowing toward Nakatane as he came close.

    "I saw your victory at Washizu, it is my honour to fight beside you today!"

    "What is your name, friend?"

    Nakatane asked.

    "Gosankyo Shigekiyo, Niwa-san. Fear not, we are yours tomand ¨C we shall not get in your way.

    "Well met, Gosankyo-san! I have no doubt that your support will prove invaluable. However, I hope that you will listen to my er... strategist, as well."

    He said, pointing toward Gengyo.

    Gosankyo turned to look toward the young man, who returned his gaze unwaveringly. He was a little surprised by his age ¨C evidently still a teen. There was not a single wrinkle in sight. But the glint of the boy¡¯s intelligence gaze made him pause before underestimating him. If he was Niwa¡¯s strategist after all, he must have some degree of skill.

    Gengyo in turn, was evaluating the man as well. He looked to be in his forties, with all the wrinkles to go with it. He wore his bushy sideburns long, and his hair was firmly secured under his kabuto. He decided that he liked the man¡¯s straightforwardness, but was unsure whether that would trante topetence on the battlefield.

    "Good to meet you, I am Miura."

    He introduced himself casually with a nod.

    "Ah! Yes, good to meet you."

    Gosankyo responded hastily, a little put off by how rxed the man appeared.

    The boy¡¯s eyes began to wander, and soon they fell upon a stick. He picked it up, and began to draw upon the dusty earth as though he was the only person for miles around. Gosankyo shot Nakatane a questioning look, who merely shrugged in response.

    He began to set some stones upon the earth, in rows, before motioning with his head for the three other men toe over.

    "What¡¯s this?"

    Jikouji voiced the question that was foremost on their minds.

    "A battle n."

    He had judged it necessary, since they were working with a new force ¨C one that they did not have direct control over ¨C to show them his ns beforehand.

    There were 6 stones on their side of the battlefield. Yet three of them were all bundled in one ce ¨C the left-wing. Whilst the enemy stones wereid evenly in a t line, with a stone behind them ¨C that being the mobile horse unit.

    They stared at it for a while, struggling to make sense of what he seemingly wished to imply, and he waited patiently for them to do so. It was a rather simple n, but he still wished for them to be able to visualize it properly before they dared to put it into execution.

    "...Is this my men?"

    Gosankyo asked, pointing to the clump of three stones on the left-wing.

    With a firm nod, Gengyo replied.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Sometimes glory upon the battlefield trantes to the kind of fame you wish you didn¡¯t have have. But I imagine Gengyo does not fret as much as someone else might.

    Thanks for reading! I¡¯ll release three chapters tomorrow as promised, where the Oda¡¯s motivations will be clear!

 Chapter 80 - A True Meaning

    "You and your men will take the left-wing ¨C we will take the centre and right-wing."

    Gengyo proposed.

    "What? Are you sure? We have a simr number of men to you... If you spread yourselves on both the centre of the right-wing you¡¯ll be overwhelmed!"

    The young boy raised his eyebrows, sharing a look with Jikouji and Nakatane.

    "This man thinks we¡¯ll be overwhelmed? Hoho! Are we not being underestimated a little?"

    They shook their heads at the boy¡¯s teasing, with light smiles on their faces.

    "No, no! I don¡¯t mean that... It¡¯s just..."

    The young smiled up at him, letting him know it was a joke.

    He looked slightly embarrassed at the realization, but conceded to silence as he allowed an exnation to be made.

    "We are handing you the most vital role in this battle, Gosankyo-san. With your superior numbers, you must crush their right-wing, and then nk the men that we will keep engaged."

    He paused, his eyes widening. He had merely known them for ten minutes. They did not know what strength his men had, nor howpetent they were, yet they were handing him the key to victory, cing their hopes on him.

    He forced his fist into his hand, his blood boiling. The pressure was immense, but the excitement was far greater.

    "I will not let you down!"

    He said seriously.

    In truth, his role in this battle would be the easiest. But Gengyo did not let him know that. The reason he had been handed the offence role, was not because he was confident in the man¡¯s strength, but the very opposite. He did not want him to engage the mass of 300-400 men - as they would have to - only to crumble, and his men to route. That would be direct route to defeat.

    Instead, he had ced his own men upon the nks, because he believed them to be the most powerful force on that field of battle, and he did not wish for their nks to crumble. Nakatane¡¯s men would take the centre ¨C which, in itself, was a crucial role, but he would have twice the men packed together, and the support of the Special Forces unit when required.

    "Good."

    Gengyo took up his stick, and drew an arrow from the three stones on the left-wing, straight forwards into the enemy forces.

    "So, to summarise, you will engage the enemy¡¯s right-wing. Set some of your men further to the left, and you can envelop them. Victory should be swift."

    Then he drew a curved arrow from the point of engagement, round toward the rear of the centre.

    "Then, you will bring your men around, and cut apart their centre."

    He sent the reinforcements toward the centre, because he believed ¨C though they were superior in number ¨C that Nakatane¡¯s men were likely to fall before his own.

    "Understood?"

    "Understood! I will bring us sess!"

    He said passionately, relishing his roll in the battle toe. He had not known what to make of the boy at first, but now he understood first hand why Nakatane had ced him within the role of strategist.

    Jikouji and Nakatane realized that their end of the fighting would be the most bloody, and it would be a bitter grind for victory. But the strategy was sound, and they could not fault it.

    "Miura-kun, what of this cavalry unit? That¡¯s bound to cause some trouble."

    Jikouji asked, picking up the stone he knew to represent the hors.e.m.e.n, and toying with it.

    "We will deal with them reactively. I have a n in ce for that, so do not worry."

    "Mm."

    They knew the nning to be all but concluded, and by some unspoken agreement, their eyes drifted towards the rows of men before them. They had stoodpletely still, in the same formation for at least 20 minutes. It was rather creepy, and had he not known better, Gengyo might have assumed that it was a dummy army made up of strawmen in armour.

    Last-minute alterations were made to their armour, and the formations of the men were assumed. Morale amongst the Niwa forces was high, as it was amongst Gosankyo¡¯s men, who had heard of their importance in the battle toe, and were as excited as theirmander.

    They faced off against the enemy, weapons ready. Still the enemy did not react.

    "ARCHERS, FORWARD!"

    Gengyo called out, motioning forwards with his arm. The bow ashigaru moved out from behind the yari ashigaru ¨C even the Gosankyo bowmen followed hismand. They walked out steadily, stepping out almost one hundred paces away from the infantry. The entire Special Forces unit had marched forward as well, spears in hands and bows over shoulder, so that if the cvry wished to try anything sneaky, they would meet a rather grisly end.

    They continued walking, reaching the 150 pace mark, and only then did the enemy respond.

    "HOLD!"

    He called out, taking the necessary precautions incase of a surprise attack.

    But from the enemy ranks did note bow ashigaru, nor even calvary. Instead, 50 men - apparently unarmed, apart from short des strapped to their belts ¨C walked forward.

    They continued walking, steadily,pletely in step with one another. It was creepy, and Gengyo felt a chill whisper down his spine. Something was wrong ¨C very wrong.

    The men paused 30 paces out of their bowman¡¯s range, as they stopped and stared emotionlessly.

    In his throat the order to retreat caught, for he could not bring himself to speak. The men had looks of curiosity on their face too, but it seemed they were nowhere near as unsettled as he was.

    Every instinct in his body warned him of danger, but like a fool, he listened to his brain that attempted tomand rationality.

    With one fluid movement, the men withdrew the daggers at their h.i.p.s, again, all in time with one another. He flinched at their sudden action, furious with himself for feeling so on edge.

    More than anything, he wanted to give the order for his men to go forward and shoot them down. But if not a trap, what could this be? There was no army in the world insane enough to behave so oddly without meaning ¨C it was far too dangerous.

    They lifted their des high, as one. Their gaze remained firmly pinned to the enemy, almost unblinking. And then, the sharp steel caught the evening sunlight, as they brought it to their throats and dragged it across the soft skin of their necks.

    Blood gushed from the red gashes that convulsed like a pair of smiling lips. Through some immense force of will, they remained standing, all the while making eye contact, as the blood of their life decorated the floor.

    FLOOP

    Like the gentle sound of a stone falling into water, they copsed to the ground, dead.

    ...

    Silence. Even the most experienced veteran would not know how to react to such a thing. What kind of man could slit his own throat? A demon? An army of psychopaths?

    They were not given due time to contemte, as the enemy charged forward, roaring like death reaping banshees.

    The men were frozen in fear. Who would not be? The enemy they were facing... They mustn¡¯t be human! How were they meant to win against such insane people? People who could unflinchingly slit their own throats. They didn¡¯t want to die... They didn¡¯t.

    The Gosankyo bow ashigaru were the first to rout, sprinting back to their lines of spearmen, hiding behind them. It was in that moment, that they were d to have been picked for the bow unit ¨C they did not want to face such animals face to face.

    Spurred on by the fleeing of the Gosankyo unit, Nakatane¡¯s bowmen soon followed. The Special Forces unit did not move, but they nced around wildly, seeking direction. They knew staying would be a mistake, but fleeing would be dishonourable, and against orders. But by god, they wished to flee.

    Gengyo watched the chaos of the battlefield, the dots connecting in his head.

    "Oda Nobunaga... haha..."

    He chuckled lightly, now truly seeing through what had been nned for them.

    "Nobunaga... you¡¯re a f.u.c.k.i.n.g monster."

    Their battlefield was meaningless, in essence. The oue ¨C even if they won ¨C would be their loss. Nobunaga had known that from the start. The true meaning for this literal suicide squad became clear. It was never to slow Imagawa in the first ce ¨C though it would achieve that anyway. It was part of a much grander and muchrger picture.

    They were here, nning strategies to win the battle in front of them, whereas Nobunaga was already thinking of the future.

    "We¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiots..."

    Hemented bitterly, more to himself than anyone else. He should not have stepped upon the field of battle so boldly. He should have afforded Nobunaga more credit. His evaluation of Imagawa had led him to think that the Okehazama victory had merely been from Imagawa¡¯s ipetence.

    But what kind of fool would allow himself to think like that? Oda Nobunaga had gone on to unify all of Japan! How could he have himself allowed to underestimate such a man? How did he dare to see things at face value?

    ¡¯Have I grown arrogant?¡¯

    He wondered. His easy victory at Washizu had perhaps started to sow those seeds. Even the most intelligent of men could not stand up to a monster if they did so with arrogance in their hearts.

    ¡¯Is this it, then? The men will rout... They think we are dealing madmen.¡¯

    But he himself knew the true identity of those men that had sacrificed their lives. They were members of the Oda family guard. It should have been immediately obvious from the extraordinary discipline they disyed, simply from their initial movements. But he had been too slow, too confident.

    For him to cast aside such loyal men, such highly capable soldiers, within a single movement... that was the height of callousness. But it was also the height of genius. With these seeds sown upon the battlefield today, his victory above Imagawa was a step closer. The morale of the men would fall, as word spread that the Oda forces were barely human ¨C their minds were gone. They could slit their own throats without batting an eye.

    ¡¯I wonder how many men we can save...¡¯

    ¡¯No... F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell. What am I thinking? Who the f.u.c.k am I?¡¯

    ¡¯...who am I? That¡¯s right! I¡¯m f.u.c.k.i.n.g Kasai Gengyo! I¡¯ve dealt with adversaries far cleverer than this. I climbed the mountain of the modern world, and perched my arse right on the top! For me to fail here... that¡¯d be... that¡¯d be a f.u.c.k.i.n.g embarrassment!¡¯

    ¡¯I¡¯m Kasai Gengyo! No ¨C Miura Tadakata! Even if it¡¯s Oda Nobunaga, the grand unifier of Japan, he will have to do better than cheap parlour tricks to best me.¡¯

    He clenched his fist, furious. He had been bested once by Nobunaga ¨C but he would not allow that to pass. He would crush his n, and reim his honour.

    "I AM MIURA TADAKATA, AND BY MY NAME, THIS BATTLE WILL BE OURS! SPECIAL FORCES UNIT, FALL BACK AND REFORM LINES. WE¡¯RE TAKING THIS VICTORY! IT¡¯S OURS! DO YOU HEAR ME, THIS IS F.U.C.K.I.N.G OURS!?"

    He shouted out, his sword raised high into the air as he sat upon his horse, and shouted, the anger evident in his voice.

    Nakatane¡¯s nk face nced in his direction, before colour returned, and he understood.

    "I AM NIWA NAKATANE, AND BY MY NAME, AND BY MY HISTORY, I SWEAR THAT WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS UPON THIS FIELD OF BATTLE!"

    He roared out, his voice even louder than Gengyo¡¯s.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Alright, I anticipate there will be some confusion in regards to wings. I said the allied left wing must crush the enemy right wing. And that might seem to be a pretty contradictory statement, but it is correct. The wings arebelled ording to that army¡¯s point of view. The left wing will engage with the right-wing, whilst the right-wing will engage with the left-wing. Hope that clears it up a little before any misunderstandings begin.

    Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Two more are on their way!

 Chapter 81 - The Fury of Battle

    Their hot fury began to melt the cold fear that crept up the spines of the men, as they started to break free of their frozen stupor. The Special Forces Unit followed behind the rest, grateful for the order to retreat.

    But it was far from enough. The men were terrified, and the enemy was growing ever closer. The way things were going, they would not even survive the first wave. Complete annihtion was on the horizon, and it was all orchestrated by one man who was not even present.

    But by the gods, Gengyo would not allow that to happen. The shame of falling victim to such a strategy was more than he could bear.

    He urged his horse forward till he stood between his men, and the enemy - who were closing that one-kilometre distance at a rapid pace.

    "MEN!"

    He barked, his gaze intense. The Special Forces unit stiffened ¨C they had never seen him so furious.

    "I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS DEFEAT. I REFUSE TO SHOW FEAR TO THIS RABBLE!"

    "I AIN¡¯T F.U.C.KIN¡¯ SCARED, BOY!"

    Morohira roared, banging his clenched fist hard against his chestte.

    "AYE! WHY SHOULD WE FEAR MEN WHO FEIGN TO BE DEMONS, WHEN WE ARE ALL QUITE COMFORTABLE GOING TO HELL?"

    "OR ARE YOU NOT? DID YOU MARCH UP UPON THIS BATTLEFIELD MERELY FOR COIN? I SPEAK TO YOU ¨C ALL OF YOU. GOSANKYO ARMY. NIWA ARMY. WILL WE FLEE WITH OUR TAILS BETWEEN OUR LEGS, ONLY TO BE SLAUGHTERED? OR WILL WE FIGHT, AND DIE AS LEGENDS!?"

    His words seeped through the cloud of fear that had tainted them, and the lesser men began to see the real purpose of their stance here today. They did not simply fight to serve their lord, and to serve their coin, they dreamed of fighting so that the world would hear their names. So that they would not live out their lives as mere peasants, dying in the cold of some disease.

    "RAH!"

    Gosankyo let out a frustrated shout. Two systems in his body were in open conflict. His primordial systems that desired only self-preservation, battled within his head, aiming to defeat his dream for glory. This was not just a battle where men met upon the field. Nobunaga had changed the stage entirely. He had attacked each man individually, within their minds ¨C where most were weakest.

    But he could not dare to let his cowardice rule him. Especially when one so young, with so much potential, was willing to give his life for the sake of this victory. To him, in the grand scheme of things, this battle was worth little. But the boy seemed to have taken personal offence, and he thought he knew why.

    He spurred his horse to the front, as he and Nakatane both joined to stand side by side with the young strategist.

    "I REFUSE TO COWER IN THE FACE OF MAD MEN! I PLACE MY TRUST, AND MY LIFE, WITHIN THE SWORDS AND SPEARS OF MY OWN MEN! I WILL FIGHT!"

    Gosankyo called out, his voice raw with emotion, so that it all but cracked. But his face was hardened. Doubts were cast aside. The only thought present was a single minded persistence that craved victory.

    His men met his gaze, as they still shuddered from the horrific disy of earlier. He really was ready to die. There was no deceit within those eyes. Only a true coward, and the worst of men, could have looked in those eyes and turned tail. Even though their experience was little, and the lives they had lived had been that of peasants, in that moment, under that amount of trust, they dared to assume the hearts of warriors.

    "WE FIGHT FOR YOU, GOSANKYO-SAMA! FOR VICTORY!"

    A bold man by the front raised his spear, and soon all the Gosankyo men seconded his shout.

    "AWOO!"

    A more beautiful sound I dare you to find, than the shout of men united for one purpose, unwavering in their determination.

    "WILL WE COWER WHEN OUR ALLIES ARE SO READY TO FIGHT?"

    Nakatane called out, bristling. He had realized there was something more significant to this battle, and would dare to let his forces crumble.

    "NO!"

    The men shouted as one.

    "BEHOLD! MEN OF THIS UNITED ARMY! BEHOLD HOW DEMONS FALL!"

    The men were almost on top of them now. Only a little over one hundred metres sat between the three mounted leaders, and the raging onught of over 400 bloodthirsty beasts. But none of them showed even a drop of fear. They had wrung it out from their blood.

    Gengyo notched his arrow, and pulled back his bowstring.

    FWOOSH

    SPLURT

    It soared through the air, and took one of the leading men in the eye, killing him instantly, and causing those behind him to stumble over his dead body. And like that, the army was revealed to be human.

    "ALL MEN WITH A BOW! SEND THESE DEMONS BACK TO HELL!

    It was only then, at thest instance, that they rode back to join their ranks. But they did not do so on a horse. They dismounted, and joined their men to fight on the front lines.

    A flock of almost 100 arrows flew up into the darkening sky, and descended upon the approaching forces with malice, iming many lives.

    The enemies bow units were effectively useless. As they could not fire whilst their own men were fighting. The optimalposition for that army would have been all spear, sword, and cavalry units. But such a makeup would have been odd, and would have raised suspicion prematurely.

    "ASSUME SPEAR FORMATION!"

    Gengyo called out, joining his men in taking up the spear.

    "YARI WALL!"

    They directed their spears outwards, forming a column of spikes. The other forces joined them in this disy.

    Their fear had all but disappated, as they were fired up by themander¡¯s speeches. And now, seeing so many of the enemy forces dead or wounded... They could not fear such mortals. Instead, their fear was reced by anger. Anger that they were ever afraid of humans at all, and as the first wave of men hit, the united army stood strong.

    "OORAH!"

    The men roared, stabbing outwards with their spears.

    "ASSUME SWORD FORMATION!"

    They cast their spears aside, and rushed in. A wall of deady where the points of their spears ended, and they stepped over them with authority, bing a force of ughter amongst the ranks of the attacking spearmen.

    "GOSANKYO ARMY, PUSH!"

    Gosankyo called out, right in the thick of the action. Despite all that had happened, he still remembered the n, and was sticking to it. He and his concentrated forces pushed forward, one step at a time, iming many lives along the way. They adopted a new formation on the spot, one that allowed men - from three rows back - to get in on the action, by extending their long yari forward.

    It was brutal. Against such a wall, even if their numbers had been even, the enemy would have struggled. But as it happened, they had men numbering three times as much, and they relentlessly pushed forward, ughtering all that stood in their way, like a madly predatory snail.

    "MIURA! CAVALRY INCOMING!"

    Jikouji called out, the panic evident in his voice. They swept down the field, past the right-wing ¨C where they knew the forces to be weakest ¨C aiming to ughter the defenceless bow ashigaru, before moving on to assault the rear of the engaged forces.

    Gengyo heard his cry, and responded without the slightest bit of concern. This was something he had prepared for beforehand, andpared to everything else that had transpired, it was a simple counter, making him pay the mounted horseman almost no mind.

    "COUNTER-CAVALRY! DISPATCH!"

    Before the fighting had begun, he had gathered up ten of his best men, and spoken to them, away from the rest.

    "Father, brother, Yoritomo, Aritada, Togashi, Rokkaku, Sasaki, Niiro, Kitajo, Munakata. I have an important task for you all in the battle toe."

    "Important task, eh? You only need me for that."

    Morohira had said.

    "When the battle starts, and I call out sword formation, I want you to keep your spears, and listen for mymand. Your task will be to block off the cavalry when they attack, so remain in a position where that will be possible."

    And they had done just that. Immedietely as the order was uttered, they separated themselves from the frontline fighting, and moved to form a wall in the path of the cavalry, their spears pointed upwards, ready to skewer anyone that moved too close.

    Unable to slow their speeding horses in time, the hors.e.m.e.n crashed onto the spears. The sound of screaming horses filled the air, as the riders were cast from the saddles,nding hard upon the floor. They did not even have time to recover, as the sharp point of the yari put an end to their lives.

    Even those that had managed to pause just in time did not escape so easily. It was almost impossible for them to duel with the long yari, given the mere swords that they were holding, and they were ughtered rather quickly.

    When their numbers were reduced to ten, the riders realized the futility of their assault, and with a trace of fear on their faces - as a bloodthirsty Morohira rushed to im their lives - they galloped away.

    "BEGIN ENVELOPMENT!"

    Gosankyo called out, having quickly broken through the enemy right wing. He circled his men around, and brought them down hard on the rear of the centre. Trapped by two spear walls, the innermost men were crushed. They turned to look back in confusion, seeing a horde of spears aimed their way.

    It was enough for most of them, and they began to rout. Not that there were many ces they could run to ¨C very few escaped.

    Gosankyo fought fiercely, leading the assault from the very middle, staining his armour and his spear in the blood of his enemies. Nakatane and Jikouji were of a simr appearance ¨C both stained in blood, only they chose to do ughter with their swords rather than spears.

    The Special Forces Unit routed the enemy left wing before the Gosankyo army could evene to assist them. As it happens, they performed a nking manoeuvre of their own. The men who formed up the counter-cavalry force ¨C instead of rejoining at the front lines ¨C swept around the side, and cut through the backs of the enemy.

    They were an elite unit, and it wasn¡¯t long before the enemy soon felt a simr fear, feeling as though they were fighting demons rather than men. Especially with the bestial nature in which Morohira threw himself about, with apparently no concern for his life, and his only intent to find more prey.

    One of thest men ¨C realizing that all hisrades were either dead, or were fleeing ¨C threw himself at Morohira, in a maddened attempt at taking the man with him. The two crashed to the ground, brawling. But unfortunately for the man, this was exactly where Morohira¡¯s strengthy.

    He quickly threw the man off the top of him, and pinned him to the floor, reigning down blow after blow with his armoured fist, thoroughly disfiguring the face of the enemy under him. With a sickening crack, the skull fractured, and the man breathed hisst.

    When he rose to his feet, he realized that the fighting had stopped, and his allies were looking his way. There was a mutual feeling within those stares: ¡¯I¡¯m d he¡¯s on our side...¡¯

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Hope you enjoyed! Thest chapter for today will being very shortly!

 Chapter 82 - Rejoice!

    "Did we win?"

    A man asked, as the looked at the backs of the enemy, fleeing. Their bow ashigaru had fled without even a fight ¨C 50 men in total. A few yari ashigaru had managed to escape, but their numbers were insignificant. The men that were left could pose no trouble. It was an overwhelming victory.

    "Aye! We won!"

    Gengyo announced. They had defeated the enemy in more ways than one. Not only had they beaten them on the battlefield, but they had also crushed Oda¡¯s fear tactics before they could propagate. Now, when tales were told of how 50 of the men had sliced their own throats, they would not feel fear, but instead scorn! For that army had fallen to a lesser force.

    "REJOICE, MEN! FOR YOU HAVE FACED THE DEMONS OF HELL, AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE. LET YOU FEAR NOTHING FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS, AND LET THE WORLD, INSTEAD, FEAR YOU!"

    He raised his sword high in the sky. He was lost amongst a crowd of men, so not many could see him. But all knew who it was that spoke, and as they raised their weapons skyward, they let out cheers filled with pride.

    "YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

    "F.U.C.K THOSE BASTARDS!"

    "VICTORY TO THE UNITED ARMY!"

    "AWOOOOOOOOO!"

    A man that had gazed upon the depths of hell, and felt the chilling grip of fear around his heart, yet shook it off, and using his cold, hard steel, and fiery heart, cut his way to freedom. Now that was a man that could look upon himself with pride. There was a man who had experienced the truest sense of himself.

    And all 300 of them had. Whether dead or alive. They had looked upon the monster that Nobunaga had conjured, and recognized their fear, before promptly telling it to f.u.c.k off, and crushing it to pieces.

    Aplete reversal. The enemy forces had banked their victory entirely upon the fear created, and had thrown themselves with all their might at the united army. But in the end, that had been their downfall. They ran headfirst into a brick wall, one that instead of moving backwards, moved forwards.

    Due to the strategy employed - putting Gosankyo¡¯s forces upon the left-wing ¨C their victory had been swift, and the losses were minimal. Only two men had fallen from the Special Forces unit, 10 from Nakatane¡¯s unit, and 11 from Gosankyo¡¯s.

    If considered purely from the standpoint of numbers, the battle had not been close in the least ¨C they hadpletely crushed the numerically superior force. But only those who were not present would dare to say such a thing. They had teetered right upon the edge of defeat ¨C and their defeat would have been an absolute one. They would have been massacred, unable to defend themselves.

    It was a gamble that Oda had employed, but a terrifying one. It was to the point where Gengyo could not take too much heart in their victory, for if Nobunaga had been present, and able to direct his units in the midst of battle, then he was unsure whether they could have gained the upper hand.

    He did not share such doubts with the others, and instead smiled as they congratted each other on the victory.

    "It was truly an honour to fight by your side, Niwa-san!"

    Gosankyo announced, ced a firm hand upon Nakatane¡¯s shoulder as he looked the man in the eye. His arm was still quivering, as his body was in shock. It seemed the adrenaline had still not worn off, nor had the fear, but the joy of victory overwhelmed the two, and he did not hold back.

    "Aye, you did well, Gosankyo-san. I could not think of a better man for your role."

    Nakatane returned genuinely. His fight was greatly helped by Gosankyo¡¯s swift assistance.

    "You give me too much honour ¨C I could certainly think of a better man."

    He turned his gaze toward Gengyo, who was still in thought.

    "Miura-san, it is to my eternal fortune that it is you who directed us today. That... That sight, of men... slitting their own throats. It shames me to admit, I lost the stomach to fight after I saw that..."

    The young man smiled lightly in return.

    "I think we all did. It was indeed a monstrous ploy ¨C but we destroyed it. You and your men should take sce in that, and not allow anything to stand in your way in future."

    "Aye... Aye! I will... Thank you."

    He nodded rolling the words inside his head, suddenly feeling the need to thank the young man. Gengyo for his part, raised an eyebrow, surprised, but he made noment as the Gosankyo bowed and returned to his men.

    SLAP

    An old hand made it¡¯s way to his shoulder, and he turned around.

    "Jikouji-san."

    He noted, identifying the man behind him.

    "Well done today,d. I can see that you have not cked off in your learning of strategy. You¡¯ve been reading the scrolls Nakatane sent you?"

    "Yeah, they¡¯re pretty interesting."

    "He still flipped out a bit today, though, eh? I think that might be the first time I¡¯ve seen you, angryd."

    Nakatanemented, joining in the conversation.

    "Aye... I did get a little fired up. But it seems it was no different for you, Niwa-san."

    "True. I got a bit pissed off. For the same reason as you, I think?"

    "Oda?"

    "Right, Oda. It pissed me off to think we¡¯d lose to a man who wasn¡¯t even on the field."

    Nakatane confirmed his thoughts to be simr to that of Gengyo.

    "Aye. The men were pretty terrified. But it will do them good. I doubt we¡¯ll have to worry about routing any time in the future."

    "How do you know it was ordered by Oda? They could have had amander among them."

    Almost at the same time, Nakatane and Gengyo refuted Jikouji¡¯s suggestion.

    "No, the Elite guard-"

    "No, they were too-"

    They spoke over the top of each other.

    "You go first, Niwa-san."

    The man nodded.

    "They had to be men of extraordinary discipline to take their lives for their master. It had to be a member of the Oda¡¯s elite guard."

    Gengyo nodded, agreeing. And soon Jikouji was nodding his understanding, wondering why he had not seen that beforehand.

    "I suppose with age, I grow slower."

    He muttered, a little unhappy.

    "I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, Jikouji-san. It was just a guess."

    Gengyo said, attempting tofort him. But in the eyes of the older man, it was worse beenforted by someone so young.

    "You better go and speak to your mend, no doubt they¡¯re eager to get some rest."

    Agreeing with what the old man said, he bowed, and made his way toward where his men were waiting, sharing excited conversation of the battle.

    "And here he is! The man that scares those runts so much that they¡¯d rather fight demons than deal with his anger!"

    Rokkaku shouted boisterously waving his spear to get Gengyo¡¯s attention.

    "I don¡¯t think they were frightened of me..."

    The young man protested, though he was smiling for he knew the big man to be joking. He was almost double his age ¨C being somewhere in histe thirities - and yet he was so child-like and yful in his mannerisms that it was impossible to dislike him.

    "I was! Hahaha!"

    He said,ughing loudly.

    "Me too!"

    Sasaki shouted, joining in.

    "Alright! Well, another job well done today, fes. I¡¯m proud of you."

    "Y¡¯know, I¡¯m his dad? Crazy, right?"

    Morohira said loudly in Rokkaku¡¯s ear almost rendering Gengyo¡¯s praise null. He shook his head lightly at their humour, but still smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt, as he lead them back to where the Imagawa army was camped, and helped them unload and set up the tents.

    It was only as he worked on setting up camp that he realized how tired he was. Dark had already fallen, but he rarely grew so tired, and had always been used to living only on the smallest amount of sleep. But today¡¯s battle had drained him to the point where it was a little unsettling, and he ended up retiring to his tent before his men.

    He sat there, contemting fiercely. This was the first taste he had of Nobunaga¡¯s might, and it left him unsettled how off guard he had been caught.

    ¡¯...I will not allow this to happen again.¡¯

    It was an obvious conclusion, and a simplistic one, especially for a man of his intelligence. But it was all he could say tofort himself. He would remain cautious as they journeyed forward, and should the unexpected ever happen once more, he would not allow himself to be rattled, and would deal with it step by step, until the problem crumbled before him.

    His men did not know of theirmander¡¯s thoughts ¨C they celebrated without reserve long into the night, as their leader proved once again that he was a man they could rely on.

    ...

    ...

    The two fallen were honoured the next day in a funeral with the rest of the force¡¯s fallenrades. Gosankyo joined them in honouring the departed. He was a respectable man, and he and Nakatane seemed to be getting on rather well.

    The new closeness of the two armies was something that Gengyo tookfort in, as it in his eyes, it effectively doubled the number of men in which they had.

    Imagawa sent them a chest of coin for their troubles, though it was delivered through the hands of one of his men. Inside, there was revealed to be 500 coins, which was split evenly amongst the two units. Again, Gengyo was given his share, and again he shared it amongst his men.

    No one else amongst the twelve thousand strong army seemed to care what had urred on the field that day, nor did any of the men tell them of it. They hade perilously close toplete annihtion ¨C yet the rest acted as if their victory was guaranteed. They could onlyugh at their ignorance.

    It was a tale that they would share amongst themselves for a very long time, and one that they would use to draw strength from in their moments of weakness. And as the army awoke in the morning and began its march deeper in Owari, those 300 did so as different men. More than anyone else, they were ready for whatever chaos Oda Nobunaga had in store for them. And chaos, he would bring.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    I hope you enjoyed today¡¯s mass release. Thanks for reading :)

 Chapter 83 - Matsudaira Motoyasu

    They marched onwards for a good few days, and were entertained by some light skirmishes along the way. They took note as thendscape changed around them. From rolling hills, to thick forests, before they could once more step upon the t ins.

    They had yet to catch any sight of Oda¡¯s main force, and those amongst theirrge army liked to joke that Nobunaga had fled with his tail between his legs, and was on a ship somewhere, sailing to China, or Korea ¨C anything to escape the might of their colossal force.

    But as they saw scout after scout, those thoughts were revealed to be what they were: simple, childish dreams. Despite the challenged presented to him, the young Daimyo seemed to be refusing to go down without a fight.

    They soon joined up with Matsudaira. The union of the two forces seemed moreplicated than it might otherwise have been. Matsudaira ¨C much to the distaste of Imagawa ¨C held within his forces arge number of matchlock ashigaru, peasants who had been trained to wield one of the imported foreign firearms.

    They were weapons of the future, but many reputable men still failed to recognise their power. Matsudaira was one of the few people with enough vision to see past their negatives. And negatives, there were plenty. The weapons were prone to misfire, and when they got wet, things became even moreplicated. They took almost three times as long as a bow to reload, and sometimes, the small bullets could even bounce off armour, leaving the enemy unharmed.

    But, they were effectively skilless. It only required basic training to teach peasants how to reload them, and then they simply needed to point the rifle straight, and the volley of bullets would decimate the enemy forces. Theck of skill required to operate them allowed him to recruit more of them in his forces than they could archers ¨C the only limiting factor was coin. But of course, he still had 100 or so bowmen, in case of the special situations where bows were required.

    "Ha! You still have your men carry around those little trinkets, Matsudaira."

    Imagawaughed, upon seeing so many of his men lugging the matchlock rifles on their shoulders.

    "I would have more of them if I could."

    Matsudaira refuted emotionlessly. He did not care for Imagawa¡¯s opinion. He was forced to serve as his retainer, due to the oppressive might of the Imagawa n¡¯s military. But that was all he would do. He would simply serve.

    "Hoh? You would waste more coin on such useless weapons? They¡¯re no good for anything, except a battle on the ins."

    "It was a bullet that imed Sakuma Morishige¡¯s life."

    Matsudaira said pointedly. In the siege of Marune he had made use of concentrated musket fire throughout, battering the defending forces quite severely, even taking themander¡¯s life with one of the rounds.

    "Hoh?"

    That made Imagawa pause for a second. He had not expected the matchlock units to have any use at all during the siege. The wood of the archer cage ¨C which was designed to stop even arrows ¨C would have protected them easily against those measly bullets. But he had failed to see the bigger picture. One thousand men were firing continuously, even if they were poorly trained, simple probability stated that some of the bullets wouldnd. And they were able to fire further than archers, so the advantage was theirs.

    "Pah! Luck. Wise men deal in reason, not in luck, Matsudaira! Remember that."

    He said, attempting to counsel the man.

    Gengyo almost choked hearing his words. It was perhaps a valid statement, but not applicable in the least to what they were talking about.

    ¡¯How can you even... If you say, one man, firing a single bullet, has a 1 in 10 chance of hitting, fine. But, what about if ten men fire? Or one hundred men? Of course, some are going to hit! It¡¯s about "luck", perhaps, but more probability. You can¡¯t disregard it. ¡¯

    He scolded himself for getting so fired up about an argument he was not even part of, and settled down. It was in that moment that he understood why Matsudaira had been so quick to join the Oda after Imagawa¡¯s defeat ¨C the man was an imbecile, and not someone who¡¯s legacy was worth fighting for.

    A few days prior, he might have been worried about Imagawa¡¯sck ofpetence, but now he did not feel anxious in the least. The reason was twofold: he had confidence within his own ns, and he had seen that there were some highly capable men who were subordinated to the Daimyo, and who had much to gain from making him Shogun.

    Matsudaira had simply shrugged in response to the Daimyo¡¯s attempt at wisdom, and rejoined his own n by the rear.

    They marched deep into a forested gorge called Dengaku-hazama, taking out some of Oda¡¯s scouts as they did so, and there they camped for a good few days. Because of the gorge, it was impossible to set up all the tents right next to each other, so the army ended up being split into smaller sections.

    This splitting up of the forces had been part of the reason for Imagawa¡¯s defeat, historically. Oda had simply dealt with each camp separately, killing them off before they had the chance to warn the others.

    But one should not discredit Imagawa¡¯s men for advising that he camp here. It provided good protection from nighttime arrow harassment, so it was rather suitable. None in their right mind would expect a frontal assault from the meagre force of 2,500. Even just a single one of their small encampments outnumbered them by almost three times!

    It was on their first evening camping within the forest that the scouts returned with a report on where the Oda¡¯s main armyy. It caused quite the stir within the camp, as this was the first time in their entire campaign that they had even caught a glimpse of them.

    They were informed that the army had set up camp within the temple of Zensh¨­-ji. It sat upon one of the steepest hills in the area. It might have been impossible to scale it without the aid of the single staircase that ran up it. But of course, they had fortified the encampment to the extreme, so any attempts at seizing their hill would be met with a great amount of bloodshed.

    Oda¡¯s choice of location caught everyone off guard. They had expected him toy low inside the fortress of Kiyosu, and try to weather the storm. That of course, would have been the sensible option ¨C at least to them. And so, as Imagawa and his military advisors gathered within his tent to discuss the n ahead, there were numerous disagreements.

    "We crush them at dawn!"

    Imagawa had announced straight away, looking forward to a straightforward battle after over a week of scurrying around, hunting down tiny forces. There was no thrill to it. And he could not enjoy the victories.

    "...Begging your pardon, Daimyo-sama, but perhaps that might be a little rash."

    A brave soul had attempted to be the first to refute him.

    "Why? We¡¯re running out of supplies. The quicker we conquer this measily little province, the better our chances of capturing Kyoto will be!"

    He spoke passionately, truly believing his words to be right. He had be schooled within the art of strategy throughout his youth, and well into his twentities. He had been tutored in it far longer than anyone else, and remember a great deal. But there was an unbridgeable gap between knowledge and application.

    "Yes! Quite right Daimyo-sama, I fear we all might have overlooked that... However, I fear the cost of men required to conquer Zensh¨­-ji would not be worth it in the long run. Their position is too secure. We would have to offer up too many lives."

    Someone else joined in, seizing the opportunity to praise his lord.

    "Mmm... How many?"

    Still confident, Imagawa pressed on, eager to set his n in motion.

    "Half, my lord, at least."

    "...Did you say: half?"

    "Yes, Daimyo-sama."

    "...That¡¯s much too many."

    Even he was able to reach that conclusion, and his mind went nk. He hated problems without straightforward solutions, and began to grow stressed, reaching for a tender salmon steak with his fingers, ignoring the chopsticks beside them.

    He dangled it above his mouth, before lining it up perfectly, and fitting it all in at once. He clearly relished the vour, as his face was an undeniable mask of pleasure.

    He greedily licked the grease off his fingers, before gesturing for the men to continue.

    "Ahem... I propose that we wait it out. They will be needing supplies. We can rob those supplies, and raid surrounding viges, and then, when their men are weak from starvation, we will pluck the weed up by its roots."

    A suggestion was given by an elderly member of the group, who the rest clearly held a high opinion of, as they voiced their agreement.

    "Here, here! A fine decision!"

    It was not to the Daimyo¡¯s liking, however. As there was one thing he clearly understood was required for sess on the campaign: speed. The thought of waiting made him anxious. It would give Kyoto time to bolster its defences, and call in its allies. It would also mean their supplies dwindled.

    "Is there nothing else?"

    Matsudaira knew what he would do, but offered no solution to the council. Thest thing he wanted was for this man to be Shogun. Instead, he sat there, hand ying with his short, pointed goatee, as he looked to be the very epitome of a man in thought.

    ¡¯I wonder if a duck could outrun a chicken...¡¯

    Was foremost on his mind.

    His average face distracted you from his brilliance, and his shaved head showed hisck of regard for fashion. He was a man of his own heart, but a man whose feet were tied. It was how he had to be, in order to deal with the crushing helplessness of his servitude to such a pathetic individual as Imagawa.

    "It seems the council has no other solutions to offer, my lord. But fear not! We will do our best to conclude matters quickly."

    The old councilman said, having looked round to see if anyone else was willing to speak.

    "Beauty in harmony, is it?"

    Imagawa spoke, reciting another piece of his knowledge in an attempt to give off some glimmer of intelligence.

    Matsudaira had to physically restrain himself from sighing. There was little worse than a foolish man who could not recognise his own foolishness.

    "Quite right my lord, poetic as ever!"

    A councilman praised.

    ¡¯Oh, how you crows chirp and chirp, craving more gold and more power.¡¯

    Matsudairamented internally. If not for his n, he would have taken his life long ago to escape from this mundane reality. And what was worse still, was the others refused to represent themselves honestly, and so he sat in a circle ying an endless game where the snake continually professed itself to be a wise old owl.

    He might have felt sorry for Imagawa, considering how almost all his subordinates were using him. But the man was so blown up on arrogance that it was all but impossible to feel anything for him other than disgust.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading!!

 Chapter 84 - Dengaku-hazama

    The men spent their days in celebration, raising toasts to the various skirmishes that they had won, and the inevitable victory that was toe over Oda Nobunaga. He was trapped like a rat on that high hill of his, and in the meantime, they merely helped themselves to all the supplies that were delivered his way.

    But the Special Force unit did not share that sense of victory, and felt no cause to celebrate. Not that they could have anyway, for their leader knew what was toe. He put them through training daily, keeping them on their toes, making them ever sharper.

    Nakatane had his main unit join them, then, aroundte morning, he joined them himself, practising his duelling and raising his stamina amongst the rest. The ashigaru units struggled to keep up with the Special Forces unit from theirck of endurance, but within a couple of days, they started to make progress.

    Their one on one fighting skill was showing good improvement as well, as from the repeated practise they started to get a good grasp of the basic techniques.

    CLCK... CLCK CLCK

    The sound of musket fire rang through the forest at various points through the days, as Matsudaira continued training his men also. To him, this campaign was just another step that would improve the forces under him, and so he cared not for all the whispers of victory that passed through camp.

    Gengyo felt a little envious at the sound, as for a while he¡¯d wanted to employ some matchlock units of his own, but hadcked the coin. But now he held more than enough coin, yet he did not have the opportunity to spend it.

    He redirected Togashi¡¯s stabbing strike off to the side, before stooping low, and aiming a strike of his own toward the man¡¯s leg. Dodging the strike, Togashi lifted his leg and kicked out towards him. The unexpected nature of the attack would have rendered it a sess against nearly all the opponents he was ever to face.

    Yet, he had spent a good amount of time training with the youngmander, and by now, the man was more than wise to his tricks, so instead of panicking as the leg came towards him, he instead drove in, seizing the opportunity where his opponent was off guard, and securing a firm strike on his torso.

    "Ow..."

    Togashiined lightly, conceding the point.

    "You¡¯re getting better and better Miura-san."

    He said approvingly. Their duels were more akin to chess matches now, as they were almost evenly matched in skill. And so, both men found their matches ever more enjoyable, knowing it could go either way.

    The ashigaru unit that had gathered round to watch the tutorial pped enthusiastically at the high-speed fight.

    "Woh!"

    Some gasped, impressed.

    "As you see, fighting is not limited to the weapon held in your hands. Togashi-kun almost defeated me by using a kick to set me off guard. So when you fight with your spear, should the enemy grow close, instead of simply panicking and attempting to regain distance, kick out at him. Practise that now."

    He instructed, as they filtered off in a line of pairs, holding their spears. One side resumed the role of someone who had slipped past the length of the spear, and was about to im the other¡¯s life. Whilst the other side attempted to defend themselves with kicks.

    The Special Forces unit were engaged in duels of the sword. By now they needed no instruction. They knew better than anyone else where their weaknessesy, and only through practice could they seek to rectify them.

    Aritada and Yoritomo sparred seriously, circling each other, looking for the perfect strike, before lunging in, using the full length of their de, attempting to secure the point. But that almost never worked. They were too even in regards to skill, and whatever strikes they tried would be blocked at least once.

    Aritada¡¯s lunge was countered brilliantly by Yoritomo, who redirected the de away from his body, whilst continuing the downward motion, sliding his bokken down Aritada¡¯s bokken, aiming for his hands.

    Panicked by the assault on his fingers, Aritada dropped his weapon. But it had been instilled in him that a fight was never over until one of them was dead. So instead of iming defeat, and conceding the point, he went low with speed, tackling his friend to the ground.

    His arms were taken control of, so Yoritomo could not bring his weapon high enough to stab his assant. Instead, he made the decision to free up his hands, and discard his weapon, before wrestling Aritada for the topmost position.

    As it happens he could not secure it, however. Aritada had his shoulders firmly pinned to the ground, and he was unable to move at all. Had this been a battlefield, he would have punched Yoritomo until the only thing that filled his vision was his own blood. Both knew that, and so, he admitted defeat.

    "Your win. 2-2 now. Let¡¯s go!"

    They had improved leaps and bounds since that first sparring session that Gengyo had seen all those weeks ago. And now, instead of fighting as children who practised the sword, or simply as swordsmen, they fought as warriors. They had epted their units philosophy that a weapon was no more than a tool, and were able to do everything necessary to bring their opponent to his knees.

    Jikouji and Nakatane were also gathered on this side, duelling alongside the rest of the men.

    "Ha! You¡¯ve grown slow, old man!"

    Nakatane mocked, as lunged in, taking control of Jikouji¡¯s sword with his own, and forcing him backwards.

    "Pah! This is why you were such a poor student! You mistake speed for skill!"

    Jikouji called back, easily untangling his sword, before sending a powerful strike against the wood of Nakatane¡¯s weapon. It was a strike that held behind it the intention to kill ¨C though it had been aimed at the weapon ¨C and so it had a good deal of power. The vibration caused by such a blow was not insignificant, and it took a great deal of effort for the other man to maintain a hold upon his weapon.

    As he was preupied with not dropping his sword, Jikouji¡¯s de made its way toward the flesh of Nakatane¡¯s neck.

    "Do you see? Skill defeats speed once more."

    Jikouji said, a little too proudly.

    "Hmph. Don¡¯t get so ahead of yourself, old man. It¡¯s only 3-2! I¡¯m still in the lead!"

    It was good for them to have someone to duel against. That was the case for almost everyone in the unit ¨C they all had someone of simr skill, who they could pit their wits against, and fight to im victory.

    Yet there was one man that did not. And to duel him would basically be an act of violence against yourself. As such, very few people volunteered to be his partner, and he had to travel up the line, inflicting punishment on one man, before moving to the next.

    Rokkaku bravely took a beating from Morohira before yielding.

    "Good fight, Miura-san! It¡¯s your win!"

    He called out rapidly, as the bokken sailed toward his shoulder.

    "Heh, alright. Good fight, Rokkaku!"

    He said heartily, before muttering under his breath.

    "10 down... 40 to go."

    It was not even something that he had made up to stroke his own pride. In that morning, he had genuinely won duels against 10 different members of the Special Forces unit, and sought wins against the rest before the day ended.

    There was one man he had been begging to fight for a good time ¨C Togashi. But it had never happened, for Togashi was busy duelling Gengyo more often than not, and the youngmander did not feel like slowing his progress by letting his sparring partner get bruised up by his own father.

    In the end, Morohira almost always had to resort back to Masaatsu, who was more than happy to spar with him, despite the beating that he was bound to take.

    "Hah! How was that?"

    Morohira asked of Masaatsu, who was struggling to breathe after being winded by one of his opponent¡¯s sudden punches.

    "Surprising... lets... go... again."

    He had spent more time duelling with Morohira than the rest, so Gengyo held a curiosity about what his brother¡¯s true skill level was. He was able to defend against their fathers blows for a time, but he seemed unwilling to duel anyone but Morohira. Was that because he felt that fighting anyone else would be a waste of time, because he knew his skill to be higher? It was a good question.

    On the battlefield, he was covered in blood just as much as anyone else, and Gengyo had never seen him return heavily wounded. But from that alone, it was difficult to judge his skill.

    It was odd, though. Morohira wielded his weapon with the chaotic style of a bloodthirsty beast, and in training with him, one would expect for Masaatsu to do the same. But after their numerous bouts, the young man stuck more and more toward convention, wasting less and less movements. And the crazy thing was, it worked. There were times when he put even their father in a bad spot.

    Kitajo was a simrly fierce little puppy. He had started to put some muscles on his arms, and so was no longer as skinny or frail as he once was. But he could still definitely be described as slender. He stood smaller than most of the unit, but he approached training with more than enough dedication to make up for hisck of physical power.

    Now, after their weeks of practice, he was able to duel with some of the powerhouses like Sasaki quite confidently, winning a good amount of the time. He had learned that dealing with their strength head-on was foolish, and in watching Jikouji, he had understood the power of controlling an enemies de rather than confronting it.

    And so, as Sasaki swung toward him with an over-head strike, utilising all the power he held within his body, instead of seeking to block it, or to dodge it, he chose to control it. He stepped slightly out of the way of its path, before sending a strike of his own on top of the de, putting into the wood far more force than his opponent¡¯s arms were ready to handle, and rendering him off bnce. Then he simply poked the big man¡¯s chest with his bokken, and imed victory.

    It seemedtely that Gengyo no longer needed to pay much attention to the progress of his men, for they sought progress fiercely themselves. He more than understood their motivation to get stronger, but it still had caught him off guard to see all of them be so taken by learning the various martial arts.

    Nevertheless, he was happy with their current state, though he knew there was still plenty of room for improvement. He only hoped that they were ready. Ready to face Oda, and ready to perform as he expected them. For when the battlefield came, it would be unlike anything they had faced yet. There would be no straightforward orders. No simple fight and win strategies. It would be chaos.

    He would be asking much of them, he knew, but he dared not leave their role to someone else. It was far too important.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    A little moreid back. Building up for the main event.

 Chapter 85 - A Storm

    Gengyo did not know exactly on which day the battle would ur, so as they sat camp within the gorge of Dengaku-hazama, he did not let his guard down for a single moment. He did not allow his men to rx either. From dusk until early evening, they were fully armoured, and training, and so they would be ready to deal with any threat at any point in time.

    The June weather was vicious in its heat, making the rest of the men liable to stay inside their tents for the majority of the day, avoiding the worst of the sun. Their time was spent drinking, and celebrating. It was the kind of behaviour you¡¯d expect to find inside a tavern ¨C not at a ce that was soon to be a battlefield.

    Scouts were always stationed, keeping an eye out for any movement of the Oda army, waiting for the moment those banners began to descend that steep hill of theirs.

    Of course, Oda was well aware of all the eyes on him. And when he had decided to move ¨C ording to the history books ¨C they were not even made aware that he had gone. He covered an army of strawmen in armour, and nted their banners firmly in the ground, before seemingly disappearing into the mist.

    But what you might call magic, is simply a trick. And a good magic trick involved misdirection. And as it happened, the gods were seemingly on his side.

    "The sky darkens."

    Gengyomented, as he instructed the men through various drills.

    Huge grey clouds wed their way across the blue sky, sullying the beautiful colour. In a country, on the other side of the world, such a sight would have beenmented, for all they knew were grey skies and drizzly rain. Yet here, when the heat was as cruel as it was, the announcement that there would be a little rain was met with cheers, for it meant things were likely to cool down.

    The rest of the men looked up, just in time to see a cloud reach out over the sun.

    "Looks like rain."

    Niiro muttered. He was not as much of a fan of the wetness as the rest, and did not relish the idea of walking around in sodden clothing.

    The sky shed with a bright light, before immediately growing dark again. And then, a few secondster, the low growl of an angry dog by the name of Thunder was uttered.

    The men knew themselves to be in for a storm, but did their best to ignore it as the youngmander had not given the order for them to go inside. Seemingly, he wished for them to continue.

    The first fat droplet hit the ground heavily, instantly being absorbed greedily by the dry, cracked earth.

    To them, it was merely rain, but to him, it signified a far bolder n that was being set in motion.

    ¡¯So, your advance begins, does it Nobunaga?¡¯

    He thought, as a smile begin to decorate his face. A certain thrill was present in his heart for what he knew would be an exciting fight. It would be an odd one as well, for hemanded far fewer men than Oda Nobunaga ¨C but he supposed, in all, he might be said to have the advantage as the army he was a part of was truly ginormous. Yet, he could not rely on them in the least.

    His true advantagey in his knowledge of when, and how the attack would be carried out. He was not aware of the day, but he was certainly aware of the conditions. A thunderstorm on one day in June, as Imagawa and his army sat camp within the gorge of Dengaku-hazama. And each of them had been met.

    In waiting, and standing siege, they had allowed the smaller army to y the role of a sneaky cat. So, was that the wrong decision? Perhaps. But Gengyo did not concern himself with whether it was the wrong or right decision ¨C he had no say in that. He simply had to act to make that n work.

    "Are we going to keep training in this,d?"

    Nakatane asked, seeing the rain begin toe down heavier.

    "Aye, it will do us good."

    Gengyo responded, joining among the ranks of men, showing that he was not about to cower in the face of measly water.

    They epted his decision, and put more heart into training, now that the young man had framed it as a test of their character. No man wished to be the first to fall in the face of simple drizzle.

    And then the great dder of the clouds seemed to contract, and the rainfall became heavier, more akin to rifle fire. The droplets were thick as well, and within a mere few minutes of standing there, they were soaked.

    It was ufortable, but it was necessary. He would rather be soaked now than deadter.

    The men gritted their teeth, and did notin, even as the cold started to seep in. The cold inspired by the elements was nothingpared to the freezing chill inflicted by fear.

    Not that theirints would have been heard had they tried to speak them. The rainfall was far too loud for that. They were a sight to behold, as they stood there, all that remained of the initial 150. The Special Forces donned their ck armour and helmets, which looked even more fearsome with the droplets of rain that ran off it.

    As one, they thrust out with their spears ¨C not a single one of themgging behind ¨C they sliced through the fat globules of water with authority, unflinching as the droplets began to run down their faces and into their eyes. Men, andmanders, stood as one, bearing the weight of the difort together.

    It was symbolic, but not in a way they could understand. It was meaningful ¨C extremely so ¨C to therger picture.

    If Oda were to burst from the trees then and there, and see such men waiting to face him, it would have caused even him to pause. Even the grand unifier of Japan would have to take a deep breath, and calm himself, faced with such unwavering discipline.

    They did not know it, but they were already facing off against an enemy. On the other side of the forest, by now, Oda¡¯s men would be standing in position, waiting. They thought this to be mere practise, mere drills, but they were already engaged inbat.

    It was a waiting game, and twomanders ¨C very different in origin, and very different in the number of the men theymanded ¨C faced off, waiting for the same signal.

    Civilized man had, from the beginning of time, sought to subdue nature, to make it bend toward their will. Yet here they were, waiting. The oue of the battle dependent entirely upon the signals of nature.

    "AWOO!"

    They thrust out once more, splintered an imaginary army to pieces.

    His heart began to beat faster as he felt the slightest change within the weight of the rainfall. So slight, that he wondered whether he had imagined it. His grip on the spear tightened, as time slowed, and his mind was filled with anticipation.

    "Oda-sama, our time draws near! I shall ready the men."

    A man spoke to his leader from within the darkness of the forest. A young man, in his mid-twenties nodded. This was likely the biggest battle of his career, and one would expect to see a trace of nervousness upon that youthful face of his.

    But instead, as he led one of the most ambitious military charges in history, he wore a mask of stoicism that seemed like the epitome of reliability. Not all the men who fought under him today did so willingly, but even those that disliked the man would have to bow low ¨C very low indeed ¨C to truly give his courage its due.

    He sat upon his brown mare, unmoving, as the water drizzled down his face. In one hand, he held the hilt of his sword, and in the other, he embraced the golden broach of the Oda flower, that his father had gifted him on his death bed.

    He acknowledged the beating of his heart. He acknowledged it¡¯s rapid pace. He acknowledged his nervousness. And to each, he did not resist. He did not try to rid himself of the anxious quiver. He merely epted them. He knew them to be symptoms of a healthy body.

    ¡¯What would I be if I did not feel nervousness, right now, in this moment?¡¯

    He thought to himself, feeling the rainfall begin to lessen. The vibrations upon his armour grew fewer in number, and his grasp upon his sword grew tighter. Waiting under hismand were 2,500 men, each ready to move forward should he give them the word. It was a responsibility that few could bear.

    ¡¯Father... The Oda n will not die today.¡¯

    He made that firm promise, and unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, raising it high into the air, directing his men forward, as he spurred his horse into motion.

    Soon, he was moving. Time went so slowly that it seemed remarkable that he was so suddenly in motion. His body felt odd, apprehensive of the danger ahead, and it took a conscious effort for him to calm his mind.

    His mounted men followed behind, swiftly, whilst men armed with matchlocks and katana made haste to bring up the rear.

    They charged through the forest, nearing the narrow gorge, expertly swerving to avoid any trees that got in their way.

    Gengyo heard the sound of approaching hooves, and his smile would have widened, but what he had been waiting for had still yet to arrive.

    ¡¯...¡¯

    His mind went ck. Everything should have been set in motion perfectly. Had he judged their character incorrectly? No. He hadn¡¯t, surely not. Still, the anxiety remained, as the sound of galloping hooves became audible to the rest of the men, who were silently practising with their spear.

    Had they not been engaged in their drunken antics, the whole camp might have heard it too.

    "...Hooves."

    Nakatane breathed lightly, wondering whether they belonged to friend or foe. Seeing the expression etched upon the young retainers face, he thought it might well be thetter.

    "Miura... Do my ears deceive me?"

    "They do not, Niwa-san. Those are the hooves of the approaching Oda army, 2500 strong. And yet we, a mere 130, stand in their way."

    The men heard his words, and gulped. But they did not show cowardice ¨C the opposite was done. They held their spears ever more firmly, resuming the position that they had spent the entire afternoon practising. The bow ashigaru assumed their position behind the spearmen, aiming their bows at the ready.

    "How are we meant to deal with this... The rest are not prepared for battle. We¡¯ll be ughtered."

    He analysed the current situation, and reached that conclusion, speaking it calmly.

    His young retainer did not reply, and soon light was cast upon the approaching men, and a mass of armed warriors were revealed.

    They neared the edge of the treeline, and the Niwa army held their position firmly. It would be a lie to say they did not feel fear, but none gave way to thoughts of fleeing.

    Fmmmm...FWOOSSSHHHHHH

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    The sound of a line of oil giving birth to me. The sound of caskets of gunpowder exploding one after another. The sound of the forest bing a field of a hell.

    "...With chaos, Niwa-san."

    Gengyo whispered, his words drowned out by the chaotic noises, as the fire reflected off his eyes, and he caught sight of the leading man. Their gazes met, and with a wall of fire between them, Miura Tadakata became acquainted with the Daimyo of the Owari province, and leader of the Oda n ¨C Oda Nobunaga.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Battle time fes.

 Chapter 86 - The Start to Chaos

    The hors.e.m.e.n barely managed to reign themselves in, lest they be engulfed by the me before them. The fire had no doubt surprised him, but he did not remain stationary for long, and quickly lead his men left, searching for the point where the wall ended, ready to demolish whatever forcey in his way.

    The sounds of the explosion drew the attention of the men in camp, and the wall of fire rendered them rather panicked. Many men ran about camp, stumbling, looking for their armour, as they cried out maniacally.

    "The enemy is here! They¡¯ve set fire to the forest!"

    The attention of themanders would be caught quickly, but Gengyo could not remain stationary as they went about organising the troops. The forest was vast, and it was highly likely that some of the other encampments had not heard the noises.

    Oda was right in judging that the fire did not extend the whole length of the forest ¨C that would have been impossible. But still, Isabe performed her role admirably. It had taken a good deal of preparation, but she had chosen to believe what the young man had promised her. After all, he carried out the first part of their deal as promised ¨C leaving the jar of opium exactly where he had said he would.

    With a horse from the stable, she had ridden. Within days she arrived inside thend Owari, and had set about her task with haste.

    The first few days she simply spent observing ¨C identifying any men of note. And then, she selected her target: an officer under Nobunaga¡¯smand, but one that was prone to drinking far more than he could tolerate reasonably.

    And then, on that very same night, she had made her way into his tent, andy there on his bed as he stumbled in drunk. He had rubbed his eyes, wondering whether he was dreaming, as shey there, n.a.k.e.d, her curvaceousness fully admirable. She wore an innocent look on her face, and blushed, as though she were a maiden.

    Taken in by her timidness, he had let his guard down. He was a person who was prone to the seeking of pleasure, and with such a beauty before him and his mind a drunken mess, he did not ask too many questions, assuming it was a gift from one of his fellow officers.

    He had undressed hurriedly, and rushed into bed, his hands reaching out to touch her. But she skillfully guided them away, and put a finger to his lips. It was then that she revealed the brown powder, as she emptied it seductively upon her tongue.

    He watched her, entranced, and as she leaned in to kiss him, he returned it passionately. Before he knew what had happened, all the powder had coated the inside of his mouth.

    She ¨C as she used one arm to cover her n.i.p.p.l.es ¨C reached down, offering him a ss of wine. The most beautiful woman offering him his favourite drink of all? He was not likely to refuse. He took the ss from her, those eyes not leaving her body for a second, and he emptied the cup greedily, swallowing the opium in the process.

    It did not take long before his mind was overwhelmed by the effect of the powder ¨C especially in such a dangerouslyrge quantity ¨C and from then on, he effectively became her property. She lead him on just enough so that he would not grow angry, and offered him more opium as he requested it. But not once did she have to give herself up to him.

    His addiction toward the substance was fast, and his addiction for her was almost immediate. She stayed hidden in his tent throughout the day, and as he came home on a night, she weed him warmly, as though they had been married for years.

    Not wanting to displease her, he had told her almost everything that she had asked, and was rewarded with more opium. And if he ever felt hesitance in offering her some of the more sensitive information - that he had to swear secrecy over - such as when they nned to attack the Imagawa camp, she would guide his eyes towards hers and ask.

    "Do you not love me?"

    With a face so sad that it could break even a statues heart. And with that, he would always relent. It was pointless upsetting her over something so trivial. She was his lover ¨C a yful kitten, and a bundle of innocence. She merely wished to know how his day had gone, and he had insulted her with distrust.

    "Ah, forgive me sweetling... I grow tired from the day... I forget myself."

    And like that she had captured his heart, taking from him all that she required. Oil, whenever she had asked for it. He asked no questions, even if an entire jug full disappeared in just one evening, when she imed it was just to help the fire start because the wood had grown wet.

    Gunpowder, too. She demanded vast amounts of that. So much so that he had to struggle to get it. But she imed it was an important ingredient in making the opium that he loved so much, and had to be burned inrge quantities to make such quality powder.

    But what did it matter to him? He had all that she needed within his grasp. It was his honour to reward her, as she rewarded him. It was a beautiful rtionship, he felt, and they were clearly destined to be together for a long time.

    Whenever the day was long, she would provide him with a feast for his eyes, and take all his stresses away with the powdery opium that he grown to love almost as much as her.

    And then, one morning, as he came home, she was gone. Her, amongst a few other things. His seal, and his horse, and his carriage. They had all disappeared on the same day that the love of his life had.

    He searched endlessly for her, until the early morning, only toe home, his heart torn to pieces. Upon his pillow, he saw a single bowl ¨C one that he hadpletely ignored earlier ¨C and in it, he recognized a familiar powder. With shaking hands he had consumed more of the precious powder than she had ever given to him, and been transported into and of bliss, before he promptly breathed hisst, and died.

    With his horses and with his carriage, she had loaded up all the gunpowder and oil she had extorted from him. And, covered in a cloak as she was, no one called out to her. The seal was merely an extra reassurance in case things took a turn for the worse. But on the road to the temple, as they were, the sight of carriages moving in and out of the encampment was not umon.

    She had set up all that she needed to within a day, and had waited, away from prying eyes, as the forces of Imagawa started to enter the forest. She did all this for a mere promise. A promise given to her by a man that she did not know. But it was the only hope she had, and so she had grasped the lifeline had thrown to her with both hands and did all that was asked of her.

    Oddly, she did not feel any bitterness toward her task. Quite the contrary ¨C she found herself enjoying it. It had been years since she had moved about so freely within the outside world, and because she did so with a clear purpose in mind, she was able to appreciate it to the fullest.

    Even as she tormented that pathetic man who could not see past her beautiful appearance, she did not feel displeasure. Quite the contrary, she enjoyed ying with him, and wrapping his pitiful existence around her finger.

    The only time she began to feel frustration was when she had to wait. She counted off the days upon her fingers, having remembered what the officer had told her. That, and one more piece of information ¨C one given to her by Gengyo ¨C was all she had avable. Gengyo had told her that the attack would be held in the afternoon. That was all he himself knew. There was no exact date.

    And when the destined day hade, as noon came around, the heavens had opened, and all the pent up rain had poured down. She had taken cover under the trees and watched anxiously. Had that man who predicted that it would be noon... was he wrong? She did not dare to light the line of oil yet. The fire would be unable to spread under the force of the rain.

    Instead, she had been forced to wait, stressed to her limits. And as the rain finally died down, she had returned back to the now-watery oil path, and the now rather sodden crates of gunpowder, and to them, she had held a torch, almost half-heartedly, not believing that they would light.

    But she had underestimated thebustibility of the ck liquid, and even yelped in surprise as it roared quickly into a vicious me, and that me soon spread all down the path that she had prepared. There were loud gunpowder explosions along the way, causing her to flinch.

    She watched the chaos with a degree of triumph, wondering whether it had been on time. But as she felt the drumming of hooves upon the hard earth, she knew that her timing had been just right, and she recalled his final order.

    ¡¯...When that isplete, head as far away from the battlefield as possible and...¡¯

    She did not need to be told twice. The bedroom was more her domain than the battlefield.

    "I have performed my duty, young man. If this was all a trick, then I will take great pleasure in making the rest of your life difficult."

    She spoke to the wind, as she mounted the horse and rode away, leaving the chaos of the smoke and fire to the men.

    As Oda Nobunaga galloped down the wall of me, he only just missed the sight of her fleeing figure. He rounded it with haste, sparing a nce backwards to see whether his men had kept up. They had. But the infantry wasgging behind.

    Further east he saw a camp. One that was not as busy with activity as the one that he had just left behind. With a predatory smile, he set their path toward it.

    ¡¯Even if a traitor attempts to thwart my ns ¨C it shall not be that easy.¡¯

    He said to himself. Such a perfectly timed wall of fire positioned exactly where they intended to attack? That was information only privy to some of his closest men. It was undoubtedly the act of treachery.

    He stormed toward the camp, leading the charge with his sword drawn. His eyes watered from all the smoke that had stung them, but his vision remained clear.

    A drunken man danced with an arm around his friend.

    "Toooo theeee goddsss weeee giveee thanksssss... forrrr annn easssyyy victorryyy... let¡¯s dance..."

    They sang. He felt a slight vibration beneath his feet, and turned back in time to see Oda¡¯s sharp de creeping toward his neck.

    SLURP

    And like that first blood was drawn. The ill-prepared men screamed out loudly in dismay as they were cut down by the sudden force that descended upon them. Though their screams and shouts were loud, nomander emerged to their aid ¨C assuming it was merely the noise of men heartily celebrating, as they had been all throughout the day.

    The Oda forces partook in the buffet of blood, not spending too long on each group of men, they tore swiftly through the camp, cutting throat after throat, and hacking men to pieces.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading! :)

 Chapter 87 - East

    "F.u.c.kd, they¡¯re going to attack the eastern camp!"

    Nakatane cursed, a little panicked upon seeing them head east. To the west, Matsudaira was camped, and they had heard those men training for the majority of the day. They would be ready to deal with the sudden charge.

    But eastwards was a camp under Asahina Yasutomo, one of Imagawa¡¯s retainers. And if they were anything like their Daimyo, the men will have spent most of the day celebrating, and be unarmed now, in thete afternoon.

    They had sessfully defended their own camp, with the wall of fire. That also happened to be the camp in which Imagawa was stationed, as Nobunaga seemed to know beforehand. That meant that absolute victory was already torn from the man¡¯s grasp. Imagawa, and his 6000 men, would certainly be armed and ready to confront them by the time they returned.

    But the problemy in how to warn the western camp of the imminent threat.

    "Even if we go now, we will not make it in time."

    He calmy responded, though internally he wasplimenting Nobunaga¡¯s quick decision making, and also his luck. Had he simply went left instead of right, he would have met his end via Masaadaira¡¯s muskets.

    "I know! But what can we do?"

    He was panicking, as were the men. It was apletely unexpected development for them. They had been prepared to stake their lives in defending, but now, with all the chaos that had suddenly sprung up, and the fire that grew progressivelyrger in its might, they did not know what they had to do. They were disoriented, and that was dangerous.

    "We leave it. Instead, we will head to Okabe¡¯s camp, and warn them."

    It was the closest of the four camps to Asahina¡¯s, and so it was likely that Oda would head there first, for Oda¡¯s objective was clear: kill as many enemies as possible whilst they still hold the element of surprise.

    Nakatane blinked. It was an extremely cold decision to make, but he knew it to be the correct one. There was no chance that they would be able to make it in time. The horses were far faster than they were. And so, it would be far more effective ¨C and have a far higher chance of sess ¨C if they went straight to Okabe¡¯s.

    The campy northeast of Asahina¡¯s, so it was actually rather close to Imagawa¡¯s, but was inessible directly due to the ze.

    And so they ran. With that decision, they were effectively leaving 8000 men to die. It was a decision more based on reason than morality, and so was one that few people would dare to make.

    The pandemonium that had been orchestrated with the help of the fire was of a scale that even Gengyo could not predict. Despite the intense rainfall, the scorching mes consumed the woond avidly, and spread to other parts of the forest at a terrifying pace.

    It was likely that by now, other camps had seen the mes ¨C and had they not, it should be considered rather shameful ¨C but still themanders likely would not judge it to be enough to mobilize all their forces for deployment.

    The heat of the mes was intense, and the smoke was harsh on their eyes and lungs. They were d to be able to part from it when the stream meandered and they were able to jump over it, heading closer towards Okabe¡¯s camp, led by their young strategist.

    The Special Forces members had disregarded their bows ¨C there had not been time to retrieve them, and time was most certainly of the essence. They merely held their spears, and their swords swung at their waists.

    Luckily, the distance to Okabe¡¯s camp was short, and they were able to sprint it without growing too tired. Before they even arrived, they begun shouting out, warning the celebrating men of the great danger they were in.

    "WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK! INFORM THE COMMANDER OF ENEMY FORCES!"

    They shouted, barely catching the attention of the drunken rabble.

    Soon they burst into camp, and the men were forced to pay them mind. Even in their drunken stupor, they could tell that these men were deadly serious, and the news they carried was believed to be true. They scrambled about madly, doing all they could to prepare before the inevitable attack.

    Men of higher ranks overheard, and moved towards Okabe¡¯s tent to warn him. A few minutester, the man arrived, though still unarmed, and not in the least ready to deliver orders. When he caught sight of the fully armoured Niwa men, and his men who was in a frenzy to arm themselves, he finally began to pay more attention, realizing that this was far more serious than it first appeared.

    Action was being taken, but it was far too slow for Gengyo¡¯s liking, and he bit his lips nervously, frustrated that there was nothing he could do except wait.

    Elsewhere, Oda continued causing carnage. His infantry units joined the fray, and theplete annihtion of the eastern encampment drew near.

    The men set fire to tents as they went, and killed anyone within range. Nobunaga¡¯s sword arm ached from the amount of strikes he had delivered, yet his heart bore no weight for the amount of lives that he had imed. In his eyes, this was still far from enough.

    A mere eight thousand. And they were being dealt with so slowly. This was not the way the n was meant to go. They were meant to have all the time they needed to eradicate one camp, before moving onto the next.

    But because of that fire, because of that traitor, and because of that man in ck who had caught sight of him, he knew that Imagawa and his camp would already be nearpleted in arming themselves, and would very soon engage in a hunt for his blood.

    It was a race, in his mind, whoever could reach the encampment first. He betted only his himself.

    SPURT

    A spear drove into the side of his mare, causing the poor beast to rear, throwing him from the saddle, before collopasing to the floor herself. Odanded hard upon his bottom, though was able to get to his feet just in time to see the man who had dared to dismount him have his head struck from his shoulders.

    "Daimyo-sama! Are you alright?"

    One of his closest guardsmen called down to him, before dismounting from his horse, and offering to help Nobunaga on top of it. But his Daimyo waved his concerns aside. Therge tent of the encampment¡¯smander was just ahead ¨C he would have to dismount in a few moments time anyway.

    He stepped across the bodies ¨C that littered the path to the white tent ¨C without a hint of distaste. His focus was single-minded. He cared not for the small inconveniences and diforts that threatened toe his way.

    The majority of the corpses wore nothing but a kimono, and very few died with a weapon in hand. They were caught well and truly off guard, which in itself, was pitiful.

    He felt anger towards themander on their behalf. Where was he, when he heard their screams and shouts? Why was he not present upon the field of battle, even if it was simply to see himself and his men to the grave? There was no excuse for such cowardice, and before his pulled back the p to the white tent, he reaffirmed to himself that he would show no mercy.

    Yet inside was not the sight he had expected to see. He had imagined a man, half-n.a.k.e.d, kneeling down on the floor, weeping in fear as he begged for forgiveness. But in here he saw an old man engaged in rather passionate lovemaking to a girl who was less than a quarter his age.

    She m.o.a.ned loudly, eyes half-closed, as he went about his work like a rabbit. It was only when he shoved his sword through the exposed back of the old man that either of them noticed his presence. He gasped, and stopped in the middle of his next thrust, face contorted with pain and confusion, as he turned his head round to meet the gaze of his killer.

    It was only when she felt his warm blood dripping upon the soft flesh of her belly, did she open her eyes, and realize that the man who she had spent the past three years offering her body to was dead.

    She screamed, seeing Nobunaga¡¯s bloody visage, and the cold steel of his de poking out through the deadmander¡¯s chest.

    He, in turn, simply regarded her with a cold stare, as he withdrew his weapon, and turned to leave. He held not grievances toward the women of the Imagawa n, but nor would he stoop low to offer themfort.

    He exited the tent, and found a horse waiting for him to mount it, and his men were waiting loyally beside it, eager to hear his nextmand. He gave them not words, for they needed none. He instead leapt up onto the back of the pure white stallion, and sped the reigns firmly, before spurring him onward, targeting the camp he knew to be nearest to here.

    Dismayed by the camp member¡¯s sluggishness, Gengyo forced them to be faster.

    "ALL WHO ARE ABLE, FOLLOW ME BACK TO IMAGAWA¡¯S CAMP."

    He led his men over, waiting for the rest to join them. Initially, he had thought they might be able to hold the encampment themselves, but too few of the men were armed and ready, and he knew Nobunaga might charge through at any second. If they were caught out then he would be putting his own men¡¯s lives at risk, and that was something he judged not to be worth it.

    They sprinted back through the forest, a bulk of men following behind them. Some were only half-dressed, and shoeless, calling out in pain as they impaled the soft flesh of their feet on a rather sharp stick or stone.

    Others were either less drunk or more disciplined, and hurtled after them fully armed, ready to do battle.

    The fear they felt at seeing so many leave spurred the others onwards, urging them to move faster and catch up to the pack. If they were caught running when Oda attacked, then they would be cut to pieces, and any man with more than half a brain in his skull was well aware of it.

    Okabe galloped on ahead with his guard, having quickly mounted and abandoned the camp.

    Gengyo wanted to curse at his cowardice, but he had held doubts about the man from the start, and feared something like this would be done. It simply made him grateful that he made the choice he did, and left that dreaded camp behind.

    The stream that they had leapt over so easily earlier proved to be some kind of pitfall for those that followed behind them, as many fell in, caught unawares, injuring themselves.

    They soon caught sight of the zing inferno, and struggled to steer clear of it. It had almost doubled in width since they had left it, and was still intent on expanding. The heat quickly dried the bark of the trees - which were only sodden on the surface, as the days before had been dry ¨C and the firepped the dry wood with a vicarious appetite.

    The way things were going, the entire forest was liable to burn down. It was an environmentalists nightmare, but it was a necessary step in thwarting Oda¡¯s surprise attack, and stopping theplete defeat of the Imagawa forces before they had even properly begun their campaign.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thanks for reading! :)

 Chapter 88 - Onwards

    In the Matsudaira camp, they had spent the entire morning - and early afternoon - training. But as the thunderstorm storm drew in, themander had looked up at the dark, heavy clouds, and judged that then would be a good time for a break ¨C he did not want the gunpowder to grow wet.

    And so they had gathered within their tents, escaping the worst of the rain, as they sat exhausted, d of the chance to be able to sit down and get something to eat.

    Though, they had been made to remain armed, for training would resume once the rain had lessened ¨C and many found themselves wishing that it never would.

    Theirmander was a serious man, and seemed to take personal offence whenever they gave something less than their maximum effort. He expected the best from them at all times, and drilled them ruthlessly.

    But when it came time for them to unwind, he was one of the men, and took the time to eat with them by the warm fires, learning more about those that served under him. This fostered aradery that was unusual for such arge army, and despite all that he expected of them, they still strove not to let him down.

    He strolled through the camp now, since that rain had lessened, and greeted the various men that he passed.

    "Ah, Arai, you¡¯re still smiling! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you look unhappy. Got any tips for a grumpy old man?"

    The men responded unguardedly to themander¡¯s yful questioning, knowing that he would not take offence no matter how savagely they joked.

    "I reckon the secret is not thinking boss, Arai is missing a good bit of kit upstairs!"

    One of Arai¡¯s friends responded on his behalf, and all the men shared augh, Arai includeInsteading of growing upset, his smile only widened, and he agreed with his friend.

    "¡¯Tis true I reckon."

    He said good naturedly.

    It was the kind of reaction that was typical of the men of the Matsudaira army. Within them, Matsudaira had deliberately fostered an easy going nature, that had begun at the top with his patience and leniency toward his officers. He felt great distaste for the behaviour of the Imagawa councilmen, where they would openly snap at one another for the smallest of reasons, and do everything they could to extract even the smallest amount of pleasure from making someone elses day worse.

    He actively punished anyone that stepped out of line in that regard. He had taught his officers to follow his ethos, and if a recruit struggled to keep up with the training, then they would be spoken to, but their words were not to contain malice. Things were to be kept friendly, anything else was unneeded.

    The behaviour of the officers, and the rxed attitude they let off soon rubbed off onto the soldiers, as they were able to deal with the stressful task of learning new techniques without the fear of being torn apart by the fellow men should they fall behind.

    He had done this simply because he judged it to be ideal, and was the kind of environment he wished to be a part of. But, outside of his predictions, it also yielded good results on the battlefield, as was noticeable within the siege of Marine.

    Theraderee that the men had soon lead to an increased morale, and a calmness in the face of danger, as they employed the mindset that they had adopted during training ¨C that of patience, and steady work.

    BOOM

    BOOM

    BOOM

    As he spoke with a group of his men, they had heard the distant sounds of explosions. It was different to that of the gunfire that they had grown so used to ¨C not that it would bemon to hear gunfire anyway, as theirs was the only army under Imagawa that employed matchlocks.

    The men stiffened, knowing it to be serious. Matsudaira responded calmly, turning to one of the officers that had apanied him.

    "Gather the men. We shall investigate that noise as though it was the sound of enemy gunfire. It does not matter if it turns out not to be ¨C it¡¯ll be good practise for getting our formations right."

    He ordered, offering answers to the man¡¯s questions before he could even give voice to them. That was another one of the reasons why the unit was so tightly knit ¨C the officers were always kept in the know, and informed officers meant informed and reassured men.

    "Sir!"

    He bowed stiffly at the waist before turning and running at a jog to begin the assembly.

    "Do you think it¡¯s really enemy gunfire, boss?"

    One of the men asked, curious. It had certainly not sounded like it.

    Matsudaira shrugged, answering honestly.

    "I¡¯m not sure, but we will certainly find out. Are you ready for a fight?"

    The man flexed his arm, patting his bicep, as if to demonstrate his strength.

    "It¡¯s them who¡¯ll need to be ready!"

    The other men was nodding. None of them felt apprehensive about the thought of a battle. Whatever forces the enemy had would likely be numerically inferior to theirs. Also, they were confident in their training, and were ready to demonstrate the power of the matchlock.

    Matsudaira patted his shoulder.

    "That¡¯s exactly the right attitude. We¡¯ll be sure to crush them."

    With that, he turned and walked back to his tent, throwing on his battle armour, before mounting his horse and riding toward the front of his men who were all ready and waiting.

    He was a cautious man, and had them march forward in a defensive formaton, with veteran yari units covering both wings incase of a nking attempt, and experienced men covering their rear. Making up the centre were 1000 matchlock wielders, each holding a loaded rifle that was ready to unleash death with the slightest pull of the trigger.

    By now Oda was nearing Okabe¡¯s camp ¨C or atleast, what remained of it. His men galloped behind him furiously, driving their horses to the limits, as the infantry behind them were ran ragged, attempting to catch up.

    Bordering each camp were streams that had to be leapt over, but they were no problem for the horses.

    They burst through the ranks of tents ¨C sometimes even through the tents themselves, sending them crashing to the floor ¨C and fanned out across the vast area that the camp covered.

    Those foolish enough to move slowly let out screams as they were cut down. Some attempted to run, but their end proved no different, only the sword cut open their backs rather than slicing through their fronts.

    The cavalry did not slow in the least as they levelled the campsite to the ground, hacking down all that stood in their way. Any men that they did not manage to kill would be dealt with by the infantry that came behind them, so none of them changed their course to give chase.

    One thing was obscenely obvious after just moments of being inside the camp: they had been somewhat prepared for theiring. Only around 2000 men were left behind, which was far below how many they expected to find.

    Some of them were fully armoured, and others were barely dressed. But all of them were running in the same direction.

    ¡¯They were warned...¡¯

    Nobunaga cursed. But by who? The fire was too far away from them to see, and the distant explosions would not have been enough to catch their attention. A rider could not have been sent, as they would have taken longer to mobilize due to the horses being unsaddled and resting.

    Who then?

    A face shed inside Nobunaga¡¯s head.

    ¡¯Him? That man in ck? It¡¯s possible... But how would he know that I woulde here?¡¯

    He questioned himself, before realizing that such an answer was obvious: it was the closest camp to Okabe¡¯s. Even an idiot would be able to guess where he might head next.

    He vented his frustration by ying yet another man, the blood sttering over his horse¡¯s nk. The moist soil beneath those four hooves sttered everywhere, reeking havoc as the clumps flew toward the eyes of the hors.e.m.e.n behind him.

    But they had grown used to such trivialities, and did not even flinch as it sshed against their men-yoroi. They merely did as their Daimyo demonstrated, and ended the lives of yet more men.

    He gently directed his horse to follow a curving path as they turned, the arrowhead of men behind him followed splendidly. That was the beauty of such a formation. It allowed the outmost men to have one eye on theirmander at all times, so that movement alterations could be done swiftly.

    He followed the path the masses fled by, hacking down all that came before him as they cried out in terror.

    Matsudaira¡¯s decision to move was confirmed to be the right one, as they soon caught sight of the towering inferno that licked at the heels of the surrounding trees, threatening to burn them to the ground.

    The smoke hung in the air like a thick mist, and it was immensely ufortable to walk through ¨C disorientating as well ¨C and they could not see Imagawa¡¯s camp until they stumbled inside it.

    To themander¡¯s surprise, the inside of the camp was chaotic, as men charged about, arming themselves. He had expected such preparations to have beenpleted far earlier than they were, and still, he had yet to catch sight of Imagawa.

    He shook his head lightly at the ipetence of the man he was forced to serve, sparing a nce back toward the wall of me. If not for that, he wagered, the camp would have already been razed to the ground by the attacking forces.

    He wondered why the enemy had not decided to do that in the first ce, instead of sowing the seeds of chaos with that massive fire of theirs, and the many explosions. Though, he supposed that in the end, the advantage would still be with the enemy, as they would not doubt be causing havoc elsewhere.

    He held a degree of respect for Oda, who had - despite his numbers - not showed the slightest signs of weakness, and was now causing such fear and damage among the ranks of an enemy that far out numbered himself.

    On that thought, Imagawa emerged, d in his heavy battle armour that had been custom designed by a talented armourer, so that the chest piece would be able to make it¡¯s way around his hefty stomach.

    His elite guard rode out in front of him, a huge square shield covering more than half their bodies. Their primary purpose was to protect Imagawa from harm ¨C which included projectile damage ¨C and so they acted basically as a mobile wall that would encircle him at all times. The conditions of their role were so absolute, that they were forbidden to carry a weapon, and only had their shields. This was to dissuade any attempts at breaking formation to y the enemy, and so that they might stay by their Daimyo¡¯s side at all times.

    In truth, it looked a little ridiculous, and he was embarrassed to be on the battlefield beside it. He doubted Oda would be surrounded by an elite guard, though he likely still stood near the rear, so that he might deliver orders more effectively.

    The camp was filled with smoke, and the men struggled to breathe. Their gut instinct lead them to form up at the far end of the camp, where Matsudaira and his men were already ready and waiting.

    Their unstable disposition that was so full of anxiety contrasted against that of Matsudaira¡¯s men who ¨C despite the heat ¨C remained as cool as ice, as though they had been faced with a simr situation thousands of times.

    It was a difference in philosophies, he supposed. Most men were trained to deal with certain situations extremely well. Yet he trained his to deal with everything in a calm and disciplined manner, no matter what it might be.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Hello! Thanks for reading. I¡¯ll release three chapters as usual tomorrow.

 Chapter 89 - Betrayal

    Oda rode through the masses of men, trampling them to the ground, and following their route closer and closer to the Imagawa camp.

    They heard Odaing from a long way off, forecast by the screams of the fallen and the fleeing. No one seemed to wish to move to their aid, as their formations were secure, and they were as solid as a brick wall. To move would be to render themselves vulnerable.

    "HELP! AHHH F.U.C.KKK! HELP US!"

    A man screamed out, his voice rich with pure fear.

    As he caught sight of the Imagawa camp ahead, Gengyo was finally able to give the order to stand firm.

    They were merely 130 men, but with their spears, they would be able to break Nobunaga¡¯s charge, and stop him from killing quite as many men.

    "HOLD FAST! YARI WALL!"

    He called out, the men responded quickly, forming up, holding their spears firmly. They were d of the order, as the screams of the in had been haunting, and they had felt great guilt in running away.

    Recognizing that ck armour of theirs to be that of their saviours, the men sprinted past, breathlessly, tears stained their eyes, and urine soaking their clothes. That had truly been forced into the position of prey, and it was not pleasant, not pleasant in the least.

    A fully armoured man, who held his spear in one hand, did not run past altogether. Instead, he joined the wall, presenting the point of his spear towards the enemy.

    "IF COWARDICE IS NOT IN YOUR HEARTS, JOIN THIS MAN, AND HELP US STOP THAT ODA BASTARD FROM KILLING MORE."

    He shouted out to his fellow men at arms. Most ran past, terrified, simply wishing to be as far away from the fighting as possible. But some were able to conquer their hearts, and pick up their spears once more, resuming the heart of a warrior, rather than that of a startled rabbit.

    And so, from 130, the number of defending men trickled up over 200 hundred. It was still far from enough tofortably withstand the charge of 1000 cavalry men, but it was certainly an improvement.

    "Come on! Imagawa¡¯s camp is just up ahead! Keep running!"

    Masaatsu called out in encouragement to those who had reached the end of their rope. Whose lungs and hearts were screaming from overexertion. But even then, they were not liable to stop. There was not a man who would refrain from pushing himself to his limits should certain death wait behind them. What was a little difortpared to the end of your life?

    Thousands passed them. But thousands more were still far from safety. A light wind spread the smoke throughout the forest, and soon they could barely see whether the man charging in front of them was friend or foe.

    The only way they knew the enemy had not yet arrived was because the vibrating earthquake that rattled their feet ¨C drummed out by thousands of horse¡¯s hooves ¨C was not yet on top of them.

    "AAHHHH!"

    A scream rang out nearby as a man was hacked down. But they could not see his body fall. Their hearts grew tense with fear. The smoke had leant a power to the attacking forces that they did not previously have.

    And then, emerging from the fog, as though he were a demon suddenly materialising, was Oda. The colour of his armour was impossible to tell, as now it was thick with blood, and stuck with many bits of grizzle from organs, skin and muscle.

    The pointed teeth of his men-yoroi seemed to want to devour them, and that sword in his armoured hand was more than happy to deliver on that wish.

    Out of nowhere, two men appeared behind him. Their armour stained in a simr fashion. Even their horses looked fearsome, with their maddened eyes and furious foaming mouths that ached with pain from how hard they had been pushed.

    More and more of these demonic figures slid out, each wearing a mask that looked so very excited by the scent of more bloodshed.

    The arrowhead of this demonic legion drew closer, and their features became easier to make out. But that did not make their fear lessen, as they could confirm that these were mere men. Conversely, it made it grow stronger, as the blood and gore on their armour was rendered even more vivid. It was piled on so thick, as though they had bathed in a bath of severed body parts.

    The men towards the ends started to break. They had note here to fight this. They simply wanted to pretend they were not cowards, after having run from Oda for so long. Surely it was wiser to run back to Imagawa, and fight amongst them?

    But it was far toote. Even if they began running now, the hors.e.m.e.n would easily catch them. Yet rational thinking was not the strong suit of a fear consumed man, and soon they had all fled, leaving the Niwa army by it¡¯s lonesome.

    "DAMN COWARDS!"

    Morohira roared, far more angry than he was afraid.

    "HOLD FIRM!"

    Gengyo instructed, as they gritted their teeth, prepared to catch the mass of horses on the ends of their spears.

    Oda drew closer, his sword held high. He and his horse seemed to show not an inch of fear from the sharpened spear points that could im their lives at any second.

    His gaze was focused on that man in ck. The one who seemed to have made his ns so much more difficult. Had it not been for his interference, then they would have been able to demolish more than half of Imagawa¡¯s army with ease. But yet he was made to give chase.

    And even now, he stood in his way, with his measly amount of men, seemingly convinced that his stand here had meaning, that he would save more men this way.

    He drew nearer, till he was almost on top of Gengyo¡¯s spear, and looked him dead in the eye.

    Those were not the eyes of a sane man. They were red. Red from days of sleeplessness. He had clearly put every inch of energy into making this attack a sess, and now that it had not reached his expectations, he was angry, so very angry, and was willing to risk his life to right the wrongs.

    But at thest second, he circled his horse past the men.

    ¡¯What?¡¯

    Gengyo had been fully prepared, mentally and physically, to meet that man¡¯s charge head-on. Yet at thest second, he had turned, and with him, the entire arrowhead came.

    He thought within those eyes he had caught a hint of insanity. But perhaps that was his ownck of rationality? This man. This Oda Nobunaga had demonstrated - right until the veryst moment - that he was a man of extreme logic.

    Purging this meagre unit of 130 men would have been easy for him, and it would have settled a personal vendetta. But, it was useless in the grand scheme of things. More than that, it would actually serve to be counterproductive. Leading cavalry onto the points of spears was the height of folly, and they would likely have to sacrifice over 200 men just to kill that measly few. It was not worth it. He needed every man he could get.

    And so they rode around, as the men¡¯s breath caught in their throats, not quite understanding what had happened.

    Gengyo dared to allow himself to breathe, as he shook his head.

    ¡¯F.u.c.k.¡¯

    He, despite all the fighting that they had done, felt himselfe to admire that young man. He put the lives of his men foremost before everything else, and that was something worthy of respect.

    He stood there, unmoving, before realising the danger that they were in. Any second now, Oda¡¯s infantry would be running through, and amongst that order were certainly matchlocks, who would have their weapons loaded and ready to fire at a moments notice.

    "WITHDRAW! QUICKLY!"

    He called out, watching his men follow his order and run on ahead, as he dared to turn around and look back in the direction that Nobunaga had rode. But there was nothing to see anymore. The cavalry had been swallowed up by the smoke.

    He ran back with them, imaging those that had fled would be feeling rather foolish by now.

    They slid back through the ranks of spear wielders that held the line, noticing Imagawa was close to the front, surrounded by his shield bearers. From the way he looked at them, it seemed that he had been able to catch sight of their exchange with the Oda cavalry, despite the fog.

    "HALT!"

    He shouted out, as the spear wielders under his personalmand lowered their spears as one ¨C almost hitting them ¨C and forced them back in the process.

    "What the f.u.c.k!?"

    Morohira cursed at such rudeness, his eyesbrows knotting together in a furious frown. The rest of the men felt the same. It did not matter who you were, treating men that had just risked their lives to save your cause with such rudeness ¨C that was unforgivable.

    Imagawa shot Morohira a stern look for his words.

    "WHY DO YOU FLEE FROM BATTLE?"

    He bellowed, so that the whole army might hear him.

    ¡¯Flee from battle? The f.u.c.k? What battle are you looking at, old man?¡¯

    Rokkaku thought internally, thoroughly despising the way in which the obese Daimyo¡¯s chins wobbled together aggressively, like a gigantic toad.

    It was left to Gengyo to try and keep his cool, as he attempted to keep his voice level, and respond to Imagawa¡¯s usations.

    "Daimyo-sama, we merely came back so that we might rejoin you in your charge."

    "NONSENSE. THERE ARE INFANTRY UNITS ON THE WAY, ARE THERE NOT, OKABE?"

    He turned to the man beside him, who wore a snakelike smile.

    "There are indeed. In retreating, you¡¯ve allowed them to walk freely past, tut tut tut."

    "With respect, Daimyo-sama, those infantry number in the thousands, we would have been unable to hold them alone."

    ¡¯Or at all. They would have shot us down before we could even trade blows.¡¯

    "MMM, A PITIFUL EXCUSE. YOU ARE UNWILLING TO GIVE YOUR LIVES FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR GRAND CAMPAIGN? DESPICABLE."

    "We are, and always have been willing to serve the Daimyo to the best of our abilities."

    He responded back through gritted teeth.

    "OH? GOOD. THEN YOU WILL LEAD THE CHARGE, AND BRING THE WORTHLESS ODA INFANTRY TO IT¡¯S KNEES. FAIL IN THIS TASK, AND, AS PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR COWARDICE, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS!"

    "There are a thousand matchlocks amongst them! We¡¯ll be ughtered before we can even get close!"

    "SILENCE! FROM YOUR MOUTH COMES THE WORDS OF A COWARD. IT IS POSSIBLE, IS IT NOT, OKABE?"

    "Indeed it is my lord, if only they would show a bit more heart."

    ¡¯F.U.C.K!¡¯

    He roared internally, his fist clenching tightly around his spear, he took a step forward, rage oveing him. Right there and then he wanted to spear Imagawa like the fat pig he was.

    How dare he put his men in such danger! This was virtual suicide! After the lengths, he had gone to in order to ensure that their defeat was prevented... This was his reward?

    If they had to die, perhaps it would be better to die ridding the earth of such ipetent sc.u.m?

    He seriously consideredbelling this his final charge, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

    "Lad. Calm yourself."

    Nakatane admonished him seriously. There was something about the look that his master gave him that made him listen, and make a conscious effort to still the fire in his blood.

    When he was a little less fired up, Nakatane leaned in, and whispered into his ear.

    "I am of the same thoughts as you. But for now, we do as he says. When this battle is over however... We will equalize the score. Do you understand?"

    //Author¡¯s Note

    So, that¡¯s the first chapter for today. Will be two moreing out.

 Chapter 90 - Monsters

    He stepped inside of the ashigaru¡¯s guard, slicing open his stomach. The man fell, his face a mask of pure terror. It was fitting, perhaps, that he met his end at the hand of devils, for he would be dining with them for eternity in hell.

    Gengyo threw himself into recklessbat, moving faster than he ever had before. He did not make any attempt to appear human, and only moved as his body saw fit. He adopted a crouched posture, like that of an angry silverback, with his de in one hand, as heunched himself into the mass of people, his de slicing through the air rapidly, causing awork of death wherever itnded.

    His body had lost all feeling, and his only desire was to cause destruction. They had thrown away concern for their own lives long before. Had they not, then they would have fallen to the first volley.

    It was bestial. It was terrifying. It was downright inhuman.

    "M-monsters!"

    A man screamed, as he held his weapon out, uselessly projecting its de. With ease, Masaatsu slipped under his guard, and separated his leg from his knee. He barely nced down as he drove his sword into the soft flesh of the man¡¯s chest.

    Those surrounding him backed away. Simr scenes were happening all over.

    "T-they... don¡¯t die..."

    A man whimpered, his voice choked up with fear. No matter how many times they stabbed at them, or how many wounds they made, the men did not slow, and only continued to hunt their lives.

    Masses of corpses were at their feet. It was a terrifying disy.

    Unable to bear the horrific ughter that they were witnessing, the few hundred matchlock ashigaru that remained started to rout, running off in all directions, doing whatever they could to escape their certain death.

    It was only at the sight of those fleeing backs, and theck of enemy presence in front of them that the men started to regain some semnce of their normal selves, as they dared to hope that they would live. But that in itself was dangerous. Their bodies were horrific messes, and with the adrenaline wearing off, the pain set in.

    Gengyo punctured the same man over and over with his broken katana. The man had died long before, but lost to his rage as he was, and with no one else for him to kill, his frustrations were let loose upon the body.

    Soon, his mind started to recover, dared to operate once more. And with it, he grew exhausted, and the de slid from his grasp. He rolled from the corpse, andy on his back.

    His eyes were only slightly open, looking at the sky above them. It seemed night had fallen before they even knew it. They soon closed, as tiredness overwhelmed him, and he began to wish for a long rest.

    ...

    ...

    PAT PAT

    He felt something tapping his cheek.

    "Oy! Lad? You alive?"

    A familiar voice caused him to stir, and he looked up to see Nakatane, looking to be in a gruesome state.

    "Niwa-san..?"

    He whispered painfully, his throat raw from all the shouting he had done. His whole body ached, and he dared not look at the mess of his torso, knowing it to be riddled with bullet wounds.

    He tried to sit up.

    "Easy now."

    Nakatane said, helping him slowly upward.

    He nced around. A few men were standing. But only a few. Around them was a field of corpses, and plenty of smoke.

    He dared not hope that hisrades had made it alive, for the probability of them surviving that brutual offensive was close to zero.

    ¡¯Imagawa would certainly think so too.¡¯

    His anger returned as he pictured that man¡¯s greasy face, with his sunken eyes and trembling chins. He clenched his fist, only to immedietly unclench it after the pain it caused. It seemed a bullet had found its way into his upper arm.

    A thought came, and he spoke, urgently.

    "We need to get out of here!"

    He hastily attempted to get to his feet, but he did so too quickly, and dizziness overwhelmed him. He would have fallen once more had Nakatane not been there to support him.

    "Ayed, take it easy though."

    He nodded, trying to convey his understanding, but the urgency he had about him was not abated in the least. No doubt the Imagawa forces would being soon, and that was thest thing he wished to see. Should they be confirmed to be alive, then they would have to return to that fold, or else Toyone vige would be tormented.

    "The rest are over here."

    He said, supporting Gengyo¡¯s shoulder as he lead him through the smoke.

    "...The rest?"

    He questioned, repeating what their master had said.

    A pitiful amount of men filled his vision as they drew closer. Barely 30 in number. Amongst them, he caught sight of Aritada, who¡¯s eyes were red, and cheeks were stained with tears.

    He looked toward him, a question present on his face.

    Aritada shook his head in response.

    It seemed Yoritomo had fallen. It was unsurprising, considering all that they had went through, but the loss still cut heavily into his heart.

    He was pleased to catch sight of his father, who sat on a felled tree, panting heavily. He was in bad shape. Rokkaku were there too, and Togashi.

    But no matter how hard he searched, he could not catch sight of his brother.

    "Masaatsu... Where¡¯s Masaatsu?"

    "I¡¯m sorry,d..."

    Came Nakatane¡¯s apologetic response.

    "I see..."

    He looked down at the floor, feeling tears of his own begin to sting his eyes. His brother... his dear brother, who had cared for him so much. Rin would be heart broken. Fuku too.

    He wished to fall to the floor then and there, and weep. His legs were weak, and it took a great effort to remain standing. But he knew, more important than anything else, was their need to leave.

    If not, Masaatsu would have died in vain, and revenge could never be achieved.

    "We have to go, Niwa-san... We have to."

    He begged, trying to get him to spur the men into action. Any moment now they could be trapped.

    "Aye, I know. Let¡¯s go, men..."

    He instructed, though there was no power in his voice. Their losses had been too great for them to feel anything at their victory. Some even found themselves wishing that they had died amongst theirrades.

    They stood up, and walked, though so slowly that it was like they were not moving at all. None of them had the strength, and none had the energy. Each step was a great effort.

    "One foot... In front of the other..."

    He heard Nakatane whisper beside him, as he struggled for breath.

    As he walked, Gengyo¡¯s thoughts went toward a certain old man.

    "Jikouji?"

    He said, thinking aloud.

    "Ain¡¯t dead yet, youngin¡¯."

    He heard a voicee from behind him.

    ¡¯Ah...¡¯

    He was grateful to hear that. He did not think he would have been able to deal with the loss of another close friend.

    The hooves of horses sounded out behind them, as the cavalry arrived at the site of the battle. They spoke loudly. Too loudly for their tired ears. And they cared not for what they said. They merely made an effort to stay clear of their path, and they carried on walking, going ever deeper into the forest, putting as much distance as they could between them, and their new enemy.

    Their pace was slow, and they walked for many hours without yet reaching the edge of the forest, and only when dawn rolled around did they finally make it. The first morning light shone off the patch of green. It was inviting. Too inviting. Unceromonously, the exhausted group of battered men copsed to the floor, falling asleep almost immedietly.

    ...

    ...

    They slept for a long time, and some never woke up again. It was truly a miracle that any one of them were alive.

    Feeling a tickling across his face, as a small spider wandered all over him, Gengyo awoke from his slumber, squinting as he shielded his eyes from the bright sun.

    His body ached, even more than it had before he had slept, and any attempt at movement felt like someone had shoved their hand in his stomach, and was ying with his warm intestines.

    In the end, he settled for moving only his head, as he nced around.

    Morohira was already sitting up, lying his back against one of the trees behind them. He had a distant look on his face, as though he was deep in thought. Rokkaku sat right beside him, but it was as though the two were present in two different dimensions, as they spared not even a nce in each other¡¯s direction.

    Jikouji had removed his armour, and was inspecting one of his wounds with a look of great distaste on his face, and every now and then he uttered a m.o.a.n of agony ¨C though he tried to keep it down, so as not to awake the rest.

    "I guess... we live another day, eh Niwa-san?"

    Gengyo said to the man lying next to him, attempting toe to terms with this new reality.

    No response came, and he assumed the man to be asleep.

    "Jikouji-san!"

    He called out in a whispered shout, trying to get the old man¡¯s attention. He nced around like a curious bird, wondering who was calling his name. A warm smile lit up his face and he noted Gengyo¡¯s head peaking out from amongst the long grass.

    "Ah, you¡¯re still alived?"

    "Barely. Is it noon now? I guess I was only asleep for a few hours."

    "Aye it¡¯s noon. But you¡¯ve been asleep more than a couple of hours,d. A day, at least."

    "My god... that long?"

    He questioned, surprised. It was odd that so few of them were up, as well, and he grew worried about the man next to him.

    "Niwa-san?"

    He tried calling out to him again, beginning to worry after the amount of time they had been asleep.

    "Niwa-san? Wake up!"

    He said, shaking his shoulder lightly. There was still no response, and he turned to Jikouji for an exnation. The old man¡¯s expression turned sad, and he remained silent.

    "Niwa-san!"

    Gengyo sat up, and turned him over, growing panicked.

    His body was heavy, and difficult to move, but after a great effort, he managed to get him to roll over. His head swang lifelessly from the movement, and there was yet no response from the master.

    It was only then that he caught sight of the gapping hole near Nakatane¡¯s stomach, where the armour had caved in, and the shredded guts inside were visible.

    "Niwa-san..."

    Tears filled his eyes, and began to drift down his cheeks.

    Despite his condition, Nakatane had supported Gengyo as they walked, when it was he that had needed the support far more. Because of the darkness of the forest, he was not able to see how poor of a condition he was in.

    Right to his veryst breath, the man had been good to him. In the face of Imagawa¡¯s ipetence and Okabe¡¯s malice, he had remained at the height of decency, fighting on so that his men could survive.

    He was there to raise Gengyo up from his lowly position as a peasant. He had always treated him fairly, despite the difference in their status. He was even there as he fell down into the depths of hell, to grab his hand and bring him back up.

    And now, such a man was gone. So many good men were gone. But, with the support of thisrade of his, who he had faced many adversities with, he had felt there was a road onwards. And now... Now he was not so sure.

    //////////

    END OF VOLUME 2

    /////////

    //Author¡¯s Note

    I apologise.

    st chapter="" for="" today,="" hope="" you="" all="" enjoyed="" the="" mass="" release="" c:=""> <st>

 Chapter 91 - Rage

    Matsudaira watched the exchange pitifully. It was another instance of Imagawa being used by one of his subordinates.

    ¡¯What did you do to offend him, young man?¡¯

    He wondered, feeling disgusted at the disy. It was certainly not a contest for position, as they were a mere small-time force with 100 or so men. In fact, it was odd that any attention was given to such a unit at all.

    He forced himself to look away. Getting himself too invested with the force¡¯s plight would only make his guilt stronger when they died.

    "We will do as you say, Daimyo-sama, and bring you glory upon the battlefield."

    Nakatane said calmly. He had spent many years hiding his emotions as he was tormented so viciously by Toda. Jikouji admired his young master for his levelheadedness when the rest of them were so quick to anger. Even their promising strategist - who hade to their aid so many times before - was unable to keep his cool given thismand.

    "GOOD."

    Was all Imagawa said, as he gestured forward,manding them to charge.

    It took all that he had in him to agree to such a demand. Life was a cruel affair for those without power. They were destined to be at the disposal of the strong. Recently, he had allowed himself to dream. Dream that such a path would soon end for them, and that, when it came time for his daughter to assume power, he would be able to give her all that he had earned, so that she would not experience the same abuse that he did.

    For all his wit, and all his intelligence, at this moment Gengyo could not find a better solution. The two choices they had were those presented to them. To think, after all the struggling, after all the fighting, after all the thinking, it would be one of their own allies, in the end, who would see to their destruction.

    Okabe wore that satisfied smile. What had they done to offend him? Was it perhaps because they dared to lead his men to safety? Was it really for a reason so petty?

    ¡¯Ah, but what does it matter. When you wield that much authority, very few are able to question you.¡¯

    Hemented. They were doing so well. They had conquered the hurdles presented to them with ease. The men were close with one another, like one big family. Their morale was high, for they had taken steps to conquer their own hearts. And now they were met with such betrayal.

    They were forced to step forward, one foot in front of the other, as their muscles contracted and extended, remembering such amon motion. They soon gained speed, and charged forward through the smoke.

    ¡¯Was I wrong? Wrong to fight for a cause that was not my own?¡¯

    He wondered, as time slowed, and his mind drifted away from the battlefield. None of this seemed important any more. Even if they were to y the enemy in front of them, there was still the enemy behind.

    ¡¯The world... They would judge me to be the fool. The fault always lies in the hands of the defeated. Honour, it seems, is a foreign term. Perhaps I should have betrayed the Daimyo of my province before he betrayed me. Perhaps I should have joined the Oda?¡¯

    The wet soil clung to their feet, making their movements heavy. The world around them was oddly quiet and cold, as they listened to the sound of their own breath.

    ¡¯Ha! That was not an option. Oda would have never trusted a traitor. The only true option would have been to distance myself from everyone. To stand close by those I knew to be my true allies. To reason with Niwa-san, and to take flee from a war that was not our own. To allow the destruction of the Imagawa.¡¯

    On concluding that thought, his foot hit the ground heavier, as his nk face - thaty emotionless, so confused by the sudden sabotage ¨C regained its animation, and he narrowed his eyes, his eyebrowsing together, resuming that frown that he had thought he was rid of.

    A demon inside him rattled against the chains, crying to be let out.

    <i> ¡¯Kasai... Kasai Gengyo... You finally understand, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s time to return to your roots.¡¯ </i>

    "Indeed... Indeed it is time."

    His words were uttered quietly, but they drifted toward all the men. Their attention returned from their contemting thoughts, and their ears perked, recognizing that young voice.

    "It is time to seize control. It is time to embrace that which the world fears ¨C that darkness within ourselves. For the world is corrupt anyway. We must allow our own grime to enter our blood and make it heavier, so that we can ignite a new fire that will burn stronger, and allow us to face any adversary."

    His whispered words drifted into to their ears, and resonated with their hearts. Had they not experienced such a betrayal together, they would have worried that their leader had be a mad man. But they were ready. Ready to look at a new part of themselves.

    Nakatane understood those words more than anyone, for it was a path that he had thought of walking for a long time, so that he might deal with the torments of Toda. But he had resisted. He had feared to look at what he was capable of, afraid that he would not be able to control it.

    But now, before their certain deaths, there was nothing to lose. Would they die with nk faces, brought low by the petty words of someone else, or would they allow that demon free, so that in their final moments they might reign true chaos upon the world, and let the world know that they were here.

    "REBEL!"

    He shouted suddenly, energized.

    "REBEL AGAINST THAT WHICH SEEKS TO RUIN US!"

    He thought not before he spoke, he merely allowed the words toe of their own ord.

    "REBEL, AND FEEL YOUR RAGE! RAGE AGAINST IMAGAWA! RAGE AGAINST ODA!"

    They were men. Men of the finest sought. They had walked the path of honour, and it had lead them to a dead end. How could they not feel rage?

    "AARGHHHH!"

    Cries full of frustration rang out, as the ceased to care what others might think, and allowed their anger to take hold.

    They did not realize it, but their speed increased. A body consumed by rage did not care about damage to itself. It only cared about the destruction of that around it.

    Holding their spear in their hands. Whether bow ashigaru, yari ashigaru, or Special Forces, they all clung to a spear.

    Through the smoke, ranks of matchlock units were revealed, the front row kneeling, so that those behind them could draw a shot as well.

    They were so focused on their charge, that they did not realize that Imagawa had sent no men to follow behind them. It seemed the cavalry had been sent instead. They were merely a distraction, intended to slow the infantry and little whilst the cavalry was allowed in ce.

    The first volley was unleashed, hitting each of them, as the front rank fired. Their bullets pierced their flesh, embedding themselves under their skin. But they did not falter. Only those that had been unlucky enough to receive a fatal shot straight away, only they were the ones who fell.

    The rest lowered their spears forwards, their faces a mask of pure rage and hatred.

    The ashigaru panicked. They had been hit ¨C some more than once ¨C but they still kept charging. It was right of them to feel fear. The second volley went off, though was a little more disorganized than the first.

    More bullets connected with their flesh, as they barely flinched. Yet more men had to fall, for their brains had been pierced, and they no longer had any control of their bodies.

    "ARGGGGGHHHHH!"

    They roared, drawing closer. There was only a single volley that had yet to be fired, and the enemy was almost upon them. A thousand matchlock ashigaru, left behind to deliver one final volley to the enemy, before they weremanded to make haste and flee.

    The swordsmen had gone on ahead. Any attack theymitted to would be theirst. They did not have the advantage of range that the matchlocks did.

    Some of the bullets flew through the forest past the Niwa army, and sent men on Imagawa¡¯s front rank stumbling to the floor. It had been their intent all along, to fire deep in the smoke, where they knew Imagawa¡¯s forces to be residing. Yet they were met with this suicidal charge. A charge that should have been defeated with ease, yet it still had not lost its momentum.

    FOOSH FOOSH FOOSH

    The final volley went off, and the two forces collided.

    The Niwa men drove their spears in deep, barely slowing. The Special Forces men killed many with their initial charge, before casting their spears aside, and drawing the sword.

    They whirled around, furious, covered in their own blood as they shed widely.

    "RAHHHHHHHHH!"

    Pain only made them grow angrier, and madder, and did not slow them in the least. They were men that had cast aside their humanity, and allowed something more primitive to take hold. They were men that had absolutely nothing to lose, thrown away by those who they served. They were men that fully understood what it meant to feel rage.

    They carved their way through as the forces crumbled before them. Mere ashigaru were not likely to slow them with ease. Their morale was too low, their thoughts too scattered. Faced with the single-minded determination to kill all that was in their way, they were terriblycking.

    With bullets gone from their guns, and mere bays on the end of their rifles, they attempted to swarm the enemy and it¡¯s meagre numbers, to overwhelm them.

    But their shallow strikes were not nearly enough. They were mere tickles whenpared to the pain of a bullet.

    Rokkaku, unfeeling, used all his strength, and cleaved a man across from his right shoulder to his left thigh, rendering himpletely in half. Understandably, those ashigaru that had seen such brutality started to back away, but there was little chance of escape.

    Morohira wielded his katana and that of one of his fallenrades, a whirlwind of fury, as his own blood made its way up past his lips, yet he still fought with the ferocity of a lion.

    Nakatane had multiple bullet holes scattered around his chest, and fighting on proved difficult, as his body started to rebel. But spurred on by his anger, he did not yield to the need for rest, and shed men apart as though they were made of straw.

    Jikouji fought alongside him, brutally efficient, fighting like a man half his age. The culmination of his years of training was truly manifest, and every time he moved, another man fell to the floor.

    Yoritomo and Aritada had thrown themselves into this campaign, truly believing that it was their future. That it was their chance to live their dreams. They had held the various Daimyos in high regard, believing them to be the height of honour. And now, their beliefs had proved to be false, and they were left empty. Only rage could fill that hole in their hearts, as tears clung to their faces, and they wailed in despair, cutting down foes left and right. It was truly a terrifying sight.

    Maniacally, some of the ashigaru attempted to reload, but there was far from enough time, and their own men were in the way ¨C a foolish endeavour. Some let shots off in their fear, actually hitting men of their own, but they still continued, doing anything they could to stop these savage beasts from reaching them and tearing them to pieces.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    One more toe.

 Chapter 92 - Announcement

Yikes...

    Sorry to those of you that have already read the recent mass release. It seems I published the chapters in the wrong order. That¡¯s fixed now. It won¡¯t happen again.

 Chapter 93 - Death

    He sat there, dead-eyed for the longest of times. So many had died. Even their master, Nakatane, was dead. What way forward was there from this?

    The sun warmed the back of his head, rendering his mind even more num. He was grateful for it, as it allowed him to shut out his thoughts. He nced around - unseeing, and unfeeling - at all who were left.

    By the looks of them, even they would not survive. Morohira¡¯s chest was a mess of bullet holes and stab wounds ¨C it was a wonder he was still breathing. Those wounds needed closing and cleansing immediately, else they were liable to get infected.

    Rokkaku next to him was in even worse shape, and some of the wounds were still bleeding. Most of them preferred not to look at their own bodies, given how bashed up they were. Truly, them being alive was a matter of luck. A mere 11 men out of 130.

    But not that it mattered. These were their final hours. Their final struggle. There was no forwards road, no path through the impassable mountains. This is where all their efforts had left them. In a quiet grassy field with the sun to warm their backs as they passed on into the next world.

    He tilted his head back, and listlessly looked at the blue sky above.

    "Ah..."

    He breathed, surprised at the unexpected beauty. Small insects used his fingers as climbing frames as he remained so still that it was like he was already dead.

    "Miura... Miura..."

    He turned to see Jikouji had made his way to his side. He stared up at that old face of his, and the blood that had matted his beard, and briefly wondered how it was that the oldest amongst them had managed to survive. But he continued that thought no further, for he was d that those eyes still retained life.

    "Jikouji-san..."

    He muttered painfully, as though it was a distant memory caught on a passing breeze. He noticed that his lips continued moving, but he barely processed the words that he said. He had no energy, no motivation for anything. It was over.

    "...there¡¯s...to...for"

    Broken fragments of speech drifted through his mind. He might have turned himself to better hear the words, but he feared the pain that such a movement would bring.

    He didn¡¯t want to hear what Jikouji had to say. He was afraid to hear it. He was done. He was too tired. He didn¡¯t want to hear of the responsibilities he had. He wanted to drift away, and rest awhile.

    He turned his head, and caught sight of Kitajo, nursing a terrible wound to his upper thigh. It looked painful, and he could see the youngd was gritting his teeth. But as their eyes met, he still smiled in his direction.

    The smile brought a slight warmth to his heart, as his brain tried to remember something important. A spark of life flittered through, cranking his mind into motion.

    ¡¯No... I¡¯ve given up on society... I can¡¯t take the pain... There¡¯s nothing you can do ¨C there¡¯s nothing you can say.¡¯

    "Miura... Miura ¨C look up,d. Look up."

    The words filtered into his restored mind - that was still so raw from the weight of the deaths - and he barely registered them. He, more than anything, wished to ignore thempletely, and just curl up into a ball and wait for death toe. There was nothing left for him to protect ¨C there was no point in continuing.

    "Look up. Go on, look up."

    He dared to, but all he saw was the sight of his woundedrades, who had trusted in him, and in the end they had been wounded so badly because he allowed himself to be put at the mercy of someone more powerful than he.

    He met their gazes, from Rokkau to Sasaki, all the way down to the peasant ashigaru who he was not familiar with. They all met his gaze, and they smiled.

    "Do you see, Miura Tadakata? There is still life in those eyes of theirs. Despite all that has happened. We have all lostrades, young one, but now is not the time for us to die."

    He tried to counsel him, and a warmth started to block out the cold, and attempted to reach into his heart, he recalled dreams of a ze that inspired him, but now all that was left were feeble sparks.

    He turned to Aritada, and was overwhelmed by sadness at the boy¡¯s tearstained face. He had lost his childhood friend, someone who had been there throughout every day of his life ¨C closer than his own brother. And yet, to him, he still forced his lips up in a smile, and his head down in a nod.

    "I think I know what is going through that head of yours, boy. But do not misunderstand ¨C this not your fault. This is not your burden to bear. Yet there is still something I demand you take responsibility for."

    He voice hardened toward thest part,ced with authority, causing Gengyo to look up at him stiffly, and expectantly.

    "I demand that you take responsibility for our lives. It is through you that we still lived. Imagawa sentenced us to death, but with your guidance, we unleashed chaos, and spoke with the devil, only to remain alive this day."

    He looked down at that. So it was his fault, that they were here, now, to suffer?

    "Do not misunderstand, however. Our lives are built on the hill of many sacrifices, and for you to turn away now would be to call their efforts meaningless. It is through their might that we are able to speak like this."

    "...What would you have me do?"

    He spoke in a whisper, as it hurt his throat to talk, but more than anything it reminded him that he was present within the moment, and that was thest thing he wished to experience.

    "Take the lead, boy. The responsibility ¨C it¡¯s yours."

    Take the lead? Should that not be an honour, rather than a such a heavy responsibility? But then he looked at the state of each of them. They were not men who were ready for action. To lead them would mean to care for them, to help them set their feet back firmly upon the mortal ins.

    But why should such a task fall to him?

    "It¡¯s what Nakatane would have wanted. He spent his whole life seeking freedom and safety from the forces above, so that his daughter, Akiko, would not have to experience the same oppression that he felt at the hands of Toda."

    ¡¯Ah... Akiko.¡¯

    A face shed through his head, and he curled his fingers. How he wished to see her. But it seemed like she was so far away ¨C another dimension, even. He could not even begin to contemte the distance.

    "That was impossible for him. And it was impossible for me. That was, until you came along."

    "It is through your talents that we were are able to have this conversation at all. And if there was ever a more fitting person to lead us, then that person would certainly conquer the world."

    He looked at the men¡¯s faces as Jikouji spoke. They returned his gaze, and within those eyes he could not see a hint of disagreement.

    ¡¯Why? Why do you think so highly of me? I¡¯m... I¡¯m nothing.¡¯

    Those words he spoke within his mind startled a memory into life ¨C a memory from a life of the past.

    He had sat there, in his single filthy room, looking at all that he had owned, inhaling the dampness that came from the crumbling walls.

    It was then, he realized, at the age of 21, that he was nothing. His life, that all had judged to be so promising from school, from the test scores that he had received, amounted to this.

    He was foolish. He had made that intelligence his identity, but it was worthless without the power and position to back it up. It was empty wind.

    And in that moment, he had clenched his fist, and sworn to be something. Fuelled by anger ¨C anger toward himself, anger toward the world around him ¨C he had begun the gruelling climb to the top.

    And when he had gotten there, he had realized how cold it was.

    "Miura."

    Jikouji ¨C through a great effort, and great pain ¨C made his way to one knee in front of him, and drew his bloodied sword from its scabbard.

    He held it up, in both hands, bowing his head, offering it to Gengyo.

    "Please ept my loyalty. Please ept my service. With you to lead us, I know that we will be able to enact revenge for Nakatane, and keep the Niwa family alive."

    Gengyo looked down at him, his eyes widened with surprise. He nced at the sword that was so matted with blood. The old man had not had the energy to clean it yet. Such ceremonies were usually done with the utmost cleanliness. But somehow, it was far more fitting this way. Far more honest. With them both covered in their own blood, the blood of those they had in, and caked in dried mud - it was almost metaphoric for the road they were to walk.

    ¡¯This is... This is certainly different.¡¯

    He thought, as he looked down at the man who was so intent on offering his sword to him.

    ¡¯I am not alone this time... Not alone. So perhaps... perhaps the top will not be so cold.¡¯

    And then, he took the sword by the hilt, and stood up, his face transforming as he remembered that fire of his.

    ¡¯This world... It¡¯s greatest mistake was disregarding me. Imagawa... Okabe. You are not ready. You do not know the man. No! The men, that stood before you. You dared ¨C you f.u.c.k.i.n.g dared ¨C to treat us lightly.¡¯

    "Before this year is out, I will tear Imagawa¡¯s head from his shoulders. I will sent Okabe to slither with the snakes that he so resembles. And, at your side, I will pursue true chaos ¨C true pandemonium, and burn Mikawa to ashes. Do you think that is enough?"

    "NO! Far from it, Miura! We must take from them all that they care about! Allow them to experience what we feel... So that... So that Yoritomo can rest peacefully."

    Aritada stood up and spoke passionately, before kneeling before Gengyo, and doing as Jikouji had.

    "Please! Miura, ept my de! Allow me to get justice!"

    "We will stain the rivers red with their blood, Aritada. They do not know of whom they offend."

    Gengyo affirmed, epting his allegiance.

    "Bowing before my own son... Ha, who would have thought? Masaatsu was proud of you, Tadakata. Really proud. I have never seen him smile more than when he fought at your side. Allow me to join you, so that I can cut Imagawa¡¯s head from his f.u.c.k.i.n.g shoulders."

    Morohira joined, offering up his snapped de. It was broken and mangled, just like they were. But it was still more than capable of taking the lives of those that wronged them.

    "Niiro-san would have enjoyed this..."

    Kitajo said sadly, as he struggled to his knees despite the pain it caused. He had no weapon to offer up, but in those empty hands, he gave his life.

    "Allow me to fight on Niiro-san¡¯s behalf, Miura."

    "My sword has been yours for a while," Togashi began. "But allow me to offer it to you once more. I have no home, and no family to speak of. But I feel your wrongs as strongly as my own. Let us seize justice, Miura."

    Soon, all had offered their swords to him. In him, they ced their hopes. Even the three who were not of his unit ¨C even they recognized his achievements and believed in his the chance of his sess.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    A new beginning fes. Looking forward to writing this.

    So anyway, let¡¯s aim for 2200 powerstones this week, then we¡¯ll do three chapters on sunday. And also, I¡¯m ready to release bonus chapters for every 200 gifts we get, so gift away!

    Thanks for sticking with this book for so long. You¡¯re the best.

 Chapter 94 - A Farm

    Here they were, speaking so grandly about seeking revenge against the Daimyo of their province, yet they were so far from achieving that, it was almostughable. Currently, it would not be strange should one of them to keel over and die ¨C such was the shape they were in.

    Their first priority was of course food, to give them the energy to recover, but they also needed supplies to close their wounds. Alcohol would do.

    It was as he thought of all that they needed that he started to miss the great amount of coin they had back in their tents. But now that was long gone, and they had to make do with what was around them.

    "There¡¯s a stream south from here, Miura. I spied a farmhouse near it too."

    Jikouji seemed to be able to tell what Gengyo was thinking and offered a solution to their problems.

    "Mmm, good. We¡¯ll see what we can acquire from there."

    "About time."

    Iiined. He was thoroughly starved. He was one of the men Gengyo had only recently been acquainted with, as he had served in the yari ashigaru unit beforehand. He was in his mid-twenties and had a respectable amount of lean muscle on his arms. But his most defining characteristic was that mouth of his. Despite the fact that they did not know each other very well, he had no problem voicing hisints.

    He had two friends that had survived alongside him. One was Honjou ¨C a tall man, with sunken eyes and a bald head. His appearance was most certainly odd, especially considering how thin he was. It was rather startling.

    And then his other friend stood smaller than he, with broad shoulders and a messy top of hair. He went by the name of Enya.

    "What if they¡¯re not willing to give us anything?"

    Rokkaku asked, a little anxiously, clearly wary of getting his hopes up.

    "Then we will take it, Rokkaku. From now on, we are our own people, and must care for ourselves. If someone stands in our way, then we will tear them down."

    It was a cold thing to say, but they did not have the liberty of ying nice men. Their survival was more important than manners.

    The men nodded with approval. It was a circting idea between them ¨C it was the whole reason they had got into this mess in the first ce. If they focused only on their people, then they would grow strong, and not be at risk of betrayal.

    They walked slowly down the hill. Sasaki ended up having to carry Kitajo because of the state of the boy¡¯s leg, but soon they arrived.

    For a farmhouse, it was remarkably clean, and had a freshly changed thatched roof, whilst the walls were of a whitewashed or varnished wood.

    A crowd of a dozen cattle chomped down on the long grass, regarding themzily as they passed.

    Gengyo took note of their presence. They would be able to lead one away to have a supply of meat as they walked ¨C at least until they killed it.

    He wandered around the back, where he assumed there might be a storage area. The trail of hay leading from it told tales of its presence. He hoped they might be able to take what they needed without directly confronting the farmer of thend, and potentially having to harm him in the process.

    His efforts in that regard were proved to be futile, as when they rounded the corner, they saw a young women at work, piling bundles of straw into her arms.

    They stopped, and nced at each other, wondering how they might proceed. The weapons they had drawn were quickly sheathed.

    It did not take her long to notice that they were there, as Gengyo prepared himself mentally and physically for her screams of terror.

    "Ah!.."

    She yelped, shocked at seeing so many men suddenly appear behind her. She met Gengyo¡¯s eyes, flinching at their coldness. Then she looked toward the rest, her eyes widening as she saw the nature of their injuries.

    "By the gods..."

    She whispered.

    "Hello we would-"

    The young man began, as he was about to state what they needed to be given so that they might leave the farmhouse in peace.

    "You poor... Those injuries... It hurts, right? Please sit down, okay? I¡¯ll go fetch some things."

    Startled by that reaction, he could not formte a reply, and soon she had disappeared inside the house. He sighed lightly. It seemed she would be calling her father or brother for help. It would have been better if they could have avoided a fight, but it was not as though they¡¯d back down from one either.

    "Grandmaaa! Grandmaaa? Do you know where I left the sake? I also need some bandages."

    "Sake and bandages? What on earth do you need that for?"

    "Uhm... Uhm... Fokoro has hurt herself on the rocks again... I need to close the wound before it gets any worse."

    "My goodness, again? Even for a cow, she ought to have more brains."

    "She¡¯s clever in different ways!"

    The young woman retorted, leaving the house with her arms full of the supplies. Through the open window they had heard the conversation, and not only did she not tell anyone that they were there, but she also lied to cover them.

    She came back, her cheeks red from all the rushing.

    "Sorryyy! I¡¯m back. Okayyyy, who wants to go first?"

    "How about you?"

    She grabbed Kitajo¡¯s arm, and thed blushed despite himself. She had a pretty enough face, and Gengyo wagered he had never been with a woman.

    "Lay him down on the hay. It¡¯s nice and soft, see?"

    She spoke to Sasaki, before jumping on top of a pile of hay to demonstrate it¡¯sfortable qualities.

    Sasaki did as he was told, feeling as though he was being spoken to by his mother.

    Kitajo looked in Gengyo¡¯s direction for guidance. It was all happening rather fast, and he didn¡¯t recall any of them giving their consent. But she has a kindness about her that made her difficult to talk to.

    In the first ce, the majority of them could barelyprehend what was going on. They hade here expecting to fight and steal for their supplies, and here this girl was, not even knowing who they are, offering to treat their wounds.

    She inspected Kitajo¡¯s wound a little further, tutting lightly at the state of it.

    "You should really take better care of yourself, y¡¯know? If boys would just slow down a little bit, then you wouldn¡¯t end up in a such a state."

    There were certainly ws within that argument, but who would dare name them? Her touch was gentle upon his skin, as she pondered how to deal with the injury.

    "There¡¯s something inside... what¡¯s that?"

    "A bullet."

    Gengyo informed her, finally having the opportunity to speak.

    She looked up at him with wide eyes. She¡¯d never seen a gun, but she¡¯d heard about them, and understood what a bullet was. From her understanding though, it could not possibly have caused such an injury.

    "A bullet? Ow... We¡¯re going to need to get this out, okay?"

    Kitajo nodded as he looked up at her, and she smiled kindly, looking for some to take it out with. She ended up disappearing inside the house once more, before returning with a small, clean knife.

    The youngd looked at the de, and already had his teeth gritted for the pain that was toe.

    "This is going to hurt... But be strong, okay? We¡¯ll have you fixed up in no time."

    He nodded twice, once for himself, once for her as the knife neared his wound. They all watched, feeling pity for thed, and Rokkaku and Jikouji moved forward to hold him down, knowing that it would be necessary.

    She began with the knife chasing after the bullet, and he let out a pained scream that he quickly muffled as he closed his mouth.

    "AHahhh..."

    She looked at him gently, understanding.

    "Almost got it..."

    "There!"

    Apressed metallic ball fell out from his wound, and she lifted it up to show him proudly.

    "See! It was okay, wasn¡¯t it?"

    Kitajo looked as though he was about to faint, but still nodded as though in agreement with what she said.

    "We¡¯ll just use some sake to clean it up a bit, and then you¡¯ll be all healthy again!"

    Before he could even mentally prepare himself for the stinging the sake was sure to bring, she had already poured it into his wound.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    This time he certainly could not hold back his cry of pain. It was too aggressive, too stabbing, for any man to take it lightly.

    "Good job!"

    She praised him, as he breathed heavily, trying his best to deal with the aftershocks of the pain.

    "Oh... I better start a fire... We need to seal this up quickly before it gets dirty again."

    She began setting rows of kindling in ce.

    "Ah, allow me. There are wounded souls in need of healing."

    Ii came over, asserting all of the charm that he could muster, as he gently stripped the kindlling from her hands, and smiled like a prince. The rest of the men cringed, well aware of what he was up to. But she was not swayed by his charm in the least, and merely smiled and gave a hearty "okay!" before returning to see Kitajo.

    He looked a little miffed at his efforts failing, whilst the rest held condescending smiles. Not only had he not suceeded in swaying her heart, but he had also beenden with a job in the process.

    "Damn it..."

    He muttered quietly to himself, as he bent over and set up the fire, despite all the pain it caused.

    "Take off your armour okay? I need to see your chest."

    "W-what?"

    Kitajo asked breathlessly, surprised by her suddenly asking him to undress.

    "It hurts on your chest too, doesn¡¯t it?"

    "Ah... uhm... right."

    Slowly, with her help, he removed his armour, and opened his kimono baring his chest.

    "Lucky bastard..."

    Ii cursed, seeing her fingers dance on his skin, inspecting each of the wounds.

    "So many..."

    She said sadly.

    "You¡¯re a brave boy."

    She said with so much honesty that even some of the older men almost copsed.

    ¡¯...Is it toote for me to marry such a sweet thing?¡¯

    Rokkaku pondered, watching her go about her work.

    The fire was soon roaring, and Kitajo¡¯s screams rang out. They managed to get most of the bullets out of his chest, though some had copsed, and been reduced to patches of shrapnel, which made the farm girl¡¯s job a deal more difficult. But, within the span of a few hours, they had all his wounds cleaned and sealed, and he was covered in bandages, keeping them in ce.

    "No running around, okay? The wounds need to stay closed."

    She instructed, like a nurse might.

    As they were finishing up and getting Kitajo dressed, an old woman came out with a tray piled high with rice balls, and few bs of cooked beef on the side.

    "Ah! Grandma? How did you know..."

    The old woman rolled her eyes.

    "He¡¯s screaming loud enough to wake the whole valley up, how could I not hear? Silly girl. There was no need to lie to me."

    Her gaze softened as she finished her sentence. Clearly, she too foundfort within the girl¡¯s kind nature.

    "Alright, you dirty old men! Get your hands off my granddaughter and get yourself some grub!"

    Shemanded, setting the te the food down on a bench nearby.

    Gengyo barely knew how to react to all this goodwill. It was an eternal problem that faced every human being. Within the world, you would often find the worst sc.u.m, and wish to turn away from everyone. But then, you would also find people like these, people with such unfathomable goodwill, thatpared to the rest they could bebelled as saints. People who were worth fighting for.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Bonus chapter because of 200 gifts!! Thanks!!

 Chapter 95 - The Road Home

    The young farmgirl - who¡¯s name theyter learned was Sanada ¨C stayed up tillte in the night, helping them to treat their injuries. But the going was tough and one had to be delicate and patient, else it was all too easy to make the wound worse. And so, by the time they turned in to sleep, only three people had their injuries cleaned and dressed. Alongside Kitajo there was Ii ¨C who had been rather insistent ¨C and Morohira who had been in extremely poor shape.

    Sanada¡¯s grandmother provided them with enough food and drink to satisfy them, helping them out with their recovery. And now theyy upon the hay, with a fire roaring nearby, feeling a lot less hopeless than they when they had first woken up.

    "Miura?"

    Kitajo called out tentatively, testing to see where he was still awake.

    "Yeah?"

    "We said a lot of things on that hill... I... I don¡¯t know how to feel about it now. Will the road we have taken mean we¡¯ll end up hurting people like Sanada-san?"

    It was a difficult question, and Gengyo felt no impatience in answering it.

    "We¡¯ll do what we wish to do, Kitajo. We can protect those who deserve protecting, and crush those who do not. That¡¯s all there is to it."

    "Oh... So, we just do what we want?"

    "Exactly. That¡¯s what it means to be truly free."

    "Hah..."

    He let out a sigh of relief. Clearly, the thought of harming people like Sanada had been tough for him to bear.

    But it was tough for Gengyo too. Good people ¨C or atleast, those he saw to be good ¨C those were the people who created meaning in his path.

    Within a few days time, all of them had their injuries seen too, and they were well on their way to making a full recovery. And then, it came time to bid farewell.

    "So, you¡¯re off eh?"

    Granny Sanada had asked.

    "That we are."

    Gengyo had responded, smiling.

    "The path of a soldier is a rough one. Who will you be rejoining now, Oda or Imagawa?"

    The men shared a nce at her question, recalling what they had spoken the previous night.

    "None. We are men of the Red Feather, and it¡¯s time for us to go home."

    "The Red Feather?" she raised an eyebrow, repeating the name. "Mmm, never heard of it."

    "You will, in time. And should there evere a time when you¡¯re in need, you can send for us, and we wille to your aid. We will never forget the kindness that you¡¯ve shown us."

    "That¡¯s right..."

    The men murmured in agreement. From the darkness of the battlefield, they had been bathed within the two¡¯s warm light.

    "Yeah, yeah. You just look after yourselves now."

    She waved aside their thanks with haste.

    "Mhmm, make sure you stop ying with guns!"

    Sanada said sweetly, as though their injuries had been a result of their own foolishness.

    As they walked away, and waved. As they left, they felt rather odd, and some felt a degree of homesickness. They had been at that cozy little farm a matter of days, and had been rendered so attached. On their backs, they left with more than they hade with. Each shouldering enough food for ten days ¨C more than enough for them to make it back home.

    But before they took to the road, there was one final stop they had to make.

    "It¡¯s time, Niwa-san."

    They constructed a funeral pyre for their fallenrades ¨C the few who had made it out of the forest. And as they lit those few bodies in mes, giving them back to the gods.

    They remembered all who they had fought alongside, and made a promise. A promise that they would be avenged.

    ¡¯Goodbye, brother.¡¯

    He thought sadly, sending his best wishes to all of the fallen. They stared up at the towering mes, watching the smoke fly upwards, imagining the spirits of theirrades to be part of it.

    "Watch over us. We will provide you with all the entertainment you could wish for! On your names, we swear that Imagawa will fall!"

    Gengyo called out, as the rest seconded his cry.

    "We swear it!"

    Kitajo called out, tears streaming down his face.

    "I promise, Yoritomo! We¡¯re going to kill that f.u.c.ker!"

    Aritada seconded, in a simr state.

    "Masaatsu... I¡¯ll give them hell for ya."

    Morohira said, a little more reserved.

    "Niwa, my master. I hope you are able to reunite with your beloved."

    Jikouji said sadly, recalling the tragedy that befell Nakatane¡¯s wife.

    They spent the evening sitting vigil for the fallen warriors, reaffirming their resolve, letting their imagination run wild as they pictured the events of the future, and demanded justice from themselves, rather from the powers above.

    And then, when morning came, and the sun peaked its head above the horizon, they set foot upon the road, and began the long march home.

    They were able to cover the distance more quickly than they had on the way there, as now they did not have a massive army to slow them down. But they had to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They disposed of their battered armour, and had hidden their swords, posturing as merchants. But still, whenever they saw an Imagawa g, they steered well clear.

    As they walked, he worried about how he would speak to the people. They had left as 150 men, and had returned as 11. There would be many saddened faces left for him to see to. And there was Akiko too.

    The dread of sharing the news with them almost made him not wish to return. But he did not slow his step in the least. It was something he could not avoid. Toyone and Tobishima would be their first step. They had to secure those two positions, and muster all that coin that they could manage, before they began on their path.

    They did not push themselves too hard as they walked, and as a result, their condition improved with each passing day. By the time they ascended the final hill ¨C behind which Toyone was hidden ¨C they were almost back to their old selves.

    When they arrived, it was just before dawn on a foggy morning. They had walked throughout the night, wanting to get home as quickly as possible, and knowing it to be near.

    As they walked through the vige streets, the only ones there to greet them were some chickens. They squawked loudly, announcing the return of the valiant.

    Rokkaku, Kitajo and Aritada left quietly to pay a visit to their families. The rest continued on towards the Niwa mansion.

    Two women stood guard, and stiffened at their approach. But they immediately lowered their weapons as they recognized the faces of Gengyo and Joukiji.

    They briefly wondered where master Niwa was, but upon seeing the expression on the rest of the group¡¯s faces, they dared no ask, realizing something was very wrong.

    Another female guard patrolled the interior, and hers was a face that many of them recognized. She paused midstride, looking their way, making out the faces of her father and brother.

    A wild smile broke out on her face, as she forgot all about her position as head-guard, and cared not what the rest of the women thought of her. She rushed up, barrelling into them with her arms wide, crushing them in a tight hug.

    "We¡¯re home, Rin."

    Gengyo said softly, pleased to see her.

    "Mmhmm! Wee home Nii-san! Wee home dad!"

    Morohira shot a nce toward Gengyo, which Rin happened to catch sight of, wondering what was wrong. And then she nced past them, looking amongst the men that had followed them here.

    "Masaatsu...? Where¡¯s Masaatsu?"

    She felt a dread within her heart as she asked that question, feeling as though she already knew the answer. When she saw the sad expression on their faces it was confirmed to true.

    She held his gaze for a few seconds, searching for any signs of deceit, but when he did not reply, the dam broke, and the tears came forth.

    "Masaaaatsssu!!"

    She wailed in his chest.

    "Masaaaatsssuuuu!!"

    He attempted tofort her as he rubbed her back. But in truth, he felt just the same as she. The loss of their brother was too painful to put into words. He was a good man. Too good a man to have fallen the way that he did ¨C as a discarded dog. It was because of this that he dared not tell her how he died, at least not yet. He knew it would only make her pain worse, and cause her to feel as he did.

    "He fought bravely, little sister. The enemy dared no approach even his corpse for fear of his wrath."

    "*Sniff* I d-don¡¯t care... I don¡¯t care about *Sniff* about that... I just want my brother!"

    He understood her words all too well. As did the rest of them. They looked around, ufortable at having to watch such an emotional scene. Yet there would only be more toe. And if they did not rid the world of Imagawa, there would be more still.

    "Come onss. Let¡¯s go see your mother."

    Morohira unravelled her arms from around Gengyo, as he put his own arm around his shoulder, and nodded to his son, before leading her inside their house.

    It was a wise move on his father¡¯s part, as he knew thed had other matters to attend to. He was more than just her brother now. He was more than just his son. He was the master of two viges, and the sword that would cut down Imagawa. And on his shoulders, all that weight was ced. And so, he had to deal with his people first, before he was allowed to be a simple man once more, and before he was allowed to mourn alongside his family.

    It was a cruel responsibility, but it was one that Nakatane had born for years withoutint. He would do the same, and more still.

    He steeled himself, and took a step forward, nearing the main building. He had to pause before he opened the door, as he turned around to look at the men that followed behind him.

    They nodded, reassuring him. Grateful for their support, he took a deep breath, and made his way inside. It looked just the same as he remembered it, but there was something unweing about it now. As though the house was demanding the return of its master, and was insulted that someone of such low birth dared to step inside.

    They removed their sandals, and stepped on the floor barefoot. He nced around. In his mind the only direction he had given himself was to enter the main building. And now that he was here, he had no goal to speak of. He had merely wished to experience how he felt.

    But as he looked upwards, he saw a swan staring down at them from the second floor.

    Their eyes met, and she smiled warmly, ridding his heart of all apprehension.

    ¡¯Oh, little swan, if you knew what news I bear then you would not dare to smile at me so sweetly.¡¯

    Hemented, not daring to speak out.

    "Wee home, Miura. Wee home, Jikouji."

    She said, as though truly happy to see them. Only Togashi and Jikouji knew of whom they were looking at, whilst the rest remained in a still silence, awed by her breathtaking beauty.

    //Author¡¯s Note

    Thank you all for your support. The novel ended up going premium today, and I imagine that¡¯s quite out of the blue for some of you. It feels cruel asking you to spend spirit stones on a chapter, but it will enable me to keep releasing consistently. I hope you understand

    These next few chapters might be a little slow for some of your tastes. But it¡¯s to build up for something excitingter on. Really looking forward to seeing how this volume will turn out, and I hope you guys are too! c:

    There¡¯s something else I want to add as well, to give you some idea of how I intend to develop Gengyo as a person. I don¡¯t wish for him to go back to being the good man he was, nor do I wish for him to be an evil emperor. I want to explore the question of a morality a little more as I write it, and we¡¯ll see what happens. It should prove interesting.

 Chapter 95 - Companionship

    "What¡¯s the matter?"

    She asked, quickly realizing that there was something wrong.

    "I think you¡¯d better sit down Niwa-san."

    Her smile faded quickly as she examined his serious expression.

    "Okay... Uhm... Please, go on ahead into the reception room, I¡¯ll be right down."

    She invited them in with an apprehensiveness about her voice.

    They sat cross-legged around the table, as Ii sniffed himself, wondering whether he would smell. They had not washed in many days, and he did not want a mere stench to ruin his chances with such a beauty.

    She arrived with her maid in tow, who promptly asked whether they would like any tea.

    "That would be great, thank you Shibata."

    Jikouji said with a small smile.

    The maid bowed, leaving them to their business, as she shuffled off into another room to fuss over their tea.

    They sat in silence, not speaking until the maid returned with their tea, presenting it in front of them.

    "Thank you."

    Akiko said, receiving the tea with both hands.

    Again, the maid left the room, and only then did Akiko dare to speak.

    "It¡¯s about my father, isn¡¯t it?"

    She had caught on rather quickly, and reluctantly, Gengyo responded with a nod. Her voice had sounded brave, as she sought to keep the shakiness out of it, but they could feel within the room that she was frightfully close to tipping over the edge.

    "Is... Is he..?"

    She dared not say the word, yet it was obvious what she was implying.

    "He rests with our ancestors in Takamagahara."

    Gengyo said solemnly. He himself was still raw from the tragedy of Nakatane¡¯s death, and he dared not imagine how much pain she was feeling right now.

    A single, lonely tear drifted down her pale white cheek, as she sat kneeling, her hands firmly sped. She dug her fingers into her palm, willing herself not to cry ¨C not in front of so many people.

    But no matter how hard she tried, the second tear still came from the other eye. Instead, she chose to ignore that it was happening - steeling her heart - and proceeded as though speaking of business that did not concern her.

    "I see. What of my father¡¯s estate? How will we protect it?"

    Jikouji took the opportunity ¨C whilst she was still able to collect herself ¨C to reassure her that ns were in motion, and she need not worry.

    "I have pledged my sword to Miura, Akiko-chan. I trust that he will be able to lead the people, and to protect us from those that seek to do us harm. I know that Nakatane would agree with that choice."

    "Yes, I agree with it also. If it¡¯s Tadakata, then it will be fine."

    She struggled to smile at that, failing to realize that she had called Gengyo by his first name in front of so many. Jikouji took note of that, but said nothing ¨C not yet.

    Her voice - in her response - was quivering now, as she struggled to hold herself together. They could see that she was close to breaking down, and now they had said what they needed to, they thought it would be best to leave her in peace.

    "We will take our leave then, mydy."

    Jikouji said, returning to a more formal tone in a deliberate attempt to reassure her that her status would not be any less than it was before. Miura would merely serve as head of the household to ensure that their best interests were met, and that they would not be taken advantage of.

    "Ah, yes, of course. I imagine you are all very busy, now that you are back... Please, do as you will."

    She gave her permission without allowing too much emotion in her voice, but she was unable to meet any of their gazes, as her eyes were pinned firmly to the floor.

    They quietly got up to leave, exiting through the sliding door.

    "Ah, Miura, please stay a while. We have to... discuss how we will move forward."

    Jikouji exchanged a nce with Gengyo, seeing past the falsity of their words. It was a new development for him, but he did not meet it with disapproval.

    Within that one look, Jikouji let him know that he understood everything, and Gengyo seriously expected him to speak out. But the old man merely nodded, and left, leaving the two alone.

    The young man watched their backs, as Jikouji took the lead of the rest, showing them where they might be able to catch some rest.

    And then, with a deep breath, he turned to Akiko.

    By the time he had turned around, her face was already flooded with tears, as she sobbed softly into her sleeve, trying to muffle the noise of her sniffing.

    "T-tadakata... Why? Why... why did this... why did this have to happen?"

    He eased himself down next to her, putting his arm around her waist.

    "I¡¯m sorry."

    Was all he could manage. He knew how much trust Akiko had ced in him. Whilst he had never directly promised to protect her father, she had expected he would. He had presented himself as infallible, and yet he had returned with only a handful of people at his side.

    "Stupid... That¡¯s not what I mean..."

    She said sniffling, looking deep in his eyes, searching for anyfort that she could find within them.

    "How?"

    Was the word she forced out. She sought an exnation. Not as to why he died, but how.

    "We were given an order that we could not refuse."

    "What order?"

    She kept her eyes firmly pinned to him, refusing to allow him to speak anything other than the absolute truth.

    "The order to attack a unit of one thousand matchlock soldiers."

    "Alone..? W-why would they do that?"

    She asked a little breathlessly, her warm breath hitting his neck as he did his best to keep eye contact. He found it difficult to talk about it without growing angry. And that was thest thing he wished Akiko to see of him. His anger was monstrous ¨C as was all of theirs.

    "Because they could, Akiko. That is the only reason they need. We could not stand against them."

    "But father... But father always came when they called... He was good... He was a good man... Why would they do that? Why to him..?"

    "He was. He was the best of men. It is the honour of my life to be able to fight by his side. And It will be my honour to protect his beautiful daughter."

    "Tadakata..."

    She wept even more strongly, seeing that he could not answer her question. Why had her father died so fruitlessly...

    "Guess what, Akiko?"

    He embraced her tightly, as he spoke near her ear.

    "Against a force of a thousand ¨C they sent us to die, but we won. The Niwa army bested them. Your father, bested them. Though they sent him to his grave, he did not cower. He did far more than they expected of him. He is a hero. Hold that strong in your heart, because his blood runs through your veins."

    "He... He¡¯s really gone?"

    She held onto his hand, squeezing it tightly as she struggled toe to the realization that she would not see her father¡¯s face anymore. That she would not be able to hear his voice anymore. She was alone, she felt.

    "No, he¡¯s here. More so than ever. Jikouji and I ¨C we n to make the world hear his name, because he granted us the strength we have. We will seek justice, and no one will ever forget that Nakatane, father of Akiko, was the greatest man to ever set foot in this province of ours."

    "You want to fight more...? But you only... Ah... I will be alone again..."

    "No, Akiko. From now on, we fight together. I will not leave your side, I swear it."

    "Truly?"

    She tilted her head upwards to look into his eyes, drawing some hope from that promise.

    "Aye. I will build our little empire starting from this very vige, until it reaches the gates of the Daimyo¡¯s castle, and his home bes our home."

    "An empire..?"

    She repeated. She cared not for more power, but she understood that within his voice was passion and firmness. He truly believed in what he was saying. And if it could bring her father peace, then she would support him with all her heart.

    "Indeed. No one will take from us again. We will do the taking. We will be gods that the likes of Imagawa will have to bow low toward for fear of doing us an offence."

    "...I don¡¯t mind, as long as you are here... as long as you promise not to leave me alone... then... then I can see hope."

    She reached her hand up to his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin. She did not want to forget the shape of his face. She feared that if she were to let go, then he might disappear too. He might vanish within a cloud of ash, never to be seen again. And then the men woulde, to tell her of his passing.

    Her eyes were so full of sadness, but their beauty remained untainted. His had a simr mournful quality, but in them, he could not disguise the fire that burned. She noticed that, and more. She noticed that there was an edge to him now. And she noticed that his smile did note so easily.

    What she had felt developing in him before, when he first began his path of blood... Now it seemed about to consume him. But it was strong. So truly strong. Even if it had been the manifestation of pure evil, she would not reject it.

    She ced her palm upon his chest, feeling his beating heart, reassuring herself that there was still life within his body.

    He promised her grandness. He spoke words that should nevere out of the mouth of a peasant. Yet she believed every single one of them. He had always been brilliant, but now he was downright terrifying. He had be a demon ¨C but he was her demon. She could feel safe in his arms.

    Her finger traced his lips as she brought her own close, searching for a warmth that she had not yet experienced. Searching for the truest confirmation of his words.

    He did not resist her touch in the least, and instead, moved forward himself. For all that had broken inside of him, he needed thispanionship.

    Their lips met, and they kissed passionately, their eyes closed as they attempted to find an antidote for the throbbing pain within their hearts.

    For his men, he vowed to be the bringer of chaos. He vowed to bring them the glory and justice that they so desired. But the facilities around his soul had crumbled. In epting this grand burden, and ining to terms with the death of those that he loved, he had be something other than himself. He had be a symbol that a human body could not hope to constrain.

    This woman, so crushed from the loss of her father, acknowledged his brokenness, not through words but through action. Through the intertwining of their two aching hearts, they sought that which they could not find elsewhere. They made up for their ipetencies through the support of the other person, and from it, they gained a great strength.

    Their lips parted, and their eyes opened. With that gaze that they shared was borne an understanding, as two very different people had their brains operating in tune with one another.

    It was as though they sat in a world different from ours, and as Shibata came in to collect their cups, she found her feet unwilling to move any further for fear of disturbing such a perfect image.

    "I love you, Miura Tadakata."

    "I love you too, Niwa Akiko."

 Chapter 96 - Strangeness

    After their talk, he left Akiko to rx, so that she might process what had been said, and process her father¡¯s death a little more emotionally.

    He had been heartened to see her smile as they parted ways. And he too, left a little uplifted. He had wondered where the two of them stood for a while, but now that she felt the same way he did, he was left a little at ease.

    But he was unable to go to sleep, as the others had. They had been up for longer than 24 hours, but his mind still would not allow him to rest. Within his veins still burned that anger that upied his thoughts whenever he tried to rx. He did not wish to burden Akiko with it, but he feared she may have got a taste, despite how well he attempted to conceal it.

    An old man seemed to have a simr problem, as they met one another in the garden.

    "No rest for the wicked, eh?"

    Such an expression seemed to have been made for the likes of them. They were fully willing to walk the path of wickedness if it meant exacting revenge for their master.

    "Indeed. And the others?"

    "Asleep,d. How is Akiko?"

    "Better."

    "I had not realized you two knew each other. At least... not quite so well."

    He smiled mischievously at the end part, causing Gengyo to shoot him a questioning nce.

    "Rx. I¡¯m not going to judge you. If anything, it seems like the perfect resolution to any problems to do with the splitting of power. When she bes your wife, her position would be most stable."

    Gengyo almost choked.

    "Wife? Are you not rushing things ahead a little too much?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t know, ¡¯Tadakata¡¯. Perhaps you might consider marriage after your child is born?"

    He could not have cringed more heavily from the teasing way in which Jikouji uttered his name.

    "...If I allow you any room to joke, there will be no end to this ¨C but for the record, she still remains pure."

    "Hoho, I¡¯m sure she does."

    He continued on with his jester-like teasing.

    He shook his head at the old man¡¯s yfulness. Exhausted as he was, it was difficult to keep up.

    "Since we both can¡¯t sleep, how about we get something done?"

    Jikouji resumed a more serious tone, knowing that would pique the young man¡¯s interest.

    "What do you have in mind?"

    "Follow me."

    He lead the way back into the main building, pottering through the lower floor, as they made their way through the kitchen and into a storage area.

    There were numerous barrels and sacks of grain, and the area was dimly lit fromck of sunlight.

    "Are we tallying food?"

    Gengyo questioned, a little put off by the prospect. It was something that needed to be done, but it didn¡¯t exactly fill him with excitement.

    "Watch."

    He walked over to one of the panels on the wall, and put both hands against it. With a firm push, he slid it downwards. The panel responded immediately, sliding downwards as it disappeared into the floor, revealing a set of stairs that lead deeper underground.

    "Clever."

    The young man said approvingly. He had seen his fair share of secret doors from movies and the like, but had not seen one quite like this.

    "Haha, I thought you might like it."

    He led the way down the stone steps, closing the door up behind them. The area below was lit by candlelight, else it would have been impossible to see anything at all.

    A few steps down, and they were in a small, musty-smelling room. The wood was rotting from the damp, but that was thest thing that drew the eye, for in the centre of the room sat arge, leather-bound chest. That was all there was in the entire room, and the contents of which seemed as obvious.

    "Quitecking as a treasure vault."

    Hemented as he made his way over to the chest.

    "It was a little better, once, but as time went by it grew more and more empty. Now all that is left is this chest of coin."

    He flung the lid back, looking a little disappointed as ayer of coin only just coated the bottom.

    "300 gold?"

    "Aye, around thered."

    "Mmm... Is this purely disposable money? Or is it being used to finance something else?"

    "It¡¯s purely for us to have fun with."

    "...Hm. 300 gold is a good amount."

    "Far from enough to raise an army to take out Imagawa."

    "True. But it¡¯ll be enough to create something respectable."

    "You know, this excites me. We have the opportunity to build something new, entirely from the ground up. We can let our imaginations run wild."

    "Aye. That is the only silver lining in all this. You know what our basis will be, do not you, old man?"

    "Matchlocks. Those things are bloodying terrifying."

    Jikouji guessed his thoughts straightaway.

    "Exactly, matchlocks..."

    He drifted off as a thought took hold.

    "Will you train them as you did with the Special Forces unit? That was a powerful force."

    "Mmm, I¡¯m not sure. I will have more forces at my disposal, so I can afford to allow men to specialise."

    "Aye, I suppose... but it might be worth keeping one unit to that standard. Their adaptability will be a powerful weapon on the battlefield."

    His words were sensible and Gengyo took them to heart, as he ran the coin through his fingers, and contemted their next move.

    "300 gold, eh? We will need far more than this in future. It appears we have a good amount to think over. Thanks for bringing me here, Jikouji."

    "No worries, it¡¯s my job as your advisor after all."

    "Advisor?"

    "Well, if I don¡¯t do it, who will?"

    "Haha, that¡¯s true..."

    He chuckled at the old man¡¯s straightforward answer. It seemed with his age also came a great maturity, as he appeared to be handling Nakatane¡¯s death better than the rest.

    They left that barren treasure vault, and once more returned outside. They exchanged a few more words, before parting ways, and Gengyo wandered around, deep in thought.

    He left by the mansion gates, with a nod to the two women standing guard. They returned his nod respectfully, though were unaware of his new status as their employer.

    He began through the forest, and briefly wondered whether he should have invited Akiko along with him. But he decided that it would be better to leave her undisturbed, as he had promised to visit her once more this evening.

    He made his way onto the shoreline of theke, which had remained the same since hest left it. On a whim, he took a step forward toward the water, running the liquid through his fingers as he savoured the odd sensation.

    He caught sight of his reflection in the water, and flinched. It was, of course, the face of Miura Tadakata, one that he thought he had be used to. But what surprised him were his eyes. Worn, tired eyes, that squinted as though ferocious. He had not realized his face was clenched as such, and struggled to rx it.

    But he found that he could not, as those eyes still stared back. He looked at himself a while, feeling a frown growing, as his anger boiled at his own body being unwilling to heed hismand. But the reflection did not frown, instead, it boasted a smile, a huge, wide grin that only increased in size till it distorted his face.

    Heshed out with a clenched fist, horrified, disturbing his reflection upon the water. And when it had once more settled, the face was his own again.

    ¡¯Am I going mad?¡¯

    He asked himself seriously. But then he found the answer to that question was unimportant. All that mattered was whether he was fit enough to carry out the task he had set for himself. Just thinking of it filled him with a vengeful energy, as he clenched his fist, and emitted a low growl despite himself.

    He only realized what he was doing after a swan nesting nearby took flight, disturbed by the noise.

    ¡¯Calm down, Gengyo. We¡¯ll get the f.u.c.ker.¡¯

    He told himself, taking deep breaths to try and still his racing heart.

    Suddenly, he found himself ncing toward the middle ind, wishing to go there. He looked around for his raft, and searched through the reeds where he had left it. But it was nowhere in sight. He assumed the thunderstorm must have washed it away.

    But he wished to go there, and looked over longingly. He wondered whether this was how Akiko felt when she sat on the shoreline, alone, imagining what she might find on that central ind.

    Perhaps in the past he would have simply turned away, and sighed, realizing that on that day he was unlikely to make it to the central ind.

    But now, he looked upon it as a personal offence. He wished to go to the central ind, and so he would go.

    He stepped into the water, as the cold assaulted his sandaled feet. He only took a moment to acknowledge the chill, before he waded in further, getting past his knee. He ignored the water as it began to soak the bottom half of his kimono, and he continued further inwards.

    The bed of theke was covered in stones, and it felt sold beneath his feet. For a while, the depth did not grow any deeper, even as he himself grew closer to the central ind. And then, as he ced his foot on a rather unstable rock, it slipped, rendering him fully submerged within the water.

    He gasped at the sudden burst of cold, but grew calm quickly, as his body realized that it was still capable of breathing.

    He thenmitted fully, diving underwater to swim with the fishes. He would have to return home in sodden clothing, but he found that he did not care. Such a thing was trivial. What was important was that he did not let anything stand in the way of his desire to reach the central ind.

    And so he arrived, soaked. When he got there, he wondered why he had wanted toe in the first ce. All there was to see was a few nesting birds. And then, with a shrug, he had dove back into theke and returned to shore.

    "A bath ¨C that would be nice."

    He turned his feet in the direction of the Niwa mansion, and before he knew it, he was back walking through the woods, failing to see the point in this little walk of his, but somehow, he left feeling triumphant.

    A fox had it¡¯s back to him, and barely flinched as he approached. He wondered whether it was an odd sort of fox, perhaps more tame than others, so he called out to it.

    "A pleasant day for a hunt, is it not?"

    The fox jumped, surprised. It took one nce in his direction, before bolting into the undergrowth.

    "Ah."

    Was his partingment as he watched the fox run away.

    By the time he reached the mansion, he had forgotten that his clothes were wet at all, and exchanged greetings with the guardswomen, with water running down his nose, and his clothes emitting small showers with each step he took. They nced at him oddly, but said nothing. And he walked past with his head held high as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

    He bumped into Togashi on his way down the path. It seemed he was on his way to the bathhouse.

    "Miura... By the gods, why are you so wet?"

    "Hm?"

    It was only then that he nced at his clothes and remembered how wet they were.

    "Ah. I am."

    Togashi looked at him with a hint of concern in his eyes.

    "Are you alright, Miura? You don¡¯t look so good." <i></i> Nick_Alderson

    //Author¡¯s Note

    This is one of the slower chapters I mentioned, where we look at Gengyo¡¯s development as a character rather than huge progress in the plot.

    Personally - when I¡¯m reading - I enjoy more nuanced chapters like this, as it gives us an insight into a character¡¯s psychological state of mind. But I think many of you might find it disinteresting. Let me know!

    By the way, when I read thements on this novel, I feel like - atleast in theseter chapters - most of the things you guys write are very intelligent and insightful, and I enjoy reading them.

    Thanks very much for your support! :)

 Chapter 97 - A Speech

    He only managed to suffer through a single hours worth of sleep, but the previous day he had already given the order for the vigers to be assembled.

    He stood there, on a wooden tform, with Jikouji at his side as they watched the vigers gather. The first drops of rain sttered down, lightly coating their hair in a series of wet droplets.

    It seemed word had spread, and the vigers had an inkling of why they were here. The gazes they shot his way were not friendly. But he barely registered that, and struggled to keep his eyes open and his gaze focused.

    They seemed to be taking forever to gather, and his gaze became distracted, as he observed how the mud gradually moistened and became stickier and wetter with each person that stepped upon it. He took notice of the rising intensity with which their disgusted expressions were manifest in response to the filth that clung to their feet.

    ¡¯We are rather predictable, are we not?¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he watched their behaviour. Soon they had all gathered, but he was still focused on that single patch of soil, that was now sticky with mud, and held a mould of the previous person¡¯s footprints.

    "Ahem..."

    Jikouji tapped on his back, and he turned around with a questioning look. The old man motioned outwards, directing his gaze toward the crowd.

    ¡¯Ah. They have gathered.¡¯

    He said, finally realizing. They all looked at him so expectingly, as though they were part of a system that only he had control of.

    "Wee, people of Toyone and Tobishima."

    He began, startling himself in the process. He spoke the words, and that was most certainly his voice. But it felt as though he was not speaking, as he was able to observe what he was saying as if he was standing behind himself.

    It was a most peculiar sensation, but he continued on, appearing undisturbed.

    "I am afraid the reason I have gathered you today is not a pleasant one."

    ¡¯Ha, not a pleasant one? Do put it more mildly.¡¯

    He thought, criticising his own words as he spoke them.

    "Thoserades that left with us have been unable to return. They have begun a journey of their own, in through the gates of Takamagahara."

    He studied the sadness that was reflected within their expressions, and the cries of anguish that rang out at the understanding of his words.

    Had they not expected this, when only a few men had returned? Surely they knew? Or perhaps they knew, but did not wish to know, and harboured a hope that only resulted in hurting themselves further.

    ¡¯Strange how we do that, isn¡¯t it?¡¯

    As the crowd grew restless, he realized that he had paused for far too long, and began to speak once more, after clearing his throat.

    "They died honourably, but before their time. The man who lead us on this campaign ¨C Imagawa ¨C did not hold our lives in high regard."

    This was a new development for all. It seemed Rokkaku and the like had been unable to share it with their families, and they listened in close, the raging bull of anger waiting to be let loose so that it could trample sadness underfoot.

    "The Oda matchlock unit, numbering into the thousands ¨C they were near. And who does he send to halt their charge?"

    He questioned, setting the scene.

    ¡¯Must you be so dramatic?¡¯

    He criticised once more.

    "The Niwa army. By then we numbered a mere 130, and he named us cowards, before ordering our charge to our deaths."

    "BASTARD!"

    An angry mother cried out.

    "Indeed."

    He nodded in response to her outburst, remainingposed.

    "And so, what were we to do, when we have an enemy at both our front and backs? Do we flee off to the sides, and cower? The men of the Niwa army did not. They served their lord to the end, and charged in, under the barrage of enemy fire."

    "And that was our end..."

    ¡¯You despicable man, speaking so yfully about the deaths of their husbands.¡¯

    He was thoroughly disgusted with the words that he himself spoke. He had intentionally lead on the crowd, so that when he told them of their glorious triumph, it would be all the more dramatic.

    "Or it would be, had our hearts been weak! The Niwa army did not stop there! Even as they were riddled in bullets, our brave men charged forth."

    "And onto the enemy forces that numbered far above ours ¨C we unleashed hell. The bravest men thisnd of ours ever had the glory of seeing. They fought to their veryst breaths, and we defeated that force, sending them fleeing with their tail between their legs."

    They hung on to his every world, thoroughly enthralled by his storytelling, and as he told of their valiant victory, there were gasps of surprise, and many tears shed in their honour.

    "Many brave men have died serving that detestable Daimyo of ours, and among them include our great master, Niwa Nakatane ¨C may he enjoy eternal life in Takamagahara."

    ¡¯...Will you stoop any lower? You use the name of your friend merely to insight the hearts of the people. Does your indecency know no bounds?¡¯

    He knew what he was doing, and hated himself for it. But no one else seemed to realize. Even the men that served under him, even Jikouji. They thought he spoke eloquently, and appropriately. But he did not meet his own standards.

    "BUT THAT SERVICE IS OVER! WE HAVE PUT TOO MUCH INTO THOSE UNGRATEFUL HANDS!"

    He raised his voice, speaking passionately, driving at the emotion that he had stirred up, and using it to its full effectiveness.

    "THAT¡¯S RIGHT!"

    The vigers voiced their agreement.

    "THAT SC.U.M DOESN¡¯T DESERVE OUR LOYALTY!"

    They cried ¨C mainly women, for that was all who they had left.

    "IT IS TIME THAT WE ¨C THE PEOPLE ¨C TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN FATE, OUR OWNS LIVES. WE WILL DECIDE WHEN WE LIVE, AND WHEN WE DIE!"

    "YEAH!"

    Voices of agreement resounded out

    ¡¯...You are the embodiment of hypocrisy. Youbel you and them as the same, merely so you can state that you are not. You do all this so you can announce that you are the new master of thesends.¡¯

    "I VOW TO TAKE REVENGE! JOIN ME, PEOPLE OF NIWA, AND LET US BE REBORN. LET US ASSUME THE NAME OF MEN AND WOMEN OF THE RED FEATHER. WE WILL DON OUR ARMOUR, AND WE WILL RAISE OUR BLADES, TO ENSURE JUSTICE IS CARRIED OUT FOR THE PEOPLE!"

    "MIURA!!"

    They rallied at his words, not even realizing that they had epted him as their new master.

    ¡¯...And there it is. How can they be so blind? How can I be the only one to see? These are the people I must be care for... The people I must guide so that revenge can be carried out... But how can they be so sheep-like?¡¯

    They pped their hands and cheered at his words. Women shed tears, and let loose mournful cries, cursing Imagawa¡¯s name, and demanding the return of their husbands. They were being plunged into a bloody battle, and yet they did not realize it.

    He turned to Jikouji. His job was done. And the old man nodded in approval, his eyes full of respect.

    ¡¯...Even you are unable to see what we have done to them?¡¯

    ¡¯This... This shouldn¡¯t be their war. They should merely sit by as observers, and take refuge away from all the chaos. They should have time to heal their hearts. And yet they are so eager to walk down a new path. To experience a new pain.¡¯

    He stepped down from the tform, and walked through the crowd. They reached out to him, calling his name, offering him praise, as they touched his clothes, and grasped onto his shoulder. He felt wholly ufortable ¨C but they loved it, and he could not understand why.

    ¡¯Is it... Is it from sleeping so little? Is that why I can not rte to them?¡¯

    He wondered why he felt so distanced from them, yet they were right next to each other.

    He did his best to smile at them as he left, and as Jikouji struggled to follow behind him. But they were maniacal. They were as fired up as he had first been, and from this distance, he almost could not understand why.

    ¡¯Perhaps it is because I am a peasant?¡¯

    He pondered. He had climbed from where he was, to the master of the vige. Perhaps that was why they saw him as one of their own. But that was merely a title. It was not a written agreement that forced him to act decently toward them, so why did they trust him so?

    He quickly concluded that he could not understand, and likely would never be able to. But just as quickly, trying to understand at all seemed pointless, and he questioned why he had bothered in the first ce.

    People could get on with one another perfectly well without being entirely intune with how the other operated. And still, why should he care about how easily they were swayed, and how prone they were to be taken advantage of? They were his people now. And it was up to him to behave decently toward them. The fact that they were vulnerable mattered not, he merely had to not exploit them.

    He barely managed to free himself from them, and set off down them road, not looking back, even as some ran behind him and called his name. He was tired of wearing that face. He sought somewhere where he might think a little more clearly.

    "Where are you heading off to,d?"

    Jikouji pulled back on his arm, seeking answers.

    "I will not be gone long, old man, but there is thinking to be done."

    He informed him, doing his best to keep his true emotion from his face. Apparently, he had done so well enough, as Jikouji merely nodded, and let him go as he pleased.

    He walked until the mud and gravel road be cobble, enjoying the sensation of the hardstone beneath his feet for a brief moment, before he grew tired and began to walk on the grass.

    The grass ran out, and he was forced to make do with trees. The amount of debris in the forest made it difficult to walk without something getting in your way, or under your feet, and after the third instance of having to walk around a low hanging branch, he felt personally insulted.

    He looked at the rotten piece of wood with disgust.

    ¡¯Why do you exist simply to make this path harder to traverse?¡¯

    Heshed out with his fist, expecting it to fall easily. But it appeared it was not so rotten on the inside, and only a small cracking sound could be heard, but the branch remained stable.

    The pain it caused to his knuckles was severe, but it proved stimting, and he decided that he quite liked the motion, and swung his fist out once more.

    With the second punch, the skin tore from his knuckles, and blood began to be drawn. But there was a crack too, so he was not leftpletely unmotivated.

    "Come on you bastard..."

    He taunted the lifeless branch, readying his fists, ignoring the pain, as he punched out once more, and sent it splintered from the tree.

    "Hmph."

    He looked at the fallen branch with distaste as he walked over it, suddenly realizing that he had acted in foolishness.

    ¡¯It was just a branch...¡¯

    He found that he was shocked at his own behaviour. Such a trifle would have never bothered him before, and yet here he was, issuing a challenge to something that could barely be ssed as alive, as though it was the most despicable being in the world, and only existed for him to crush it. Or perhaps, for it to crush him.

 Chapter 98 - The Fields

    He straightened out his kimono, and looked at his bloodied fist oddly, struggling toprehend why he had acted so violently. But then he remembered the brief relief he¡¯d felt, as he made the decision to cease caring, and throw a punch toward the branch. Somehow, he felt the urge to do it some more.

    ¡¯Stop doing such stupid things. If anyone else saw that, you¡¯d have a great deal of trouble exining it.¡¯

    He advised himself. He stepped amongst the branches, only allowing the most brief surges of irritation as the brambles opened wounds upon the skin of his shin. They tore at his kimono too, making it appear more fibrous that it otherwise would. There was not a straightforward path through this section of the forest, and he found himself having to bear with it.

    The birds engaged in song, though they did so rapidly, as though they were having an argument with one another.

    It was rather unpleasant to walk through a forested area after it had rained, and he found that his feet became soaked rather quickly, as did the lower part of his kimono. Difort, it seemed, was drawn to him.

    But finally, as he skipped down onest hill ¨C attempting to remain upright, without muddying his bottom too savagely ¨C he was a mere step away from exiting the forest.

    And then he emerged at a site that he had visited rather recently. It was the field in which they had in Toda upon. The site of his very first battle. Yet he felt nothing.

    Part of the reason he hade here was in the hopes of inspiring a change within his emotions. But there was nothing at all. Not even the slightest flicker. His thoughts had been so busy as ofte, he had been unable to sleep. And when he did sleep, it was fitful, for he felt exposed and vulnerable, and his body kept reminding him that he needed to be doing something else.

    Two systems collided on a constant basis. That of his primitive system, that sought to sate the desires of a normal functioning human body. And that of his modern system, which sought to seed in the world.

    And so he stood there, in that field, amongst the long grass, and he walked, allowing his mind to wander freely ¨C for it would do that of its own ord anyway, even if he attempted to resist it.

    The wet grass caused even more damp to his clothing, but by this point, it made barely any difference.

    He wandered to the very position where he remembered having in Toda. By now there was nothing that remained, for the bodies had been buried. It looked like any other ce on the field might. Even the blood had long since been washed away.

    "Mmm..."

    He spun around, acknowledging the great size of the field. It was huge. A modern building firm would have a grand time if they were gifted such a plot ofnd. You could build an entire shopping district on it.

    ¡¯An entire shopping district, eh?¡¯

    He mused to himself, trying to picture such a scene.

    "Hoh..."

    A sudden idea popped into his head, causing a glimmer of excitement. This was the first time since his return that he had felt anything pop into his head that was even remotely worthwhile.

    "Rice fields..."

    He thought, as his smile began to grow. It was a simple term, and to most, if they heard his thoughts, they would think it to be a simple idea. But the scale that he envisioned was far beyond that of what a normal man might.

    He had been thinking relentlessly over the problem of how to attain more coin. He was a man that preferred to think of a better way of doing things rather than simply throwing more numbers at a problem in order to solve it.

    But in this, it seemed, that more numbers would prove to be that different way of thinking. Rice fields, in themselves, would not serve to create an incrediblyrge amount of coin, though it was nothing to sniff at. The fields of Toyone would only create an annual ie of about 200 gold, as they had to keep the majority of the grain to live off. And of that gold, the workers would have to be paid, so that left you with around 190. The same could be expected of Tobishima.

    Yet thisnd here was most certainly fertile, and wasrge to the extreme. It had never been cultivated before, as ity on the border between two territories, and the two viges likely never had the man power to cultivate it anyway.

    He reasoned, that if they were to use thend to it¡¯s fullest, then they could create a field ten times bigger than all thend around Toyone that had been put to farming use. That field, in turn, would generate around 2500 gold, because none of that grain would be used to live off. But certain things could be done to increase the price that grain would sell for, and his grin widened even further at that thought.

    The only problem was, of course, time. They were fast nearing the end of nting season. Most farms would have sowed their seed by now, and be waiting to harvest the rice within September ¨C October. But the benefits of them sowing that amount of seed would be immense ¨C though they would have to wait a few months to gleen anything from it.

    Still, he made a mental note to most certainly put that n into motion given the opportunity.

    "What are you smiling so creepily about?"

    Came a woman¡¯s voice from behind him. He turned, without showing a hint of being startled. He had, after all, been expecting her.

    "Long time no see, Isabe. I trust you are well?"

    Her beautiful face contorted to reveal her true emotions, as she let it became a mask of disgust.

    "Ha. As if you care about that. I did your little job ¨C where¡¯s my money?"

    She asked, straight to the point. She had been waiting here since three days ago, and had grown irritable.

    He shrugged at her rude mannerisms, in too good a mood from his recent idea to let her sully it. He reached inside his kimono, retrieving a leather pouch. It weighed heavy in his palm as heid it there.

    Her focus immediately went to it, as her heartbeat quickened. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The grand reveal. It was her time to find out whether she had been yed the fool or not.

    He tossed it through the air carelessly, as if it mattered not to him, and she, in contrast, became fl.u.s.tered, iling around as she struggled to stop it from hitting the floor.

    "Nice catch."

    Hemented drilyly at her less-than-elegant disy.

    She shot him a dark look, but said nothing, as her attention returned entirely to the pouch. Not wishing to wait a moment longer, she pried it open, revealing the gold coins that sat inside. Her breath caught in her throat. She had never seen so much wealth ¨C atleast, not in gold form. She had been able to dress in golden finery gifted by Toda, but none of it had ever truly been her own.

    "You carried out your role remarkable well. There is 100 gold in there, as we discussed."

    He began to walk away, satisfied that their business wasplete.

    "Wait!"

    She called out to him. She herself was unsure why she had done so, and so her question was not what she truly wished to ask.

    "...Why were you so early? I had expected to wait another 20 days atleast."

    "Why indeed, eh? I suppose, like you, I crave a certain amount of freedom."

    He answered cryptically with a smile.

    "Is that all? I¡¯ll be going then."

    He made the effort to confirm with her, so that he wouldn¡¯t be stopped again.

    "Ah... What... What now?"

    She asked a little hopelessly, embarrassed despite herself. She had lived her life as someone else¡¯s ve for the longest time, and then, she had been set free with a goal which allowed her a sense of purpose. Now that such things were all done, she did not know quite what to do with herself.

    "Hm... What now indeed? Well, that shouldst you until you grow old, should you spend it wisely. But if you ever need any more in future,e and visit me in Toyone. It¡¯s just across that field. I have need of a woman with your sort of skills."

    And then, he really did walk away, leaving her clutching her bag of gold, as she watched his back, with rain dripping from her face, and soaking her hair. Only one thought was present in her mind.

    ¡¯What a strange man.¡¯

    They had only ever spoken briefly, and even then, it was discussing business, and trading information. But she found herself wishing to know more about him. He was an odd sought. He appeared to hold no interest for her beauty at all, yet it was not as though he didn¡¯t acknowledge it.

    And the prediction he had made: that the Oda army would charge at noon after a thunderstorm. That was terrifying to her. Almost prophetic. She had wished to ask him how he knew, but it was so hard to get a grasp on what he was thinking.

    He was the first man that she had met whom she could not control freely. Even Toda, for all his maliciousness, he was an entirely predictable man ¨C even his outbursts were rather predictable.

    That excited her. And even with that bag of coin in front of her, the focus of her gaze was now entirely on him, as he wandered through the field of grass, as though he had not a care in the world.

    And so her poor understanding of him was truly manifest. He was a man far from infalliable. Far from carefree. And he himself was beginning to understand that. The only thing he had truly believed in was his heart.

    He believed that, if he fully applied himself, and used all the fire his body had to offer, that he would be able to overe any obstacle. But to do that meant to sacrifice. A fire did not burn without fuel. And he was already beginning to feel the consquences of such an action.

    In strength, he found symoltaneous weakness. In hisrades, he had experienced warmth, and belonging, and had been happier than he had ever had been in his life. But now that they were snatched away, he had reached a point of vulnerability that he would never have allowed himself to hit before.

    That was all he could promise himself. That was the onlyfort he could offer. That no matter what had to be done, he would do it, even if it meant bing a monster that all ¨C even his loved ones ¨C would fear. Even then, he was willing to do it.

    And so, as he walked back to his people, with the world believing him to be strong, he allowed himself to be weak. Weak so that he would not s.u.mb to any aggrogance. Weak so that he was aware of his weakness. Weak so that he always grow, seeking strength.

    He was a man of such a chaotic state of mind, but with that as his philosophy, then such a man was likely invincible. He was likely able to ovee any obstacle. Yet he could not boast of such an ability, not yet, not ever. He sat so far at the bottom of the mountain that it was almostughable. But the advantage he held above everyone else? He still retained his arms and legs.

 Chapter 99 - Outlandish

    "Jikouji."

    He called out to the old man, who sat on the porch of the main building, watching with distaste as the rain continued to fall.

    "You were out in all this? You¡¯ll catch a coldd."

    He warned.

    "Indeed. I¡¯ll take a bathter, but for now I have something important to discuss."

    He hurried up onto the porch, and disappeared inside, removing his sandals, before impatiently motioning for his advisor to follow him.

    "Alright, I¡¯ming."

    He replied as though tired, though he was still quite obviously curious as to what thed had to say.

    He hurried up the stairs, leaving wet footprints as he went. His clothes were soaked, and drizzled slightly on the ground as he walked. It was not the first time the master had returned drenched ¨C though, at least this time, there was an obvious exnation as to why he was so wet, yet the day prior, he had managed it whilst the skies were clear.

    He passed Akiko as he reached thending, and her face broke out into a warm smile as she saw him, only for that smile to waver slightly as she noticed how wet he was.

    "Tadakata..! What are you doing being soaked again? You really will catch a cold, you know!"

    She scolded him for his carelessness. His health was of great concern. Not just to her, but to the rest of the household, and to the rest of the vige.

    "Sorry, we can take a bath togetherter, but there¡¯s something that really can¡¯t wait."

    She blushed bright red at his suggestion, as he disappeared into Nakatane¡¯s old office, and set about his task.

    ¡¯Ah... How can he say such things without getting embarrassed in the least?¡¯

    She felt a little envious of that ability of his, and that envy only grew as her embarrassment deepened upon seeing Jikouji walk up the stairs a momentter, clearly having heard what he had said. He gave a small shrug, as if it was nothing to worry about, before making idle conversation in an attempt to make her morefortable.

    "Thed seems to have an idea."

    Was all he could manage.

    She nodded, unable to say anything in reply, hoping he would quickly leave so that she could calm herself.

    "Come on, old man."

    Gengyo stuck his head back outside the office door.

    He raised his eyebrows, sharing a look with Akiko, before doing as he was bid, and following the young man inside.

    He noticed that Gengyo had gone in there a day prior, but he had not done anything apart from stare avidly at a map for hours. Even his food went untouched. At one point, he thought he might have fallen asleep ¨C which was certainly understandable ¨C but when he went inside to check on him, he saw that his eyes were wide open.

    The map was still in the same ce he had left it, and he stood over it once more now, gesturing for Jikouji toe and look at what he was pointing at.

    His finger rested on the area between Tobishima and Toyone.

    "The road between Tobishima and Toyone? What of it?"

    "It is part of ournd as well now, is it not? Since we own both settlements. How many rice seeds do we have left?"

    "It is. And what of rice seeds? We finished nting them a long time ago."

    He maintained a neutral face, as he clearly did not understand the point in the boy¡¯s questions.

    "I n to cultivate thisnd. How quickly can we begin nting?"

    Jikouji went silent as he continued to stare, not quiteprehending what he had heard. He blinked twice, before opening his mouth in disbelief.

    "That... That is what you were so excited to share with me?"

    Gengyo nodded seriously.

    "Yes, it will be a powerful asset in the months toe. If anything, this might be the trump card we need to win the fight against Imagawa."

    He continued to stare, apparently baffled. Not only was the idea not feasible, it was also pointless. He wondered whether the boy had started to lose some of his wit, as this was certainly not up to par with his usual ideas.

    "...More rice fields, you say? That is what will win us the war against Imagawa?"

    "Exactly. How long would it take to get the whole field ploughed and ready for nting?"

    His face was stillced with disbelief, and he found that it would likely to be easier to answer his questions, rather than get answers for his own.

    "Hah... You¡¯re looking at a few monthsd. Even if you used the entirebour force we have avable ¨C some 300 people ¨C then you¡¯re still looking at more than a month."

    He nodded a couple of times, seemingly agreeing with the information. It was in line with his own predictions of how long it would take.

    "Oxen."

    "Pardon?"

    "How many oxen do we have?"

    "...? None?"

    "I see."

    He had thought they would at least hold a couple. But he supposed that it was pointless for them to keep any. The beasts were worth far more in their butchered form. It was cheaper just to pay workers to do the work. Since theycked any oxen, he wagered they would not have a plough either.

    "The price of oxen?"

    He dared not ask why he was asking about oxen, as he feared it would be for as preposterous a reason as he had been asking about the quantity of rice seed they had remaining.

    "10 gold, perhaps."

    He said with a sigh, clearly reluctant to have to answer it.

    "And a plough?"

    He held his breath, as he had an idea where this was going.

    ¡¯By the gods... He¡¯s actually serious about this...¡¯

    Gengyo was looking at him expectantly, waiting for a reply, and he did not have the heart to let him down.

    "...40 gold, at least. You won¡¯t find anyone near here that makes them, though."

    "It¡¯s within our budget. If we use 6 oxen, and 3 ploughs, then we¡¯ll be able to have it done in a matter of days."

    "What?! Miura, is that not too much of an investment for something that will take months to yield any results? You¡¯re surely of the same opinion as I, that with Imagawa we need to strike whilst the iron is hot, and secure a foothold whilst he is away."

    He did not grow impatient with the older man for his outburst, as it was understandable. But he could see the long term power that these new fields of rice would give them, wasparable to that of any army.

    But he could not say why yet. Not until he himself knew the specifics. He merely wished to make sure that it was a card that would remain within their hand.

    "We will spend all we have on this, Jikouji. It will prove worth it in the long term. But that meagre amount of gold we have is not enough for what we require anyway."

    "So just because it¡¯s not enough, you¡¯re going to spend it all? Surely saving it would be wiser. We¡¯d be able to muster an army far quicker that way, rather than waiting months for... For rice to grow."

    He was growing angry, and his arguing was more passionate.

    "Jikouji. It will be fine. Please, allow me to carry out this project of mine, okay? Consider it a gift. Something that you¡¯re tolerating merely because of my selfishness. But I will promise you this, in exchange for your cooperation: by the end of the next week, our purse will grow by more a thousand gold."

    Perhaps he could have exined his thought process to Jikouji. Perhaps the old man would have been able to understand his reasoning. But something held him back from doing so, because his n was not entirely... ethical.

    His old eyes went round at the mention of such a figure, and he squinted hard, trying to see whether thed was merely trying to fool him.

    "How?"

    "I will begin nning for it immediately, but first I require your cooperation within this matter."

    "Miura-"

    Gengyo cut him off.

    "Trust me, Jikouji. We will be working together for a long time, and there will be things that we are unable to share with one another. When those timese, we will have to rely on the trust we have built up."

    He turned away, and breathed a long sigh through his nose. He could not see the rationality behind the rice field manoeuver. It seemed like a waste of resources. But the promise of a thousand gold was something he could not ignore. With that amount, they could certainly build a respectable ¨C but perhaps small ¨C force.

    "Alright,d. I trust you. But I hope, for the sake of the goal we share, that the promise you just made was not a false one."

    The young man looked him in the eye as he replied.

    "I swear that it wasn¡¯t."

    Jikouji gave a nod, feeling the firmness and confidence within those words.

    "Good. Then I will work to set this ¡¯project¡¯ of yours in motion. Understand though, Miura, even if you manage to plough the entire field, seedlings still must be nted, and then you must flood the entire field before the weeds begin to grow."

    Gengyo waved his hand.

    "You needn¡¯t worry about those matters. We will be able to get the seed nted ¨C once ploughed ¨C within a day. And the flooding... Well, I¡¯ve got another n for that. My earlier question though: do we have enough rice seed to fill that field?"

    Jikouji gave a dry chuckle at the oundish question.

    "Not even close. You¡¯d need a whole cart full. That will probably cost 15-20 gold."

    He nodded, pleased with that figure.

    "Good, that¡¯s well within our budget."

    The price for so much seed was, of course much cheaper than the projected yield. Rice itself was the seed, but after it was processed a certain amount, it lost its nt-bearing properties, and so, each year, certain amounts of the grain were set aside specifically for the purposes of renting.

    "300 gold, is it?"

    "200. I gave 100 away."

    He didn¡¯t bother to exin what he did with that hundred gold, nor did Jikouji feel the need to ask. He merely pulled a bit of a surprised face, and muttered: "that would have been nice to know."

    "Well, that¡¯s all I can think of, Jikouji. If you would acquire those things as soon as possible, then the project will go underway. I¡¯ll focus on fulfilling my promise to you, and earning us that thousand gold."

    The old man took that the be the signal that their meeting was over, and he moved toward the door, far more tired than he had been when he had first entered the room.

    "The things you require will take a few days toe at least. You will be lucky if you manage to even nt it all before the month is out, never mind flooding it."

    He nodded, that amount of time was eptable.

    "It¡¯s fine. Do you best, Jikouji."

    "Same to you."

    And then he left, leaving Gengyo to pour over the map once more, as he contemted just how he might acquire that thousand gold. It had been a bit of a spur-of-the-moment promise, but it seemed necessary at the time. He only hoped that he would not fail to deliver, else his rtionship with the old man would likely deteriorate quite rapidly.

    "Tadakata... Please take a bath."

    Akiko stuck her head around the open door, seeing that Jikouji had left. Gengyo had been shivering for a good while, but had barely noticed it, as he was so focused on moving forward with the specifics.

    "Aye... I am a little chilly. Shall we eat together when I¡¯m done?"

    She smiled at his suggestion warmly.

    "That would be lovely. I¡¯ll go and let Shibata know. See youter, Tadakata."

    "See ya."

 Chapter 100 - An Unexpected Guest

    Akiko and Gengyo were able to eat together regrly now that there was no need to hide their rtionship. Though, those mealtimes felt short. He seemed to always be in her father¡¯s study, doing something or other. And when she came in to talk to him, it was like she wasn¡¯t there at all.

    She hid her dissatisfaction, for she understood his behaviour ¨C mostly. There was odd entricities that she found hard to deal with, such as how he hade home, two days in a row, inpletely sodden clothing.

    But in the few days hence, he seemed to have calmed down a little, as there were no other instances like that. In fact, he rarely went outside at all.

    "What are you thinking?"

    She asked him, as he picked at his food quietly, a faraway look in his eye.

    "Ah, sorry..."

    He said guilty, only just realizing what he was doing.

    "It¡¯s fine, but if you tell me the problem, then I can try and help solve it, you know?"

    What she wanted was not his apologies, it was to know a little more of what was going on inside his head. She had felt as if they had truly broken down their barriers just days before, but still he seemed unwilling to share what he was working on.

    He ran a finger down the small scar that had developed along his jawline. It seemed to have be a habit of his, as she¡¯d seen him do it more than once before.

    "Mm, I know you would, Akiko. But when I am with you, I do not want to think about solving problems. I just want to enjoy yourpany."

    "And yet you still drift away."

    She pointed out sharply.

    He smiled yfully at her provocation.

    "Aye, I need the help of a swan, so that I might still this mind of mine."

    He moved to sit next to her, abandoning his food so that he might tease her some more.

    "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

    She asked, pretending to be annoyed.

    "Not until I die."

    She raised an eyebrow at that.

    "What makes you think I¡¯ll put up with you that long?"

    "This."

    He moved in to kiss her.

    "Master Miu-" Shibata slid the door open, before hastily closing it again.

    "Forgive me, I should have knocked."

    She said from outside the door.

    Catching sight of Akiko¡¯s deep red face, he let out augh.

    "Haha, its fine Shibata,e on in."

    "Yes, Miura-san."

    She slid open the door and bowed, avoiding making eye contact.

    "A woman is waiting for you outside. I have not seen her before, but she said her name was Ishiberra."

    "Isabe, is it?"

    He mused, smiling at Akiko as she shot him a questioning nce.

    "Send her into the office, I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes."

    "As you say, Miura-san."

    She bowed once more, before leaving, sliding the door closed behind her.

    "Hm?"

    He asked in response to the look Akiko was giving him.

    "Who¡¯s Ishiberra?"

    She asked suspiciously.

    "A women of one of the worst sorts, you¡¯d do well not to get involved with her."

    "And yet it¡¯s fine for you to meet with her?"

    "Whilst as a person, she is remarkably floored, I have need of her talents."

    "Her talents?"

    She asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Indeed."

    "Can I meet her too, then?"

    Noticing the anxietly on her face, he realized what the sudden barrage of questions was about, and cupped her chin in his hand.

    "It¡¯s okay, Akiko. It¡¯s strictly business."

    "I would feel better if I was there too..."

    "I would not. I do not want you to be involved in this side of things."

    "What side of things?"

    She questioned, a little heatedly.

    "You will find out in a few days, but for now, just trust me, okay?"

    He made his way out of the door before she even had time to respond. She let out a sigh as she watched his back disappear.

    ¡¯Is there really any need for so many secrets?¡¯

    As he ascended the stairs he could already smell Isabe¡¯s perfume, which was so frighteningly strong that he had to physically stop himself from gagging.

    She stood in the office, with a self-satisfied smile covering her face, whilst Shibata stood by the door, making sure she did not do anything untoward.

    "Thank you, Shibata. You can leave us now."

    She bowed, and quietly closed the door behind them.

    "Here I am."

    Isabe said proudly, as though she knew he would be excited to see her."

    "That I see."

    But he merely acknowledged her presence without a hint of surprise, as he threaded an arm behind his back.

    "..? Ahem... you said there would be work for me?"

    Her reassured behaviour started to falter, as she sort confirmation.

    "I did, and there is, though you¡¯re a dayter than expected."

    She frowned deeply at that, seemingly to take offence.

    "What do you mean a dayter than expected? You didn¡¯t tell me to arrive at a certain time!"

    He exhaled deeply through his nose, as he met her gaze, unflinching, with his arm still firmly positioned behind his back.

    "Correct."

    Was all he said in response to her outburst.

    Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance at his attitude, before she understood the meaning behind his words.

    "Wait... you mean, you expected me toe so quickly?"

    All that confidence that she had entered with faded. She thought she would be surprising him by appearing out of nowhere. He probably never expected her toe back in the first ce. She had 100 gold, after all. She was set for life. Though, perhaps a rather dull life.

    He merely continued to look her in the eye in response to her question, which was confirmation enough. She suddenly felt immensely irritated. It was not a pleasant feeling to have your actions predicted by someone else, and she resisted the urge to simply walk out.

    "Sit down, Isabe."

    He ordered, interrupting her whirling thoughts as she grew more and more worked up. To her disgust, she did exactly as he said.

    "I did not lie when I said there is work for you. Are you still interested in hearing it?"

    "Hmph! You may tell me, and if I like it, then I¡¯ll tell you my decision."

    She tried to gain a little bit of authority back from the measly amount of rope that he had thrown her. But he did not engage her in that battle of pettiness, and merely ignored the tone she took.

    "I want you to gather information."

    "Information? Again?"

    She said, a little irritated at the prospect. She had hoped this job would atleast be slightly different from thest.

    "Yes. I want you to go to Toyokawa. There is a jeweller who owns a permanent stall there. I want you to watch as he takes down his stall for the evening, and I want you to find out where he puts his goods."

    She stared at his emotionless face, looking deeply into his eyes. They were startling in their intensity and in their colour. They were ¨C instead of a normal brown ¨C a light golden, with each fleck definable. The way his eyebrow folded over the top of them highlighted their ferocity, drawing ever more attention to them.

    He was deadly serious.

    "By the gods... you intend to carry out a robbery?"

    He turned to walk over to the window as he nced out of it.

    "There are ways to justify such a crime, by calling it a liberation, or something simr. But I care not for the use of those. Indeed, I intend to rob a man."

    "...But why?"

    She was deeply shocked by his suggestion, and how freely he wielded the word. Did he not care what others thought of him?

    "I have my reasons, Isabe. Those are mine alone. I¡¯ve offered you a job. Will you take it?"

    He said coldly, cutting off her line of questioning. She was not family. Nor were they close. They were merely business partners, and so he did not waste time in altering his words so that they might be less harsh on her.

    Her breath was caught in her throat. She thought, at the very least, he was an honourable man. Clearly, something had happened, because that older gentleman was no longer present, and the maid referred to him as master.

    He had asked her to perform acts of sabotage, but that was merely to ensure victory in battle ¨C it was strategy. But this was outright stealing. A crime.

    But the more she thought about it, the more this excited her. He made no effort to pretend. He did not try to convince her that it was for a good cause. He merely told her it straight. She had no debt that she owed to humanity ¨C in fact, she despised people in general. This was a job that she could carry out easily, without a stain to her conscience. Even if he had asked her to kill, she would have been able to do it.

    "...I¡¯ll take it. But we need to first speak of coin."

    "Of course. 75 gold is fair is it not?"

    "75? You gave me 100st time. Are you growing cheap?"

    "If anything, this is better than before. This is merely a day¡¯s work. The other job required a considerable amount of time more, did it not?"

    She chuckled. It was as though when he spoke, he did so armed. Whatever irrationalities were presented to him, he seemed to cut it down with that sword of his, and pierced toward the truth.

    "Quite true."

    She agreed, unable to get one up on him.

    ¡¯Robbery, eh?¡¯

    She pondered, staring at his back, as he looked out of the window.

    ¡¯It seems I made the right choice,ing to see this man. It should prove interesting.¡¯

    In the few days prior, she had not known what to do with herself. Indeed, she had wandered aimlessly, unable to move quite as she wished without a goal in mind. She had pondered upon visiting a tavern, but she knew, within mere moments of being there, trouble would be afoot, because men were not likely to ignore her beauty.

    She decided, in those days spent wandering, that she needed enough money to raise a group of guards that would protect her wherever she might go, so that she could do as she wished, without the fear of a man¡¯s l.u.s.t getting the better of them. She did not wish to have to always cover her face.

    And so, she had decided uponing to pay this man a visit. She had him pegged as the servant of a samurai lord ¨C though one that wielded a good amount of wealth. And yet here she hade, only to find out that he himself was the master now.

    She held a great amount of curiosity toward the circ.u.mstances that lead to such a promotion, but she dared not ask. The weight of his gaze when they simply spoke normally was enough. If she were to make him angry... She did not want to face that.

    "Miura, hm..."

    He nced in her direction at the mention of his name.

    "What is it?"

    "Well, it¡¯s just, before all this, I¡¯d never heard of you before."

    "You were locked inside a room ¨C that does not seem surprising."

    "Mm, perhaps. But-"

    "Stop, Isabe."

    He said sharply, aware of what she was trying to do. It was unnecessary for her to know about his past. More than being unnecessary, it could actually prove dangerous in the future.

    She flinched at his words, surprised to have angered him so quickly. She had not even mentioned anything sensitive. It was quite a harmless question.

    ¡¯But perhaps...¡¯

    She supposed.

    ¡¯Perhaps he could see where that conversation was likely to go?¡¯

    Her opinion of him kept increasing, merely by him acting as he normally would. Though it would not be inurate to suggest that she likely valued him too highly.

 Chapter 101 - Trust

    "If you are unable to find where he stores them merely by observing, then I trust you know what to do?"

    She pushed her b.r.e.a.s.ts together, and open her eyes wider.

    "Use my charm, you mean?"

    "Correct."

    He said after exhaling through his nose in response to her dramatisms. He walked slowly over to a cupboard that sat in the corner of the room, and opened up the door. She observed his every movement.

    He produced a thin piece of blue cloth, and tossed it to her. She jumped slightly at the sudden speed with which his arm moved, before growing embarrassed at her timidness, looking towards him to see whether he had noticed. But he was already walking back to the table, pouring himself a cup of tea from the steaming kettle, his back to her.

    "What¡¯s this?"

    She questioned, holding it up, struggling to see it¡¯s utility. It was a very small piece of cloth. Not even enough to cover a single arm.

    "A veil. Use it whilst you¡¯re observing."

    "A veil?"

    She questioned, frowning.

    "But there is not nearly enough cloth to wrap around my head."

    "No, wear it around the lower half of your face. That will be enough to disguise your appearance."

    She did not look convinced, but attempted to wear it as he mentioned.

    She looked up at him, having donned the veil, waiting for his evaluation.

    "Good, that¡¯ll do."

    She smiled despite herself ¨C though it was hidden by the veil. Her heart had begun to beat a little faster as she understood the implications of him asking her to use a veil.

    ¡¯He doesn¡¯t want them to know my face, so we can work together again in future.¡¯

    It made her slightly giddy, his concern for her, even if his face was still ice-cold as he continued to look toward her. She returned his gaze expectantly.

    "That will be all, Isabe. I will await the sess of your mission."

    He shot her expectations down, by suddenly dismissing her. She would have said something in response, but he had already withdrawn a scroll form a nearby case, and was intently reading it, as though she had already ceased to exist.

    "Hmph..."

    She said lightly, moving to her feet, and walking toward the door, before sliding it open. She jumped slightly, seeing Shibata still standing there.

    ¡¯Has she been here all this time?¡¯

    She wondered.

    "Shall I escort Ishibe out, Miura-san?"

    Gengyo looked up slightly, and nodded.

    "Yes, please."

    She looked toward Isabe.

    "Please follow me, miss Isabe."

    The woman in question gave oncest nce back toward Gengyo, wondering whether he would bid her farewell, but he appeared to be absorbed within his task.

    With a sigh, she began to walk down the stairs, followed by Shibata.

    As she descended the final steps, a woman looked down on her from the second floor. She turned around and their gazes met, and both found themselves evaluating each other.

    ¡¯Her chest...¡¯

    Akiko breathed in surprise. She had not expected the person Gengyo was meeting to be so attractive. She had a little more meat than she, though she still had a beautiful face ¨C though it was difficult to tell, because a veil covered the lower half.

    ¡¯Is that his woman? She¡¯s quite the skinny thing... Though I suppose her face is not too displeasing.¡¯

    Isabe thought in turn, as Shibata opened the front door, and began to lead her down the cobbled path, back towards the gate.

    Lady Akiko turned to look towards her lover, as he sat behind the same table her father had, pouring over a scroll with such intensity. She wondered why he had met with such a woman. He did not look as though he had engaged in any illicit activities... and she doubted he would have. But why else would you call in a woman of such an appearance?

    She desperately wanted to trust him. But there was precious little for her to work with, as he refused to tell her anything.

    She walked into the office, unnoticed by him. The room stank of that woman¡¯s strong perfume. It was suffocating. She sat down behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, as she put her head on his shoulder.

    It was only then that he noticed her, and his cold visage melted into a smile, as though he was truly happy to see her. But a secondter he returned to his task. She took no offence at that, as she was used to it by now.

    His clothes still retained his own, manly scent, as she brushed her nose against him, confirming that he had not touched that woman, nor had she touched him. Shey against his back, embracing him, with a smile on her face, as she closed her eyes, contented.

    A little whileter, Shibata walked passed, and their gazes met. Her loyal maid shook her head, reassuring her that nothing had happened between Gengyo and that woman.

    Shibata and she had got on for so long, and even though she now served a new master, she was Akiko¡¯s loyal maid until the end. And, so that herdy might rest a little easier, she had stayed outside of the office, just to make sure that nothing had urred.

    But by now Akiko already knew that herself, and she felt lucky.

    ¡¯Oh, Tadakata, sorry for doubting you... You¡¯re working so hard for us, I know... and I¡¯m grateful. I swear to trust you in future, okay?¡¯

    She promised as she clung to him. Though he said nothing, and his focus was entirely glued to the Seventh Scroll of Strategy, herpany also gave himfort. Her warmth against his back, and the gentleness of her touch was enough to calm any tension that he felt, and it allowed his stress to leak out.

    He was a brilliant man, she reckoned. She had not met anyone as intelligent as he. But despite that, he still worked harder than anyone else. It was almost unfair to anyone who dared topete with him. She knew how he struggled since the death of her father. She knew it was difficult for him to continue, but the security she felt from his presence was irreceable, and she was so d to have him.

    It was the same for the others too. In his promise to bring them forward, they had ced their hopes, and were able to continue because of it. All the men of the 11 survivors did not remain idle. They trained, working through their injuries, waiting for the day that the call woulde.

    She kissed him on the cheek as she stood up and left, sparing him a smile as she closed the door after her.

    Jikouji had been gone for a number of days, and Gengyo expected him to return any time soon. The vigers had not yet been informed of the task that would be asked of them, but no doubt they would not refuse. They had remained almost idle in these weeks, due to the majority of the work being done. And when you were as poor as they, you would not dare refute the prospect of earning more money.

    ...

    ...

    As soon as she left the gates of the Miura mansion, Isabe mounted her horses in front of the two female guardsmen, unting all that she had in a narcissistic attempt to make them jealous. It, of course, seeded.

    She rode straight toward port town where her mission would be carried out. She had nothing else nned, and in truth, the feeling of moving forward with direction wasforting. She had grown to despise the suffocating feeling of directionlessness that had assaulted her as ofte, and despite Miura¡¯s coldness, she was d to have gone.

    Her veil fluttered lightly in the wind as she rode, and she found herself growing rather fond of it. The cloth still retained the old smell of the cupboard, and that wafted up into her nostrils, and she found that to be extremely pleasant.

    By the time she arrived, it was already dark, and she ¨C not for the first time in recent days ¨C made her bed amongst the trees of a forest. And as the temperature dropped, and she felt a shiver pass through her body, sheforted herself with the thought that this would not be forever. Soon she would be able to walk where she pleased, and sleep where she liked, without fear for danger.

    Back in the mansion around this time, Isabe had be quite the hot topic ¨C Togashi told Gengyo as much, as they sat in the bathhouse together.

    "Is she really your woman, Miura-san?"

    Gengyo made a pained expression, as though he could not imagine anything worse. That was more than enough an answer for Togashi.

    "I thought as much... But people really do love to talk, huh?"

    "Aye. I¡¯m just grateful that Akiko did not take in any of the misunderstandings."

    "I thought the two of you were already married..."

    Togashi mentioned embarrassedly, recalling the conversation he had with Jikouji, after which he had been utterly humiliated.

    "So did I."

    Gengyo said seriously, his face portraying no hint of emotion. Togashi stared at him a few seconds before bursting outughing, realizing it was a joke.

    "Haha. How are you coping with your wounds, Togashi?"

    Togashi looked down at his own body in response. It was bare, apart from the towel around his waist.

    "They¡¯re getting better. Still a bit stiff, but I can¡¯t reallyin ¨C I¡¯m lucky to be alive."

    Had anyone walked in on them bathing, then it would have taken quite the hardened warrior not to be startled by their appearances. The amount of scars they had was horrific. Togashi had his from his months spent in torture, as well as all those from the recent battles. It was to the point where it was difficult to locate patches of unscarred skin.

    Gengyo had some rather serious ones of his own. The puncture wounds from the spears in his first battle, and all those more recent ones.

    "It¡¯s the same for me. Have you spoken with any of the others recently?"

    He asked, genuinely interested. He himself had not found the time to visit hisrades too often. He could only hope that they were doing well.

    "Rokkaku and Sasaki had a drink with mest night. They seem to be doing well, though Sasaki looks a bit stiff as he walks."

    "Hm..."

    He stroked the scar on his chin, pondering a little on that information.

    "How long will you need in order to make a full recovery?"

    Togashi turned his head toward Gengyo, with a savage smile that was full of honesty.

    "I¡¯m more than ready to fight, Miura-san. In fact ¨C I need to fight."

    He raised an eyebrow at that eagerness, and nodded twice, amused. He was feeling the same himself, though he had other things to upy those urges. He assumed it must be much worse for the others.

    "There¡¯s somethinging up."

    Water sshed as Togashi turned his whole body around, so that he could listen to what Gengyo was about to say next with the utmost rity.

    "Haha, you really are eager. There might not be much fighting, but we will see."

    "What is it, Miura-san?"

    He asked, his voice full of expectation.

    "In a couple of days, we will be heading to Toyokawa. I¡¯ll need 5 men to go with me. Father will insist oning. I¡¯ll let you select the other three ¨C of course, you¡¯reing as well."

    "With pleasure!"

    He said with a deep nod. He would have bowed if not for the water. Adrenaline was already rushing through his bloodstream. Finally, after all the waiting, they were about to take the first step. The first step on their campaign to see to the end of the Imagawa n.

 Chapter 102 - Oxen

    Akiko ran toward her father¡¯s study.

    "Jiko-"

    She began, as she pushed her way into the room. She had thought he was already awake, but there Gengyo was, fast asleep, drooling onto the table.

    She held back a giggle at the sight of him. He looked so harmless when hey like that. Perhaps it was because his eyes were closed, so instead you could only see the delicate features of his face. They were average enough, to most, but to her, the more she looked, the more things she found she liked.

    She admired him a while, and peaked past his head to read the scroll that he had been reviewing.

    "In strategy, one must know himself before he seeks to know his opponent..."

    She whispered, reading it aloud.

    ¡¯Hmm...¡¯

    She contemted that sentence a little trying to understand it¡¯s profundity. But her thoughts were distracted, as she saw Gengyo¡¯s fist clench, and his eyebrows twitch. His face adopted an aggressive expression, and his arms moved slightly, as his brain struggled to tell the difference from dream and reality.

    Seeing him so worked up, and clearly experiencing a bad dream, she dared not put off waking him any longer, as she put her hand on his shoulder, and gently shook him, trying to get him to stir.

    "Tadakata... Tadakata,e on, wake up."

    She said softly. But his dreaming only seemed to grow more intense, and his movements more vigorous.

    "Tadakata! Wake up, Tadakata!"

    She said a little louder, shaking him harder, growing worried.

    "Mm..."

    He opened his eyes, squinting from the sunlight that shone through the open window, as he looked towards her, attempting to figure out who she was.

    "Akiko... Good morning."

    He saidzily.

    "Morning? It¡¯s early afternoon already... Sorry for waking you."

    She said guiltily. She was well aware of the difficulty he was having with sleepingtely - it was evident within his face. His skin had be pale and bags had formed under his eyes, but they still retained their piercing sharpness.

    With him gazing up her like that, she could not help herself, and waspelled to kiss his forehead.

    "Hm..? Am I still dreaming?"

    She smiled sweetly, and moved to walk away before he tease her any more, but then she remembered why she hade in the first ce.

    "Stupid... I just wanted to let you know that Jikouji¡¯s back, and he¡¯s brought some friends with him."

    He stretched out and yawned lightly as he heard that, before he moved to his feet to join her.

    "Let¡¯s go see these friends of his, shall we?"

    Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he moved down the stairs, greeting some of the servants as he went. Akiko followed just behind him.

    Within the courtyard, Jikouji was busy instructing the servants as they unloaded some goods from the various carts that had now appeared.

    "So, you managed, eh Jikouji?"

    The old man whirled around as he grinned. He was rather proud of what he had achieved with the small amount of money that they had. Six oxen were strapped to three carts, as they stood there,zily staring.

    The load they had drawn had been significant. The carts were piled high with rice seeds, and each contained a plough. Gengyo could only imagine how difficult it had been to load such a heavy piece of equipment into the carts, but he was d he¡¯d done it.

    "Ayed! It¡¯s all here,e and take look!"

    He motioned enthusiastically toward the goods.

    He looked at the oxen rather hard. In essence, they were not much different from cows, though slightlyrger, with huge curving horns that seemed capable of inflicting a good deal of damage. But the six picked seemed healthy. There was nothing wrong with them that stood out at first nce.

    Akiko seemed to think that they were cute, as she petted one of the head, ying with it¡¯s long fringe. It let a loud moo, as if to say: "can I help you, youngdy?"

    "I¡¯ve never seen an ox before..."

    She revealed.

    "Neither have I."

    Gengyo said in agreement, letting her know that she was not alone in this. Jikouji shot them a nce, as though he was staring at some exotic bird.

    "Seriously..?"

    He asked quietly. They were not exactly rare beasts, and even with that aside, thed seemed to have a clear understanding of their capabilities. He would have expected for him to see them at work at least once.

    "Aye. Let¡¯s have a look at these ploughs then, Jikouji."

    "Er, alright."

    He had difficulty putting that aside, but his enthusiasm was quickly resumed as he revealed three brand new ploughs.

    "Just like you asked. The cksmith made ploughs to be used by two oxen. Look at the size of it ¨C the fields will get done in no time!"

    It was certainly a fine looking piece of machinery, but appearance was not something he cared much for. He moved forward to grab one of the des of the plough, and he tugged at it, as hard as he could. It did not budge in the least. Then, he picked a small rock from the floor, and bashed at it, using a considerable amount of force, to see whether the iron had been made cheaply, rendering it brittle.

    "Perfect. Brilliant work Jikouji. How much did you pay for all this?"

    His smile only widened at that, as he reached inside his kimono, and presented Gengyo with a coin pouch. There was still a decent amount of weight in it, leaving the young man rather surprised.

    "20 gold left,d. I think I did rather well, eh?"

    "You¡¯re a miracle worker, Jikouji. As you said, the field will be done in no time."

    "Which field, Tadakata?"

    Akiko interrupted, curious as to what all this was for. This hade quite of the blue for her.

    "You didn¡¯t even tell her,d?"

    Jikouji asked, rolling his eyes.

    "Akiko, we¡¯re going to plough thend between Toyne and Tobishima. We should be able to nt a good amount of seed on it."

    She understood quickly, and nodded, not showing nearly the same dramatisms that Jikouji had when he had first heard.

    "Oh, I see. That¡¯s a good idea."

    Gengyo smiled at her favourable response, and raised his eyebrows at Jikouji. The old man understood what he was trying to say, and shook his head.

    "Aye, well, I did as you asked. Any progress with the other thing?"

    "There is. I met with someone yesterday. We should be able to set the n in motion in a few days."

    He nodded.

    "Good. Good, indeed."

    He smiled genuinely. He was pleased that the boy appeared to be keeping his promise. He had his doubts earlier, but even with this project of his, sess now seemed likely, and it would be greatly beneficial to them when harvest season came.

    "Will you see to it that the vigers know to begin work tomorrow? I wille out and oversee them, to be sure that progress is as intended."

    "Got it, see youterd."

    They said their farewells, and he said his to Akiko, as he left her and walked quietly inside, before heading upstairs to the dojo.

    He took off his shoes ceremoniously, as was always to be done, and he reached for a bokken.

    The cold wood felt good in his hands. He hade here often as ofte. It helped to keep the stress that threatened to overwhelm him at bay. His only fear was of being interrupted.

    He assumed the ready position, as he remembered Imagawa¡¯s words, and anger overwhelmed him.

    "FROM YOUR MOUTH COMES THE WORDS OF A COWARD!"

    He had said.

    That was all he required to be spurred into action.

    "Who the f.u.c.k are you!?"

    His face twisted as it assumed a degree of malice that would be unimaginable to that of an ordinary person, and he struck out with his sword, sending his de through an imaginary Imagawa.

    "You were born into your f.u.c.k.i.n.g position, you¡¯re a f.u.c.k.i.n.g non-entity!"

    He cursed, his bodypletely consumed by the rage by now, and he pushed well past his limits, striking again and again, not feeling the pain of his aching muscles, tearing Imagawa to pieces inside his mind.

    He relived that instant, where the order had been given. Instead of calming when Nakatane spoke, he had grown angrier, and leapt on Imagawa, cutting his head off there and then, as he hacked his corpse to pieces.

    Within seconds, he had been surrounded, but he fought on, breaking free.

    Of course, such a thing was unrealistic, but it helped to deal with the pain, even just a little. It hurt to keep the rage he felt inside a bottle. But he knew if he did not keep it under wraps, it would consume him, and dictate his every action, even more so than it did now.

    "FROM YOUR MOUTH COMES THE WORDS OF A COWARD!"

    "RAH!"

    That scene reyed once more, and he flung his sword in blind rage, sending it de first into the wall.

    "F.U.C.K!"

    He cursed.

    Realizing the destruction he had caused, he attempted to calm himself.

    ¡¯Empty your mind, Gengyo... Breathe.¡¯

    But the demon would never leave that easily, and he clenched his fist, uttering an involuntary snarl. It was odd. He felt inclined to allow he demon loose, but as soon as he did, he felt not better, but worse, as his whole body tensed up in agony, and he felt further away from his goal than he initially was.

    He brought his fist up, bringing it down fast, stopping just an inch away from the floor. He barely held himself back. How good it would feel, that demon reckoned, for him to simply cause carnage within this room, and bloody his fist in the process of the dojo¡¯s destruction.

    But he could not. No matter how badly he wanted to. He could not give in yet. The wall was exinable, but a hole in the floor was not. He had to keep his reputation, if he wanted any chance at vengeance, least he spent eternity regretting his own actions.

    ¡¯I can¡¯t wait to fight...¡¯

    He realised, staring at his shaking hands. He recalled the words of Togashi, expressing his own desire to fight. Did the men feel the same as he? Somehow, he did not think so. This... This rage that he felt was unshareable.

    ¡¯But carnage wille.¡¯

    He assured himself. His ns went far beyond that of the Toyokawa robbery. He would take that chaos, and multiply it many times, until they had .u.mted enough wealth to burn Mikawa from the ground up.

    He nced back at his sword, and flinched, as it was now covered in blood. A frightening deep red blood, that looked like it had already been left to clot for a while. As he lifted his sword, it did not even attempt to drip away, and clung to the bokken, as though immune to gravity.

    He flicked the de with distaste, attempting to get rid of the blood. It was something he did out of habit. But the blood did not fall to the floor with the soft plop that he was ustomed to, and as he looked back on it to see why the stubborn liquid had not yet departed, he saw that it was not there at all.

    He blinked, startled, before he began to process what had happened.

    ¡¯Jesus, Gengyo, are you stupid? Where would that bloode from in the first ce? You need to be getting more sleep ¨C start thinking more clearly.¡¯

    He assured himself thatck of sleep was all there was to it, as he went over, and put his bokken back to where it belonged, and took a deep breath, before donning his shoes and reassuming his identity as Miura Tadakata, master of the Niwa household.

 Chapter 103 - Stakeout

    With theing of morning light, she had emerged from the trees ¨C leaving her horse behind her ¨C and covered the final stretch of distance, entering into Toyokawa.

    She wandered through the streets, which were rtively empty as no one wished to be up so early.

    The hard cobbles were firm underfoot, and the fresh sea air filled her lungs. She gulped down huge mouthfuls of it, savouring its purity.

    The road was steep, and ahead was the port. Wooden jetties shot off into the sea, allowing huge sailing vessels to dock. There were sh.i.p.s that towered above the rest, and flew gs that were certainly not that of a Japanese ship.

    She stared curiously as she saw the pale-faced foreigners ¨C with their blonde hair ¨C unloading cargo from the sh.i.p.s. They had all sorts of wares. Silk, firearms, steelworks. She found herself wondering how much it would all sell for. Definitely a pretty sum.

    Japanese merchants greeted them as they disembarked, getting in with them early, so that they could secure the best prices.

    The seapped aggressively at the edge of the ship, and at times the water swam over the jetty. It looked terrifying, and she could not understand how they could stand there so calmly, as though it was the safest ce in the world.

    Small Japanese trading vestalsy next to them. These were sh.i.p.s that clung to the shoreline around Japan, so that they might deliver goods more quickly. If they were to go further out at sea, they would struggle to deal with the might of the ocean.

    Stalls were set up along the port area, as Gengyo had hinted there would be. But as of yet, there were not many customers. A man sold some of the produce he had harvested recently, with cabbages and carrots being rathermon on the table. Another shouted loudly, offering to repair armour and weapons for a price.

    One counter wasden with silks and cloths, as the man imed to make the finest kimonos and yukatas in all of Japan. Whilst that was a questionable statement, there were still flocks of people gathering around, wanting to have a feel of his material.

    Guards patrolled the area regrly, making sure there were no instances of thievery, and if there were, they would crack down on it immediately, and make an example out of the man. If thieves were allowed to run rampant, then the amount of trade done in the port would fall substantially, as merchants looked for other locations to take their business.

    She soon spotted the jeweller Gengyo had mentioned. He was a middle-aged man, with oily skin and a stubbly beard, and a belly that had be hefty from overconsumption of alcohol. But the way his face was lit up by a smile whenever he interacted with the buyers helped to hide all those imperfections.

    But as soon as they left, that smile would disappear as quickly as it hade, highlighting it¡¯s falsity.

    He counted piles of gold coins on top of his counter without a single care for the jealous nces that were shot his way. He had four guards either side of his stall ¨C there was no way anyone could start anything. He appeared to take great delight in the envious nces he got, as he made sure that the pile was entirely visible, and often stopped to look up to make sure everyone was seeing how much he had earned.

    It was no wonder that man had chosen him for the target of the robbery ¨C he was clearly a man of sizeable wealth. Amongst the coin that littered his counter, was also some of the finest jewellery she had everid eyes upon.

    A beautiful emerald encrusted wrist bangle caught her attention most, and she found herself wishing that she could steal it already. But there were others too. A sapphire gemstone hanging from a chain of gold, ruby earrings, ruby nes. In fact, a lot of the wares appeared to contain ruby. Perhaps the man had been able to buy arge ruby gemstone cheaply at some point, and manufactured the rest using it.

    Whenever a customer came, he would put his coin away, and pretend to be the poorest of men, and take personal offence whenever they offered him a price too low, iming that he would be unable to feed his poor, sickly wife, or put food on the table for them.

    She did not think anyone was fooled by his acting, but still, it forced them into a position where they had to change their offer for fear of appearing callus to all those that had gathered around them.

    When lunch came, he cleared the counter away, and had a feastid out for him. Shrimp littered a te, alongside a whole lobster, and a small octopus. He marinated the food in sauce, chomping down loudly as he allowed the juices to freely drip down his chin.

    No doubt his guards were starving, but they were not allowed to eat. They merely had to watch as their boss satisfied that great hunger of his, and wait until their shift was over, before going home, and buying whatever they could manage with the meagre amount of coin that they had earned.

    Isabe, for her part, merely ordered a bowl of pickled vegetables and rice from one of the nearby stalls, and leaned against a wooden beam as she ate it idly, pretending to not be paying the jeweller¡¯s stall any attention, as she attempted to admire the wildlife instead.

    She did not receive too many unwanted looks from passersby, as the veil helped to hide her beauty. But if anyone was to take more than a casual nce, they would realize the fineness of her features, which could cause problems. As such, she tried to keep her head down, to avoid any such instances.

    After he had finished hisvish lunch, the jeweller¡¯s business only continued to bloom, as foreign men came over and attempted to trade in broken Japanese. He yed these people for even more wealth than he had the others, as they were unable to understand what he was saying. Though they did not trade in coin, but rather traded in goods.

    He put all that he had traded within a box below his counter, which he would take home with himter.

    The guards were immensely bored, and sweat coated their foreheads. They were not saved from the heat of the midday sun as their employer was. There was a cloth dr.a.p.ed over the back of the stall, but they were not allowed anywhere near it.

    She had barely seen them move all day, and whenever one did, to scratch or something simr, they would be shot a vicious nce by the storekeeper, warning them not to do it again.

    Isabe found herself wondering why they would put up with such treatment. Surely it would be more worthwhile to simply rob the man for all he had? They were in a position where such a thing would be possible, and it was not as though they owed him anything.

    But why didn¡¯t they?

    ¡¯Fear, perhaps.¡¯

    She reasoned with herself. They were frightened of the consequences their actions would bring. And perhaps they would feel guilty. But the storekeeper did not seem to feel any guilt, even though he was subtly robbing almost every he interacted with.

    They were well-muscled too, as their sleeveless kimonos showed off their arms. Surely they could find a better job than standing guard for that puny pug-like man. Why not simply join the war with Imagawa? Wouldn¡¯t that be more exciting?

    But then, she supposed, everyone had different circ.u.mstances. Perhaps they somehow owed the man debt, or something along those lines. That seemed quite likely with that narcissistic nature the storeowner seemed to have.

    Even as they began to pack up for the evening - with the merchant carefully wrapping each of his wares in cloth, before sliding them into arge leather satchel ¨C they were not yet allowed to move.

    It was only when he handed one of them the heavy satchel to carry, that their guard duty seemed to end. The man¡¯s broad shoulders instantly shot downwards upon receiving the bag, giving a good idea of how much it weighed.

    Another two men lifted up the wooden chest from below the stall, and carried it behind the rest.

    They walked back up the steep, cobbled street, and Isabe followed, doing her best to keep and eye on them as they walked through the crowd.

    The chest was clearly rather heavy, as she saw the two men ¨C who could definitely not be called small ¨C trembling, struggling to keep it upright. But they knew from experience that if they were to lower it to the floor for a chance at resting, then they would wish they hadn¡¯t.

    They went further through the streets, passed all the tightly nit houses, and travelled further towards an area that had not yet been imed entirely from nature, with trees and grass still in sight.

    Behind a collection of trees, along a small dirt track, and over a short bridge was the merchant¡¯s house. It was a huge structure, taking up far more space than it needed to, as everything was on the same level as the single storied house.

    Clearly, the paintwork had been recently done, as the white was of the purest colour, and the ck was of the deepest shade. She only wondered why there were three sets of doors by the entrance rather than one. But the rest... The rest was certainly wless.

    No one had looked back to see her yet, but she was well aware that she would be spotted soon. Perhaps she could hide in the long grass that surrounded the structure ¨C but that was most unnecessary. In fact, it would prove counterproductive.

    He opened his sliding door, not paying any attention to the two guards the stood at the entrance, and he went inside, the three men that carried his goods followed after him.

    She approached, as though it was the most natural thing in the world, swaggering as she went. She loosened up the top of her kimono slightly, so that her goods could be better seen.

    He turned around, suspicious upon hearing her approach.

    "Who are you?"

    He asked warily.

    "I¡¯m a gift."

    She said sweetly, closing the distance between the two of them.

    "A gift?"

    He repeated, as her perfume drifted into his nose, and his suspicion lessened.

    "A gift from master Noya, he owes you a debt, I am told."

    "Ho... Is that right."

    His mouth curled up lecherously. Many people owed him debts, and he had long since forgotten the majority of their names.

    He turned around, and lead the way, the guardsmen following behind. They walked along the wooden floor straight for a few minutes, before turning right, and then going inside the first room on the left.

    By its size, and the western bed that adorned the centre, it seemed it was the merchant¡¯s bedroom. The guardsmen followed in afterwards, and ced the goods down in a corner of the room.

    They soon left, leaving the two of them alone.

    "Now... this debt..."

    But she was already ahead of him. She had found out all that she had needed to know ¨C all that was left was her escape.

    She removed the kimono from her shoulders, but stopped it from falling from her chest. And then, she reached into her bosom and retrieved a pouch of coin.

    She tossed it to him, before turning to leave.

    "Debt repaid."

    It was a measly 10 gold, but it was enough. He had been able to feast his eyes, and whilst he had expected more, he would never turn gold away, and so she was able to leave freely under the watchful gazes of the guards.

 Chapter 104 - Ploughing

    Before even the breaking of dawn, Gengyo was stood on thend that connected Toyone and Tobishima. He leaned heavily on a stick he had found whilst wondering through the forest, and his mind was alive with thoughts.

    Oddly, he felt a good deal of excitement for this task ahead. He had never attempted something like this, and looked forward to seeing the speed in which they could get everything done.

    He knew - from the experience of working in the field, doing the hoeing by hand - that the vigers would be far happier to see the oxen at work. It would take a bit of practice to get the plough driver to keep his ploughing straight, but it would be quick enough that it would not dramatically affect their progress.

    The river cut through nearby, and the sound of it¡¯s rippling waters was almost meditative on his mind. He had not been able to sleep the night before, but that was not rare. As ofte, he did not sleep when he wanted to, but merely when he had to. It was more akin to passing out than going to sleep.

    He admired the rising sun as it peaked it¡¯s head up past the mountains, covering the world in its warm glow. The feeling of its rays on his skin was pleasant, but he did not have the time to enjoy it for long, as the first lot of vigers were already arriving.

    It seems they were unaware of quite how they were going to be doing this work, as they arrived with hoes in hand. Old men, old women, mothers, children, and crippled men. All sorts were able to work, despite not being fit enough to go to war.

    He spotted a familiar face amongst them.

    "It has been a long time, Baba-san."

    The elderly man smiled warmly upon seeing him.

    "There has been quite the amount of happenings, has there not master Miura?"

    It felt extremely nostalgic to see his old face again, and it reminded him of all that had happened. It was quite the journey he¡¯d undergone.

    "Haha, it feels strange to hear you call me that. I would rather we dropped the formalities, else I imagine we¡¯d both feel rather ufortable, would we not?"

    "That does sound a bit more favourable for me. I¡¯m old, and set in my ways. It¡¯s difficult to adjust. There was a time when they called you the weakest boy in the vige, but look at you now eh?"

    Gengyo smiled lightly at that.

    "I appreciate that. But I do not have a lot to show for all that has happened, apart from this new position of mine."

    He let out a sigh, as he felt the crushing weight of his responsibilities renewed.

    "But in time, perhaps, I will be able to look upon myself proudly. But as of yet, I¡¯m still just a peasant."

    The old man raised his thick eyebrows at that, and let out a smile, but said nothing.

    "Back to work in the field, eh fes!?"

    Morohira¡¯s arrival was announced loudly, as he swaggered over to them, swinging a hoe, full of energy.

    "You came as well, father? I didn¡¯t ask you to ¨C I wanted you to be resting."

    "Eh? Me? Resting? When that lot areing as well? I think notd."

    He pointed to a hill in the distance, which a familiar group of men had just ascended. With the rising sun at their backs, they were quite the powerful image.

    The rest of the vigers turned to look at them too. Somehow theymanded such a degree of attention.

    "We¡¯re ready to work, Miura."

    Kitajo said, grinning.

    "And your leg?"

    He patted it firmly, before doing a series of jumps.

    "As good as new."

    "And what about you, Sasaki? Are your injuries still bothering you."

    In response, the big man picked up Kitajo ¨C much to his protest ¨C and hefted him upon his shoulder, as though he weighed nothing more than a small sack of rice.

    "All good boss."

    He said giving the affirmative.

    "And you?"

    He asked, turning to Ii and his friends.

    "We¡¯ve been ready for days. It gets boring in that mansion, man. Got to do something ¨C even if it¡¯s just hoeing fields, y¡¯know."

    He nodded, pleased with their condition, before turning to the rest of the vigers who had gathered, and were waiting for his direction.

    "Good morning, everyone. Do you all know why we¡¯re here?"

    "To plough this f.u.c.k.i.n.g field, eh fes!?"

    Morohira shouted, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of everyone else. Even Gengyo had to crack a smile.

    "Aye, we¡¯ll get thisnd all done before the end of the season. Are you all confident?"

    A man from Tobishima raised his hand up tentatively.

    "Uhm... Master Miura, even just doing the ploughing fornd of this size, before the end of the season will be impossible."

    There were a few murmurs of agreement that went round. It was unheard of to do the ploughing so quickly.

    "Take a look behind you, and then let me know whether it¡¯s possible or not."

    Coming up over the hill behind them were the six oxen,den with three ploughs, lead by Jikouji who was grinning wildly, excited to see these new tools go to work.

    "Ahahahaha! F.u.c.k me dead! We¡¯ll get in done in like ten minutes now!"

    Rokkaku bellowed loudly, greatly amused by the sudden appearance of the lumbering beasts.

    Gengyo looked at the Tobishima man expectantly, waiting for a reply.

    "...I¡¯m sorry for doubting you."

    He nodded in response to the man¡¯s words, epting his apology. He didn¡¯t hold it against him in the least, he had merely wanted to prove a point to the rest.

    "So, thisnd here will get ploughed, and we¡¯ll get nted. I¡¯m sure you all appreciate how valuable thisnd will be to us, given the size and the fertility of the soil. You will all be paid a sizeable amount for your work in theseing days, and when harvest seasones, you will all have a share."

    Those were favourable conditions indeed. Not a single man or woman who hade out that morning to work regretted their decision. Any worries they had about food in theing year were instantly abated.

    "Here we are, Miura!"

    Jikouji said heartily, arriving with his army of oxen behind him. The strength of the beasts was unimaginable. They had wheeled the hefty ploughs down here, and they looked as though they had done barely any work at all. They merely snorted out of their noses, and began picking at the lush grass beneath their feet.

    "Beautiful work, as usual, Jikouji."

    He¡¯d harnassed the oxen to the ploughs good and proper. There was no sign of any rubbing from the walk over here, and the beasts appeared to be quitefortable with their load.

    "Baba? Have you ever used a plough?"

    The old man shook his head.

    "That I have not."

    "Has anyone else here used a plough?"

    The vigers were all quiet.

    "Mm... That¡¯s fine. Baba, would you like to operate one of the ploughs? You¡¯ll learn how to use it in no time. Pick another two people to work alongside you."

    Baba nodded. He¡¯d been hoping to give the ploughs a turn, and had to struggle to hide his smile as he was givenplete authority over them.

    "I¡¯ll do it as well!"

    Jikouji said, a little too desperately. Clearly, his keenness in wanting to operate one was not a recent thing.

    "Sure. Then we just need one more."

    He half expected Rin to put her hand up, but then he realized that she was not even here. She was standing guard back in the mansion. Nor was Fuku here either. The death of Masaatsu had hit her hard.

    He felt a slight bit of guilt thinking about them. He had not spent much time as he should have with his family as ofte.

    "I¡¯ll do it!"

    Ii put his hand up.

    Somehow Gengyo did not trust that grinning face of his. But he could not think of a good enough reason to refuse him, so he relented.

    "...Fine."

    "Hell yeah!"

    Ii shouted, celebrating his victory.

    "I¡¯ll leave you three to it then. For the rest of you, I have another job."

    He walked over to the banks of the river.

    "Can I borrow that?"

    He asked of a viger next to him, pointing to the hoe.

    Using the hoe, he traced a line from the banks of the river, all the way to where he imagined one side of the ploughed field would be.

    "We¡¯re going to dig along here. Make it about three paces wide, and four paces deep, so that it is slightly below the water level of the river."

    "Ho... So this is how you intend to get the field flooded quickly."

    Gengyo nodded in confirmation.

    "That¡¯s right."

    He began digging himself, and soon the rest joined in, understanding what he meant. The viger whom he had borrowed a hoe from took Baba¡¯s instead, since he did not need it.

    The ground came away fairly easily, but it was tough work, especially since there was so much dirt to haul. In the meantime, they watched Baba and the other two experimenting with their ploughs.

    It was easy enough to get the oxen to pull, but keeping the ploughing straight was the difficult part. Ii shouted out in rage as he had a perfectly straight line going on, before he tripped on a rock, and a huge curve was put in it.

    But soon, they had it mastered, and were sending the oxen up and down, as they steered the plough.

    There were some cheers from the vigers as they saw the first proper line of field being done. The des dug in deeply, and overturned the grass so that it was hardly visible anymore, and all that was left on top was a perfectyer of upturned soil.

    It was calming to watch, and the progress was steady. Very quickly they had created a perimeter for the future field, and Gengyo stopped his digging so that he might think about the flooding more clearly.

    Currently, they had dug a ditch where the water from the river would gather, once they took down the final part of the bank, and allowed it to burst through.

    But that was far from good enough to ensure that the entire field would be flooded equally. He needed to raise the water atleast three feet high, and then have it go off into channels around the field, before they allowed it to flood in at several different points.

    If it was done on at one point, they would be too much stress ced on those seedlings, and they would likely perish. A single point would not matter if the water supply was gentle, but if he was taking it from the fast-flowing river, it certainly would not be.

    It was an interesting problem, and one he rather enjoyed pondering over. It had been far too long since he had to resort to mathematics and physics in order to solve something. Everything as ofte had been a battle of wits, full of uncertainties.

    Pressure, was the obvious answer for moving water uphill. Except, he didn¡¯t have the materials needed to create pipes that could withstand the amount of pressure required, nor did he want to spend the time making pumps.

    His thoughts fell to the Romans, and their aqueducts. Whilst on a much smaller scale, he was trying to achieve a very simr thing. And then it hit him, the obvious answer, one that he should have thought of much sooner.

    A water wheel.

    It was the perfect solution for the materials he had avable. It would only require some wood, and some buckets.

    Whilst being the perfect solution, it did render their recent digging attempts obsolete. He felt a little guilty in telling them their work had been for nought, but it did not matter too much. It was better toe to this conclusion now, rather thanter, when the work was alreadyplete.

 Chapter 105 - Mathematics

    He broke the news to them, and set them about a new task. Using the dirt that had mounted up, they began building a wall of mud about the perimeter of the field, as they normally would. It had worked out well, because now they had the material required to do such a thing.

    In fact, some of the workers suggested Gengyo had nned this from the start, but in truth, he had been so focused on the problem of getting water to the field, he had put the process of creating a wall out of his mind.

    With them now focused on their new task, he began to focus on his. He needed the circle of the water wheel to be perfect, else there was no chance of the system working. There was a simple way to create a perfect circle, but he dared not do it on wood straight away.

    He found a nearby stick, that looked rather sturdy, and hammered it into the ground using the end of his hoe. There was a bundle of twine left over by the food area, which had been brought along in case there were any problems with the oxen¡¯s harnesses.

    He took that, and tied it around the end of the hammered stick, before tying the other piece of string to his hoe. He made sure both were not liable to slip, and began to trace out a circle, making sure that there was always maximum tension within the string.

    It came out good and thick, as he used the de of his hoe to draw it. It was about as thick as he would like the water wheel to be.

    Tension had been kept throughout, and the circle came out perfectly, as he would want it.

    He selected some men from the digging team, and set them the task of filling in the temte of a circle that he had created using wood. They looked confused as to why they were being asked to do such a thing, but they left for home, and returned with an axe and some woodworking tools each.

    He watched with approval as they went about their work, finding wood that was thick enough to form at least one-quarter of the circle after being trimmed down to size.

    He had not expected them to be so proficient in their craft, as he had selected them at random, but he supposed when you had to build houses of your own, then you would develop some familiarity with the art of woodworking.

    As they went about their work, some of the vigers peered over curiously, wondering what was going on.

    Gengyo found a small stick, and began performing calctions in the sand, pondering how he might make sure each bucket was positioned an equal distance apart inside the circle.

    If he had a protractor, his task would be easy, but s such easy tools were not avable to him, and he had to do things the proper way.

    It was easy enough to ce buckets ¨C if you imagine the wheel as a clock ¨C at 12 o¡¯clock, 6 o¡¯clock, 9 o¡¯clock, and 3 o¡¯clock. But he wished to have 8 buckets in total.

    He pictured various sets of triangles within the circle, and realized something. In forming eight points, and connecting the eight points to each other via straight lines, you were effectively forming an octagon within the circle. Through this image, he realized that if he were to measure the direct distance between 12 o¡¯clock and 3 o¡¯clock, and half that, he would then be able to urately find the point in the circle that existed exactly halfway between the two.

    He would use a piece of wood equal to this half measurement, and ce one end on 12 o¡¯clock. And then, he would turn it, until it met the outer part edge of the circle. The point at which the end of the wood touched the circle would be the point exactly halfway between.

    It was not extremelyplicated mathematics, and he found that he was a little disappointed once he selected the obvious solution that was staring him in the face. But it was a change of pace, and he enjoyed it.

    The men spent the entire rest of the daypleting the circle, with four quarters matching up to each other perfectly. All they needed to do now was piece it together with a frame, and secure the buckets.

    Elsewhere progress was steady. The vigers had run out of dirt after doing a single side of the field, so a team was assigned to dig, and another team was assigned to collect the dirt from them and apply it. They switched every hour, so the task would not grow too tiresome.

    And with the ploughing team, they had managed to plough just over half the field. Everyone was in high spirits as they went home, including Gengyo. He was more than satisified with their progress, and had immensely enjoyed his return to a more engineering-based frame of mind.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, work began early, and they were raring to go. The men who had been helping Gengyo in the construction of the wheel once more returned with their tools, whilst their master brought along 8 buckets that had been lined with tar, so that they were fully waterproof.

    They began work in earnest, cutting down enough wood so that they could create the eight different beams required to hold the structure up. As it happened, the cement of the beams was identical to the cement of the buckets, so they were able to sort the specific measurements then and there.

    Those were hammered into ce quickly, as the men found themselves enjoying this less tedious bit of work. Yesterday they had been at their wit¡¯s end trying to shave the wood off perfectly so that it lined up with the circle. More than once they took too much off, and Gengyo had to insist that they start over, else it would not work as it should.

    The buckets were attached so that they could swing freely. Because gravity was always pulling the buckets downwards, even if they were to turn around as they went around the wheel the water would not spill.

    A series of paddles were attached, 18 in total. These were angled so that they would catch the flowing water of the river, and send the wheel spinning round. These were measured ording to the same system Gengyo had devised before, but this time, instead of the length being half of the distance between 12 o¡¯clock and 3 o¡¯clock, it was a quarter.

    The wheel was really shaping up, and the vigers could barely hold back their curiosity, as the four men carried it towards the river. It was 3 metres in diameter, so not extremelyrge for a water wheel, but it was certainly enough to catch the eye. Such systems were not unheard of in Japan, but they were far from beingmonce, and vigers like this had never seen such a thing in their lives.

    Whilst the wheel had beenplete, and looked sturdy enough, they still required a hub to attach it to. Like the buckets, the wheel needed to be able to spin freely, with as little resistance as possible. Too much resistance, and the force from the water pushing the wheel would be liable to tear the hub into pieces.

    They also needed to construct a trough to catch the water in, and some pipes for the water to flow down into the field.

    By the end of the second day, the ploughing waspleted, and the dirt walls were about half a day away frompletion. With that, they were able to begin casting seeds, so that the seedlings would have a chance to grow their roots before they were assaulted by the flooding water.

    And on the third, the hub wasplete. They mounted the wheel in ce to test it. The vigers gathered round to watch.

    It was lowered onto the hub, and within a split second it was already turning. They watched as the buckets were dunked underwater, travelling to the top, full of the liquid, before they hit a peg, which caused the bucket to tilt and dump the liquid back in the river. A trough was to be fixed in ce at that point, but so far it was a resounding sess.

    The vigers cheered its sessful first test. The calctions had been done to perfection, and there was not a single fault with it. Even with the river flowing as fast as it was, there was no sign of any strain upon the system. By now they were aware of the intentions of such a system, and understood the implications. If the wheel wasplete, it meant less work for them.

    "That¡¯s an impressive structured."

    Jikoujimented, marvelling at how perfectly it functioned. He seemed to have warmed to their attempt at cultivating thisnd, now that he saw how high their chances of sess were. He had not even asked about the other n for a while.

    "It¡¯s far fromplete yet, old man. But once it¡¯s done, aye, it¡¯ll be impressive enough."

    He agreed. In his mind, he did not take credit for its invention. He was merely a recreator of what had once been, and so, he had the utmost respect for the Romans, and the other ancients, that had been able to use water so perfectly.

    They dismounted the wheel, so that it would not wear too much, and having it up there without a trough in ce was pointless.

    They had to create a ramp, all the way from the field edge, right to the top of where the trough was. It was made out of wood, though another material would have been preferable. The wood was just deep enough so that the water would not spill.

    But nearing the end of the third day, this structure was far frompletion. The rest of the vigers were at work nting the seeds, and would be finished by sundown. All the walls had been done, and their progress was satisfying to say the least.

    As they were so absorbed in their work, a woman strode down the hill, towards the field. She had a great confidence about her, as though she was the wife of some Daimyo or other.

    The vigers watched here, curious as to who she was. But she, inturn,pletely ignored them, and instead walked behind a man who was hard at work, cutting wood down to size to be used as scaffolding for the pipe structure.

    "It¡¯s done."

    "Hm, you took a little longer than expected, Isabe."

    Hemented, without turning around. It was the second time he had said that to her, and she had to resist the urge to p him. She¡¯d left straight away, and returned as soon as possible, and this was the greeting she had got.

    "..."

    She did not reply as she bit her lip.

    "How did you get on, then?"

    He turned around, wiping the sweat from his brow, as he dropped his axe to give her his full attention.

    "I have the location."

    "Good."

    He nodded, she had done what was asked of her.

    "I also know what room it¡¯s inside."

    He raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had not expected her to go that far. But a smile soon broke out ¨C the more information they had, the better their chances of sess would be.

    "Excellent. You will have your reward as soon as our task isplete. You have done a fine job, Isabe."

    She wrinkled her nose against the smell of his sweat, but she could not help smiling beneath her veil at his praise.

    ¡¯Of course I¡¯ve done well, you foolish man. I never do anything less than brilliance.¡¯

    She thought internally, ncing around the field, noting all the work that was going on. She was about to ask about it, but he was already walking away, and he motioned for her to follow.

 Chapter 106 - Preparations

    "Take a seat, Isabe."

    He said, as they entered into the office. It had now been changed a little, with the table standing higher than before, and cushions were set upon the floor to cushion their rears as they sat.

    She noted this as she sat down, wondering how much time one would have to spend in the room to make such minute changes.

    "Would you like anything to drink?"

    "Ha. I won¡¯t fall for that."

    He raised an eyebrow as if to ask: "what do you mean?"

    She twisted her mouth ufortably. She had meant it as a joke, but he had taken it seriously.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll have some tea, if you would."

    He nodded. The kettle was already steaming hot, as Shibata had set it up beforehand. He poured their drinks into the small cups, and handed one to her.

    He took a sip, before looking at her expectantly.

    "Mm. Can I not enjoy the tea a little first?"

    Sheined, but once again she was met with that cold serious expression, and she sighed, relenting.

    "Fine. He keeps the goods within his home."

    "And where does that home lie?"

    "About ten minutes outside of Toyokawa."

    He nodded his understanding. It was difficult to give directions simply by speech, so he stood up, and wandered over to the cupboard.

    She watched him go, wondering what he might produce. But when he returned with a sheet of paper and a charcoal stick, his intentions became clear.

    "Draw a map, if you would. It does not have to beplicated. Just enough to direct us."

    "Hmph..."

    She ced her tea down, and felt the charcoal stick between her fingers. It was not often that she was required to draw things, so her hand was a little unsteady at first.

    "Remember, the more urate your map, the better our chances of finding the house are. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that your reward depends on whether we are sessful or not."

    "Yes, yes. I¡¯m drawing it, okay?"

    She muttered, irritated by hisment. It would be odd for any observer, for she was atleast three years older than he, yet she acted like the child. But of course, no observer would be aware of Gengyo¡¯s secret.

    Slowly a map started toe together. She depicted the main road from Toyone into Toyokawa, including squares meant to represent houses. That road continued onwards down to the port, but before it reached there, it branched off to the right, forming another street of housing and stalls. Down that road were various exits, but if one were to continue straight down it for a while, it started to grow thinner ¨C or so it seemed from her drawing ¨C and there would be a small trailing off it to the left. If one was to continue down that trail, they would find his house, marked by an X.

    She pushed thepleted map towards him, as he picked it up with two fingers and observed it.

    "Good."

    He murmured in approval, quickly attempting to memorise it in case something were to happen with the map. The route was not overlyplicated ¨C or perhaps it was just the map that was simple ¨C so it was not overly difficult.

    "You said you went inside his house, correct?"

    He looked over the top of the paper, confirming with her the information she had offered earlier.

    "That¡¯s right."

    She already knew what wasing next, as he pushed another, nk sheet of paper her way.

    "Would you mind drawing a map of the inside?"

    This time she did notin, but merely took the page and began drawing. His words ¨C though she was annoyed by them at first ¨C had made her more attentive to the small details, as she realized the probability of her getting paid was raised by the quality of the information she was able to give.

    The house, as depicted by her, was a simple square. There was a corridor, along which there were various rooms. It appeared rather wide. But then that corridor branched off to the left, and the first room present after branching off was marked with an X.

    As well as the rooms, she includedrge circles at certain points around the perimeter of the building.

    "What are those?"

    He asked, as she showed him thepleted product.

    "Guards. He had eight guards with him at the stall, and there were two standing guard outside his house. That¡¯s as much as I know."

    He took in the information, nodding with genuine approval.

    "You¡¯re remarkably good at this, Isabe."

    He said honestly. As an intelligence agent, she ticked all the right boxes. Her memory was keen, she was a good actor, and she had an appearance that made people let their guards down.

    Surprised by his suddenpliment, she drew the attention elsewhere. She was unused topliments ¨C except those directed toward her looks, which were entirely predictable ¨C because of her long-time spent as a ve.

    She took her veil off, as though ignoring hisment.

    "I don¡¯t have to wear this anymore, do I?"

    She asked, sounding irritated.

    "Not if you don¡¯t wish to."

    He responded indifferently. He was not about to take any offence at her attitude.

    He cleared his throat, as silence had reigned for a while.

    "Well, you¡¯ve done all that I asked of you and more, Isabe. As soon as the sess of this mission is secured, you will receive your promised reward."

    "Good. When do you intend to leave?"

    She asked, as she got up and walked toward the door.

    He nced out of the window in response to her words, taking note of the setting sun.

    "Tonight."

    She looked surprised at his response, but said nothing, and with a nod, she took her leave. Once again Shibata was there to escort her back outside.

    He watched her go, before standing up himself, so that he might get some fresh air from the window.

    ¡¯So here we are, Gengyo. The first piece of chaos caused entirely by you, are you excited?¡¯

    He asked himself, as though talking to a different person. Though his internal voice was calm, his whole body was tensed in anticipation. The project in the fields and his work with the wheel ¨C they were good. They helped to keep the darkness at bay. But they were far from enough.

    This was it. This was his true calling. He had made his life, in the modern world, as an engineer. But his new role, as ¨C or at least, this was how he thought of it ¨C a bringer of chaos, was far more fulfilling. Far more exciting. It allowed him to explore a part of himself that had always been kept repressed.

    He moved forwards, his fingers dancing lightly on top of a cupboard, as he created his own suspense before opening it. Inside, was a sack. A sack that he had known was there.

    ¡¯Whilst you two were busy, Jikouji and Isabe, I have been at work too.¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he squeezed the sack tightly within his palm, remembering the contents.

    It was time, finally. He stepped out of the threshold of his door a different man than he had been when he¡¯d walked in. Even the way he walked was different. No longer did he take calm, measured steps, but he adopted a swagger filled with confidence. No longer was his face that of a mild-mannered master of a small vige, it was curled into a vicious smile, like a pirate that had just found fresh prey.

    There was, of course, one-stop he had to make before he could begin his own preparations. And that was to call his men. He knew where he would find Jikouji at this time, and find him there he did.

    He caught him mid-motion as he spooned a chunk of salmon toward his mouth.

    "Call the men, Jikouji. Arm yourselves. The Red Feather will cause a fire this night."

    He dropped the chopsticks from his hand, any thoughts of sating his hunger forgotten. This was a different kind of hunger, and it overpowered that primal instinct to consume food.

    He grinned as he uttered his response.

    "All of themd?"

    "Aye ¨C they¡¯re all fit. They¡¯re all well. Let us give the world hell."

    "Ah, those men will weep when they find they¡¯ve been killed by a poet."

    Jikouji joked gruesomely in response to his rhyming. He was on his feet in a matter of seconds, reaching for his de. He was eager to arm himself, but he then remembered his responsibility, and with a tut, left to call the men.

    Gengyo had already disappeared, and was back in his own house, staring at a stand that wore his pure, ck armour. He¡¯d had them refashioned, and he¡¯d ordered a set for each of the men. The purity of the ck was magnificent, and the sound of the groaning leather as he put it on was music to his ears.

    ¡¯How beautiful is ck...¡¯

    He said in awe, as he looked at the shiny ck of his new leather gloves. He drew the sword from its scabbard, and stared at himself in the reflection.

    "Almost... perfect..."

    He breathed, fogging up the de.

    Near the hilt had been carved an inscription in kanji. He had watched the swordsmith engrave it himself.

    "Bringer of chaos."

    He read aloud, vowing to right by the name of the de.

    The reason the armour was not yet perfect, was because his head and face were still unadorned, but he would wait till the men were gathered for that small detail.

    He met them in the courtyard, under the darkness of night. The only thing visible were their faces.

    "Who are we going to kill today,d?"

    Morohira asked with a bloodthirsty smile.

    "Whoever gets in our way. We¡¯re going to rob a man."

    He said quietly, so that the servants who were saddling their horses would not overhear.

    The announcement of robbery caused surprise to cross their faces, and some even moved to protest. But they stopped themselves. What was so wrong about robbery? Had they not been robbed too? Of their dear friends?

    "I¡¯m with you, Miura. Let¡¯s cause hell."

    Aritada said confidently, gripping his sword tightly. They all appeared to like the way their new armour felt, as they continually flexed their hands just to hear and feel the groan of the leather.

    "Aye, I didn¡¯t expect this. But f.u.c.k it, I¡¯m in."

    Jikouji said. He¡¯d expected the n thed spoke of to be more... legal. But it did not matter. They were going up against the Daimyo. That was the height of criminality. What they did in between was insignificant. What did it matter if they caused pandemonium in the life of one man, who was seemingly unrted? The world was a cruel ce, and if you did not have the strength to defend yourself, then all you own will be snatched away from you.

    "We do what we want, right Miura?"

    Kitajo said, grinning, remembering the words Gengyo had spoken to him back at the farm.

    "Exactly. I am willing to plough down all who stand in the way, so that we can make Imagawa face justice."

    He said ruthlessly, looking each man in the eye, daring them to object. But none did. It was how they felt as well. They had been betrayed so viciously, it was not within their blood to show mercy again.

    "Meh, soundsplicated to me. But I do miss nicking stuff."

    Ii said with a grin, as his friends appeared to second his words with their nods.

    "Mount up then, fes. We have to make good time, and reach Toyokawa within a few hours."

    Gengyo instructed, seeing that their horses were ready.

    "Ah, wait. I forgot about this."

    He remembered the bag by his side.

    They gathered round to see what he held. And there it was, a mask of the purest ck, withrge pointed horns. Each was identical, and unmistakable. They were the masks of demons.

 Chapter 107 - Crime

    They pushed the horses to their limits and rode quickly. By the time they had neared Tokyokawa, the beasts were covered in sweat, and were salivating heavily at the mouth.

    "Where to now, boss?"

    Rokkaku asked, betraying his eagerness.

    Here was where Gengyo¡¯s decisiony. The town ¨C though it waste into the night ¨C was brightly lit, and guards patrolled regrly. They, dressed as they were, would not be a wee sight.

    But remembering the map, he judged that they might be able to skip out on going down the main road, and go diagonally, heading straight to where the road on the right started to grow thin.

    This way they could skip out on the majority of the housing. But it relied heavily on the map being drawn to some sort of scale, as he would use her proportions to judge how far he needed to go.

    "Come on."

    He began down the diagonal route, across the field of grass. They still passed many houses, but these were not bathed in torchlight as the others were, since they sat more on the perimeter of the town.

    At one point, they were almost caught, as a young boy opened up the wooden shutters to let some air in, only, he did not look out after he had done so, else he would have caught sight of them.

    They arrived halfway down the rightwards road. The path was still cobble, but in this part it was dimly lit and irregrly patrolled. If you looked down it, you could see the main road. It was most certainly the path that Isabe had described.

    Making haste, he began down it, eager to get as far away from the torchlight as possible. The road started to narrow, and trees began. The houses grew from few to none at all. Because of the tightness of the path, they ended up having to walk in single file.

    The dirt track wound exactly as she described it, and all they had to do was follow, before soon, they reached the outer perimeter of the jeweller¡¯s home.

    They tethered their horses a short distance away, so that the clopping hooves would not tell tales of their approach. And then, they drew closer.

    Two guards were present in the front of building, just as Isabe said there would be. But they had no idea whether there would be more guards patrolling around the outside.

    Gengyo bit his lip, deciding how to proceed from here.

    They looked half asleep. If they were to charge them now, they would die. But the problem was that they each held a torch, and the guardsmen would see them long before they had managed to kill them.

    "Follow."

    With a n in mind, they circled around the outer part of the building. On the side, there was no door, but there were no guards either. Yet to the rear, there was both a door and another set of guards.

    Using the colour of their dark clothing to their advantage, he lead the way across the courtyard, shaking his head when Kitajo attempted to draw his weapon. The de would catch the light, and reflect it.

    But here, where they arrived, was a window. It was not open, but it was still a point of weakness.

    First, he tested it, to see if it was unlocked, even if it was not open.

    ¡¯No such luck.¡¯

    He said with a small grin. He had not expected it to be that easy either way. But still, the thin wood used to make such a shutter was not liable to stop the de of his sword.

    He drew the weapon ¨C hidden in the shadow as they were ¨C and worked it through the small crack in the middle of the two pieces of wood that formed the shutter. The wooden catch-lock ¨C after some effort ¨C snapped.

    With a look towards his men - as he smiled under the mask - he pushed the shutter open, revealing their new entrance.

    It was small, and the likes of Rokkaku and Sasaki would never fit in, but they did not need to.

    With his finger, he pointed to Morohira, and motioned with his head for him to climb in. Ever the impulsive one, he needed no thought as to what mighty under it, and began climbing immediately.

    Hended lightly on the other side with barely a sound.

    He motioned with his palm t for the rest of them to stay, and wait, and then he himself followed in after his father.

    Theynded in what appeared to be a sort of reception room, or dining room, with a small table in the middle. But they did not care about the furniture, or anything of that ilk. They simply care about how to exit.

    Morohira found the door quickly, and Gengyo followed out after him. His father had already guessed his intentions, and moved towards the front entrance of the building, where the shadows of the two torch-wielding guards were being projected through the paper window above.

    They moved silently, taking care not to cause a single disturbance on the floorboards beneath their feet. Though their movements were slow, and they were not exerting themselves, they both were sweating heavily from the pressure.

    They neared the door and crouched behind it, nodding toward each other.

    Slowly, they slid the door open, soundlessly, taking care not to attract any attention from the guards who stood less than a metre away.

    Once it was open wide enough for the two of them to exit at once, they oriented themselves from behind the walls, before moving as one, des drawn.

    A guard - sensing something was wrong - looked around and gasped. But it was toote. A demon¡¯s hand had already made its way around his mouth, and a de had pierced through his heart.

    And so both men died, not knowing what had killed them.

    Gengyo quickly stamped the torches out, so that the light would not reveal them in future, before they went around the side to collect theirrades.

    The men followed them back to the front entrance, taking care to step over the two corpses that nowy there.

    Quietly, they made their way down the corridor, one silent step at a time. Very soon, they arrived at the junction that Isabe had mentioned, and were a mere step away from securing their wealth.

    With two fingers, Gengyo picked out Ii and Sasaki, motioning for them to kill the two guards toward the rear. It was a preventive measure, incase they happened to change position any time soon.

    The men nodded their understanding and moved off.

    And then the others left behind made the final step, and slid open the jeweller¡¯s door. He sat there, in hisrge western bed, snoring loudly, apparently quite content, unaware of all the masked men that were making their way into his room.

    He peered at him, as hey their, tilting his head, as though curious.

    Alerted by some instinct, the man¡¯s eyes opened, and he let out a scream. A split secondter, that scream was muffled by Gengyo¡¯s hand as he spoke to him.

    "Sorry, friend. We¡¯re here to rob you."

    He informed him, as he slowly drove the de of his sword through the man¡¯s throat. He gurgled madly as he struggled to breath, but there was no way he could raise his voice any longer, so Gengyo took his hand away, and left him to die.

    The men looked to him for instruction, as he himself nced around the room, looking for anything worth stealing.

    He quickly noticed arge chest. Wondering if it was the one Isabe had spoken of, he flung it open.

    Revealed were rolls of silk, and bundles of varying types of furs. Whether or not this was what she was referring to mattered not ¨C stuff of this quality would sell for a pretty penny.

    The men moved forth to fill their sacks with the goods, as Gengyo attempted to locate that satchel ¨C the one that Isabe imed to hold all the jewellery.

    He could not see it anywhere on the floor of the room, and so, on instinct, he checked underneath the bed. And there it was. The simple mind of a simple man was revealed, believing under his bed to be a fitting hiding ce for his most prized possessions.

    He dragged the satchel out ¨C it weighed heavy in hand, telling tales of the amount of jewellery that was left inside. He opened it, and split it amongst their sacks, so that the load would be equalized.

    They had taken all that Isabe had mentioned, but there would certainly be more. He was not likely to carry his entire wealth to and from the port every day.

    There was a western styled end table near the bed, and he forced the drawers open. Paper, some ink too. Worthless. He pulled that drawer out, and flung it atop the bed.

    A few measly gold coins in the next ¨C still, he took those.

    And then, in the final drawer, sat a small metal strongbox. He picked it up carefully, shaking it by his ear. The weight and the sound ¨C no doubt it was loaded with coin. But as of yet he could not open it, so he merely tossed the entire thing into his sack.

    He motioned for the men to follow, and he moved out of the room, towards the back where Sasaki and Ii had been busy. The guardsmen were as dead as the jeweller, but a torch still remained alight as Ii struggled to put it out.

    Gengyo tapped him on the shoulder signalling for him to stop, before he picked it up himself and tossed it inside the building.

    With that, he began running. Whilst he was a fan of fire, he did not want to be near when the ze caught, so they hurriedly remounted. By the time they were a safe distance away from Tokyokawa, the whole of the jeweller¡¯s mansion was engulfed in me.

    They paused there to admire the sight with satisfaction, taking off their masks. Their crime was hidden by the roaring mes which gobbled up all the evidence, which was perfect. The key to a good bit of chaos wasck of knowledge.

    They could have simply left the bodies as they were, and the room all scattered and messed up. But that would have made it obvious that it was a robbery. Yet this way, with 5 charred corpses, they would not be able to say for certain whether it was the result of a crime, or merely an ident. And thatck of knowledge was something they could prey on.

    "We will burn your province to the ground, Imagawa, before you even know what has happened."

    He promised. They would be able to enact their revenge soon. When he returned home from his failed attempt at war, then he would be met with the ashes of what had once been his.

    The rest of the men found themselves nodding. Their first mission as men of the Red Feather had been aplete sess, and now, they were breathtakingly rich because of it. If this was the sign of things toe, then Imagawa did not stand a chance.

    They were pleased to have done something for the first time in a while, though some of them regretted not being able to bloody their hands. But their chance woulde, their young master assured them.

    He had an interesting series of ns in store, utilising this coin. And no doubt there would soon be more chaos, and bloodshed than they could hope to keep up with.

    With that, they rode home, as the first light of dawn began to peak through, and they returned to their people victorious, and honoured. Yet few would know of their feat.

 Chapter 108 - The Haul

    Though it was early morning, and each of them had yet to sleep, not a single one of them felt tired, for they were burning with anticipation.

    They sat in the reception room in the downstairs of the main building, as they presented all their goods on the table.

    Jewellery and furs were littered everywhere, as were rolls of silk.

    "Bloody hell, I never expected there to be so much."

    Morohiramented in awe, as he looked at the scale of their haul.

    "Neither did I."

    Gengyo agreed, though he had been the one to n all this.

    "We¡¯re rich..."

    Ii mumbled as he ran a cl.u.s.ter of nes through his fingers, savouring the feeling of the cool metal against his skin.

    "Can you value all this?"

    Gengyo asked of Jikouji. The old man had a better understanding of how each item was likely to be priced, because of his experience.

    "I can, but it¡¯ll take a while."

    He warned.

    "We¡¯re willing to wait, aren¡¯t we fes?"

    "Ayed, I¡¯m not missing out on this if it kills me."

    Togashi assured him. He had never seen such wealth in all his days, and finding out what it was all worth was exciting. Especially since the oue of this would affect how they were able to act moving forward.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll go get something to write with."

    Jikouji said, leaving the room. He had a rough idea where it all might lie, but he didn¡¯t want to raise any numbers until he was certain, and had counted each item individually.

    Gengyo chuckled lightly, breaking the silence.

    "What¡¯re youughing at?"

    Morohira asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Well, I was just thinking, imagine if someone from outside were to walk in now. Their reactions would be priceless."

    "Ahaha. I almost hope someone does now..."

    Rokkaku said chuckling.

    Jikouji returned with his paper and his writing utensils, and he began picking each item up one by one and evaluating it. His old fingers reached for a sapphire dangling from a golden chain.

    "20 gold..."

    He muttered, jotting it down on the pads.

    He ran his fingers through a soft wolf pelt.

    "Good quality... 5 gold..."

    He ran through each one, muttering their value out loud, and slowly but surely their expectations rose, as the amount of gold continued to go up and up.

    "What are we on now, Jikouji-san?"

    Kitajo asked, his eyes wide.

    "Hm... 1043."

    He murmured, he himself being surprised by the total. It was more than thed had promised, and there were still many more items to evaluate.

    "43 gold..."

    "7 gold..."

    "5 gold..."

    He continued to list their values, until finally, he lifted thest item ¨C a ruby bracelet.

    "13 gold."

    He said with an exhausted sigh. It must have taken him more than an hour in total, but they had hung on to his every word, willing the price to go ever higher.

    "Well?"

    The young master asked expectantly.

    "Er... we¡¯re looking at 2107 gold."

    "HELL YEAH! WE¡¯RE RICH FELLAS!"

    Sasaki said jovially, as he tousled Kitajo¡¯s hair in his excitement. The other¡¯s were simrly ecstatic. With this amount, they could certainly put together a rtivelyrge army ¨C even if the cost for recruiting men was higher, now that the war had taken so many.

    "That¡¯s just a rough estimate though..."

    Jikouji attempted to say meekly, though he wasrgely ignored.

    "What about this?"

    Gengyo asked, interrupting them, cing the locked strongbox on the table.

    They nced at it with questions written all over their faces, in response to which he merely shook it, demonstrating the weight and sound of the coin.

    "Ho... There¡¯s more still!?"

    Togashi breathed, having forgotten that the young man had taken the strongbox at all.

    "Indeed. But I do not know how to go about opening it."

    He confessed. The box was made of a thick metal. An attempt at forcing it open with brute force would likely mangle the material, making it even harder to open.

    "Give it here."

    Ii said, seeming confident.

    Something about the way he spoke made Gengyo trust him, and he handed the box over.

    "Mm... Easy enough."

    He said, as though familiar with such a mechanism.

    "Anyone got a knife that can fit in here?"

    He asked looking round.

    "There¡¯s one there."

    Enya informed him, pointing to a small knife that sat by an apple.

    "That¡¯ll do. I need something thin to pick it with now."

    He reached for a thin bracelet, and everyone felt physical pain as they understood his intentions. That alone was worth 13 gold... and there he was, bending it apart, so that he could use it as a lockpick.

    He put the knife in, holding the locking mechanism open, as he went to work with his lockpick, looking for the sweet spot, as he continually turned the knife testing it.

    They watched him keenly, ready to tear him to pieces should he fail. No one wanted to see the bracelet that was worth so much be destroyed meaninglessly.

    He was skilled in what he did, seeming to have quite the amount of experience, and they noticed that the locked started to turn a little bit more each time he twisted the knife. He was getting closed the sweet spot.

    CLICK

    "There."

    He said with a grin, flipping back the lid. Everyone else had been bathing him in immense amounts of pressure, wanting him to suffer for his c.o.c.kiness in using an expensive bracelet as a lockpick. But he relished that, and only performed better because of it.

    He flipped the lid back, revealing all the gold coins thaty below. He then poured it on the table for all to see. It spread a good distance, and a rough estimate wouldbel it as upwards of 300 gold.

    "You¡¯ve done that before."

    Gengyomented.

    Ii met his words with a shrug.

    "Since we¡¯re all thieves now, no need to hide the past anymore, is there?"

    "No, there is not."

    The young master agreed. No matter what secrets the men in that room held, not a single one of them was righteous enough to pass judgement.

    "So, what now?"

    Ii asked, motioning to all the jewellery and gold thaty upon the table.

    "We sell all this and get the gold. After that? Who knows. We¡¯ll have to find a way to split it up."

    He barely pondered upon the question. He had his own goals in mind, but he was not quite ready to reveal them yet. He wanted to savour their reactions when the time came.

    Togashi put his hand up in objection.

    "I¡¯m against splitting it up. We do not yet need money of our own. What matters is our cause. I want to leave you with the full amount, because you know how to make best use of it."

    "I agree with that."

    Kitajo said, raising his hand.

    "Me too."

    Rokkaku seconded.

    They all nodded their heads in agreement, apart from Ii, who looked as though he wished to object, but ended up saying nothing. He figured in the future he would be able to make his coin, what did it matter giving this up for now?

    "Then, I will get this sold."

    Gengyo announced, standing up, as he began to clear the jewellery back into a bag.

    "Right now?"

    Jikouji asked, frowning.

    "That¡¯s the n."

    "But you haven¡¯t slept! And you can¡¯t sell it in Toyokawa ¨C the other traders will recognize the jeweller¡¯s goods."

    "I will be fine, and I¡¯m well aware of that. I n to head to Okazaki instead."

    "Atleast go tomorrow, and then some of the men can go with you, in case you run into bandits or something of the like."

    He pleaded, attempting to convince him.

    "Honestly, Jikouji, I will be fine. I promise to return with the gold. Everything will go smoothly."

    The old man sighed through his nose, giving up. His new master was as stubborn as the old.

    Seeing that he had finally relented, Gengyo spoke to the rest of the men.

    "Get some rest, men. You should not worry about working in the fields for a good few days, at least. I need you to be on top form for what¡¯s about toe."

    They knew from the way he phrased it that he would not reveal what he had in mind, at least, not yet, so they did not bother to ask. But still, they took his words to heart, and relished the thought of more action. It should be bigger, and even more chaotic when they take the stage again this time ¨C as they did so with the backing of far more coin.

    "Aye, you look after yourself as welld."

    Morohira patted him on the shoulder as he left. The rest followed behind, nodding to their master as they did so. They left that room with a great deal more confidence that they had the day before. Now there was a degree of certainty about their revengeing into fruition, and they could actually envision it happening.

    Only Jikouji remained.

    "Will get you get a cart prepared for me? I would like to leave immediately."

    He asked of the old man, as he busied himself with rebagging the goods.

    "Aye... Leave all of that there ¨C I¡¯ll get the servants to load it. You go and spend some time with Akiko."

    It was obvious from his tone that he still did not approve of the young man not taking the time to rest. But Gengyo still nodded, grateful for his words. And he made his way upstairs.

    She was in her room, quietly sipping on a cup of tea, as she read from a scrollid atop the table.

    He knocked lightly, so that he would not startle her.

    "Tadakata!"

    She said, smiling.

    "Hello."

    He wandered in, ncing at her scroll.

    "And then the winter winds did blow, chilling even his soul... Interesting."

    "Mhm. He¡¯s a really interesting writer. I only just found out about him yesterday. His name is Jokomo Nishi."

    "Jokomo Nishi, eh? I haven¡¯t heard of him. A poet, is he?"

    "Yup! He does those ¡¯Death Poems¡¯ too, but I dare not read them ¨C they¡¯re too sad."

    He shook his head at her sweetness.

    "I¡¯m going to be heading to Okazaki today. I have some goods that need selling."

    "Okayy!"

    She said with a nod.

    He was a little surprised that she did not ask any more questions, but still, he was grateful for it.

    "If Isabees by, have Shibata tell her that her payment wille once I return."

    At that, her smile faltered slightly. It seemed Isabe was still a confusing sore spot for her, so he offered a partial exnation.

    "She¡¯s someone I pay for information."

    "Ah..."

    She breathed. It did make sense. Someone like Isabe would be perfect for that.

    "When do you think you will be back?"

    She asked.

    "Two days time, at most. I have not travelled this route before, so I can not tell exactly. But certainly not any longer than two days."

    She nodded, as she leaned in to give him a hug.

    "Take care of yourself, okay?"

    "Mhm. You take care of yourself too. I¡¯ll see youter."

    They parted, and he moved towards the door, bidding her farewell.

    "See youter, Tadakata."

    She whispered, as he disappeared from view once more.

    As he came down, he saw the servants at work loading the goods into a cart drawn by two horses. It appeared to be nearingpletion, so he helped out in throwing thest couple of bags, before mounting cart.

    "If you get robbed by bandits, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you."

    Jikouji muttered as he passed him the reigns.

    "You cane along if you¡¯re that worried old man."

    He said yfully.

    "Ah, to hell with you. I¡¯m falling asleep just standing here, never mind on the back of that cart. Just stay safe,d. Do us proud."

 Chapter 109 - Merchant Miura

    The journey to Okazaki was as the map depicted. It was roughly double to distance to travel from Toyone to Okazaki than it was from Toyone to Toyokawa.

    The road - after a few hours of travelling - became a cobbled one, making the ride rather bumpy, as it sent vibrations up his spine.

    Other travellers passed him on the road, but none paid him much attention. They merely rode past, mounted on their horses. It was better that way. He ¨C now out of his ck armour ¨C was dressed as you would expect any travelling merchant to be, and with the numerous sacks piled in the back, they assumed him to be a merchant of the grain.

    Had they known his true cargo, however, they might have been more inclined to show some aggression.

    By the time he had arrived, it was already dark. The city wasrge, and it¡¯s walls were high. Its defences were solid. It would be a shame to have such formationspromised by an inside man, as such, there were guards posted.

    "HALT! What business do you have in Okazaki?"

    "I n to trade."

    He said evenly.

    "Are you aware there is a fee to enter this city of ours?"

    "I was not. But you guards work remarkably hard, so you are deserving of my coin."

    He flicked the two guardsmen three gold coins in each. They sped it in their fist, and smiled.

    "Good, you may go through."

    And through the city gates he went. It would have been best for him to find an inn, but he did not trust anyone enough to look after the cargo he had brought, so instead, he drove the cart to a quiet spot, and then climbed into the back, leaning his head against a sack of furs.

    The sky was clear, and the full moon shone down upon them. It was a beautiful sight. He¡¯d always had a fondness for the moon, but could not quite describe why. It was not merely to do with its beauty, as when he gazed at it, he felt a degree of sentimentality.

    Rxed as he was, thoughts came and went. Sleeping would have been preferable, but visions of the past flittered through his mind, and he began arguing with himself.

    He stayed like that, in a state half between sleeping, and half between consciousnesses, feeling even more exhausted than he had when he¡¯d first attempted to rest. But now that dawn hade, he ceased those attempts, and was d to raise his head.

    The horses snorted as he passed, irritated that they¡¯d spent the entire night standing. But there was no real other option. He wished to be able to move as quickly as possible should anything unexpected ur.

    He bought some roasted salmon on a stick from a nearby vendor, who had set his stall up extremely early in the morning, so that he could get his custom from those on their way to work.

    As light came, the city gradually became louder and louder, and it grew harder to move through the streets ¨C operating a cart as he was. He spotted numerous cksmiths at work, bashing their metal into shape on top of an anvil. He even saw arge stable too, with around 20 horses ready to be sold within a moments notice.

    But those were people who would not be interested in what he had to sell, and so he rode on. Soon he spotted a building ¨C rather than a stall, as they had in Toyokawa ¨C with a sign in front. This sign depicted a needle and a ball of thread. It might have been easier to simply write what it was in front of the shop, but it would have been a futile effort, as many people were unable to read.

    There, he stopped his cart, and peered inside the store.

    A woman stood attending behind a desk, appearing rather bored as there were no other customers insight.

    "Hello."

    He said, as he stuck his head in. At the sound of his voice she instantly perked up, resuming a more business-like face.

    "Good day, sir! Wee to Kiriko¡¯s clothing store. What may I interest you in today?"

    He smiled at her enthusiastic wee.

    "Actually, I was hoping I could interest you in something."

    "Ho..."

    Her interest was clearly captured, as he motioned for her to follow him outside. He heaved himself up onto his cart, before looting through a bag and drawing a roll of silk.

    "What do you think?"

    "What do I think, indeed..."

    She said, staring at the material. It was rare for them to receive materials from someone who was not their supplier, but they had enough budget to ount for it, and it had been a while since she had worked with silk.

    "Here, feel it if you like."

    He handed her the roll, seeing she was still thinking. After her fingers touched the material, she realized it¡¯s quality. It was some high-grade stuff, and not something one could hope to find simply by looking.

    "Very fine indeed..."

    She mused.

    "Do I have your interest?"

    "More than that, sir. You have my attention."

    "Excellent. Shall we discuss prices? How much will you offer?"

    "Mm..."

    She pondered, running it through her fingers.

    "10 gold coins."

    "10 gold, hm."

    He nodded. It was certainly a fair offer, and was higher than what Jikouji had appraised it.

    "I tell you what, madam. I¡¯ll give you it for 9 gold per roll, if you buy the other two that I have."

    A smile blossomed on her face. He was certainly an experienced merchant, she gathered. From these rolls of silk, they could make quite the tidy profit, and his prices were fair. There was no more thinking that needed to be done.

    "My good sir, you have yourself a deal."

    "Brilliant. I¡¯ll help you inside the store with them."

    He drew the other two, and brought them inside after her, cing them atop the counter.

    "Here is your gold."

    She slid 27 coins across to him.

    "Thank you. Pleasure doing business, miss Kiriko."

    "I¡¯m in agreement. What is your name, young man? If you gather anything else of this quality, my husband and I will be only too d to take them off your hands."

    "Miura, madam. And I think I¡¯ll be taking you up on that offer very soon."

    He replied, as he strode out of the door, and remounted the cart.

    ¡¯Miura...¡¯

    She pondered. It was quite themon name.

    He rode onwards, pleased with the results of the trade. Jikouji had the silk rolls valued at 8 gold apiece, so it exceeded their expectations. Now, all that was left to do was rid himself of the furs, and then move on to the main gold maker ¨C the jewellery.

    He wondered who he might sell the furs to. He likely could have sold them to Kiriko, the tailor. But he was hesitant to sell too much in one ce. Yet it seemed that was a mistake, as there did not seem to any other tailors in the area as he patrolled the streets.

    Instead, he decided to stop by a cksmith, to see if they had any interest in the pelts. They could be used simply for leather, or as lining for some high-quality armour, so perhaps they might hold them in some regard.

    "Hello, good sir. Can I interest you in any pelts?"

    He called down to a cksmith, who was hard at work, beating a sword into shape.

    "No! Get lost!"

    Came his firm reply, clearly too caught up his work to want to pay anyone else any attention. The young man did not take it to heart, as there were plenty of other cksmiths in the area.

    This time, he decided to call out to one who was not working, as it seemed unlikely ¨C judging by the other smith ¨C that they wished to stop when they were in the middle of something. Strike while the iron is hot, was their thinking it seemed.

    "Good day, sir. What is your opinion on pelts?"

    He called out to a burly cksmith who was sipping some liquor from a tankard.

    "Eh? Pelts? Can¡¯t say I got an opinion on them."

    He replied, frowning. Seemingly irritated by the odd question.

    "Would you hold any interest in buying any?"

    "Could say that I did. But depends on the pelt, don¡¯t it?"

    "Quite right, my friend."

    He said nodding, as though he¡¯d heard something quite philosophical.

    "Well, allow me to show them to you."

    He picked up what he judged to be the finest piece of the pelts, and held it up for the man to see.

    "What¡¯s that? Brown bear? Mm. Quite rare that is. Can¡¯t say I see too many of those. Been trading with foreigners, have ya?"

    "Indeed I have. They were quite excited about this one ¨C had to pay a pretty penny for it."

    He heaved himself up from his chair,ing to the back of Gengyo¡¯s cart. Without his permission, he rubbed the pelt between his thumb and forefinger.

    "Mm. It¡¯s alright, that is. I¡¯ll give you 10 gold for it."

    "Haha, that¡¯s a rather low offer, sir. 12 atleast. I¡¯ve got other furs, if you¡¯d like. So why don¡¯t we keep things fair?"

    "11. Let¡¯s see these others."

    Heid out all that he had. 2 furs from a deer, 1 from a bear, and 1 from a fox.

    "35, and I take the lot."

    He said feeling the others.

    "37 and you have yourself a deal."

    "Go on then."

    He reached inside his kimono ckened kimono, and retrieved a pouch of coin. He then proceeded to count them out onto the back of the cart, ever so slowly.

    "37, it is."

    "Excellent, would you like any-"

    He was about to offer his assistance in carrying them, but the smith had already collected them into a bundle, and hefted them upon his shoulder, with apparently no effort at all.

    "Thanks for your business!"

    He called out half-heartedly after him. But the man did not reply.

    He urged the horses forward, as he went about the streets, looking for a jeweller. There were all sorts of people selling trinkets, but none of the quality that Gengyo held. He needed someone that he knew would be able to pay for a good portion of the goods, and that type of person was tough to find.

    As it happened, the first real jeweller he spied was that inside another building. There was a depiction of a diamond ring on the sign, and since he was able to afford the building, it was reasonable to expect that he would be a man of coin.

    Gengyo jumped down from his cart, and wandered into the building. A long counter sat in the centre of the room, forbidding anyone from going past. And behind that counter, sat rows of different nes and bracelets and rings, atop various cushions. The people were not allowed near them, or to touch them, but the view they held was good enough to judge whether they liked it.

    A tall, thin man, with narrow eyes stood behind the counter.

    "Wee."

    You said lightly, as Gengyo walked in. The young man responded with a nod, taking a nce around the ce, as though he was interested in buying something.

    And then approached the counter, and spoke with confidence.

    "Sir, are you interested in buying anything?"

    "I am always interested in quality goods, my friend."

    Came his even response, as he allowed himself a small smile.

    "Indeed. After a brief nce at your collection, I see that youck any ruby goods. I feel it¡¯s a shame for it to be so iplete, is it not?"

    The man raised an eyebrow. He had been chasing after ruby stoned jewellery for a while, but it was difficult to get your hands on because the demand was so high.

    Was this man iming that he held some of them?

 Chapter 110 - Work Ethic

    The trip had been aplete sess. After visiting various merchants, he had been able to sell all that they had stolen, and left much richer for it. The amount in his purse 2053 gold. Slightly below what Jikouji had projected, but that could not be helped. When you needed to sell so many goods, you had to be a little more flexible.

    The horses were certainly as d as he that the goods had been sold, as now they pulled a much less burdensome empty cart, and they arrived home mid-morning.

    He had fallen asleep a couple of times as he held the reigns in his hands, and though that was far from the quality sleep his body required, he still felt rested enough to go about his business.

    The guardswomen weed him at the gate, bowing low for their master, asking if he required any assistance.

    With the cart empty, he did not need too much help, though he did ask that they make sure the horses were brushed down and well taken care of, for they had performed their duty admirably.

    He peeked inside Jikouji¡¯s house to see if he was still home. As he had expected, the old man was not. He was likely in the fields overseeing the work on his behalf. His rear was sore from the time spend on the bumpy rode, as his bottom was continually harassed by the hard wood of the seat, so he was only to d to be able to walk off some of the stiffness.

    He left by the gates, and wandered down through the forest, and towards the field. It was not the most well-worn path, but he found it was the quickest, even if he had to put up with the debris that came with it.

    Before he even exited the trees, he could see the new field, and the dramatic transformation it had undergone. A vast piece ofnd that had served as a battlefield for two rivalndowners. Now, instead of a site of destruction, it was a ce of creation, where new seedlings would be cared for.

    The soil was overturned, creating a perfect brown rectangle, covering much of the field. The small mud walls constructed to keep the water in werepleted, and appeared to be in good condition. And as he exited the trees and drew closer, he could see that the rice seed had been nted. Some stray roots even appeared here and there, as they began their germination process.

    And then, away from all this vegetation, was a contraption. A contraption that wasrge in scale, and unmistakeably madmade. It was very nearpletion, as wooden scaffolding supported the curved wooden pipe. Or perhaps it would be more urate to call it half a pipe, as it did not need the topmostyer. At the points where two pieces of wooden pipe connected, the wood was sealed with tar.

    It began high, at the water trough, where the water wheel dumped its bucket full of water, and then, with a gentle gradient, it traversed a distance of more than 300 metres, from the river and toward the rice field.

    It was nearingpletion, as only thest part of the pipe remained. The gradient had been calcted perfectly, as when it hit mud wall, it would sit gently on top. That was the optimal setup for such a water-dumping device. Too high up, and the speed at which the water would hit the ground would be higher, creating arger impact force, and cing more stress upon the seedlings.

    Make no mistake, rice seedlings were tough, and could survive some bruising. But it paid to be careful with them.

    "Ho, you¡¯re already back?"

    Jikouji called out, noticing him walk over.

    "Aye, all done."

    "How did it go?"

    "2053."

    Jikouji nodded. He had expected it to be lower than they had projected, but what was impressive was that he had managed to find a buyer for it all so quickly. Even if they dropped a bit of gold along the way, it mattered not as the amount gained was pure profit.

    "That¡¯s very good news indeed. Progress here is going smoothly, as you can see."

    "Aye, everyone¡¯s being doing well."

    A viger moved to put thest section of pipe in ce, but Gengyo stopped him.

    "Save it for now, miss."

    She bowed in response to her master¡¯s words, and ced the pipe aside as she was told.

    "You have all done well, and worry not, you will have your payment by the end of the day. For now though, we will leave the construction of pipe here. The seeds need time to sink their roots into the soil, so that they won¡¯t be disturbed when we add water."

    He noted their expressions as he bought up the topic of coin. He was d that he would be able to reward them as much as he wished to. As it happens, the timing was perfect.

    "So, without further messing around, shall we test to see if it works?"

    That suggestion was met with enthusiasm. They had beenbouring hard on the pipe for a couple of days, but had yet to see whether it truly would carry water as desired. If Gengyo had been overseeing them, he would have insisted that they tested for leakage with each new section of pipe added.

    Ten people worked together to put the wheel in ce. It was not just that it was extremely heavy, it was because it required a good deal of effort to fix it into ce as they wished.

    They also had to make sure that it did not touch the water until it was aligned perfectly, else the paddles would catch the current of the fast-flowing river, and it would be forced from their grasp.

    With a few grunts, and a good deal of straining, they fixed it in ce.

    The crowd watched in silence, as they saw the paddles catch, and the wheel begin to turn, with a bucket now full of water. With haste, that bucket charged toward the top, spurred on by the force of the current.

    And soon it arrived at the obstacle that everyone had long anticipated. The peg forced it sideways so that it poured it¡¯s load into the trough

    It went without problem, but there was not yet cause to cheer, as they had seen such a thing before. That liquid filled the trough. Not even a drop seemed to ssh out. And then, it funnelled its way down the opening, filling the length of the first pipe.

    Down and down it went. The gradient was angled lightly, so that it would not travel down the pipe too quickly, which ensured that it did not sway over the side.

    Not a single drop of leakage could be noted yet. And then, it reached the end of its journey, pouring itself onto the ground where the pipe ended.

    CLAP CLAP CLAP

    Involuntarily, they began to p, cheering this feat of engineering. Though it was not entirely new, at least, historically speaking, it was certainly new to them. They pped not simply because they were impressed that it had worked, but because they had been part of its construction.

    Even Gengyo began to p. He was impressed by their attention to detail. They had not spared any effort in sealing, and it was done properly. Even as the third and fourth bucket poured their way down the pipeline, there was not a drop of leakage.

    "Alright fes, that¡¯ll do."

    He said, ordering that they take the wheel down, least they begin to flood the area outside of the field.

    "Well, I have to say I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯ve all worked hard, and within a matter of days we¡¯ve cultivated this field. Give it a few more days, to give the seedlings a chance. Then, with ten minutes more work, everything will bepleted. Brilliant work."

    The work ethic of vige peasants was nothing to scoff at. They did what they were told, and they did it efficiently.

    "As a reward for your efforts, I think, 1 gold per person is fair."

    "..."

    An audible gasp came from the vigers. Even if they had saved all their coin for the rest of their lives, they would not be able to own such an amount. Even the men who had fought for Niwa Nakatane had not been rewarded as such. It was madness. Even Jikouji raised an eyebrow at him.

    But he merely shrugged in response. It was not unwise to keep your poption happy, and though it would cost him a little over 300 gold, that was fine. It was simply giving them the contents of the strongbox. And this ensured there would be no problems ¨C atleast for a while.

    There could be several long term benefits as well. Because he was investing money into the people, they would be able to spend it. An obvious fact, but the implications of which were extensive. If the merchants were to find that the viger¡¯s had coin, they woulde here more often, and maybe even set up permanent residence here.

    It could result in their settlement bingrger. But, that was really looking far ahead, and there were several other factors involved. He simply knew that it was not wrong to invest in the people.

    "Form a line, and each of you will receive your gold coin straight away."

    He said, having to speak more loudly and clearly, so that he could be heard over the mass of excited voices.

    But even if he had whispered it, because it concerned their gold, he likely still would have found a queue formed in front of him.

    "Thank you for your work."

    He said, smiling as he ced the coin into the hand of the first viger in line. She was covered in filth from the days work, but she still gave him a wide smile, as she held the gold coin, as if it was the most treasured thing in the world for her.

    "Thank you for your work."

    He said to the next person, giving them the same treatment. The same look of disbelief passed each of their faces as a gold coin was ced into their palms. It made his task all the more rewarding, and he knew it would increase the camaraderie between him and the popce ¨C who were still in mourning, after the amount of loss they had suffered at the hands of Toda and Imagawa.

    "Was that the right choice?"

    Jikouji asked, as they watched the vigers return to their homes for the evening.

    "Of course. A vige is only as good as the people living in it. And I¡¯d like to see them happy."

    "...You just couldn¡¯t resist spending the coin, could you?"

    Jikouji asked, attempting to call him out.

    "...That might be part of it."

    He said, grinning a little. In truth, this amount of wealth was a little mind-boggling, as he thought about how much a single gold coin was worth to a peasant. But still, he dared not allow himself to be too caught up in it, as he knew he needed far more than this if he was to have any ofpeting with Imagawa.

    "This project of yours... It was a good idea."

    Jikouji decided, as they looked at the result of the work together. Indeed it was. It allowed an idling poption who were crushed by the recent to deaths toe together, and work. And the reward for their work was far more than they ever could have imagined.

    "Sorry for doubting you."

    He continued.

    "The day you stop doubting me will be the day I start to worry, old man. You¡¯re my advisor, remember? If you were not to advise me, then you¡¯d stop existing."

    "Ha... Eloquent as always."

 Chapter 111 - A Surprise

    "Hello, Rin."

    She whirled around at the sound of her brother¡¯s voice - one that she had not heard in a while.

    "Nii-san..."

    She said with a small smile, wearing her guards uniform.

    "I¡¯m sorry it took so long for me toe and see you."

    "No... it¡¯s okay. I know how busy you aretely."

    Came her sad response.

    "Do you mind if Ie in to see mother too?"

    "Mhmm, I think she¡¯d like that."

    They were living in the same house as before ¨C the one Niwa had given them all that time ago.

    He had not heard much about home. Not even from his father. It seemed to be a topic Morohira wished to steer clear from. And as he walked in and felt the atmosphere, he understood why. It felt like a funeral home.

    "Who¡¯s that Rin?"

    Came a weak voice from the next room. She must have heard their footsteps.

    Instead of replying, she simply smiled at Gengyo, and motioned for him to follow her.

    It was a sad sight indeed. The once warm and cheerful Fuku was now restrained to a single bed in the centre of the room, looking incredibly pale and incredibly weak. She was barely able to express the surprise she felt as he walked in.

    "Ah... Tadakata-chan."

    She said in quiet, but warm voice.

    "Hello, mother."

    He greeted her with a light smile. It was immensely upsetting to see the state she was in. They had already lost Masaatsu, and now it looked like their mother already had one foot in the grave.

    "You don¡¯t look so well, mother."

    He stated honestly.

    "Your father always says the same... but Tadakata-chan you don¡¯t look so good either."

    Her words were true. His face was not that of a healthy man. But he merely shrugged at her concerns.

    "I¡¯m able to do what I need to do, I¡¯ll be fine."

    "It feels so strange seeing you like this, Nii-san..."

    Rin confessed. After the battle, it was like she had lost both of her brothers, as he appeared to have be a different person.

    "Yes, I¡¯ve stayed away for far too long."

    "The master of... *cough* *cough* Toyone, eh?"

    Fuku expressed, though she was assaulted by a coughing fit as she did so.

    "Merely in title, mother. My real job is to ensure justice is sought for the fallen."

    "You mean, for... Masaatsu?"

    Rin questioned.

    "Correct. It¡¯s what father and I are working toward."

    His sister felt the sword at her waist and gripped it.

    "...What about me Nii-san? I feel so... empty,tely. I have a sword, and I guard the mansion, can I not use it?"

    He paused, a little chilled by the intensity of her depressed expression.

    ¡¯I really have ignored you for far too long, little sister.¡¯

    He thought regretfully.

    "Mm... Akiko tells me you¡¯re quite the fighter..."

    He ran his finger down his jawbone scar, and pondered.

    "If... If you get well again, mother, then I will have a job for Rin. But until then, mother needs you, Rin."

    She looked dissatisfied with his answer. But what did it matter? It was not as if things were bing worse, they were simply unchanging.

    "That¡¯s quite the pressure you¡¯re putting on me, Tadakata-chan."

    He shrugged. What he said was not kind. In fact, it was selfish. It was an attempt at cultivating his own peace of mind by handing over the responsibility of his mother¡¯s care to someone else. But with the fragility of his own systems, he did not think he would be able to help her as she needed.

    "It is. But, it¡¯s a road forward, is it not? Even with Masaatsu gone, we cannot stand still until we die. I am going to cut Imagawa¡¯s head from his shoulders. Rin, it seems, would like to join me. What about you, mother? Masaatsu would not wish to see you like this. We need you well, mother. Otherwise, it hurts us, you know? I don¡¯t think I could deal with the death of another family member."

    He put it honestly, and he put it harshly. Perhaps it was childish, but those were his honest feelings. He could not spare to speak anything less than the truth. He did not need the pebble weight of those lies on top of his fragile walls.

    But it seemed his words got through, as instead of growing indignant, his sweet mother smiled.

    "You¡¯ve grown up, little Tadakata-chan... Rin tells me you¡¯re growing close with Niwa Akiko? I do wish to be there, to stand beside you on your wedding day."

    He could not help but chuckle.

    "Aye mother, I¡¯d like that."

    He then turned to Rin with a raised eyebrow.

    "It seems you and Akiko have been speaking behind my back, eh?"

    She did not show the slightest hint of remorse, and merely mimicked his shrug.

    "Me and Akiko grow bored, and it¡¯s pretty fun talking about Nii-san."

    She said with a small giggle, her gloomy face lighting up slightly.

    "Haha, I¡¯ve missed you, little sister."

    He said, patting her head, before moving toward the door.

    "I¡¯lle and visit more often, okay?"

    "You¡¯d better!"

    "I look forward to it, Tadakata-chan!"

    They called out after him, as he took his leave. He was expecting a visitor, so he could not spend too much time with them.

    "Is she here?"

    He asked Shibata as he spied her in the courtyard.

    "Yes, Miura-san. She¡¯s in the reception room."

    He nodded before proceeding indoors, and removing his shoes. He stuck a head inside the reception room, motioning for Isabe to follow him upstairs to his office.

    "You left me waiting quite a while."

    Sheined as they traversed the final steps.

    "I had business. Take a seat."

    The cushions were still in their respective positions at either side of the table, and she sat down as she was told, enjoying it¡¯s softness.

    He got straight down to business, and retrieved a small pouch from inside kimono, sliding it across the table towards her.

    "There is 75 gold in there. Of course, the mission went as nned, thanks to your intelligence."

    Indirectly calling him untrustworthy, she poured the contents of the pouch onto the table and began counting them.

    "Heh..."

    He sighed at her actions.

    "So?"

    She questioned.

    "¡¯So¡¯?"

    He repeated, with a raised eyebrow.

    "What now? Do we go to the city and rob a bigger jeweller¡¯s? Or are we dealing in different goods this time?"

    She seemed to have a solid expectation that her services would be required again. But it was not as though that expectation waspletely unfounded.

    "Mm. In a week, I will have need of your services again. I will give you more information around that time."

    "...A week, is it?"

    She intoned, apparently irritated by it being such a length of time.

    "Indeed, it will be at least a week. I have much to do."

    She slipped thest coin back into the pouch, apparently satisfied that the amount was as he said it would be.

    "Well, I have business to see to as well. I¡¯ll be expecting you to contact me within the week."

    It was a lie, but it did not matter to him. He merely needed her to do the job as he told her to, anything else was not his concern.

    In the room alone now, he began to tap his finger on the desk in thought.

    ¡¯Should I really do this...¡¯

    He pondered with augh. He rather enjoyed the oundish nature of his new idea, and he could not wait to see the men¡¯s baffled reactions. And so, with the time drawingte into noon, he had Jikouji gather the men into the reception room.

    ...

    ...

    "How much did we get, boss?"

    Rokkaku was the first to ask.

    "2053."

    The older man had to let out a whistle in response to that number. It was high. Extremely high. Even with Jikouji saying that it would be upwards of 2000, they had not entirely believed it.

    But now, he dumped a heavy bag full of coin onto the table, and they were forced to ept the reality.

    "Bloody hell... From just one day¡¯s work we got all that?"

    "Indeed."

    "..."

    "So how are we going to spend it?"

    Gengyo nodded in response to the expected question, before stating the reason he had called them here.

    "We¡¯re going to Toyokawa."

    "Toyokawa? Again?"

    A certain old man questioned, curious. Surely they did not intend to rob another jeweller from the same port?

    "Aye."

    Was all he said in response.

    "Why?"

    Came the obvious follow-up question, in response to which he allowed himself a small smile.

    "You will see when we get there. Something of a surprise if you will."

    Whilst the rest of the men looked curious and excited, Jikouji looked rather worried. If this surprise was even more oundish than any of the previous ideas, he did not know if he would be able to deal with the shock.

    "We will ride out first thing tomorrow morning, you can expect to be gone a couple of days, so bring some food with you."

    "We could just nick some food when we get there to save us from carrying it."

    Ii said seriously.

    "No, there¡¯s no merit in getting caught carrying out petty crimes."

    The young master admonished, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

    And so, the meeting soon concluded and the men went home to their families for the evening, or stayed back in the mansion, if they were not from Toyone. They let their loved ones know of how long they were likely to be gone, before turning in early and going to sleep.

    They did not know quite what their master had in store for them, they simply knew it would be exciting.

    Whilst they slept, Gengyo was in his room, drawing the same n again and again. He tried to give the structure a certain addition, but kept finding that there was not enough room. He tossed the paper aside, before beginning again, putting it in a different location, and then having it run through the motion that it needed to.

    Most who were to look at his sketches would have no understanding of what he was trying to achieve. And for a time, he forgot what he was trying to achieve as well. It was the early hours of the morning before he finally settled on a design that was satisfactory, and then he began to redraw it more cleanly.

    Whilst it seemed to be the optimal design, it required that the structure they purchase tomorrow be within certain specifications, else it would render he efforts obsolete. He merely wished to perform preliminary testings so that he went to Toyokawa having some idea of what he was looking.

    With the me of the candle, he burned the rest, so that the designs would never end up in someone else¡¯s hands, and serve as incriminating evidence against him. And then, he safely tucked away the final draft.

    He stared forward around his darkened room, a little uneasy now that his mind was not upied with a task. It was moments like this that he dreaded and worked to avoid, for he knew that was when certain thoughts were liable to start.

    He began tapping on his desk, but soon even that was not enough, and he was tapping faster, and more aggressively, like a drum solo building up to a climax.

    He clenched his fists, and ceased his tapping, attempting to resist the emotion that wished to overwhelm him. He held his head tight within those clenched fists, and pressed inwards, trying to physically force the thoughts out of his head. He smushed his nose into the desk, andy there ufortably unable to sleep, and unable to let his guard down.

    He remained like that until dawn came, and his focus returned.

 Chapter 112 - Whats Her Name?

    They arrived in Toyokawa by midday. Along the way Gengyo had been continually pestered, with all of them wishing to know what they were here for, but he did not break, not until they reached the port.

    "We¡¯re here to buy a ship."

    "..."

    They were gobsmacked. This was thest thing they had expected. A ship? What was the utility in a ship? They did not need to cross vast stretches of water to reach their enemy. They merely needed to form an army and charge at his gates.

    "Oh, I thought you¡¯d have something to say."

    He teased them as they stood there with their mouths wide open, unable to speak a single word. Jikouji made a choking sound as he attempted to force out some words of rebuttal.

    "J-joking?"

    Was all he managed.

    "No, my dear Jikouji. I would not joke about such a thing."

    He assured him, admiring the various sh.i.p.s that were docked in the port. He had his heart set on securing one of the single-masted small trading vessels that clung to the coast around Japan.

    It was odd, observing the differences between European vessels and the Japanese ones.

    The European sh.i.p.s were, in one word, superior. They boasted hundreds of cannons, as well as multiple masts that allowed them to traverse the aggressive ocean. It was rare to see a Japanese ship that boasted cannons. They preferred lightweight, oar driven boats for their naval purposes, boats that specialized in firing at the enemy from a distance, to thin their numbers, before boarding them to finish them off.

    Whereas the European sh.i.p.s would simply fire their cannons and tear the enemy ship to pieces. If the two navies were ever to go to war with one another, it was obvious who would win.

    But that was merely information he kept inside for future asions, as he knew it would be necessary. For now, he simply wandered along the shoreline wordlessly, as the men burst out into chaos behind him.

    "A ship... He said a ship?"

    Rokkaku asked in disbelief.

    "I think he did..."

    Kitajo assured him with a nod, though he was far from understanding himself.

    "Mm... This one appears to be in rather good condition."

    It was hopelessly dwarfed by the European trading vessel beside it, and it waspletely defenceless inparison. But it would serve their purpose.

    He proceeded down the jetty, with his men following behind him. A wooden ramp had been set up from the side of the ship, onto the jetty, so that they might disembark easily. And now he attempted to ascend that ramp, so he might see if any of the crew were still around.

    There was no one in sight upon the upper deck.

    "Oi! What do you think you¡¯re doing?"

    A man called out aggressively, from the other side of the port, seeing Gengyo stepping onto the ramp of his ship.

    Gengyo assumed that he must have some connection to the boat, else he would not have reacted as such. And so he responded to him.

    "I am looking for this ship¡¯s captain, do you know of him?"

    He called out over to him.

    "Might be that I do. Who¡¯s asking?"

    The man came closer, sparing the rest of men an aggressive nce, as they crowded up the jetty and he had to force himself through.

    "Miura. I am looking to buy this ship of yours, sir."

    The man took one look at him and snorted.

    "Tsch, piss offd. You don¡¯t have a chance in hell of affording this."

    "Eh?"

    Togashi twisted his face aggressively to stare at the man, as a gangster might. The others adopted a simrly intimidating stance. They had no idea what their boss intended to do with this ship, but they were not about to allow insults toward him to slide.

    "Hm... How much would you be asking that I pay?"

    He looked ufortable being surrounded by so many tough-looking men. With the scars that they held on their faces and on their arms, they were either seasoned warriors or members of a rather shady organisation.

    "...I¡¯m not looking to sell it."

    He said honestly.

    "What price?"

    Gengyo repeated, as Morohira took a step closer, as though to admire the captain¡¯s eyes better. Or perhaps not, given the way his face wasced with anger.

    "2000 gold."

    He said, deliberately naming an oundish price, in hopes of getting these people away from him.

    "Mm. 1000 gold."

    The man looked surprised. In lowering it to 1000 gold, he was stating that he at least had that much. It was more than the ship was worth, perhaps double the amount he paid for it.

    "1500."

    The man replied, trying to get rid of him, but still pretending to be in a negotiating position.

    "1200."

    Came Gengyo¡¯s reponse.

    "1300."

    The man still raised it higher, believing that to be out of his reach.

    "Done."

    The young master said with a wide smile, as though the business was concluded. He stepped down from the ramp to admire his ship once more.

    "A fine vessel, isn¡¯t she?"

    The man barely processed what he said. He was still stuck on the fact that this little welp had just agreed to buy his boat for 1300. Whilst the was a hefty sum, and he had made an unimaginable, he was still reluctant to part with it. He needed a ship in order to get home.

    "Have you already unloaded your merchandise?"

    The young man asked, as he set 13 coin pouches down in front of him, on the jetty.

    The man simply stared at him, before peering inside one of the coin pouches to see if this was real.

    ¡¯By the gods...¡¯

    He muttered. This was thest thing he had expected would happen to him when he arrived in Toyokawa... In fact, he did not recall witnessing a single instance like it. Nor had he even heard about such a thing. It wasmon, of course, for sh.i.p.s to trade hands. But one would always pay less for it than the initial cost for the building had been.

    Why had thed not simply gone to a shipwright and had a boat built from scratch? It would have been far cheaper, and he would have a better quality ship. But when he looked into thed¡¯s eyes as he came closer, they did not appear to be the eyes of someone dim-witted. In fact, quite the opposite of that. They were the eyes of someone dangerous.

    "...It¡¯s all unloaded."

    He muttered quietly. He and his crew would have to spend the next few days in the inn. But their profit was still enormous, and he would get a new ship out of it.

    "Good, thank you for your business, sir. Does this vessel have a name?"

    "It¡¯s yours... You¡¯d better give it a name."

    As he scooped up the pouches of coin, and felt the weight of them in his arms, he began to warm to this transaction a little more. The benefits far outweighed the inconveniences, and he began to smile.

    "Mm... I think you might be right. Well, let¡¯s go check it out shall we fes?"

    The men nodded, not willing to show any defiance in front of a stranger, though they seriously doubted the utility of such a transaction.

    The merchant bowed towards them as he left, not wishing to do anything that could upset them. He nced around hastily, to make sure that no one was looking his way, and then he began to stash the coin pouches into his kimono.

    When he walked off the jetty, he did so with a good deal more authority than he had when he¡¯d first walked on it. Acting as though he had not just been forced into a deal against his will, but was instead a very rich man.

    ¡¯You¡¯ve got to think of the positives, do you not?¡¯

    He told himself. In the deal, he¡¯d sold his dignity, and his ship. But for 1300 gold? It was most certainly worth it.

    Now that they were on the ship, and no one was close enough to hear what they had to say, the men really let loose.

    "Okayd... Maybe it¡¯s time to tell us what the f.u.c.k just happened?"

    Jikouji began, as the rest nodded their heads in agreement. They had worked hard for that coin, and held it in good confidence that the boy would spend it wisely. And then, right before their very eyes, they had seen him blow more than half of it onto a worn down ship.

    "Mm..."

    He stroke his chin in thought, and then raised his finger, as though he¡¯d just had a sudden revtion.

    "We bought a ship."

    That one action alone made them rather want to tear him apart, so after he allowed himself a smallugh, he gave them a more suitable exnation.

    "Alright fes, calm down. I¡¯ll tell you the n."

    It required a few deep breaths, but eventually, they quietened.

    He walked around the deck, feeling the odd swaying sensation as the tide rocked the boat from side to side, and he ced his hand upon the mast.

    "A few days ago, we caused a good amount of chaos did we not? Did it bother you doing that?"

    He questioned, to see if anyone had grown cold feet, and felt their old morals kick in, telling them that stealing was wrong.

    "Ha? Bother me? I f.u.c.k.i.n.g enjoyed itd!"

    Morohira bellowed, followed by a loudugh.

    "It was the same for me, Miura. I tend to miss stealing things."

    Ii put in.

    "It didn¡¯t bother me in the least."

    Rokkaku reassured him.

    "Good. And, we made a good amount of money from that didn¡¯t we?"

    Those were probably the wrong words to choose, as it incited them to remember that all the money that they had earned had been spent on an old ship.

    "We did..."

    Jikouji said through gritted teeth. He prayed, for the boy¡¯s sake, that this purchase held some significant meaning, else he feared that he would have to throw him overboard.

    "So why do we not steal some more?"

    "That¡¯s what I thought we would be doing, until you bought a floating bit of wood..."

    Jikoujiined.

    "Oh, but we will. With this little ship of ours, we will be able to rob far more efficiently than we ever would by simply targeting individuals."

    They leaned in expectantly despite themselves, as Gengyo pointed to the vessels on either side of them.

    "You mean... We¡¯ll rob people at sea..?"

    Kitajo said, with a frown creasing his forehead as he struggled to understand.

    "Exactly! These European sh.i.p.s are full of goods. Goods that will sell no matter where we go. As are the Japanese ones ¨C we won¡¯t discriminate."

    "Ho..."

    Jikouji breathed out, considering it.

    "It could work... But it will be difficult to pull off."

    He decided.

    "Indeed. That is why we¡¯re going to give this little boat a few alterations. Let us raise the anchor, and set sail for our first destination."

    They stared at him nkly. None of them had the slightest clue when it came to sailing. In truth, neither did he. He had no practical experience at all, but the concept was not overlyplicated, so he did not allow that to him back.

    They brought their horses below deck, before he unfastened the rope that tied them to the jetty, and brought the ramp inwards, and then, after a good amount of struggling, he managed to turn the sail so that it caught the wind. They watched him operate, attempting to remember his movements. And then, they drifted out to sea.

 Chapter 113 - The Cove

    They soon left the shoreline behind, and began on a trip that none of them had expected. Not once had any of them set foot on the deck of a ship. It was an entirely new experience, and they approached it like curious children.

    "Give changing the direction of the sail a go, father."

    They were out at sea now, and their destinationy west of their current position. The wind was currently driving them north, so the angle of the sail needed to be altered so that it would drive them where they wished to go. It had to be done steadily, however. Else the huge force of the wind hitting the g was liable to capsize them.

    When you reach Morohira¡¯s age, it is very rare that you have to learn an entirely new skill, so he was rather impatient as he yed with the rope attempting to steer it into position.

    "Can you do it a bit less aggressively? I feel like you might kill us."

    Rokkakuined, seeing the way in which he was attacking the rope.

    "Shut up... I¡¯ve almost got it."

    He said through gritted teeth, before pumping his fist triumphantly, as he tied it off with the sail now into position.

    "Perfect."

    Gengyo said with approval. The ship gently changed it¡¯s course, spurred on by the new angle of the sails, catching the wind.

    The waves were rather gentle in this part of the water, as they were still within sight of the shore. It made the journey ratherfortable.

    They were able to admire the great blue stretch of water from an entirely different position, and were intrigued to see the ship crash through great waves, breaking them against it¡¯s hull.

    It was a little unnerving how small they were whenpared to the vastness of the ocean, but they soon grew more at ease, realizing they were not in any immediate danger.

    "Where are we heading to,d?"

    Jikouji called out as Gengyo stood by the hull, enjoying the new experience to it¡¯s fullest.

    "It does not have a name - at least, not on the maps. I only hope that it is unupied."

    "Eh?"

    Once more his questions were answered rather cryptically, as he struggled to guess what thed was referring to.

    But it did not matter, they would find out soon enough. They clung to whatever they could, to save themselves from being thrown overboard. They struggled to imagine raiding another ship with this unsteady deck beneath their feet.

    Yet their leader could imagine it in great detail - more than that, he could see it working. But it required some alterations, some changes to the vessel that were currently residing on. It was too slow, that was the main problem. Also, itcked any firepower. But cing cannons on a fragile ship like this would likely be counter productive.

    The main strategy he hoped to employ was to get close to a ship before they even knew what was happening. They looked like any trading vessel might. Other sh.i.p.s would have no reason to fear them.

    After a little while spent sailing, he brought them closer to the shore, so that they could pay more attention to the costal features, and keep and eye out for the point he had noted on the map.

    For a while, stretches of small sand beaches yed out, but that soon turned into walls of jagged cliffs that blocked any attempt at harbouring. He continued to stare at those cliffs, as the men wondered quite what he was looking out for.

    "THERE!"

    He shouted. It was easy to miss. In fact, he was surprised that such a ce had been doc.u.mented at all. It was a small cove in between two cliffs that offered just enough passage for their small trading vestle to slip in.

    On the map, it was marked as a tiny dip within the coastline, but it was the most promising point he could find within the shortest distance from Toyone. Now that he was seeing it up close, it was undeniably perfect. So perfect that it seemed unlikely that it was unupied.

    But since that map was dated as 300 years prior to their current time, he hoped that it might have been forgotten about, or better yet, not paid any attention to at all.

    They turned the sail gently once more, alterting their path so that they began to head towards the cove.

    "This is the point you were looking for? Mm. It does look ideal."

    Jikoujimented upon reviewing it. But the problem was getting in and out without damaging their vessel. There were only a few metres of leeway on either side, so they had to be rather urate.

    Currently, they were going far too fast.

    "Ah, shit! Drop the anchor!"

    Gengyo called out. Ideally, they would have unfurled the sail, but he had never done that before, and so did not want to risk it at such a tentative moment.

    With Sasaki and Rokkaku on the job, the anchor was quickly thrown overboard, catching the ground below, slowing them down greatly.

    As it happened, their aligning was all but perfect, so they made some final adjustments to the angle of the sail, and raised the anchor, continuing inside past the two walls of rock.

    That instance where they passed through the mouth of rock was greatly unnerving. It was like going through a tunnel, except, the tunnel had every chance of putting a hole in their ship.

    Soon, a sandy shore was in sight, and ¨C though they threw the anchor down once more ¨C they ended up crashing upon it with a worrying creaking sound.

    "Shit..."

    Gengyo cursed. Theirck of experience was so ring. But as he hopped overboard in haste to check for damage, there did not appear to be anything wrong. And, in fareness, this worked out perfectly, as it allowed them to dismount the ship more easily.

    With the ramp secured, the rest came down, admiring the isted little cove. There was no one in sight. It was a small patch of idyllic waters, but it¡¯s imprisonment by the two cliffs was likely the reason most tended to ignore it.

    "What a beauty!"

    Morohira eximed, digging his hand into the sand, allowing it to run through his fingers. It was a picturesque location, and better still, it was the perfect hiding ce for their thieves ship.

    "Good findd! All those hours looking at maps was not for nothing, it seems."

    Jikouji praised.

    Most of them were rather pleased to have solidnd beneath their feet once again, despite only being at sea for a couple of hours. They were in no way used to the swaying motion of the deck, and it had rendered them rather queezy.

    "So this is where we will keep this ship of ours, but it will also serve as a building space whilst we upgrade it."

    "Upgrade it?"

    Kitajo repeated.

    "Yup. As it is, it is simply a trading vestle. We wouldn¡¯t have a chance at getting close to those European sh.i.p.s. They¡¯re too fast, and, if they get suspicious, we¡¯ll be sted out of the water."

    "And so, in terms of upgrades, I¡¯m thinking we improve it¡¯s speed. Add an extra mast, and add some oars on the lower deck."

    The men were nodding. Such additions should be easy for any shipwrights, and they were certain to give them the extra speed that they needed.

    "But, I want the second mast to be easily removeable, and the oar holes to be easily hidden."

    "..."

    He always seemed to be asking the impossible.

    "...Why?"

    Jikouji dared to ask.

    "We will wear ck sails as well. Whenever we approach with the intention of boarding, that is what we will wear. Two masts, ck sails, and oars. People will be on the look out for a ship of that kind, and so will be caught off guard when we approach looking like amon trading vessel."

    Rokkaku started pping, only stopping when he looked round and realized the others weren¡¯t. They shot him a funny look, wondering what on earth he was doing.

    "What? It¡¯s a good idea!"

    He said defensively. Gengyo smiled at hisical approval, but nevertheless was pleased to have it.

    "Aye, it would work well, once we get it done. But finding someone capable of doing it to your standards... that will be tricky."

    Jikoujimented, knowing what his new job would be.

    "I knew you would understand, Jikouji."

    The young man said with a big smile.

    Whenever they were to rob a vessel in future, they would always do so with those three attributes: ck sails, two masts, and oars. This ¨C whilst in the future would warn people of their intentions, as word of their ship spread ¨C would be their trump card. Whenever they hadpleted a robbery, they only needed needed to remove those attributes.

    And, once people were conditioned to fear the ck sailed ship, they would approach using white sails, catching thempletely off guard.

    "Sigh... I have an idea where I might find one, but it¡¯ll take a while to get there."

    "That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s see if we can get up this cliff, and then we¡¯ll start walking home."

    "Already? We¡¯re just going to leave it here?"

    Morohira questioned, feeling uneasy about leaving there 1300 gold prize so exposed.

    "Correct. It should be fine. If we ride north east of here, we should arrive back home before the end of the day. It¡¯s actually a shorter distance from here to Toyone than it is from Toyone to Toyokawa."

    "You said we¡¯d be a couple of days though,d."

    Morohira pointed out.

    "I did. I added extra time just in case this cove was upied, and then we would have to travel a little further, and check out another one."

    "Well, I¡¯m bloody d it¡¯s here. I hate travelling."

    Heined.

    "Aye, well, let¡¯s get the horses off, and let¡¯s head home."

    He instructed, making sure the ramp was firm before they began leading the horses off. The cove was rtively blocked in, with no real way of passing through even from thend. But there was an extremely steep path in one corner of the beach that offered a hope out.

    The horses were sent up without a problem, but it was the men who struggled. They tried to tackle it with speed, but many of them still ended up t on their face.

    ¡¯We¡¯d better put some stairs here in future.¡¯

    He thought to himself, making a mental note of the inconvience. They would carrying heavy goods, and at the very least they needed a good foothold.

    Finally ¨C with the help of both Morohira and Rokkaku ¨C therge frame of Sasaki was dragged to the top of the hill to join the rest of them and their horses.

    They bid their new vessel onest farewell, before beginning the journey home so that they might seek out a suitable shipwright who would prepare the ship for it¡¯s new career in piracy.

    It was as Gengyo said, and with the aid of his map, they were able to get home in far more quickly than they had expected. They did not pass any noteable settlements along the way, as the coastline at this point appeared to be fairly abandoned. There was nothing there to make people want to stay. No fertilend. No fishing capabilities.

    And whilst that might be unfortunate for some people, it was certainly not the case for them, as it allowed them free reign of the area, with no curious on-lookers, and no expectations imposed on them by nearby settlers.

    From this little cove of theirs, they extended their promise to Imagawa. Not only would they set thend of his province in me, but they would cause chaos upon the sea as well.

 Chapter 114 - Shipwright

    They stayed idle in their vige for almost a week, as Jikouji rode off, looking for a trustworthy shipwright that would be able to carry out the specifications that they required.

    During that time, the seedlings proceeded with their germination, and the majority looked to have grown their roots. As such, the pipeline waspleted, and the wheel was put on. The vige gathered to see thisst part.

    SPLASH SPLASH

    One bucket at a time it had shot down the pipeline, slowly but surely filling up the field. It was going far faster than a human would have managed it. If the people were in charge of filling, they would have to go to and from the river and field continually. But more than simply speed, it savedbour hours, as it could simply be left.

    Of course, having it flow over the walls was not ideal, but checking on it every few hours prevented such a thing happening. It took a full day, and a full night to flood the field using their wheel. But now everything wasplete, and there were still a few days left of nting season.

    Isabe hade, on this day, wondering what this job might be. He sat there, opposite her, trying not to let on that they had not really progressed with the task he had been carrying out, at least, not as much as he would have liked to.

    Jikouji should be returning with the shipwright any day now, but it would likely take another week before the ship was ready to go anywhere.

    "I would like you to go to Toyokawa once more, but this time, try to look for patterns in the ship arrival times. You don¡¯t have to do it for all of them. Pick one that you judge will have the biggest haul, and focus on that."

    She raised an eyebrow.

    "Robbing sh.i.p.s now, is it?"

    "Mm. Indeed. Of course, not all the sh.i.p.s will be frequent visitors to Toyokawa. You¡¯re more likely to see trading skiffse regrly, so focus on them for now, I¡¯d wager."

    "Recording shiping and going times? I think your jobs are growing more and more tedious, Miura."

    He shrugged. What she said wasn¡¯t untrue.

    "There¡¯s 200 gold in it for you."

    That was enough to ease the load for her. Whilst the amount of gold she had was more than enough to hire plenty of guardsmen, she had herself convinced it was not. She needed quality guards, ones that she could trust. And a house too ¨C a house would be nice.

    "I suppose that will do."

    She stood up with a heavy sigh, not looking forward to the hard journey toward Toyokawa in the saddle. It really left the rear quite sore.

    "I look forward to favourable news."

    He said as she parted, with a half-hearted wave behind her head. This time, Shibata did not move to escort her, as she appeared to know the way herself, instead she spoke to her master.

    "Master Miura, it seems Jikouji-san has returned, and there are a few men with him. Will you be meeting with them?"

    He stood up excitedly in response to her words, his sudden movement causing her to flinch.

    "Ah, finally. Yes, Shibata, I will be meeting with them. Please prepare some tea for the reception room, I¡¯ll greet them."

    She bowed deeply.

    "As you wish."

    After days of waiting, they had finally arrived. Such a long period of inactivity was destructive for a man like him, and he had to upy himself with more reading than he was able to stomach.

    He went to the main entrance of the building, just in time to see Jikouji dismounting in the courtyard, with 5 other men alongside him.

    Their faces were weary, and the road was apparently a long one.

    "Wee home, Jikouji."

    "Ayed, I¡¯m back."

    He said tiredly. Gengyo had expected him to introduce the men there and then, but it seemed he was far too exhausted to care about manners. Instead, the young master simply weed them inside.

    "Thank you foring. Please,e inside."

    The men nodded, and followed him inside. They were not high-ss men. They were merely workers. But they were skilled in what they did, which gave them leverage in negotiating with any samurai.

    Shibata had prepared the tea as she was instructed to do and they sipped on it now. He took note of all the five workers that were gathered. With the reigning silence, he found that the others were continually ncing toward a single man, wondering whether he would speak.

    This man had a hefty beard. Not of the fashionable sort, but merely long, and bushy. But it suited him perfectly, especially with the well-muscled arms that he unted, and that bald head of his.

    He was not ufortable in the least, being in thepany of the master of a vige. In fact, he was purposefully attempting to make Gengyo feel ufortable, but making small stabs of eye contact, without speaking but merely sipping on his tea.

    The young man smiled at that simple gesture. Perhaps it would make a lesser man fl.u.s.tered when someone else was capable of projecting such a hostile aura. He would wonder whether he had done something wrong, and run down the path of self criticism, till he was so unbelievably self-conscious that he had to blush despite himself.

    They finished their drinks without a single word being spoken. Even Jikouji was beginning to look ufortable now.

    "More tea please, Shibata. These men are weary from the road."

    It was a simple enough response to the other¡¯s actions. Rather than responding with aggressiveness matching the other, he simply showed that his behaviour had no effect on him, and showed an increasing amount of hospitality.

    As that second cup of tea met his lips, the lead shipwright spoke, looking up from under his thick, bushy eyebrows.

    "You have a job for us?"

    "I do. Has Jikouji exined any of the specifics?"

    "He has. But I have forgotten. I simply remember that it was hard."

    "Hard, but not impossible, correct?"

    "Correct."

    "Did he offer you a price for your work?"

    "500 gold, is what the old man said."

    He nced toward Jikouji, who opened his mouth to protest but closed it again, following a raised hand from Gengyo. The true amount he had offered was 300 gold. It was a fair price for modifications to a ship. You could construct a ship from scratch for around 500 gold.

    "500 gold is it? I will give you 700, upon the sessfulpletion of the modifications that I require. But, are you truly skilled enough?"

    The man raised a bushy eyebrow. He had raised the price himself, knowing full well that it was not 500, but in response, the master had simply raised it some more.

    "Now that¡¯s a fair price, is it not,ds?"

    He spoke, cracking a smile for the first time. The men with him nodded. They appeared to be younger than he, and some shared his features ¨C likely his sons.

    "As for are we skilled enough? Ha. No one questions Morojo¡¯s skill. Whatever you¡¯re imagining, young master, we will be able toplete it twice as good."

    Gengyo nodded. It was what he had hoped the man would say, and so, he reached inside his pocket and retrieved a design.

    He ced it in front of the shipwright, inciting his curiosity.

    "What is this?"

    "I would like a second mast constructing on my trading skiff. However, that mast must be able to be raised and lowered within minutes, so that from a distance, it would look like it was never there at all.

    "..."

    The shipwright just stared at him. In all his years he had never received such an unreasonable request.

    "The mast is longer than the ship... how are you nning to achieve that like?"

    Pointing to his sketch, Gengyo exined.

    "The mast is formed of two parts. When we turn this wheel, here, then through this hole in the upper deck, the mast will slowlye down to the lower deck. And then, we merely detach the top."

    The shipwright stared at him, before he burst outughing.

    "Hahaha, are you serious? Splitting a mast into two halves is asking for it to snap. No way that¡¯ll be able to handle the wind. Not only that, you want those two halves to be detachable? Some world you live in!"

    In response to hisughter, the young master merely continued to look at him coldly, unsmiling.

    "I am. It is possible. It merely requires the right man for the job. Are you saying that man is not you?"

    His eyebrow twitched in response to that question, and he snatched up the sketch to have a better look at it.

    "...You¡¯re asking the impossible. But if anyone is able to make that possible, it¡¯s me. Is that all the miracles you require, young sir?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s it for miracles. But I also need oars put on the lower deck. These oar holes need to be hideable at a moments notice."

    Inparison to the other request, this one was a piece of cake, so the shipwright merely waved his hand as he nodded.

    "No doubt this is for something shady. But I don¡¯t care about that. As you long as you pay me, ain¡¯t no one going to hear any words from my mouth."

    Without him even asking, the man appeared to understand the hidden agreement. Gengyo smiled lightly at that.

    "I¡¯m d we have an understanding. If you have any improvements for the mast design, then I¡¯d be happy to discuss it with you. But for now, Shibata will show you to some rooms that you can use to spend the evening in."

    "Aye, alright."

    Whilst he expected to have been spending the evening in an inn, he did not let his surprise show on his face, and merely epted the young master¡¯s goodwill as he wrote himself a mental note.

    He gave him a small nod, as he followed Shibata toward their lodgings, with his sons in tow.

    As soon as he was out of sight, Jikouji heaved a huge sigh.

    "Ah... You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, travelling with a man like that."

    He all but copsed on the table with exhaustion as he said that.

    "You¡¯ve done well, Jikouji. Thank you. Whilst he definitely seems like a tough character, he appears to know what he¡¯s talking about, so perhaps within a week we will be able to begin raiding upon the sea."

    Thest part of that made him perk up slightly. It certainly would be ideal if they could establish some sort of foothold on the sea. It allowed them to bring in a steady flow of coin, whilst attracting the attention of local authorities towards it, and away from thend.

    In the meantime, they could focus on cultivating an army. Firstly, they needednd. Land that was out of sight, so that they could train without alerting anyone to their efforts. Secondly, of course, they needed men. Men who were willing to fight against their own Daimyo. Those sort of men were rare, or at least, they cost more than the ordinary soldier. And then, they needed equipment. Matchlocks. Swords. Armour. Food. An expensive affair it would be, far more expensive than it had been when they simply recruited ordinary men from Toyokawa.

    "I look forward to getting some rest..."

    Was all he said in reply, with his head resting on the table.

    "You can go, if you wish. I will be heading back upstairs in a moment."

    "Aye... I think I will."

    He said with a slight nod, as he raised himself up from the floor, and moved toward the door with tired footsteps.

    He was a loyal servant indeed, pushing himself to such lengths on a mere, wim-like order that Gengyo had issued. And better still, he got the job done, and he¡¯d done it well.

 Chapter 115 - An Oxens Burden

    "Are we off already, then?"

    The shipwright had asked him, as they met outside in the courtyard after a good night¡¯s sleep and some breakfast.

    "Well, I think we should make one small stop first."

    "Hm?"

    He asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Where we are headed there is a distinctck of materials. We will not be able to find any treesrge enough to be used as a mast along the way."

    "Mm... So you¡¯re going to cut some down here? Be quite the haul, dragging it to the shore."

    "Indeed, but it¡¯s the only option we have. And, at least this way, you¡¯ll be able to choose a good bit of timber."

    The man nodded. It indeed made sense, and so, with some oxen, some axes, and his sons, they headed toward the forest. Jikouji had yet to wake, but Gengyo did not have need of him quite yet, so he allowed him to sleep a little longer.

    "Good patch of forest, this is."

    The shipwrightmented, running a hand down the bark of a tree. Where he came from, nearer the coast, there were fewer good quality trees, as they¡¯d been hacked down by generations of shipwrights.

    They wandered through the forest, as Gengyo allowed the shipwright to take his pick of trees, without distracting him in the process.

    They passed some tall, straight, pine trees and he half expected him to pick those, but he merely touched their bark and shook his head, moving on to the next one.

    "You need some good quality wood to deal with the stress you want to put on it."

    He exined, answering the unspoken question that both Gengyo and his sons were wondering.

    "I see."

    They wandered throughout the forest, going deeper and deeper. It took him a while to find a tree that was to his liking, and when he found it, he did not even announce that he had. He merely began making a felling notch with his axe, before he began work with his saw, ncing toward his sons wondering why they were not yet at work.

    They joined in, sawing from other points of the tree, and before long, they heard the cracking strain ced on thest chunk of wood holding it up.

    "TIMBER!"

    The shipwright shouted out, alerting them of the falling tree. It began it¡¯s descent rather slowly, forecasting which direction it was going in, as it worked its way through thest lump of connecting wood, and caught on the branches of other trees.

    But just as they managed to step out of the way, it came crashing down with vengeance, mming hard into the soft ground, sending all sort of debris flying everywhere.

    As soon as it fell to the ground, by some unspokenmand, all them began trimming it. Seemingly, this was the result of years spent working together, as they all knew their job exactly, and within minutes, all that was left was a bare log,pletely stripped of branches and leaves.

    He admired the efficiency with which they worked but made noment, as he lead two oxen forward, so that they could harness the log to them. Since they hadpleted their duty within the field, the oxen had been grazingzily, and so he reckoned it was time for them to earn their keep.

    Even for oxen, the log appeared to rather heavy, but they did not utter aint.

    "You should probably find another couple of logs for the oars and the like."

    The shipwright, Morojo, nodded. He had already begun his search for them. As so the young master deemed it fine to leave the other four oxen within theirpany, whilst he escorted the other two out of the forest with their burdensome load.

    They had to struggle to pull it uphill, and over all sorts of obstacles, and by the time they got out they were sweating.

    "That¡¯ll be the hardest part."

    He assured them, unloading the log so they could rest a little. The road would be far easier on them, as it was mostly t, with minimal obstacles.

    He waited there a little while, and soon, the other four oxen emerged, lead by the shipwrights, each pair dragging a log between them.

    "Sorted?"

    "Sorted."

    Morojo agreed.

    "Let¡¯s head back then."

    They dragged the logs back into the vige, and he went to awake Jikouji. As he entered, it seemed the old man was already up, as he was sat there, a cup of tea in his hand.

    "Morning, Jikouji. I¡¯m going to head back to the bay to oversee construction. You¡¯ll be fine overseeing things whilst I¡¯m gone?"

    He spoke. Without even turning around, the old man had heard his footsteps, and realized who it was.

    "There isn¡¯t much that needs overseeing, but aye, I¡¯ll take care of it."

    He said lightly, continuing to drink his tea.

    "I¡¯ll be back in a few days then."

    Back in the courtyard, they worked to get all their supplies ready. The Morojos had arrived with a cart full of all their tools, and some horses between them. On that cart, they loaded extra food supplies for themselves. He reasoned the oxen would be fine, as there was rich grazingnd near the bay.

    He took a horse for himself, so that he could return a little more quickly. And then, they set off.

    They had to go at a pace that was slightly slower than that of walking, so that they could amodate for the oxen¡¯s speed as they pulled the logs. And so the time they made was not quick.

    They had to stop every couple of hours to give the oxen a break, and a chance to feed, which slowed things down further. But still, they managed to arrive just after dark.

    "Where¡¯s your shipd?"

    Morojo asked, as they looked around, unable to see anything. They could see the sea, but thaty at the bottom of some rather high cliffs.

    "Let us camp here for the night, and I¡¯ll show you in the morning."

    He replied. It was too dangerous to try and descend the cliffs whilst it was so dark outside. Not to mention, it would be impossible to do so with the oxen.

    "Eh... Alright."

    The men set about making a small fire, on which they heated the food they had brought. Within a half-hour of eating, they all seemed to be asleep.

    Gengyo, on the other hand, leaned against one of the exhausted oxen, as he stared up, admiring the stars that gued the clear sky.

    He found it a little amusing how the ox did not reject hispany in the least, it had merely snorted once as he sat down, and then it was like he did not exist. The other oxen settled nearby, and soon, he had something of an army of them.

    The thought amused him slightly ¨C an army of oxen. Though he could notugh too heartily, as they were some of the most resilent beasts out there, and their strength was certainly not something to shake your head at.

    Recently, with theck of sleep, he hade to despise night somewhat. When he was home, it was not so bad, as he could find things to upy himself. But as he was here, unable to find anything to focus himself on, thoughts came and went.

    He found himself worrying that they would be discovered, and that worry heightened till it escted into some form of paranoia.

    He heard the call of an interesting bird, that came out as a small squeak. But the intervals in which it squeaked were too odd, too bizarre to simply be that of a bird. He began to worry that it was a signal of some sort. A signal that they had been discovered. That their intentions had been forcecast to the rest of the province, and looking at them now, within the long grass, was an army of men, waiting to assault them.

    "Haha... Of course they¡¯d know. It¡¯s obvious isn¡¯t it?"

    He muttered to himself, as though that would offer some form offort. But as his fears began to climax, dawn came, lighting up thendscape. With that new light his fears were revealed to be as irrational as they were, and his shaking stopped.

    ¡¯By the gods... what a fool I have be.¡¯

    He scolded himself for his unwarranted anxiousness, and set about collecting himself, before the others awoke and found him as a shaken mess.

    He petted his oxen ¨C that had served as his pillow ¨C on the head, receiving a huge gust of air through the nostrils in response. They were warm animals, he decided.

    As he stood up, they stood up too. Perhaps it was a reaction of fear, or of surprise, or perhaps they now saw him as a member of the herd.

    He decided on thetter, because it was far more interesting. Animals like cows and wolves were pack animals, and would regte their sleeping cycles ording to each other, so it was not an entirely unreasonable proposition.

    Themotion caused by the now awoken oxen, startled the shipwrights out of their dreams, as they stared up sleepily, seeing the massive creatures begin to munch on the grass.

    "Morning... Is it?"

    Morojo muttered, exhausted.

    "It is. If you feel like getting up, I¡¯ll show you to the ship."

    He closed one eye, as he contemted simply ignoring him, and going back to sleep. But with his sons already standing up, he breathed a sigh, realizing that such an action would likely prove futile.

    "Aye... Go on then."

    He muttered, throwing his furs around his shoulders, as he attempted tobat the chilly morning air.

    Before they went down, Gengyo made sure to scatter the ashes from the fire, so that there would be no signs of their camp.

    And then, he lead them to the side of the cliff, where they had assumed there was a sheer drop. But at this point, there was a gentle slope, that gradually steepened the further to the bottom they got. And from this vantage point, they could see the sand below, with the beached trading skiff, and the small opening to the cove.

    "Ho... Now this is a good find."

    Morojo said approvingly.

    "Aye. Careful on your way down."

    Leaving the oxen up top, and the logs with them, he walked down the gentle slope, before sliding down the rest of the steeper part, demonstrating how it was to be done.

    After sharing a nce, the shipwrights began down after him, feeling a little uneasy about the height. But soon their feet were firmly on the sand.

    "Quite the basic trading skiff you have here."

    Morojomented, looking at the well-weathered boat.

    "But I suppose you¡¯re more interested in blending in, rather than simple power."

    "Preciously."

    Gengyo nodded in agreement. It was an obvious conclusion to reach after the ns that had been presented to him.

    "Now that you¡¯ve seen it in person, can you visualize what I meant in the sketches more clearly?"

    "I can. But it still will not be easy."

    "I don¡¯t need it to be easy, I simply need it to work. Take a closer look at the ship, if you need to, and then we can bring the logs down, and start."

    He was eager to get things underway, though dawn had only just broken.

    They took him up on his offer, and moved closer toward the boat, before mounting the ramp and jumping on the deck. Morojo made his way to the lower deck, to try and get a feel for its depth. Thed wanted the lower half of the mast to fit in herefortably. But he himself wasn¡¯t so sure if that was possible.

    ¡¯Still, it will not hurt to try. And it¡¯s a pretty amount of gold.¡¯

    He reasoned with himself,ing back on the upper deck, and nodding toward thed.

 Chapter 116 - Worth

    She struck forth with the wood of her practise naginata.

    "YAH!"

    They had the entire rear courtyard to themselves, with the men gone. Some of the other female guardswomen came to train at times, but it seemed they preferred to spend some time with their family rather than improve their skill as a warrior.

    Her strike was easily blocked, as Rin shot forth with a strike of her own, controlling the unwieldy naginata with skill and precision.

    The speed at which she reacted was too much for her opponent, and she struck the leather of the padded training armour, securing herself a point.

    "You¡¯re getting really good, Rin."

    Akiko praised, covered in sweat, as she took off her helmet.

    "Mm. I¡¯m doing okay, but it¡¯s not enough, is it?"

    "No, you¡¯re right. But that¡¯s not your fault."

    The young girl uttered a sigh. It was frustrating. She had trained so hard, but her brother was so preupied with ruling a vige that he did not have time to find her something to do. Or atleast, that¡¯s what he felt. And she knew that, but she also also believed that he did not need to spend extra time decieding on something special for her ¨C she was just as strong as the men, if not more so.

    "Mm... How is Nii-san doing? It¡¯s been a couple of days since hest came to visit."

    Her training partner pulled a face of surprise at that.

    "Did you not know? He¡¯s going to be away for more than a week."

    Rin stared at her gobsmacked, the hurt obvious on her face.

    "He could have told me..."

    "Hey, don¡¯t look like that. You know how he is. He just focuses on what¡¯s in front of him, doesn¡¯t he?"

    She nodded. A truer description of her brother could not have been said. But still, she had to wonder.

    "How did all this happen? Just a few months ago we were working in the field together... And now he has such a position."

    Her friend put a hand on her shoulder.

    "Rin-chan... It¡¯ll be okay, you¡¯ll see. We just have to be patient."

    She wore a scowl on her pretty face after receiving thatstment. Thest thing she wished to be was patient. Her brother had saddled her with the responsibility of caring for their mother, but there was nothing she could do to care for her!

    Their meals were delivered by the servants, and they were handed to Fuku. All she did for her mother was share conversation when she returned home from guard duty. But her father was there for that too ¨C it was unfair to leave her behind for such a silly reason.

    "I¡¯m done being patient, Akiko. I want some action! Masaatsu was my brother too, why does Tadakata have to take all the fun?"

    "I know but-"

    "There¡¯s nothing we can do right?"

    She nodded.

    "Yup... We could pressure him into doing things our way... but I don¡¯t want to put any more stress on him, Rin. He sits in my father¡¯s old office studying all day. He barely even sleeps!"

    Insead of backing down after hearing that, Rin¡¯s resolve only grew stronger.

    "See! That¡¯s why he needs us! He needs to stop taking everything on himself, and put some trust in us! And then he wouldn¡¯t be so warn out and stressed."

    Akiko smilled lightly at her ferocity.

    "You¡¯re so kind, Rin-chan... But what could we help him with?"

    "There are lots of things! We can fight. There are other women in the vige who can fight too. We don¡¯t have an army at the moment. He would be able to think of more opportunities for our vige if he just considered us."

    "I know you¡¯re strong, Rin. But how do wepare to the men? They¡¯ve been in far more battles than us. And if we¡¯re weaker than all of them, we¡¯ll drag them down."

    "Why don¡¯t we go and find out, then?"

    Rin proposed, with a smile lighting her face, as though she had just thought of a new idea.

    "What do you mean?"

    Her friend asked, frowning.

    "Brother¡¯s men will being training too now ¨C let¡¯s fight them!"

    She exined, as she turned around and began to make her way around the mansion at speed, quite clearly excited and captured by her new idea.

    "Rin! Wait!"

    Akiko called out, having to jog to catch back up to her.

    "RIN!"

    She was getting left further and further behind. Rin hurdled her way over the small courtyard pond, and continued to run towards the gate.

    "Good morning, Miura-san."

    The guardswomen said respectfully as she passed.

    "Hello!"

    Came her, as she passed through the gate, intent on sprinting toward where the men were training before Akiko could stop her.

    A few secondster Akiko also arrived at the gate, breathing heavily, exhausted after having to run so hard just to put up with the whims of her exciteable friend.

    "Good morning,dy Akiko..."

    The two women posted at the gate called out as she passed, a little put off by how fl.u.s.tered she was. It seemed that her and Rin were engaged in some sort of game.

    "Good... morning..."

    She said, holding her knees as she struggled to catch her breath.

    "RIN!"

    She shouted, making the guards beside her flinch as she struggled to get her friend to slow down.

    But Rin did not even turn back, and should she wait any longer, it was inevitable that she would lose sight of her, and so, with a deep sigh, she began to run after her once more.

    Down the path into town they ran, steering away from the forest. Rin abandoned it halfway, and began to run across the open ins, down toward where the road between Toyone and Tobishima could be found.

    She disappeared after descending a hill, causing a weary Akiko to increase her speed further so that once Rin slowed down, she might be able to stop her before she did something stupid.

    "Hah... Hah... Hah..."

    With heavy breaths she reached the top of the hill, just in time to see Rin approach the men.

    Those men served under Gengyo¡¯s had made the decision ¨C without even having to be told so by their master ¨C that they should spend each day training. And though they did not want to, they kept up with their running as well. After which, they would spend a few hours duelling with one another.

    Jikouji was not present, as he had the matters of the household to attend to whilst Gengyo was away. But apart from him, everyone attended, and they met the task with vigour and discipline.

    There were days when dawn came, and the cold was still very much at y outside and they simply did not wish to leave the warmth of their beds. But even on those days, the men made their way outside. And all it took was a few minutes, and they were d to havee.

    They were at work, duelling one another now,pletely focused on their task. But like a guided missile, Rin was nearing ever closer, causing Akiko¡¯s to beat ever faster, as she worried about stopping her in time. Thest thing Gengyo would want was to have his men¡¯s progress slowed by his little sister.

    But it was toote.

    "Rin..."

    She breathed, almost copsing as she finely arrived. But the practise had already been interrupted, and a boy, not much older than them, was holding his sword ready, as if to duel her.

    "Oh, Akiko! You finally caught up? I¡¯m going to duel this guy. Kitajo, right?"

    "Yes, I am Kitajo."

    He responded respectfully. He was well aware of who Gengyo¡¯s little sister was, and treated her approprietly, not willing to say no to her request. The rest of the men were the same, and they had already ceased their own practise in favour of spectating this duel.

    "But Rin..."

    "Sh, Akiko, just watch okay?"

    She was gutted that she had not managed to stop this before it was carried it, but by this point, it seemed, it was toote. The practise had been interrupted, and Rin would get her way.

    "I¡¯m going to start. Are you ready?"

    Rin spoke.

    "I am."

    "Let¡¯s go then!"

    She leapt forward off her backfoot, holding the wooden naginata, and sending it crashing on top of Kitajo. Her eyebrow raised in surprise, as she saw the boy¡¯s face harden, as he adopted a serious approach the task. He mmed his feet into the ground, and blocked her strike with authority.

    He controlled the pole of her weapon, throwing it off to the side, as he closed to the distance between them, and shed toward her head.

    ¡¯What...¡¯

    Rin could barelyprehend what had happened. He fought differently than she was used to seeing. In her strokes there was something. Experience, of course. But there was also something else. It was as though with each strike, he was genuinely trying to kill her.

    She whipped her head back, as the de caught on her hair, and she barely avoided it. A beed of sweat dripped from her forehead.

    ¡¯That was way too close.¡¯

    She sprang back, reinstating the distance, seriously shaken.

    A quick reappraisal of her opponent. Of the men in general. They were not shouting, or cheering. This was serious. They approached the duel ¨C even though it was not their own ¨C as though it was the most important thing going on in the world that second, and they dedicated every ounce of their concentration to it.

    Why? Why were they so serious? This was merely training. She did not understand their reasoning, and the atmosphere was impressive. She hade here excitedly, and in truth, she had been prepared for a fun bout that would demonstrate her skill. But this duel was certainly not fun. If she not give it her full attention, she could be seriously injured. Or even worse, killed. Had that strike toward her headnded, then it would not have been pretty. And there would be no one to protest either.

    This was their world, one that she had decided she wished to step into. And the weing... It was harsh. She had picked him because she thought he looked the weakest, but when he gripped the de, he was a different man. His eyes held a different light. And it was only then that she noticed the scars that covered his face and hands. He had seen death, multiple times. And what was she? A mere little girl who wished to y at swords.

    Akiko could not see all that she could, for she was a just a spectator. But she understand that her friend was losing this fight, and gritted her teeth.

    ¡¯Damn... This is... Not what I expected.¡¯

    Fear, is what she felt. She did not want to get hurt. It was odd ¨C why was there such a difference between the two of them? She had fought, and she had killed, but it was as though the two were from entirely different words.

    They stared each other down, daring the other to move. Kitajo held his de in two hands by his ear, ready to cover any attack mighte, and his feet were positioned firmly, so that he could thrust his sword through the chink in her armour as soon as she made the mistake of exposing it.

    She stared to fret about the little things ¨C the sweat on her hands that made her grip on her de loose. The numbness in her legs that could be mistaken for tiredness. She wished, in that moment, to simply drop her de and call it a day.

    And then she remembered the sight of her brother¡¯s body after it had been pierced by multiple screams. She remembered the anguish she felt when she found out Masaatsu was nevering home. And then, she reaffirmed her resolve.

 Chapter 117 - Talent

    ¡¯Even if it¡¯s scary... Even if you¡¯re a better swordsman than me... Even then, I¡¯ll beat you!¡¯

    With so many people watching, she shut off all the thoughts that urged her to surrender. All those little niggles that warned her of how ufortable she was. She freed her mind, and focused on defeating the enemy in front of her.

    Agility was her most powerful weapon. She had an athleticism and energy that was rarely seen. And so, she cast away the formal movements and steps that she had practised for so long, and she leapt.

    She leapt with her de poised, instantly closing the gap, and shing at him wildly, with ferocity.

    He blocked firmly, without flinching. He was far stronger than she, and it became apparent that she would never win a contest of strength. She had to overwhelm him.

    But with that pause after her attack, he was already taking advantage, controlling her pole as he had once done before. But this time, she was ready. Instead of letting him cease the initiative like that again, she kicked out, and spun.

    Her kick sent him backwards, and her spin brought her de whipping round, so he was once more on the end of it. With the kick to the stomach, he felt pain, and barely had time to lean backwards and duck the whirling spear that wasing for his head.

    ¡¯Heh.¡¯

    She thought to herself, as she noticed the expression amongst the onlookers change. After that exchange one thing became apparent: they were even.

    He was certainly not the weakest amongst the men ¨C that title fell to Ii and his crew, who had not had the same training as they ¨C but nor was he the most skilled. He simply had the heart to keep fighting, even when defeat seemed inevitable.

    And in this duel, he badly wanted to win. Though it was his master¡¯s little sister, he did not go easy on her in the least. He made her deal with the full range of his arsenal, and gave it his maximum effort.

    The naginata that she wielded held the advantage of range, he reasoned. But she had proved that she could still wield it after he closed the gap, demonstrating her skill. Force, he reckoned, would be the edge that he needed to st through her defences.

    He smacked down with his sword, sending her weapon downwards. She had nowhere near the strength required to remain unmoving after receiving a strike of that magnitude. In that instant before she managed to re-erect it, he abandoned his own weapon, and tugged hard on hers, feeling iting loose from her slippery grip.

    She was clearly surprised by his actions, but she still managed to hold onto with one more hand. However, a single pullter, and it was entirely from her grip.

    Most duels would be said to be over then and there, but that was not the way they yed. A victor could only be determined by death, or in this case, surrender. Though she was unarmed, her chances were not disregarded. It was their way.

    And though Akiko was extremely worried, seeing her friend unarmed like that, she held a small amount of hope as Rin had clearly not given up.

    It was not the first time a member of the Miura family had to challenge an opponent unarmed, and Morohira watched intently, wondering if his daughter had inherited any of his ferocity.

    Kitajo struck out with a solid thrust. She moved her torso slightly to the side, without changing the positioning of her feet, dodging it. Her long hair was slicked back behind her head from the sweat, but her hands were up and ready, and her eyes were focused.

    He did not let up. The result of many battles had taught him to never underestimate your opponent. Until he imed victory, the battle was not over.

    Thrust after thrust, she dodged with apparent ease, though the strikes were gradually catching up her. He went high, aiming for her shoulders. It seemed in therey her weakness. It was the norm for martial artists to have an expert degree of control over certain areas of their body, but it meant that the other areas were weaker, and they had to train hard in order to achieve a simr skill on those parts. And such was the case for her.

    In order to block those ferocious strikes, she had to use the her forearms to redirect them, so that they flew past their head.

    FLOOM

    Another flew past, and the pressured air sent her hair high. He was ruthless in his onught, and she seemed to be beginning to tire, and each movement was less sharp than thest.

    Anticipating the perfect moment, he went for a sh, now that she had been caught up in the rhythm of dodging thrusts. He swung toward her shoulder that had revealed to be her weak point.

    She barely registered the change in movement and was caughtpletely off guard as the strike shot towards her exposed shoulder. A dodge would not work, and a block would crush the bones of her forearms.

    Spurred on by instinct, as there was no time for thought, she allowed her body to deal with the threat, and kicked.

    Those legs that she was so proud of finally had their chance to shine, and the kick was swift - frightening so. Leaning back, she sent her leg up, unbending it, before extending it fully.

    THWACK

    "..."

    The wooden geta on her feet collided with the downwards moving de of the naginata polearm, and she stood there as though unfazed, demonstrating an expert level high kick, with the utmost flexibility, as she, without intention, performed the vertical splits perfectly.

    What was more impressive still, was her bnce. Even after the forceful de crashed into her foot, she did not stumble, and only demonstrated the most mild displeasure as the aftershock transmitted throughout her body.

    Even the men were surprised. They had witnessed the most bloody battles, and had spent hundreds of hours duelling one another. They had been privy to the development of numerous sword styles, and movements with the spear. But not once, in all that time, had they ever seen such a feat.

    She demonstrated what they all sort to achieve, and she did so perfectly. Their belief, as instilled into them by their master, was that everything was a weapon. Whilst such an impressive movement would not have worked had the de been real ¨C that did not matter. It demonstrated an iprehensible talent for survival, and forbat in general. Had the situation been other than it was, her body would have responded differently.

    "...This is my defeat."

    Kitajo decided. Even if he fought on, and managed to get her to submit, it would now be meaningless inparison to what he had just witnessed. And so, in hopes of not sullying the scene that they had all just witnessed, he returned her naginata.

    It was his first time wielding a weapon like that ¨C as it was certainly different to a spear ¨C so, his own performance could be deemed impressive. But her performance in thest part of the fight outshone his own.

    "So she¡¯s my daughter eh... I¡¯d had doubts, but I guess it¡¯s confirmed now."

    Morohira was the first to speak with that intolerably impolite mouth of his.

    "Shut up will you?"

    Even Rokkaku was not in the mood for jokes.

    "Well fought, Miura. The boss would be proud."

    Aritada said approvingly, with his arms folded. He had been disgruntled at first - that she had dared to interrupt their practice, even if she was Gengyo¡¯s sister. But after that disy, she was more than worthy of his respect.

    "Quite the fierce thing you¡¯ve been raising, Morohira."

    Sasaki said, patting his friend¡¯s shoulder.

    "Isn¡¯t she?"

    "Aye, you are quite simr to your father, little Miura. Both your des contain the same wildness."

    Togashi mused, stroking his beard. After seeing her skill, he briefly wondered why he had not seen her fight sooner. But he stopped his thoughts there. More than anyone, Gengyo would have his reason for doing things.

    "I am?"

    Rin asked, confused. She didn¡¯t think she fought like her father at all. From what she remembered of Morohira¡¯s fights, he always came home covered in bruises and bloodied. Though sometimes it was not his own blood.

    "I don¡¯t know about any of that, Rin... But that was different to how you usually fight. I think ¡¯wild¡¯, is probably the right word, as you¡¯re usually a little calmer."

    Akiko decided, having be caught up with the disy, though she was quite adamantly against it at first. She was proud of her friend.

    "Ho! I didn¡¯t see you there, littledy Akiko. Or should I say daughter-inw, haha! Wee to the family."

    The two girls shared a look, as Akiko started to turn red, and Rin strode over to where her father stood, and attempted to punch him. But Morohira was far beyond her level, and she didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    In the end, she ended up being forced on his shoulders, as he carried her around.

    "My fierce little Rin is so cute!!! GAHHHHHH!"

    He said, doing his best impression of a woman as he jogged around the area with her rooted to his shoulders.

    "Ahhhh! AKIKO!!!! HELP!"

    She seemed genuinely terrified as Morohira started to pick up speed. He was not exactly the most trustworthy person in the world.

    He was an interesting man, it could be said. Though his character was that of a clown, one would still have expected him topse into depression following the death of his son. But after a few days of quietness, he was back to his old self. After those couple of days, he wondered why he had been upset at all. His son had made him extremely proud, and died a fierce death, as part of a glorious victory. He had lived a fuller life than anyone could hope to wish, and so, he realized that it was nothing to be depressed over. He merely had to continue to live, and collect many stories, so that when he rejoined him in Takamagahara, he would have lots to share.

    And who could have a better opportunity to collect stories than he? He followed under themand of his son, who was one of the most terrifying people he had met, and was destined to cause pandamonium for the whole country.

    For the first years of his life, he had been something of a disappointment, but when the circ.u.mstances had presented themselves, he had shone.

    "Did you twoe all the way down here just to duel us?"

    Ii asked, as his stuck a finger up his nose, and chased down a rather stubborn bogey. He had initially wished to make a good impression on Akiko, for she was undoubtedly a beauty, but he had quickly learned that he was the boss¡¯s woman, and he had promptly given up. Gengyo was a man that he certainly couldn¡¯tpete with.

    She did her best not to cringe with disgust, as he admired a ratherrge bogey on the end of finger.

    "Well... I suppose so."

    "So you wanna fight too?"

    "Shhhhheeee dddoESSSS!"

    Rin shouted out, still riding her out of the control horse.

    "Ah."

    It was then that Akiko realized she had been set up, as the rest of the men looked toward her with curiosity, as though evaluating her as a warrior. She shrunk back slightly. It was rather intimidating.

    She had instinctively wanted to refuse, but now that they were here, she realized her own desire to prove herself. They had already inconvenienced the men, and there was no taking that back. And so, it would be best for her ¨C and for everyone ¨C if she took advantage of this situation to test her skill. Rin had fought hard, and it had been difficult, so she wished not to duel Kitajo. Instead, her gaze drifted towards Ii, as he yed with that bogey.

    "Eh?"

    He asked dully, as she stared at him.

 Chapter 118 - Tight-lipped

    "So you want to duel Ii?"

    Rokkaku guessed, seeing how she was staring at him.

    "A wise choice"

    Sasaki intoned.

    "Definitely easier than fighting Kitajo."

    Aritada said seriously, agreeing with him.

    Ii looked at them, struggling toprehend what they were talking about.

    "Ehh...?"

    He felt like there was something he was missing, but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it.

    "They¡¯re saying you¡¯re weak."

    Honjou said in a deep voice, pointing out the obvious for his rather dim-witted friend.

    "What...?"

    He questioned, as though baffled.

    "They¡¯re not wrong."

    Enya said with a small nod.

    He turned to look at his small friend sharply, as though hurt, and sniffled heavily.

    "Even you... Enya... After all we¡¯ve been through together."

    But in response to his pretend weeping, Enya merely turned his back.

    "Go and prove us wrong. But for now, you¡¯re definitely the weakest."

    Morohira zoomed past, with Rin still looking terrified.

    "Yes, I¡¯ll fight Ii-kun, if that¡¯s okay with him."

    She decided upon seeing everyone¡¯s reactions. After hearing her words Morohira slowed to a halt.

    "It seems there¡¯s going to be a fight ¨C you need to calm down and stop messing about, Rin."

    He said, his facepletely serious.

    That was the icing on the cake for the young tigress and she all but exploded.

    "CALM DOWN!? ARE YOU SERIOUS? AHHH! YOU¡¯RE SO ANNOYING!"

    Morohira shared a nce with Rokkaku and shrugged, as though he was genuinely oblivious to what her problem was.

    "Sorry, Rin. I can¡¯t give you a ride any more. It seems spoiling you isn¡¯t good for your behaviour."

    Rin opened her mouth wide, as her face went red with fury. But she was seething so strongly that she couldn¡¯t get the words out. He set her on the ground gently, and upon seeing the look she was giving him, he burst outughing.

    At that, Rokkaku beganughing too, seeing that it was a joke. Sometimes with Morohira it was hard to tell whether he was joking, or whether he was genuinely that stupid.

    They moved back to form a circle as they had for Rin, and the fun ceased. Everything from this point was to be faced with the utmost seriousness. Even the dim-witted Ii seemed to be paying this the attention it deserved, as his eyes narrowed, and he gripped his bokken firmly.

    Akiko was nervous. She had seen the intensity with which Rin had fought, and she was unsure whether she could match it. In training, they were rtively evenly matched, but that was different. Those training sessions focused primarily on technique, whereas these duels were simply about utilising everything you could for the sake of victory.

    Before the fight had even begun, a nervous sweat covered her body, and after bathing under the intensity of Ii¡¯s gaze for a few seconds she started to wonder whether she might have chosen the wrong opponent.

    She nced off to the side, seeking reassurance, and her gaze met Rin¡¯s. The young girl nodded, her eyes clear and intelligent. She, with her whole heart, supported Akiko, and attempted to convey that emotion to her within that look.

    From it, she managed to grow a fragment of confidence. A fragment of motivation ¨C a reason to fight. All she knew was that she wanted to prove herself, but she never stopped to ask why. Did she truly wish for the same thing as Rin? To fight alongside, and to support, Gengyo, her lover?

    After the battle she had experienced within the vige against Toda¡¯s mercenaries, she was not so sure she wanted to return to that life. But more than that fear for the battlefield, she wanted to be close to him. She feared being left behind when he went to war. She needed to be strong enough to take care of herself so that he wouldn¡¯t worry about her.

    With that in mind, she tightened her grip on the naginata, and executed a textbook shoulder strike ¨C stepping forward with a quick step, before using the entire weight of her body to m down towards his shoulder.

    He looked at her as though surprised, and in that moment, she knew she had him. He was as weak as they had imed him to be, and merely with putting her all behind a single strike she would be able to beat him.

    But she miscalcted.

    He stood there, having dodged the strike, with an eyebrow raised, as if to ask: "is that it?" It seemed his earlier surprise was nothing to do with the power of her strike, but rather theck of it.

    She gritted her teeth at the condescending look he was shooting her. Perhaps he had managed to ept Rin as a warrior, but he still looked down on women and theirpetence on the field.

    Ii swungzily at her still extended de, and moved to close the gap, as he had seen Kitajo do.

    ¡¯I¡¯ll finish this quickly.¡¯

    He thought to himself, twisting to dodge her naginata, as she spun it within her palm, attempting to ward him off. His speciality was speed. His strikescked any real power. But he was swift, and urate, as a thief was want to be.

    He jabbed at her with a vicious series of strikes, havingpletely closed the gap, and she barely managed to block them. She struggled to dodge as quickly as Rin, and so she reliedpletely on her weapon in order to keep herself from harm.

    The vibrations sent along her wooden naginata made her grit her teeth, as strike after strike reigned down, and her grip on the weapon became ever looser.

    ¡¯This isn¡¯t going to work.¡¯

    She quickly realized. There was no way she could keep up with his speed, especially not at this range. But Rin was fast too, and whenever she wanted to put everything into winning their bouts, there was a certain strategy she would employ.

    SWOOSH

    She stepped back out of reach of thest strike, and ducked low, swinging her de ferociously.

    With a look of fl.u.s.ter upon his face, Ii dodged it, but barely, and in doing so he¡¯d jumped high into the air ¨C far higher than he needed to. Within an intense and fast-paced battle such as this one, that small difference was all that was needed, and, anticipating his jump, she sprang at him.

    There was nothing he could to prevent the thrust that was aimed solidly at his chest. If he was more athletic, he might have been able to twist his body out the way. But hecked the flexibility to do so, and even if he had, the end result likely would have left him syed out upon the floor, and exceptionally vulnerable to her next attack.

    THWACK

    A strike with a good amount of weight behind connected with his sternum, and he was forced off-bnce,nding hard on the ground, winded. She did not let up, seeing the state of Rin and Kitajo¡¯s fight, and moved forward, pointing her de toward his neck, as hey there, winded.

    "Surr...ender..."

    He managed to get out, a little bitterly. It was not umon for him to lose against the majority of the other men, but now he was even losing against women too. He wanted to curl up and die.

    "Ahhh! Akikkoooooo! Good work!"

    Rin ran in to hug her, even more excited than she was about her victory.

    "Thanks, Rin."

    She said with a small, modest smile.

    "That¡¯s the move you always do against me... Poor guy."

    She took a nce at the fallen Ii, further adding insult to injury. Enya came over to drag him to his feet, and as he did so, he leant in to whisper in his ear.

    "Yup, you¡¯re definitely the weakest Ii."

    At that point, Ii gave up trying to get to his feet at all, and released all tension in his muscles.

    "Just kill me."

    He decided.

    "Rin, go and get daddy¡¯s sword."

    Morohira spoke up upon hearing thed¡¯s request.

    "Okay!"

    Rin said, a little too enthusiastically. Ii started at the two interacting, trying to find any trace of a joke, but from his analysis, he judged them to be deadly serious.

    A small tear drifted from his right eye, as he looked up at the blue sky.

    "They¡¯re so ready to kill me... Am I really that bad, Honjou?"

    He turned his face to his tall friend ¨C hisst hope at salvation. Hisst reason to live.

    "Yes."

    He said solemnly in that booming deep voice of his, sounding as though it was judgement passed down by God himself.

    He sank to the grassy earth, with a sad smile, as he announced his will.

    "Let¡¯s end it all then."

    Akiko watched this dramatic disy with a giggle, before she turned her head in response to Rokkaku¡¯s question.

    "So why¡¯d you two want toe and duel us? Are the other guardswomen no longer a challenge?"

    "No, no! It¡¯s nothing like that."

    The ever modest Akiko protested, least they get the wrong idea.

    "It¡¯s just..."

    She looked to Rin for support, struggling to find the words.

    "We want to join you guys!"

    Rin said on her behalf, a little less than eloquently. Her words were met with a great deal of surprise as all the menpsed into silence. They were the elite. The only men to survive the trial the Niwa army had been presented with. They had worked hard, and earned their scars. It was not something that you simply joined, it was something you earned.

    But breaking that to the two eager girls was not something any of them wished to do. Especially not when they had such a connection to their boss.

    "Look... You can fight and all, but it¡¯s a bit more than that."

    Aritada was the one who spoke. He was immensely proud of his own position. He was a swordsman who served under the future ruler of the Mikawa province - who fought for the sake of avenging his dead best friend. They had made an oath together, to set the province on fire. Would two kind young girls be able to make the sacrifices required to do that? He did not think so.

    "What else is there to it?"

    Rin asked, undisguised aggressionced within her words.

    "Well... You don¡¯t know what we do ¨C but you still want to be part of it?"

    Kitajo put in. He himself had struggled with the morality behind the crimes that they were tomit.

    "You fight with Nii-san. What else is there to it?"

    Both of them had been left in the dark about the recent robbery in Toyokawa. And they had no idea about the ns to start a war upon the ocean.

    The men passed around an awkward nce. It was not their ce to tell them if they did not already know. Gengyo will have kept it from them with a reason in mind, and given how extensive his ns seemed to be, they did not want to risk upsetting it.

    She looked at each of them, searching for a reply, but soon it became obvious that they would remain silent. She thought at least Morohira, her own father, would be honest with her. But he was looking into the distance as though he was not there at all. If one were to open that head of his, it is likely that they would simply find a small monkey bashing a pair of symbols together whilst cymbal the asional back flip.

    Rin bit her lip, looking at Akiko. This was too frustrating. They had both beaten the men in a fight ¨C that should have been enough. They were soldiers, not politicians, so why was everyone so tightlipped. Why was no one willing to give them the respect they deserved?

 Chapter 119 - Trust

    She walked up to Ii ¨C who by now, had stood up, but was still wearing a rather despondent expression ¨C judging him to be the weakest. She grabbed him by the shoulders, as he visibly flinched. Having such a beautiful woman so close would pose a problem in itself, but his fear was more to do with the look on her face, and he judged pain to be near.

    "Tell. Me. What. They. Mean."

    She said slowly, enunciating each word perfectly, and clearly, so that he would have no excuses for giving her an answer other than the one she required.

    He looked away, seeking support from the others. But no one came to his rescue. They left him to his fate. The irony was, if he squealed, he would receive their scorn, even though now they acted as though whatever happened did not concern him.

    "We..."

    He began, gulping deepily, struggling to look away from her piercing eyes. Having paused for too long, he received a prodding.

    "¡¯We¡¯? Continue, or get hurt."

    She threatened, grabbing his ear, as she slowly began to twist it.

    "Owow... We... uhm... are very few."

    He settled on, only to be kicked in the shin.

    "Even I can see that. Answer the damn question."

    She began to shake him by the shoulders, her anger ring up.

    "Ah... Rin, perhaps we should leave them to their secrets? It¡¯s probably to do with Tadakata, right? If they tell us, they¡¯ll get in trouble."

    Akiko attempted to reason with her, disliking the sight of Ii being tortured.

    "Hm... That¡¯s right isn¡¯t it..."

    She loosened her grip on his shoulders, as though she was having second thoughts.

    "Then they¡¯ll just have to decide whether they want to die now, or dieter!"

    With her hands returned to their previous position, she gripped him with vengeance, working her fingers into the nerves around the muscle, stabbing at the precious points, and sending him copsing to his knees.

    "O! Please stop..."

    He pleaded, feeling rather depressed at all negative attention he was receiving.

    "Shut up and answer the questions."

    Even his friends did not step in to relieve him from Rin¡¯s cruel grasp, and he began to feel rather betrayed. She had picked her target expertly, and without knowing it, she was well into working her way under his skin ¨C both mentally, and with her fingers nails that were gripping his shoulder rather tightly.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll tell you. Screw you guys, alright!? This hurts too bad. I¡¯d rather just have the boss look at me funny for a bit."

    He decided. It hurt even more when the rest weren¡¯t even in the least bit surprised. But they did not protest. He would take the me ¨C they were merely spectators.

    "Talk."

    Rin released her grip slightly, but still affixed him with her piercing gaze.

    "We robbed a guy, alright? Boss is done with thew, I guess. They¡¯re Imagawa¡¯sws, anyway, so what do we care?"

    She looked toward Rokkaku and Aritada.

    "Is this what you meant? Is this what you thought we couldn¡¯t do?"

    On her face was not the slightest bit of displeasure. She was neither shocked nor displeased with the sudden information, informing her that the brother she so respected and revered was the architect of a robbery.

    Nor was that the case with Akiko.

    "Aye... It is. Whoever steps in our way, we will tear them down. Innocent people will get hurt."

    Rokkaku began.

    "That¡¯s right. We are not angels of good, who seek only what is right. We seek revenge. Whatever happens along the way we will deal with as we please."

    Aritada added.

    "We do what we want."

    Kitajo concluded.

    The two women shared a nce. That was what they were so afraid to share? It seemed stupid to them. All they had cared about from the start was their friends, and their family. Masaatsu had fallen because of a man, and that man still drew breath. So had Nakatane. It was simply their goal to ensure revenge for their loved ones, and to support Gengyo to the end, so that they would not have to suffer the pain of not knowing what was happening on the battlefield, whilst they sat at home.

    The women surprised them with what they had to say in response.

    "So? You think we wouldn¡¯t be able to rob a man?"

    "...It¡¯s not that, little Rin. We killed him in his sleep. And ya know what? Don¡¯t think any of us feel remorse. You ready to fight alongside people like?"

    Morohira said, truly stabbing at the heart of the matter, unafraid of what anyone might think of him.

    "I am ready to fight alongside my dad, and alongside my brother. I don¡¯t want to have to see one of youe home dead, without me being able to do something."

    "And if you have to kill the innocent in order to do that?"

    Sasaki prodded.

    Akiko¡¯s face darkened at those words.

    "There is no such thing as innocent. There is the weak, and there is the powerful. If someone does not have the means to protect themselves, they will be annihted. That is simply how it is."

    It was quite the harsh thing toe out of such an amiable young woman¡¯s mouth. But it was a consequence of the life she had lived. For years they had been tormented by Toda. And had it not been for Gengyo, then she likely would have be his toy. There would have been no one to rescue her.

    People ¨C at least, righteous people ¨C chase power so that they can protect what is dear to them. She understood Gengyo¡¯s motives better than most, and had long suspected he was doing something underhanded because of his secrecy. As his lover, she had seen that darkness within him, and she epted it wholeheartedly. He would work himself into the grave to protect the people he cared for, and to her, that was the mark of a strong, good man. Anything more prised then that is either pure evil, or nothing more than a feeble rabbit, who does good simply because he is not capable of being bad.

    "If you truly believe that, then I can¡¯t see why the boss wouldn¡¯t let you join. You¡¯re his family and all, but you¡¯re strong, and if you train with us you¡¯ll get stronger."

    Togashi decided.

    "It must be nice for you guys, because you get to know Tadakata¡¯s ns beforehand."

    Rin mused, d to have won their approval, but still a little worried about seeing her brothers reaction, as she went behind his back to do all this.

    "Ah... Uhm..."

    Rokkaku had opened his mouth to agree, but after thinking about the recent events, he wasn¡¯t so sure. The robbery, they had known something was going to happen, but had never actually known what it was until the moment they were setting out.

    "Hm? Surely he doesn¡¯t keep it from you as well..?"

    She pressed, slightly confused. They must have known, right? They carried out the missions with him after all.

    "Ahaha..."

    Heughed awkwardly, finding it hard to affirm what she said.

    "Really..?"

    "Yeah... Thinking about it now, I think he enjoys surprising us, rather than actually sharing the ns. Like the thing with the ship, and the robbery..."

    Sasaki mused, thinking back.

    "...I can¡¯t believe him. I thought it was only us he was keeping out of the picture. We need to go and tell him off, Akiko!"

    "Haha... Calm down, Rin. I¡¯m sure he has a reason..."

    Even she was struggling to defend him at this point. Keeping the information from her was understandable ¨C he had not wanted to burden her with the details. But not informing his trusted subordinates of his ns was going a little too far. Perhaps he actually enjoyed keeping them in the dark?

    "Wait, what was that thing you said about a ship?"

    Rin asked the big man, only just catching on to that bit of information.

    "Ah, we went to Toyokawa with the money from the robbery, and he only told us that we were buying a ship the moment before he bought it."

    He had no reservations about sharing that piece of information. They would be able to me it all on Iiter anyway should any problems ur. Besides, he sort of agreed with what the girls were saying. It would be nice if the boss trusted them a little more, and didn¡¯t keep them so much in the dark about things.

    "He bought a ship?"

    She repeated, furrowing her brow. His thinking, as always, was impossible to keep up with. What on earth would he need with a ship?

    "Yup. We¡¯re going to do us some piracy."

    Morohira affirmed, grinning, appearing to be looking forward to it.

    Rin massaged her temples. This was too much. They were kept in the dark about far too much, and her anger was beginning to boil.

    "Where¡¯s Tadakata now?"

    "Mmm... Where is he..?"

    Rokkaku mused, looking around to see if there was anyone else who knew.

    "He went to work on the ship with some men Jikouji brought back."

    Togashi informed them, speaking for the first time in a while. He too agreed with the direction this conversation was proceeding in. He felt, if Gengyo learned to trust them a little more, then his ns might proceed faster than he expected, and he wouldn¡¯t need to do so many things himself.

    "Okay! We¡¯re all going there, right now! He¡¯s got off the hook too long ¨C he needs to be told off good and proper."

    She announced, as she looked from person to person, daring them to protest.

    "Ahaha! I love it when my kids fight."

    Morohira giggled, nudging Rokkaku¡¯s side. He attempted to shook him a look of disgust, but at thest second his face crumbled, and he too burst outughing. Morohira was such a ridiculous man, it was hard to keep a straight face around him.

    "Rin... I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea. Won¡¯t he get angry if we interrupt his work?"

    Akiko said meekly.

    "Akiko! Stop being so worried about upsetting him. It¡¯s normal for couples to argue, isn¡¯t it? You have to tell him what you think, otherwise, you¡¯re going to be depressed for the rest of your life."

    She opened her mouth to reply, but quickly closed it. There was nothing she could say in response to that, for her words were true. Though she dreaded voicing her discontent, for she knew how hard he was working, she still knew it to be necessary.

    "Do you mean we¡¯reing too?"

    Ii asked, struggling to keep up with everything that was going on, as he chewed on a rather stubborn fingernail.

    Rin palmed her face, exasperated.

    "Obviously, dummy! And we¡¯re going straight away. Where¡¯s that smelly old man, Jikouji? I¡¯m sure he wants to being to."

    "He¡¯s back at the mansion. He said he¡¯s working through some things. Dunno if he¡¯d want toe along for this."

    Rokkaku exined, unsure whether he really wanted toe along himself. Even if they were being kept in the dark about ns and the like, he was still happy with Gengyo¡¯s leadership, and didn¡¯t want to risk upsetting him.

    "We¡¯ll tell him to leave it. It can wait a day or two."

    "Rin."

    Akiko interrupted.

    "Don¡¯t you have guard duty to attend to? Will it be okay leaving like this? And your mother too, will she be okay?"

    Rin quickly waved her concerns aside.

    "It¡¯ll be fine, I can just tell your maid, Shibata, to look after things whilst I¡¯m gone. And mum¡¯s fine. She told me so today. She¡¯s getting stronger every day. She told me to pursue what I want to do, and don¡¯t worry about anything else, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing."

    "As long as you¡¯re sure..."

    "I¡¯m really sure! Surer than I¡¯ve ever been. Now let¡¯s hurry up and set off. And you guys too! You need to show me where that brother of mine is hiding!"

 Chapter 120 - The First Steps

    "What¡¯s all this, then?"

    Jikouji asked as they all assembled in the courtyard and began mounting horses and gathering supplies.

    "We¡¯re going to see Nii-san!"

    Rin shouted, as if that cleared everything up.

    "Ho... And why might you be doing that?"

    "To tell him off! He¡¯s keeping too many secrets from you guys, and from me and Akiko too ¨C we need to tell him to stop being such a schemer, and to trust us more!"

    Perplexed, he looked toward Togashi, wondering how all of this came about. The bearded man attempted to fill him in.

    "These two youngdies came down whilst we were training to duel us, apparently wanting to prove themselves. And everything else sort of went from there?"

    Jikouji shook his head. The vigour of the youth was something that was hard to keep up with, and he struggled to remember a time where he too had such energy.

    "So, you¡¯re all going off to that cove are you? Mm... That¡¯s tricky. There are gaps to be filled with you all gone."

    "Does that mean you¡¯re noting?"

    Rin asked, catching on to the way he worded it.

    "I expect not, no. It seems like it¡¯ll be troublesome ¨C I¡¯d rather not get involved."

    "By that do you mean that he always keeps you informed about his ns? Mm, I guess that makes sense ¨C you are his advisor and all."

    Jikouji froze, a little fl.u.s.tered.

    "Haha... He seems to enjoy keeping me in suspense. But his leadership is effective, and I have noints."

    He replied, quickly making sure that it didn¡¯te across as though he was displeased.

    "You¡¯d bettere with us then, old man. Otherwise, he¡¯ll be leaving you in ¡¯suspense¡¯ forever."

    She tugged on his sleeve, pulling him off the porch and toward where the rest were busy saddling.

    "Rin, I have a lot of work to do. I can¡¯t possibly take time off just for this."

    He hastily tried to talk her out of dragging him by his sleeve.

    "It¡¯s fine, we won¡¯t be gone too long."

    She let go, and went to give Akiko a hand saddling her horse.

    "One...two...three!"

    They hefted it up simultaneously, securing it on the back of the white-haired beast.

    "Hm? Whatcha doing just staring, old man? You need to hurry up and saddle a horse ¨C I don¡¯t want you slowing us down!"

    It seemed he did not have a choice, Jikouji decided. His task had been a boring one ¨C filing through numerous papers detailing all the people that had died, who their families were, and how they would ensurepensation. His motivation for staring at those sheets was already beginning to dwindle, and the youngss was so insistent that he decided to relent, and do it once he got back.

    "...Fine."

    They would need supplies, and he could not see anyone else moving to ensure that they had them. So he went back to the porch ¨C receiving an aggressive gaze from Rin as he did so, for she thought he would be going back inside ¨C and called out to Shibata.

    "Yes, Jikouji-san?"

    She responded straight away, having only been within the next room.

    "It seems we are going on something of a trip. Will you get everyone together, and have them load enough food supplies tost us for a few days?"

    "As you wish, Jikouji-san."

    She said with a light bow.

    "Oh, and Shibata? Whilst we¡¯re away, you are in charge of the household. If any of the other servants are unhappy with that, then tell them ande and speak with me before I leave."

    A sh of surprise went through her eyes at those words. There were other servants better suited to the task. But she was Akiko¡¯s closest maid, and he trusted her the most.

    "...I will do as you bid, Jikouji-san. Please have a safe trip."

    Ever the polite maid, she bowed once more, and turned to fulfil her task with a small smile.

    After seeing her reaction, he was d to have chosen her. But he did not dwell on that warm feeling for too long, as the rest had alreadypleted saddling their horses, and Morohira was rearing his over and over again, showing off.

    He remembered a time when none of them could ride, but young Miura had insisted that they learn, saying that one was never to know what might happen on the field, and the more skills they had at their disposal, the safer they would be. It was true enough, but for a good week they had been the vigeughing stock, being thrown from the saddle time and time again.

    It was sad, when you looked at the Niwa household¡¯s stables. There were 40 horses housed in total ¨C more than the men they had. It reminded them of a time that had once been, and it forced them to question whether they had be weaker.

    If an army, like that of Toda¡¯s were to march on them right that second, would they be able to stop it? Somehow, despite theck of men, he still thought that they could. Even though, at a nce, you could certainly call them weaker, he felt that they were stronger. Their new master was creating a huge amount of disposable ie, and there was no resource more adaptable than coin. They could deal with whatever was thrown at them.

    All the men were mounted, and the women too. They took a de each ¨C the men their swords, and Akiko and Rin brought along their naginatas.

    They had a small supply cart with them, drawn by a couple of horses as the oxen were all indisposed. And then, lead by Morohira ¨C who imed to remember the road to the cove perfectly ¨C they set off.

    This ¨C without them even stopping to think about it ¨C was the furthest Rin and Akiko had ever travelled away from Toyone. In fact, the furthest either of them had gone from the centre of town was likely down by the new field. They had not even set foot in Tobishima.

    It felt immensely freeing as they rode, with no end in sight, and they were in higher spirits than they had been for a long time, temporarily forgetting the likelihood that they would be greeted with Gengyo¡¯s anger.

    An hour had passed since they left, and they had not seen a single tree. Well, there were small bushes, but nothing of the scale they were used to. It felt odd to see such vast grassy ins, and they fell to wondering where the houses were. Was the soil not rich enough to farm, or something of that sort?

    Mikawa, they soon learned, was a vast ce. For hours they had travelled in the same direction, and yet the road still offered more path. Psychologically, it was thrilling. Akiko had always dreamt of travelling, but this was the first real experience she had. Rin, on the other hand, had always dreamt of being a warrior, though she had at first disguised it humorously. But now, here she was, charging off to some unknown location with other armed men.

    "You alright back there?"

    Morohira called out, with a grin on his face. He had anticipated their rears would be quite sore by now from the bumping of the saddle, but they did not allow him the satisfaction of knowing their suffering. Nor would they even acknowledge the pain they were in to themselves ¨C it would sully the experience.

    "Hm? Of course we are! Hurry up, father, my horse keeps calling you slow."

    Rin retorted, seemingly quite pleased with her insults. But Morohira merely responded with a heartyugh, knowing her to be bluffing.

    It seemed all of them had outgrown that little vige of theirs, for there was not a single person who did not feel contented as they rode across thendscape. Inaction, it seemed, had be difficult to handle. In that way, the men resembled their master.

    An hour before sundown, they could see a vast blue stretch of sea in the distance.

    "And that, youngdies, is the ocean! Our future battlefield."

    The two perked up at that. They had thought there was a difference in the sky, but it seemed, that patch of blue was actually the long-heralded ocean that they had heard so much about.

    "It¡¯s beautiful..."

    Akiko breathed, greatly impressed by its vastness, as it attempted to challenge the sky.

    "It¡¯s pretty."

    Rin agreed, feeling as though the air had gotten suddenly fresher.

    "It looks a whole lot better when you¡¯re closer."

    Togashi advised them. He was rather fond of the sea himself, though he knew some of the others had developed a slight amount of distaste after the sickness they had experienced whilst on the trading skiff.

    They nodded at his words as though they were children being taught by their wise teacher, and they patiently rode forwards, getting ever closer.

    "Ushi-kun!"

    Akiko called out, pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face.

    "Ushi-kun? He¡¯s just an ox, Akiko. Did you really have to name him?"

    They had arrived atop the cliff next to the cove, and they had been greeted by the small herd of oxen who were busy munching on the grass, apparently not quite caring what was going on.

    They were calming creatures to watch, as they merely chewed their grass without an apparent care in the world, regarding all around them withzy eyes.

    "Nope! Ushi-kun is Ushi-kun."

    She informed her friend, not giving an inch of ground on this. She was quick to dismount and run over to him. The beast was not unnerved in the least by her excitement, and he merely stuck his head up, grinding down the long stalks of grass that were in his mouth.

    "So cute..."

    She breathed, petting him on his head, ying with the long fringe that he had. To Rin, all the oxen looked the same, but it seemed, somehow, Akiko had chosen a favourite.

    If he wanted to, Ushi would have no problem crushing her underfoot. But he was patient, it seemed.

    "What¡¯s so good about it?"

    Rin dismounted alongside her, and wandered over, leaving the unloading of the supplies to the men.

    "Feel his fringe, Rin. It¡¯s so sofffffft..."

    With an outstretched hand, she tentatively did as she was told, eyeing Ushi warily, ready to bolt at the slightest sudden movement. She made contact with the fur, and was surprised. It was not soft at all. It was thick, like you would expect it to be. But despite that, it was not unpleasant, and it proved rather entertaining ying with it like that, as the ox merely gave her azy eye.

    "It seems we were tricked, Morohira. Your daughter just wanted toe and pet the oxen."

    Rokkaku informed him.

    "Mm... Should we cook them up and see how she reacts?"

    He proposed, giving out a heartyughed. Akiko turned to look at him angrily, apparently having overheard what he had said.

    "No one¡¯s eating Ushi!"

    "Ho... I wasn¡¯t talking about eating him. Just cooking him ¨C that¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?"

    "NO!"

    She responded seriously to his joking, and heughed all the more. Irritating people on small things like that was one of his guilty pleasures, and made the day much more exciting than it otherwise would be.

    "Come on then, you two. We need to go down and see thed before it gets dark."

    Though they were quite enraptured by Ushi, they still did not forget their original purpose foring here, and bid him goodbye, so that they might follow the men down the cliff.

    They had thought there might be stairs, or adder, or perhaps something other than what they saw. A steep, slick ramp, that almost guaranteed they would muddy their clothing.

    But contrary to their hesitation, Morohira sprinted down the gentler part, before throwing himself entirely onto thest part, greatly enjoying the ride.

 Chapter 121 - Unexpected Visitors

    "..."

    In the cove, they had already been at work for a couple of days, and progress was good and steady. All the equipment the shipwrights had at this disposal ¨C and more ¨C was strewn over the floor. To a set of eyes that was not their own, it might appear disorderly, but to them, it was ordered to perfection.

    The task that they were charged with was a difficult one. Within a day, they hadpleted a pulley system that raised and lowered the lower half of the mast, and Gengyo had been immensely pleased with their progress. However, that was the easy part. Where the difficultyy was in attaching the lower and upper masts so that it was stable, but also so that the upper mast could be lowered onto the deck.

    And that had proved to be a great challenge. For two whole days they had worked, but they had not yet achieved something that could match those standards. They brought their supplies down to the shore ¨C which did not flood entirely, even when the tide was in ¨C and slept amongst the sand.

    Even when they attempted to sleep, their brains were attempting to tackle the problem that they had been presented with, hoping to find better solutions.

    And it was on such a day, that the unexpected urred. He had thought he heard voicesing from the top of the cliff, but was not entirely certain, as thepping of the waves against the shore was sure to distort any sound that reached his ears.

    And then, with the light beginning to g, he had noticed a group gather on top of the cliff, by the pass that lead downwards. At first, he had felt a degree of anxiety, thinking they had been discovered by some foreign group. He even walked over to fetch his sword.

    And then, with a bellowingugh, Morohira hade crashing onto the sand.

    Seeing his father appear so suddenly, he had no idea how to react. He had not expected any sort of visitors for a while. At least not until after they hadpleted the ship itself. But there he was, grinning like a cat that got the cream.

    "What are you doing here, father?"

    He managed to ask, despite his shock, just before Rokkaku hit the floor alongside him.

    "Man my ass is wet."

    Heined, having slid the final part entirely on his bottom.

    "For fun!"

    Came Morohira¡¯s answer, as he wandered over to the ship to take a look at their progress.

    "Mmm, you haven¡¯t done much, have ya? Probably best stop cking, otherwise it¡¯ll be a year before we manage to get out."

    Morojo shot Gengyo an annoyed re, as to ask: "who¡¯s this f.u.c.k.i.n.g sweet cake?"

    Gengyo merely shrugged in response, because he himself did not know quite what he was doing here, having not been given a satisfactory answer himself.

    Rokkaku was walking around whistling, as though he didn¡¯t want any part in the conversations that were being had, and was attempting to im innocence. That only raised his masters suspicions further.

    Jikouji hit the ground a momentter. He too did not broach the topic of why they were here, and merely acted casually, as though this was a prearranged agreement.

    "How¡¯s the progress,d?"

    "...Not quite where we want it to be..."

    They kept hitting the floor, one after the other. Each of the men under hismand came down.

    ¡¯They were bored, is that it?¡¯

    He thought, rolling his eyes at their childishness. But that did not seem to be the case, as next down, he saw an unexpected face.

    Instead of sliding down on her bottom as the men had, she attempted to do so whilst standing upright, and she managed it rather gracefully. That was, until, the incline suddenly changed and she hit the sand. It would be a bit of a stretch to call thatnding ¡¯smooth¡¯, especially as sand now filled her mouth.

    "Pwoo! What¡¯s this stuff? It¡¯s soft... But it tastes really bad."

    Rin muttered, spitting the sand out of her mouth. Gengyo merely stared at her, unsure how to react. He thought he¡¯d been rather clear about what it would take for her to join him on missions, yet here she was, having tagged along with the men.

    She barely even looked his way, and was staring back up the slope, attempting to encourage someone else down.

    "Go on, Akiko! Just do what I did. Well, maybe not thest part. But it¡¯s better than getting muddy, right? Come on! It¡¯s not scary. Just go!"

    Apparently encouraged, that darkened figure began down the gentle slope, as her screams gradually increased in magnitude.

    "AhhhhhhhhHHHHHH!"

    She cried out, expecting a good amount of pain. Her speed had only continued to increase the further she went down the steep slope, and by now, she was unable to slow herself down, and was destined tond rather heavily on that earth below.

    But Rin was there to cushion hernding, and she ended up in her arms, with a terrified look on her face.

    "Ah... I¡¯m alive... Thanks Rin."

    "Hehe, no worries!"

    He felt as though he wasn¡¯t even there. Everyone was either wandering around the bay, or talking to one another. He and Morojo stood there, gobsmacked, wondering what on earth was going on. Not only had his little sistere along, his lover had as well. It was not a relevation that was met with his approval.

    They were out in the middle of nowhere, on a rather unknown stretch ofnd. At any point the unexpected could happen. They could be assaulted by the previous owners of the bay, and the women would be caught up in that.

    He stood there, patiently, waiting for them to finish. Someone would have to exin themselves to him, and if he was not happy with their reasoning, then he would have to hand out his first punishments since he became the master.

    "Well?"

    He asked loudly, threateningly. The men ceased their pretend interest in what the shipwrights were doing, and came wandering over, looking like guilty puppies, with tails between their legs.

    He had a face like thunder. Not only had they avoided answering his questions, they had also brought his family along with them. Even Rin and Akiko looked slightly put off by his expression. He was clearly not happy.

    "Ii... It was Ii!"

    Rokkaku said quickly, and the rest nodded in unison, firmly dropping him in it. The boy nced around, shocked that he had been betrayed so quickly. And when he met Gengyo¡¯s gaze, he began to quiver, knowing that he was in for a rough time.

    "Ii, is it? Talk."

    He fixed the boy with his piercing gaze.

    "Well... Uhm..."

    "Speak clearly, so that I can hear you."

    He said firmly, his voiceced with a hidden threat.

    "We challenged the men to a duel!"

    Rin spoke out on his behalf. The more Ii stammered, the more ufortable they felt, and she feltpelled to speak on his behalf, as pathetic as he was.

    "..? You did? And, what of it?"

    That was in no way a suitable exnation for why they were here, as of now, inside the bay, interrupting the progress of the shipwrights.

    The Morojo¡¯s were in no way part of what was going on, but even they felt ufortable from the tension that was thick in the air.

    "We won! We proved ourselves, so we want to join you, and help you."

    "Is that right? And who did you fight?"

    He asked the questions calmly, but his voice was chilly.

    "I fought Kitajo, and Akiko fought Ii."

    He looked toward Kitajo and Ii, attempting to confirm what they said, and both men nodded.

    "Ha. Rin, you are my little sister, and I do care for you. But do not lie to me. You did not defeat Kitajo. Someone of his calibre and experience - no matter how talented you might be - would not be defeated by you."

    He announced, immediately calling her out. She visibly flinched. What he said was true. In reality, she had lost. It was merely due to Kitajo¡¯s respectful surrender that she was able to im a ¡¯victory¡¯. But it hurt, hearing him say that. It meant that he did not believe in her chances of sess, and she was unable to stop that hurt from showing on her face.

    "Do not misunderstand, Rin. I am not undermining your talent. But as you are now, it is not possible for you to defeat any of the ex-special forces men."

    "...And Akiko?"

    She asked, her voice cracking. The pressure he was exerting was too much. She had not expected him to be so angry.

    "It¡¯s usible. Ii has not been with us long enough."

    "Miura, with respect, your sister fought impressively against me. And so I surrendered, allowing her the victory."

    Gengyo did not even turn around to acknowledge his words. It was enough for them to have brought his family into this new world ¨C he had lost his patience.

    "Irrelevant. On a battlefield, she would have lost."

    Hemanded the entire space around himself, emitting a cold chilly aura. Their reason foring had not yet been announced, but he suspected he already knew. They had told the two women of their recent dealings.

    "Akiko, Rin."

    The two flinched as he announced their names and fiddled with the belt through which his sword was sheathed.

    "You are not ready. Allow me to demonstrate that."

    He tested that the scabbard was firmly secured to the sword, and continued his proposition.

    "Use those naginata of yours, and attack me. You will be unable tond a single sh, and I am not even the most skilled member of our force. Should you go up against father or someone like him upon the battlefield, then you would be killed within a matter of seconds."

    They stared at him, confused. Was he asking them to attack him together? They looked at each other, and hesitantly assumed a ready stance.

    "Take off your sheaths. Attack me as if you mean to kill me, and attack me as one."

    "But Nii-"

    "Do it."

    She attempted to protest ¨C there was no way they could swing with the intent to kill if the des were exposed. Neither of them wanted to hurt him. But it was a test, it seemed, and he insisted.

    The other men looked as though they wished to intervene. They had misjudged their leader¡¯s reaction. They knew he would be angry, but not to this point.

    They slowly slid the sheaths off, and cast them onto the floor, even more nervous than they had been that morning when duelling.

    Morojo and his sons gathered round to watch the fight. They had their employer pegged more as a businessman than a fighter, and were curious to see how he would perform against two opponents.

    Morohira seemed to be the only one who wasn¡¯t ufortable, as he merely looked excited. Perhaps he was still revelling in the indirectpliment that he had been given.

    There was but a single reason why Gengyo had sheathed his sword: he did not wish to kill them. When he fought, even if they were family, he would do so to the best of his abilities, to firmly educate them on the difference between them.

    He forced them to unsheathe their own weapons so that he could fight properly, with the fear of the death present. Else it would not be authentic.

    "To defeat me, you merely have to draw first blood. Do you understand?"

    The two girls grasped their des with shaking hands, but managed to nod at his words. The man that they hade here in order to support was asking that they harm him. It was difficult toe to terms with.

 Chapter 122 - Judgement

    That day had set out ording to n, and whilst there was no real visible progress with the ship, and there hadn¡¯t been for a couple of days, he¡¯d still felt optimistic. Things were going ording to n. But no matter how intelligent you are, you¡¯ll always be faced with unexpected things, such was the chaos of life.

    And what he had been presented with now, was one of thest things he wished to deal with. He did not want to bring these two women - who were both very important to him - into a war. And yet here they were, holding des up, so that they could fight in his name.

    It angered him that his men could be so blind as to bring them along. Perhaps they could fight, but what of it? Anyone with a sword will be able to use it to some degree, but there was far more to being a warrior than that. Jikouji had taught him that a while ago, after he had killed his first man.

    And so when he shot forth, and swung, he did so fuelled by genuine aggression, startling Rin into action, after his sheathed sword collided with the pole of her naginata.

    Akiko saw that there was no talking him out of it, and sought to secure victory quickly, so that no one would get hurt. She went behind him whilst he was still busy fighting Rin, and thrust toward his back, taking extra care so that she would not hurt him too badly.

    But her lenience was revealed to be a weakness, as he sensed the deing toward him, and dodged slightly to the side, before swinging downwards, hard, sending a powerful vibration up the weapon, forcing her to drop it.

    He easily parried Rin¡¯s halfhearted strikes, as he used his foot to flick Akiko¡¯s fallen naginata away. And then, he gave all he had, and charged toward Rin. She could not keep up with the ferocity of his strikes, and was gradually driven back, as he continued to close the gap. In desperation, she held her naginata out in front of her, attempting to block his strike. Their des pressed against one another, as they grappled, trying to secure a favourable position. But after he drove forward, putting more strength behind his de, she was sent tumbling onto the sand.

    Akiko was rendered unarmed, and Rin was copsed on the floor in the sand. It was absolute domination. They had made the mistake of not giving the fight their all, and they had been punished for it.

    "Do you see now?"

    He asked, putting his sheathed sword back into it¡¯s belt, as he turned his back on them, and walked over to have a word with Ii, wanting to find out just what he had told the girls.

    "...Not done yet."

    Rin said through gritted teeth, ignoring the sand that clung to her clothing as she held her weapon ready. Akiko stood alongside her, having collected her naginata.

    He turned around, giving them his attention once more. It seemed their faces had hardened, and they were willing to take this seriously.

    "Fine."

    He approached the task with a renewed aggression. He would defeat them as many times as it took for them to learn their lesson. All they proposed to offer was their fighting prowess, and so he would assess them with the utmost criticism, for theycked the mindset the other men had adopted.

    This time, they stuck together. One woman defended the strikes, whilst the other one continuously attacked. But it was far from good enough. He¡¯d fought on multiple battlefields and was used to fighting from numerous different fronts.

    He feigned an attack on one, whilst he parried the thrust that wasing his way, before he did as Kitajo had done, and abandoned his sword, wretching the naginata from Rin¡¯s grasp, as he whipped it around, and drove the butt of the pole into Akiko¡¯s stomach, winding her.

    Even though she was unarmed, Rin attempted to close the gap, and tackle him to the floor, but a swift, ruthless strike with the unded end of the naginata ended that effort.

    He cast it aside, having secured victory once more, and retrieved his sword. It was a merciless disy. The gap between them was startlingly obvious, and the men began to grow sympathetic toward the battered Rin and Akiko. In truth, they were a little surprised. Because Kitajo had struggled in handling Rin, they had expected ¨C since it was 2 on 1 ¨C that they would at least be evenly matched.

    Togashi released with a start that Gengyo had improved once again, and by this point, his swordsmanship likely surpassed his own.

    "Leave it. My point has been made."

    He spoke, as Rin once more attempted to reach for her ce.

    "Now, Ii, what did you share with these two, hm? What would make you alle here, whilst we are in the middle of upgrading the ship?"

    "I... Told them about the robbery."

    He¡¯d had time to think about what he was going to say during the fights, and was able to get it out when he was asked this time.

    "You did, did you? And what did they think of that?"

    "We... don¡¯t mind..."

    Akiko said, holding her belly, struggling to get her breath to return.

    "Heh..."

    He was a little caught off guard by her answer, but did his best to hide it.

    "And what made you alle here, with my sister anddy Niwa in tow?"

    The men remained silent once more. Whilst they held certain opinions, they did not want to ruin their rtionship with their leader, as they trusted him, and hispetence was unquestionable.

    "We heard how you don¡¯t even tell them your ns, Nii-san. We can understand you keeping us in the dark, but you have to be open with them at least, right?"

    Rin said despondently, sitting in the sand. She had been made painfully aware of the difference between their fighting ability. After sparring with the other women for so long, she had allowed herself a certain confidence in her ability, but inparison to her brother¡¯s, it was average at best.

    "..?"

    He squinted, not knowing quite what to say about that. It was not as though he intentionally kept his ns to himself because he did not want them to know. It was just how he operated. He did not have to consult anyone before executing something. It was quicker and less stressful.

    "I agree with her a bit, Miura. I think, if you trusted in us a little more, your load could be lessened, and things could get done faster."

    Seeing Togashi ¨C one of his most loyal men, and a good friend besides ¨C speak up was surprising. He always thought he would be thest to voice discontent.

    ¡¯Trust them more? Of course, I trust them... I rely on their help toplete tasks... but I suppose that is not what they mean.¡¯

    "What do you mean, Togashi?"

    His voice had lost its coldness, and he spoke as he normally might.

    "I don¡¯t mean to knock you, my friend. You have a sharp mind, and your nning is difficult to criticise. But I feel your task would be easier if you allocated some of the responsibility to us. There are some amongst us who are capable of leading, and that will free up your time for other things."

    He was quiet as his subordinate spoke, and listened. Nothing he said was incorrect, and he articted his point clearly. He stood there for a little while, unspeaking, pondering what had just been said.

    There were no obvious disadvantages to be had with cultivating more leaders amongst his men. In fact, that was something he should have been doing from the start. An army was not lead by a single man ¨C it was a structure built on top of numerous supporting pirs. In his life, he had been used to working alone. He made use of people when necessary, and when they were willing, but he never asked anyone to function autonomously on his behalf.

    By autonomously, he meant without his input. He had never merely assigned them a task, and allowed them to n how they might tackle it themselves. He had always undertaken the nning himself, believing that it was better for everyone that way.

    But seemingly, from this unexpected confrontation, his men ¨C the same men that he had fought alongside and trusted ¨C felt that he was taking on too much himself. And perhaps they were right. He had neglected to think of anything of the sort, because he was so preupied with staying busy.

    It seemed, that instead of focusing merely on developing his army, he should have spent time focusing on developing men as well, and developing people. No doubt it was as Togashi said, and there were certainly men among them that couldmand the respect of others and lead effectively. Morohira was one. He was jovial in his outlook, and perhaps a little simplistic, but underneath all that was a concrete bed ofpletepetence.

    "...Togashi. What you have said is correct. I will work on this immediately. I thank you for bringing it to my attention."

    He did his best to ensure the men that they had been heard. He had been quick to anger after seeing his family had been brought along, but on this point, they were certainly right, and he did not want to scare them out of suggesting things in future, because this criticism of theirs ¨C it was meaningful.

    "Do not feel pressured, Miura, merely do what you think is best."

    His bearded friend said, with a slight bow. Jikouji watched their interacting with approval ¨C Togashi had done well. He did not think he would have had the same persuasive effect on thed.

    "Akiko, Rin. Come over here."

    He said, his voice calmer now. He was still unhappy that they were here, and that they had been brought into this new world of theirs, but he had proved his point: their fighting skill was not a good enough reason to put them into danger, for theycked it. Now, he was willing to hear them out.

    "Are you alright, Akiko? I didn¡¯t hit you too hard, did I?"

    He asked gently, seeing that she still held her stomach delicately.

    "No, no. I¡¯m okay, really."

    She quickly reassured him. She would have to endure pain far greater than this if she was to train with the men regrly, and she didn¡¯t want him to think of her as weak, at least, no weaker than she had already proved herself to be.

    "So, is it the same for you? You don¡¯t like being left out of my nning?"

    He said with a small smile.

    "Pfft. No. I mean, that¡¯s part of it, and it¡¯d be nice to know what was going on. But I¡¯m sick of being at home all the time. I want to fight alongside you, Nii-san! I don¡¯t want you to die without me being there to help."

    "So, it¡¯s fine if I die as long as you¡¯re there to help the enemy do it?"

    He teased, making fun of her wording.

    She stuck her tongue out at him, pleased to see that he was loosening up a little.

    "Is it the same for you, Akiko?"

    "Yup. You promised you wouldn¡¯t leave me behind anymore, so now I¡¯m making you do good on that promise!"

    "You know what we do, don¡¯t you? We¡¯re going tomitting theft. Innocent people will die, and innocent people will get hurt. Does that not bother you?"

    She shook her head with a little smile.

    "Nope, as long as I can be with the people I care about, I don¡¯t care about any of that."

    He sighed and looked around at the rest of the men.

    "Well, I guess we have two new members fes."

 Chapter 123 - Effective

    Though he wasrgely opposed to it at first, with the others here, things felt more rxed, and the stress he¡¯d felt at theirck of progress wasrgely dissipated, as they shared idle conversation, cooking food on a campfire.

    Rin had insisted on exploring the ship. It was her first experience being on top of water, and rather than the ship itself, she was more interested in peering over the side, catching glimpses of the dark waves thatpped it.

    She did not waste the opportunity, and was soon ying within the sea as it gentlypped the beach. She forced Akiko along with her ¨C much to the older girl¡¯s objection, who felt self-conscious, not wishing to appear childish ¨C and squeals of delight filled their ears.

    "They really do get along well."

    Gengyomented, as he saw them attacking the waves together, struggling to remain dry.

    "Of course they do. They¡¯ve been friends for a while now."

    Morohira replied, looking at him as though he was stupid for not realizing that until now. He merely shrugged. He had not been paying much attention to things like that. But now they had the pleasure of seeing them together, he found their energy rather rxing.

    "Whatcha doing here anyway?"

    Rin asked, as she scurried back from the shoreline to steal a rice ball for her and Akiko.

    "We¡¯re upgrading this ship of ours."

    He announced without too much description, as was his custom. The men stared at him aggressively in response to that ¨C he had promised to be more open with them.

    "Ahem... It¡¯s so that we can board sh.i.p.s without getting caught. At the moment it¡¯s too slow to catch anything, but if we were to make it a full military ship, then we¡¯d arouse suspicion and get caught easily."

    Rin looked at Jikouji, wondering whether he had missed anything out.

    "That¡¯s how it is, littless."

    The old man said in response, with a small grin. Whilst he enjoyed thepany of the other men, having the two young women ¨C especially Rin ¨C lightened the mood considerably.

    "Heh... So, what¡¯s the problem? You guys look like you¡¯re stuck."

    She said, pointing to Morojo and his boys, who were having trouble getting into the conversation.

    "Well, your brother has given us quite the task, mydy. He wants a second mast that cane up and down whenever it pleasures ¨C can you believe that?"

    He said, waving his hands around, attempting to evoke some sympathy from her.

    "Yup, I can. Nii-san expects the best after all."

    He stared at her, following theck of a reaction. It seemed his employer was a man who always asked for the impossible.

    Seeing that he had no more to say, she wandered off, handing the rice ball to Akiko. This was something of a celebration for the two girls, as they had finally being epted into Gengyo¡¯s clique, and they got to learn about all that was going on.

    Though the scene from earlier, in which they had been exposed to be as weak as they were ¨C that had knocked their confidence slightly. But they did not dwell on it too much, for they knew if they trained with the men all the time, their progress would skyrocket, and they would be able to match him in no time.

    "So we¡¯re still stuck on the mast problem, eh? Have you not had any ideas of how you might make it work?"

    Rokkaku asked, both to Gengyo and Morojo.

    "We¡¯ve tried all sorts. Steel hinges, braces all kinds of stuff. But it¡¯s not strong enough to hold something of that weight. We keeping up with new ways to fix the mast in ce, but then we don¡¯t know how to get it back down again."

    Morojo replied.

    "Why¡¯s that? Surely it¡¯s easy to connect to bits of wood?"

    He asked, rather oblivious to how structural engineering was done. Hearing him put it so lightly made Morojo utter a huge sigh. If only that was the case.

    "No. The reason trees stand up straight is because they¡¯re connected on the inside ¨C stuck together stronger than glue. It makes them strong, it does. That¡¯s why we avoid cutting the logs in half. Makes em¡¯ weaker."

    Gengyo was listening intently to their back and forth, as it was very much a problem he was working on as well. But the way Morojo phrased his exnation set him down a certain avenue of thinking, and he felt excited despite himself ¨C there was an idea brewing.

    He began to smile, tuning out of the conversation, as he imagined the specifics of his design. He had, initially, left all the nning in regards to the mast down to the shipwrights, assuming they would know what they were doing. But due to the unusual nature of his request, he had begun to get more involved himself, and pay it more thought. And now, he felt, he had hit upon a gold mine.

    "Morojo, connected from the inside, correct?"

    He spoke, interrupting the conversation.

    "..? Aye, I said that earlier. What of it?"

    He picked up a stone, and began sketching in the sand beside the campfire. He drew a basic cylinder, meant to represent the mast, and then he drew an arrow, indicating what thepleted product would look like. It was shaped on top like a cone, and sharpened like a spear point might be. Beside it, he drew a simr cylinder, and inside, he made a dock that could receive the cone.

    "...What¡¯s all this..?"

    He was looking at the scribblings intently, trying to decipher what thed was getting at. The rest noticed that the conversation had suddenly turned quieter, and turned their heads to observe what was going on.

    Seeing Gengyo at work, drawing things on the floor, only served to heighten their curiosity, and they moved closer, hoping to get a better view. And now that a silence reigned, even Rin had Akiko had their attention captured, and after sharing a nce with one another they wandered over too.

    "This here..."

    He began to exin, not realizing that everyone had gathered around to listen to his exnation.

    "Is the lower mast. We file down the top of it, making it into a point."

    "When we lower the upper mast on top of it, that¡¯ll receive it perfectly, and it¡¯ll create both strength and stability, yet still allow us to remove it easily."

    Morojo finished for him, a little excitedly.

    "..."

    "Now that," he began. "Is bloody genius!"

    They¡¯d been approaching their task all wrong. Their thoughts had been entirely on modifying the outer section of the mast, because they needed to be able to ess it easily. And so, in their thinking, they had neglected to attempt modifying its internals.

    Gengyo grinned at his reaction. He was excited himself. The only problem that remained was creating a system that could suspend the upper mast in ce whilst they raised the lower mast to meet it. But inparison to all this, that would be a walk in the park.

    "Hehe. I don¡¯t understand, but it seems Nii-san has done something clever again."

    Rin said approvingly. The rest of the men agreed. It was the first time they had been privy to Gengyo¡¯s ns in the process of their creation. Usually, they were simply presented with the finished product, with none of the reasoning behind it exined.

    "Alrightds! Let¡¯s get this built then!"

    Morojo said excitedly, seeming to forget that darkness had long since fallen.

    "Haha, d you¡¯re eager Morojo. But perhaps we¡¯d better wait till morning. I know you and your boys haven¡¯t been sleeping well recently, so you¡¯d better do some catching up today."

    The old shipwright paused, looking at him for a few seconds, before looking at the sky, having processed what he was saying.

    "Ah. Right."

    Morohira burst outughing, seeing the disorientated look on his face, apparently not caring in the least about harming his dignity. But the old shipwright did not take offence, and soon, he wasughing too.

    With a weight off their shoulders, and progress ensured, they were able to enjoy their meal to its fullest, and truly rx as they know they should have been. Gengyo, having eaten his fill, took a step away from the loud conversation that was being shared, and wandered down toward the shoreline, for a few moments quiet.

    This was not because of displeasure, however, as there was a small smile lighting his face. He merely wanted time to reflect on what had urred.

    ¡¯It seems,¡¯

    He decided.

    ¡¯That no matter how much you think you¡¯ve learned in your life, no matter how much you correct your ways, there will always be something that you can improve on, to make you a better person, and a better leader.¡¯

    Perhaps most would feel a sense of futility when they burdened themselves with such a thought, but in it, he felt a degree of hope. It meant that he was not unfinished. He was not destined to stay who he was, and stagnate.

    He was unhappy that they had gone against his orders, and brought his family here without his permission. But from that, he was also able to extract a degree of pleasure ¨C some confirmation. It meant that he had not be what he feared. He had not crushed the souls from his subordinates, so that they were incapable of free will, and rendered entirely predictable. They were who they were, without damage, without fault, and they still chose to serve under him.

    "Are you okay?"

    Akiko asked tentatively from behind him.

    "I am."

    He replied back firmly, looking up at the crescent moon, as she came by his side.

    "I worry for your safety, Akiko, but in the end, I am d you are here."

    He admitted.

    She paused upon hearing that, unsure whether she had misheard or not. But soon a smile broke out, and she leaned her head upon his shoulder, reaching her arm around him, so that she might feel his warmth.

    "I¡¯m d to be here too, Tadakata. And I promise, I¡¯ll get really strong, so that you won¡¯t have to worry about me anymore, okay?"

    "Deal. I¡¯ll hold you to that."

    He said with a grin, returning her embrace. She was a good woman. Likely better than he deserved. Her understanding nature was a rare treasure, and one that he continually reminded himself to cherish.

    "Mmm, your clothes smell of the sea."

    She announced, after burying her nose with his shoulder for a good few seconds.

    "Do they? I¡¯d thought I might be smelling a little of sweat, due to all the activity. But I suppose the sea is a good smell."

    "Yup, it¡¯s definitely a good smell."

    They stood in silence for a while, enjoying each other¡¯spany.

    "Tadakata."

    "Mm?"

    "Be kind to Rin, okay? She really cares about you."

    He heaved a sigh at that. Not because he disliked hearing it, but because she was right, and the fact that it needed to be said was more than enough to point out his failings.

    "Aye, I¡¯ll spend more time with her, and with you. I¡¯ve been too distanttely, sorry."

    She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling as their eyes met. And then, she leaned in to kiss him, letting loose all the stress that she had pent up from their eventful day.

    He had his problems, and it was unlikely that he was to recover from them. But, given all those that he had around him, supporting him in his endeavour, and chasing the same goal as he, there was a strength he could draw from in order to keep himself upright, and from s.u.mbing to whaty inside of him. For the cracks already ran deep and his structure groaned from the weight it had to bear. But it was fine. He did not need to be the symbol of perfection. He merely needed to be effective.

 Chapter 124 - Grateful

    With the night out, and the morninging, he contemted what he was to do. It had been his task to oversee construction, but it seemed he was no longer needed. The rest were eager to be given some degree of freedom, and he not unreluctant to do as they wished.

    In the sand, he was able to lie next to Akiko, with his arm supporting her head. It made for a more rxing night¡¯s sleep, and his mind had not been so wild. The sleep he got was far less than he should, but he felt better than he had in weeks.

    He slowly slid his arm out from underneath her, taking care not to disturb her as she was still within the throws of the dream world. The sand was soft underfoot, and dry. It was extremely pleasant. It seemed odd that the sand continued this far in, but the sea did not. He assumed that at some point the funnelling of the sea into the cove must have changed, limiting its ess, so that the old sand remained, but the waves could no longer reach it.

    It was little things like that which brought him joy to think about. He walked the path of a general, but his heart still found joy in engineering. It was bnce, he supposed, as Miyamoto Musashi would begin to write about in the years toe.

    He felt exceptionally grateful for the people that surrounded him. They were true to their hearts, and were skilled people. He was lucky to have them.

    ¡¯It really is time, then.¡¯

    He thought to himself, making a decision.

    ¡¯I will take a step back, and allow them to grow, whilst I focus on other things.¡¯

    The salty waterpped at his feet, as he stood nearer the sea, envisioning how this cove might look in the months toe. He was an ambitious man, and did not deem it appropriate to merely settle for one ship. He would build a fleet, so that when they attracted the ire of men more powerful than their single trading skiff, they could blow them out of the water in other ways.

    Naval assaults ¨C if they grew more experienced ¨C could form the basis of their attacks on Imagawa. But they still needed men to man the sh.i.p.s, and a stable ground-based armed force. And that, more boring task, would fall to him. Or perhaps it would not be boring. The lengths he would have to go to in order to ensure their support would be great, so it was likely that he would meet some interesting people. He could only hope.

    News regarding Imagawa¡¯s assault on Oda had not been too exciting. It seemed the two were locked in a deadlock. But Gengyo doubted that Imagawa would find the advantage in the weeks toe, and he likely only had enough supplies to carry on the siege for a couple more weeks.

    That would give them enough time to form the basis that they needed, he reckoned. They were proceeding well with the problem of coin. But the thing foremost in his mind was capture. They needed a castle town in order to hold their troops, as word of their expansion would not go unnoticed.

    They could, of course, merely grow Toyone and Tobishima ¨C and he nned to. But for it to be a suitable location, there needed to be defensive structures ¨C such as high stone walls ¨C in ce, and that would take far too long toplete.

    "You¡¯re awake alreadyd, heh? Seems you¡¯re excited to be underway with this as well."

    He turned around in response to the voice that spoke quietly, as to not wake the others up.

    "Aye, there¡¯s that Morojo. I¡¯m excited to see it alle together. But I will not be here to oversee you in the days toe."

    Morojo tugged on his bushy beard out of habit as he frowned.

    "And why¡¯s that? We¡¯ve been struggling with this for a while. Would have thought you¡¯d put everything aside just so you could see the finished product ¨C it¡¯ll be one of a kind."

    "I have no doubt it will. I¡¯ve been watching you and yourds at work for the past couple of days, and you¡¯re good at what you do. You must have overheard all the talk about robbery yesterday, does that not bother you?"

    He knitted his eyebrows firmly together, looking at Gengyo as though he was daft.

    "Are you mentald? All I care about is coin, and as long as you¡¯re good and honest with me, and give us our due rewards, we couldn¡¯t care less. There are always people stealing from other people. We get taxed just for living ¨C that¡¯s the worst of stealing that is. Honest men trying to make a living and getting taxed for it."

    Gengyo nodded at that, he was not a fan of the feudal taxing system either.

    "I¡¯m d you¡¯re open minded, Morojo. I will give you your payment now, before I leave, because I trust in the integrity of your word."

    He reached inside his kimono, and dragged out arge, heavy bag of coin, and plopped it down into Morojo¡¯s palm before he even had time to react.

    Just from the weight alone he could tell that there was an enormous amount of coin inside. That was, unless he filled it with rocks. He peeked inside just in case, and sure enough, it was filled with gold.

    "...We¡¯ll do it good and proper,d, me and the boys will!"

    He said, mming his fist into his sternum seriously, attempting to hide his excitement at the huge payment.

    "Haha, that¡¯s all I can ask for. After you¡¯vepleted this, would you like to stick around for a while? There will be more work for you toe, if you¡¯d like it."

    Before he¡¯d even finished his sentence, Morojo was nodding. Part of the problem with being a shipwright was finding work. It was a lot of money required to build a new ship, and few people had, and there were many days where they had been forced to sit idle, hence why they had been willing to travel such a distance ¨C that, and the amount coin offered.

    He had a feeling under this man, he would get rich. He¡¯d seen the way he interacted with his subordinates ¨C firm, but not unreasonable. He was intelligent, but not too overbearing, and seemed to be honest to a fault. He did not try and gloss over the crimes he intended tomit. He used the words as they stood. That was a man he could respect ¨C far more than those snake-like governors.

    "Aye, aye. That¡¯s a solid proposition. We¡¯ll stay awhile, see how you get on. You¡¯re depending on this piracy thing working out, so that you can pay us, right? I¡¯m an understanding man, as are theds. We¡¯ll busy ourselves for a couple of days, see if you manage to get any bites. Perhaps we¡¯ll put some stairs on the bottom, eh? Something to do isn¡¯t it?"

    He smiled and patted Morojo¡¯s shoulder.

    "Seems like you get the idea. I look forward to working with you for the foreseeable future."

    "Mhm, should be promising."

    He agreed, as he followed Gengyo back to rejoin the rest. It seems a few of them had woken up at the sound of their voices, and were busy wiping the sleep out of their eyes.

    "Mm... Morning Nii-san."

    Rin said sleepily. She had not fallen asleep untilte in the night, not wanting to miss anything.

    "Good morning, Rin."

    He said with a smile. She grinned back in return.

    "Gah... Can¡¯t a man get some sleep?"

    Rokkakuined, turning over and covering his ears. But by now Morohira was already awake, and he didn¡¯t stand a chance. He slowly crept up, and then swiftly attacked, digging his fingers in Rokkaku¡¯s sides, hitting the pressure points.

    "AHHHH F.U.C.K!"

    He shouted loudly in surprise, jumping to his feet at the sudden jolt of pain. He turned around to see Morohira creased over withughter.

    "YOU BASTARD!"

    He roared, tackling him to the ground. But seeing how angry he was, Morohira¡¯sughter only increased. Even with the big man on top of him, there was no way he was going to lose a wrestling match to the likes of him. With quick movements he had his arm under Rokkaku¡¯s jaw, pressuring his throat, and cutting off his air supply. Within seconds Rokkaku was tapping the ground, signifying his surrender.

    "Morrrrrrningggg Rokkakkkkkkuuuuu-chan!"

    Morohira said loudly as he rolled to his feet. Despite his annoyance, Rokkaku dared not fight back, and merely replied with a half-hearted good morning.

    Because of their boisterousness, everyone else was woken up as well.

    "Mm... Is it morning already?"

    Akiko asked, looking up to see almost everyone on their feet.

    "Yup! We¡¯ve been up for ages. Hurry up or you¡¯ll miss breakfast."

    Rin lied, pulling her to her feet.

    "Ah... Hello Tadakata."

    She said, slightly disorientated after being suddenly pulled to her feet. It was amusing seeing the different reactions of the group as they were awakening from their slumber.

    "Hello, Akiko."

    He replied, struggling to hold back augh at the look of confusion on her face. Morojo was already busying himself with the fire, whilst the others began to sit around, still a bit chilly from the morning air.

    "Grilled horse mackerel, is it?"

    Togashi asked, seeing him spear through the fish on sticks.

    "Aye, we set up a few traps. This cove is rich with fish."

    Morojo replied. Rather than eating pickled goods all the time, they had begun fishing the waters a little. The cove was a perfect spot for it, as many fish gathered to rest away from the powerful tide.

    They watched the fish cook with watering mouths, sharing idle conversation, as everyone tried to shake off thest of their sleepiness. It wasn¡¯t until then that Gengyo informed them of his departure.

    "I will be leaving today."

    He said firmly. Instantly all other conversations ceased, as they stuck their heads up to look at him.

    "We¡¯re going back already?"

    Rin said, sounding a little disappointed.

    "Not you. You and Akiko will stay here, and train with the men."

    She perked up a little at that, but still looked confused.

    "Why are you going back then?"

    She asked pointedly. It was the question everyone else wanted to ask as well.

    "There is someone I pay for information ¨C Isabe. I set her the task of recording theing and goings of certain sh.i.p.s within Toyokawa. She will likely be back today. With that information, we¡¯ll be able to pick a target."

    Akiko nodded, she was already aware of Isabe. But to the rest it was news, and perhaps they would not have learned about her for a while still, had they not spoken up about their discontentment yesterday.

    Jikouji was not in the dark about her either. He¡¯d recognized her from the Tobishima, and had been immensely curious, but following reassurances from Shiabata that they were not up to anything illicit, he had held his tongue, allowing his master to do as he pleased.

    "Oh, okay!"

    Rin said cheerfully. She was worried that it might have been that he was discontent, or something like that. But it turned out it was nothing of the sort.

    "Father, you will being with me as well ¨C worry not, you¡¯ll be back in a couple of days."

    Morohira perked up, looking around like a startled squirrel.

    "Me?"

    "Yup."

    "Oh, okay. I wanted to wrestle with Rokkaku some more, but I suppose that can wait. My son needs my help afterall, eh?"

    He said loudly, picking himself up off the log he was sitting on, and wandering over to Gengyo, thinking they were setting off already.

    Seeing the way he was acting, Gengyo begun to have second thoughts about choosing him, but he said nothing, and trusted in the judgement of himself from the previous evening.

 Chapter 125 - A New Employer

    They set off rtively promptly after bidding farewell to the others, and went at a good speed, having not been burdened by a carriage full of supplies.

    "So, why¡¯d you bring me alongd?"

    Morohira questioned, asking the obvious.

    Gengyo took his time in replying, thinking it through clearly, so that his father would not get the wrong idea.

    "I n to put you in charge of our ship-rted business. And, more importantly, the first raid will be done under yourmand."

    "Eh? Why?"

    Morohira asked, baffled. He had not done anything to warrant such a position, or so he thought. Surely the likes of Jikouji or Togashi would be more fitting.

    "The men respect you, father. And your temperament is perfect for this line of work. There will be times when your ship is being sted to pieces by cannon fire. They need someone to lead them who will not feel fear when that happens."

    There was another part to his reasoning as well: reputation. If they were led by Morohira, then a fear for their vessel would develop. Morohira was a wild man, who cared only for ughter. And more than that, he was effective. He would not be held back by the probability of danger.

    "...Why don¡¯t you just do it? It¡¯ll be weird for everyone having me in charge."

    He protested seriously for once.

    "Togashi brought up a valid point yesterday ¨C I need to take a step back, and leave more things to you lot. I need you to ensure we have a steady stream of ie, and whilst you are working on that, I will expand our forces."

    The mention of expanding the forces was what captured Morohira¡¯s attention. There had been too little progress in regards to their army, and even he was a little dissatisfied. If he could do something to ensure that their forces would grow, and they would once more have an army at their disposal, then he was only too happy to.

    "Alright,d. But I¡¯m no thinker. I won¡¯t be spending all nighting up with strategies. I¡¯m just gonna batter people, you know?"

    Gengyo grinned at his straightforward response.

    "Aye, that¡¯s fine. All you need is one tactic: and that¡¯s the disguise we¡¯re working on. After you¡¯ve finished engaging an enemy, change the sails, and you¡¯ll be home free."

    "Good. That¡¯s about as much as I can be bothered to manage."

    Morohira decided. The more he thought about it, the more he was warming to the idea of being in charge of a ship. There was a lot he¡¯d have to learn, but he had no doubt that there would be a good amount of chaos.

    And that was a problem for Gengyo too. Now that he had decided to take a step back, he did not have an outlet for his rage. He needed to set things in motion, and upy himself quickly, whilst the rest were busy.

    "The woman we¡¯re going to meet ¨C you¡¯d do well to make a good impression. From now on, she¡¯ll be reporting directly to you, and you will be the one paying her. Treat her well father, but do not be taken in by her."

    Morohira frowned.

    "You don¡¯t have to tell me that ¨C I¡¯m ady¡¯s man. Any woman is bound to love interacting with me."

    "..."

    He didn¡¯t bother to respond to that, and merely lead the way home. They made good time, and arrived before midday, slowing down as the guards opened the gates for them.

    "Wee back, Master Miura. A woman came looking for you a few minutes ago, but she went away after finding out you weren¡¯t home."

    One of the guards informed him, bowing.

    "Oh? Which direction did she head?"

    "She went down the path by the field, Miura-sama."

    "I see. Father, go inside ahead of me, I¡¯ll go and get her."

    Morohira nodded, and urged his horse inside. Gengyo set off down the road at a gallop ¨C he knew exactly which field she was referring to. He hoped that Isabe had not left too quickly ¨C which he doubted she would anyway, because there was nothing that required her attention.

    He sped down the hills, controlling his horse expertly so that they would it would not lose it¡¯s footing on the loose stones. He left the road, and mbered to the top of the hill that bordered the field, allowing him a view of the area around.

    It was then that he spotted her, trotting despondently towards the trees of the forest. He was about to call out, but she was too far away, and he doubted that she would hear him.

    "Yah!"

    He pushed his feet to the horse¡¯s sides, sending them galloping down the hill. The horse was quite the sure-footed beast, though it was sprinting down a hill, it maintained it¡¯s bnced to perfection.

    He went around the field, briefly acknowledging that it had been flooded, and the water level sat a few centimetres below the top of the wall. It looked unbelievably vast now that it was filled with water, and he felt a small pang of pride looking at it. They had achieved such a field in an incredibly tiny window of time.

    "ISABELLA!"

    He shouted out, now that he was getting closer. But her horse had already disappeared inside the trees, and he wondered whether she had heard him at all. But still, he pushed his horse forwards, in a seemingly futile attempt to catch up to her.

    But just before he entered the trees, a familiar face peered out, brightening up upon seeing him.

    "Ha. I thought I heard that miserable voice of yours."

    She said coldly, disguising her true feelings.

    "Sorry I missed you, I only just got back."

    He said, lowering himself to the level of apologising.

    "Hmph. I¡¯m a busy woman, you know? I can¡¯t keeping here every day just because you¡¯rete."

    He dared to smile at that, knowing it to be a lie.

    "Sorry. Let¡¯s head back, shall we? There¡¯s someone I would like you to meet."

    Her eyes narrowed, as though distrustful. What merit could there possibly be in her meeting someone other than him?

    "I suppose I can spare a few minutes."

    She decided. In truth, she had been rather bored. Watching sh.i.p.s was not the most thrilling of tasks. Nor was waiting in forests.

    "Let¡¯s head off then."

    He allowed his horse to trot on the way back, as he had been pushing him rather hard for the past few hours. He rode in front of her, in silence, looking lost in thought. She attempted to speak a couple of times, but seeing the look on his face, she grew discouraged, not wishing to irritate him.

    "I found her due to your directions, thank you."

    He nodded toward the guardswomen as he returned through the gates, with Isabe in tow. The woman bowed deeply in response. It paid to be polite toward your servants, even if you sat far above them.

    A servant man was waiting to look after their horses, apparently having been alerted to theiring by Morohira. His father had not bothered to wait standing on the porch, and had instead opted to rx in the reception room, savouring a cup of tea, as he nursed his bottom that was thoroughly bruised from the saddal.

    He looked up as they walked in, and paused before saying anything. Apparently he was taken aback by the magnitude of Isabe¡¯s beauty, as he shot his son a sly questioning nce, wondering what the rtionship between the two of them was.

    Amusingly ¨C out of some imagined respect for Fuku ¨C he forced himself to stop looking at her, and only spoke directly toward Gengyo.

    "So this is the woman, is itd?"

    "It is. Isabe, this is my father."

    She bit down on her tongue, swallowing the insult that she had feltpelled to deliver.

    "I see."

    Was all she could manage instead.

    "The reason I brought him to meet you, Isabe, is... Well, he¡¯s in charge of the Red Feather¡¯s navy. And, obviously, as your recent information gathering has been in regards to shipment times, then there would be somemonalities in your line of work, would there not?"

    He said, attempting to exin. Exining things was certainly not his strong suit, and he used far more words than he should have. He did not know how much he needed to say in order to make others understand, so he ended up ovepensating.

    Morohira perked up upon hearing his new title. Perhaps that would be changed to ¡¯Admiral of the Red Feather navy¡¯, in time? He liked the sound of that even more.

    "As thed says, I¡¯m in charge of the navy. You and I will be working together in the times ahead, so I hope we get along with one another."

    His father put in, shooting a pointed look toward Gengyo as if to say: "see, I¡¯m doing it?" It was not quite what the young man had in mind when he issued those instructions ¨C he had expected something more subtle, rather than demanding. But Isabe smiled. His straightforwardness was intriguing, and she rather enjoyed it.

    "Is that so..?"

    She said, feeling some amount of control over the flow of the conversation, as she poured herself some tea, and swirled it around. She was quite the conniving woman, and preyed on any weakness that presented itself.

    "He put it truthfully. He will be your direct employer from now on, and handle all the payments. The amount you are paid will be given as a 5% cut of the total they manage to acquire. So, the better targets you manage to identify, the better the quality of your profit."

    Isabe did her best to keep a straight face at that. Apparently she was trying to give a good impression to Morohira who did not know her yet, and wished toe across as in control and experienced. But Gengyo noticed the small twitching of her lip as he mentioned the gold. It was a good deal for her indeed. She¡¯d spent the past few days logging the cargo of certain sh.i.p.s, and if any of those were sold, 5% would be quite the handsome profit.

    Morohira, for his part cared not for the small subtleties of such a conversation. Even if they were exined to him, he would not have shown any desire to learn more. Such things were far too tedious for his tastes.

    "5% is it? Mm, that¡¯s quite reasonable."

    She decided with a sip of tea, staying her quivering hand.

    He was not entirely sure, but she did not seem too upset by the prospect of having her employer changed, but he added one thing just to seal the deal.

    "If there is anything you are discontent with, you maye and see me. But, I do not foresee such things happening. If you work hard, Isabe, then we can be quite rich together."

    That was more than enough for her. That was all that she desired. Enough gold so that no one could push her around. And if she could work for a man like him in the process, would she turn it down? I think not. His umbre of influence, and thepetence that he oozed was something that she was attracted to, as a rabbit was attracted to its warren for safety.

    But still, she worked so that she would not seem too eager.

    "Hmph. We will see how it goes for a while, but I am not expecting much."

    She said coolly, tapping her fingernails on the table.

    "However, I have a request."

    She spoke, though her voice cracked as she said it, betraying herck of confidence.

    "...I would like a permanent residence, somewhere protected ¨C so that future enemies will not find it so easy to iste me."

    Her reasoning med it on the business, but it was not that at all.

 Chapter 126 - Future Plans

    The reason she had requested permanent residence was rather simple. She had grown tired of sleeping in forests for so long, and she could not remember thest time she¡¯d had a bath. She¡¯d had to cover up her smell with mountains of perfume, for fear of being caught bathing in a river of the like. A public bathhouse was out of the question.

    "Done."

    He barely batted an eyelid as he uttered that reply. It was more convenient for Morohira and him this way, as they would always be able to find the woman should they need her. He had suspected how she was living, but since she had said nothing, he did not bring it up himself, knowing that she would instantly deny it. Such was her nature.

    She flinched at the rapidity of his response. Her whole body had been tensed, preparing itself for rejection, and when he agreed without hesitation, she was unsure how to react.

    "...Really?"

    "Yes. Shibata?"

    He called out the young maid who had been attending to them, and remembered something as he did so.

    "Yes, Master Miura?"

    She said with a bow, holding the tray in which the drinks had been served on to her chest.

    "Ah, she probably did not tell you, but Akiko will be away for a few days. She and Rin are training with the men."

    "I see, thank you for letting me know."

    Came her respectful response. Gengyo was well aware of her rtionship with thedy of the house, and though it might not have been deemed appropriate for a samurai woman like her to be so close with someone of the lower ss, he was not likely to protest such things, for he was a peasant himself.

    "Anyway, what I wanted to ask, was how many of the servant buildings are currently free?"

    "Three, Master Miura."

    "Mm, good. Will you prepare one of those for Isabe, and have the bathhouse cleared for her? I expect she¡¯ll be in need of one after the days spent in Toyokawa."

    He was surprised to see Isabe blush as he mentioned that. He would have expected that she be less modest about such things, especially since when they had met she had been fully nude, and barely batted an eyelid.

    "As you wish, Miura-sama. Will Isabe-san also be receiving meals?"

    "I expect she well be, yes. Thank you, Shibata."

    "It is my honour to serve you, my master."

    She said with a bow. His eyebrow twitched at the magnitude of the respect she was showing toward him. He expected it was because they were in front of a guest that she wished to make a good impression.

    Isabe was looking baffled at how quickly things were moving, and for the first time since she had sat down, she did not look to be in control.

    Her new business partner on the other hand ¨C Morohira ¨C merely sat there with arms folded, stifling a yawn. He was a man of action, not of words. These were merely things he had to sit through in order to do what he wished to doter on.

    "Well, it¡¯s as you heard Isabe. Shibata will prepare one of the buildings for youter on. Use it as you please ¨C though try not to burn it to the ground. You¡¯ll receive meals, and will be able to freely use the bathhouse as you please."

    She had difficulty expressing her thanks, and more than anything wished to simply y her usual card ¨C that of false indifference, but she could not. Instead, she lowered her head, and did not make eye contact, as she announced her approval quietly.

    "Thank you..."

    He epted her thanks with a mere nod. Allowing her a ce to live was the smallest of gestures, as it was convenient for him, and she would make them far more coin than the building cost to build.

    "Ahem. I rmend that you both rest today, as tomorrow, father, you will take Isabe to the cove with you. She will give you the information that you require, and it will give her an opportunity to see who she is working with. If she offers you advice, take it."

    "Sure."

    Morohira said with a shrug. He wasn¡¯t bothered in the least, he just wanted to get out on the water and start ughtering people.

    "I see. Then I will make good use of this time."

    The woman announced, apparently having managed to regain herposure.

    "That is all then. If you go into the courtyard, Isabe, then you should find Shibata. And father... Well, I needn¡¯t say anything... You know how best how to spend your time."

    "That I dod. Come and see your motherter on, if you fancy. I expect she¡¯ll be excited to talk to about her brilliant husband."

    He announced, standing up and stretching out his back.

    "...Aye, I¡¯lle and see her soon."

    He affirmed, attempting to erase thest part of that sentence from his memory. Isabe stood up alongside Morohira, and made her way to the door. She walked as though baffled, but he supposed that was understandable. New things were always to be met with some degree of anxiety.

    And now, he sat there, alone, with a small smile on his face. For some odd reason, he had felt contented after the recent events at the cove. But it was not because he felt as though he¡¯d been relieved of his workload. Quite the opposite. It was finally time for him to set a n in motion ¨C one that he¡¯d pushed to the side for far too long.

    Jikouji was there with the others in the cove. Rightly, he should have been the one to lead, with his experience and all. But Gengyo held other ns in store for that old man. His managerial skills when it came to taking care of the household affairs were irreceable, and he needed him to remain freed up for that.

    That was because he himself nned to leave for a while. Imagawa ¨C whilst not entirelypetent ¨C had his fair share of victories. In the course of his life, he had attained control of three provinces ¨C Mikawa, Totomi and Suruga.

    He nned to recruit troops who would go against their Daimyo. And he wanted their loyalty to be unquestionable. Whilst not entirelymon, there were still people who held the belief that the nobility of their province were not people to be gone up against, and those people would be dangerous. They would leak his intentions to Imagawa before he had chance to prepare himself.

    As such, he had not recruited any men from Mikawa. Nor would he recruit any from Totomi ¨C south of Mikawa ¨C or Suraga. Instead, he nned to go northeast, toward the South Shinano province.

    This province was held by the Takeda n, who had something of an alliance with the Imagawa. But it was not enough for the men he recruited from there to feel any loyalty toward the man. Besides, until recently, the South Shinano province had been held by the Kiso n, so there would be those that wished to stand against Takeda as well.

    Since the Takeda were not currently on campaign, he anticipated that there would be more battle-ready men in that location as well. Men that he could offer payment to.

    But it was a rather long journey to South Shinano, and would take many days, which was part of the reason why he had put it off. They did not have a substantial enough amount of coin. Though, this journey of his would have to wait until after they had received the gold from their first attempt at piracy.

    He could have involved himself in it, and leftter, but he removed himself entirely, so that he would be confident of theirpetence whilst he was away, for he would not be there to help them.

    The thought of which gave him a fair amount of nervousness. Perhaps it was too sudden? He should have gradually left them, so that he could be sure they would handle themselves. But they had spoken eloquently about hisck of trust, so he would leave their fate in their own hands and hope for the best.

    Still, theck of activity whilst he waited was unbing of him, and he made his way up to his office to find something that might upy his time. On his desk, sat a map of his vige. It hadid there since before he left, and he struggled to remember what he was thinking about as he looked at it.

    ¡¯Possibility of fortification, was it?¡¯

    He recalled. The trees would have to be cut back, and they would have to have a wall a couple of kilometres long so that it might include the fields, else it was pointless, since that was the most valuable thing they had.

    As such, he had abandoned that effort halfway through. He figured the best defence for their little viges wasck of presence, and left it there. The vigers were behind him in their cause, and their quality of life had improved considerably, so there was unlikely to be any unrest for a while.

    There were certain ns he¡¯d had ¨C though they were more excuses for him to get involved in something a little more engineering-focused ¨C but he found himself pushing them to one side, wondering whether it would be worth attracting attention them due to unusual contraptions that most had never seen.

    ¡¯Though I suppose it does not matter, does it? As long as those whose attention we attract do not find about our other side of business, then things would be fine, would they not?¡¯

    He reasoned with himself. What really mattered was powerful men getting a glint in their eye upon seeing something unusual, and then assembling their forces in order to take it from them.

    ¡¯Ha. But what am I doing worrying about that? If they choose toe to us in the hundreds, then we will feign weakness, and ughter them.¡¯

    He decided. It was unlikely that more than a few hundred men would be summoned to show aggression towards a meagre vige like theirs.

    ¡¯Doing as I wish at this point should show no immediate drawbacks. If there is something that I can create to make our vige more prosperous, then I should not hold back.¡¯

    An extremely useful addition to their vige would be a cksmith. The likes of grain and food, they were more thanfortable with. But if they could entice a talented smith amongst their ranks ¨C or perhaps even several ¨C then they would be far morefortable in supplying their men with what they needed. Not only that, they could save more coin.

    Take the musket, for example. It was not an incrediblyplicated weapon, but they still had to pay a premium because of the foreign import. If they could deconstruct it, learn how it was made, and possibly even improve it, then they would hold a considerable advantage over any enemy that they were to face.

    But the problem with that, of course, was finding skilled enough smiths. They had a river that could be beholden to several forges, but the rest was rather tricky.

    He tapped his finger on the desk, puzzling over how he might make that work ¨C anything to upy himself whilst he waited for the results. He ran over various propositions he could make to them in his head, but none of them seemed to stick. Still, he was smiling. Puzzles of this kind were exactly the sort he enjoyed, and the pleasure was not to be found in selecting a solution immediately. The pleasure only came after one tussled with various ideas, and then they finally selected the right jigsaw piece.

    "We¡¯ll have to see."

    He said aloud, smiling to himself, as he drummed his fingertips on the table.

 Chapter 127 - A First Impression

    The two left together early the next morning, after meeting up with Gengyo beforehand to confirm their departure. Isabe was feeling confident and contended, due to her night spent indoors, and her opportunity to bathe. She dressed in a clean kimono, and her hair was tied tidily behind her head. She had not looked this good in a long time, she felt.

    "All set then?"

    Thed asked, seeing that the two of them were mounted and ready to leave.

    "Aye! No worries on that front, I¡¯m sorted. Y¡¯know, your mother has been getting about a lot moretely. You could go for a walk with her if you fancy."

    Gengyo smiled at his father¡¯s concern for his wife. How people could be so misjudged. The man dearly cared for his beautiful wife, though he often seemed simple and detached.

    "I¡¯ll definitely visit her, worry not father."

    He then alerted his tone slightly, to speak to the two of them not as family, but as their leader.

    "I need consistent reports on what is happening in the bay. Send one of the men back to inform me when the ship ispleted, and then send another one after you have sessfullypleted your first raid. Isabe, listen to Morohira. From this time out, he is your employer. But do not hesitate to advise him if you believe him to be wrong. You¡¯ll listen, won¡¯t you father?"

    Morohira pulled a face, indicating that was thest thing he wished to do.

    "Aye..."

    He managed to force out.

    "Ha. Well, good luck. I look forward to receiving the news of your sess."

    "You got it. Be seeing you then,d."

    Morohira bid him farewell, and turned to ride toward the open gate. After a brief nod towards him, Isabe followed behind. Though outwardly she was rather confident in her appearance, there was a certain nervousness there from having to spend time with so many unfamiliar faces, especially without the presense of that man.

    "I want to get there fast, try and keep up,ss."

    She was informed by Morohira, as he noticed that her eyes were not on the task. Another unexplored bit of territory was unfolding before her. It seemed that had be her life as ofte ¨C visiting newnds. Something of a traveller.

    ¡¯Traveller, huh? That sounds nice.¡¯

    She thought to herself. Her job wasn¡¯t bad in the least. She did not have to sacrifice any of her dignity, and could earn coin merely by reporting what she saw. It was a walk in the park. And yet, there was still that underlying apprehension. There had never been an opportunity where she was made to work with people, as part of a team. It was always an employer, employee rtionship. Or more familiarly: ve and master.

    They rode so quickly that she was barely given chance to observe the scenery around her. All the fields faded into a sea of green, indistinguishable from one another. She had been informed they were going to a cove, but she did not know quite what a cove was, only that it was something to do with the sea.

    Would she have to ride a ship? She dreaded the thought. Gusts of negative thoughts filled her mind, as powerfully as the wind. It did nothing to help the butterflies that sat in her stomach. But outwardly, she still wore that confident smile, and every time Morohira nced round to see if he was keeping up, all he caught sight of was her self-assured expression.

    But he was not likely to bother whether she was reassured or not. She had a job, as did he, and as long as she worked with him, they would notin.

    Within a matter of hours, they had arrived at the cove, and Morohira wordlessly dismounted his horse, tethering it to a long piece of rope as the others had been, so that they were allowed to feed, but not to wander off. The oxen were still busy pursuing the extinction of grass, and they seemed to be winning the war.

    Whilst an onlooker might im them to be doing nothing, if the oxen could speak, they would argue that resting is very different from doing nothing ¨C and they had worked hard, and earned their keep.

    She mimicked him, and dismounted, tethering her horse as he had. Around strangers, he was a man of few words, and the atmosphere was rather ufortable, as he barely spared her a nce. She did her best to pay it no mind, but they were soon to meet the others, and she had not an ally in sight. What would they see when they looked at her? A mere whore, that was likely. They would not take her seriously. She was a whore with information, that was all.

    "Let¡¯s head on down, shall we uhh... Ishiberra?"

    It was painful hearing Morohira butcher the pronunciation of her name so severely, though it was not as if she herself could say it without w. It was then that she made a decision, because it was likely the others would struggle to pronounce her name as well.

    "If it is easier, you may call me Ishi."

    He nodded.

    "Ishi, is it? Alright,e on down then."

    He walked over to the edge of the cliff, showing no nerves as they peered over at the sea 50 metres below.

    "Down we go."

    Those words evoked a flinch from her, as she thought he was implying that they jump, but when he turned towards a different part of the cliff, the true way down was revealed, though it was no less unnerving, as a sheer drop was still present on the left-hand side.

    He began down it, paying the drop no mind, walking as casually as he would through a field of flowers.

    "Aren¡¯t youing?"

    Came his question after he noticed that she had stopped. Only because of his prodding did she inch forward.

    ¡¯Don¡¯t look. That¡¯s the key.¡¯

    She stayed as far away from the edge as she could, practically clinging to the cliff wall. Her fear did in no way lesson as she saw the steep slide ahead.

    "Well, slipping time, eh?"

    Was his simple announcement, as he leapt forth, andnded on the mudslide bottom first.

    "WooOOOOOOOO!"

    He shouted out loudly, thoroughly enjoying the ride. Hended heavily on the sand, and his face almost burrowed it¡¯s way underground, but he got to his feetughing, without a single care.

    "Ohhh, Morohira¡¯s back."

    Rokkaku informed everyone, though they were not likely not to know, given his loud screaming.

    "How¡¯s it going fes, been a while eh?"

    He called across the beach.

    "Oh, wee back dad! Where¡¯s Tadakata?"

    Rin responded cheerfully with a wave, rushing over, dragging Akiko in tow.

    "He¡¯s still in Toyone."

    Came his response, as he patted the sand away from his clothes.

    "I¡¯ll tell you all about itter, but for now there¡¯s someone you should meet..."

    He turned around, expecting to find Isabe right behind him. ncing rapidly around the cove, he attempted to find some trace of her. But there she was, still stood on top of the slope, too frightened to go down.

    "Eh? Ishi? What¡¯s wrong? Juste down."

    He shouted up to her, wondering what all the fuss was about. Rin and Akiko came with him, and they wereter joined by Rokkaku and some others who were curious just as to who this ¡¯Ishi¡¯ was.

    Quite soon a small crowd had gathered, looking up at her. The pressure was immense, and her fears only intensified. They were shouting all sorts of encouragements, but none of it worked. Yet as time went on they were bound to grow more irritated.

    She moved a little closer to the ramp, hoping that small movement would appease them for a while. But with her body pinned firmly to the cliff, the vision she was afforded of the ramp was not a good one, and as her foot came down, it did so on slick mud.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    A shrill scream filled the air, as she tumbled down the ramp, ovee with terror. It was a marketable difference from Morohira¡¯s rather smooth journey, and shended on the sand with a thump, her limps strew in all sorts of ces, and her face firmly nted in the sand.

    The headless body started to wriggle, surprised that it was still alive, and then she stood up, spitting out the sand, before taking a deep breath, like a diver that had just surfaced.

    She was quite the mess, as she sat there, covered in sand ¨C some of which had be wet from her tears of terror, and stuck to her skin. It was quite the first impression. Even before that entrance she feared that they would not take her seriously ¨C they were even less likely to do so now.

    Dusting herself off, she got to her feet, feeling as though she wanted to die with everyone gawping at her.

    "Isabe, hello. Tadakata must have sent you, right?"

    Akiko said with a bright smile, recognizing her face. With all the recent things that she had learned, she no longer felt any amount of worry towards the woman. In fact, she was happy to wee her, as she had proved to be a valuable aid to Gengyo.

    Isabe blinked at her in surprise, recognizing her as Gengyo¡¯s woman. Akiko was thest person she thought would greet her. If anything, she expected hostility. And she didn¡¯t even butcher the pronunciation of her name too badly, which was always a bonus.

    "Ah... Yes, hello."

    She¡¯d been thrown a lifeline by Akiko, and she readily epted it, attempting to smile. But the men couldn¡¯t quite ept her presence yet. There were now three beautiful women amongst them, and this one wasn¡¯t rted to the boss, so it meant she was fair game, right? Or such was Ii¡¯s thoughts, as he stood there on his best behaviour, a wide smile on his lips.

    "Ishiberra, is it? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a great addition to our team. Please, if you need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask."

    From a different man that would havee off as the height of good will, but from his lips, it was perhaps the creepiest thing he could have said, and her smile wavered as she looked towards him ¨C his eyes were full of bad intentions.

    "Ah... Okay..?"

    Rokkaku recognized her to be the woman from Toda¡¯s mansion, and he opened his mouth to speak, but after a sharp kick in the shin from Jikouji, he was informed that he should keep his mouth shut, or else.

    "Hehe, yeah. She¡¯s Ishi, our... information girl..? Yep. Information girl. Tadakata sent her here because she knows about all the sh.i.p.s in Toyokawa, or something like that."

    Morohira did a rather poor job of exining. But it mattered not, for Akiko was there to fill everyone in.

    "Yup. She¡¯s Tadakata¡¯s intelligence specialist, and was the one who detailed everything for your robbery in Toyokawa."

    Gengyo had mentioned something about Isabe before he had left, so by now, even without her words, everyone had a rough idea of who she was.

    "Yeah, that. Anyway, thed said I¡¯m in charge of this raid, haha. Pretty crazy, eh?"

    Heughed jovially, knowing full well how absurd it soundeding out his mouth. They stared at him, edging onughter, almost sure that he was joking.

    "You¡¯re taking the piss, right?"

    "Nope. Even Ishi can confirm it, right Ishi?"

    "...It¡¯s true."

    She said meekly. It was hard to retain her confident demeanour after the stabbing her pride had suffered from that entrance of hers.

    "...No way..."

    Rokkaku looked downright suicidal, and even the rest of the men held their doubts. With Morohira in charge, the chances of them even making it out of the cove were low, never mind actually raiding another ship.

 Chapter 128 - Matchlock Rifle

    "What¡¯s that dear?"

    Fuku asked, as she sat up in bed, sipping on a cup of herbal tea. They¡¯d been out for a walk together earlier, so she was feeling rather tired.

    "A matchlock rifle, mother. I¡¯m trying to find out how it works."

    He had one of the servants travel to Toyokawa and pick up a matchlock rifle on his behalf. He, of course, could have gone to one of the various weapon smiths that were busy replicating such models, but he preferred the idea of dealing with foreigners, as theirck ofnguage meant no one would talk about his purchase.

    It was an interesting piece of equipment, but he had no real idea how it was meant to work. In his life he¡¯d never held much interest in weaponry, and, as a result of gunws in his country, he had never even held a gun.

    He had a rough idea of how they work: gunpowder was ignited within the barrel, and a musket ball sat on top. The explosion from the gunpowder propelled it.

    Due to thisck of knowledge, his task of improving it was made all the harder. He was aware of what improvements could be made, but those were merely ideas. He wouldrgely have to create the design himself.

    "Mm, you always used to fiddle with things like that when you were younger, do you remember? Well, maybe not quite something as dangerous as that, but you were always taking things apart."

    She said with a small smile

    He perked up at that. He had no idea how the previous Tadakata had behaved ¨C only that he was a weak individual that others took advantage of. It was interesting to see that he and the previous host shared the same curiosity for things.

    "Did I? I don¡¯t remember. But I suppose I do enjoy things like this..."

    The main problem with the matchlock rifle was, well, the fact that it was a matchlock. Instead of a spark being created when the trigger was pulled ¨C which would ignite the gunpowder ¨C a match cord was lit, and then when the trigger was pulled, the match cord would be lowered, causing the same ignition. But the problem was that such a cord could go out at any time, especially during rain, and they often would have to be reced.

    "Yup! I heard you put your father in charge of something to do with boats? He was really excited, so he didn¡¯t exin it very well."

    "Ah... I did, yes. I¡¯m hoping he¡¯ll be able to gather some experience, and be an effective leader. It¡¯ll make our forces a lot stronger if we have multiple men that are capable of leading."

    He replied, not looking up, as he continued to fiddle with the firearm, opening variouspartments and peering inside, trying to figure out their utility.

    "Ho... It all sounds veryplicated to me. But I think you¡¯re doing a good job, and I¡¯m very proud of you."

    She said with a carefree smile. He looked up, catching that look on her face, before shaking his head, wearing a smile of his own. He¡¯d made a point toe and visit her, especially since he was doing something like weapon analysis, which didn¡¯t require his full attention. It was merely ying, to see what certain things did.

    "Do you want toe and see it fire, mother?"

    He asked, patting the long rifle that he held against his shoulder.

    "It¡¯ll be really loud, won¡¯t it?"

    She questioned, with a slightly apprehensive look on her face. Fuku was not a fan of loud noises.

    "Yeah, I¡¯d reckon so."

    "Mm... okay."

    Came her reluctant agreement. He grinned, rather excited to try out his new toy, and they walked outside. The servant had also acquired some gunpowder, and lead balls that would serve as ammunition.

    On the side of the barrel - where the lit match cord hit - there was a small pan, which appeared to be a receiver for something. He assumed that it would be gunpowder, as there was nothing else for the match cord to light. He sprinkled a small amount in it, and then reced the pan cover.

    The pan was connected to the barrel through a small opening, and so the inner gunpowder was able to be lit from the outside.

    He carefully put in what he thought to be a reasonable amount of gunpowder ¨C he didn¡¯t want to overload the weapon, else it might explode in his face ¨C and then plopped a musket ball on top.

    There was a rod that was attached to the top of the weapon, and the purpose of which was obvious: to ram the ball and ammunition further into the barrel. But it was odd, for he felt the gunpowder and ball had already made its way to the bottom, so the utility of it was questionable.

    Yet as he lowered the weapon to hold the rifle straight ¨C having not yet lit the matchlock cord, this was merely for testing purposes ¨C he heard the ball roll.

    "Yeah... That shouldn¡¯t happen."

    He announced. Even for someone as inexperienced as him, it was obvious that the gunpowder and ball should not be scattered halfway up the barrel.

    "What¡¯s the matter?"

    "The ball is moving around too much. We need something light to keep it in ce... like, paper?"

    Paper seemed to be a good idea. It could be crumpled up, and forced down the barrel, holding the ammunition in ce, and when it came time to actually fire, it would barely slow the bullet at all. And so, the true reason for the ramrod became clear.

    "One-second mother, I¡¯m going to get some paper. Hold this, if you will."

    "Ah."

    He handed therge matchlock rifle to her - which looked thoroughly ridiculous in her arms - and ran to his office to fetch some paper that they could work with. He returned a few momentster.

    "That¡¯ll do."

    He decided, ripping a bit of paper before forcing it down the barrel. He then slipped off the ramrod, and pushed it all the way to the bottom, firmly securing the paper and ammunition right at the end.

    And then, after lighting his match cord, he prepared to fire.

    "Cover your ears ¨C this¡¯ll be pretty loud."

    They were attracting the attention of some of the servants with the weaponary that he held. They were mere vige folk, and had never seen ¨C though of course, they had of ¨C matchlock rifles. Even the guards were neglecting their duties, and were turning around to see what would happen.

    He looked down the sight, and pressed it against his shoulder. The first thing he noticed was the weight. The weapon was far too long, and it¡¯s heavy weight made it hard to keep it level. But struggling on despite that, he aligned the sights, and aimed towards the stone wall that bordered their residence.

    With a delicate finger, he pulled on the spring-loaded trigger, slowly lowering the lit matchcord toward the pan. He was rather nervous whilst doing this, as he was well aware of the destruction such a piece of equipment could cause ¨C especially if things were to go wrong. But there were plenty of times during his life where the situation had been such, flicking a mere switch was often liable to send 230 volts raging through his body. But he trusted in himself, who had done all the reparations

    BANG

    It shot back against his shoulder powerfully, as a cloud of smoke drifted from the end of the barrel. For a second he wasn¡¯t sure whether it had fired properly or not, but then he noticed the crack in the stone wall, where the bullet had hit, and rebounded off of.

    There was no way of finding where it had gone now, but judging by the terrified look on the guards¡¯ faces, it was somewhere nearby. Because of modern guns, his expectations as to how the bullet would react upon making contact with the wall were slightly skewed. A modern bullet was shaped differently, and was liable to cut, rather than to simply collide.

    "Sorry!"

    He called out to the onlookers, who were still rather frightened after hearing such a terrifyingly loud bang. One could only imagine how an armyden with thousands of these would sound ¨C though he did not need to imagine, for he had ran straight into one.

    "What do you think, mother?"

    Came his question, as he asked it with something of a smile, rather pleased with himself. He¡¯d managed to find out how to fire it ¨C well, perhaps not properly, but so that it would work ¨C without any instruction. Though, of course, they were not designed to be a puzzle to use.

    "Scary... Morohira said that you fought against those?"

    She asked with a somewhat worried look on her face. She had seen the state of her husband¡¯s body, and knew that her son must be in a simr sort of state, with all the scars. Though, they had now all but healed uppletely.

    "That we did."

    He affirmed. After firing it, and analysing it beforehand, he had some idea as to how the weapon functioned. He would want to take it apart further before making any big changes, as he did not fully understand each function of each part.

    ¡¯Perhaps I can simply leave it as is, and just add the changes I wish?¡¯

    The change foremost in his mind was upgrading it from a matchlock weapon, to a flintlock. It was rtively simple ¨C in concept ¨C as it was simply a piece of spring loaded flint, that would fly towards a steel striker at speed, creating sparks. It was amon method of firestarting, and that method had simply been applied to the weapon.

    Of course, there were other specifics that he would have to worry about: how to get the spark cloud to make contact with the gunpowder pan without the spark cloud being toorge. And other things of that note.

    ¡¯My knowledge on this is too basic... It would take many tests, removing each feature ¨C aside from the obvious ones ¨C to find out how it affects the way the bullet is fired. Or I could find a smith to exin it to me.¡¯

    But there were numerous problems with finding a skilled enough smith. It would be better if he was able to have an understanding of it himself. Yet he did not frown when thinking of all the work that he would have to do in order to understand the weapon better ¨C quite the opposite. It was something to upy his time whilst he waited for favourable news toe from the cove.

    "Are you thinking something clever again, Tadakata?"

    Fuku asked with a smile, seeing that faraway look in his eye.

    "Instead of balls, we should make sharper bullets, so that they don¡¯t bounce off everything."

    It was a rather big problem that came as a result of musket ball use ¨C them tending to bounce off armour. Historically, this problem had resulted in the making of higher calibre weapons that firedrger and heavier rounds which did not have a chance of rebounding.

    But he decided that he would go the route of attempting to imitate the modern bullet. He did not know how it would react if the shape was changed though, so that would require lots of testing. Perhaps it would simply spin through the air, rendering the sharpness useless.

    "Ohhh, that sounds like a good idea. You should get a smith to work alongside you, so you can keep testing your different ideas."

    She proposed, annunciating what he was already thinking. He had no skill in metalwork, and had no desire to learn. Hiring a smith was the only real option that remained.

    "Mhm, I think I will."

    He said in agreement, bncing the rifle on his palm, as he pondered how he might lighten its immense weight.

 Chapter 129 - The Mission Ahead

    The progress on the sh.i.p.s was steady. Since they now knew how they were going to achieve stability with a detachable mast, they were able to reachpletion in regards to masts within a couple of days. A pully system lifted both the upper and lower masts together, forming a solid foundation for the sails to be strewn upon. And the wheel to be turned only required two people to operate ¨C a marketable improvement on how many it would have taken if they were lifting the mast purely by force of man.

    The Morojo¡¯s had lengths of cloth to be used for the sails, and, utilising the materials around them, they managed to fashion two stretches of dark cloth ¨C though it was not perfect, as the dyes around them were not optimal. But it was enough to serve its purpose.

    Work was now centred on the lower deck, with oars being put in, and benches beingid, so that they could row closer to the enemy at speed. This was text-book work for the Morojo¡¯s and they proceeded without a hint of stress.

    The rest of them kept up with their training as they waited. The sand underneath their feet provided a different dynamic for their footwork, so it was rather interesting.

    The two women were, of course, included in the training. Rin continued to spar with Kitajo, whilst Akiko was ced with Enya, who was a good deal better than Ii.

    Isabe had been invited to join, but having known that she had nowhere near their skill with the sword, she had let out a cold reply.

    "Ha. A woman like me would never engage in such foolishness."

    Morohira hadughed loudly at that, and thrown her a short wooden wakizashi de.

    "You¡¯re an information girl, aye? What happens when you get caught, and you¡¯re trapped by a man like me? Eh?"

    He had then proceeded to charge her unarmed. She thrust out with her eyes closed, feeling a small glimmer of fear as he ran at her at such speed.

    But it had been all too easy for him to dodge to the side, and he lifted her to his shoulders, before running toward the water.

    "AH!"

    She¡¯d gasped as she was dropped into the cold water, and instantly soaked. There was not a single part of her body that had remained dry.

    "Haha, see? No fun, eh? Still better than being dead though."

    Morohira proved his point as effectively as he was able. The reason he was able to toss her around like a soulless toy was because she had no training. Had she had more experience, then it would not have ended up the way it did.

    But it took her a while to realize that, and as she sat by the fire, shivering, she thoroughly hated his guts. Even Akiko stood up for her, thinking Morohira had gone too far.

    "Miura-san... That¡¯s no good! She¡¯ll catch a cold, and won¡¯t be able to train at all."

    He had shrugged guiltlessly, and he and Rokkaku shared augh.

    "She¡¯ll be alright! Concentrate on training, Akiko. Unless you think you can beat me already, haha!"

    She¡¯d pouted in response to that. He was a bit of tyrant in his leadership, but that was his way. He was not an unkind man, but was simply impulsive. He acted based on instinct, and spared little time for thought. Though it happened more than once that as they reflected on it, his impulsive decision had proved to be the best course of action.

    "Don¡¯t bully Akiko! Or I¡¯ll bully you for the rest of your life ¨C after I get strong enough."

    Rin proimed,ing to Akiko¡¯s aid.

    She had been progressing steadily, and Kitajo was no longer able to beat her quite so easily. Their boutssted longer. It was enlightening for Kitajo to fight the likes of her as well ¨C her wild, unpredictable style, was like that of Morohira¡¯s, except not quite as ruthless ¨C not yet. The more she trained with the men, the more she neglected her formal training in a set style, and instead, she merely operated on instinct.

    Akiko was quite the opposite. She took Jikouji to be something of an instructor, and under his guidance, her form became even more fluid and refined, as she executed strikes perfectly. Enya had to constantly fight at full focus, else she would wipe the floor with him, as she had ended up doing more than once.

    Morohira had insisted that they train with the sword as well as the naginata.

    "There will be times," he had said. "When you have nothing to fight with other than the weapon you take from the man who died next to you."

    It was a situation he was rather familiar with himself. More like, it was how he fought in general. He would always take another weapon to fill his free hand so that he wielded two at once, ensuring maximum destruction.

    It was not bad advice at all. And it reminded the rest of the men that they should keep their spear skills sharp. And so, they had nagged the Morojo¡¯s until they had made them some makeshift spears to share, and trained with those at least once a day.

    It was a pleasant few days for them ¨C training, and rxing ¨C and the girls found themselves warming more and more to this sort of lifestyle. It was what they spent their time together doing anyway, only now, they had skilled opponents that they could fight against.

    Isabe ended up taking Morohira¡¯s advise, and began training with the small wakizashi. A sword or the like was pointless for her. She needed a de that she could easily conceal, as she would never allow herself to be found on a battlefield.

    "YAH!"

    She let all her aggression out in a single strike, shing towards Morohira¡¯s midsection. But he ¨C fighting her unarmed ¨C had easily been able to dodge her strike, and seize control of her arm, forcing her into submission.

    Perhaps it was a slightly unfair fight for her ¨C not in a million years did she have a chance of winning ¨C but Morohira had taken it as his personal mission to endow her with some amount of fighting skills.

    She had, after all, proved useful. And if they were to keep up with their piracy career ¨C with him in charge ¨C then she needed to stay alive, and defend herself.

    On her first evening with them, she had shared the information she had gathered, whislt they sat around the fire. It was her attempt at proving her usefulness, and it hadrgely seeded, as what she told them was detailed and specific.

    "The ship I think we should target is a trading skiff, like our own. It carries iron ore, to be processed from the mines of Suruga. Ites to the port every evening, bringing the material that they have worked free during the day, and then, four mene, and help them unload the material onto two carts."

    She said, drawing arrows within the sand to ent her words.

    "Mm, why do you think we should target this one, as opposed to the others?"

    Jikouji asked, genuinely curious ¨C not trying to test her.

    But she misread his intentions, and responded more harshly than she should have.

    "Because this shipes daily. It would be a little upsetting if you were waiting for a ship that never arrived would it not? Granted, the amount of iron they bring each day changes. But we will still make a good amount should we sell it to local smiths, wouldn¡¯t we?"

    "I see."

    The old man responded evenly, nodding. It was good enough for him.

    "How are we going to do it though..."

    Kitajo asked, nervously, as everyone turned to look at him curiously.

    "What do you mean?"

    Morohira questioned.

    "Ah... It¡¯s just... There¡¯ll be a lot of iron and stuff won¡¯t there? How will we get it all onto our ship before someonees and notices what we¡¯re doing? And where will we put it? We¡¯ll be rowing on the lower deck so... I don¡¯t mean to be pessimistic, it¡¯s just better to know."

    "No need to apologise, little man, your questions are good."

    Morohira reassured him with a nod, though he did not move to answer them himself, and merely sat there looking self-satisfied.

    "I¡¯d say you could still fit a decent amount on the lower deck."

    The shipwright, Morojo put in.

    "And then we¡¯ll just stick the rest on the upper deck, aye? See, Kitajo. It¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ll just have to move quickly, and toss it over. If anyonees... Well, we¡¯re faster than everyone else, right Morojo?"

    Morohira put in, seeking support from Morojo once more.

    "Oh, without a doubt. Two masts on a ship of your size and weight? You¡¯ll fly. Add the oars on top of that? You¡¯re untouchable. Even those fancy European vessels won¡¯t be able to catch up to ya."

    Kitajo looked up at the old shipwright speaking so passionately about their speed, and felt a lot more reassured, allowing a nod.

    "Alright, that¡¯s good enough for me."

    He decided.

    And so everything in regards to nning had been cleared up. As soon as the ship was ready, they would set sail, and intercept the trading vessel on its way to Toyokawa. Isabe had proved that her information collecting abilities were reliable, and no one had anything to say in objection to her choice of raiding the iron ship.

    The looming mission is what leant more fervour to their training efforts ¨C especially for Akiko and Rin. They had not yet been out at sea on the ship, and did not know how difficult the swaying deck would makebat. And so, they threw themselves into training, learning as much as they could, and progressing as fast as possible, so that when it came time to fight, they would not drag the men down.

    The three women were gradually bing more integrated into their group, as were Morojo and his men. They all got on well enough with each other, and understood their roles. People were responding better to Morohira¡¯s leadership better than might be expected. It was reassuring to see that his mannerisms hardly changed once he was given the role, but he still did his best to look after everyone, as overbearing as he was.

    In evenings, he had developed a habit of sitting with Morojo, spitting various ideas at him, and having the bearded man tell him whether they were usible or not.

    "A giant cannon on the whole lower deck that destroys any ship with one shot!"

    "How would you load it? The recoil would probably tear the ship apart."

    Morojo had responded rather patiently, aside from the frown that he had.

    "A big battle ram so we can crash into other sh.i.p.s. That¡¯ll work, eh?"

    He considered his suggestions seriously, as he stroked his beard. Sometimes it took someone from a different profession toe up with the out-of-the-box ideas that were needed for progress.

    "Could work. Would be better if your ship was heavier though. Plus, if you were to sink the ship, then you wouldn¡¯t be able to loot it, would you?"

    "Mm... Good point. What about cannons that fire harpoons, yeah? If we get like three of those, we can pull the ship towards us using the rope, right?"

    "...Hm. If you could get a small cannon, that wouldn¡¯t have too much recoil on your ship, then it¡¯s doable, and would probably be pretty effective. Dunno how to go about doing that, though."

    "Ha! We¡¯ll make that then. We¡¯ll have the best boarding mechanism in the history of Japan, and we¡¯ll be unstoppable!"

    He said triumphantly, having finally got an idea past the old shipwright. He was genuinely serious about pursuing the construction of it. After seeing his son at work with various tools, he understood the importance of invention and new thinking.

 Chapter 130 - Reign of Terror

    And so, after two more days of hard work, the ship waspleted. There it sat, in the bay of theirs, with two tall masts, donned with ck sails. The oars were fully extended, with trap doors above them, ready to be sent down so that they would hide the oar holes at a moments notice.

    It was a beauty. From an old trading ship, to this vessel of war. It was still small, to be sure. But inside that small vessel was packed so much elerative power, from both the wind and the oars. It was fearsome indeed.

    "Damn... It looks good."

    Rokkaku said, slightly awed looking at the finished product. The improvement was insane. It was barely recognizable from the old trading ship that they had before.

    "Aha, doesn¡¯t it?"

    Morojo said proudly ¨C it was one of the most difficult products that he had worked on, and he felt a great sense of fulfilment now that it waspleted.

    "Alright,ds! Show them how it transforms!"

    His boys were on the deck, ready and waiting to receive hismand. Within a split second, the transformation began. The sails rolled to deck, and the second mast underwent its changes. The upper mast began to slowly lower itself to the deck, as the g bearing pole folded downwards along with it.

    Below deck was a simr scene, as the lower mast lowered its way down. The boys raced down the stairs, and started to drag the oars inwards, closing the oar-doors as they did so. Within a matter of minutes, the transformation wasplete, and it once more became the trading skiff, with its off-white sail strewn high into the air.

    "By the gods... It¡¯s unrecognizable."

    Jikouji breathed. When Gengyo mentioned the idea, it had merely been that ¨C an idea. But seeing it in action, brought to life by the skilled hands of the Morojo¡¯s, it was revealed to be genius. After raiding a ship, they merely needed to put distance between them and whatever pursuers there might be, and get out of their line of sight. And then, after the transformation, it would be as though the ck-sailed ship had disappeared from the face of the earth, rendering them untraceable.

    It was exciting to watch. Not merely because it worked. But because it¡¯spletion signified a new beginning.

    "Haha, we¡¯ll be unstoppable with this, fes!"

    Morohira announced enthusiastically. It was all well and good training, but the true thrill was to be had in battle.

    If they could, he would have ordered that they set off there and then, but darkness was already drawing in. Their target will have long since arrived at Toyokawa, so they would be unable to intercept them.

    It might have been a preferable strategy to simply target the ship after it had delivered it¡¯s haul of iron, so that they could simply return with the gold that they had exchanged it for. But that wasden with far more risk. It was unlikely that they were paid daily with straight gold. It was far more reasonable to assume that they had an ongoing deal with one of the local merchants, and the money for their services had already been prearranged.

    "Aye! We¡¯ll be the demons of the sea!"

    Rokkaku said jovially. He hade to lovebat just as much as Morohira.

    Even those that did not speak were ovee with excitement. Togashi was one. He was eager to prove their worth to Gengyo, and reassure him that he did not always need to present for them to get things done.

    Though he had said nothing, he agreed with the decision to allow Morohira to lead. He and Gengyo were very different in their mannerisms, but his father understood what needed to be done, and he worked as hard as needed toplete it.

    Rin and Akiko share a look.

    ¡¯This is it.¡¯

    They thought, gulping. Their first test as women of the Red Feather. If they showed weakness here, then it was entirely usible that they would not be allowed on future missions. They had both fought in battle before, but this felt different to then. It was more like an exam, than a battle. Before they had fought simply because it was the only option.. Here, there was a path to retreat. They could simply back out. And that allowed thoughts of weakness into their minds.

    "This is some bloody good work, Morojo. I hope ya stick around, even though you¡¯re done, eh? I imagine thed will have more work for you."

    Morohira spoke honestly.

    "Aye, me and him had a talk. I¡¯ll be sticking around for a while."

    He reassured him. In truth, even if not for the work, he wished to stay a while. He was enjoying thepany of the men around him. They had clearly experienced some terrifying things, but they oozed confidence, and he could not help respect them. Despite all that though, they were still easy to get on with, and he knew hisds felt the same.

    "Good man! Well, everyone. We¡¯d better rest a bit. We can attack the ship tomorrow. It arrives at noon usually, right Ishi?"

    "That¡¯s right, yes."

    Isabe said with a firm nod. Though she would not be taking part in the battle, she too was excited. The sess of this first mission would dictate whether she was ensured a job in future or not.

    And so they set aside any training that was going on, and gathered around the campfire to enjoy another meal of roasted fish.

    "Are you okay, Akiko? You look nervous."

    Rin asked with a hint of concern in her voice. Akiko had been rather quiet.

    "Mhm! I¡¯m okay, I just want to do well tomorrow, you know?"

    Togashi overheard their conversation, and chuckled lightly.

    "Don¡¯t be worrying about things like that,ss. Just kill whoever is in front of you, and focus on staying alive."

    It was not the most reassuring advice, but it was true enough. Wanting to impress on the battlefield could only ever be dangerous. Rather than scaring her further though, it seemed to help a little, and she smiled and nodded.

    "Thank you, Togashi-san."

    "Yup. You¡¯ll be fine, Akiko. We¡¯ll just stick together, okay? It¡¯ll be a breeze."

    Rin assured her, patting her chest enthusiastically, though she was just as nervous as her friend.

    "Mhm. That¡¯s the spirit littless. These small scale battles are nothing to worry about ¨C just stay alive through it."

    Togashi agreed.

    ...

    ...

    They spent the evening resting, and attempted to sleep early. The newer members had trouble sleeping because of the excitement, but when they awoke in the morning, everyone seemed to be rather refreshed, and ready.

    Final preparations were made on the deck of the ship, and they did numerous practise runs of the transition, as Morojo and his boys would not be there to help them. It took a good few runs before Morohira was satisified with their speed, and by the time they realized it, midday had already rolled around.

    "Heh, this time already, eh?"

    Hemented, looking up at the sun in the sky.

    "Grab your weapons, men. It¡¯s time."

    With thepletion of the ship the evening before, Kitajo had been sent to deliver the message to Gengyo. And he had returned with a cart full of goodies. Whilst they had been busy training, their master had done some small preparations of his own.

    In the cart hade their ck armour, and their masks. It would not do for them to carry out the raid without wearing the armour of the Red Feather. And, amongst that armour, there had been two sets specially made for Akiko and Rin, with a little more space at the chest, so that they might be more amodating.

    They had received the gifts with excitement, taking great care as they donned them. They were a good fit, and merely by wearing the equipment, they began to feel a little bit stronger.

    They all stood by the boat now, fully armed, with their demonic masks ced on their heads. They even unnerved each other because of how fearsome they looked. The Morojos and Isabe watched as they ascended the ramp, and boarded the ship. They emitted the chilly cold aura of experienced killers, and as they gripped their des, they did so with authority. These were men of war.

    The young Morojo men who watched, gulped slightly. They were a terrifyingly imposing sight. It would not do to be their enemy. With the addition of the masks, they were no longer men, but demons, and they fully embodied what they were. Even without words, a casual ruthlessness could be seen in their movements.

    "Lift the ramp! We¡¯re getting out of here!"

    Morohira called from under his mask, and he stood at the front of the ship, staring down the opening of the cove. It was a tight fit indeed, but they had drawn the oars in, and if thed managed had to align them, then he was able to do it too.

    The Morojo men let out grunts as they pushed the heavy ship from the sand, and sent it back into water. The feeling of the deck beneath their feet changed at the sudden transition, and they felt almost weightless.

    Atop the water they sat, slowly drifting towards the dark opening, their direction was good, and they were set to make it through perfectly. But still, they could not help but gulp as it neared. It was an imposing piece of rock, and should they make even the slightest bit of contact with it, then their ship would be put in an agonising state.

    Darkness ensued as rock surrounded them on all sides, as they passed through the tunnel. Their only hope was the light ahead, and the vast sea beyond it. No one spoke, not wanting to cause even the smallest fraction of change to the boat - it needed to remainpletely straight.

    But then they passedpletely through, and a cheer resounded.

    "HELL YEAH! TIME FOR WAR BOYS!"

    Morohira called out, grinning wildly underneath his demonic mask, as he pumped his clenched fist into the air, and felt a wave of energy fill his body. They had passed all the obstacles that sat in their way. They were now upon the open water. Everything else was within their control. They simply needed to chase the ship down and ughter its crew.

    "OARS, READY!"

    He shouted. The oars ¨C though they would not use them yet - needed to be put in a ready position, just slightly above the water, so as soon as they needed a sudden burst of speed, they would be able to go below deck, and power forward.

    "ADJUST THE SAILS! WE¡¯RE HEADING TOWARD TOYOKAWA!"

    He roared, above the bellowing of the ocean. This was his domain now. He was the captain of the Red Feather ship. He would ensure that chaos made its rounds.

    Rokkaku responded to his order. They had been taught by Morojo how to properly change sails and the like, as they had merely done it based on guesswork before. But now, it was rtively easy for them, and the ship slowly changed direction, spurred on by the wind.

    And then, it hit them. They were perfectly inline, with both sails ready, and the wind caught thempletely. Their small skiff rocketed forward at such a frightening speed that they almost fell over due to the initial eleration.

    "HOOOOOO! SHE¡¯S A QUICK ONE!"

    He chuckled excitedly. All this work had not been for nothing, and the speed their little ship was able to race at was unbelievable. Far faster than it had been before. And they had not even used their oars yet. No one could escape them.

 Chapter 131 - The Raid

    Out they sailed, upon the open water. The time they made was good ¨C if anything, it was too quick. It was likely that they would arrive long before the iron trading vessel ever neared Toyokawa, but that did not matter. Isabe had told them the ship¡¯s origin: Suruga. They could continue along the shoreline and intercept it along the way.

    The sun was bright, and the weather was clear. It was almost unfitting for the act that they were about to carry out ¨C for demons were most certainly creatures of the night. They ran errands atop the deck, making sure everything was secure and in ce, following Morohira¡¯s orders to the letter.

    Their weapons were sharpened and ready. The hooks were firmly attached to coils of rope. They would have Rokkaku and Sasaki throw them onto the iron trading vessel as they passed it, allowing them to secure a footing, and pull themselves closer, before they jumped decks and began their ruthless ughter.

    Rin and Akiko were nervous, but by now the adrenaline that pumped through their veins far outweighed the anxiety. They would choose to follow Togashi¡¯s advice, and no matter what happened, strive to stay alive. That was the best they could hope for.

    Their small ship crashed through the waves with an authority that it previously did not have, covering the distance quickly. The scenery around them changed, the rows of impassable cliffs gradually gave way to lengths of beach and open shores, before finally, they caught sight of Toyokawa bay, which had once been their destination.

    As anticipated, the iron trading vessel was nowhere in sight. The only sh.i.p.s on the horizon seemed to be fishing boats, operated by simple fishermen, who would certainly not be able to get in their way, whatever might happen.

    No doubt there were guards posted, monitoring the waters at all time. And said guards would have to report any anomalies to the town governor, or whoever was left in charge of keeping peace within Toyokawa.

    The men they could mobilize had certainly dwindled ever since Imagawa had set out on campaign, but they still had to pay attention, as their numbers would be far superior to their own.

    "Continue along the coast! We¡¯ll catch the ship before it arrives!"

    Morohira ordered, as they kept the sails up and continued to travel at full speed.

    They rounded the port, passing all the sh.i.p.s that were docked, and it was very likely that their unusual looking ship caught a few eyes. But they were not suspicious enough for anyone toe in pursuit - they had not yet given them a reason to fear the ck sailed ship.

    Fishing boats continued to bemonce, and it seemed that their attack would certainly not go unnoticed, proving that the effort spent in preparing their disguise was not wasted in the least.

    Morohira stood at the front of his ship, with his foot on the side, and eyes firmly pinned to the horizon. He was on the lookout for any anomalies within the state of ocean affairs, and more importantly, he was on the lookout for the trading skiff that Isabe had mentioned.

    They ended up travelling a good length along the shore, and they still had not caught sight of it. If they continued any further, they would end up in the waters of the Totomi province, whichy just before Suruga.

    But he did not order that they slow, or simply wait - he ploughed forward. Once you lost momentum, that was when the fear started to set in. And though he did not consciously think that, he knew that inaction was bad for men who would soon be sent into battle.

    "Is that it..?"

    Togashi asked. He was one of the more eagle-eyed amongst them, and could differentiate small objects on the horizon from what the rest saw to simply be a mass of water.

    "Hm?"

    His words captured the attention of the rest, as they looked towards where he was referring to, squinting, trying to work out what he was seeing.

    The object soon becamerger, as they travelled forward at a great speed, and the ship he spotted was also travelling in their direction.

    "That¡¯s got to be it!"

    He affirmed, louder this time. And soon the others started to see what he was seeing.

    "Ah! Yes. I see it now."

    Akiko seconded. It was most likely their quarry. The waters at this time of day were not dense with sh.i.p.s ¨C only that of the easily identifiable fishing boats. It met all the requirements. The time. The location. The size. They closed in.

    "PREPARE TO ROW!"

    He called out. It might have been deemed unnecessary to prepare an extra bout of speed, considering both sh.i.p.s were closing in on each other rapidly, but he did not wish to miss the window of opportunity, only to circle round, and give chase, which would alert them to the peril that they were in.

    They ran below deck, and imed an oar each, leaving only Morohira and Togashi on the upper deck to give the orders.

    They grew closer and closer.

    "Togashi, angle the sails."

    They were going quickly ¨C likely too quickly for an urate shot to be made with their hooks, but the main problem was that with the course they were on, the trading skiff would pass them by around 100 metres.

    It grew closer and closer.

    "ROKKAKU, SASAKI! IT¡¯S TIME!"

    He decided to call the two men up, so that they might attempt tond their hooks. But he left the rest below, in case they missed, and they needed to rapidly turn around and catch up once more.

    It was 50 metres in front of them by now, and getting closer by the second. They could make out the men on the deck now, and they could likely be made out themselves.

    It might prove entertaining for a spectator to wonder at what point the crew of the iron trading vessel realized they were in danger. Perhaps it was the moment they saw men donned in ck. Or perhaps it was when they drew closer, and were able to make out the demon masks. But certainly, once they saw therge frames of Rokkaku and Sasaki begin to twirl around huge iron hooks, they knew they were in trouble.

    It was a difficult shot to make, and timing was everything. Morohira spoke not a word, allowing them the fullest of concentration. Their bodies were tensed in anticipation ¨C even those below deck, who could not see what was happening, but they could certainly hear it.

    FWOOSH

    Rokkaku released his first, sending it sailing through the air. His eyes met with one of the crewmen of the trading skiff, and he heard him curse aloud.

    "WHAT THE F.U.C.K!"

    They were words that would normallye off as aggressive, but these wereced in fear. Much to his relief, the hook was released toote, and it bounced off the rear of their ship as they passed, flowing harmlessly into the water.

    The instant he saw Sasaki throw his, Morohira gave the order.

    "EVERYONE ABOVE DECK, NOW! LOWER THE SAILS! PREPARE TO BOARD!"

    His voice was roaring thunder above the ocean waves, and it rang into the trader¡¯s ears like a death sentence. The single hook remaining swam through the air confidently, as though it was always meant to be this way.

    THWAMP

    And then, itnded on their deck. Time froze as they stared at it in blind panic, as a soldier might stare at a live grenade should itnd beside him. Multiple thoughts passed through their head, but more than anything, an overwhelming sense of fear and dread flooded through them. One merely needed to look upon the enemy they had encountered for them to realize the chances of their survival were very slim.

    Time resumed, and the sh.i.p.s seemed to be about to pass one another. But the hook was pulled tight, biting into the wood at the side of the ship. One end was attached to their own vessel, and the two sh.i.p.s exchanged momentum, rendering them momentarily paused, before they began to pull back towards each other.

    The rest of their men flooded the deck, as Sasaki pulled them towards their target, with those massive arms of his. He let out a roar, as his biceps strained, and veins bulged. His upper back felt as though it was ready to detach itself. And then, Rokkaku came to the rescue, lending his power, and they were pulled gradually closer.

    As per Morohira¡¯smand, the sails were already lowered with a single pull of the rope. This ensured they would not damage their vessel from the aggressive winds as they attempted to remain stationary, attached to the trading skiff. It would do nothing topromise their disguise, as it was simply a part of a normal ship¡¯s functionality.

    A second hook was thrown over by Morohira himself, and Togashi joined him in pulling them closer. A third was thrown, and the trading skiff was rendered immobile, gradually being pulled towards the ck-armoured demons.

    Rin and Akiko stood with their swords ready ¨C swords were better suited to close-quarters fighting like this ¨C alongside Ii, and Jikouji.

    CREEEEEEQUE

    The two vessels collided, and became stationary. Before the traders could even pause to catch their breaths, Morohira had leapt onto their deck fearlessly, brandishing his sword.

    There were six men on the enemy vessel in total. They held their swords and axes out uselessly in front of them, as tears drifted down their faces, and they werepletely consumed by fear.

    Without mercy, Morohira drove his sword through the first man, before kicking him from his de.

    The rest followed behind him. Akiko and Rin stuck together and targeted a single man. It was not much of a fight, as the trader was quivering in fear, his sword shaking. But they took his life, as was their duty. The only thing that mattered in this raid was speed. Hostages would slow them down, and so they were in. It was something they had discussed beforehand, and any remorse they felt would have to wait.

    The traders were weak individuals, and hopelessly outnumbered. They were quickly ughtered like cattle, staining their ck armour with blood, and rendering the deck slick.

    "LOAD THE CARGO, NOW!"

    Morohira barked, quickly descending toward the lower deck. And there it was. Filling half of the space. Lumps of iron ore, bundled loosely into sacks. They were heavy, and had been loaded up by the muscr miners who were ustomed to such tasks. The majority of the men shouldered them without a problem, but Akiko and Rin had to work together in order to shift one bag. They merely ced the sacks on the upper deck of their vessel. They would be movedter, but speed was everything for now. They had toplete their task before one of the numerous fishing boats in the area alerted the local authorities, and caused them problems.

    "FASTER, LET¡¯S KEEP MOVING!"

    He barked, the adrenaline taking over. No matter how fast they moved, it would never be fast enough for his liking. Or for any of their liking for that matter. They moved as fast as they possibly could.

    It was ten minutes before the unloading wasplete ¨C far too long. But if one considered how long it had taken the miners, then it was an eptable amount. So quick was their haste to leave, that rather than unhooking the hook, they simply sliced through the rope, before setting sail once more.

    "MEN, TO THE OARS!"

    He barked, giving them time to ready themselves, before calling out the pace. They needed to move as fast as possible, and could not care about anything else.

    "ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO."

    He barked. They gradually picked up speed as the wind took hold, and they barrelled their way past Toyokawa port.

 Chapter 132 - Folly

    "Shit... What¡¯s that?"

    Togashi asked, looking at the most recent ship that was detaching from the port. It seemed one of the trading vessels had got there ahead of them, and alerted the authorities.

    "Damn..."

    It dared to row out in front of them. But that was all it had ¨C oars. It was a military ship, specialised in bow fire ¨C reigning down arrows on the enemy to whittle them down before boarding.

    But there was one man who did not feel an inch of fear upon seeing what stood in their way, and he let out a bellowingugh.

    "Haha! GOOD!"

    He decided, seeing that they dared to stand up to them. They had no idea who they were going up against. Who were they? Agents of justice? They stood for something that didn¡¯t exist ¨C the demons of the Red Feather were infinitely more powerful.

    "ONE, TWO, ROW HARD! THEY DARE TO STAND IN OUR PATH!"

    As they neared, arrow fire started to reign down on them, and multiple arrowheads thunked against the wood. Taking cover behind the mast, Togashi and Morohira barely avoided them. They attempted to change the course of the sails so that they would get out of the path of the military vessel, but it was to no avail. It merely rowed out to match them.

    Arrows pierced through their sails, leaving hundreds of tiny holes in what had once been a brand new piece of cloth.

    "Damn you..."

    He muttered, genuinely furious. This was his ship. Not even the gods themselves would be permitted to do it damage. And here they were, firing again and again, as though they owned the entire sea. They put themselves in the Red Feather¡¯s path, and they believed themselves to be wise?

    "Togashi. Keep the sails straight."

    He muttered, eyeing them up as they neared, barely avoiding the arrowheads as they flew past him.

    "You don¡¯t intend to...?"

    "I DO!"

    He barked.

    Togashi looked at him darkly. He did not agree with that decision, but Morohira was the captain, and held the authority of Miura Tadakata, leader of the Red Feather. He could not disobey.

    "POWER AHEAD ON THE OARS. PREPARE TO COME ABOVE DECK!"

    The city guard drew closer, wearing confident expressions and masks of disgust, as though they were looking at the embodiment of sc.u.m. They unleashed arrow after arrow, though it was to little effect. They had men below deck on the oars, ready to change course as soon as this ck-gged vessel attempt to flee.

    But it did not. It continued to plough straight forward, as a demon head stuck it¡¯s way out from behind a mast, wearing a vicious grin.

    It was only then that they realised their mistake. They had underestimated this small ck gged vessel. They had thought their only worry would be in allowing it to escape.

    "F.U.C.K! CHANGE COURSE!"

    He heard the enemy captain shout, as his own grin widened.

    ¡¯It¡¯s far toote for that.¡¯

    "EVERYONE, ABOVE DECK!"

    Morohira barked, mere moments before the collision. They rushed to the upper deck with haste, not expecting the sight that was in front of them. They had but a split second to prepare, before they mmed into the bow vessel at speed.

    CREQUEE

    They crushed through it, sending bits of deck splintering into the air. They sustained some damage themselves, but most of the force of the impact had been transferred into the vessel in front of them.

    After received such a blow, their boat rocked, throwing them from their feet, and sending them mming against the deck, hard. When they looked up, demons had already descended upon them.

    "OARSMEN ABOVE DEC-ARGH!"

    The captain attempted to call out, as Rokkaku drove his de through his neck. They held mere bows in their hands. Though they were many ¨C 50 at least ¨C they were no match for their vicious onught.

    Rin and Akiko acted without thinking, and merely slew whatever man dared to get in their way. A bowman nced up, and went to his belt, reaching for his sword, but before he could even get a grip on it, Akiko sliced his hand from his arm, before she pierced his chest with her de.

    They were not the only enemy the city guardsmen had to face ¨C they had to worry about the ocean as well, as the water rushed in through the side, slowly sinking their vessel.

    Barechested oarsmen ¨C slick with sweat ¨C ran above deck, brandishing axes and knives, as they threw themselves into the chaos ofbat, and attempted to escape the water that rushed in from below. But what met them was not theirrades ¨C they were in the afterlife ¨C but a solid, immovable wall. As they crashed into it, death was almost instantaneous. Swords were thrust out, and their lives were imed.

    The difference in discipline between the two forces was staggering. They imed to be men of the city guard, but it seemed such a title was worthless. They knew not of the true toil and work required to be an effective fighting force. They had merely grabbed their weapon and attempted to do war.

    Their end was secured, and the Red Feather made haste in withdrawing from the sinking ship, as they returned to their own.

    The battle had been clearly visible from the port, and no doubt everyone knew of their ck gged-vessel by now.

    The front of their humble ship was rather banged up, and was in serious need of repairs. But they still managed to pull away, and lift their torn sails, catching some wind, as they powered away from the port, and whatever reinforcements might attempt toe their way.

    His decision was ruthless, but perfect. It was as they drifted away, with the adrenaline still raging through their veins, and their armour still red with blood, that they realized just how fit Morohira was for this role. On the sea, it had always been their aim to be feared. And to be truly feared, one had to be fearless. Morohira was just that. Their vessel was superior in terms of speed, but he did not choose to run. He charged through the obstacle that barred their way, and thinned the city guards forces as he did so.

    A perfect end to their first mission as men and women of the Red Feather ¨C they had made an announcement. Fear the ck sailed ship, and fear the ck armoured men. To stand in their path? Folly.

    "It seems... We could have done with that battering ram."

    Rokkaku announced. Morohira¡¯s conversations about invention and upgrade with Morojo were well doc.u.mented by the rest, as it provided great amus.e.m.e.nt to listen into after a hard days training.

    "Ahahaha!"

    A ripple of lightughter drifted around the deck ¨C the perfect release after the tension of battle. Even Rin and Akiko could not help but giggle. Who would have expected that their first mission would go as such?

    But still, they were far from being in the clear. They had sailed past the port, and along by the beach, travelling along the rows of cliffs where vessels rarely ventured. Thend jutted out in a penins, and they sailed behind it discretely - hiding.

    "Okay! Begin transformation!"

    Down the masts went. In the oars came. Up went the unpunctured white g. When they sailed out once more, they were just another ¨C slightly battered ¨C trading vessel. And one that was very rich.

    In their haste they had not even managed to send the iron ore below deck, and by now, stonesy scattered everywhere as a result of the collision. But as they looked at the mess, they could not feel annoyance, but instead joy. Each little piece had great value to any smith.

    Leaving the pensi behind, they also left whatever eyes that had been on them baffled. Where had the ck gged ship gone? Such was the magic of disguise. If someone seriously thought about it, the possibility of the transition mighte up, but it was so unheard of, and so unlikely, that it would be immediately disregarded.

    A second mast, perhaps, was the piracy feet of the century. Pirates were not in themselves umon, as they went by the collective term ¡¯Wako Pirates¡¯. But their escapades had never happened quite so close to home for the people of Toyokawa, and so talk of the ck gged ship spread throughout the port town with haste.

    As they celebrated their victory, themander of the city guard almost killed a man.

    "...Repeat what you said."

    He spoke coldly, his mustache twitching with annoyance, as they sat in his office, in the most grand mansion in all of Toyokawa. He had worked hard for his position, and was well respected.

    "The guards on duty responded to a robbery, my lord. They stood bravely in the path of the pirates, but their vessel was sunk. We see no signs of any survivors."

    His advisor said without too much nervousness. He was used to delivering bad news to officials. But even he flinched when themander grabbed hold of his inkpot with a clenched fist and hurled it against the wall, sshing his face, and the walls of the room in the ck liquid.

    "TO HELL WITH IT! AND WHILST THE LORD IS AWAY AS WELL!"

    He roared, mming his fist hard down upon his wooden desk. He was furious. Why had they never heard of such a ship before? Why had it suddenlye out nowhere, and struck, whilst Imagawa was on campaign, with the majority of their men with him?

    He breathed in deeply, through gritted teeth, still seething with rage.

    "Has a bounty been put on them?"

    "There has. 5000 gold, is what it is."

    "Good... A ck sailed ship? We are going to need to destroy it, Koroman. Otherwise trade will fall, and we¡¯ll be saddled with the me."

    "That is so, my lord."

    Koroman said with a bow, though internally, he corrected his superior.

    ¡¯You will be saddled with the me, not I.¡¯

    "Who were the victims?"

    "An iron vessel from Suruga. The merchant ims he lost 10,000 gold worth of cargo."

    Themander scoffed angrily at that. It was a useless exaggeration, aimed to extort more money from them.

    "Ha. It will have been 4,000 ¨C at most."

    "I agree, my lord."

    "Well, carry out the usual reassurances. And spread the word ¨C we¡¯re recruiting men. They ughtered 50 of our soldiers with ease. We¡¯ll need at least 200 to tackle them, it seems."

    He decided, twitching his mustache.

    "With respect, my lord, if we were to ask one of the European vessels-"

    Koroman began. A single European vessel could take on an entire flee with the firepower that it had. It would have no problem dealing with the tiny ck sailed ship, who were only capable of boarding.

    "No! Out of the question. We cannot get those damn foreigners involved in our internal affairs. I¡¯ve told you more than once ¨C asking for help from them is a sign of weakness, and they¡¯ll take advantage of itter on!"

    The advisor merely bowed his head. He had expected such a response.

    "As you wish, my lord. I will begin recruiting men."

    "Good, you¡¯re dismissed."

    Koroman did not spare a single bit of attention to the drop of ink that was making it¡¯s way down from his eye towards his upper lip. That was, until, he closed the door behind him, and was out of themander¡¯s sight.

    "That damn oaf..."

    He cursed, taking a beautifully embroided handkerchief from inside his kimono, and staining it with the ck ink, as he cleaned his face.

    "...Even this is ruined now."

    Hemented, staring down at the stains on his kimono. His face was dark with rage, but as soon as he saw themander¡¯s maide into view, he wore a warm mask, and greeted her.

 Chapter 133 - Victory?

    Isabe and the Morojo¡¯s had waited for hours, ovee with nervousness, willing the robbery to have been a sess. And so, when they caught sight of the battered sheep making its way into the cove, they let out involuntary cheers.

    "WOO! WELCOME BACK FELLAS!"

    Morojo shouted, as Morohira waved at him from atop the deck, his mask off. He held a lump of iron ore within his fist, letting them all know that they had seeded. The others joined him, with big smiles on their faces. It had been a brilliant sess.

    "Is it all there?"

    Isabe asked, still worried. If things had not gone as she said they would, then it was likely that she would receive a good amount of animosity.

    Rokkaku patted on shoulder gruffly, as he descended the ramp.

    "It¡¯s all theress! And more still! It¡¯s bloody everywhere."

    He spoke, motioning to all thaty on the deck. She pushed past them as they disembarked, hoping to confirm his words. And when she saw the dark lumps coating the wood just as he said, she felt a great rush of relief, and almost let out a couple of tears. She had be far more invested in this than she realized.

    "Haha..."

    Sheughed weakly, so greatly relieved.

    "Good work, Isabe! It was exactly as you said it would be."

    Akiko said sweetly, as Rin seconded it with a big nod. She looked at the two of their beaming faces. Their armour was covered in blood and flesh, but they were still able to behave so innocently and kindly.

    "Mhm... I¡¯m d."

    She said, not even able to summon the will to act arrogant, as she usually might.

    "OUR FIRST VICTORY, EH FELLAS?"

    Morohira shouted out, holding his arms up, rather proud of his performance. He had acted as he usually might, but it seemed, that under his leadership things had gone even better than nned.

    In response to his cry, the men struck the arms up once more. They felt as though they had conquered the world, and were only too willing to let out loud shouts of joy.

    When Morojo caught a nce of the amount of ore, he could not help but gasp. It was far more than he expected.

    "By the gods! That must have taken ages to load. How did you manage to get away unscathed?"

    He had noticed the damage to the front of the ship, but had said nothing yet, assuming it was due to their collision with the iron trading vessel.

    "We didn¡¯t! HAHA!"

    Morohira responded, letting out a bellowingugh as he recalled how they had been trapped by the city guard. Morojo looked at him confused, but the new Red Feather captain seemed eager to leave him in suspense, so Kitajo filled him in.

    "We were caught by the city guard."

    He exined.

    "Then how..?"

    All who had been part of the crew were listening in eagerly. Surely being caught by the city guard was something of a death sentence? Yet not a single one of them had an obvious injury.

    The youngd shrugged, and nonchntly announced the fate of the city guard.

    "They were in the way, so we removed them."

    It could not have been put better. They did not alter their course when confronted. They had merely charged forward, and ttened the obstacle that dared to get in their way.

    Their eyes widened as they regarded the warriors. They were stained in blood ¨C though they had by now removed their masks ¨C yet they wore such smiles. A ship full of the city guard? They would have had men at least three times their number! Yet they talked about it as though it was an easy victory.

    It was terrifying. They had witnessed how they trained, and they knew them to be skilled. But this level? It was unreasonable. On their very first mission, they had achieved such a powerful victory, despite having never fought on a boat before. Perhaps this was the power of adaptability? He had heard the men mention it once or twice as they trained.

    ¡¯Learning a single weapon? Ha! How will you adapt when you do not have that weapon in your hands?¡¯

    He¡¯d learned a little of their history, and knew that they had been part of a farrger force than this. One that had trained in the bow, the sword, and the spear. It was unreasonable. It was almost unfair. What would happen as they spent the gold, and recruited more men? They would dominate the sea, surely ¨C or perhaps even the entire province.

    But what was the source of all this? It was hard to tell. Old as he was, there was a wisdom to his thinking, and his thoughts drifted towards a single face ¨C one that was not even present. He had cultivated something hellish. It was fitting for them to wear the masks of the demons as they did, as it gave the men they fought an exnation ¨C no men should be so ready for war.

    But if Morojo knew of all that they had gone through. All that they had faced. Then he would understand. What had cultivated them ¨C as well as their philosophy, and as well as the man that lead them ¨C was their experience. They had ovee impossible obstacles, time and time again, at each other¡¯s sides. The weak had been filtered out, and they were what remained.

    "Hehe, what¡¯s the look for old man? Jealous?"

    Morohira teased, seeing the way he was staring so intently at the rocks of iron ore.

    It was only then that Morojo came to his senses, and snapped out of such thoughts, almost embarrassed.

    "Ha! As if. But look what you¡¯ve done to the ship. You¡¯ve bloody battered her!"

    He turned the topic elsewhere. The damage was not enough to hinder their journey home, but left unattended, it would be a permanent feature of weakness, that could send them sinking.

    The wood was cracked, and pieces were missing. But it was high up enough that too much water was not allowed in.

    "Aye! You said you wanted work, and though we were busy killing folk, I was still thinking of you, my friend. And people say I¡¯m not a good guy? Come on! LOOK! I¡¯M A TRUE BUDDHIST!"

    He saidughingly, thoroughly amused by hisints.

    "To be honest, I think a battering ram might be a good idea at this point."

    Jikouji put in.

    "Aye... But it would have to be detachable, like the mast, which is a problem in itself."

    Morojomented, hearing that even old man Jikouji was in favour of a battering ram.

    "That shouldn¡¯t prove too hard, should it? Not for the Morojo shipwrights?"

    The captain teased, jumping into the water, so he could wash some of the blood off before it dried on too thickly.

    "Oh, that¡¯s a good idea."

    Rokkaku decided, noticing what he was doing, before joining him. Morojo was still firmly focused on the ship, and was deciding how much they would need to take off, before attempting to fix it. All he knew was that it was going to be a big job.

    "Perhaps we could reinforce the front of your ship from the inside, with steel or iron. Then you can do all the colliding you want, and you won¡¯t have to worry."

    He suggested, trying to think of the path that would require the least amount of work. He was not too keen on making another detachable feature. It would clutter the deck withplicated mechanisms, and he had be rather fond of their ship, and didn¡¯t want to see it ruined.

    "Sure, that sounds good."

    Morohira agreed, not turning around, as he sshed water up to his chest, and rubbed the blood and flesh from the leather. The fish would have a grand feastter.

    "Before all that... Can you guys add some stairs?"

    Sasaki said a little pitifully, as he looked at the slick slope, and remembered how he had to be dragged upst time they left.

    "I second that notion!"

    Isabe shouted despite herself, recalling how foolish she had looked when she copsed down.

    "We¡¯ll be needing it to get the iron-loaded onto carts as well."

    Old man Jikouji agreed, always thinking ahead.

    "Aye, aye. We¡¯ll get onto it right now. Come onds!"

    Morojo shouted, gathering his workers. There were still a couple of hours before dark, and he reckoned he could produce some suitable stairs in that amount of time.

    He began whistling, as he sawed a beam of timber down to size.

    "So you¡¯re going to be taking this all back to see the boss, are ya? Wonder who¡¯ll buy it all from you?"

    He called out, genuinely curious. No one could give a solid answer to his question ¨C not yet, as even they did not know who would be willing to buy such an amount from them.

    "Mm... Dunno. But we¡¯d best send someone to go and inform the boss, eh, Morohira?"

    Togashi reminded their captain. Also, they would be needing more carts in order to haul all the iron they collected. The single one that had was far from enough.

    "Ah, true... Kitajo, do you fancy travelling again?"

    He asked, agreeing with Togashi¡¯s advise. Last time he had looked for a messanger, Kitajo had been eager to volunteer.

    "Okay. I¡¯ll just get out of my armour, then I¡¯ll head off."

    He responded withoutint. Being the first to inform Gengyo of their victory would be an honour.

    "Sure,d. No rush."

    It was interesting to see no one deemed it appropriate to evaluate Rin or Akiko¡¯s performance in battle. It had not even crossed their mind. By this point, they were one of them. They had fought without catching their attention, which meant they were doing their job perfectly. And any weaknesses they had in regards to strength ¨C as they could not lift quite as much as the men ¨C were quickly rectified between them, without slowing down the rest.

    In going unnoticed, it meant that they had performed perfectly. And they themselves realized this, and were contended as they shared conversation.

    "Tadakata will be pleased, huh? Neither of us got hurt."

    Akiko said with a small smile, as she slipped out from her armour- it was awfully hot to wear for long periods of time.

    "Yup, I¡¯m sure he will. And I¡¯m happy too ¨C we¡¯re getting the experience we need so that he won¡¯t look down on us anymore, and we¡¯ll be able to fight alongside him in future."

    "Exactly! That¡¯s what I think too."

    She responded excitedly in agreement. There were only more battles toe. It was so much more freeing on the mind to know that she was fighting for a cause that she believed in, and would be able to be alongside those that she cared about.

    "Okay, I¡¯m heading out everyone. See you tomorrow!"

    Kitajo announced, as he prepared to charge up the slick ramp. There were only a couple of hours of daylight left, so it went without saying that he would be staying overnight in Toyone.

    "See youter,d! Make sure to let him know how great we were!"

    Morohira called after him, as he bolted up the ramp as fast as he could, attempting to make it to the top before gravity took hold. He did so rather elegantly, and Sasaki watched in awe, knowing that he did not stand a chance of replicating the same movement.

    And so he mounted his horse at the top of the cliff, and galloped towards the Niwa residence, to inform his boss of their crushing victory in Toyokawa bay, and reassure him of all the victories that were certain toe. Eagerness leant him speed, and before he knew it, he was outside of those familiar gates.

 Chapter 134 - Kitajo RETURNS

    "Master Miura. Kitajo-san has returned."

    Shibata said, after she had quietly opened the door.

    A smile lit up Gengyo¡¯s face. It was finally time for some movement. He had been toying with the rifle for days, but without the presence of a smith, his progress was limited.

    "Send him in."

    Was his firm ¨C yet eager ¨C response.

    The maid bowed lightly, and disappeared, and then, taking her ce, came a familiar young man, who had once been so skinny and frail that it looked like the wind was a serious threat on his life, for it was liable to blow him away. Now he stood strong, and had a respectable amiunt of lean mass on him. His gaze was firm and confident, crafted by all the experience he had .u.mted.

    "Wee home, Kitajo."

    Gengyo said warmly. He was happy to see him. Ever since he had received the message that the ship wasplete, all he could think about was their mission, and hemented not being there to fight alongside them.

    "I¡¯m back, Miura."

    He replied, sitting down with a smile. Clearly he bore good news, and Gengyo waited on it expectantly.

    "Well?"

    "It worked. It was just as Isabe said, and we¡¯ve got more ore than we know what to do with."

    He breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Perfect. Any injuries orplications?"

    "No injuries, everyone is fine. Though it did take longer than we expected to load the ore, because there was so much of it, so we ended up getting caught by the city guard."

    "Oh?"

    His attention was captured, and he ran a finger along his jawline scar, anticipating his response.

    "They blocked our path, but Morohira only ordered that we go faster. We crushed them. 50 men lie at the bottom, and we still stand strong."

    "Haha!"

    Heughed, genuinely amused at that. It sounded very much like his father. This was exactly what he hoped would happen with putting Morohira in charge, but there were always unexpected things that were liable to happen, so it was good to have validation.

    "The ck-gged ship will have a bounty on it by now. You will need to move carefully."

    He warned, anticipating how the city guard would react to their defeat.

    "Yes, Morohira was saying something of the same. Morojo and his boys are busy making stairs so we can unload the ore. After that, they¡¯re going to repair the ship, and reinforce it."

    "Good."

    Gengyo said with a nod. He was pleased that Morojo had decided to stay on and continue working for them. He made a mental note to give him a handsome portion of the gold they sold the iron for, to keep him appeased.

    "You¡¯ll be needing more carts for the iron, then?"

    He guessed. If it was anywhere near what Isabe had promised, then they would need three carts at least.

    "Yes, that¡¯s one of the things I¡¯vee for."

    "What about Rin and Akiko? How did they perform?"

    He asked, allowing a hint of concern to enter his voice.

    "They were fine. No injuries. They were an asset to our team."

    He responded, knowing exactly why he was asking such a question.

    "Good. That¡¯s good."

    He reaffirmed, more to himself than Kitajo. He was still having difficulty knowingly putting them into danger, but they had been adamant about it. And they were undoubtedly skilled. Both women were extremely talented, and with the right amount of training, they could, in time, surpass some of the older members.

    "Now, Kitajo, I want your opinion."

    He prefaced his question, so that thed would give it his fullest attention.

    "As you wish, Miura."

    "Is Morohira fit to lead?"

    He purposefully referred to his father by given name, because this was not a familial matter and he did not wish to bring the question of family into it.

    From what he had been told, his father had performed admirably. But anecdotal evidence was almost no evidence at all. He needed the honest ount of someone who had served under him.

    "Without a doubt."

    Came his immediate reply. He did not even need to take time to think, which reassured Gengyo that it was truthful. When Gengyo did not say anything in response, he continued, and exined his reasoning.

    "He is a man we can all get along with. And though he can be irritating a lot of the time - with his jokes and pranks ¨C you can certainly trust in him when ites tobat. I do not think he even knows what fear is. Both times, as we boarded the sh.i.p.s, he was the first to charge in. When you have someone like him at the front, then there¡¯s no backing out."

    He exined how he felt clearly, and precisely, allowing Gengyo to understand exactly what it was like. When you heard him speak like this, it was startling. His newfound maturity was so vastly different to the skittishd who had cried for fear of death in his first battle.

    What he said was exactly what Gengyo wished to hear, and was greatly reassuring.

    "Excellent. Thank you."

    He responded,psing into thought. Morohira had responded unflinchingly to the challenge that leadership presented, and it was clear that he would do more than a satisfactory job of raising fear for the ck ship in Toyokawa. He had likely already achieved it, he reckoned.

    "You¡¯ve done well. Go and spend the evening with your family ¨C I¡¯ll see you tomorrow."

    Kitajo responded with a light bow.

    "See you tomorrow, Miura."

    He said, as he began to walk towards the door.

    ¡¯It worked then.¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself. His oundish n had worked. Spending all that money on buying a ship, and upgrading it, had proved to be ingenious. He expected around 4,000 gold from the iron they sold. There was a big demand for it, with the war that was on, and they held huge quantities.

    From a business perspective, it had been the perfect investment, as he more than doubled the money he put in. But there was far more toe, he reckoned. They would get the iron sold, and he would send Isabe back to Toyokawa to observe the sh.i.p.s once more, and then they would pick their next target. A routine would be established, and they would ensure a constant ie.

    In a matter of days his input would no longer be needed, and they would be able to function autonomously, raiding, and then selling materials as per routine, allowing their treasury to mount up. They were well on their way to contesting Imagawa, even if it was just in finances.

    Then, It would be his turn. He would take a portion of what they sold, and look for men to begin their army with. The anticipation was almost suffocating. As well as men, he wanted to find a smith. Or perhaps even multiple smiths. The more the better.

 Chapter 135 - Recognition

    When they arrived at the cove towing a cart each, there were a group of familiar faces there to wee them. It waste morning, and it seemed that they had already transported the sacks of ore to the top of the cliff.

    Morohira¡¯s grin became obvious as they drew closer ¨C he was clearly rather proud of himself.

    "Heheh! Look at all thisd, we¡¯ll be rich!"

    He announced. It was not an exaggeration. The amount of ore thaty there was more than enough to get one rich. Yet they sought to be something beyond being rich, they sought to be powerful, so they would need far more than just this. But he did not let that fact taint his joy.

    "Aye, we certainly will."

    Gengyo replied, eying up the pile of sacks. Amongst the crowd stood Akiko and Rin, waving to him. But they did not call out yet ¨C it seemed they were waiting for him to conclude business first.

    He jumped from the cart lightly, and nced round, noting the destruction that the oxen had caused amongst the fields of grass.

    "Three carts will be enough, won¡¯t it?"

    He asked. There had already been a cart brought there by Kitajo, and now thed and he brought another two between them.

    "I¡¯d say so. If we get the oxen to pull them, they¡¯ll manage."

    Morohira responded, tossing a bag onto his shoulder as he hefted the first one onto the cart. The rest of the men were looking up at Gengyo, eager to speak to him, but like Rin and Akiko, they did not wish to get in the way of business.

    Pleased by their maturity, he called out to Isabe.

    "Your information was solid ¨C good work Isabe. I¡¯ll have you return to Toyone with me, then you can head to Toyokawa and spot some more targets, eh?"

    She nodded. He took note of her mannerisms. She was tamer than normal. She was not forecasting that overly domineering aura that had be so typical of her. It seemed she had ceased the pretentiousness. And from the behaviour of those around her ¨C though he had not been present for long ¨C he reckoned that she was fitting in just fine.

    She nodded, though she did not forget to mention something important.

    "What about payment?"

    He smiled at that.

    "I expect we¡¯re all wondering the same thing, eh?"

    The men nodded. It was the second most important part of business ¨C apart from the heist itself.

    "Jikouji, I will leave the selling of the ore to you. And then we will split it up. Isabe, you will get your promised payment. We¡¯ll also give you a couple of hundred, Morojo, so you can continue with the repairs on the ship, and upgrade our cove a little, eh? And the rest of you... Well, I know what you¡¯ve said in the past, but you deserve some gold for yourselves ¨C take care of your families, aye? I need 2,000 gold left for me to y with, and then you can split the rest up as you please."

    "Aye, that¡¯s faird! We¡¯ll turn this into the perfect little hide out, eh? Some little houses to sleep in? That¡¯d be alright."

    Morojo was already rattling off the ideas. He was only getting a couple of hundred this time around, but his task was much easier before, and the way things were looking, he be getting a consistent payment of that amount. It was far better than anything he had worked for in the years prior.

    "d you approve."

    He said, pleased by his reaction. He noted that Morojo stood by Morohira and Rokkaku ¨C he too seemed to be fitting in quite well. And hisds were not stood hidden behind their father, they were standing beside different people, lookingfortable.

    "What about you, Jikouji? Are you up to this task?"

    Selling three carts full of ore was no quick or easy task, but he could not carry it out himself. He needed Jikouji to take it up, so that when he was away, he would not have to worry about their loot mounting up. But he held no worries, Jikouji had demonstrated more than once that he had a vastwork of knowledge and was capable of finding the right people in the right ces.

    "Of coursed, leave it to me."

    He said with a nod. He enjoyed battle, but was not quite as bloodthirsty as the rest. He did not mind taking time off for managerial tasks.

    "And what about the rest of you? Happy with the gold you¡¯re getting?"

    It was a question that did not bear asking. They had not received a single copper from theirst haul, and this time they would be receiving enough money to set them up for several lifetimes. Of course they were not dissatisified.

    "Sounds good!"

    Ii said cheerfully ¨C he cared more about the coin than the others. They would quite willingly give their full amount for the cause.

    "Yeah, it¡¯s good and alld, but we don¡¯t really need it."

    Morohira reminded him, just in case he was doing it out of fear of upsetting them.

    "That may be the case, but we can spare it. There will be plenty of raids toe, and you can take a percentage of those too. At this rate, in a couple of weeks, you could afford a mansion in Toyokawa."

    As he put it into perspective for them like that, their eyes lit up. Though they lived an extraordinary lifestyle, their families still lived in the same houses they always had. If they could improve their living circ.u.mstances somewhat, then that was certainly something to look forward to.

    "I¡¯d rather get a big house built in Toyone."

    Togashi mused. He enjoyed living in the Niwa mansion, but with each day that he stayed there, he felt as though he was imposing. It was irrational, and no one sought to make him feel that way, but he still felt it. His family had long since perished in Tobishima, but, in time, he hoped he could make a new one, in this peaceful little vige of theirs.

    Gengyo nodded in agreement.

    "If any of you ever want to do that, you have my permission to do it wherever you please. It¡¯s your vige as much as mine, and you may do in it what you wish. We will care for our people as well, of course."

    ¡¯Perhaps, it might be an idea to rebuild all the houses in Toyone at some point?¡¯

    There were many things he could do to improve the quality of living for the people at home. But what they truly needed was a purpose ¨C something that they could work at, so they could be paid a suitable reward. But with the majority of them being women, the jobs were limited. He supposed at some point he might have need of their services in a military capacity, but he put such thoughts at the back of his mind for now.

    "Anyway, let¡¯s get these carts loaded, shall we?"

    He ordered, and they sprang forth, their minds awhirl with thoughts of the future. They were lucky, in some respect. They knew exactly what they wished, and they would be rich enough to livefortably as they pursued it.

    "How are you both, then?"

    He asked the twodies, as they lifted a sack together.

    "I¡¯m feeling good! Kitajo can¡¯t beat me so easily anymore."

    Rin replied, grinning. She was rather proud of her progress.

    "Hoh? Perhaps we should have you spar against father soon?"

    "Nope! He¡¯s busy training Isabe."

    She rebuked him. Thest person she wished to spar against was Morohira. He was far too strong for the likes of her.

    "Isabe? For real? Isabe, is that true?"

    He questioned Rin, before turning to shout over to the woman in question.

    "...A little, but only in the dagger."

    She replied, suddenly self-conscious. He was surprised by her less-than-confident reaction, but made not effort to pursue it, and instead turned to Akiko.

    "How was the fighting?"

    He asked, in a softer voice, trying to provoke her into sharing her true feelings.

    "It was okay."

    He turned to look at her sternly.

    "Really. It was okay. I was much less scared when I fought than I was leading up to the fight."

    He smiled understandingly. That was often the case. There were always so many things that could happen in battle, and nothing felt truly right until the de was in your hand, and you swinging at an enemy.

    "I was pleased to hear that neither of you got hurt. Surprising though, since you encountered the city guard."

    He mused, hefting a bag to his shoulder with ease. He¡¯d never stopped to think about it, but his strength had increased by a terrifying amount ever since he began his vigorous training, all that time ago.

    "Yup... Now that I think about it, that was pretty crazy, wasn¡¯t it Akiko? There were so many more of them than us, but we cut straight through them. It was weird."

    Rin mused, pondering over it. Such a thing went against themon logic of military thought, which was that more men would defeat less men. Gengyo was well aware of such a feeling. In nearly all his battles, they had been outnumbered.

    "It¡¯s what happens when you are trained better than the enemy. Quality can easily overwhelm quantity, as long as the odds are not stacked too highly against it."

    "Hehe. I thought it was something like that. They really couldn¡¯t catch us with their fighting style ¨C they were so slow!"

    It was understandable. To be a guard, one did not have to be highly trained. Their true merit was in deterrence, rather than actual action.

    He stepped away from them both for a second, leaving them to their loading. He had not yet seen what improvements the Morojo¡¯s had added to the cove.

    He peered down, and was pleased by what he saw. There was no longer the same treacherous slope at the bottom, instead, there were a solid-looking set of wooden stairs that came just after the gentle sloping ended. And there, in the bay, he saw the ck-gged vessel, that had be so famed in a mere day.

    Morojo had managed to achieve it, despite all the doubts that he had. There were now two masts on it, and they looked good and strong. Had he been closer, he might have noticed the repairs that were being done to the hull, but he had already guessed that they were underway.

    They¡¯d done well ¨C extremely well. They were a small amount of people, but each was highly skilled, andpetent. Even their shipwright. He only hoped that he himself would be capable of what Jikouji had achieved, and be able to bring back an equally skilled smith, so that they could make some improvements in other regards as well.

 Chapter 136 - Going Away

    "How are you finding things, Togashi?"

    Gengyo asked, as he sat down on the warm sand. He had insisted that they share lunch before he left. They assumed he was just being friendly, but his reasons extended beyond that.

    "I¡¯m happy enough, Miura. I¡¯m pleased that you took my words seriously."

    The man spoke, lifting his cup of water to his mouth, moistening it. It seemed he had not trimmed his beard in a while, as it was beginning to grow rather wild.

    "Of course. It was solid advice after all."

    He replied with a smile, running the sand through his fingers. He felt no hunger in his stomach, and was contended to simply sit and talk.

    "And putting Morohira in charge ¨C that was certainly a wise move."

    "d you think so. He seems to be doing well enough."

    "Indeed."

    The man nodded twice, looking towards him. He seemed to have something he wished to say, but for some reason, he was not saying it.

    "What is it, Togashi?"

    He tapped his finger against the side of the wooden cup, tuning out of the nearby conversation, as he focused on articting what he wished to ask clearly.

    "You... are working on something at the moment, correct?"

    Came his rather direct question. As soon as he uttered it, he looked away, apparently a little embarrassed with the way that he phrased it. Gengyo¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was a rather broad question to ask someone. But he paused a moment, and seriously considered what the man had meant.

    "Yes. I will make an announcement in regards to it once everyone has eaten ¨C fear not, I will not leave you in the dark anymore."

    It was a rather foolish thing to ask someone like Gengyo. He was a man who was always working on something or other. If he did not, then life became extremely mundane and directionless. This was the case even before the trauma of losing his master, and his brother, and all theirrades. That event had merely heightened such a part of his nature.

    Had he wished to be sly, and a little dishonest, then he could have easily wormed his way out of it, by mentioning some of the other minor projects he had in the works, so that he could surprise Togashi with the real thingter, as he had be fond of doing.

    "Hoh... I knew it."

    Whilst he didn¡¯t really think it was difficult to guess whether he was working on something or not, Gengyo still dared to ask how.

    "How¡¯d you know?"

    Togashi smiled knowingly.

    "I lived in your ce for a while, remember? The only time you rx is when you know a n is in motion. Those were the only instances I saw you meet with Akiko."

    "...You know, I think you¡¯re right."

    He considered that insight into his behaviour a little more, and it really did seem to be true. It was interesting how much you can learn about yourself simply by asking people who had observed you for a while.

    Gengyo noticed that the tension in Togashi¡¯s shoulders disappeared as they cleared up the question about his ns. It seemed the man had not entirely believed him when he promised to be open with them in future.

    He was d to see that he was able to take away some of his stress. In leading the men, he almost felt like a father. One word here, an action there, and he could seriously affect their mindstate. It was a daunting responsibility, and one that he did not take lightly.

    ¡¯Perhaps the fact that I¡¯m even considering it at all means that I¡¯m notpletely broken?¡¯

    He reasoned, as he stood up and patted Togashi¡¯s shoulder.

    "I¡¯m going to pay the rest of the men a visit. Enjoy your meal, Togashi."

    "You tood."

    He responsed automatically with a smile, seemingly not realizing that Gengyo had still not eaten anything. The young master smiled back, and proceeded to walk over by Sasaki and Rokkaku, who were sharing a rather enthusiastic conversation.

    He waspletely dwarfed by the two men as he stood next to them, but as soon as they noticed him, they called out excitedly.

    "Boss! What do you think would be better: having a fishtail or having frog legs?"

    Rokkaku began. Gengyo blinked up at him. It was truly a random question, but judging it purely from an objective standpoint, the answer was obvious.

    "Frog legs, of course. You can jump extremely high, and swim through the water with ease. A fishtail you¡¯d barely be able to move onnd."

    The big man looked at Sasaki triumphantly, as though Gengyo¡¯s answer announced the conclusion to their conversation.

    "Yeah... but... you could swim really fast..."

    Sasaki attempted to protest, but it was to no avail. The positives were far outweighed by the negatives, and even he was beginning to see that it was a foolish question to ask. The reality was simply that he liked the idea of having a fishtail.

    He looked at the ground, still thinking hard for a reply.

    "How was it battling for the first time on the deck of a ship?"

    He asked, directing the conversation elsewhere.

    "Not much different to be honestd. You¡¯re swaying a bit from the deck, but so is the enemy, so no one really has an advantage."

    Rokkaku responded with a shrug. He had no real opinion on it. Battle was battle, in his eyes.

    "That¡¯s how it should be. Good man."

    Gengyo praised, pleased by his response. The men seemed to be fairing well, as did the women.

    He wondered around a little more, and when he was satifisified that he had spoken with everyone, he raised his voice, and attracted their attention.

    "I have something to announce."

    Immedietely, all conversation filtered off and they gazed up at him. Not because they were afraid of the consequences should they choose to ignore him, simply because they knew what he had to say would hold value and weight.

    "With this first mission, you¡¯ve all proved yourpetence, and you did so without my presence. As you expressed before, you are capable of shouldering the responsibility. I¡¯m d to see that."

    He paused before he began onto the next point, making contact with each person present, so that he included them.

    "As a result of that, I have made the decision to take a step forward. You have allid the groundworks for our campaign against Imagawa, and it¡¯s high time we established a force ¨C I imagine some of you have been irritated by ourck of progress."

    They would have protested had he mentioned names, but he knew that such a feeling was held amongst them ¨C with Aritada especially, who was monstrously eager for revenge.

    "But it would be unwise to collect our men from here in Mikawa. Imagawa¡¯s informationwork here will be thorough, and we can not guaratanee the men¡¯s loyalty. That is why I will take the men from Takedands ¨C South Shinano."

    He saw Jikouji open his mouth to speak, and raised his hand to silence him, for he already knew what he would say.

    "I¡¯m well aware that simply going to South Shinano will not ensure their loyalty, or ensure that Imagawa does not find out. But still, it lowers the probability, and that is the most we can hope for."

    This time Jikouji really did speak.

    "A journey to South Shinano would take a week, at least ¨C there and back. It¡¯s a bit long for you to take away."

    There was a hint of worry to his voice. Though he had not been present, thed had strings attached everywhere, and had more control of the events that had unfolded than he let on.

    "That is true. But a rhythm will be established. A routine of robbing. You will grow used to it, and I¡¯m sure father will be able to respond to whatever threates your way."

    "Damn right."

    Morohira said seriously, patting his flexed arm.

    "Aye, perhaps, but that¡¯s not all there is to worry about."

    Jikouji protested, though he kept his voice level.

    "Indeed. You will be left in charge of the rest, Jikouji."

    The old man frowned, clearly displeased.

    "Don¡¯t make that face. You know your experience in managing the household is second to none. You¡¯ll be able to keep everything running ¨C perhaps you might even improve things. And you¡¯d be able to control the selling of loot as well, would you not?"

    He looked down, his face a mask of dissatisfaction.

    "Come on, Jikouji! Cheer up! It¡¯ll be me and you. We¡¯ve got this."

    Morohira patted his back gruffly, his expression cheery. The extra responsibility meant nothing to him, and the recruitment process was something that needed to be done.

    "Will you not send someone in your ce?"

    Was his final effort at having him stay. He epted that he wanted to create strong leaders amongst their ranks, and he supported that decision ¨C it was the rational thing to do. But their hold was unsteady. Anything could happen at anytime, especially when they were engaging in something as risky as piracy. If something out of their expectations were to happen, and they were incapable of dealing with it, what then?

    "I¡¯m afraid not. Everyone is needed back here, and I would like to attempt to establish some connections whilst I¡¯m in South Shinano. Who knows, further down the line, I might be able to push some buttons, and bring Takeda into the war against Imagawa?"

    His gaze flickered upwards, as he caught onto what thed was saying.

    "You mean, you¡¯re going entirely alone!? I thought you would at least take a guard! Miura, this is the first time I¡¯ll say this: that is foolish ¨C a needless risk to take. Why would you do that? It¡¯s senseless."

    Gengyo was startled by the ferocity with which he argued. They had been able to keep their voices level until now. He did not think the risk was any higher than anything they had undertaken thus far, with the piracy and the like, but it was only now that he chose to protest so vehemently.

    "..."

    He did not know how to respond. He was still against bringing a guard. To him, it was not worth it. He could fight levelly with most members that they had, and in bringing a guard, he would be leaving the crew with one man less.

    "I agree with Jikouji-san on this."

    Akiko put in.

    "You¡¯re too important for us to lose on something silly. Even if our ship were to sink, we could always get another ¨C it was you that made that possible in the first ce. But if we lose you, then revenge will be impossible."

    "Yup. I agree!"

    Rin, as ever, agreed with her best friend. Her reasoning was sound.

    Morojo and his boys looked ufortable at the arguing, but did not show any other signs of agitation. They had surely learned by now ¨C in rather solid detail ¨C what their long term goal was. But their motivations were unyielding. No daimyo was worth giving up this opportunity for.

    The rest of the men were nodding too, as though they agreed with what Jikouji had to say, and so, Gengyo was forced to relent.

    "...Fine, I¡¯ll take Kitajo."

    He decided, pointing to youngd.

    "It would be my honour."

    Kitajo responded seriously, standing up, as he offered a slight bow. Gengyo nodded in response, and turned to Jikouji.

    In response to his nce, Jikouji relented.

    "I suppose that¡¯ll do... But you had better take care of yourself."

 Chapter 137 - Countermeasures

    "You already know what to do, don¡¯t you Isabe?"

    Gengyo asked the woman as they sat in his office together.

    "I do. Find a suitable ship to target, and then deliver that information to Morohira."

    She spoke, cradling a cooling cup of tea within her finger, not meeting his gaze.

    "It will get harder, in time, to find a suitable target. The risks you¡¯ll have to take will increase. Are you prepared for that?"

    He spoke, seeking a reaction. No doubt there were very few vessels that would visit the port as often as the Suruga iron trading vessel. If the vessel did not visit regrly, each day, then instead of merely observing, one would need to actively try and find information on it¡¯s visiting times from other people, and that could prove rather risky.

    "I have thought about it, yes. Morohira has taught me some things with the dagger ¨C I will be safer than I was."

    Her eyes drifted upwards, wondering whether he would judge such a thing to be sufficient.

    "As long as you take the necessary precautions, it should be fine."

    He decided, finishing thest of his tea with a gulp, before setting the cup back down upon the table, and studying her a little.

    "How did you get on with others?"

    Came his question. He was genuinely curious.

    "They were polite to me."

    Was her short response.

    "Well, that¡¯s good enough. After I am gone, you are free to continue using the home as you wish. Jikouji and Morohira will take care of it should you have any problems. And, your payments will always be taken as a percentage of what we sell the final loot for, so you can expect your gold in a couple of days, when Jikouji returns."

    He expected she already knew thatst part, but it did not hurt to confirm it for her anyway. Jikouji had been gone a few days already, and the final preparations for his journey into South Shinano were nearing theirpletion.

    The men hade back from the cove to spend a few days in the vige, rxing, as they waited on new information from Isabe. The Morojos were doing the final repairs on the ship, and adding more permanent living arrangements to the cove, so they had their hands full for a while.

    "I understand. Will that be all?"

    She said, moving to get up, as she walked towards the door.

    "Yes. I will let you know when I am leaving."

    He nodded in response to her question, and she left the room. He was slightly put off by her timidness, but decided not to pursue it with a question, and simply left it down to the fact that she was struggling to adapt.

    ¡¯As long as she¡¯s able to do her job, it does not matter.¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he strummed his fingers on top of the hard wood of the table. They had decided not to let the vigers know that he would be leaving for a couple of weeks, for fear of the unrest that it might cause. He only hoped that the trip would prove to be meaningful, as they were setting so much aside for it.

    ¡¯But that¡¯s down to me is it not?¡¯

    He corrected his line of thought. As long as something was within his control, he could approach it with confidence.

    The other men would face new levels of danger once he left. The city guard was one of them, and he wondered quite how they would respond to the new threat of the ck-sailed ship. They had already confirmed the bounty on their heads with great amus.e.m.e.nt, but were not well informed as to the counter measures themander of the guard had employed to deal with them.

    No doubt ¨C should the piracy spree continue ¨C the anger of the guards would only grow, and they would have to take drastic measures in order to ensure the safety of the port for all the traders that would be threatening to take their business elsewhere.

    ...

    ...

    "So these are the new men, are they Koroman?"

    Themander of the city guard asked, as he stood before 200 men within the courtyard of the city¡¯s governing mansion.

    "They are, my lord."

    ¡¯Though if you¡¯d simply look forward, you¡¯d have been able to confirm that.¡¯

    Koroman thought to himself, somewhat bitterly. He had managed to recruit this amount in a matter of days, yet there was not a word of praise sent his way. Not that he expected praise from themander of the city guard. He wished for his true employers ¨C that of the Daimyo¡¯s governing body ¨C to notice him, so that he might be recalled from this miserable port town, and posted elsewhere.

    But until then, he was stuck.

    Themander of the guard cleared his throat, in preparation for another one of his less-than-inspiring wee speeches.

    "Wee, honourable men! Rejoice, for you have passed one of the most rigorous selection processes in the entirety of Japan! You have been granted the opportunity to fight in an elite force ¨C that opportunity is for you alone. I hope that you grasp it with both hands, and put your hearts and souls into your training."

    They each wore stoic expressions that threatened to creep into smiles as hethered them in praise. In reality, all that he had said was at least half a lie.

    The selection process had simply been beating one of their poorest fighters in the duel. It allowed them a false sense of confidence so that they could assert themselves more aggressively about town.

    And themander knew this. He was not a stupid man ¨C even if his mannerisms were not entirely intune with his surroundings ¨C and he knew how to create an effective fighting force with minimal effort. The only thing that one required was for his troops to have confidence, and belief within themselves, so that they would charge head first into danger without worry for their own lives.

    This false arrogance would be cultivated within them, and continually reinforced, to the point where they themselves would truly begin to believe it. When they threw their weight about town, they would discover that the people cowered for fear of doing them wrong. They would discover that they had power.

    But when they collided with a true fighting force ¨C one that they could not be overwhelmed simply by numbers, one that was solid in its training ¨C then they would crumble, and be revealed to be what they were: a mismatch of mislead men who held their own abilities in too high a regard.

    "Don this armour, men, and arise anew! You are no longer simple soldiers or serfs ¨C you are guardsmen of Toyokawa! People will tremble when they hear youring. In this armour, sits hundreds of years of history, and power."

    He quietened, and knitted his eyebrows together, as though distracted, and then he nced to his left, seeming to be searching for something. The men¡¯s eyes followed too.

    He leaned close, and spoke in a whisper.

    "Forgive me... But I could not allow anyone to overhear this next part... Within this armour, is thousands of years of history ¨C it¡¯s made from the very material that our ancestors wore all those years ago!"

    Looks of surprise flickered on their faces. An armour that old? And they were given the honour of wearing it? It did not even look too shabby ¨C the armoursmiths had done a grand job refashioning it!

    "And... That is not all... The men who wore this armour were men of a harsher time. They had to deal with threats that our generation simply can notprehend. As such, they were far stronger than we are. But... When one puts on this armour, something strange happens."

    He contorted his face, and looked left and right, as though truly worried someone would overhear.

    "The spirit of our ancestors influences our de. It¡¯s true! Don this armour, and you will find that your mind is clearer, and you are able to react more swiftly to your opponents attacks. That is the secret behind the city guard¡¯s sess! That is why peace has reigned in Toyokawa for hundreds of years! And now that power is yours. But men, I bid you, please keep this a secret, or else I fear the power will lose it¡¯s effect."

    They were truly enraptured by his speech. An armour that could boost fighting ability? What man - what warrior - would not wish to wear such an armour? Now, in their eyes, was an even more profound eagerness. This was no longer simply a job ¨C it was a way forward. With that power, they would be able to aplish many great things.

    Koroman watched on with disgust ¨C though he did not let that emotion filter through. He had seen many such weing ceremonies where the exact same thing was said, and throughout all that time, the men believed it.

    It was truly a clever ploy, for you could not prove it wrong. By simple cebo effect, they believed that their fighting ability was a bit stronger ¨C even by just a fraction. No doubt they also imed to have their mind feel clearer.

    Even if the effect was minimal, it was still more than an ordinary man had, and it would grant them the confidence required to confront things going forward.

    Servants passed through the ranks of new guardsmen, and ced these sets of armour within their arms, as the guard¡¯smander continued his speech.

    "I hope you can wear that armour of our order with honour, and be able to confront what lies in front of us with bravery."

    They were already dressing in the equipment before he could even finish, but he showed no signs of reacting to it, and merely continued.

    "As you know, there has been a new, rather high-profile piracy case on these beautiful waters of ours. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of what I speak? The ck-gged vessel, indeed. Through deception and all manner of dishonourable tactics, it even managed to sink one of our own sh.i.p.s."

    ¡¯Deception? Of course! There¡¯s no way they could have won in hand to handbat ¨C not with this armour.¡¯

    Came their general thoughts. They had been wondering this ¨C if the city guard was so powerful, how had they fallen to such a pathetic vessel as that ck-gged one? But the answer hade. Their armour and skills were useless should their ship be sunk from under them.

    "You men will be in charge of bringing that ship down. I know you are more than capable. You will not make the same mistake our brothers did, and will not fall for their petty tricks. As long as you are able to get close enough to fight them, then victory is yours!"

    The men nodded confidently. It would not prove a challenge, not in the least. They simply needed to be careful, and avoid falling for traps, and then it would be the easiest mission they could ever be endowed with, and then peace would once more fall upon Toyokawa, and they would be able to retain their position as men of the city guard, and enjoy all the benefits that came with it.

    "We will have 100 men posted at all times, ready to deal with the vessel should ite! The vigers and traders will be able to sleep safely knowing that you are watching out for them."

    He announced their task. He himself had stated that 200 men would be needed to tackle the threat of the ck ship ¨C and they would have that number. But they needed yet more men.

    "Thank you."

    And so he bowed lightly towards his new subjects ¨C unbefitting of a man of his standing ¨C and twitched his moustache towards Koroman, the intent behind which was only known by another man.

    ¡¯Yes, you will have your men, little lordmander. It will be done.¡¯

 Chapter 138 - Depature

    They waited in the courtyard together, as it had been announced a certain someone was nearing. Morojo and his boys hade back into Toyone to pay them a visit, after running out of wood for any further work. They brought the oxen along with them, and they were let loose on the grassy fields.

    With theing on dawn, he rode his cart towards them, with two servants leading carts directly behind him. He did not seem to be smiling, but the reason for which was impossible to tell. They could only hope that it was not due to hisck of sess.

    "Mm..."

    "What do you see?"

    Gengyo asked, after Togashi made a noise as if contemting. The bearded man¡¯s eyesight was better than his own.

    "They look to be empty."

    The men almost cheered at that, but held themselves back. Jikouji had not yet announced that the news had been good.

    Even the two guardswomen were intrigued, looking down the sloping road as they stood just outside the gates with the rest of them.

    "JIKOUJI! WHAT NEWS?"

    Rokkaku shouted, unable to bear the suspense they were being left in.

    The old man acted as if he had not heard, and merely kept on riding, betraying no emotion on his face. Seeing that Jikouji was not willing to humour them, they attempted to peer past him, and see if the servants would give them any reaction. But it was a futile attempt, as they rode almost directly behind him.

    Even as he arrived next to them, he did not slow, and they were forced to step aside. Isabe was so caught up in thought, that by the time she stepped aside, it was almost toote.

    He rode his cart inside, and parked it where it belonged. They followed in after him and the other two empty carts, waiting expectantly as he dismounted with a huge sigh. He looked back on them, his face hard as his gaze met theirs.

    "..."

    And then he broke into a smile.

    "Four thousand and forty-three gold coins."

    He said casually, as though it were an every day amount. They continued to stare at him, processing what he said, as the meaning of his words certainly did not match up to the emotion he spoke them with.

    "HOOHHHHHHHH! WE¡¯RE RICH FELLAS!"

    Rokkaku shouted loudly, his voice reaching everyone on the estate. It was a vaguely familiar reaction, as Gengyo seemed to recall him, or another one of them saying a simr thing when they had calcted the jewellery haul.

    He was pleased by his own bodies reaction to it. There was the smallest quiver of excitement within his heart ¨C and that was enough. What he needed was to be able to respect the sum so that he would not spend it recklessly, but being satisified with that amount was equally as dangerous, as he needed to deal in amounts far higher than that.

    Amongst their cheering, he alone did not smile. He was pleased, no doubt, but he held the smile back.

    Even Isabe ¨C who was attempting to be more conservative with her emotions ¨C could not hold her smile back as Rin patted her shoulders excitedly, pleased with the amount. The money held a different significance for them ¨C it was their future, and it signified that their services would be required again.

    As the few women amongst a group of men were bound to, they had be closer with one another. Or more like, Akiko had tried her best to include Isabe, and Rin had backed her up. Slowly but surely, the falsity in her behaviour was desolving, and she allowed herself to be more vulnerable in their presense.

    "Good work, Jikouji."

    His voice found it¡¯s way to the old man¡¯s ears, despite the mour of the cheering.

    Jikouji nodded. They had both anticipated his sess, but words of recognition were still nice to have.

    They stepped slightly away from the noise of the rest, and shared a conversation.

    "Was it difficult?"

    "There were questions asked, of course. But when you¡¯re selling something like iron ore, there will always be buyers, as long as your price is reasonable."

    "I understand. You will have to have conversations with Isabe in future, as whatever we are able to acquire will be dependant on you being able to sell it. If you cannot, then it¡¯s better to avoid that shipment before hand."

    "Aye, that¡¯s true... She¡¯s quite the useful informant. I wonder quite how you managed to tame her?"

    He raised a question that had been on his mind for a while. The response to which was as he had expected, and Gengyo merely shrugged and smiled.

    "There are always people who are willing to work for coin."

    Came his simple response. Anything more detailed was unnecessary, and though he had promised to be open, he was not likely to dive into the entire contents of his past whenever he was asked to.

    Jikouji pursued it no further. He was entitled to his secrets, and as long as he kept good on his promise to be more revealing in regards to future ns then there was nothing he would do toin.

    "Fair enough. I suppose I had better get more acquainted with her. When did you intend to set off?"

    He asked, pursuing a more immediate topic instead.

    "As soon as I am able. Today, hopefully. We have some supplies packed, but I¡¯ll take some gold for expenses just in case. And, of course, I¡¯ll take that amount for recruitment."

    "By all mean ¨C it¡¯s yours after all."

    He walked back to his cart, and began to distribute the sack of coin, handing 20 bags of 100 coins to Gengyo. By this point, their actions had drawn the attention of the rest, and they gathered round.

    What an amount of coin it was. A single gold coin was worth a good deal, and if a peasant were to find one, then he would be set for a good while. Yet here they were, with enough gold coins to fill a sack. The physical representation of such an amount was what really made it hit home just how much they had.

    Gengyo had to find a second sack to stash his amount in and a smile of amus.e.m.e.nt wandered to his lips. As he travelled the road, such a sack would be hung from his saddle, and the people who passed him would assume that there was nothing of quality inside ¨C mere clothes or food. Yet if they were to take a peek, and discover that he had enough to money to buy arge army...

    As he was sorting the gold out for Gengyo, he also began to dividing it for the rest of them. He threw two coin pouches to Isabe ¨C her 5%. She caught them with a surprised look, before peering inside excitedly. She then tried to hide it, as though self-conscious about how much she had received, but Rin and Akiko merely smiled, and congratted her, showing no signs of jealousy.

    A further 300 was given to Morojo for the services of him and his men into the future. He received the coin pouches with a dignified nod. That set the amount he had earned to 1,000. And that was achieved in a little over a week.

    He praised his earlier judgement in epting this work. It was making him very rich indeed.

    And then the rest was split evenly amongst them, and they stood there, receiving their coin pouches with excitement. Even Akiko and Rin received their own amounts.

    "Ha... Finally! I¡¯ll be able to go to the market and actually buy the things I want!"

    Rin announced, holding the pouch of coin close to her face, as though it were some cute puppy. She looked entirely satisified.

    Akiko, in contrast to her friend, did not know quite how to react. There had never been an instance in her life where she had been given coin and told that she could do whatever she wished with it. There had simply been someone there to try and meet her material desires, though all that she had received was mostly books and clothes.

    Having coin of her own was an entirely different game, and there was no doubt that she would spend it and treat it differently than she had the coin of her father.

    Whilst they were all pondering how they might spend their coin, Morohira had already ran off across the courtyard, and to the residence where he and his wife were staying.

    "LOOK FUKU! WE¡¯RE RICH!"

    They were able to hear his shouting even from where they stood.

    Gengyo allowed himself a small smile at his father¡¯s excitement, before he entered in through the main mansion¡¯s doors, and headed upstairs towards his study.

    On his tabley a map of Mikawa - some parts of the surrounding provinces were included as well. There was just enough information on the map for him to find the first town in South Shinano. It was not an incredibly detailed depiction of thend around them, but it noted the main geographical features, and that was all he really needed to orient himself.

    He took his sword from the armour stand in the corner of the room, as he ran his fingers over the smooth ck leather of the dou, and tapped its shoulder.

    "Soon, I¡¯ll be able to wear you again."

    He promised, as he fitted his sword through his belt.

    Kitajo appeared at the door, apparently ready to leave as well. He also had a sword through his belt, and had a straw hat brought low over his eyes.

    Gengyo nodded to him, before donning a straw hat of his own. It was perhaps an unnecessary precaution to take, but he did not wish anyone to recognize him from Imagawa¡¯s campaign.

    "Are all the supplies ready?"

    He asked, rolling up the map carefully so that he would not crease it.

    "They are. There is enough tost us several days, providing we don¡¯t reach an inn before then."

    Kitajo asserted, his face hard, as he prepared himself mentally for the task ahead. There would be no one to forgive him if anything were to happen to Miura Tadakata.

    "Good."

    Was his simple response, as he stood in the middle of his room, his eyes closed, and made sure that he was not forgetting himself.

    With a nod, they flickered open once more, and he made his way to the door, confident that everything waspleted.

    Within the courtyard, the men were still gathered, chatting excitedly about the fortune they had begun to .u.mte. Isabe was bombarded with questions as they attempted to anticipate how much reward they would get after the next mission. But Isabe had not even gone back to Toyokawa next, so there was nothing she could say in response to their relentless questioning.

    Jikouji did not get involved, and when Gengyo returned outside, he was the first to notice him.

    "You¡¯re off then,d?"

    He asked. There was a hint of worry in his voice.

    Two servants held their horses ready and saddled, with the supplies left in saddlebags.

    "I am."

    Was his reply, as he walked over, and mounted the beast. The men were quiet as they watched him do so, fully understanding the importance of the mission ahead.

    He turned to them, before he left for the gates, and offered what reassurance he could.

    "Worry not for my safety, for I will be back before you know it. Simply concentrate on your task, and greet me with a huge pile of coin."

    With a heel to the horse¡¯s side, he began forwards towards the gate.

    "Good luck, Miura!"

    Rokkaku was the first to shout.

    "GOOD LUCK, MIURA!"

    The rest soon joined in.

    "GOOD LUCK, TADAKATA!"

    Rin and Akiko shouted together. Their words reached his ears, but he did not turn back to pay them heed. It was all forwards from now.

 Chapter 139 - The Heart of an Actress

    There was little time between when Gengyo left, and when Isabe herself decided to leave. She would do him proud, she decided, and get them lots of raids whilst he was away, so that their coin would mount up. But of course, it was also so her own coin horde could continue to grow.

    As usual there were all sorts of sh.i.p.s in the port of Toyokawa, and it was difficult to choose a target. As her eyes flickered over the vessels, there was one thing she was looking for in particr: goods with the highest value.

    There was also the issue of how quickly they could load it. She had made a mistake ¨C she reckoned ¨C in choosing the iron ship, because they had taken too long to load it, and as a result, they had been caught by the city guard as they attempted to flee.

    No, she needed something light and easy to remove.

    The number of guards that patrolled the port highlighted the importance of such a thing. There were a hundred, at least. Most of them were sitting down, looking out at sea, but a few were hastling the traders.

    She ignored the various arguments that were going on, and worked on staying inconspicuous as she looked out across the port. A duo of European men walked passed her, carrying a crate of muskets, and she could not help but stare.

    ¡¯If we were to sack a ship like that... We¡¯d have enough cargo to equal ten of the smaller vessels.¡¯

    But there were numerous problems with that. The loading times would be far too long. The only way that could be conveivable would be if they managed to take control of the ship itself, and then sail it away.

    In the end, she shrugged such thoughts from her mind. It was too risky ¨C especially since it was only their second raid ¨C and she cautioned herself against growing too greedy.

    With her veil on, the looks her way were minimal, and she was able to concentrate fully on her task. The difficulty merelyy in time. Not all the vessels were constantly loading or unloading, and so she had to be patient to find out what they kept under the deck.

    Eventually, her interest was piqued by a certain vessel in which the captain came off carrying an arm full of silk rolls. A single armful was not worth the hassle, but if the entire lower deck wasden with them, then they would have their opportunity.

    She felt an excited sensation rise up from with her chest as she saw men begin to disembark behind him, each carrying an armful of silken rolls.

    ¡¯Ho... This shows promise.¡¯

    She decided. There was more than enough cargo for them to make a handsome amount of. All thaty in question now was her to find out whether such a thing was a regr urrence, and such information would only be attained after using a certain skill.

    As thest man walked off with his load, she loosened the kimono around her chest, so that her wares could better be shown, and then she moved into his path, looking the other way, as though distracted.

    They bumped shoulders and she fell to the floor with a yelp.

    He opened his mouth, about to curse, but when he looked down, the veil had shifted slightly, and he was able to get a better look at her face. That, and the slightest peek of her chest was enough to quieten him.

    "Ah... Are you alright?"

    He asked instead, attempting to help her to her feet. She allowed him to do as he pleased, and grasped his arm, heaving herself upwards as though it was difficult.

    "Thank you... I¡¯m sorry for getting in your way. But my, you really are strong."

    She said, feigning being impressed. He was holding the rolls of silk in one arm, whilst he lifted her to his feet with another. It was enough strength to be considered average, but having herpliment it ¨C with due justifaction he thought ¨C did much to smooth things over.

    "Aha! Strongest on my crew, it¡¯s true. And no worriesss."

    He paused there, looking as though he wished to say more, but he could not think of the words. The men of his crew had looked back and seen him chatting to her now, and were shouting at him to hurry up.

    "I... Men like you, are the reason I still haven¡¯t given up hope. I would love to have a drink with you ¨C if you wouldn¡¯t mind ¨C but I have to leave for my vige for a few days."

    She said, looking genuinely sad. Her acting skills ¨C as Gengyo had noted when they first met ¨C were impressive indeed.

    His face too was a mask of emotion, a smile broke out as he heard the beginning part of the sentence, but that smile was reced to bitterness towards the end. It seemed like she was simply letting him down easily because she did not want to offend him.

    "Ha. It¡¯s fine."

    Hemented, trying to not seem too upset ¨C it was her that brought it up anyway.

    "No! It¡¯s not like that. I really do want to. Will you being back to Toyokawa soon?"

    She asked, looking up at him with big pleading eyes.

    "Ah..? Ah! Yes, we will. In five days time ¨C another load of silk I¡¯m told. So I¡¯ll see you then?"

    He asked, seeking confirmation.

    "Perfect! I will be here in five days, waiting at the port, as I was today."

    His smile grew, and she nced toward his crewmates who were shouting and jeering at him, telling him to stop wasting time on women, and get over there and help them.

    "You had better go before you get in trouble."

    "Aye! See youter,ss."

    He said giddly, as he walked away with a spring in his step.

    As soon he disappeared, her smile faded, and she resumed a cold mask, readjusting her kimono, and realigning her veil.

    ¡¯Perfect.¡¯

    Sheplimented herself. With a few simple words that were devoid of true intent, she was able to squeeze the information from him. He had even rified what goods they would be taking. The stars had aligned for their second raid, it seemed. No doubt the others would be pleased.

    Before she left, she walked along the port once more. This time her intent was more focused on the military vessels. They needed to keep a firm eye out for the city guard as they carried out these raids, and if she could give them a rough estimate of how many military vessels there were, then they would be able to n ahead.

    All she could spy, after walking up and down the port several times, was three small bow sh.i.p.s, and anotherrge ship alongside them. Whilstrge, it was still half the size of any European vessels. Yet it was likely superior to the small bow-dependant sh.i.p.s, as it was designed to be able to withstand collisions with its strong hull, and it¡¯s wide deck was suited to allowing many men to fight at once.

    It was more like an attempt at replicating thend, by simply making a wide t surface able to float. It was so inferior to the European vessels that it was almostughable. Both ship types were oar-powered, and their little ck-gged ship could not doubt out speed them ¨C especially therger vessel.

    With that, she was able to leave, more confident that they would be able to deal with what was in front of them.

    ...

    ...

    "What news,ss?"

    Morohira called out, seeing her descend down the steps into the cove. It waste evening by now, but there were still numerous fires within their settlement to keep them warm, and by their orange glow, they were able to make out her familiar face.

    She had ridden hard, with great speed. She was the only limiting factor on how much gold they could make, and she was not liable to take rest until they had a steady streaming in.

    The cove was being transformed greatly, and by now, there were a couple of small log cabins for them to sleep in. Such wood was courtesy of the oxen, who had been taken into the forest, as they went on another logging spree.

    The ship was fully repaired, sails, hull, and all. It was only her that they were all waiting on.

    The crew were sitting cross-legged around the fire, sharing idle conversation, as she descended. Jikouji had been left behind at the mansion, iming that he had various managerial things to attend to. It was unsurprising, as Gengyo was biased towards the moreplicated things, and the various repetitive tasks had been neglected by him.

    She did not speak until she came closer. Surprise was reflected on some of their faces. They had not expected her until at least the next day. But somehow, she had managed to leave just after Gengyo, and had somehow acquired information ande straight to the port, all on the same day.

    "I¡¯ve got one. A silk ship."

    She announced, as she stood alongside them. Waiting to receive their questions before she sat down. The roasting fish on the fire were mouth-watering, especially since she had not yet eaten that day.

    "When¡¯s iting?"

    Morohira asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.

    "Five days from today. Time of day is unknown, but today they arrived at noon. So if we are ready and waiting for them before then, it should work out fine."

    "Five days..."

    Hemented, disappointed. He had hoped for something more immediate.

    "Yes, five days. There are very few sh.i.p.s that deliver goods on the daily, so this was the best I could find."

    It was disappointing to see that in her voice there was an apologetic tone. It needn¡¯t have been present, and Togashi moved to rectify it.

    "Don¡¯t worry about such things, Ishi. You¡¯ve secured us a ship ¨C and a good one at that. I expect you were looking out for something easy to load? Well, you¡¯ve really hit the jackpot here. We¡¯ll be able to load silk extremely quickly."

    "Yes, I was thinking that too."

    Seeing the look Togashi was shooting him, Morohira frowned, and reassured her as well.

    "Aye, it¡¯s better to have something than nothing. There just isn¡¯t much to do, aside from training."

    Morojo stroked his beard at that, and made a proposition.

    "Well, I¡¯ve been thinking of building a jetty for your ship ¨C so you don¡¯t have to keep crashing it into the sand ¨C what do you reckon about helping with that?"

    The discussion went to the men, as Isabe sat down beside Rin and Akiko, following their incessant motioning for her to do so. They were sweet girls, she had decided. They looked innocent, and were friendly enough, but she had no doubt that they were almost as twisted as she. What normal woman would be able to cover her de in blood without batting an eye?

    "That sounds good! It¡¯ll be good strength training for Ii."

    Rokkaku put in. Carrying logs were certainly a burdensome task, and though his muscles were lean, Iicked any real strength.

    The young boy frowned, and moved to protest, but Morohira immediately spoke over him.

    "We can do. I do miss that kind of work. We¡¯ll have to send the oxen back to get more logs though. We¡¯re running out."

    "That¡¯s easily done. We¡¯ll have something to surprise the boss with when he gets back, eh?"

    Morojo replied.

    They turned to him, eyebrows raised. It was the first time he had referred to Gengyo as ¡¯the boss¡¯.

    "What..? Well he is, isn¡¯t he?"

    He defended, fl.u.s.tered.

    "Aye, that he is is."

    Morohira agreed with a hearty chuckle, pping his back.

 Chapter 140 - Ruthless

    "The righteous-"

    He stopped himself as he realized his words were spoken outloud.

    Kitajo turned his head curiosly as he sat astride on his horse, straw hat pulled low over his eyes.

    "What was that Miura?"

    But Gengyo merely shook his head in response.

    "Nothing."

    They had been travelling for a good few days, and the distance was beginning to take its toll, and his mind was running away with its thoughts. Their conversation had drifted off after the first day, for they had run out of things to talk about.

    He barely looked in front of him, and allowed Kitajo to lead the way. It was a long road they had to follow, and it would continue for a while, so there was no need to use the map quite yet.

    Theck of sleep was catching up to him, and he barely managed to keep his eyes open. Whenever he attempted to drift off in an evening, he would be assaulted with numerous problems that he would wrestle with for hours, and before he knew it, the morning sun was rising over the horizon.

    He allowed himself to show this weakness in front of Kitajo, as there was little he could do to hide it. Such a decision also allowed him to preserve his mind so that should anyone confront them, he would be able to deal with them swiftly.

    And by the gods he wished for someone to confront them. Even if they were heavily outnumbered, it was still better than dealing with the monotony of the road.

    "I see a fork in the road ahead, Miura."

    Kitajo announced.

    Gengyo looked up slowly, betraying his tiredness. He had anticipated such a fork hours before, after he had reviewed the map. But the time it took to get he was longer than he had expected. Or perhaps it was simply that it felt longer.

    "Left ¨C that¡¯s our path."

    Thed steered his horse toward the left as he was instructed, and silence reigned once more.

    If all went well, they would be able to cross the border into South Shinano by sundown that day, and with their crossing, they would hopefully be able to stay in an inn.

    The purpose of which was two-fold: information, as well asfort. When one was unused to the hardness of sleeping on the ground, it did not make for the mostfortable bed, and he hoped that with the addedfort, he might be able to restore some of the hours of sleep.

    They had passed through numerous viges on their way into South Shinano, but they did not deign it appropriate to seek out their inns, for there was nothing they could learn from them. Because the only benefit wasfort, Gengyo had avoided staying there, so that they would not attract attention to themselves.

    Either side of the road were fields of long grass, enclosing them. It grew higher than your average grass, and reached the knee. You could certainly hide a great many things in there, he reasoned.

    ¡¯It would be a lucky fox that got to hunt here.¡¯

    The stone covered path caused crunching sounds with each step they took, filling their ears with the monotonous, regr sound. They had to allow the horses to walk the distance, as it was too great a burden to force them to trot or gallop the entire way ¨C thest thing they needed was for their horses to give up on them.

    And so, when they rounded a curve within the road, and a man stood, blocking their path, it was a simple task to slow to a halt.

    He stood with his arms out wide, and barked at them.

    "HALT!"

    They had no choice but to follow his order, as they shared a nce with one another.

    The stranger stood there, with long, untamed hair, and a great bushy beard. For a man that stood alone, he was rather confident, which aroused their suspicision immeasurably. From a casual nce, Gengyo could tell that he was not a man present on official business. His kimono was far too ragged and untended, and the katana thrust through his belt did not have a scabbard.

    Their own des were not on prominent disy, andy within the saddlebags. They had thought it better to pose as merchants rather than warriors.

    "Can we help you?"

    Gengyo asked dryly.

    "Mmm, I wonder."

    He let loose a vicious smile as he drew his sword, and pointed it towards them threatenginly.

    "Hand over your belongings or face dea¡ªARGH!"

    He howled out in pain, as his hand was served from his arm, and he stared it at wildly, terrified, letting loose blood-curdling screamings. A secondter, a de through his neck silenced him.

    Gengyo dismounted, flicking the blood from his sword, as he grabbed the bandit by his shoulders and began to drag him towards the grass.

    "Gurgh...urgle"

    He gasped madly for breath as blood continued to splutter out from the wound in his throat. His face was a sickening concoction of fear and confusion. Just seconds before, he had been inplete control, and now hey dying, with no warning at all.

    ¡¯I¡¯m not ready..!¡¯

    He whimpered internally. There was no way he could show his face in Takamagahara like this. The same fantasy reyed through his head ¨C one in which he had acquired enough wealth from robberies in order to be an honourable man. Each time he robbed, he told himself the same thing ¨C that it was just a means to an end. That he was a good man, and soon he would prove it, he just needed enough gold.

    But his end was not as he imagined it. He was thrown to the ground, left to die amongst the vast fields of grass with no one to know of his passing, and no one who cared enough to mourn him.

    Thest thing he saw was the back of the man he had made the mistake of wronging, paying him no attention, as if he was a mere inconvience. An obstacle that had to be passed.

    And then, light left his eyes.

    Kitajo regarded Gengyo mildly. Had Gengyo not done it, he himself would have. It felt wrong to even humour such a lowly dog. With the road being empty, and their swords being near, they were not likely to put up with his manners for long.

    "You can¡¯t see the body from where we stand."

    The boymented, from astride his horse.

    "Good. His blood has soiled my clothes, though. It seems I have to change them."

    He muttered emotionlessly. The only thing he felt toward the man whoy dead on the ground was minor irritation.

    "You had better clean your face as well."

    Kitajo reminded him. There had been quite the spurt of blood from the man¡¯s arm, and a couple of droplets even hit him.

    Gengyo nodded, and threw his kimono off, as he used the clean sleeve to clear the blood from his face, and from the side of the horse. Once done, he merely threw the clothing into the fields of grass, to join the fallen, as he drew a fresh kimono from his saddlebag and donned it.

    Within a matter of minutes, it was as though a fight had not urred at all. Well, apart from the bloodstains in the middle of the road. But they were already leaving them long behind, as they continued their journey towards South Shinano.

    After their encounter with the bandit, Gengyo¡¯s mood was far better. The days of pent up irritation from the monotony had been unleashed with a single strike through his neck.

    It was obvious to all that saw it ¨C but Gengyo felt not a hint of remorse. He was long done with other people. If they were not his nsmen, and they had nought to offer him, then he would ignore them. But if they stood in his way, he would do as he had promised to do ¨C and cut them down.

    It was for that reason that Kitajo also felt nothing. To someone else his sudden attack might have seemed impulsive and frightening, but he was merely sticking to his word, and to him, that was honourable.

    "He wasn¡¯t a very good bandit."

    Kitajomented idly as the journeyed along the road.

    "Haha, no. That he wasn¡¯t."

    He agreed with a chuckle. They had not yet realized it, but they had just crossed into South Shinano territory, into thends of the Takeda n.

    There was a certainndmark he was on the lookout for that would inform him of their arrival. There was, of course, the border vige of Menryo, but more prominently was a small mountain on which the Buddhist temple of Menryo-ji was housed.

    The vige had grown to its size not because it was on the border between two provinces, but because it was near to the famous Menryo-ji temple. People from all over Japan gathered to pay homage to such a temple.

    Their philosophy was different from most, and no one was allowed near. But such a temple was the home to many great warrior monks, who, on their journeys into the world beyond the temple, had aplished many great things.

    Their belief was that the outside world was full of impurities, and in order to hone their bodies to the maximum, and achieve a high level of martial skill, they needed to separate themselves from it. Their discipline was rumoured to be legendary, and they trained far harder than any other man was capable of.

    But when they reached a certain age, it was judged that they learned all they could within that pure environment of theirs, and the monks left the temple, to experience the gues of the outside world, before they would once more return, stronger for the experience that they had gathered.

    "There it is, Kitajo. Menryo-ji. Not even the Shogun is allowed inside."

    They could see the mountain in the distance, and perched on top of which, they could see a high, four-storied building. There were other buildings around it, no doubt, but this one stood high into the sky, with its beautiful ck-tiled curved rooves, and red-painted wood, with white connecting panels.

    "You said lots of people gather to visit it, right? Why? What¡¯s the point of visiting it if you¡¯re not even allowed close?"

    "Mm, I wonder that too. It¡¯s a tradition, apparently, to stand and look up from the bottom of the steps. It is said in doing that, a warrior might be enlightened."

    His time spent in the office reading alone had certainly not been wasted, as his knowledge of the surrounding areas was extensive.

    "Heh... I don¡¯t believe in that."

    Kitajo decided, after a couple of seconds thought.

    "Nor do I, but there are many people that do."

    After all that they had faced, they could not believe that progress would be granted so easily. It required great pain, and great suffering. And simply staring up at a temple from the bottom of the steps was not likely to meet those requirements.

    They walked their horses into the small vige. It was a stretch to even call it that. It was made up entirely of merchants, as thend around here was not farmed. There was a simple inn, and a few stalls selling items to travellers.

    Strangers like them were not an usual sight, and they were barely spared a nce as they closed in on the inn.

    There was a stable to the side, with two men stood guarding it, and they approached.

    "50 silver for two horses."

    The man stated. They were allowed to demand such high amounts because they were the only stables for miles around.

 Chapter 141 - The Second Raid

    The days had passed quickly, and here they stood, on the decks of the famed ck-sailed ship, drifting out towards the sea. Though, currently, they did not hoist their ck sails. They wore white.

    They decided to adopt the same pattern as they had when they retreatedst time, and change their sails behind the same penins ofnd. But before then, they merely had to sit and wait, watching over and waiting for the ship that Isabe had pointed out.

    They were a good distance from all other sh.i.p.s, and so, even though they were dressed in their ck armour and masked, none could see enough of them to feel suspicion.

    The Morojo¡¯s had done their repairs admirably, and if anything, the ship felt better than it had before. They had not yet managed to coat the interior of the hull in iron, or steel ¨C to strengthen it ¨C but the new wood used for the repairs certainly added a lot.

    Even from where they stood, they could see hundreds of city guardsmen lining the port, attempting to assure all the traders that they were safe. But they felt no fear upon seeing them ¨C they trusted in their own speed.

    "Nothing yet, Togashi?"

    Morohira decided to ask the more eagle eyed man, for he was growing impatient.

    "Afraid not, no."

    "Perhaps thess got her information wrong."

    Morohira mused. It was a possibility. Though, even with the right information, it did not mean the ship would turn up on time.

    "Don¡¯t start talking like that ¨C it¡¯s not even noon yet."

    Rokkakuined.

    "Yup, Isabe will definitely have gotten us the right information, we just have to trust her ¨C right Rin?"

    Akiko asserted.

    "Exactly!"

    The two girls were feeling more confident this time, as they had found no difficulty in the battles before, and they had been training ever since. They knew that they were far stronger, and so, if anything, they were eager to demonstrate their proess.

    Before he had left, Rin had all but caught up to Kitajo, and when they fought, it was more of a chess match ¨C one that could go either way ¨C and their wins ended up being equal. Surprisingly, the young man had responded mildly to this. He did not feel threatened by her talent, and that she was catching up on him so quickly, quite the contrary. He appeared genuinely happy for her, and said as much.

    And Akiko, for her part, was doing just as well. She could now confidently beat each one of Ii¡¯s friends. Their talent was mediocre, and their experience less, and so, under Jikouji¡¯s instruction, she had progressed quickly.

    "I feel sick!"

    Iiined, clinging on the side of the ship, growing to hate the swaying of the deck.

    "I feel sick too ¨C sick of you. Shut up, will ya?"

    Enyained.

    "Hey now, don¡¯t worry about it Ii. I feel a bit sick too."

    Sasaki reassured him. He was one of the few people that did not openly berate thed, despite his irritating personality.

    "Mm... I think that might be it."

    Togashi announced, squinting. His eyes were on a small trading vessel that was rounding a piece ofnd, and heading towards the port.

    Without even seeking more confirmation, Morohira gave the order, trusting in the bearded man¡¯s eyesight.

    "INTO THE DRESSING ROOM! WE¡¯RE CHANGING!"

    He announced, as the crew responded instantly, changing the direction of the sails, and spurring them behind the small paninc. Having not known how to refer to this piece ofnd, Morohira simply gave it the nickname ¡¯Dressing Room¡¯ and it had ended up sticking.

    Inside the dressing room, none of the sh.i.p.s by the port could see them, and they were able to raise the second mast swiftly, and changed the sails from white, to ck.

    "GOOD! ALL MEN BELOW DECK!"

    He ordered. They needed to begin rowing immediately. As soon as they came out of the Dressing Room, they were likely to be seen, and so they had to prey upon the trading ship quickly, and get out just as fast.

    Only Togashi stayed on deck alongside him, as he hadst time. They changed the sails together, and caught the wind, getting a burst of speed as they shot forward.

    The oars were lowered into the water, and he called out the time.

    "ONE, TWO. ONE, TWO. ONE, TWO."

    He intoned, eyes firmly on the horizon, and on the target that they were heading towards. As soon as their ship was revealed there was an uproar from within the port.

    "THEY ACTUALLY DARED COME BACK! EVEN AFTER ALL THE DEFENCES!"

    A man shouted, his voice a mixture of surprise and fear, for he was a trader himself.

    The guardsmen forced civilians out of their way, as they pushed towards their sh.i.p.s.

    As they neared, it became obvious to everyone who their target was, since they remained on a straight path, like a loosed arrow, and continued towards the silk trading vessel.

    Soon they were close enough to see the fear on the men¡¯s faces, as they frantically attempted to change the sails and move out of their path.

    "ROKKAU, SASAKI, IT¡¯S TIME!"

    He shouted, calling the two beastial men above deck, whilst he had the rest continue to row. It required a careful hand on the sails in order to direct them urately enough, but Togashi had grown rather good at it.

    The men just barely made it above deck in time, as their ship would soon pass the trading vessel. They had to sprint towards their hooks, and loose them quickly, before they missed their window of opportunity.

    But despite the haste, both hooksnded. They had been close enough to the trading ship as to make the shot easy.

    "ALL MEN ABOVE DECK!"

    Morohira called out, as he moved behind Rokkaku and assisted him in pulling, whilst Togashi went to help Sasaki.

    Their piercing gazes were firmly fixed on the terrified traders, who stood above deck, holding quivering swords. There was no way they could defend against the rumoured ck ship ¨C and they knew it. Some of them dropped their swords out of fear. One man ¨C the only man amongst them who could swim ¨C threw his sword to the floor, and dared to brave the waters.

    It was his only chance at survival, and though there was a good mile of swimming to be done before he reached the beach, he had to take his chances.

    "F.U.C.K YOU JONOKO!"

    They heard one of the traders shout, cursing his crewmember¡¯s cowardliness. But on the inside, he wished he was capable of swimming, so that he could do the same.

    They pulled close, the side of their ship crashing against the side of the trading ship, as all the men came above deck.

    At this point, it was a race to see who could board the enemy¡¯s deck the fastest ¨C for there was nothing to fear from the foes in front of them.

    But in one graceful bound, Rin secured that ce, and drew first blood before she even hit the ground.

    "HAHA! THAT¡¯S MY DAUGHTER!"

    Morohira bellowed proudly, seeing her fight so fiercely. But there was no way he would allow Rin to take all the fun, and he leapt after her, securing a kill for himself.

    A wave of the men crashed into the terrified traders, and they were cut down easily, with almost no resistance. It was not a fight at all ¨C it was an execution.

    Within seconds, the fun was over, and they had to sheath their des, and assume a moreborious task, for there were a certain two sh.i.p.s that were closing in on them fast.

    The city guard had finally organised themselves, and they sent theirrgest ship rowing towards them,den with over a hundred men. A small bow vessel with 50 men sped on ahead.

    "LET¡¯S START LOADING THIS ¨C DON¡¯T GET BLOOD ON THE ROLLS!"

    Morohira instructed, cleaning his hands on a scrap of cloth before he went below deck and scooped up an armful of rolls. When he made it above deck again, he simply hurled them onto his own ship, without bothering to cross back over, and then he went below again.

    By such a process, the silken rolls were cleared out quickly, though there was a certain young man who ¨C despite them being right next to their own ship ¨C managed to miss, and send two rolls crashing into the water.

    "How..."

    Rin asked quietly, almost shocked, seeing such an impressively poor performance.

    But they had no time to ponder how he had managed it, and they crossed back over to their own ship, and sliced through the ropes.

    The sails were set, and they were sent below deck to row once more, with the rhythm being called out. They were all very aware of the threat the city guard were intent on posing, but seeing the measly sh.i.p.s that they sent out to stop them, they could not feel too much fear.

    Therge vessel was far too slow to pose any problem, and even the bow vessel ¨C though it could make things awkward ¨C was not quite as fast as theirs.

    Morohira controlled the angle of the sail, and sent them forward. Before long, it became apparent what direction he was intent on sending them, and Togashi could not help but question such a decision.

    "Morohira... We will struggle to fight so many men."

    Togashi warned. He did not dare criticise the man so heavily, after his performancest time ¨C he clearly knew what he was doing. But he still knew that it would be far safer simply to sail around the two vessels, for they did not have a chance at catching them.

    "I know."

    Came Morohira¡¯s simple reply. He did not operate on logic, but instinct, and this to him felt right.

    Their ship was angled to go between the bow ship, and therge vessel that trailed so far behind it. There was a rather sizeable gap. But their intent was obvious, and the bow ship slowly turned itself around, before it began rowing back to close such a gap up ¨C it would be infuriating if they managed to escape between their legs.

    Therge ship continued to power forward all the same, and soon, both sh.i.p.s were lined up, decreasing the gap between them at speed.

    They were travelling frighteningly fast ¨C it was true. But the gap was decreasing at a simr speed, for it was thebined speed of bow ship, and therger vessel.

    Togashi began to grow anxious as they neared. They were at least twenty metres away from the gap, and it already looked too narrow. They could hear the guards jeering at them, sure that they had caught the big fish. The bearded man turned to Morohira, about to ask him to change course.

    But Morohira continued looking forward with his demonic mask grinning wildly. He made no adjustments to the sail, and merely continued to call out the rowing rhythm. If those below deck had known what danger they were in, then theints might have been louder.

    Nearer they came, all three sh.i.p.s. Those from the port watched in anticipation, excited to see the demise of the ck-gged vessel, that had left so many traders worried for their lives.

    Ten metres.

    "Impossible..."

    Togashi breathed, bracing himself.

    Five metres.

    He had to close his eyes now, as he hugged the lower deck, hoping the impact would not be too vicious.

    "..."

    CRWOOOOOOOK

    The terrifying sound of groaning wood battered his ears, as within milliseconds it splintered, and bits of wood were sent flying everywhere. Sharp chunks hit his cheek, drawing blood, affirming that it was the right choice to keep his eyes closed.

    Yet oddly, the force of the impact did not rock him too heavily, and he could still feel the solid wood of the deck beneath his feet, and so, he dared to open his eyes.

    "By the gods..."

    He breathed, seeing the destruction around them. Their ship was unscathed, and was powering through the water. But the same could not be said for the bow vessel.

 Chapter 142 - The Inn

    Gengyo made a great effort, slowing counting out 50 silver, as if each coin pained him. He could easily have presented him with a single gold coin to save the trouble, but it did not do to unt your wealth, especially in unfamiliar territory.

    The stable guard looked at him condescendingly, as if criticising him for being so poor.

    But Gengyo continued with the act, and presented him with the coin, before handing him the reins of his horse, and Kitajo did the same.

    "Quite the price."

    Kitajomented quietly, as they walked towards the entrance of the inn.

    "It is indeed."

    Came the response, as they passed through the small entrance.

    It was a quiet ce, or at least it was, for about ten seconds. A woman stood behind a counter, ready to wee them with a deep bow.

    "Wee to Menryo inn, sirs. Can I interest you in a room, or some drink?"

    She asked them, struggling to be heard over the boisterousughter of a certain drunk individual in the corner. Gengyo did not turn around yet to see the source of theughter, instead, he merely admired the room lightly, before responding.

    It was a traditional enough inn, with tatami flooring, and low tables and cushions for drinking. It was clean too, and would certainly make a change from sleeping on the floor.

    "Mm, how much for two rooms?"

    He asked, as though money was an issue. But the main problem was that his arms wereden, and he needed somewhere to put down their saddlebags ¨C there was not a chance they would leave them attached to their horses, for the guards to root through.

    And amongst that weight, were 2,000 gold coins which provided a considerable amount of strain for his arms.

    "One gold coin for two rooms, sir."

    She said with a smile, as though it was a very reasonable offer. If a peasant were to hear such a price merely for a room, they would have cut the woman down where she stood. How sick did one have to be to charge such an amount?

    But it was well within her rights. It was not a ce that got an overwhelming amount of visitors, but each visitor that came was certain to have a good amount of coin, otherwise, they could not afford to make the trip. And, they were the only inn for miles around, so they did not have a choice.

    Making a greatly pained expression on his face, Gengyo slid her a gold coin, seeming rather unwilling to part with it, as the serving woman had to all but wretch it from his fingers.

    But her false smile did not fade, even at his manners. She simply assumed him to be impolite, and not as wealthy as some of their guests.

    "I¡¯ll show you to your rooms then ¨C this way please."

    The serving woman shuffled lightly along, attempting to appear as elegant as possible. It was amusing the lengths that some people went to in order to ensure positive patronage.

    "For the sir."

    She pushed open a sliding door and motioned for Gengyo to go inside. He merely threw his bags down next to the door, before turning to her with a sigh.

    "Nails really do weigh you down..."

    Hemented, as theynded with a slightly metallic sound. She did her best to hide her disgust at his words. Mere nails? That was all he had to trade? It made sense though, for he struggled to cough up the coin required.

    "Do you serve any food?"

    He asked, rubbing his stomach to ill.u.s.trate his point.

    "That we do, sir. I will serve you in just a moment, after I show this man to his room."

    She did her best to maintain her gging smile that was tight from irritation.

    "Ah, by all means."

    Gengyo responded as though he had forgotten all about such a thing. She slid a door open for Kitajo, who did just as Gengyo had, and dumped his bags on the floor, before turning to her expectantly.

    "...Right this way then."

    She relented, leading them back to main dining area, where her counter was.

    "We have grilled salmon... Rice balls... Steak... Pickled vegetables... Soup..."

    She continued listing what they able to make off her fingers.

    "How much for steak?"

    He asked, cutting her off rudely.

    "30 silver, sir."

    At that, he made a pained expression, and instead inquired about the soup.

    "Soup..?"

    "10 silver for soup and rice."

    "Can we have two of those please, and some tea?"

    "Very good sir, 25 silver."

    With a groan, he pulled a half-empty coin pouch out, and rooted through it, searching for the right amount of silver. It took time, but eventually, it was countered out.

    A single swift motion, and that amount disappeared within her palm.

    "Please have a seat wherever you like. Your food wille shortly."

    She said with a bow, to thank them for their patronage, before she disappeared into another room.

    Gengyo¡¯s expression returned to normal once she had left, and picked out a table in a corner of the room, as far away from the rowdy drunk man as he could.

    Acting did note as naturally to him as it did Isabe, and he was d of some reprieve.

    "That was well done, Miura."

    Kitajo said admirably, in a whisper. Because of his acting, those that he had interacted with assumed him to be poor. Had he produced a gold coin without flinching at each of their requests, that would have aroused some amount of attention.

    "It was passable."

    Gengyo agreed, genuinely looking forward to the meal toe. But he did not allow that longing to cloud his judgement, as he remembered their primary purpose foring here: information. And so the twopsed into silence, as they attempted to listen in on the conversation around them.

    That, as it turned out, was not very hard. The only other table upied was that of the drunken man, and his conversation was not exactly quiet.

    He was not alone, either. In hispany was a young man, around half his age, and there were two women, hanging on his every word, as he let loose a thousand boastful stories.

    He wore a sword at his hip, and was clearly of some wealth, given by how he dressed, and how he was able to dine in such a ce. He was certainly of the samurai ss. The only thing left in question was whether he was a ronin or not.

    "Haha, yes, I¡¯ve been in many duels!"

    "Woe..."

    One of the women let loose an awed gasp, as she gazed up at him in admiration. The man next to him did not react, though his chest was constantly puffed out in pride. He was well aware of his master¡¯s skill, that was the sole reason he had asked to be his apprentice. It was disappointing, however, as though he had served him for over a year, he had not yet been able to witness one of his fights. But he knew that was simply because there were very few people willing to fight him, because of his feared reputation.

    "And you won them all?"

    The woman asked, seeming genuinely interested.

    "No..."

    He intoned sadly, leading them on.

    "I lost my first duel! But I haven¡¯t lost one since, haha!"

    He said cheerfully, bringing the sake to his lips, as he smacked them together, enjoying the liquid to the fullest.

    "Ah! That hits the spot!"

    "My... You really are strong."

    The same woman continued to flirt with him, whilst the girl next to her simply continued to blink l.u.s.tfully toward him. Their intentions were obvious from their words, but as drunk as he was, he did not seem to mind. Perhaps even if he was sober, he would not care.

    They were women of an inn, after all. They were inclined to sleep with all types of men as long as the coin reward was to their liking.

    "Haha! Aye! And I¡¯ll be stronger still after I gaze up at the steps of Menryo-ji tomorrow. But of course, that likely means it will take longer for me to find my match. But it matters not! Strength waits for no man."

    He proimed, mming his cup down passionately. He was seemingly rather excited.

    "Your soup and rice..."

    The same woman from earlier came in with a tray full of food to serve them. She ced the bowls in front of them, and offered them chopsticks to dine with.

    "Thank you!"

    Gengyo paid her very little attention with his thanks, as he was already digging in greedily, continuing his act from earlier. She held back a sigh, and left with the empty tray.

    "It¡¯s a shame, though. I haven¡¯t been able to test my strength in years... So I don¡¯t know how strong I currently am. When I be enlightened it might be difficult topare the differences in strength."

    The drink had greatly loosened his tongue as he let loosementations that he normally would not share with their likes. Or at least, he seemed to.

    He swirled his ss, intent on evoking true emotion from women who were ustomed to the hearts and needs of men. It would be an achievement, he reckoned, to truly win one of their hearts. Theirs were the hardest hearts to win ¨C hearts full of experience.

    "You can always duel me, master."

    His apprentice attempted tofort him.

    "Nod... It would not be the same. To put one¡¯s life on the line for the sword ¨C that is what I seek. Hahaha!"

    He let loose a heartyugh as though to disguise his emotion.

    "Can you not challenge one of the guards? It would be an honour to see you fight..."

    The quiet woman asked, looking up at him with big round eyes. It was the first time she had showed direct interest all evening, and his heart fluttered slightly at the look she gave him. She was certainly the prettier one of the two women.

    The man averted his gaze, searching for a suitable way to turn her down, and then his gazended on Gengyo, eating his food messily as though he was an animal, still attempting to keep the fa?ade of being a simple-minded travelling merchant who was low on coin.

    "I have something better."

    He announced loudly, so that Gengyo could hear, as he slowly got to his feet, stumbling slightly under the influence of the alcohol. But he soon regained his bearings, and after dusting off his kimono, he walked over confidently, with the eyes of his table members firmly pinned to his back, curious as to what would happen.

    A hand found it¡¯s way to Gengyo¡¯s shoulder, and he twitched with irritation at the touch. He shot Kitajo a dark nce, letting him know how he felt about the matter.

    "Excuse my intrusion."

    Came his voice. The young man slowly turned round to meet his gaze. He set aside his merchant persona, and allowed his true emotion to be manifest on his face.

    "Ah..."

    The man gulped upon meeting his savage gaze. Those startlingly clear golden eyes bore down upon him, and he felt an immense pressure.

    ¡¯...This is not an enemy I can face.¡¯

    Within seconds he came to that realization. He was no swordsman. It was a mere act that he had adopted in order to feel some degree of sess.

    But he could not back down here.

    "D-do you wish to duel?"

    He managed to spit out, hoping with all his heart that the man would decline.

    "Fine."

    Gengyo stood up.

    "Ah... I did not mean now ¨C on the morrow. I am... much too drunk."

    He decided. The young man raised an eyebrow, but let it slide.

    "Do as you want."

    ¡¯Though if you do dare toe tomorrow, you will.¡¯

    He intoned. The attempt at disguising his wealth had been sessful, but there were still rabbits who feigned to be foxes, and could sniff out that supposed weakness he was letting loose ¨C it was a smell they were rather familiar with.

 Chapter 143 - Useless

    "Ahaha!"

    Morohira bellowed, admiring the destruction they had left in their wake. The city guard had been so eager to cut off their escape route - and to crush their small vessel between their two sh.i.p.s ¨C that they had neglected to prepare for the event in which their little ck-gged ship managed to break free.

    The bow ship took the worst of the damage. In thest few seconds it had realized it¡¯s fate, and had altered it¡¯s direction slightly. But it was not enough, for it was far toote. Therger ship still crashed into it at speed, snapping all the extended oars as if they were mere twigs, and bending and snapping the wooden hull.

    "..."

    Togashi did not know quite what to say. And there was no one else above deck that he could share this feeling with, apart from Morohira. But their captain had seemed to think such an action would work from the start ¨C only the gods knew how.

    ¡¯Instinct...¡¯

    He pondered.

    Once more Morohira had acted swiftly to ensure the most infuriating end to the city guard¡¯s attempt at stopping them. He seemed to have something of a talent for that.

    The bow vessel was taking onrge amounts of seawater through its numerous cracks, and was sinking rapidly. The screams of the once pompous guardsmen filled their ears, as fifty men were sent into the depths of the ocean.

    Though it had taken the majority of the force, the bow vessel was not the only casualty. The oars on therger ship had also been snapped off on one side, and they had some worrying damage to their hull ¨C though it was not yet quite enough to sink them.

    With the situation being as it was for them, then it would no doubt take them a good while before they managed to return to shore. Though, it¡¯s doubtful that many of them wanted to return. Especially the ship¡¯s captain. The shame would be unbearable. Imagine inflicting such damage on yourself!

    And they had not even managed to slow the ck-gged ship. They had not even clipped it. And it continued to sail rapidly away, before it disappeared behind a penins in thend, and carried on to sail the waters beyond.

    When he announced that it was time to begin the transformation, the crew members came to the deck with haste. They had heard the sounds of a frightening impact, but they had not really felt such a force themselves.

    "Hey! What happened?"

    Rin was the first to ask, arriving ahead of everyone else. She looked to Togashi who merely stared back at her wearily and shook his head. The excitement of Morohira¡¯s games had left him exhausted.

    But the captain was only too happy to share his exploits.

    "Haha! They turned on each other, they did. And now their little boat lies at the bottom of the sea!"

    She frowned, along with the rest of them, and looked back to Togashi. Morohira wanted to enjoy the moment a little longer before exining things properly.

    "It¡¯s true..."

    He said with a sigh, still unable to quitee to terms with how well it all worked. Just a split secondter, and it would have been they who got hit and sunk.

    "We sailed through the city guard¡¯s sh.i.p.s, and they crashed into each other chasing us. The gods only know how lucky we were."

    "DAMN IT!"

    Rokkaku cursed loudly, stamping his foot on the deck, before approaching Morohira aggressively, as though he was about to hit him.

    "Next time you do something cool, let us in on it!"

    He demanded passionately. To have missed such an exciting turn of events ¨C it was likely one of the biggest regrets he had since bing a soldier.

    "Yup! I agree with the big guy ¨C that was too cool to let us miss."

    Rin put in, with a big grin, as she danced around behind Akiko. It was another big victory for them, it seemed, as they had once more managed to kill two birds with one stone. As well as acquiring the haul that they wanted, they had managed to thin the city guard¡¯s numbers a little as well. It was the perfect turnout. But one could only wonder how much longer it could continue.

    "The others will be pleased."

    Sasaki put in, already thinking of theirrades. He knew from conversation he had shared that those left behind did not waitfortably. The entire time they were departed, worry consumed them. And it was understandable, for they did not know what was urring out on the fearsome sea.

    "Dunno about them, but I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how much we get."

    Ii muttered, his mind ¨C as usual ¨C more on the coin.

    His words werergely ignored, for coin was not something the others bothered with as much as he. They were more concerned about theirbined treasury ¨C the very treasury that would support an army, so that they might cut off Imagawa¡¯s head. Though, it was indeed nice to have spending money of their own.

    And so they sailed back to their cove, disguised as a trading ship, with their lower deckden with silken rolls, and their heartsden with satisfaction.

    ...

    ...

    Elsewhere there was a man who certainly could not be described as satisfied. He was so far from it, that it almost seemed like a foreign emotion to him.

    As Koroman delivered the news to themander of the city guard, he did so with a degree of pleasure. It was amusing to see the newly recruited men fail so quickly, and in such a fashion.

    The word has spread within moments, as spectators from the port informed the rest of the town ¨C the city guard were aughing stock.

    "They pose more of a threat to themselves than the ck-gged ship ¨C how can such people keep the port safe?"

    "They can¡¯t! Another robbery happened today, right under their noses ¨C they didn¡¯t manage to do anything, ¡¯cept lose a ship of their own."

    Had been the mostmon line of conversation to be heard.

    Even without having heard such conversations, themander could well enough imagine them, and it made him blue from rage. He grasped the edge of his desk tightly, as his whole body trembled from the intensity of his grip and his hands turned white.

    Koroman had never seen him quite that angry ¨C he was usually able to get a fewints out. And so, he remained diligent, so that he might dodge any inkpots thrown his way.

    "Correct me, Koroman... A whole ship of men ¨C gone? And our other vessel is stuck out at sea, and needs towing in?"

    He asked, his voice deceptively calm, hiding the anger that was ready to explode.

    "That¡¯s right."

    Came Koroman¡¯s simple response, as he did his best to hide his smile. It really was aical state of affairs, and he was rather happy to be detached from it. None of the me could fall on his head.

    Therge vessel that they had been so proud of, had been rendered effectively useless, missing half its oars. Any attempt at rowing would lead to them spinning in an endless circle. And so there they sat, in the middle of the sea, drifting along with the tide, and hoping to be rescued sometime soon.

    Themander ground his teeth. He could only imagine the jeers the mob would give as they towed their finest ship back to the port. Perhaps it would have been better had it sunken as well.

    "And what... What goods did they steal this time?"

    He was done pretending to be calm, and the question came out more as a hiss.

    "Mm, silk, I¡¯m told."

    His advisor responded indifferently.

    Themander sank his head into his hands in exasperation, as he ground his teeth fiercely, so close to exploding. But he held back the anger, until he had decided on a suitable course of action.

    There were some within Toyokawa who were cheering for their ck-gged ship. The guards had always been intolerable with their arrogance, and it was good to see them exposed for what they truly were ¨C pretensious animals who had signed up for a role they could not handle.

    But their reputation had been as order keepers. They had been respected ¨C even feared ¨C to a degree, even if the people did not like them. And so they served their purpose well, despite theirck of skill. But now, with these raids, theirck of training was revealed for what it was, and they were toyed with by their adversary.

    "USELESS!"

    Themander barked, suddenly ovee by rage, as he mmed his fist full force into the wooden table. He felt a great deal of pain on the impact, but instead of deterring him, that pain only served to irritate him further, and he let loose another flurry of punches.

    "USELESS! USELESS! THEY¡¯RE F.U.C.K.I.N.G USELESS!"

    He roared, enraged. The thin walls were not enough to keep the sound from his office unheard, but by now the servants were used to such urrences, and knew to keep their mouths shut.

    Koroman thought there was an interesting irony to his words. His actions had always shown hisck of regard for the need of skill within an army ¨C one only needed men who were willing to die. And now here he was, cursing his men forcking something he had never bothered to endow them with.

    He stood there, breathing heavily after his outburst.

    "Koroman."

    Came his sharp words.

    "Yes?"

    "Send two sh.i.p.s to tow it back."

    Was the order he had to give, despite hisck of willingness to see ite into y. It was much too embarrassing, and should the upper echelons of the mess that was happening, then there would be hell to pay.

    "And, from now on, we have two sh.i.p.s on the water at all times. No matter how fast that damned ship is, it still has to stop when it wants to board something! We¡¯ll use that chance to pluck it out of the water for good."

    "As you wish, lordmander."

    He responded with a small bow and moved towards the door. Thettermand was one that he should have issued before. But none the less, it was a sound one. Whilst he certainly enjoyed seeing the ck-gged ship cause havoc, it seemed it¡¯s piracy spree hade to an end.

    "And inform everyone that those who died were trainees ¨C or something like that! Tell them theycked the proper training, but they still dove intobat and acted bravely."

    He ordered. It was a suitable enough lie to tell, but he still doubted that it would do much to rejuvenate the people¡¯s trust in him.

    "It will be done."

    Koroman affirmed, closing the door behind him, as he let loose a sigh.

    ¡¯If I was themander, we certainly would not have fallen so low.¡¯

    He thought, though such a thought startled himself. He had never thought of such a thing before, and was quite sure that he wished to leave this miserable little town, even if he was offered the position asmander of the city guard.

    ¡¯What on earth am I doing, thinking things like that?¡¯

    He asked himself, as he stood there in a daze, barely seeing the servant who greeted him as she passed.

    It was an odd thought indeed. Yet he did not feel entirely ufortable running it through his mind. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he found he rather liked such an idea.

    "Mm..."

    He mused aloud, walking slowly through the corridors of themander¡¯s mansion, seeing it in a different light.

 Chapter 144 - Fraud

    The drunken man did not deign it appropriate to bother them for the rest of the evening, but still him suddenly asking Gengyo to duel had sparked quite a bit of excitement amongst his table, though he could not join in as much as he wished to, for he felt a chilling fear in his heart.

    ¡¯Just what have I gotten myself into..?¡¯

    He wondered. Perhaps it was finally time to give up this fa?ade, and reveal myself for what I am. It¡¯s better than dying, right?

    ¡¯I wouldn¡¯t be so sure... I¡¯d be left without an identity... I¡¯d be nothing.¡¯

    He muttered. He had always announced himself as a travelling ronin, on a quest to be as strong as he could. He stated that as the reason for him not serving a lord. But the truth was far different. The truth was that he was weak, and no lord wished to employ him. It was standard procedure for a lord to test the integrity and strength of those that would serve under him, and he failed in both departments.

    As such, he hade about this new persona of his, and with it, he felt some degree of fulfilment. People looked towards him with respect when he spoke, and in the end, that¡¯s all he really wanted.

    Yet after all these years, he had made his first mistake. He had smelt fear oozing out of the merchant¡¯s skin. He had known that he could beat him, for even though his skill was poor, he still had some training with the sword.

    Though it seemed that which he smelled had not been fear. It had been something that fed on fear, and thus gave a simr scent. When those eyes locked with his, he knew his chances of winning were slim.

    His only chance at surviving the duel ¨C whilst also keeping his honour intact ¨C was to avoid it entirely. Though now, by the way they were talking, it seemed that would be difficult.

    "My... To think I¡¯d get to witness Samurai-san¡¯s duel. It¡¯s an honour."

    She said flirtatiously.

    His apprentice was simrly excited, though he did his best to remain dignified. Yet in the ronin¡¯s mind, he was busy plotting the best way to let them down.

    ...

    ...

    "Do you think it will cause problems ¨C that duel you epted?"

    Kitajo asked, concerned that Gengyo might have made a rash decision.

    "I wonder. I don¡¯t n to loose any sleep over it, though. If he blocks my way, and forces me into the duel, then I¡¯ll end his life. Otherwise, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem."

    The youngd nodded, a little more convinced. No one could question the results of an official duel, with witnesses present, even if they wanted to. Whilst standing out wasn¡¯t exactly what they wished for, nor was to be slowed down by unnary obstacles. It seemed quicker and simpler to ept the duel, rather than to feign weakness and avoid it.

    "Goodnight then, Kitajo."

    Gengyo said wearily, as he slid open the door to his room, and let out a yawn.

    "Goodnight, Miura."

    Thed responded in kind, disappearing inside his own room.

    Night had fully descended at this point, and no light permeated into his room. He slid under the warm nket, relishing thefort. It was certainly a huge improvement from sleeping on the cold ground.

    Here, he reasoned, a good nights sleep might be possible. He was rxed, and truly exhausted. Even the torment of his own mind was not liable to keep him awake.

    But, it seemed, he was wrong. At least for a time. It took a good few hours of restless thought before his mind finally deemed him safe, and allowed him to drift off for a time.

    He awoke at numerous points. But the weight of his exhaustion was too much for him to dwell on the content of the dreams, and so he wouldy his head straight back down.

    Like this, he slept longer than he had in a good while. And even as the morning light drifted in - and notified him of the return of the day - he did not pay it heed, and he did not stir. Whilst the man had insisted that he duel him in the morning, he did not care for such a thought. It was merely a single leaf of theke of his consciousness, and was far outweighed by his need for sleep.

    Kitajo awoke before him, and quietly slid open the door to his room. He smiled lightly when he saw that his master was still sleeping, and then he returned to his own room to wait. He was well aware of the difficultly Gengyo was having, and so, even if he had to fight off a group of men alone, he would not allow him to be awoken.

    It was noon before he finally left the protection of his nkets. He blinked a couple of times,zily growing used to the light. He then stretched deeply, before he went in search of hisrade.

    "Morning, Kitajo."

    He said, as he slid open the door of his friend¡¯s room. He was feeling rather energetic with the sleep that he had managed to steal, and was certain they could make good progress on the road today.

    "Good afternoon, Miura. It seems you have missed your duel with that man, is that a problem?"

    Gengyo shrugged as if it was the furthest thing from his mind.

    "I doubt he minds."

    Kitajo chuckled lightly at that. It was certainly true ¨C the supposed master swordsman had be a rabbit merely upon receiving Gengyo¡¯s gaze. What would happen when he received his sword?

    "Mm... Do you think ¨C before we leave ¨C we might be able to see Menryo-ji? Even if it¡¯s not true, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to look up, would it?"

    Thed asked timidly. It seemed he felt nervous about slowing them down.

    "Sure. We¡¯ll be riding past it anyway."

    Gengyo replied indifferently. The road deeper in South Shinano territory ran straight past the temple, and so it would make no difference to their journey to pay it a visit.

    He instantly perked up upon seeing that his request was epted, and let loose a grin. Though he had said what he had before, it seemed he too wished to believe in the Menryo-ji¡¯s offer of enlightenment.

    In his excitement, he went to order them some food, as Gengyo collected their belongings. They had brought their own food supplies with them, but they had to make the effort whenever they could to conserve such supplies, as they did not know when they might need them.

    After a quick meal, and a few words to the guards, they were remounted, and back on the road. Even if they did not have the road to follow, it was rtively easy to find Menryo-ji, as it stood intimidatingly on it¡¯s hill, surrounded by forest.

    Even though they had not made haste, it did not take them long to reach the steps of the famed temple.

    The worn stone steps ran upwards ¨C thousands of them. One could just barely see the top, where two bald men stood guard, spears held ready to skewer anyone foolish enough toe so close.

    It was not a simple deterrent either. There had been those foolish enough to go against the temple¡¯s warnings, and they had been killed on the spot, without a single shred of mercy. The monk¡¯s skill was heavenly, and no matter how arrogant you were, it was simple folly to challenge them.

    And nor did these two men wish to. They dismounted their beasts, and slowly walked to the bottom of the steps. Apart from the length of the stairs, it seemed much like any other temple, and even as they stood in silence, staring up at the top, he felt nothing, aside from the res of the monks that looked down on them, daring them to take a step forward.

    ¡¯Perhaps that was the enlightenment then.¡¯

    He wondered.

    ¡¯The realization that there are people far stronger than you.¡¯

    He imagined that the monks would appear quite intimidating to most, and could certainly cause such an understanding. But for him, simply looking up as they were ¨C it aplished nothing.

    "See anything, Kitajo?"

    He asked, wondering whether hispanion was experiencing any sess.

    "Nope... I just see two bald guys."

    He said honestly.

    "Same for me. I suppose this is a bit of a waste of time, eh? But still, the temple does look rather grand, and if we were allowed closer to see it, then I imagine the journey would be worth it."

    "Mhm. I can¡¯t understand those who have travelled so long simply to stare up at two bald monks. I imagine they¡¯d be rather disappointed."

    "Perhaps. But I¡¯m guessing they¡¯d prefer to lie to themselves, and pretend that they had reached some sort of enlightenment, so that the trip wouldn¡¯t be so disappointing."

    "That¡¯s true..."

    He agreed, hoping back onto his horse, as the whirled around, and prepared to rejoin the road.

    In that moment of silence, a familiar voice reached their ears.

    "Haha! It is disappointing, that¡¯s true, but for a merchant to wish to duel is unusual in the first ce, is it not?"

    A man said loudly.

    "I guess that¡¯s why he epted your duel so quickly ¨C he never had any intention of showing!"

    His apprentice said bitterly.

    Their voices came from just around the corner formed by the trees and the temple path, so they could not yet see the pair.

    Gengyo turned to Kitajo with a look of irritation on his face. They were thest people he wished to see ¨C he had ns to cover good ground today.

    Kitajo trotted up alongside him, so when the four of them rounded the corner ¨C the two women were still with the master-apprentice duo ¨C they were sat mounted, ring down at them.

    Neither of them bothered to speak, even as recognition crossed the group¡¯s faces, and they pointed fingers, announcing that they had found him.

    "That¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it, Samurai-san? That¡¯s the man who promised to dual you."

    But the ronin did not respond. His skin had suddenly be rather pale, and words no longer came to him as easily. When Gengyo had not turned up that morning, he had felt as though he had the best luck in the world, as he was able to keep both his identity and his life.

    And now that luck had reversed, for he had visited the temple at the exact same time as he.

    "HA! We¡¯ve found you, coward! You promised to dual my master!"

    The apprentice called out spitefully, gesticting arrogantly. Gengyo merely regarded him lightly with a raised eyebrow.

    After a few moments of listening to the irritating buzz of their pretentious conversation, he dismounted his horse, and drew his sword.

    "Let¡¯s get this over with, shall we?"

    He said, as though it was a simple, everyday, mundane task. His response caught them off guard ¨C it was rather out of character for the man that they had conjured up within their mind.

    "Master?"

    The boy asked, looking up at the ronin, who still had not moved, and was frozen like a rabbit caught up in the re of a tiger.

    "Ah..?"

    Was all he managed to say in response, as he looked slowly towards his pupil, his forehead slick with sweat.

    "Master? Are you alright?"

    He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. It would not do for his master to get sick ¨C not right before a duel was about to happen.

    "Would you like me to hold your scabbard?"

    The quiet woman from the previous evening asked. She had an inkling that his identity was a fraudulent one, and was rather excited about revealing that to her partner, who had spent so long flirting with him, attempting to win his favour.

 Chapter 145 - Consequences

    It was not an even matchup. He was a man who had never put his life on the line for anything, and here he was, having to fight someone of Gengyo¡¯s experience. Someone who had charged headfirst into battle when the odds were stacked entirely against him. Someone who was used to facing multiple des at once ¨C someone who was used to killing.

    ¡¯I want to run...¡¯

    The ronin thought to himself.

    ¡¯I really want to run...¡¯

    But that was not an option for him. If he ran, he would be chased, and if he was caught, then he doubted those that caught him would be forgiving. He would be revealed for what he was. They would be angry. Especially that apprentice of his, who had dedicated more than a year of his life to serving a master as incapable as he.

    And so, against his will, his sweaty palm reached for the handle of his sword. He slowly slid it from his scabbard and held it. In his hands, the de felt unusually heavy. He was used to swinging it around as a means to ill.u.s.trate a point, but he had never held it with this intent.

    ¡¯I can¡¯t even look him in the eye.¡¯

    He realized.

    ¡¯Oh gods. It¡¯s too hopeless. How can I defeat a man I am so afraid of?¡¯

    In contrast to his fear, Gengyo was ice cold. This was meaningless for him. He acknowledged that the fight would not be fair. But nor did he care. It was the ronin who had made the mistake, who had insisted on being dishonest. He was just a brick wall. Something that every dishonest man was bound to meet at some point.

    Such was the virtue of honesty: it required less effort.

    Kitajo shook his head. He too realized what was happening, and could only hope that the man¡¯s death was painless.

    "I am ready whenever you are."

    By now, everyone knew that he was no simple merchant. A merchant would not hold a sword with such confidence. But they said nothing ¨C it was not their ce.

    Silence reigned. No one dared to interrupt the fierce staredown they assumed was going on. The breeze sailed through the trees, caressing the leaves, sending a ruffling sound into their ears.

    "YAHHHHH!"

    The man roared, putting all his courage on the line for a single reckless charge. It was the only hope he had ¨C to surprise Gengyo, and earn his cheap victory. He did not realize it, but there were tears drifting from his eyes. He had already epted his own death.

    The young man tutted lightly. Such a charge would be defeated even if he was unarmed. As the de neared, he merely swayed to the side by the slightest of fractions, showing no fear as the sharp edge came within millimetres of his skin.

    ¡¯No wasted movement.¡¯

    Was the single thought that ran through his head. In moving precisely, he was also able to move quickly.

    The ronin¡¯s suicidal charge ran past him, presenting the wide target of his back. He showed no hesistation. The fight did not need to be dragged out any longer.

    "Kak..."

    The dreadful involuntarily sound that came as the ronin stared at the de sticking out of his stomach.

    He gasped wildly for breath, reaching for the sword with terrified fingers. Even though it was already over, he was still ovee by fear ¨C perhaps even more so.

    But his fingers did not even manage to touch the de, before a foot hard in the back removed him from it, and sent him crashing into the hard stone steps, head first.

    With a swift and practised flick, Gengyo removed the blood from his sword, allowing it to return to its original owner, as a red waterfall drifted down the steps.

    Hey there gasping, as the final death shudders caused his body to convulse.

    "MASSSTERRRRR!"

    Gengyo turned around to hear the distraught cry of the apprentice, as he ran towards him, his master¡¯s wakizashi in hand, poised to puncture his chest.

    SPURT

    Kitajo had clocked his every move, and as soon as he neared Gengyo, he swung out, slicing deeply through the boy¡¯s neck, letting loose a spurt of blood.

    His arm lost it¡¯s power. Gengyo merely needed to step to the side, and the apprentice copsed forward, joining his master in death.

    Gengyo spared the two corpses a nce, as their blood coated the old stone steps. He felt inclined to tut, but held it back out of respect.

    He had been a pathetic man, it was true. He had lived a false life, pretending to be someone that he was not. But in death, he had done well. He had faced his fate without fleeing. It was ironic, because in death he was more like that which he wished to be than he was in life.

    "Well, shows over."

    He spoke to the two women who were staring, wide-eyed. That had seen their fair share of duals ¨C it was an exciting thing to watch. But this was a world apart from the likes of those. It was a simple, uncaring, ughter.

    "...You¡¯re not a merchant."

    The quiet woman spoke, stating the obvious.

    "And he was no master swordsmen."

    He retorted, cleaning his de on a clean area of the ronin¡¯s kimono.

    "I trust you will not cause any problems. This was a fair and honourable duel."

    "..."

    It was neither a duel, nor was it fair or honourable. It was a simple execution, that was all. A life had simply been extinguished.

    But still, they said nothing, as their eyes only continued to widen. He thought their reaction was a little extreme. By all means, be unsettled by what they had to witness, but he thought their response to his words was a little extreme ¨C he had not said anything that terrible.

    "Well, let¡¯s head on the road then, Kitajo."

    He said, as he began to walk towards his horse. But as he lifted his foot to move, he felt a sudden sharp pain on his neck.

    "Ow..."

    He cursed, and reached towards the afflicted area with his hand. But to his surprise, he was not greeted with his warm skin, instead, there was a sharp, cold steel.

    His eyes narrowed as he frowned. It was the only expression he could make to disguise how he truly felt. He held back the urge to gulp, for fear of aggregating the wound on his neck, for the de was still under his skin, though it was not yet deep enough to cause anything more than pain.

    He wanted to turn and look towards Kitajo to try and analyse his reaction, so he might have some idea what was going on. But he could not turn his neck.

    His heart beat wildly, and for the first time in a while, he began to feel the cold fingers of an old friend gripping his heart. Whoever stood behind him was undoubtedly of frightening skill. He had not heard him approach, nor even felt his gaze on his back. He had managed to slip so firmly under his guard as to point a de at his neck.

    No matter how hard he thought, he could not remember making such a strong enemy.

    ¡¯Someone employed by Imagawa..? Impossible! He doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m alive...¡¯

    Everyone around him was silent, but the world still moved. His gaze was firmly fixed on the girls in front of him, but the only thing in their eyes was fear, and after a few moments, they simply turned and ran, as fast as they could.

    All he knew was that the owner of this de was terrifying.

    ¡¯Something must have happened to Kitajo too... Shit.¡¯

    He cursed. He needed to do something, and fast. There was no telling when his assant would get bored, and simply slice open his throat.

    His grip on his sword was still tight. He closed his eyes, imagining where the enemy stood, and then, he drove his de backwards.

    His sword hit only air, but the de was removed along with it ¨C though it was not done gently, and a shallow cut was left around his neck. With swift movements, he whirled round to confront those that had attacked him.

    "...You."

    Came his shocked statement, as he stared down the bald man in front of him. Thest person he had expected was a monk. He¡¯d done nothing to offend them, he reasoned. He had broken none of their rules. And yet... Here they stood.

    The man did not respond to his words, and merely charged forward, spear in hand. Gengyo barely had any time to react to the sharp point that was directed towards his chest, and only just managed to redirect it off to the side. But the aftershock of such a strike was immense, and sent a shock up his arm.

    ¡¯What power...¡¯

    He thought to himself. But he was not given time to dwell, as the monk sprung from his rear foot, and continued on with the fearsome onught.

    The strikes were terrifyling fast, and came from a variety of different angles. It took all his concentration merely to stay alive. And that was without mentioning the immense power that each contained.

    Underneath that ck kimono and those wide sleeves must have been some hidden muscles, for he certainly did not look capable of wielding such power ¨C not at first nce.

    But Gengyo was forced to learn that looks weren¡¯t everything as the monk continued to batter his sword again and again, sending shockwave after shockwave up his arm. He could not even counter-attack ¨C the strikes were far too fast.

    For some reason, the monk¡¯s face was twisted angrily, as if he hadmitted some unspeakable act.

    TING

    It proved too much, and his sword fell from his hands ¨C that he was no longer able to feel ¨C and he was forced to continue up the steps, doing his best to dodge the monk¡¯s attempt on his life.

    The spear point came for his throat, and he only just managed to redirect it with his elbow. But it was too little. The monk held the absolute advantage, and all he could do was dodge.

    "HALT!"

    Came a bellowing shout, like cracking thunder, and the monk paused midstrike. The point of his spear was but a few centimetres away from Gengyo¡¯s abdomen, and a single droplet of sweat drifted from his forehead as he realized just how close to death he hade.

    He dared to turn his head, wondering from which man the bellowing voice hade.

    "Ah."

    He flinched heavily as he saw the face right behind him. He could have sworn the voice came from atop the steps. And by the looks of it, there was no one else in sight.

    It was the face of an old man, though it was hard to tell, for he wore a straw hat that covered much of his face. He was dressed simr to the monk assant, except he wore an orange length of cloth over his ck kimono, which covered one side of his body.

    "Good day."

    Came his words ¨C softly spoken, causing Gengyo to have doubts as to whether he really was the same man who had shouted so loudly. But he did not dare show disrespect, least he be ughtered by the younger monk.

    "Hello..."

    Was his simple response. He had to tread carefully, so simplicity was best.

    The old man looked past him, and tutted.

    "What a mess we have here, indeed. What a mess."

    He said, though there was a wide smile on his face. He behaved amiably like a friendly old man, and so, he half expected for the situation to diffuse slightly.

    But when he turned to follow the old man¡¯s gaze, he was greeted with the point closer to his belly than he hadst remembered.

 Chapter 146 - An Old Monks Wisdom

    "Tsuchi-kun, put away your spear ¨C I will handle things from here."

    The old man spoke, still maintaining his smile.

    "But Momochi-sensei! They desecrated our holy steps with blood. We waited for your judgement, it is true, but they should not be allowed to live."

    The young monk said passionately, it seemed he had taken personal offence at their actions. Gengyo used the moment of infighting to cautiously nce around, and see how Kitajo was fairing.

    Thed was frozen on his horse, with the de of the other monk¡¯s spear pressed under his neck, just as had happened to Gengyo a few minutes earlier.

    Still, he breathed a sigh of relief, pleased to see thed was still alive, as the monks certainly could have sliced their throats without them even knowing what had happened.

    "Young Tsuchi-kun, calm your rage. Blood will not wash away blood."

    He said slowly, paying more attention to Gengyo than he was his own pupil. He followed Gengyo¡¯s gaze toward Kitajo, and nodded.

    "You too Chiman-kun. Bring that boy over here so I might speak with him."

    Before Kitajo even knew what had happened, the de by his throat was reced with a tight arm, that dragged him from his horse, seemingly not caring about being gentle. He barely managed to remain upright as he fell, but as he was turned around to face Gengyo, his face held visible relief, as he had worried severely for his master¡¯s safety.

    His chokehold was removed and Kitajo was thrown the ground before Momochi. He quickly scrambled to his feet, and moved beside Gengyo, only to find that a momentter he too had a spear pointed towards him.

    He was not foolish enough to attempt to fight them ¨C it would only make the situation worse. And he had heard Gengyo fighting, which, by the looks of things, had not ended well. That could only mean that the enemy they were facing was insanely strong, and he himself would never have a chance of matching them

    "Ho..."

    Momochi muttered, as he looked over the pair, analysing everything that he could about them. It was certainly an interesting aura that they had.

    "Now, young men. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

    Gengyo seized the opportunity to apologize. The sooner they managed to get away from these people, the better. As things stood, the odds were not in their favour.

    "Please ept my most sincere apologies for bloodying your steps. This was not my preferred location for a duel either."

    The old man looked at him through squinted eyes, and ignored his apology, merely asking another question instead.

    "Why did youe here?"

    "To gaze up-"

    Momochi cut Gengyo¡¯s reply off straight away, and shook his head.

    "Not at all. You would not travel all this way to simply visit our temple, and practise something you do not believe in. Tell me, what brings you here?"

    Gengyo shared a nce with Kitajo, wondering quite what to say. His lie had been cut through easily enough, though he felt it was not entirely false.

    "To train my de on the road."

    Perhaps, he reasoned, posing as a wandering swordsman might be more believable.

    But the old man merely stared in response to his answer, before parting his lips slightly, and refuting it.

    "Young man, if you lie to me once more, I will have my pupils skewer you."

    He threatened, though his face did not betray a hint of malevolent intent.

    ¡¯Damn it...¡¯

    Gengyo cursed. He did not know quite how the old monk was seeing through his lies, but given what had urred so far, that was exactly what he was capable of doing. But he was reluctant to share his true purpose for entering South Shinano, as he feared it would not be to the monks liking.

    ¡¯Still... I have to try it.¡¯

    It was the only chance they had. And since the monks of Menryo-ji had vowed to be impartial when it came to contests of thend, he hoped he would not be judged too harshly.

    "I came to South Shinano to gather men."

    He replied, firmly this time, for it was the truth that he spoke.

    "I see. For what purpose?"

    "To cut the head from Imagawa Yoshimoto¡¯s shoulders."

    He had already revealed much, and since his life was already very much in their hands, he was not losing anything by sharing this much at least.

    "Hm..."

    Momochi continued to examine him.

    "So he¡¯s the one, is he?"

    "Pardon?"

    Gengyo asked in response to the rather odd question.

    "One can not have an aura like yours without being exposed to a particrly dark side of humanity."

    He proimed.

    The young man could merely stare back. It would appear that this old monk knew much. No wonder he could tell that he was lying.

    But there was nothing he could say in response to his statement, so he merely remained quiet, for fear of offending him and his pupils further.

    "Mm... Who are you?"

    He asked atst.

    "Miura Tadakata."

    Oddly, the monk flinched at his speedy reply, but he quickly covered it up with another question, this one directed at Tsuchi.

    "He fought rather well ¨C for an outsider ¨C did he not, Tsuchi-kun?"

    The young monk frowned at that, clearly not seeing the point in discussing such things. By all rights, these outsiders should already be dead, so that they might clean the holy steps of the blood that they had been bathed in.

    "He is below average..."

    Came the reluctant reply.

    The old manughed at the bitternessced within his words, and admonished him.

    "Come now, Tsuchi, I¡¯d wager he¡¯s a little better than that."

    But Tsuchi said nothing in response ¨C he could not. Not without lying.

    "I¡¯vee to a decision."

    Momochi said firmly. Everyone perked their ears to listen. He was very much in charge.

    "You two," he began, pointing to Gengyo and Kitajo, "havemitted a grave crime ¨C one that would normally result in death."

    The way he spoke so casually about killing them caused as shiver to run down Kitajo¡¯s spine.

    "However! Today, I am in an especially good mood. And, it has been years since I havest met with outsiders."

    "Therefore, you will be granted a special opportunity. We will use the grievances you havemitted to our advantage. You will join us, at our temple, and will serve as an example of the outside world, so that the younger, less strongly minded monks might be used to it."

    Three men opened their mouths as one to protest, but a single raised finger from the old man silenced them all.

    "However, you must realize this is a great honour, and you will have to respect our rules. I imagine there will be many looking for an excuse to kill you, so you had better remain on your toes."

    "...I have a mission to carry out."

    Gengyo muttered. He did not have time to act as an exhibition in a temple, so that children could stare at him as though he were some rare animal.

    "That¡¯s as may be, but you cannot carry out your mission if you are dead, can you?"

    Momochi put in, maintaining his friendly smile.

    "So we¡¯re your prisoners?"

    He asked bitterly, preferring if the old man simply said things as they were.

    "Now, now. Not prisoners, you are our guests. Though you will not be allowed to leave without my express permission."

    The old man corrected swiftly.

    In that moment of quiet, Tsuchi sprang forth to vent his opinions on the matter.

    "But Momochi-sensei! Such a thing will cause an uproar! This is not a punishment at all! There are many other outsiders who are far more worthy of this opportunity than he, yet we turn them away, and not only allow him ¨C who has offended our holy order ¨C to live, but we allow him to live amongst us!"

    He protested bitterly, thoroughly unhappy with the way things were moving forward. He had been ready to kill Gengyo moments before, and now he was being told to withdraw his de indefinitely. He could not agree with this course of action.

    "Ah, but Tsuchi, what constitutes a punishment is particr to the individual, is it not? We are interrupting an important mission of theirs by asking them to stay. If a person who dislikes pickled vegetables is given them to eat, would he not think that to be a punishment? Yet if one were to love pickled vegetables, it would be a hearty treat."

    Momochi exined patiently, his smile not faltering one bit as he received the brunt of his pupil¡¯s outburst.

    "But, an outsider! Why must we vite our most foundational rule for the likes of him? The other monks will not ept this, Momochi-sensei. They¡¯ll turn against you."

    But the old man simply waved his concerns away.

    "Do not worry so much, young one. They will able to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself, have no doubt. Our order has been declining as ofte, and, I think, in giving our young monks more experience, we will make them stronger too."

    "Perhaps... But a man different to this, if you must. He killed that swordsman without even blinking. He¡¯s evil! We cannot allow him toe close."

    "And his friend?"

    Momochi asked, though he had a different point to his question.

    "He¡¯s just as bad! He killed someone younger than he as mercilessly as I cut bread!"

    "Ho... That¡¯s quite the predicament, Tsuchi-kun, for they are the only two outsiders I see around, ready to step up and fill this role. It is unfortunate the way fate ys out, but as, this seems to be ours."

    Gengyo watched the old man argue with his student, baffled. He could not understand why he was so insistent on bringing them into the temple. Surely the younger students could merely venture into the vige, or something of the like, to experience the outside world? They did not have to bring him along with.

    But nor could he necessarily refuse it. If he was inclined to, he could have both of them killed on the spot, so anymentations Gengyo had would only lead to him biting his own tongue and staying quiet.

    In his eyes, they could simply stay for a couple of days, and then attempt escape. It was better than death, he reasoned.

    The old man turned away and began to slowly walk back up the steps, at a speed that might be expected of an old man, rather than that rapid pace in which he had descended.

    Tsuchi ground his teeth aggressively, clearly angry with the state of affairs. He jabbed at Gengyo¡¯s back with the wooden end of his spear, forcing him forward.

    "If you walk too slowly, I¡¯ll kill you."

    He threatened.

    Kitajo began to walk forward in time with his master, daring to speak for the first time in a while.

    "Miura... This is bad, isn¡¯t it?"

    "I would say so."

    Gengyo agreed. They were about to enter the nest of the dragon. If Tsuchi was not the height of skill in the temple ¨C which he doubted he was, for if he was more important he would not be charged with guard duty ¨C then they were hopelessly outmatched indeed.

    "Chiman, are you fine with this? Why didn¡¯t you speak up?"

    Tsuchi asked, with an edge to his voice. He was clearly disatisifed that the other monk had not supported him in his arguing.

    But Chiman merely shrugged, as though he did not care.

    "I think Momochi-sensei is wiser than I could ever hope to be, so for me to question him would be foolish."

    "Tsch."

    Tsuchi tutted in disgust, turning away, taking his anger out on Gengyo as he once more bashed him with the end of the spear.

 Chapter 147 - Success

    Jikouji carried a heavy sack into the dimly lit food storage room, as he heaved a sigh, reaching the wall, and dropping the bag to the floor.

    He looked behind him down the corridor ¨C there was no one to be seen. And so, he reached out his hand, and pushed downwards, sending the wall underground, before he threw the sack ahead of him, and closed the door up, sending the world around into darkness.

    The flickering candle in his hand was his only source of light in the oppressively small treasure room. But he did not feel ufortable, far from it. He simply reached out, and lit the surrounding candles, filling the room with a dim light.

    "Ah."

    He breathed out lightly, finally able to rx. It was so empty ¨C even the coin chest was empty. It was upsetting to have seen the Niwa family brought so low, and he had no doubt that the ancestrial founder of the family would be turning in his grave at such a sight.

    And so it was with satisfaction that he brought forth the sack of coin. One coin bag at a time, he tipped their contents into the chest. He did not rush when doing so, enjoying the feeling more.

    "And it will only continue to grow, Niwa-san."

    He spoke in his mind, not to Niwa Nakatane, but to his faster, the one who had won his loyalty.

    "I hope you forgive me, for pledging my allegiance to someone else ¨C but look! This is only the first step of many. That boy will bring the Niwa household great fortune, do not fear. He is still loyal to your son, and he will not let the Niwa name fall into disuse."

    He continued on, pouring coin into the chest, and allowing it to assume the shape of the container as though it was a liquid.

    "And this... This was only a single raid."

    As he ran that thought through his head, he almost cried. The future, it seemed, was so terrifying bright. This was all off a single shipment. The future promised far more ¨C they might even need more chests.

    In that moment, he realized, that they were likely richer than the Niwa house had ever been. Even if they had sold all their assets at their peak, it likely would not equal to such a terrifying amount.

    "I hope you do not think this path dishonourable, either. But I think you would not, Niwa-san. You too have spent a long time watching this Earth, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve learned just as well as me: true honour lies merely in acting out one¡¯s beliefs. And I believe this path to be the right one."

    The silken rolls had all been sold, and for a handsome price. Because of the quality and amount of the silk, in total they had secured 6,000 gold. He¡¯d split the 2,000 fairly between the rest of them to keep them contented, and he was able to deposit 4,000 into the treasury.

    It was not necessary to keep it down here, and perhaps it was actually more unsafe. But for sentimental purposes, he wished to do so.

    He had no doubt that what Gengyo found once he returned would be most appealing to him. Though he sported 2,000 gold, he did not expect the boy to return with many troops. He thought he would likely search for quality, ones where the loyalty was ensured. It was unlikely that he would recruit peasants, as he had once before, merely for 50 silver each.

    He was thinking that he¡¯d likely end up paying around 4 gold per troop, plus a sizeable amount for their upkeep. But that did not matter. The gold they were raking in was more than enough to support such things.

    There were a total of three chests in the room, and with his 4,000 gold, the central one was overflowing. He stuck in his hand, and ran the cool metal between his fingers. He stood in a room that was hundreds of years old. And this here was an offering to men far older, and far wiser than he.

    It was a good sight, indeed. But he still felt the room was more bare than it ought to be, and he flicked open the lid of the rightmost chest, so that he might imagine it full of coin, just as this one was.

    "Eh?"

    He frowned, as he looked inside. He could have sworn it was empty before. But now, there was a single piece of inked paper sat on the bottom, purposefully. It was clearly not just a random scrap.

    With tentative fingers, he picked it up, and turned it over, revealing the text on the other side. He was rather nervous in reading it, as it was certainly something that was not meant to be there.

    "Hello, Jikouji."

    It read. He flinched slightly from that first sentence. Could it be, perhaps, a message from the ancestors? Were they that pleased with his offering?

    "If you¡¯re reading this, that means you¡¯ve had the first sessful raid since I left. Good work. By this point, you too should have realized just how lucrative our little business will prove to be."

    His frown deepened as he read that.

    "But it is quite the vtile thing to do, and the coin earned must be dealt with carefully, and invested, for the sea has always been chaotic, and it is impossible to predict things long term."

    "Thus,es my request. Once we have reached 10,000 gold in the treasury, I ask that you invest the rest into rice, and grain."

    "Signed, Miura Tadakata..."

    He read thest part aloud in disgust.

    "That little brat..."

    In leaving the letter here, Gengyo had predicted what he would do upon thepletion of the their first raid. It was not a pleasant feeling to be predicted as such.

    It was interesting to find that he wrote just as he spoke, and in that way, it was rather pleasant to hear from thed once more. A whole week had passed since he left, and they were all worried as to his well being.

    He held the letter close, as he read it once more.

    "Haha, a message from the ancestors ¨C how foolish am I?"

    He questioned.

    "Still, rice and grain eh? Mm..."

    They would be able to buy an awful lot of rice and grain with the coin they were earning. But he could guess why had requested such a thing ¨C reassurance. No matter how much coin one had, if he could not spend it, then it had no worth.

    As such, he invested it into something more useful ¨C something that would always hold value, no matter what happened to a country: food. If they ever needed more coin, they could simply sell the rice and grain if necessary. But in the event that Imagawa attempted to suppress them, then they would still be able to survive quitefortably.

    With a light gust of expelled air, Jikouji blew the candles out, and then left the old treasury room, with a smile on his face.

    Isabe was already looking into finding their next ship ¨C no doubt they would be investing into grain rather soon.

    ...

    ...

    ¡¯Oh...¡¯

    Seeing the state of chaos in Toyokawa, Isabe couldn¡¯t help being taken aback. How could a small ship - with just over ten individuals - cause such alterations to the behaviours of thousands of people.

    They talked incessantly about it ¨C that and the ipetent state of the city guard. Away from the port, there had been a mass recruitment push going on by themander of the guards, who sought to expand their ranks, and ensure absolute safety for the people in the harbour.

    The traders had gone to such an event merely to hurl abuse at them for theirck ofpetence ¨C yet another trading vessel had been butchered and stolen from, whilst the only ship they had managed to take down was one of their own.

    The citymander handled the abuse well, however, and quickly moved to sooth them, though on the inside he was just as enraged as they.

    The only traders that did not show any concern were the European ones. They had watched with idle eyes as the ck-gged ship caused such problems for the city guard, and they hadughed. Such a ship could not hope to stand against the likes of them ¨C a single volley of cannon fire, and it would be sharing it¡¯s story with the fishes.

    Because of the concern for their own security, there were fewer vessels in the port than there had beenst time ¨C they had escaped whilst they could, since they knew the ck-gged ship was alreadyden with loot, and would not waste time with them.

    This made her job markedly harder than it had previously, that and the distrustful atmosphere of the ce. There was no longer any confidence in the city guard, and the traders ¨C out of fear ¨C were no longer as free speaking.

    It wasn¡¯t just her job that was more difficult though, as she saw sh.i.p.s belonging to the city guard sitting atop the water, waiting to react should anything untoward happen.

    Had she not overheard otherwise, she would have assumed that the same bow troops were present on these vessels. But ording to certain conversations that were being had, themander of the guards had bought up every rifle he could, and armed his men with them, after a small amount of training.

    He was desperate, and was willing to do whatever it took to seize even a small advantage. He was well aware of the destruction a cannon could cause, and hoped that the muskets were able to cause simr damage to a ship.

    In response to his questions in that regard, the Europeans had merely nodded. Though internally, they were greatly amused. A musket was not to be used to fire at a ship, but at men. That mattered not to them however, they were merely concerned with selling their cargo.

    Because of this recent addition to their arsenal, there was some cause for concern. The ammunition fired from such weapons, was not something that they hadrge quantities of, and the Europeans were unwilling to sell all that they had, as it would leave them defenceless.

    In his stupidity, themander of the guards had made such a request public. As the traders were gathered, he beseeched them.

    "Hear me, traders! In order to keep our port secure, I have invested in a new weapon ¨C one of the European standard. Yet, for these weapons, we need far more gunpowder. Are there any amongst you who can supply me with atleast 15 barrels of your finest powder?"

    "My price? Oh, you will not find it unreasonable. Eight thousand gold!"

    He proimed, sweeping his gaze over the crowd, enjoying the shocked expressions on their faces at his offering ¨C it was certainly a huge amount.

    In response to those words, many a trader found themselves curse ¨C if only they had some connections ¨C from which they could get gunpowder ¨C then they would be very rich indeed. But none did, so they could only look round bitterly and hope that others were of simr luck.

    But there was one man, who stuck a tentative arm in the air, and proimed that he could.

    "When might you be able to deliver that by, my good man?"

    Themander asked, not hiding his enthusiasm.

    "On the morrow will do me just fine."

    Came the reply.

    And so, merely by standing by listening, Isabe had the information she needed, and as the others were preupied with the rest of themander¡¯s speech, she slipped silently through the crowd, and made her way to her horse.

    Speed was of the essence for the preparations ahead.

 Chapter 148 - Problems

    "Gunpowder, you say?"

    Came Jikouji¡¯s question as he mused over the information Isabe had just given them. He hade to the cove to view the progress that was being made by the Morojo¡¯s, and, during his evaluations, Isabe hade riding with haste.

    Their little cove was more like a proper port now. There was a jetty from which the ship could be disembarked and docked alongside. And there were two long cabins in which they could sleep.

    A more permanent work area had been set up for the shipwrights, so that they could process logs more quickly, and carry out the repairs that were needed. All in all, they were performing their duties well, and he had no doubt Gengyo would find their progress much to his liking.

    But now, they were all distracted by what it was that Isabe had shared.

    "If you had cannons, or something of the like, then it would be better."

    Morojo put in. For amodity like gunpowder, it was better to save it for yourself rather than to sell it to others. Especially when your profession was as theirs was and secrecy was of the utmost importance.

    "That¡¯s right. Shame we don¡¯t have a ship that we can fire stuff from. We¡¯ve got enough ore to process and make into cannons, since we don¡¯t really need to coat the hull, do we?"

    Rokkaku reasoned, looking around to make sure he wasn¡¯t saying anything stupid. In his eyes, crashing into other sh.i.p.s was the very thing they wished to avoid, so in coating the hull, they were merely allowing bad habits to propagate.

    "Haha, maybe, but I don¡¯t think we should consider that. Me and theds don¡¯t have a chance at making a decent cannon. Would be a waste of iron, and a waste of gunpowder."

    "I agree with what¡¯s been said..."

    Isabe began.

    "But that¡¯s not the only thing I wanted to share: there are guard sh.i.p.s out on the sea all the time now. You won¡¯t have a chance at boarding it without a fight!"

    Perhaps he was the wrong person to include in conversations like this, for Morohira merely tapped his tensed bicep and let out a rather aggressive promation.

    "No worries! We¡¯ll just cut them to pieces, ehds?"

    It was only Sasaki who called out half-heartedly. It wasn¡¯t much of a n. But if it were toe to that in the moment, then they would fight withoutint.

    "I do not think that is a good n, Miura-san."

    Isabe said, a hint of worry in her voice.

    "Eh? You don¡¯t think we can take them? They¡¯ll be wanting to board us as well. We just need to fend em¡¯ off whilst we¡¯re doing the loading."

    "That¡¯s the thing: they won¡¯t be trying to board you. The guard¡¯smander has ordered matchlocks to equip his men with ¨C that¡¯s what the gunpowder is for."

    The men¡¯s faces went dark at that, as silencepsed over the cove.

    "Eh? What¡¯s wrong?"

    Rin asked, put off by the sudden change in mood.

    "We¡¯ve had to fight against the matchlock before. It was not pleasant."

    Jikouji exined, stroking his short beard as he attempted to solve the riddle that was presented before him. He did not know it, but he was attempting to view the problem through a second lense ¨C one that was not his own. He was trying to see the problem as Gengyo might.

    "Oh..."

    Rin muttered, realizing what was going on. It was the weapon that had caused such chaos amongst the ranks of the Niwa army. Still to this day ¨C without seeing them fight once ¨C she was of the belief that had they simply been men armed with spears, then the Niwa army would have cut through them easily, and her brother would be alive.

    "Why don¡¯t we just bring our old friend back?"

    Came Togashi¡¯s suggestion.

    "Our old friend?"

    Morohira repeated, his face contorting into a frown. He was not a man who enjoyed poetic speech, and was thinking of Togashi¡¯s words in a literal sense.

    "Aye, one that we¡¯ve neglected for a while ¨C the bow."

    A sh of realization went over their faces. It certainly was something they had neglected for far too long ¨C and was something that Rin and Akiko were not even trained in at all. It had be redundant after their new path became one of raiding, for they simply needed to board the ship and flee.

    "You think that¡¯s the only edge we need?"

    Jikouji questioned, still rather doubtful.

    "Aye. We can get some shields on the side of the ship. We hide behind those, and then after they¡¯ve wasted their shot, we¡¯ll be able to loose three of our own ¨C you all know how long it takes to reload one of those bastards."

    "But is that really enough? How many sh.i.p.s are there, Isabe?"

    The old man kept up his questioning. He would not permit such reckless action unless he was sure that their chances of sess were high.

    "I¡¯d assume three, but it seems to change quite regrly."

    It was notforting information that she offered. If anything, it only made their anxieties worse.

    "Damn it..."

    Jikouji cursed. He recalled seeing Gengyo ying around with a matchlock of his own before he left ¨C if only he had been able to find a smith, then they would have had no problem fighting back by themselves. They could even have cannons.

    "Is there really no chance of putting a cannon on this ship of ours?"

    He asked once more, turning to Morojo. It was the only hope they had. If they could get a single cannon ¨C one that could be turned, and aimed with some degree of uracy ¨C then they would be able to crush the enemy without problem. A single shot was all that was needed to crush the flimsy wood, and send them sinking.

    Morojo could very well understand the desperation in Jikouji¡¯s voice, and so, he paid it due consideration before he replied, and when he did so, he did so carefully, so that they could understand the essence of the problem.

    "...When a cannon fires, it creates a certain amount of recoil. On thoserge European sh.i.p.s ¨C they¡¯re so heavy, that the recoil means nothing. But on yours, it could capsize you, if it was not handled properly."

    "A single row of cannons, fired from one side ¨C probably 5 in total ¨C if you fired those at once, then you would certainly be sent sideways. Unless you bnced it with firing another 5 on the other side, but I doubt you want to be wasting five cannon balls every time you fire ¨C it¡¯s not sustainable."

    He expected the life in Jikouji¡¯s eyes to dim slightly upon hearing that his idea was just not feasible, but on the contrary, he looked excited.

    "What about a single cannon, at the front? One that we can alter, so that we can aim where we like? Would that be too much for us?"

    Morojo raised an eyebrow, as he stroked his beard lightly.

    "I wouldn¡¯t expect so... No. In fact, that¡¯s probably the perfect amount for your ship to handle. But to be able to change the direction of it ¨C that¡¯ll be a difficult feat. Most cannons just go up and down."

    "Good! We¡¯ll have that installed in future. Still, we definitely need to secure that shipment, simply to show that we will not be dominated. But after tomorrow, things will be easy. I¡¯ll find us a smith ¨C that I will. And we¡¯ll st the sh.i.p.s out of the water."

    "Heh, so you¡¯re telling us to do that impossible? No problem!"

    Morohira decided, sporting a ferocious grin. He appeared to be plenty excited by the idea of the impossible odds that were stacked against them.

    "It seems we¡¯ve decided on our course of action. But the specifics still need to be worked out. I¡¯ll leave the battle n to you lot ¨C I¡¯ll start thinking of a design for the cannon."

    Jikouji proposed as the others nodded in agreement. The girls would not protest unless something truly intolerable was said ¨C they were new to this life, and were wary of questioning the ns of someone older and far more experienced than them.

    The old man, on the other hand, was rather excited in his own right. His interest in engineering had been raised as he saw Gengyo¡¯s approach to creation. He did not select pre-existing solutions in order to solve a problem, he merely allowed his imagination to take over.

    Take the water wheel for example ¨C that was an extremely inspired solution to the problem of flooding. But as of yet, Jikouji had not had the opportunity to solve a problem of his own.

    ¡¯A cannon that can rotate, eh?¡¯

    He mused, sitting down by the fire, as he took up a stick, so that he might draw potential designs in the sand. A momentter, he looked up, to see another bearded face staring down at him.

    "Mind if I join you?"

    Morojo asked. He held an interest toward invention as well, and a cannon with the ability to rotate was something that he wanted to be part of. The Europeans had found their own solution, and that was simply to have more cannons. They would sail alongside the enemy, and unleash a volley.

    But ¨C to his knowledge ¨C a rotating cannon had not yet been invented. Against Japanese sh.i.p.s, only a single well-ced cannonball was needed, and the ship would be sent sinking to the bottom of the sea.

    "By all means."

    Jikouji said without reservation, moving over in the sand, to allow Morojo room to sit next to him.

    "That wheel in your vige..?"

    Morojo asked curiously, since they were on the topic of invention. He had spied it once whilst logging.

    "Thed."

    Came Jikouji¡¯s immediate reply.

    "I thought so."

    The shipwright said with a light chuckle. He was certainly an interesting fellow, that Miura Tadakata. But even he would be impressed if they managed to think through the design for a rotating cannon.

    "The wheels on a cannon are to deal with that recoil, correct? So that the force does not get sent into the ship?"

    "That¡¯s right, I¡¯d reckon."

    Morojo agreed. They did not realize it, but these were rather technical questions that they were pondering, and their understanding of mechanical physics ¨C merely by observation and reasoning ¨C was not something that could be looked down on, at least, not too aggressively.

    "Simply having wheels on the cannon cart would not be enough, I¡¯d say. We need to be able to aim it more quickly than that."

    Jikouji decided, thinking aloud, getting the poor ideas out there, so that they could focus their concentration on something better.

    "Aye. The best option for rotation would be to have it on a thick pole, where it can turn around freely. But the problem is how to handle the recoil force once it¡¯s fired."

    Morojo put in, stating his line of thinking.

    "Mm..."

    The older man murmured as he attempted to imagine such a cannon in action, so that he could find where the problemsy. As soon as such a cannon was fired, it would shoot back, and bend the pole. Even if it did not disconnectpletely ¨C for the weight of a cannon was immense ¨C then it would certainly be deformed permanently.

    With a stick, he began to sketch the idea that Morojo had proposed, so they might be able to visualize it more clearly. He drew an arrow on it, to represent the direction in which the recoil force would be sent.

    "A spring?"

    Morojo muttered a word that Jikouji was unfamiliar with. A piece of metal that could bend to absorb a certain amount of force, and then spring back to its original shape. It was amon mechanism that was found in matchlock muskets, but even with that idea, he was finding it difficult to imagine it being made on the scale that they would need. Also, it needed to rotate along with the cannon somehow.

 Chapter 149 - Solutions

    "Dad! That¡¯s way too dangerous to be called a n!"

    Rin said loudly in response to the battle strategy that Morohira suggested they underwent. It was generous to even call it a n at all, as it was basically just charge forward, and deal with whatever came in their way.

    "Hm? Nah, it¡¯ll be fine."

    He consoled her, without being able to present a single reason why it would be fine. They would be surrounded by three sh.i.p.s, with upwards of one hundred and fifty men, and would be continually bombarded by matchlock fire.

    "Just adding bows won¡¯t be enough. We don¡¯t even have the shields that Togashi suggested ¨C there isn¡¯t enough time to make them."

    "She¡¯s right, Morohira. We¡¯ll be in a rough spot, and I¡¯d rather not get hit by one of those bastard balls again."

    Togashi put in. It was his idea to use bows in the first ce, but now that things were going the way they were, he realized that simply using those was unfeasible.

    "Set them on fire, then!"

    Morohira shouted, as though he didn¡¯t care. The only thing he needed was an enemy in front of them, and he was quite willing to charge forward and ughter what stood in his way.

    But to his surprise, his spontaneous idea was not immediately refuted as all the others had been, and in their little corner of the cove, a certain amount of silence reigned.

    "If we get some oil pouches on the end of arrows, and follow them up with a bit of me, I can see that working."

    Rokkaku mused.

    "Aye, it¡¯ll be enough to just do a couple of pouches per ship, and that¡¯ll create the panic we need as the mes spread."

    Togashi agreed.

    Even Rin could not protest here ¨C she was not familiar with the effectiveness of me and oil, but the others seemed to be in agreement.

    "Still, we need some way of getting out of the way of the musket fire, so that we can get our chance at doing that."

    "We¡¯ve still got our trump card..."

    Isabe suggested, since it seemed that no one else would.

    "Ah... That¡¯s true. That¡¯s what Jikouji said, wasn¡¯t it? Just survive this one, and then the others will be easy?"

    Rokkaku responded, as though he had only just realized that possibility.

    "We keep our gs down, and approach them. When we¡¯ve got the opportunity, we¡¯ll set each ship on fire before they can even react. And by the time they¡¯re ready to shoot us, we¡¯ll be below deck, waiting for the mes to spread."

    Togashi eximed rather excitedly, thoroughly stating each step of the n they would take.

    "Sounds alright to me."

    Morohira affirmed. There would be less fighting, but sometimes stealthy operations were just as exciting.

    "Just in case you guys have forgotten ¨C me and Akiko aren¡¯t any good with the bow."

    "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll fire enough for the both of us!"

    Ii said, seizing the chance to shoot her a slimy smile.

    Her only response was a look of disgust as she turned to the more reliable members of their team.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it, littless. We¡¯ll teach you in future."

    Sasaki said with a more genuine smile. He was a man that the young girls found themselves warming to. He was certainly the biggest on their team, but he was a warm man, like a giant teddy bear.

    "Aye, it¡¯ll be fine. We just need tond a couple of shots each ¨C but we¡¯ll definitely get you taught in the future. The boss is all about adaptability. The more weapons you know, the happier he is."

    Togashi affirmed ¨C he was all too familiar with Gengyo¡¯s standards.

    "Mhm! We¡¯ll do our best."

    Akiko responded enthusiastically.

    "So that¡¯s the nning done then ¨C we just get some oil pouches sorted, and then we¡¯ll be off in the morning?"

    Came Morohira¡¯s question. nning was the part he hated most.

    "Yeah, that¡¯s good enough for me."

    Togashi agreed.

    "Me too."

    Rokkaku nodded.

    "Aye, that¡¯ll do."

    But as they were turning away, Isabe raised her voice, once more attracting their attention as she offered a word of warning.

    "You must be extremely careful. Your cargo is a dangerous one. If a stray shot hits one of the barrels, then that could be the end of you all. Or even just the smallest amount of me. Please be mindful."

    It was rather touching, for she seemed genuinely concerned for their safety, so there was no one who could simply brush off her concerns. Instead, they nodded, letting her know that they understood.

    "What¡¯s this, then?"

    Morohira wandered over to where Jikouji and Morojo were doing their nning. He was rather interested in the execution of new ideas as well, and with theplicated sketch thaty engraved in the sand, his curiosity was certainly peaked.

    The others came over as well, having nothing else to do.

    "A track."

    Jikouji announced, pointing to a circr piece of track drawn underneath the cannon. He did so with a hint of weariness in his voice. They had concentrated intensely for almost an hour, and here they were, with what they hoped to be the finished product.

    "And this here, is a second track, that the cannon will sit on, so when it is fired, it can recoil properly."

    He pointed to another piece of track, thaty over the first one. This piece of track imitated the normal recoil distance that a cannon would need, and it allowed that. The circr track underneath it was so that it could turn as it needed to, without too much resistance.

    Once fired, the only adjustment that they needed to make was to push the cannon back to its starting point, and then fire once more.

    They had ended up abandoning Morojo¡¯s pole ideapletely, and settled on something entirely different, but it was something that could certainly work. It enabled the cannon to be rotated through 360 degrees, as it was allowed to rotate all the way around the circle.

    "Ohh, so the cannon sits there, then shoots, and gets pushed down to here? Cool!"

    Rin confirmed, pointing to various parts of the diagram as she ill.u.s.trated her point. It certainly seemed workable to her.

    "Hehe, definitely cool. And since I¡¯m the captain it¡¯ll be me who gets to fire it."

    Morohira put in, betraying his more childish side as he earned the scorn of the rest of the crew.

    "Lots of people die at sea, don¡¯t they Sasaki?"

    Rokkaku mused, stroking his chin.

    "Eh? Oh, that they do."

    He replied, understanding what Rokkaku was getting at.

    "Is that a threat, Rokkaku?"

    Morohira asked, staring at him viciously.

    "Might be that it is."

    Rokkaku responded, with a simr level of seriousness.

    They held each other¡¯s gaze for a couple of seconds, before their serious countenances crumbled, and they burst intoughter.

    "Ahaha! We¡¯ll y for who gets to shoot it first, then."

    The captain relented as he chuckled wildly.

    "That¡¯s fair to me."

    Came the simrly amused response.

    "Well, whilst you girls are deciding who gets to fire it first, it seems I¡¯ll have to go looking for a smith."

    Jikouji said, with something close to a sigh.

    "We appreciate your hard work, Jikouji-san!"

    Morohira assured him, attempting to mimic a child¡¯s voice.

    "Aye, I¡¯m sure you do."

    The old man replied, as he got to his feet, letting loose a second sigh as he stretched his back out.

    "It¡¯s dark, but I¡¯d better be getting back. Good luck everyone, I await good news."

    He announced, before he began to walk toward the steps.

    ¡¯I look forward to seeing this cannon in action, Jikouji.¡¯

    Morojo thought to himself as he watched him walk away. He was surprised by the versatility of Jikouji¡¯s ideas ¨C it was him that came up with the concept of the track. At first he had not expected it to work, but it seemed it was a solid foundation, as they were able to add onto it what they wished, and it still functioned exactly as they intended.

    "See youter, Jikouji-san!"

    Akiko called out, and Rin copied her a secondter, shouting the same.

    "Ride safe, old man!"

    Rokkaku shouted.

    The old man in question simply waved a hand behind him, without turning back as he ascended the steps. They could not see it, but there was a smile on that old face of his.

    Jikouji rode back, to catch a nights sleep in Toyone, before he would leave the next day in search of a smith. He hadpleted all the household tasks that needed his attention, and Shibata was proving herself to be quite capable of managing the house whilst he was away.

    In the cove, it was a simr scene, as they ate around the fire together, before they retired indoors to catch some sleep before their big mission tomorrow.

    There was no trace of anxiety to be found amongst them ¨C not even from Akiko and Rin ¨C even though this was undoubtedly their hardest mission yet. It was likely because in recent times they had been able toplete their raids without problem, and so there had been a confidence fostered within them.

    Had Gengyo been there, he would no doubt have been pleased with the way they were moving forward. They were truly their own people now, and did not need to rely on him. Letting them move autonomously was definitely the right choice, as they were able toplete things that had usually been left to him to n and to execute.

    No doubt he was also in their minds, and they approached their tasks with enthusiasm, wishing to surprise him when he got home with all that they had achieved, but had they known what kind of situation had befallen him, they would not have been able to act so effectively.

    ...

    ...

    Carrying out a pre-established routine, the Morojo¡¯s performedst minute assessments on the ship, making sure it waspletely fit for the voyage ahead, whilst the rest gathered round the fire to share arge breakfast together.

    The oilden arrows were all prepared, whilst the rest of the arrows had been coated in a lightyer of oil themselves, so they would be lit easily.

    The reasoning behind such an idea was simple: the oil pouch arrows would be fired first, and wouldnd on the ship, spreading a thinyer of oil everywhere, and then it would be followed up by a ming arrow to set the entire thing on fire.

    There were many other types of ming arrows that might be used, but this was the type they were most familiar with.

    The only downside was the extra weight that the oil carriers had, but being as experienced as were, it was not too difficult topensate.

    It was with a degree of nostalgia that they strung their bows, as they felt as though they hadn¡¯t done so for the longest of times. It had been a morning routine for a while, when they were in training, but they had not done so at all after the battle.

    They performed a few practise shots to make sure their skill was of the level it ought to be, and to their surprise, it was exactly as they remembered it, barely having been reduced at all in their period of idleness.

    And then, after being given the go-ahead by the Morojo¡¯s, they boarded their ship, and drifted out, away from the jetty. They found no problem in escaping the cove through the narrow gap ¨C they had been ustomed to such a thing. But still, there was a different element to their ship, on that day.

    Usually, as they left, they had done so with gs raised high, yet on that day, they were finally able to use the card Gengyo had long since prepared, and they came out, looking as an ordinary trading vessel might.

 Chapter 150 - The Temple

    As they opened the gates of the Menryo-ji temple, a gust of warm air hit them, and a scene that belonged to another world was revealed.

    Monks of all ages, from the youngest boys, to the oldest men. And each armed with a wooden polearm, with a spherical weight at one end to imitate the weight of a spear point.

    And they trained with the utmost discipline, entirely in time with one another, as they let loose the various stances of the form that they were practising. It was an incrediblyplicated disy, and one that Gengyo could not dissect too much, despite the amount of spear training he had undergone.

    A spritely pair of youths duelled each other aggressively off to one side, though both had a smile on their faces, as though this was the one thing they truly wished to be doing.

    It took a long time for anyone to realize that they were there ¨C the monks were people of the utmost discipline, and no matter what was going on around them, they were trained to focus entirely on the task.

    But as the elderly monk ¨C who was leading the disy ¨C stopped dead, staring towards them, then the others soon followed. It was quite a feat to break these monks out of their concentration, yet the mere appearance of two outsiders was enough to do that.

    Momochi walked ahead of them, with a peaceful smile on his face, and his hands behind his back, whilst the two pupils guarded them on either side, spears ready and willing to take their lives for the smallest of reasons.

    Slowly but surely the entire congregation of monks turned their way, as the youth stared at them with a profound curiosity, and the older monks were having difficultly hiding their hositility.

    "...Momochi."

    Came an old rasping voice from near their ear, as a tall, slender monk exited the building next to them, and stood in front, barring their path.

    "Master Kuraka."

    Momochi responded evenly, his smile not wavering in the least, even as he bore the full weight of all their stares.

    Gengyo looked toward Kitajo ufortably ¨C it was rather easy to tell that they were not wee. Nor did he even wish to be there. But the way things were going, not only would he have to stay, he would be doing so as a deadman, for those other monks certainly wished to see his head struck from his shoulders.

    The other old monk who had been leading the training walked over, his thick eyesbrows hanging low, threatening to impair his vision. As he walked, the other monks made a point to respectfully clear his path. This told Gengyo one thing: he was a man of position.

    "Master Soroko."

    Momochi noted, with a light dip of his head.

    The two men stared at him for a time, before they nced behind him, and evaluated Gengyo and Kitajo. Both men had blood soiling their clothes from the recent fight that they had been involved in. They were the very image of impurity.

    Yet they did not wither under the immense pressure exerted upon them. They stood, and stared back strongly, without flinching. Of course they wished to escape this ce alive, but if they had to die, they would not die having lost their pride.

    A deep sigh came from Soroko, as he looked over them, and shook his head. Kuraka, on the other hand, was seething, looking as though he wished to remove the two impure men immediately. But interestingly, the stare he shot Momochi contained a simr amount of aggression as the one he shot them.

    "Exin yourself, Momochi."

    Soroko spoke in a weary voice, as though this was thest thing he wished to deal with.

    "These two young men defiled our holy steps."

    Came the level headed reply of Momochi, who did not cower in the least.

    "We realize that, Momochi. We too sensed it. And you know we did. Answer the damn question!"

    Kuraka hissed.

    "Mm, I apologise. This old mind of mine... haha."

    He responded with a light chuckle. There were few people that did not like Momochi. His disposition was mild, and he was easy to get along with, but Kuraka was eternally irritated by his carefree mannerisms.

    But he was forced to grind his teeth and wait for the monk to exin himself, for Soroko was already shooting him a sideways nce; it would not do for the masters to disgrace themselves by fighting in front of the pupils.

    "Please, Momochi, exin your thoughts to us."

    At Soroko¡¯s calm persuading, Momochi was only too happy to enlighten them.

    "These menmitted a crime against our holy order, that is true. But in killing them, we do not restore the bnce ¨C instead, we tip the scales further down."

    Gengyo frowned heavily. He could not understand Momochi¡¯s manner of speech. He was certainly condemning them, but at the same time, he wasing to their defence. He could not understand it. There was nothing he had done for the man to act as such.

    "And so, you allow them to live? Not only that, you dare to bring such impure creatures up the steps of our holy order, and through our gates, allowing them to spread their corruption as they will? You dare to go against our founding father¡¯s decree?"

    Kuraka asked threateningly, painting Momochi in the worst light possible.

    "No, I merely aim for what our founding father gave his life to achieve: bnce."

    "...How?"

    The tall elderly monk asked, once more seeking a more direct answer. But instead, Momochi turned his head, and spoke to Soroko.

    "Soroko-sensei, my thinking is this: two men were sent to death upon our steps, causing darkness to enter our light. Their killers ¨C these two before you ¨C are undoubtably men of the dark. But if we can convert them, and show them the error of their ways, then we can wash out the stains that they have caused, and we can make our order stronger for it."

    Soroko squinted at him, trying to see the truth past his words, but faced with Momochi¡¯s unwavering smile, it was impossible to criticise him for long. His argument was based on the purest of logic, the sort that they were taught to apply to every element of their decisions.

 Chapter 151 - The Temple (2)

    "That is not a punishment."

    Soroko stated pointedly. He did not wish to condemn Momochi too heavily, but no matter how he looked at it, the two men in front of him were not being punished. They were being offered an opportunity that normal people could only dream of having, and for what? Formitting murder on their holy steps.

    "For these men it is, they have a mission, you see."

    Momochi exined.

    Kuraka looked back and forth from him to Soroko venomously, unable to believe that the other monk was genuinely considering Momochi¡¯s decision.

    "Step forward."

    Soroko spoke, ordering Gengyo and Kitajo forward.

    Reluctantly, Gengyo did as he said. He held no trust for their cryptic reasonings ¨C talk of light and dark and other such religious dealings, they were not something he wished to involve himself in.

    Kitajo followed his lead, and moved forward alongside him. Soroko¡¯s gaze went to Kitajo first, as he truly looked him up and down, before staring deep into his eyes. It was with pride that Gengyo saw Kitajo face the gaze unflinchingly. He had truly grown into a strongd.

    Gengyo used the opportunity he was given to look around the temple grounds with a degree of further scrutinany than he had before. At a single nce, he could tell the monks were strong. Perhaps just as strong ¨C if not stronger ¨C than the guard who had attacked him earlier. Their prospects were truly looking grim.

    And then Soroko¡¯s gaze travelled to him.

    "The fuc-"

    He physically flinched when the old man¡¯s pure gaze aligned with his own. It was a suffocating feeling, as if he was being oppressed. He briefly wondered how Kitajo had managed to bare it, but then he saw that Soroko had flinched too, and his calm expression had been reced by one that looked agonizing.

    Soroko looked quickly toward Momochi, seeking exnation. But he was merely met with a nod.

    Gengyo watched the exchange with great confusion, not at all understanding what had just urred.

    "I see... your reasoning extends beyond your words, Momochi."

    Soroko spoke solemnly, sucking in a deep breath of air, as he sought topose himself.

    "That it does."

    He affirmed.

    Kuraka looked towards the two in confusion, it seemed he too did not understand what was had just happened. His gazended on Gengyo, as he sought to find what Soroko had just experienced, but it was with minimal effort that Gengyo was able to hold it.

    To Soroko and Momochi, such a thing was not of great surprise. There were many sorts of monks, and some found their calling in the martial arts, and sought to be the strongest, whilst others enjoyed exploring their minds, and their humanity. Kuraka was of the prior sort. His meditive efforts had never yielded significant results, but his martial skill was unparralled.

    The old monk Soroko, turned away from them, to look back towards the gathering of their pupils, as he stood with his hands behind his back, in thought.

    He left them in silence for a few moments, before with a calm voice, he announced his verdict.

    "I havee to a decision."

    The entire square listened with anticipation.

    "These two men here."

    He turned around to point at them.

    "They are different from us ¨C that much is true."

    It was engrained in his bones to try and teach the pupils at every moment that he could, and so now when he was here, announcing his decision, he fell to lecturing them once more.

    "They are tainted by impurity, and have had lead lives that we might look down upon. But, I agree with Momochi-sensei¡¯s decision. For the growth of you disciples, we will introduce these two into our temple."

    "Take this opportunity to learn from them, but do not be influenced by them. Observe, but maintain your purity. They will be happy to answer any questions that you have. Will you not, young men?"

    He turned to speak to Gengyo and Kitajo, asking thatst question. They shared a nce with each other. It was quite the troublesome situation they had be involved in, but seemingly, they had no choice, and through gritted teeth they could merely give a nod of ascent.

    ¡¯Worry not Kitajo, we will get out of here soon enough.¡¯

    Gengyo promised under his breath. Whatever these monks were up to, he wanted no part in it. Their strange words and ideologies, speaking of light and dark ¨C that meant nothing to him. He was only grateful that such people had sworn not to get involved in the affairs of themon folk, for their strength was far too mighty, and they could influence the oue of any war far too heavily.

    Kuraka¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as his face became a mask of disgust. He had thousands of protests he wished to voice, but he could not undermine Soroko¡¯s authority, not in front of the pupils ¨C it would onlye back to haunt himter.

    For now, he merely settled with staring down the smiling Momochi, before directing that gaze towards both Gengyo and Kitajo, as though swearing that he would kill them on the first chance that he got.

    "Come with me then, inpure ones. We shall set about integrating you."

    Soroko spoke, before he began to walk towards the tallest building, not looking back, for he expected them to follow. And follow they did, leaving Momochi and Kuraka to argue it out amongst themselves.

    The young monks looked at them as though they were some rare exhibit as they passed. They seemed to find their long hair amusing, but they never fullyitted to theughter, for the blood on their clothes was more than enough to remind them of what sort of animals they were.

    The two men did their best to remain dignified, despite the dishonour that they were being subjected to.

    ¡¯It is merely temporary.¡¯

    Gengyo consoled himself. At that moment he was grateful that he had not brought more guards along, as their fight with the monks would have been inevitable, and they would have been ughtered like cattle.

 Chapter 152 - Oil and Water

    "We don¡¯t know when that ship¡¯s docking, do we?"

    Morohira muttered. He did not recall Isabe mentioning a time.

    "No, we don¡¯t, but Ishi reckons it could be early morning."

    The way Togashi phrased that caused the captain to raise an eyebrow and inquire further.

    "How does she know?"

    "Just a hunch, she said."

    Came the less than reassuring reply. But it was met with his fearless grin ¨Cck of information was not likely to hold him back, nor should it. It did not change what they had to do in the least.

    They simply had to charge out and destroy the guard¡¯s forces, and then, the port would be theirs, and they could wait for the shipment as they pleased.

    But because they did not know the timing, they were already on the water and the sun had yet to fully ascend into the sky, with patches of darkness still present at a few regr points.

    Unfazed they were, and without weariness. They charged forth with dominance. Even though their vessel appeared to merely be that of a trading ship, they still moved as if they had full control of the area around them.

    And to an extent, they did. They were near their bows at all times, ready to take up any opportunity that might present itself. Because they had no experience with the weapon, Akiko and Rin saw to it that the others would always have a supply of ammunition in the battles toe, whether oil or me or both.

    "Heheh, she¡¯s certainly slower."

    Rokkaku stated jovially. Without the second mast and the oars, their progress was not as fast as it usually happened to be.

    "We¡¯ll speed up soon enough."

    Came the captain¡¯s reply, as he stood at the prow of the ship, squinting, making sure all ahead looked as it ought to.

    Soon they passed the familiar site of the Dressing Room, but contorary to the norm, today they simply sailed past, to attack the waters beyond.

    Though they were d in their ck armours, they still felt rather n.a.k.e.d, which was odd, since an extra mast and oars did not exactly provide extra protection, merely speed.

    Perhaps it was their paranoia, then. It felt as if everyone at the port could already see through their disguise, and wereughing in their direction, waiting for them to be caught, and their foolishness exposed.

    But apparently their disguise was not too bad after all, as they sailed past the first guardship with barely a nce being had in their direction. They continued forwards so that they might find a better position, and fire at all three sh.i.p.s simultaneously. It was likely that such a position did not exist, as the sh.i.p.s were a fair distance apart, but still, it did not hurt to try.

    The guard sh.i.p.s were roughly strewn in a triangle atop the water, as they sought to protect the various gateways to the port at the same time. And now their little vessel was drifting towards the middle of it.

    Without realizing, the deeper they went, the quieter the crew became, even though there was no chance of the enemy overhearing them. The tension that had not been present for so long finally started to show it¡¯s thorny self, andtch onto them.

    But there were no strangers to its embrace, and with that nervousness came a strength, as they did not attempt to resist it, they merely acknowledged it¡¯s presence and acted in ordance with it.

    Soon they had a clear shot lined up for at least two of the sh.i.p.s, yet Morohira did not yet give out the order for them to take it. It seemed he was reluctant to begin without having the odds set entirely in their favour, which was most unusual for him.

    The guard sh.i.p.s were continually moving ¨C gently rowing in time with thepping waves, as the crew attempted to expend as little energy as possible without actually staying idle, and allowing the cold to weaken their muscles and their minds.

    And so, it was with great excitement that they saw the third ship ¨C the one that had insisted on staying out of reach of their bows ¨C row into range.

    "Prepare yourselves."

    Morohira intoned, not too loudly. All the sh.i.p.s were a good few hundred metres away, and a single shot would test to limits of their bow¡¯s draw strength. But because the targets were so big, such a distance did not matter.

    Closer it sailed, pushing the water out of it¡¯s way with domineeringly, with it¡¯s crew of matchlock wielding guards strutting the deckzily.

    It was him ¨C the captain ¨C that nocked the first arrow, filled with its pouch of oil. And it was he that loosed it first too. All their attention was focused on such a shot, for it would determine the oue of the battle.

    Fortune was with them that day, as itnded in the centre of the wooden deck.

    "Eh?"

    The guards flinched upon the sudden arrow collision, and struggled to make sense of what had just happened. They stared at the thick ck liquid that now coated the deck, and it took them a few moments to trulyprehend what it was.

    But that proved to be fatal, as Rokkakuunched a ming arrow of his own, and turned that thick ck liquid into a raging inferno.

    WOOSH

    It caught quickly, and spread across the entire deck within seconds. It even travelled up the armour of the crewmembers unlucky enough to be sshed upon the initial collision.

    Chaos ensued, of a magnitude that even Gengyo would have been proud of.

    In maddened attempts of escaping the me, the screaming crew members flung themselves overboard, d of anything that could help cool the searing fire that threatened to consume them. But many such people ¨C having not known how to swim ¨C were merely choosing an alternate form of death, yet there were some lucky enough totch onto an oar, and pull themselves back above the waters surface, and suck in a lungful of air.

    mes licked the deck hungrily, and boring a hole through in seconds, as a bits of burning timber fell and gave rise to me on the lower deck as well.

    But their crew could not watch such a site in satisfaction. There were still two more guard sh.i.p.s that needed putting down, and no doubt they were in a rather panicked state themselves, after seeing one of their allied vessels burst into a sea of me.

    But from their movements, it seemed as if the ship¡¯smanders had not yet seen from whence such a fire sprung, and so their prospects at victory were not too slim.

    Ii loosed his oil pouch first. Even upon first release, it was obvious the shot was much too low, and he tutted in disappointed. But to his surprise, it still managed tond, and burst out over the side of the ship ¨C yet it was still not good enough.

    Thankfully, they had multiple people shooting in case of such an event, and with Sasaki¡¯s arrow, their deck was rendered slick with oil.

    FLOOOOSHH

    Three ming arrows were released in unision, and a second ship burst into me. This one, it seemed, had been caught less off guard, as while the guards were struggling in the mes, some attempted to return fire, and shot towards them with their matchlocks. Luckily, such shots were not given the time to be aimed properly, and they harmlessly flew past them.

    Yet by now the third ship was well aware of who was causing such trouble, and it began to row madly to its side, so that it could expose them to a full wave of matchlock fire.

    Frantically, the Red Feather ship attempted to loose oil pouch arrows. But it was too no avail. They were too rushed under the pressure of the iing volley, and the arrowsnded far before their intended target.

    "TO THE LOWER DECK!"

    Morohira barked fiercely, as he dove down the stairs, hoping his men would be wise enough to do the same. But it seemed they needed no order, and had already halfway retreated themselves ¨C there was no way they wished to bear the brunt of that matchlock fire.

    A series of crackling sounds rippled across the port as the guardsmen unleashed their first volley using the new weapon that theirmander had spent so much coin on. And as they felt the recoil of the matchlocks against their shoulder, they felt almost sure that the enemy had no chance of surviving. They were out at sea, so they did not have to worry about their elevation being wrong ¨C they merely had to aim straight. No doubt their shots were perfect ones.

    Yet in their eagerness to pull their triggers, they had neglected to consider the event in which the crew managed to dodge that first volley, and as the men returned to the upper deck and prepared their bows, they were left frantically trying to reload.

    When facing their enemy anxiously trying to push ammunition into the end of their barrel, the Red Feather crew smiled mercilessly, and drew back a number of oil-pouched shots, taking their time to line it up perfectly, for time was something they had a great deal of.

    Three shots were fired, and three shots werended. Men and ship alike were coated in the ck substance.

    They knew what was toe, as they had just watched theirrades fall to the same fate. And so ¨C before even the ming arrow was fired ¨C many flung their rifles aside, and dove overboard, seizing an oar as they fell into the chilling depths.

    "Haha... Look at them."

    Morohira chuckled condescendingly, drawing the bowstring toward his cheek, not flinching as the hot mes of the burning arrow boiled his skin. And then, he released.

    Inparison to their usual brute-force efforts, this was a good deal more measured, and he did not feel quite the same adrenaline rush as that arrow of hisnded, and bathed their ship in a scorching me.

    Their simple tactic of me was more than enough to crush the undisciplined guardsmen, and their ranks crumbled in fear against the prospect of death.

    But even with those sh.i.p.s sunken, there were still many more waiting to take their ce amongst the port, and by now the were ready, having seen themotion, and they were well on their way to barring their path.

    "How pleasant it will be to st such ants away with a single fire of a cannon."

    Togashi muttered, seeing their likese closer. Very soon, he wagered, their tactic would be rendered obsolete, and they would be put in a position where they would have to fight more honestly.

    There was only so far fire could go, after all. These new sh.i.p.s were undoubtedly equipped with countermeasures, such as water buckets and the like. And whilst water could not directly extinguish their oil-burning me, it could go far in wetting the dry wood, and preventing it from spreading too rapidly.

    Their prospects ¨C whilst they had enjoyed an early victory ¨C were certainly grim, and still, there was no sign of their target on the horizon.

    Wood splintered past his ear, as a stray musket ball collided with their mast.

    "DOWN!"

    He heard Morohira bark. On this t ocean surface, the matchlocks held the undoubted advantage, as they could fire a lot further. They were simply forced to weather the storm, and attempt the same tactic as before, though by now another ship was pulling its way from the port and within seconds it too would be ready to harass them with its musket fire.

    The situation was looking a lot more grim than they would have liked. Their trump card had only gotten them so far, but by now it was obvious that their trading skiff was also involved in some kind of piracy ¨C perhaps it was even in league with the ck gged vessel ¨C and it was being dealt with by the entirety of the city guards forces, with no man spared.

 Chapter 153 - Demands

    "You will cut each other¡¯s hair, and wash."

    Soroko announced, as they entered the building. They passed through the lower floor, and headed through the back rooms, until finally, they arrived inside a steaming bathhouse.

    He left them to stare at the grandness of the design, with its archaic stone bricks, and worn down ledges, whilst he stepped into the next room for a few seconds, and retrieved an old razor de.

    Gengyo nced around astutely. He did not want to allow a single opportunity of escape to pass him by, and as the old monk held out the razor towards him, he narrowed his eyes.

    As soon as his fingers made their around the smooth wooden handle, heshed out, intending to catch Soroko off guard, so they could make their escape.

    But the old monk barely even blinked, nor did his bushy eyebrows twitch. He simply altered his body slightly, and allowed the de to sail harmlessly past.

    "As I said earlier, to clean yourselves, you will need to shave your heads, you need to use that de to do so."

    He spoke as if there was nothing else going on, yet Gengyo was shing toward him with strike after strike, furiously trying to cut him open. Their swords had long since been taken from them, and this was the only opportunity he had now.

    "Mm... I wonder if there¡¯s anything else I need to say?"

    Soroko mused, making minor adjustments to his arm to avoid the small de that begged to cleave his shoulder.

    "Ah, yes. One moment."

    He merely turned and left, dodging Gengyo¡¯sst strike in the process. The young man did not even bother to attack him as he retreated, for he was already sweating profusely and breathing heavily from the amount of strikes he had put out.

    Kitajo watched the entire process, stunned, unable to move.

    "...How?"

    He asked, struggling to find the right words to express what he had just seen.

    "He¡¯s strong, that¡¯s how."

    Gengyo said bitterly, through ragged breath. They could not even take a single monk when he was left alone. What chance did they have? It was almost unfair that such monsters existed. Against every man that he had ever fought, no matter how strong, he had always been able to see even the smallest chance of victory. Yet here, he could not sense even the slightest bit of weakness.

    Soroko returned a few momentster, with two sets of garments held over his arm. It seemed they would also be dressing like monks now.

    "I thought you said you wanted us to fit in, not turn us into monks."

    Gengyoined, seeing whether he could outwit the monk mentally, since he did not stand a chance physically.

    "That¡¯s very much a part of fitting in, young man. Physical change can affect the mind, even just the smallest of amounts. So why would one not seek to undergo physical change first, for is that not the easiest step?"

    "It defeats the purpose of introducing them to someone from the outside, does it not?"

    He responded, testing the limits of his patience.

    "Hoho, you really do not want to be here. It seems Momochi-sensei had you defined just right."

    The old monk stated, not sparing the time to respond to his criticisms.

    "Indeed, I do not. Neither of us do. It is a waste of time for all parties. So why not just let me leave? Give me a cloth, and I will wash the blood away from your steps. That¡¯s the physical change you spoke of, is it not?"

    With a bushy eyebrow raised, old Soroko took no offence at his words, and instead, he betrayed an amused chuckle, and spoke to Kitajo.

    "Your master is rather difficult to handle with his words, hoho."

    The two men flinched, and shared a nce.

    ¡¯How did he know I was his master?¡¯

    Came their thoughts.

    "Mm, but not as clever as he would like to believe. A clever tiger knows when to hide, and stalk his prey. He is merely a cub, unused to the ways of the world. A wise man would take this opportunity for what it is worth. It is a punishment, that is true. But if you do not give in to your resentment, and are able to look with both eyes open, then you might be able to see how both parties can benefit, no?"

    He allowed them a moment to process his words, before he turned on his heel and left them with a single partingment.

    "But we are quite willing to inflict punishment where disobedience is present. So do as I ask, least this be more difficult for you."

    It was, without doubt, a threat, but spoken in his humble old voice, it was difficult to take it as such. Yet it would be most unwise to take him lightly. He had revealed his martial skill to be worlds apart from their own. If that was the only thing he had, then defeating him might still be workable, but he had some other odd intuition about him, and Gengyo found himself unwilling to underestimate that.

    "Miura..?"

    Kitajo broke Gengyo out from his thoughts.

    "Mm?"

    "Should we not just do as he says? It¡¯s only a haircut."

    It was indeed, merely a haircut. But it was also them stating that they submit. Yet...

    "Aye... It might be wise."

    Despite his bitterness about the mess they hadnded themselves in, he was unwilling tosh out at Kitajo, even though he found his suggestion to be rather irritating. Thed was right: it was merely a haircut. Thinking about it in any other terms would lead to more damage than it was worth.

    "Do you want to go first?"

    "Can do."

    He sat with his legs crossed, and a frown on his face, as he allowed Kitajo to begin shaving his hair. Thed operated with the utmost care, making sure that he would not deal Gengyo any injury with the sharp edge of the razor.

    ¡¯Ah, what a state indeed...¡¯

    Hemented, as they sat in silence. The only sound present was that of the razor scraping over his scalp.

    ¡¯There was one thing the old monk said that was moderately wise though, rmending that I seize the opportunity for what it is worth.¡¯

    He realized, attempting to set his emotion on the matter aside, and reorganize his goals so that his anger would not overwhelm him too quickly.

    ¡¯If I demonstrate whatever the monks wish to find out, then I will be out of here more quickly. It would not matter if this trip takes a couple of weeks longer than it should ¨C they have my horse, and I have no doubt my coin is safe. I can use this time to n the recruitment process more thoroughly, so that when I¡¯m out, I will be able to move more efficiently. That should be enough to make up for lost time.¡¯

    "...Ah."

    Kitajo muttered as he walked in front of Gengyo, to try and spot any parts that he had missed.

    "Hm?"

    "You look different, Miura."

    "Of course ¨C anyone would after they lost their hair. But it¡¯ll grow back, eh?"

    "Hm, I don¡¯t know, I think it sort of suits you."

    "Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and let me do yours, we¡¯ll see who suits in then."

    Came his reply, as he stood up, and pried the razor from Kitajo¡¯s grasp.

    "But Miura ¨C there are still parts that need doing..."

    He protested as he was forced to sit down.

    "Not bothered."

    Gengyo responded, wielding the razor as he began chopping at the boy¡¯s long hair. It was a shame to see it fall to the floor in such clumps. But he supposed it was just as he said: it would grow back.

    He made a point not to act too despondently in front of Kitajo. He was his leader, and it would not do for his own worry to be reflected back onto his subordinate, for he would have need of himter.

    It was his job toe up with a n, and get them out ¨C in the meantime, he would simply act as though the current events did not bother him.

    "Hm, I reckon you suit it more than me."

    He decided, looking at the freshly shaven Kitajo, who squirmed under his gaze as though n.a.k.e.d.

    "Guh... This is the worst."

    Heined, unable to take his hands off his head, as he rued the parting of his soft hair, and was instead forced to put up with his cold scalp.

    "Nah, it could be a lot worse. After we¡¯ve had a bath, we¡¯ll have to put on those monk robes. Imagine if Rokkaku or father saw us like this? We¡¯d never hear the end of it."

    Kitajo could not help but chuckle at such an image ¨C it was true enough, those two would tease them until they tongues fell out. At the mention of a bath, he moved forward to test the water.

    "Oh... It¡¯s warm."

    There was steaming off it¡¯s surface, but somehow he had not pictured the monks to be people of warm baths. He figured they would be taking showers under an icy cold waterfall instead.

    "Decent."

    Gengyo said approvingly, as he removed his blood stained kimono and jumped in. It was a pleasant sensation indeed, and he rather enjoyed it, but still he could not help sigh once more. He was truly attempting to be upbeat, but as soon as he reminded themselves of the situation they were in, he had difficulty maintaining that same positiveness.

    Kitajo joined him a momentter.

    "Howe the monks are so strong?"

    He wondered. Strength in itself was not too difficult to understand, but their strength was otherworldly ¨C being the mortals that they were, they could not even touch them.

    "Who knows. Perhaps we¡¯ll find out, since we¡¯re being forced to stay here a while."

    Kitajo¡¯s eyes brightened at that, as though he had just discovered a new opportunity.

    "Ah... That¡¯s true. Yup, let¡¯s try and get stronger whilst we¡¯re here!"

    Gengyo had to physically restrain himself from shaking his head.

    ¡¯If only I could be that positive...¡¯

    He mused. Thed had only needed to be presented with the very end of a rope, and he had clung to it with full force, believing that to be his new purpose. Yet he found himself unable to make such a leap. The worst thing in his eyes was not being in control of his own destiny. There was nothing he could do to assert any kind of hold over the powerful monks. Even if he caused a good amount of chaos ¨C as he had be so ustomed to ¨C he doubted they would even react.

    "Enjoying yourselves, are we?"

    Soroko spoke up suddenly from behind, causing them to flinch. It was massively disconcerting to have the old man sneak up on them, without even the slightest warning.

    "There are many things I would rather be doing."

    Came Gengyo¡¯s icy response, as he turned to meet the old man¡¯s gaze.

    "And many things you would rather not be doing, I expect. Mm... Short hair is a good look for you."

    Kitajo nodded towards Gengyo, as if to say: "I told you so."

    He wasn¡¯t sure whether the monk had chosen to say that on purpose merely to irritate him, but whatever his objective, it had worked. Still, he did not want to give him the satisfaction, and merely turned away.

    Soroko smiled at his response.

    ¡¯It¡¯s quite the interesting individuals that you¡¯ve found Momochi. Quite the interesting ones indeed.¡¯

    He mused, as he watched them.

    ¡¯They¡¯re certainly strong for such impure men. But the path that they walk is a dark one, and there are few who are able to tell just how long it can continue. In your case, boys, I expect not too long.¡¯

 Chapter 154 - Initiation

    "Throw on these clothes, and then I will cast you into our ranks, and show you just where you stand."

    Soroko announced, though those words were heavily induced by a yet to be seen threat.

    They did as they were told. They cared not for modesty as they stepped out from the bath, fully unclothed, nor did the monk. He merely continued to look them in the eye, as they walked confidently, without flinching, and drew the robes over themselves.

    "These have a remarkable amount of room in them."

    Gengyo muttered, slightly surprised by how little they restricted his movements. Kimono¡¯s in general were rather good for practising martial arts in ¨C better than trousers ¨C because of the freedom they offered. But this was on another level. They were so baggy that it was impossible to tell the shape of one¡¯s body underneath them.

    "I guess we¡¯re monks now, Kitajo."

    Hemented. If anything, they now entirely looked the part.

    "Incorrect. To an outsider, perhaps you could pose as one. But to a true monk, those clothes hide nothing. Follow."

    Soroko cut in, before turning to lead them out of the room.

    The two men shared a nce, before they slowly began to walk behind him. As they walked through the rooms, they were regarded with much curiosity by all the monks that they encountered. But after ncing toward Soroko, none of them dared to say anything.

    Through the main entrance, they exited, and once more returned to the courtyard in which they had been presented. The monks were no longer continuing their group training session ¨C as Soroko was not there to lead them ¨C instead they split off into groups, that looked to be roughly defined by age, as the younger boys seemed to be together, and the older men together. There were exceptions to this rule, however.

    In each group, there was a pair duelling, whilst the rest stood round, and offered criticisms and praise, as the men fought under the oppressive gazes of their peers.

    But apparently, they saw no concern in receiving such pressure. These duels were remarkable to watch as well. Instead of simply two spearmen sparring, it was as though two acrobats were going at it, for they moved with such flexibility and grace, that it seemed the air around them supported their endeavours.

    But ever the cynic, Gengyo was unsure whether such flourishes really held purpose, or whether they were for the sake of performance. In his eyes, all the incredible stances, and movements that they disyed were entirely unnecessary. In a fight, one only needed to im victory by stabbing his sharp point into the enemy, before he himself got stabbed.

    "You judge them harshly, young man."

    Soroko noted, after taking a single nce at Gengyo¡¯s face.

    The young man shrugged. There was no point in pretending.

    "I merely judge what I can see, and if thates across as harsh? So be it."

    Kitajo nced at Gengyo, with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Thed was talking differently than he normally might. It seemed as though he was caught up in the monk¡¯s flow.

    "Which of these men do you believe to be your match?"

    The old man questioned curiously, wondering just how far arrogance tainted his actions.

    "I do not know. None of them look particrly strong ¨C but neither do you. Yet you¡¯re undoubtedly a level above mine. Anyway, you question me as if you know the answer. Who is my match then, old monk?"

    Soroko smiled upon hearing the defeat that wasced in those words, and he merely pointed forwards.

    The two young men followed the line of his finger, and their gazes fell upon the youths. Children who had not yet reached their teens, yet they sparred with just as much ferociousness and enthusiasm as the men who were many years their seniors.

    "Tsch."

    Gengyo tutted loudly, he should have known the monk would give him such an answer. He did his best to not appear too insulted, as he turned to the monk and asked him for his real answer.

    "Real answer? Whatever do you mean? I do not joke young man. Those boys are your match ¨C perhaps more than that. I¡¯d wager they could beat you."

    Kitajo turned his neck to see Gengyo¡¯s eyebrow twitch, he was clearly rather irritated at suchments, but was doing his best not to show it.

    "Very well monk, we will assume it is as you said."

    Gengyo muttered, turning his back on the scenes behind him, and looking up to the monk, waiting for him to take them elsewhere.

    "Oh? No, no. This won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t have you doubting my words. To be a monk means to be honest."

    He intoned, before shuffling over to the group of young boys, and interrupting their practising. As soon as he made his appearance, the duel ceased, and they bowed respectfully toward their teacher.

    He ced a hand on the shoulder of one of the duellists, before pointing towards Gengyo. The young boy tilted his head up towards Soroko, listening to what he had to say, before nodding, and walking over alongside him.

    The other duellist ran on ahead, and wordlessly passed Gengyo the spear he had been practising with. Gengyo epted it with a single hand, as he looked toward Soroko with irritation written all over his face.

    A duel with a child ¨C no matter what the results may be ¨C would always be humiliating, especially for someone like him.

    "Young man, this boy is Nanuka. He¡¯ll be giving you guidance on your spear form today. Please act humbly, and treat him with respect."

    As he spoke, the slightest of smiles yed on his lips. He was clearly rather enjoying this. Before Gengyo could even tell when it had happened, there was a circle of young boys surrounding him, just as there had been when Nanuka was duelling before. It seemed it really was going to happen.

    Gengyo stared at the spear he was holding distastefully, as though he could not believe he had to use it.

    "What¡¯s the matter? Would you prefer a sword to duel with?"

    Soroko asked, feigning concern.

    "No. Adaptability is a warrior¡¯s greatest weapon. Unlike you monks, my people do not bow toward a single weapon, but practise many."

    He spoke, taking his stance, with two hands on the shaft. Compared the rigidity of Nanuka¡¯s, that seemed to be part of some form or other, his was much more casual.

    "Ho... It seems you¡¯re looking down on us. Adaptability is certainly a virtue, but it means nothing if you are unskilled in each of those weapons you im to practise... BEGIN!"

    He shouted loudly, his words making even some of the monks from other groups turn their heads.

    As soon as the announcement to begin was given, Gengyo was greeted by a barrage of skilful disys. Nanuka twirled his spear to the right of him, using both hands, and had it spinning at a remarkably fast speed, but then, without spectators even being able to tell what had happened, he spun it across his back, and had it tucked under his armpit, on the other side of his body.

    Gengyo shook his head. Such disys were unnecessary when the aim was simply to defeat your enemy. He stabbed forward with a swift strike, aiming for his chest.

    ¡¯This is foolish. In doing those little stunts, you¡¯ve tucked your spear away, so that your responses are slowed...¡¯

    Hemented, almost irritated by the little boy¡¯sck of regard for victory. But contrary to his expectations, Nanuka, swiftly dodged to the side, before bringing his front leg up, and spinning around, bringing his spear crashing down on Gengyo with great force.

    It was by only by the skin of his teeth that Gengyo managed to block such a strike, by holding his spear with both hands on the shaft above his head.

    But the boy gave him no time to recover, and once more spun forward, thrashing him with both ends of the spear, as he twirled it around with apparent ease, using the momentum of one strike in order to push into the next.

    ¡¯Damn it...¡¯

    Gengyo muttered. He was being pushed back by the very disys that he had deemed unnecessary. There were so many flourishes that seemed only to serve the purpose of making a strike look more spectacr, but those flourishes lead to more power and speed, as one used his entire body in making them happen.

    It also made it difficult to keep up with the strikes, as he was forced to block time and time again. By now this disy had entirely attracted the attention of the other groups, as the older monks gathered round to cheer on their youngpanion.

    "Haha, get him Nanuka! Show the outsider the difference between us and them!"

    They cheered jovially, taking much glee in seeing one of their youngest members suppress him so thoroughly.

    By now Gengyo was taking part in the sort of fight he had once looked down on: a fight where many strikes were exchanged, but little was done in the way of injury. Yet such a fight was entirely to the little boy¡¯s advantage, as it rendered Gengyo unable to use his superior strength and power.

    Another strike came towards his head, and once more he blocked it, with his spear held overhead with both hands. Yet this time, heshed out with a kick, forcing Nanuka to step back.

    As he had gained distance, Gengyo imitated the youngd¡¯s earlier disy, and began to twirl his spear off to his right hand side, before allowing it to spin over his back, and to tuck under his arm.

    "Mmph. It¡¯s an easy disy to replicate ¨C but what¡¯s the point?"

    He questioned, not aggressively, but he was genuinely curious. He had at first been irritated by Soroko matching him up with a mere child, but in doing so, he had allowed him time to properly analyse their techniques, and during which, a genuine curiosity had been fostered.

    His easy imitation of the monk¡¯s fighting techniques caused silence to reign for a good few seconds. Such a technique was one of the very first things they were taught, but it took a good while to master. These techniques were held as the most sacred of secrets, and there was not a chance he could have practised it before.

    "It seems your master has allowed our little Nanuka inside his head."

    Soroko said with a light smile. Contary to the rest, he was not surprised by Gengyo¡¯s disys. More than that ¨C he was actually amused by them. Kitajo nced up at him, wondering what he meant by such words, but he dared not say anything. He saw how Gengyo did not trust the monk, nor would he.

    This time it was Nanuka who was left to deal the opening strike, and once more Gengyo mimicked him, and spun around as he dodged the spear shaft, before bringing his own up high, and mming it down toward Nanuka¡¯s head.

    It was with desperation that the little boy held his shaft above his head, attempting to block such a strike. But still, it was to no avail. From Nanuka, such a strike had been powerful. But from Gengyo, an a.d.u.l.t man, who was well muscled from his training? It was devasting.

    His little arms gave out before the wood did, and he mmed into the floor.

    Gengyo nced around with a raised eyebrow toward Soroko, as if to say: "well?" But his victory was brought to an end swiftly, as one of the older monks stepped out from the crowd, making himself well seen.

    And then, with a single strike, he mmed the end of his spear into Gengyo¡¯s sr-plexus, sending him crashing to the ground.

    "He struggles against a boy, and falls to a man. He is not worthy of our hospitality."

    The monk spat, as he bashed his way through the crowd.

 Chapter 155 - Impossible Odds

    "What now?"

    Rokkaku asked, as they took cover with their faces t against the deck, as barrage after barrage of musket fire shot overhead. There were three sh.i.p.s at least, and they appeared to at least be somewhat co-ordinated, as after one ship fired, another would fire whilst they reloaded. It made for an endless stream of bullets that was difficult to deal with.

    It was a problem that seemed almost impossible to deal with, but Morohira was still grinning fearlessly, apparently unconcerned by theirck of an advantage.

    "Crawl toward the lower deck, quickly now!"

    He said, in a level voice that did not hold even a hint of fear. Rin and Akiko were closest to the stairs, and they did as they were told, and crawled towards them, and the others followed quickly.

    "Whilst they¡¯re preventing us from standing up, they cannot finish us like this. They need to get a lot closer."

    Togashi exined, seeming to understand Morohira¡¯s reasoning better than most.

    "Exactly."

    Morohira agreed, as he was thest to descend down the steps into the lower deck, where he could now stand upright. He moved toward one of the oar holes, and peered through a crack.

    Had they realized that such oar holes were present, then his action might have been deemed dangerous, for they simply could have fired towards him. Yet their attacks were concentrated firmly on the upper deck, and no bullet strayed so low.

    The sh.i.p.s ¨C as they had predicted ¨C were constantly getting nearer, as they sought to deal the killing blow. No doubt they would ram into them as soon as they were granted the opportunity, as it mattered not to them what damage their sh.i.p.s were caused, for their ship had caused quite the amount of damage already.

    "Look!"

    Akiko said in surprise, as she peered out of one of the other oar holes and spotted something.

    "What is itss?"

    Rokkaku murmured, as he ducked low so that he could look through the same hole that she had.

    "Ho... So it¡¯s here, eh?"

    He muttered, spotting what Akiko was referring to straight away.

    "The gunpowder ship?"

    Togashi guessed, as astute as ever. He stroked his beard, and nodded a few times,ing up with a n in his head. But he did not give voice to such a n, and instead looked toward Morohira, who¡¯s smile was widening upon the receipt of such news.

    "Looks like we¡¯re in luck!"

    He said with a grin.

    "PREPARE THE OARS! WE¡¯RE GOING IN ON THE BASTARD!"

    The men replied with action, grateful for the opportunity to escape this wretched situation that they were in. But it was only Togashi who knew just how lucky they were ¨C their sail was aligned perfectly with the direction he knew the gunpowder ship to be in. This meant that they could ¨C without a doubt ¨C put a good amount of distance between them and the trailing guard sh.i.p.s.

    The oars were prepared and thrust out within seconds. It was with panic that the guards reacted, as they realized the trading vessel was capable of far more speed than they had previously thought.

    They quickly called off the volley¡¯s that they were sending their way, for it was a waste of ammunition. Instead, they sent the men below deck, to assist with the oarsmen, and hopefully make up for some of the lost speed.

    A few men remained above deck, with rifles loaded, just in case any of the pirates dared to show their heads.

    But still, overloading the oars with more power could only guarantee speed up to a certain point. They needed to be in perfect time with each other, and even then, there was a limit to how much power that could get.

    Yet their little trading vessel - with their perfectly angled sail, and their men on the oars ¨C was flying across the open water as though it was spurred on by the gods themselves.

    "ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO!"

    Morohira called out the time, as they put all their efforts into rowing. Even when a random musket ball hit the side of their ship, and sent wood splintering, they did not flinch, and their rhythm did not slow.

    "By the gods..."

    The captain of the gunpowder trading ship muttered, seeing just what was on his tail. A single shark chased by many whales, yet it was so much faster than them.

    "We¡¯re just a tasty snack waiting to be caught..."

    Hemented, trying to think of a better course of action. Had he been able to think clearly, then he would have sailed forwards, out of the direction in which the pirate ship had their sail angled, for they would be unable to change it ¨C at least, in that moment - and in changing it, they would have slowed, and allowed the guard vessels to catch them.

    Yet fear got the better of him, and he ordered the retreat, aiming for thend closest, not caring whether they would have to wreck their ship upon the rocks ¨C he merely wanted to stay out of the pirates¡¯ grasps, and retain his life.

    Such was thest big mistake of his life, as they continued to draw closer. By now they were 700 metres away from the guard sh.i.p.s that trailed them ¨C far out of reach of any shots that might be fired their way. The range to which the matchlock retained it¡¯s uracy was about 200 metres, though if one were to be sensible, then he would allow at least 300 metres between himself and the enemy.

    Thus Morohira was able to go above deck, and lift up the second mast.

    "By the gods... What on earth is that?"

    A captain on one of the guard sh.i.p.s breathed ¨C there were simr responses to be had all round. Such a mechanism had never been seen before, nor had it even been conceptualized. But more frightening than that, was a single fact: the sail was ck.

    "That¡¯s the bloody ck ship!"

    Came the uproars from the spectators on the port. Such a clever design ¨C it had their utmost admiration. Even if they lived their lives in fear of it - because their profession was that of a trader ¨C they still had to bow low in honour of such ingenious thinking.

    Their attacks before had always relied upon such esponiag¨¦ and it seemed, in lowering their mast as they had, they were able to keep themselves hidden. Yet there was a clear statement here, in forecasting their hidden card to everyone: they were being pushed into a corner.

    But the fact that ¨C even after having been confronted by 6 other sh.i.p.s ¨C they still had some way of winning ¨C it was baffling. Not only that, they were closing in on their prey with speed, and it looked like they would manage to secure their cargo, as well as avoid death at the hands of the city guard.

    CRUSH

    There was no time for any boarding manoeuvres, and rope throwing, and things of that ilk. They simply needed to get the cargo loaded, and leave. Thus Morohira simply crashed their vessel into the side of the gunpowder ship, before ordering all the men above deck.

    They leapt over with practised grace, yet there was no opposition to meet them. Their reputation had preceded them, and the crew chose to take their chances with the water, rather than meet death at their des.

    "A wise choice."

    Ii announced, as though he was what they feared.

    But as he took time with his dramamatics, they were already below deck, hefting barrels of gunpowder between them, and casting it onto their ship.

    Never had there been such pressure ced on individuals, forcing them to perform quickly, as the guard sh.i.p.s drew ever closer.

    "FASTER!"

    Morohira roared, picking up one of the heavy barrelspletely by himself, and hurling it onto their ship. Rokkaku and Sasaki imitated him, and soon the barrels started to dwindle, and the other end of the lower deck was revealed.

    "..."

    But the solid wooden wall that they expected was not there ¨C at least, not by itself.

    "Damn it!"

    Morohira cursed upon seeing the unexpected obstacle. He wanted to merely leave it there, and go ¨C it was a waste of time. But upon seeing the looks Rin and Akiko were shooting him, he relented, and put it over his shoulder.

    "HURRY UP!"

    He jumped back onto the deck, with the unexpected cargo slung over his shoulder, as they quickly readjusted the sails. Akiko and Rin threw thest barrel between them, but by now, the ship was already pulling away.

    It justnded, yet they themselves were still stranded on the gunpowder ship.

    Without a thread of hesitation, they flung themselves forward, using all the force they could, and their fingers barely managed to catch the wood. They mmed into the side of the ship, hard, and barely managed to hold on.

    "Come ondies, quickly now!"

    Sasaki said urgently, pulling them up. The guards had already closed the distance, and begun firing, yet they were not quite in range, so the uracy was not brilliant.

    By now everyone else ¨C including the barrels ¨C were below deck, and it was only they that had to make their way under.

    "Guh..."

    Sasaki m.o.a.ned as a bullet grazed his arm. But with merely that injury, they were able to make their way below deck, and begin rowing out.

    "ONE, TWO, ONE, TWO!"

    Now that they had both sails raised high, they quickly put distance between them and the guard sh.i.p.s, and were very soon well on their way to safety.

    "Thank the gods for that..."

    Rokkaku muttered. It had been far too close for his liking, but now, by all ounts, they seemed to be in the clear.

    "Yeah, that was pretty intense... But what¡¯s that ¨C it doesn¡¯t look like a barrel."

    Ii replied.

    "Shut up Ii ¨C it¡¯s not an ¡¯it¡¯, it¡¯s a she."

    Rin responded aggressively, as she abandoned her post at the oars ¨C for she was no longer needed ¨C and moved to handle the cargo that Morohira had carried so roughly.

    A young girl sat in front of her, unspeaking, with her hands tied behind her back, and cord in her mouth preventing her from speaking.

    Akiko joined her a momentter, and carefully worked to remove the gag.

    "There, is that better?"

    She asked kindly, with a warm and friendly smile on her face.

    The girl ¨C who couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve ¨C nodded.

    For someone who seemed to have been held prisoner, she did not seem to be terribly upset, which was rather surprising for the two women. But they were gentle with her, as they knew that people could react in all sorts of ways to terrible events.

    With her de, Rin freed her arms and legs as well.

    "There you go. Do you hurt anywhere?"

    This time, the girl simply shook her head.

    The men watched the two young women interact with the girl curiously, but they did not raise a word themselves ¨C it felt wrong to. And by the looks of things, Akiko And Rin were handling it rather well.

    And so, as the two attempted to learn more about the young girl, and help her, their ship gradually neared the cove. They had long since outrun the guards that had been trailing them, and as they rounded the penins, the sea around them soon became devoid of sh.i.p.s, and they were able to enter the cove without problem.

    Thus ended their most difficult raid yet, and by the looks of it, their most difficult raid ever. For soon they would have their cannon affixed, and the waters would be their own. Once they were able to deal with the city guard sh.i.p.s as they pleased, then, perhaps, talk could begin of capturing Toyokawa itself.

 Chapter 156 - Sleep

    "What¡¯s this?"

    Gengyo asked suspiciously, as Momochi handed him a cup filled with a liquid that gave off the scent of various herbs.

    "A tea lovingly brewed."

    Came the old man¡¯s response, as he wore his usual smile.

    "And why should I trust that? It seems rather odd to give one a cup of tea this close to bedtime. I¡¯d rather not have my sleep interrupted by the needs of nature."

    "Interrupted, is it?"

    He responded still pushing him the tea. There was something about his knowing smile that made Gengyo distrustful, as he took the tea with both hands, taking care not to let the boiling water spill on his skin.

    "Yours doesn¡¯t smell like mine..."

    Gengyo noted, as he stood next to Kitajo, and could not detect the same aromatic herbal smelling from thed¡¯s steaming cup.

    "That is because you do not have the same tea, of course."

    Momochi informed him, as though that was obvious. They had returned to the old monk¡¯spany as evening had neared, and Soroko had left them to attend to other things, and since then, it had seemed to be the monk¡¯s prerogative to try and fire up Gengyo at all opportunities that he possibly could.

    "And why might that be?"

    He dared to ask, already knowing he would not get a response. The monk¡¯s seemed rather fond of cryptic replies that rather than offering further information, and left the asker even more confused.

    "I wonder."

    Came the expected response. Momochi had shown them to a small room at the bottom of therge multistoried temple structure, where they had bathed earlier. It seemed the majority of the monk¡¯s lodged in this area, or on the floors above.

    Yet their room seemed slightly barepared to what might be expected. There was literally nothing in it. The only thing that they had to cushion their heads as they slept on the floor was ayer of tatami.

    "You are quite the distrustful individual, young man. It would be rude to reject the hospitality we¡¯ve shown you in making the tea ¨C see, yourrade has alreadypleted his."

    Gengyo turned to look at Kitajo in surprise, to find out it was true. Thed shot him an apologetic look.

    "...It tasted good."

    Was all he offered.

    "Tsch."

    He tutted, shaking his head. He raised the ss to his lips, making constant eye contact with Momochi, who was still smiling reassuringly as though he no alterior motives other than to offer them a cup of tea.

    His wide sleeves drapped heavily, as though they wished to smother the teacup, and as he tilted the cup back, and let the liquid run into his mouth, he left the smallest of gaps, so that it could drain out along his sleeve. It was ufortable, but he did not wish for his mood to be alterted by whatever herbs they decided would be the best way to ¡¯fix¡¯ him. He was a man of his own mind.

    He showed the empty cup to Momochi, indicating that he hadpleted it.

    "Was it good?"

    The old monk asked, forcing him to speak. There was the tiniest fraction of the liquid still present on his tongue, and on impulse, he was forced to gulp before he spoke.

    ¡¯Shit...¡¯

    He cursed, as he felt it slip down his throat.

    ¡¯...Well, such a tiny amount should not have any effect.¡¯

    He reasoned, before responding to the monk¡¯s question.

    "Mm, it wasn¡¯t awful."

    "I am very d to hear that. I will leave you two now to get your rest."

    Momochi left just as quickly as he hade. It seemed after seeing Gengyo consume the herbal liquid, his job was finished.

    "Heh..."

    Gengyo muttered as he watched him go. He was a strange man indeed.

    "...Sorry about drinking the tea, Miura."

    Kitajo said quietly, after he had left.

    "It¡¯s fine. But be careful in future ¨C their motives still aren¡¯t obvious, and we don¡¯t know what they¡¯re liable to put in our tea."

    "I know, but... Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too distrustful? They¡¯re monks, after all. They¡¯re meant to be honourable."

    "Perhaps."

    Was his single-word response. He was unwilling to discuss it further. His stance on such a thing was firm. It seemed there was something to be gained from living amongst the monks, but he was unwilling to make any sacrifices, lest ite back to haunt himter.

    "We should do as the old man said though, and sleep."

    It was indeed growing ratherte, and their day had been far more eventful than they would have hoped. Kitajo met his words with a nod, and curled up in one corner of the room, using his robe as a nket.

    Gengyo moved to do the same, but a twinge of pain in his sternum halted his movements.

    ¡¯Bastard...¡¯

    He cursed, recalling the monk that had struck him out of nowhere. It was a painful injury indeed, and he was lucky not to have broken anything.

    ¡¯I¡¯ll get him back for that.¡¯

    He decided, as he rolled onto the floor carefully.

    ¡¯A liar. A temple. A monk. Could this day have been any more problematic?¡¯ Only he could phrase the manic series of events as merely ¡¯problematic¡¯. It was a series of inconveniences brought about by the worst kind of luck, yet still, he did not give up hope. In chaos like this ¨C that was where he thrived. As other people iled around and were consumed by it, he was able to order it neatly, and quickly.

    No man is infalliable, yet someone like he, who is able to deal with chaos so familiarly ¨C they were as near to it as you coulde. An onlooker might have a harsh opinion of him, and say that he should have acted differently in certain events. Yet the same onlooker would crumble thousands of times worse. That was why he ¨C despite his intense criticisms of himself ¨C was still able to hold his head up, and trust in himself, and his own problem solving ability.

    ...

    ...

    Morning. He looked up at the bright light that permeated throughout the room in surprise. It had been a long time since he had felt such a sensation. The feeling of being able to recall just what had happened for the past eight hours. And that was evidence of but one thing: the quality of the his slumber.

    It took him mere moments to connect the dots in his head, and ce the me with the tiny fraction of herbal brew that he had swallowed. In concluding that, he set about analysing other parts of himself for any changes.

    Emotional state? Normal. Not consumed by joy, nor wading through thick muds of depression. Both were as dangerous as the other. Speed? Normal, perhaps slightly sharper. Cause? Better sleep. He was familiar with, and had consumed, various types of drugs experimentally, and was aware of the effect they could have on the body. He disyed none of their symptoms, not even that of caffeine.

    He stood up ¨C he waspelled to. A brief nce to the left. Kitajo was still sleeping, and had yet to wake.

    ¡¯Good.¡¯

    A single punch forward. The air could be felt rippling around his fist. Faster? Certainly. His expectations had been met. For almost a month he had walked around with a weight on his shoulders. Not a weight that was affected by gravity, but a weight none the less. It hindered his abilities, and it hindered his mind. Yet he still forced himself to perform to a certain standard because of it. That weight, was of course, fatigue. And with that weight lifted ¨C like an athlete that had previously trained with 20 kilograms of weight on his back whilst running ¨C he was that much sharper than before.

    His mind felt reinvigorated and heightened, and his body was swift and responsive. And this was merely the first day of having his sleep returned. If a week of quality were toe to pass? New heights would be reached, and clouds would be stolen from the heavens. He curled his lips in anticipation. His psychological burden had not yet been lifted, from witnessing the deaths of so many that he hade to value. But that did not matter too much, as of yet.

    "Ho, awake already, are we?" Soroko stood at the door. Gengyo¡¯s heart fluttered, because, for the first time, he had actually sensed the maning ¨C though he was unsure whether it was was him. It was manifest as an itch behind his ear, but nevertheless, he had sensed him.

    Gengyo turned to him with a small smile. There was something about these people. They could see far more than their eyes should be able to, and they had noted his aliments within a mere day. Yet he could not understand why they were helping him.

    "Soroko-sensei." He replied with respect. The man was older than him, even with both this life and the past onebined. He was wiser than any human had right to be, and, he had earned Gengyo¡¯s respect.

    There were words, and there were words. Some did not need to be said, and were manifest merely as a feeling between two or more individuals. And for scripture to capture and describe such a feeling would be to defile it, and render it less than it is truly worth. But, put loosely, it was a feeling of understanding. They both knew what had urred, yet they did not feel the need to say it. The monk understood Gengyo¡¯s gratitude, but he did not push him to express it. Such was their order, and such was his heart.

    "You are eager to fight ¨C that is clear. But the darkness within your mind, and your heart, there is a way to tame it." He spoke measuredly, for he understood the value of this individual. Despite the respect he had shown for him, he did not change his manner of speech because of it.

    "Tame it, not purge it?" Gengyo noted astutely. The reason he had grown stronger was because of the darkness. But like a performance-enhancing drug, there had been numerous side effects, such as hisck of sleep.

    "Indeed. Tame it. That should be your goal. Someone who has experienced their own darkness, and can control it, is virtuous. The rest are nothing more than sheep, who are incapable of inflicting harm. That is why we send our monks out into the world, to experience that side of themselves ¨C within us all dwells a demon. Now, enough of that. I can see from your eyes you already have such an understanding. Come with me, and I will teach you how to meditate."

    Gengyo did not respond with words, but instead with a questioning nce toward Kitajo, wondering whether they should wake him.

    "Do not worry about yourrade ¨C he walks a different path to your own."

    He nodded his understanding, and followed the old monk out of the room. He asked neither questions nor did he voice his doubts. Mediation, from his experience, was an underwhelming affair. Yet he had been taught not to take these old monks lightly, for their knowledge was quite obviously vast.

    A stone room in a vast chamber. Surprisingly, for a religion that was so connected with nature, they had gone underground. With flickering mes, and a golden statue of Buddha, they took their seats down on old mats, dusted lightly with a white-grey powder that had slipped from the walls around them.

 Chapter 157 - Meditation

    "It does not matter how one sits, or where you do it. You could stand on your head on the side of a volcano ¨C it would not change the mind of an experienced monk. Yet in this darkened room, I think you might feel a stronger connection to yourself. Now ¨C breathe. Breathe deeply, and longingly, as though you have just surfaced from the deepest of oceans. Steady your heartbeat, and clear your mind."

    Gengyo did as he was told, and imitated Soroko¡¯s lotus position, closing his eyes, and taking in a deep breath, rich with oxygen. His heart and mind were calm, as he awaited further instruction.

    "Focus on a single word, and repeat it over, and over. The rest ¨C it will take care of itself."

    Unbeknownst to Gengyo, after he gave that final instruction, Soroko slipped away, to leave him in silence with the sound of flickering mes.

    "His response to the herbs was as expected ¨C his sleep has begun it¡¯s restoration." The old monk spoke with his partner in this little endeavour of theirs. "There was something else too, however. Not only did it sharpen his mind, but his senses, and perhaps even his physical abilities. I¡¯m not sure whether it was a coincidence or not, but he seemed able to sense me, even when I hid my chi."

    "Hoho... He¡¯s quite the little monster." Momochi murmured. "It seems I was right in bringing him back, no? Though our fellow sensei seemed rather against it."

    "Indeed. It is terrifying to witness such a thing unfold. He does not even know of the ability that he wields. To think that it was all true ¨C all that was written. They were words that could apply to all men, but he truly embodies them. Do you think one is born like that? Or are they created, Momochi?"

    "His darkness is of this world¡¯s creation, but the potential had always been there. A mere switch was flicked, lighting his fires. Whoever it was that offended him... Oh, I pity that man. Still, we can only do our duty as men of the Buddist faith, and endow him with what knowledge we are able... And then it will be time to release him once more into the world, and bring about whatever carnage he may."

    "I see... you always were more receptive when it came to interpreting the holy word. But all these excuses we had to make in order to bring him in ¨C talk of light and dark. Is that a sign of our decline? That we have to lie to one another in order to bring about something that was always our destiny to reenact?"

    "Do not judge yourself too harshly. Kuraka has a different mind to you and I ¨C it would not do to try and beg for his understanding. But nor should he be discluded. Ah. Do you think that would be a suitable test, for his readiness? When he is able to duel our good friend Kuraka, without problem?"

    "Ho... That would take years, surely? It seems unwise to keep this tiger caged for too long. It is our honour to have him ¨C but the disorder he will cause amongst the ranks will be immense. For our sake, the quicker we canplete our task, the better."

    "That¡¯s of no matter. At most, I judge it will take a couple of weeks."

    "Is that it!?" Soroko burst out, outraged. Such progress was unfathamonable. "Kuraka is the strongest we have to offer. He¡¯s likely the strongest monk in all of Japan! If he can reach that level in a matter of weeks... Is that not too... Unfair?"

    "On the contrary. It¡¯s a blessing. Japan needs that strength, more than ever. These times are turbulent ones, and the faster a monster is raised the better, for this one will be endowed with the qualities of light."

    Soroko shook his head, baffled. He had no idea whether Momochi¡¯s words were true, but the mere idea was enough to shake his world to the core.

    An hour passed since Gengyo¡¯s medition began, and already, there had been some changes within the sea of his consciousness. As he repeated the word "fire" time and time over, it no longer held any meaning. It was as though he had drained all that it signified, and left it as an empty shell. Now, it was barely a marker. A signal that time had passed. Yet despite being a signal, he hardly noticed it was there.

    Instead, his mind dared to try and wrestle free, and explore other anvenues of thought, ranging from the mundane, to the philosophical. But he restrained it tightly, and focused merely on that word. Soon time passed in a flow separate to his own, and wasrgely ignored.

    Thoughts came that were not summoned, nor freely controble by himself. They were fantastical in their imagery, with bright colours, and odd appearances. All sorts of inexplicable urrences happened, that were not in the least constrained by logic. A yellow rabbit sped away towards a river, where it swiftly melted into the body of a frog, before adopting the appearance of a bright red fish.

    The fish sped around, angrily stirring up the waters, giving rise to a huge whirlpool, that threatened to suck him in. Against his will, he was dragged into its vicious flow, and plummeted below the depths of the water.

    In this watery world, light rarely prated. He knew this, as he swam there, not bothering to wonder why he could breath so freely.

    GULP

    Unable to move as swiftly as the rest in this thick and heavy liquid, he soon became prey to arge whale, and was thrown into it¡¯s poignant belly. No emotion passed him as this event took ce. It was merely part of the flow of nature ¨C one that he did not resist.

    Still he repeated his words: "fire, fire, fire."

    In the darkness of the belly, his chanting gave way to dim light, burning on the end of his finger, like a poorly made candle. From his light was created many shadows, which danced endlessly, as though to serenade him. He watched their performance for a time, before his eyes began to deceive him, and they started to merge.

    Soon all that was left were three dark shadowy blobs of mass. And these came ever closer, unafraid of the light springing from his fingertip.

    "Are you the one?"

    Came a rasping voice, that he instinctively knew to belong to the devil.

    "I am."

    He replied.

    "Of course he is."

    A female¡¯s bewitching tone rang out.

    "Do not tease him so aggressively."

    An old man mumbled.

    "So you¡¯vee seeking answers, have you boy?" The old man asked, taking the lead.

    "I have."

    "And what will you do once you attain these answers?"

    "I will conquer."

    "Hehe, the boy knows! We know he knows, for we are him!"

    The devil cackled delightedly.

    "Do you know why your dreams are gued with such nightmares? Why your nights are a mere continuation of the day? It is because you allowed him," he pointed to the devil, "into your life, yet now you rejected him, after you allowed him a taste of your spirit."

    The old man stepped forward, revealing his long white beard, and long curled white hair. He was the oldest man Gengyo had everid eyes upon, and the wisest.

    "¡¯Tis true! I¡¯m hungry! Why can¡¯t you kill more, eh? Why don¡¯t you do as you say, and let chaos loose, eh? This is nothing! Kill your friends! Kill your family! What¡¯s the point, anyway? Don¡¯t you want to savour that despair, won¡¯t there be such sweet joy to be extracted from that?"

    "See? He is hungry indeed. And his words are your own. As mine are. Yet despite his twisted nature, you should not reject him. He is everything about you that you hide. Every little insecurity, every bit of anger. Yet he is still you, and in attempting to hide him, you remove bricks from your tower, and slowly plummet to the ground."

    "And I am you too, dear. Do not tell me; I already know that I have been missed. For a time, we were well acquainted, were we not? But now you dine with old men, and with devils? Don¡¯t you know a woman¡¯s charm is part of your tower too?"

    The most beautiful woman he had everid eyes upon stepped forward, drapping her arm around him, as she bathed him in her perfume, and allowed her hair to flow down and tickle his neck.

    "She too, is a part of you. Do not repress her either. She is the cement that coats your bricks together. You have a woman that cares for you. Advance with her, so that you can live as men ought to. Do not be driven merely by impulse, but by nning."

    The wise old man informed him.

    "You and I have always been well acquainted, have we not? You build your life with the tools I give you, for you value intelligence above all else ¨C and make no mistake, I¡¯ve enjoyed our time together. But it has finallye time for you to reach maturity, and use all of us. There is a ce for rationality. There is a ce for anger. And there is a ce for love. You are a man, Gengyo. Embrace us all, and be a god."

    There was no room for words toe out of his mouth ¨C his needs were clear. He embraced the woman as she clung to him, and her b.r.e.a.s.ts pressed against his chest. She kissed him passionately, trying to seduce him, and ce him entirely at her mercy. But much to her disappointment, he pulled back, and with a nod, hepleted the hug.

    "Kekeke!"

    The devil chortled happily, seeing Gengyo grow closer. He would never dare to leave the shadow, for fear of being seen, and was so very excited to see his dinner grow so near. A lumpy, disformed arm reached out to him, as he offered one of his own. It was an ufortable embrace, as he could feel all the lumps of the creature¡¯s skin, and the unnatural formation of his back.

    The devil¡¯s grip was strong, and as he came in close, it held him tight, unwilling to let go. It¡¯s saliva dripped hungrily on his neck, yet he did not flinch. Even as it tore away a piece of his flesh, he did not flinch. But when he deemed the hug to be enough, he pulled past those powerful arms, as though they were made of air, and with a hand, he brought the shadow stepping into the light.

    "Keh!!"

    It roared painfully in fear and anguish, as it¡¯s unsightliness was revealed to all. Yet once more, Gengyo hugged it. His actions portraying a clear eptance for that side of himself.

    And then, he gave an embrace to his guide. The wise old man.

    "Stay true to your path, Gengyo, for you now wield the power of a god."

    Were the final words he whispered, as Gengyo was pulled from that world of his dreams, and opened his eyes, revealing the scenery of the meditation chamber.

    He stood up swiftly, not realizing that he had been down there for six hours ¨C nor did he care. He put a hand to his chest. It beat slowly, and measuredly, as though assured. The thoughts drifting through his head were clear, and unfazed, and as he clenched his fist, without even punching, he could feel the new strength.

    "The pieces were always avable, yet I never bothered to assemble them."

    He realized, recalling the wise old man¡¯s words. Without even testing, he knew the nightmares would no longere. He knew he would no longer be haunted by such thoughts. And with that, a new meaning came for his revenge, for he was no longer so inspired by hatred.

    "Thisnd of the rising sun has been bathed in darkness for far too long. Both here, and in the modern-day, corruption is rife. The powers in control do not fight for our sake. They are not men of the people. But I ¨C I think I understand. The state should be there, as the wise old man is for me. A mere guide, so that they can live out their purpose... I will make that happen. I will conquer Japan."

 Chapter 158 - Test

    "There is a fire in your eyes, betraying your eagerness. It seems you were able to resolve matters with yourself?" Soroko spoke, wondering whether what they judged would happen had actuallye about.

    "I was." Gengyo responded, clenching his fist with a fierce smile on his face. He felt the most powerful he ever had in his life. All this strength, without the weakness that came with fatigue. Of course, he was eager to see just how far such strength would take him, and who better to do it against than monks, who were some of the strongest fighters in Japan.

    They made no mention of the period of time he spent in the chamber. Nor did they inform him of how unusual that was ¨C especially for a beginner, someone who had not yet trained their concentration. Instead, they reintroduced him to a friend, and brought them out into the courtyard together.

    "They said you were mediating Miura ¨C did anything happen?" Kitajo asked, looking up at him curiously.

    "Many things. My broken tower is once more standing straight, and firm. Things will begin moving now, Kitajo. They have to. If they do not move, then I will destroy them." He responded with savage words, but his voice was not tainted by malevolence. He was pure in his mind, and did not act simply to sate his devil.

    "I think, today, perhaps you should train with people your own age." Soroko decided. Yesterday, in a suboptimal state, he was still able to defeat the best of the child fighters ¨C not that such a thing was much of an achievement.

    "As you say." He did not care who he had to fight.

    As they walked into the courtyard, the monks looked at him in surprise. Before he had simply been dressed as a monk, but now he embodied them in spirit. He was indistinguishable from their like. A more unusual urrence one was not likely to find. Monks were raised from the youngest of infants, and incubated in the temples, and endowed with purity. That was the only reason their hearts could survive after being exposed to the outside world. It was umon for an unpure heart to be cleansed. And if it was, it was done over a period of years, not days.

    "Jakao-kun." Soroko called out across the crowd of training monks. A few momentster the monk in question appeared.

    "You called for me, Soroko-sensei?" He asked whilst bowing respectfully.

    "Indeed. I want you to duel this young man here." He informed him, brandishing two training spears. It was impossible to tell where he had hidden such implements, but nor was it worth asking. The old monk was entitled to his secrets.

    "Ah... As you wish Soroko-sensei." Came his hesistant reply, as he bit off his protest. No doubt he thought he was far above the likes of Gengyo, who had not spent his life training amongst them. But to protest would be to doubt, and no one dared to doubt the likes of the three great masters.

    "Are you ready?" The old monk spoke to Gengyo who took his spear calmly, and had as of yet not taken up his ready stance.

    "I am." He replied, not moving in the least. It seemed there were other thoughts going on inside his head, and though he held his spear with one hand, and did not look prepared in the least, he was still ready to fight.

    "...Begin!"

    Jakao whipped his spear around like a baton, and sent it crash toward Gengyo¡¯s side at speed. Even if an opponent did not appear to be ready, he had long since learned not to underestimate them.

    SMACK

    "Huh...?"

    They stared at him, baffled. Soroko, Kitajo, Jakao, and even some other monks who had been watching the fight with idle interest had their brains crash, and they struggled to process what had just urred.

    "Hm..."

    He muttered, as though thinking. His strength had certainly improved. Gengyo still stood standing, holding his spear in one hand, nearer the top, and he had remained like that, even as the spear came charging towards him. But like a solid brick wall, his arm and spear had not budged in the least, even after receiving an attack that Jakao had put his entire body into.

    And then, he sprang forward, disappearing from Jakao¡¯s view, who could barely tell what had just happened. He became a single shadow in the centre of the courtyard, which was so brightly lit by the afternoon sun. Young petals drifted quietly down from sakura trees, as he assumed the flow of nature.

    It was only Soroko that could see his movements, as Jakao looked around the courtyard, in a blind panic. His opponent had entirely disappeared, and no matter how hard he searched, he could not find him. And then, a shiver ran up his spine, as he felt the cold wood of a spear make contact with the skin of his neck.

    He turned around slowly, terrified, hoping that it was just some cruel prank, yed on him by a fellow monk. But there he was. That undefinable outsider dog, who had been with them a matter of days, and could already suppress him like this.

    "...S-sssurr-ender!" He managed to get out of quivering lips. He was unwilling to fight such a man any further. The difference between them was obvious, and to drag it out any longer would only be to break his bones for no good reason. He could only be thankful that he had not been hit. The man he had duelled with had every right to strike at his back, yet he did not. It was with that realization, that he felt something familiar within the stare of the man, as he demonstrated his overwhelming might ¨C it was just like the gaze of the three masters.

    He copsed to his knees, as the energy drained from his body. It was too much for his system to bear.

    Even Soroko was in a state of panic. It seemed Momochi was right, and it would take mere weeks for him to reach Kuraka¡¯s level. Perhaps at this rate, it would even be less. He had not trained in the least. This was merely raw strength. If technique were to be applied on top of it? The results would be terrifying.

    "...Thank you, Jakao-kun... you may go now." Soroko informed the quivering boy, and he pondered just who to put Gengyo up against now. He was able to defeat one of the young a.d.u.l.t monks with ease, but Jakao was certainly not top ss.

    "Perhaps... Tsuchi-kun." Having heard his name, the young man appeared within moments. He and Gengyo were rather familiar with one another, having fought before on the steps of the temple. Surely he would be able to handle Gengyo¡¯s wrath better, and perhaps even tame it?

    "You called, Soroko-sensei?" He asked respectfully, bowing low, just as his fellow monk had. With his arrival came many other of the young a.d.u.l.t monks, and soon a crowd started to form around them, as they anticipated what would happened next.

    "I did. Duel this young man." Soroko spoke again, his voice regaining it¡¯s firmness.

    The two young men set up against each other. Against him, Gengyo assumed his stance, for his body was conditioned to be wary of such a man. But still, he had an undeniable confidence in his newfound strength, and was eager to find out just how hepared to before.

    "So... We¡¯re fighting again, Tsuchi-kun." He murmured, wanting to enjoy this moment a little more. The monk had been quite rough with him when they had first met, and now he was intent on returning the favour.

    "..." Tsuchi did not reply. The weight of his opponent¡¯s aura had significantly increased. He did not want to waste time trash-talking only to lose his focus, and thus lose the fight. That would be far too embarrassing for the likes of him, who was said to be amongst the top of the young a.d.u.l.t monks.

    "Begin!" Soroko¡¯smand came ringing out, and the crowd tensed up in anticipation. Yet this fight did not begin how they expected. There was no aggressive charge forward, or martial manoeuvres, instead, the two simply continued to stare at one another, searching for the slightest change in their opponent¡¯s body, so that they could jab at their weak point.

    It was Gengyo who moved first, formlessly. He was able to imitate the monk¡¯s strikes from yesterday, but he was enjoying the freedom that came with increased speed and power. And now, he merely held his spear in one hand once more, so that he could extend it¡¯s reach.

    "Guh...!"

    Tsuchi blocked the single-handed overhead strike, and his eyes bulged, as his whole body was forced to bear the weight of it. Even the spectators could tell that such a strike had been mighty, as from Tsuchi¡¯s lips escaped the tiniest specles of crimson blood.

    But he refused to give up there. He was an experienced duelest, and knew that against an opponent who was powerful, he must use his oppressive speed, and never give him the chances he needed in order to attack. And so he twisted, and wormed thrusting his spear into the floor, as he span over top of it, and brought it high, crashing down on Gengyo, utilising all the momentum of such a movement.

    But to his dismay, the position he was intent on attacking had been rendered vacant, and his opponent had stepped off to the side elsewhere. It was as though he had been trapped in a capsule of slowed time, as he was forced to continue his strike, noting Gengyo¡¯s smile, as he brought his rear leg off the floor and spun, executing a stunning round house kick, that finished with his foot in Tsuchi¡¯s jaw.

    THWAMP

    His body copsed to the floor heavily, as the light faded from his eyes. He was either dead, or knocked out. The spectators could only pray it was thetter, as they ran forward, to check on their fallenrade. To their relief, his heart was still beating. It was a terrifying disy indeed to witness. Tsuchi was looked up to in their ranks, and even revered by some, yet he had been brought so low by Gengyo.

    "...You didn¡¯t need to do that." Soroko whispered into Gengyo¡¯s ear. He was well aware of the young man¡¯s thought process, as he was able to see a different fight to the rest, and kept track of Gengyo¡¯s quickened movements.

    But his words were merely met with a shrug. "We had a score to settle."

    "Miura..."

    Kitajo tapped on his shoulder, a wide smile uncoiling on his face. He could barely believe what he had just seen. Thest opponent ¨C to him ¨C was exinable, as he was unsure of his actual strength. But Tsuchi had dominated his master mere days before... It was undoubtedly true: Gengyo had grown far stronger.

    His gaze told Gengyo everything that he needed to know. It allowed him to hope once more, that they would be able to leave this ce ¨C though he had grown to like it ¨C and return back to their people, and carry out their cause. In his master, he had trusted, and it was his master who had delivered.

    But Gengyo knew that he could never have achieved such a thing alone, and his gratitudey with the two old monks, Momochi and Soroko. And yet whilst grateful, he still felt there was more for him to learn, and so he proceeded forth with expectation.

 Chapter 159 - Techniques

    "You¡¯re strong, without a doubt, young man." Momochi agreed, as he sat within Gengyo¡¯s room, and shared food with the two men. "Yet there is strength, and there is strength. You¡¯re surely not growing arrogant from merely this, are you?"

    Gengyo shook his head. He was far beyond growing arrogant now. There was too much he hade to understand, about himself, and about the world around him. He merely acted as a river might, and flowed strongly, carrying along whoever wished to get in his way.

    "Mm... As you are now, you could probably defeat some of the older monks. But most of them still lie beyond you. Not in strength, but in technique ¨C that¡¯s what you¡¯ll need if you wish to have any hope of defeating the likes of Soroko, and Kuraka."

    "Are they the strongest fighters in Japan then?" Gengyo wondered. This was imed to be the best warrior monk temple in all of Japan, and they dedicated their entire lives to their training of the martial arts, so it was reasonable to assume that their peak would be simr to, or even greater than, the entirety of Japan.

    "Heavens no. But theye close. There are various prodigal men who most cannot defeat even if they spent their whole life training. Samurai, ronin, even ninja. The gods do not discriminate with whom they offer their gifts. And on your path, you¡¯re certain to meet at least a few of them."

    "Momochi... Do you know what my path is, truly?" Came Gengyo¡¯s question. The smiley old monk had treated them amiably, and he had begun to feel a degree of camaraderie toward him. He hade to the understanding that this was certainly not a prisoner situation, and more that of forced tutge. Whatever it was, it had worked entirely for his benefit, and he could hold no ingratitude toward him.

    Momochi, as always, did not allow his smile to even flicker, as he pronounced what he thought to be an adequate evaluation of all that Gengyo intended to pursue. "You want to take down Imagawa, aye? But you should be well aware that your path will not end there. Someone will have to take the reigns, and rule over Imagawa¡¯s provinces. I do not know what you have thought of in that regard, but that role will almost certainly fall to you. And you should know, that it will not end there. It¡¯s a turbulent time we live in, and people will alwayse, wishing to steal from you, and throw your people into war. The only solution to that is to ¨C truly ¨C unify Japan once more."

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow. His intuition was frightening. They were much the same thoughts that he himself was having, though he had never truly wished to assume the position of Daimyo, not until recently.

    "And you¡¯re fine with that, Momochi-sensei?"

    "It¡¯s nothing to do with what I think. It¡¯s simply what¡¯s necessary. The only person who is fit to rule, is he who has climbed up to his position, from the most low of ranks, and understands the plight of the average person. Only he will be able to rule fairly and justly. Or perhaps, you might be born into nobility, and spent your life learning about those that you rule ¨C but there are few like that, very few indeed. You have strength, and you have talent. Your experiences are vast, and concentrated. They lend you power. Any monk worth his salt could see that. It is my honour, and my duty, to assist you in your task."

    "You mean, you¡¯ll being back with us too, Momochi-sensei?" Kitajo asked excitedly. The old monk had been teaching him various fighting forms throughout the day as well, and though his growth was iparable to Gengyo¡¯s, it was still significant. For the monk to follow them, would mean that they could continue to grow ¨C both him, and the men they fought alongside.

    "Aha, I¡¯m afraid not, young Kitajo. Our order isplicated in our regard for the well-being of our country. We have to act as Buddha does, and only ever act indirectly. But that does not mean we will be out of reach. These are Takedands we live on ¨C but truly, they¡¯re our own. It would require quite the force to chase us out. But before you leave, I will endow your master with all the martial knowledge I possibly can, and he ¨C I expect ¨C will be able to continue your tutge."

    "Quite theplicated order indeed..." Gengyo agreed, as he watched Kitajo grow slightly despondent at the monk¡¯s exnation of why he could note.

    "Aye. It matters not, though. By the time you leave, you will be powerful enough to ovee whatever obstacle stands in your way. Ah, I still have not told you when I judge you should leave, have I? How the mind of an old man wanders! Well, I¡¯d like to think you¡¯d have already guessed... But defeating Kuraka ¨C he is the strongest at this temple of ours. When you are able to defeat him, you will have mastered your strength, your technique, and your mind sufficiently, and then, there will be nothing left for us to teach you, and it will be time for you to return to your people."

    "Before we return, we still have men to recruit. Are our saddlebags still untouched?" Gengyo wondered. He had guessed that they would be, but confirmation will always be better than guesswork.

    "That they are. Worry not, you¡¯ll be able to carry out your mission in time. I¡¯ve mediated on the matter extensively, and there is nothing for you to yet fear." The old monk pronounced.

    ...

    ...

    The following days were spent away from direct duels, and more focusing on technique, with Soroko and Momochi to aid him. They were unsure quite how far his strength extended, but having him fight so many opponents merely to find that out would go against them in the end. He might lose early on, and start to doubt himself. Or he might climb all the way to the top, without the need of technique, and decide not to bother with it in the end. Either way, thebination of his speed, power, and their technique ¨C that would render him unstoppable.

    "Stance of the Monkey King..." Sorokobelled his form as he carried it out, his spear behind his neck and one leg raised off the ground. It looked awkward, and limiting, and Gengyo had said as much earlier on only to receive the prompt response: "fighting is awkward, and fighting is limiting ¨C that is why we train as such, to grow used to each of those awkward positions, and be strong in them."

    "First strike of the Monkey King." He whirled around, stepping down with his raised front leg, and he brought his back leg forward and spun, thrashing round with his spear. The air visibly rippled from the power of such a strike that utilised every muscle in his body, and was the result of years of training.

    "Your turn." He spoke, as he leaned on his staff expectantly. They had been at this for half a morning, and they hadpleted more stances than he had expected to cover in a week ¨C his rate of learning was almost inhuman.

    Gengyo did as he was asked, and imitated him perfectly, right down to the most minor of adjustments within his muscles. His bnce in that one-legged position was sublime, and as he brought his foot down, he did so with outstanding authority,shing out with his heavy spear as though it weighed nothing, and was a mere extension of his own body. Just as it had with Soroko, the air rippled from the strike. Though it was not light at all. It was a strong gust that whipped their clothes back as they watched.

    The old monk shook his head. Such prodigal talent was almost unfair. Not only could he master the stance at a single nce, he was able to perform it to a higher level than even he could, simply because of his power, and speed.

    "Your master¡¯s quite the little monster." Sorokoined to Kitajo. From all this teaching, he did not even get to extract the delight of correcting his student¡¯s form over and over, and seeing the anguish on their face as they got it wrong once more. Such was one of his little sadistic pleasures.

    "Yup... He certainly is." Kitajo agreed. He had always stood at the forefront of any endeavour they had attempted to carry out. Whether it be with the bow, or with the spear. He always learned quicker than the rest. Only men who were naturally more powerful than he stood a chance, such as Morohira. But now that he was unleashing his truest potential, even his father could not stand in his path.

    "Mm, they all feel awkward at first, but once you carry out the strike, you can certainly feel the power they hold." Gengyo mused, after he hadpleted the strike.

    "That was a master-level martial technique, taught only to most adept of monks ¨C of course it¡¯d be powerful." Soroko informed him, struggling to keep his face emotionless, as the youngster in front of him effortlessly mastered techniques that had taken him years toplete.

    "Master-level? Is that the highest?" Gengyo wondered. Naming systems were arbitrary if you did not know what they implied.

    "It is not. Above that there are grandmaster and secret level techniques."

    "Why aren¡¯t we learning them, then? They¡¯re more powerful, right?"

    "They are. But in order to build a house, one needs toy the foundations first. You can not simply jump straight to the top." There was also the fact that there was no one left to teach him the secret level techniques and forms. They were merely written down in scrolls, that had long since been unread. The trouble with techniques is that they are only powerful once you master them. You could spend years training a secret level technique, but it would still be useless unless you hadpletely mastered it. Thus most simply chose to ignore it, and focus instead on the grandmaster and master level techniques. That was the only reason for their name ¡¯secret¡¯¨C there was no one left to teach them.

    "Let¡¯s continue then!" Gengyo called out eagerly. He was a hard-working man, and was not likely to allow himself to rest before the task wasplete. That,bined with the quality of sleep he was now getting ¨C he felt as though he had all the energy in the world. He wanted to master these techniques, and defeat Kuraka quickly, and then they could proceed onto the next level of their task. He just hoped that the men in the cove were getting on as well as he was, so that his worries would prove to be for nought.

    "As you wish. The stance of the Nine Bellied Panda. Watch closely." He spoke, and continued the tutge. Their task continued far into the evening, but by then, significant progress had been assured, and the groundworks had beenid. The days following could be spent on grandmaster techniques, and possibly, he might even be able to attempt a secret level one.

 Chapter 160 - They Made It

    "They made it!" Isabe called out in excitement. Worry had consumed them, in that little cove of theirs, as they contemted the impossibility of the odds stacked against their little merchant ship. But despite all that, they had seeded, it seemed.

    "Aye, that they have... But look of the state of yer ship. They¡¯ll be plenty of work for me and the boys, it seems." Morojo, said, disguising his joy as displeasure.

    "There was bound to be more work anyway ¨C what with the new cannon and the like." Isabe retorted, unwilling to let him ruin the moment. It was significant indeed. These raids had turned from simple water-borne robberies into a fully-fledgedpetition for the control of Toyokawa ¨C he who held the port, held the town. And even without their cannon, they were able to walk so freely, as though it were their own backyard ¨C what would happen when they installed that precious little weapon of devasting destruction?

    Jikouji had left in search of a smith, and they had not heard any word from his since. But he was certainly not a cause for anxiety, not when a muchrger problem presented itself.

    The ship was sailed steadily alongside the jetty, as the crew made more than enough noise cheering to fill in for theirck of numbers. They weren¡¯t the only ones cheering either ¨C their reception was cheering too, with Morojo and hisds lending the bulk of their low tones the mour. To repress this - and hesitate to celebrate - would be foolish. And by the gods, did their deserve a celebration.

    "Ahoy there! It seems we¡¯ve stumbled into yer cove ahead of schedule!" Morohira shouted, acting out the role of a traveller, lost a sea.

    "Merhaps you have, but anyone is wee in thisnd of ours as long as you¡¯ve got someone of value to trade." Morojo responded with a knowing grin, keeping up with his acting.

    "Captain! We¡¯ve got something to trade! Gunpowd-!" Rokkaku spoke up, putting on the guise of a childish deckhand.

    "SILENCE yer fool. We don¡¯t know whether we can trust them yet..."

    "Did I hear mention of gunpowder?" Morojo questioned, as though genuinely surprised.

    The boarding nk slid down, and they began to swagger off.

    "Might be that you did ¨C but who¡¯s asking, eh?" Morohira replied, hefting rolling a barrel off a long the nk.

    Rin and Akiko shared vexed nces as they attempted to hide their amus.e.m.e.nt, and pretend that they were above such childish games.

    "Ishi! We¡¯re back!"

    Akiko shouted out to their friend, leaving the heavy lifting to the men, as they skirted along the wooden jetty and went to stand beside her.

    "Ho... You really did manage it." Morojo soon dropped the act, as he lifted the lid to reveal the grey gunpowder inside. It was assured then, he deceided. Their future was set.

    "That we did, aye. Was no biggie, eh fes?"

    "No biggie? We just burned three sh.i.p.s and then escaped another thr-" Ii began, furious that they weren¡¯t telling the full story. If he had his way, their tales would be told immediately, and he¡¯d finally be recognized for the hero that he was. Perhaps even Isabe would pay him attention. How he longed for a simple hug... Ah, how soft it would be.

    "Ii."

    Morohira said firmly, attracting his gaze.

    "Shut up."

    "Hahaha!"

    They all roared withughter seeing the depressed look that passed over his face ¨C even his own friends. He was something of a social rubber ball, and whatever they threw at him, he was able to take, without staying sad for too long. Thus, though they did not entirely respect him, they had to acknowledge the resilience he had, as he was able to take verbal beating after verbal beating.

    "You¡¯ve got a fire going already, eh? Good. I¡¯m a bit nippy." Morohira spoke casually. It was certainly something that he¡¯d normally say, but something about the way he said it, and the way he moved was fishy.

    "Mm, good old fire..." He announced, holding up a burning stick so that he could further admire the way the me munched of the tastey oak.

    "...Don¡¯t you dare." Rin knew her father well, and could already tell what he was about to do. She firmly scolded him, without raising her voice, as she had heard Fuku do from time to time.

    "Step back." Morohira said to Morojo, who was still standing next to the open topped barrel.

    "You don¡¯t intend to...?" Despite his question, he was still unwilling to believe that his intentions had been imagined, and he stepped away, for his own safety.

    With a maniacal grin spread across his face, Morohira held the ming torch high above the barrel of highly explosive powder, and slowly lowered it.

    "F.u.c.k! You crazy bastard! You¡¯ll get us all killed!" Rokkaku cursed, making a mad dash away. There was no way they could wretch the torch free from him ¨C he was far too strong.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    A thundering roar cracked over their little cove, though it was in the absence of any lightning. Their captain, it seemed, was quite the crazy bastard. Yet thankfully, he wasn¡¯t quite as mad as they had assumed, and had at least stepped back slightly, before tossing the ming torch onto the barrel. But still he had underestimated it¡¯s explosive radius, and was sent flying off his feet into the sand. Everyone else was a safe distance away, but the pain they felt in their ears was still immense.

    Hey on the sand, unmoving, terrifying them.

    "Dad...? The hell did you do...? Dad?" Rin called out to him worriedly. She had never seen himnd quite as hard as that. It looked unnatural.

    "Hm, what?" He opened his eyes at her words, as though he had just awoken from a nap, before he quickly sprung to his feet.

    "That was a pretty big bang." He concluded, using a single finger to wipe the blood away from his eye, as it trickled down from his forehead.

    "F.u.c.k... You¡¯re one crazy bastard." Rokkaku muttered, exasperated, as he shook his head at their captain¡¯s insane antics.

    "Insane is an understatement... That was far too dangerous, Morohira ¨C and unnecessary." Togashi scolded, struggling to contain his fury. Hi impulsive behaviour had ruined their festive mood, and now they all simply felt on edge.

    "How am I meant to wield a weapon that I do not know the effectiveness of?" Came Morohira¡¯s simple reply. It was the kind of statement that had so many responses that could easily refute it. Yeting from his mouth, and from the way he held their gazes, he waspletely convinced by his own reasoning. It was impossible to try and argue.

    "Who¡¯s that...?" Isabe asked, seeing past Akiko and Rin¡¯s legs, finally noticing the small little girl that stood behind them.

    "Ah... I forgot to introduce you, sorry Tori-chan." Rin spoke down to her kindly, patting her head to reassure her.

    "Everyone, this is Tori-chan. We found her tied up on the gunpowder boat that we captured, so we decided to bring her along with us." She announced, as Akiko nodded alongside her, agreeing with each of her statements.

    Looking at such an innocent and sweet girl, Isabe did not feelfortable. The way those trusting eyes shined up at her. She recalled all the sweet girls that she had tricked, under Toda¡¯smand. All the lives she had ruined, to save her own. And so with that introduction, she looked away.

    "A littless, is it? What were you doing tied up on a ship littledy?" Morojo asked her, doing his best to remain non-threatening. Despite all that chaos that had urred around her, and despite her plight at the hands of the gunpowder crew, she was still smiling widely, making her cuteness almost irresistible. But at the mention of such a question ¨C though she opened her mouth to speak ¨C she struggled to find the words.

    "Ah uhm..." And her smile faded slightly.

    "It¡¯s okay, Tori-chan! Let¡¯s go and get something to eat by the fire with everyone, okay? We¡¯ll fill your stomach up. You must be hungry, right?" Akiko asked, fussing over her, as she grabbed her little hand and pulled her over by the fire, walking past Morojo.

    The old shipwright shot Morohira a questioning nce, one that was intercepted by many members of the crew, but even they could not answer the unspoken question, and they simply shrugged in response. This was a woman¡¯s line of work. They would do well not to get too involved.

    "Ah, that¡¯s min-" One of Morojo¡¯s sons attempted to say, as little Tori reached for a speared fish that had been roasted by the fire. In response to his words, Tori¡¯s eyes began to tear over. It seemed she thought she was being scolded. That was enough for him to bite down on his tongue, and pretend that it was nothing. "Sorry... My mistake." It also helped to save his life, for Rin and Akiko was liable to take it.

    As Tori and the two girls monopoloized the seats, the rest were forced to find a ce by the fire on the ground. The sand wasfortable but enough, but it was a matter of principle. Though still, none dared to say a word. They were even hesitant to speak as they normally might, for fear of interrupting Akiko and Rin¡¯s cooing. It seemed as though they fought the young girl to be their own child, and were rather intent on mothering her.

    "Morohira." Togashi spoke, tapping the captain on the shoulder, as he kept his voice low.

    "Heh? You still upset about earlier?" Came the carefree reply. He was quite ustomed to having people dislike him for his antics, and so it would not hurt him in the least to hear a few heated words from the bearded man.

    "No. It¡¯s not about that. It¡¯s about that girl." He stated, deadly serious.

    "Eh, what about her?" Morohira turned round to meet his gaze. There was something odd about Togashi¡¯s suggestive words.

    "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange..? For a girl like that to be tied up on the very ship we choose to target. Really, this was too easy, wasn¡¯t it?"

    "What are you saying, Togashi?"

    "Morohira, I¡¯m saying this could be a trap."

    He held his gaze for a few moments. Captain Morohira was a man of instinct himself, and he certainly did not feelfortable around the child either. But he put it down to his normal reaction to children. Any that were not his own, he disliked being around.

    "Togashi, it¡¯s a child. We can¡¯t do anything crazy."

    It was a rather neutral, and mature reply for someone of his disposition.

    "I realize that. But she can¡¯t stay. It just isn¡¯t safe."

 Chapter 161 - The Return of a Child

    "So you¡¯re from Toyokawa Tori-chan? That¡¯s cool! It¡¯s really close to here." Rin stated enthusiastically upon hearing where Tori was from. Morohira and Togashi shared a nce at such an exchange. The suspicion had been nted, but now, after sharing it with each other, it had grown into something more.

    "Yup! Howe you were on the boat though, Tori-chan..?" Morojo allowed his voice to travel an octave higher, and spoke a little more childishly, hoping to get the information they all wanted out of Tori. But she shrank back, and looked fearful, clutching onto Akiko¡¯s arm.

    Rin and Akiko shot him a dark nce, warning him not to pursue it any further. And that was that, he had to relent.

    "Are you okay, Tori-chan?" Rin asked gently, stroking her head to try andfort her.

    "Yup!" She responded cheerfully in response to her touch ¨C the two seemed to be getting on rather well.

    "Would you like to go back to Toyokawa?" She continued.

    "Yup, Tori misses mummy."

    Morohira¡¯s lip twitched at that. Her age was apparent from her physical appearance ¨C around twelve ¨C yet she spoke as if she was six. It was too odd for him, and he certainly did not like it. Togashi was of a simr opinion.

    The two moved away from the rest to discuss the happenings further.

    "...You agree, it¡¯s suspicious then?" Togashi asked, as they walked toward the jetty, unnoticed by the rest.

    "It is. There are too many things that make me itch. Just something about this all isn¡¯t right. Yet it¡¯s not as if we can just a kill her, can we?" He asked. Perhaps if Togashi had confirmed that killing her was fine, then he might have gone ahead and done that. But that would be at the risk of causing friction within their crew. At least half of them were smitten by the child, and if they were to kill Tori out of nowhere, then they would look very poor indeed.

    "She was below deck on the way here. She hasn¡¯t seen enough for it to be useful. We can simply return her to Toyokawa blindfolded." The bearded man suggested the most ethical path forward.

    "That¡¯d be us basically announcing that she¡¯s suspicious ¨C the rest will never agree," Morohira warned. He did not look forward to theirints.

    "Depends on how you phrase it. Say its not because you don¡¯t trust Tori, but because you don¡¯t trust others. If Tori has memory of how to get to the cove, then she¡¯s ced in danger."

    "Heh..." Morohira muttered, as he patted Togashi¡¯s shoulder. "You¡¯re just as insane as me, aren¡¯t ya?"

    "...Not quite, I hope." Came the measured response.

    Back around the campfire, arrangements were already being made in order to bring the littledy back to her family.

    "Ishi, you¡¯ll be going to Toyokawa tomorrow, won¡¯t you? In order to get information? Then, you can take Tori back with you, can¡¯t you?" Akiko realized, offering hope to their youngpanion.

    "Ishi..?" Tori repeated, looking around.

    "That nicedy over there." Rin pointed, picking out Isabe, who looked thoroughly ufortable with the way things were developing.

    "But I don¡¯t know where in Toyokawa she lives..." She attempted to protest, but was swiftly rebuked by Rin and Akiko who seemed unable to see just how reluctant she was.

    "That¡¯s okay, Tori will know the way, right Tori-chan?"

    "Yup! Tori knows, Tori know!" Tori confirmed with rapid nods, as she stumbled to her feet, and ran over to grab Isabe¡¯s arm.

    "Yayyy! Ishi¡¯s going to take Tori-chan home!" She announced, in that childish way of hers that was in no way appropriate for her age. If they had been able to put aside their maternal feelings for a second, then perhaps Rin and Akiko would have recognized that too. But they were not the only ones taken up by Tori. Sasaki was quite taken by her as well.

    Isabe looked down at the young girl clinging to her arm. More than anything she wished to shove her aside, and run away. It was too unpleasant. The memories. The guilt. But in front of all these people, she could not. They hade to trust her, and rely on her. She did not want to ruin their opinion of her, not through something so trivial.

    "...Okay, I¡¯ll take her."

    ...

    ...

    "WHAT? YOU¡¯RE MAKING POOR TORI-CHAN WEAR A BLINDFOLD, AS IF SHE HASN¡¯T BEEN TRAUMITISED ENOUGH?"

    Rin raged, hearing Morohira¡¯s announcement, as they gathered round atop the cliff to send Isabe and Tori on their way. The sat together, on the same horse, with Tori sitting in front of Isabe.

    "Now now, this is for Tori¡¯s protection. If someone were to find out that she had some connection with the cove, or us, then she would be ced in danger, would she not? If we get rid of her knowledge of the cove¡¯s location, then it will be safer for her." Rin stared at him suspiciously. Such well-reasoned words were certainly not his own.

    "It¡¯s okay... Tori-chan is fine wearing a blindfold." The young girl spoke up for herself, sending them all a sweet smile. It was an announcement that surprised both Togashi and Morohira, but the captain still moved forward to tie the blindfold around her eyes firmly, so that she would not be allowed even the smallest of peaks at thendscape around her.

    Because Tori had consented, neither Rin or Akiko could protest any further. Especially since it seemed that ¨C at least on the surface ¨C Morohira¡¯s intentions wereing from a kindhearted ce.

    Soon after the farewells were bid, and the two were set off on their journey.

    "...Do you think we made a mistake?" Togashi asked Morohira quietly. The child¡¯s response to the blindfold had been rather baffling. If her intention had been to map thendscape around her all along, then such ns were ruined, and she would not have been able to maintain such an unflinching smile.

    "Meh, it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as we keep our secret safe, then I¡¯m fine making a couple of mistakes like that." Morohira decided.

    ...

    ...

    Tori behaved appropriately as they travelled, and never made a single attempt to dislodge her blindfold, so that she might see more of the surroundings. Quite the contrary. She focused entirely on conversing with Isabe.

    "Onee-san, you¡¯re really pretty. Do you think Tori-chan will ever be as pretty as you?" The young girl asked her.

    "...I¡¯m not nearly as pretty as I look." Came Isabe¡¯s bitter response. Having such a conversation on served to worsen her guilt.

    "Tori-chan doesn¡¯t understand... Onee-san is really pretty!" She protested, seeming to hear, or at least not understand, the bitterness that was dwelling within Isabe¡¯s voice.

    "...Thank you." Isabe said with a sigh, hoping that would be the end of that line of questioning. But conversation swiftly drifted elsewhere, as she was assaulted by question after question from the young girl, and she held not the resolve to tell her to be quiet.

    It was with great relief that she saw Toyokawa in the distance, and she mentioned as much to Tori.

    "Yup, Tori-chan can smell it!" Tori confirmed, surprising Isabe.

    "What a keen scent of smell you have." She remarked.

    "Yup!"

    She gently undid the blindfold that was covering Tori¡¯s eyes. It seemed pointless to have it on now, since they were so far away from the cover. Her fingers lingered longer than they should have, as she marvelled at the softness of her young hair.

    ¡¯It¡¯s like that, I suppose...¡¯

    She thought, remembering back to how her own hair felt when she was that age. But for someone like her, such recollections were not want to be pleasant, and soon she became so absorbed, that she missed what Tori had said.

    "Onee-san! Onee-san!" The girl called out to her repeatedly, trying to recapture her attention.

    "Ah... Sorry. What is it?"

    "If you take Tori to the port, then Tori knows where to go from there, okay?"

    "Okay." Either way was fine for Isabe. She was merely fulfilling this task as a favour to Rin and Akiko.

    They entered the town on foot, as Isabe saddled her horse elsewhere. Tori seemed rather excited, as she ran to and fro, with her feet beating against the cobbles as she repeatedly called out to Isabe. Doing her best to keep up with the child¡¯s energy, Isabe forced a smile, and continued down the steep hill, and down into the port.

    "Well Tori... This is the port."

    "Yup. Thanks Onee-san. Bye bye!"

    The little girl spoke from behind her, and she was forced to turn round to bid her fairwell.

    "Good by-"

    But when she turned to look, Tori had already disappeared.

    "Hah..." She sighed, exasperated. She truly was an energetic child.

    ¡¯Well, I suppose that¡¯s that done with... I had better continue to the port, and see if we can find any new sh.i.p.s.¡¯ She spoke to herself, trying to push the little girl out of her mind.

    They were still fishing the debris of the burnt sh.i.p.s out from the sea, and bodies lined the shore, as people came forth, attempting to identify them. Such a sight caused her mind to drift toward a certain person. The one who had orchestrated such disaster, such chaos.

    ¡¯I wonder if he has suceeded in his task..?¡¯ She pondered. The days were slowly slipping into weeks, and it felt like a long time since she hadst met with him. He was often spoke of by Akiko and Rin, so it was hard to forget him. Not only that ¨C she was learning more about him, and it excited her to some degree. She felt as though she was beginning to understand him. She looked forward to his return, so that she might try to approach him more... normally.

    But the path he walked was rather different from what she was envisioning. It was rather different from what he too had envisioned. He was in the process of mastering a terrifying amount of power. Power that defied what should be humanly possible. And so the gap between them ¨C the one that she dreamed of closing ¨C was only likely to grow wider. But she could only hope.

 Chapter 162 - The Canoneer

    The days passed, and repairs were made on the ship, whilst Isabe busied herself in the port, taking note of the numerous sh.i.p.s that came and went. This time, she did not just record one ship, but multiple sh.i.p.s, for she felt that they could pull off more than one raid ¨C they were practically invincible, after all, and could blow whatever guard ship they encountered out of the water.

    "What if the Europeans get involved?" Ii asked apprehensively. It was rational to be afraid of such great lumbering behemoth capable of the destruction that they were. If one of those vessels were to get involved, they would not stand a chance.

    "You needn¡¯t worry about that. There is no way the city guard will allow the Europeans to get involved in their fights. It¡¯s a sign of weakness, and would never be tolerated by the Daimyo, else those foreigners might attempt invasion." Togashi reassured him. He was confident in such a notion. But still, if the Europeans chose to act without being explicitly told to ¨C well then, things might grow a little dangerous.

    "I hope you¡¯re right..." The boy muttered.

    "Heh, brighten upd, when we get our cannon installed, even we¡¯ll be able to fight them." Morohira stated, pping him on the back repeatedly.

    "...It would be best not to rely on that. We¡¯d need multiple cannon shots to take one down, and they only need tond a single ball to destroy us." Togashi warned, unwilling to take solice in such cheap reassurances.

    "That¡¯s quitting talk right there. Better not let me hear any of that when Jikouji gets back here."

    "When will he be arriving?" Ii asked, seeming rather full of questions today.

    "Have you not been listening? Rokkaku left down the road this morning to see if he was on his way ¨C he came back five minutes ago, and reckons it¡¯ll take another thirty for Jikouji toe." Togashi exined a little impatiently. Everyone else was well aware of the happenings, but this youngster had trouble keeping up, it seemed.

    "Eh... so that¡¯s what all the noise was about..." He muttered. He¡¯d thought it was because Isabe had just returned that morning as well, sharing the new information as she came. It was a veritable feast of knowledge, though most of the questions came from Akiko and Rin, who were wondering about Tori. Isabe reassured them that all went well.

    ...

    ...

    "So you¡¯re all still alive then?" Came Jikouji¡¯s greeting, as he descended the steps with a smith in tow. He was a balding, wiry looking man, who the word ¡¯strong¡¯ did not seem suited. One had to wonder whether he could even hold a hammer as he stared around the port sheepishly.

    "That we are, aye. Is that the smith?" Morohira asked, getting straight to the point.

    "It is."

    "Will he be able to make exactly what we want..?" It wasn¡¯t that he was trying to be rude, but the man really did look frail, and it was rather difficult to trust that he¡¯d have any kind ofpetence.

    At the expected question, Jikouji allowed himself a smile. The smith certainly did not look the part, but he was without a doubt the right man for the job. What they needed was not some burly musclehead, who could swing a hammer as though it was an extension of his own arm. They needed someone who had a mind for precision, and could handle things more... delicately.

    "Have you made a cannon before?" Togashi questioned the man directly, who flinched, and looked around nervously, avoiding his gaze.

    "A...A couple..." He managed to get out in a quivering voice. He was certainly a rather timid fellow and they could not help but doubt him further. What kind of smith was unable to handle people, at least, to some degree?

    Togashi made noment about his response, but instead, he looked toward Jikouji.

    "Do we have the iron necessary to construct a cannon?"

    "That we do, aye. I borrowed a little from the treasury, but we¡¯ve got some quality ingots, ready to make us a quality little cannon."

    "Heh... I only hope they don¡¯t go to waste." He muttered. It was rather disappointing for them. They had expected a master smith of sorts, and had even considered the prospect of them getting a cannon a guaranteed one. But with all this... It was unsettling.

    "Don¡¯t be talking nonsense like that. Takeshi-san? Will you begin work right away, or do you need to rest?" Jikouji asked the smith. The sooner he proved his skill, the better it would be for him, so that the rest might stop doubting him so strongly.

    "...I will... start." He decided, taking light steps toward the boat. When he walked, he did so on the tips of his toes, rather than the balls of his feet, or his heel, which made him look like a startled meerkat with each step that he took.

    As he neared the ship, his anxiety grew, as he worried that he had not asked permission to board it. But as he looked back worriedly toward Jikouji, the old man simply nodded reassuringly, saying that he should do as he wished. There was no one else on the ship after all, so it was not as though he was getting in the way.

    When Jikouji had approached him, he had been wary, thinking that he was getting swindled. No one wanted suchplexities when it came to weaponry. All they craved was power. Even he had spent much of his timeing up with designs ¨C but there was no one to even care. They simply wanted guns, and swords.

    Yet the old man slid a sketch across his table, a sketch that could certainly be described asplex, and it resonated with him. He was able to believe his words from then on, likely more because he wished to believe them, than that he had actually trusted in the older man¡¯s integreity. But either way, it made no difference. He would, with this, get his first opportunity at making a moreplicated design.

    The deck wasrger than he thought it might be. He had exaggerated in his mind somewhat, preparing for a truly small deck. Though in truth, the size was not of great importance. He would merely alter the size of the cannon when making it. It was a simple enough procedure, though most cannons did tend to be of a simr size.

    He imagined the track right at the prow of the ship, on the lower deck, and he nodded to himself. He felt much morefortable now that he was away from prying eyes, but there was still that pressure to perform.

    The wood would need to be reinforced with an iron coating, or at least brackets of some sort. It was too thin. But still, it was workable. He had already decided that the cannon would be slightly above the height of the oars, so that water ¨C at least, not too much water ¨C would be able to get in.

    As he busied himself, Jikouji employed the help of Sasaki and Rokkaku in setting up a workshop for him. There were anvils of all different sizes to be carried down the steps, and it proved to be a rather hard task for the two men.

    But since they had anticipated hising, there had already been a building constructed that would belong to Takeshi himself, where he could do his forge rted activities. Of course, there were bits and pieces outside as well. When he emerged, he was delighted by such a sight. Jikouji had taken great care in his attention to detail, and had modelled it as close to the smith¡¯s home shop as he could.

    His effort, without a doubt, had been appreciated. When one practised a craft for so long, it became second nature to wander to a certain location in search of the tools that they required.

    "...It¡¯s like the home shop..." He mumbled in surprise as he approached the ce. Rokkaku regarded him condescendingly, as he wiped sweat from his brow. To him, it was a waste of effort making this feeble little smith so at home. If he could not pick up a hammer, then what was the point?

    "That¡¯s the idea." Jikouji agreed. "But if you see anything that you want changing, just let one of theds know and they¡¯ll get it switched up for you."

    Takeshi took a single nce toward the ds¡¯ that was referring to, and decided firmly that he wouldn¡¯t do that. For someone like him, even a normal man was terrifying, nevermind these battle borne men ridden with scars and oozing experience.

    "Ah, what did you think of the ship."

    "...It¡¯s a good ship... I.. I liked your mast mechanism." He said nervously. He truly had liked that little system. It was so rare to see such feats of engineering these days.

    "Aye. It¡¯s decent, isn¡¯t it? Will you be able to work with what we¡¯ve got?" Jikouji continued, having not received the answer he was looking for.

    "Yup... It¡¯s bigger than expected... But the wood is thin... so needs reinforcing." He was rather pleased that he was able to offer a somewhat technical answer to Jikouji¡¯s question, so that he could attempt to prove he had some knowledge in regards to his craft.

    "Aye, we¡¯ve known that for ages, just never thought it worthwhile to do." Morojo stated gruffly, causing the smith to flinch. He seemed to take personal offence whenever an imperfection was mentioned in regards to the ship.

    "Haha... well..." It was awkward for Jikouji to try and mediate. This was how they usually spoke to one another, yet Takeshi was so beaten down by a mere statement. "You can go inside and start working, if you like, Takeshi-san. All the tools you need should be in there." Instead, he merely provided the timid smith an escape route.

    "...I will!" He scuttled off quickly, disappearing inside like a frightened rabbit, breathing a sigh of relief as he shut the door behind him. It was the middle of the day, and they had journeyed slowly, so neither of them were particrly tired. What was most important for Takeshi right now was progress. If he showed even the smallest amount of what he was capable of, then Jikouji knew that the others would ept him in no time.

    But for now, most simply watched on. Rin and Akiko spent their time duelling each other, as the rest had a small snack for lunch, and Isabe spoke with Jikouji, filling him in on the various bits of information that they had missed. When he heard of the existence of Tori, an eyebrow was firmly raised, and his gaze tilted toward Morohira. But when he heard that they had blindfolded her, he merely nodded. It seemed he too was suspicious of the circ.u.mstances of the young girl¡¯s appearance.

 Chapter 163 - Ninja

    "Lord Commander, a young girl is here to see you. She said that she¡¯s-"

    "Send her in." He responded quickly, cutting off the maid. He had been expecting her for a while. That was why, whilst the sh.i.p.s burned, and traders ran around terrified, cursing his name, he was still able to grin like a fat cat.

    The maid bowed, and quickly withdrew, and was reced a few moments by the girl that she had spoken of. She smiled so innocently up at him, but he already knew of her tricks.

    "Cut the act ¨C it¡¯s creepy. Well, how did it go?" He asked expectantly. The coin he had promised upon the sess of this mission was substantial. It was something that even her people could be tempted by.

    At his words, she sighed slightly, and allowed the emotion to drain from her face, assuming the visage that she was morefortable to maintaining. In a matter of seconds, she was an entirely different person, radiating a different aura. She was no longer a child, but a ruthless killer.

    "They blindfolded me." She said coldly, as though disappointed.

    "Tsch... Useless bitch, get the f.u.c.k out." His smile instantly faded at her words, and his expression also became cold. If she had not seeded, then she was of no use to him, and he would not waste his time being polite with her.

    "But that is not the only sense a ninja is trained to use." She continued. The order of her wording was merely to evoke such an action from him, and stop the pretence entirely. They both knew that he thoroughly despised her, and was only doing this because he was pushed into a corner.

    "You can take us there, then?" Themander asked carefully. He had been lead around by the girl in the conversation thus far, and was cautious of reacting before he had an affirmative answer.

    "I can." Came her emotionless reply.

    It was then that themander truly allowed himself to revel in the warmth of his own cunning. How crafty he had been. Like a cunning fox. Those pirating bastards only knew one thing: and that was how to steal. Still... It was interesting to find that they even distrusted a little girl ¨C yet it seems they did not have the heart to take her life.

    "Kakaka..." He chuckled lightly. They had been a thorn in his side for weeks. Imagawa had returned from his campaign two weeks prior, but they had been too busy consolidating their defeat to pay the little port of Toyokawa any attention. But no doubt they would, and if it was still in chaos by then... Then he had better hope the gods were pleased with his offerings.

    "Is it near here? I find it hard to believe that we would have missed a suitable port area..."

    "It is. It is a small cove. It is unsurprising that your men did not pay it any attention. They are merelymon men, after all."

    It was that ¨C that was what really irritated him about ninja. Their arrogance. They seemed to believe themselves above themon folk, intellectually, and physically. And so they would not even interact with them unless there was the promise of coin. Still, they certainly had some degree of skill, for their mountain home had gone unlocated for hundreds of years, and they were still able to feed their people. People even still knew of their name, and they were respected ¨C even feared ¨C by most.

    "Ha... Common men? It seems themon ninja is still below pirates ¨C they knew to find you suspicious. But a cove eh..? Even then, we should have found it." He mused. The coastline of the Daimyo¡¯s provinces had been reevaluated quite recently, after his recent conquering, and even whenpared to the older maps, theirs were the most detailed yet. But still, such a cove went unseen.

    "A foolish suggestion. It is merely that these pirates are above themon man." The girl said icily. She spoke like someone twice her age ¨C such was their tutge. By the time they turned ten, male and female ninja were already monsters. He had heard stories of their initiation rituals, but he still did not wish to believe them.

    "..." Themander seethed in anger. The way she could utter such things without a hint of emotion, or fear ¨C it infuriated him. There were very few people that could talk down to him and get away with it, and he took pride in that. Yet here he was, being badmouthed by a mere child.

    Had he spent a moment to think, he would have realized the truth in what she was saying. It was logical, really. If a small group of people are capable of ¨C in an even fight ¨C killing arger group of people, that makes them above the defeated, does it not? At least in the way of fighting.

    "You will have your payment upon the extermination of these pests." He turned the conversation elsewhere.

    "No, as discussed, we will have my payment now. Our n is honourable in our ways, yet you can not be trusted to do the same. If you deliver me the payment, then I will show you the way to their camp."

    "Tsch." Again, her words irritated him. But in this, she was right. If given even the slightest chance, he would not hesitate to disregard their payment, especially after the way she had spoken to him all this time.

    It was he that proposed the n. Even the gunpowder crew did not know what was going on. They came with the shipment of powder, expecting their lower deck to be empty. But this little ninja had already snuck inside, and tied herself up. It seemed no matter how ruthless one imed to be, there was still an unbreachable bridge when it came to killing a child.

    He reached inside his drawer reluctantly. The payment had already been prepared in advance, as they had agreed upon. It was double the amount he had offered to the crew for their gunpowder shipment ¨C for of course, he did not need to pay them. As such, the small chest that he lifted was heavy.

    As she flicked open the lid to check it¡¯s contents, she barely even flinched. Such an amount of money was certainly not foreign to her.

    "I will take this coin back to my people. Then, in two days hence, I will return to lead you to their cove."

    She got up, as he moved to protest.

    "Wait! We need to leave immediately else-"

    But she had already left through the door, and by the time he managed to make his way into the hallway after her, she had already disappeared.

    "Bastard..." He cursed to himself. The pressure was already extreme, and every day that passed with the ck ship still roaming freely only served to make his position worse. More and more traders protested against him, and refuse to return to his port.

    Were they to find out about the n he had made, then they would be even less inclined to trust them. He sacrificed the lives of a trading crew without blinking, merely for the sake of his n. He was also uncaring in the sacrifice of his own troops, who had supposedly gone all out in attempt of catching the little vessel.

    On that day, as he watched the carnage unfold across the port, he had been rather thankful that he had thought of such a n. Had he not, then the future would have looked bleak indeed. To think they were capable of such disguise, and such power. Even six sh.i.p.s were not enough. Yet in the end it worked out, and they captured the ship as intended, and managed to escape.

    Though it certainly would not have been the end of the world had their ship been sunk, and they were killed right there and then, alongside the little ninja. In fact, such a situation might have been preferable, because then he would not have owed anyone money.

    ¡¯Ah... But those bastard ninjas can probably swim.¡¯

    He realized with dissatisfaction. They knew all sorts of tricks and techniques. They could breach unbreachable castles to assassinate the defending leader. Of course they were able to swim.

    He sat back behind his desk, reviewing the conversation the two of them had shared. Or at least, he thought it was merely the two of them who had shared it. Yet there was a third party who had been listening rather intently as well. He was a man who hade to long for themanding seat in Toyokawa. He was confident he could do a better job than that bumbling buffoon. And now, he had reason to get the man overthrown.

    He held back a giggle as he walked the halls. The evidence was not present, but his ount of the story would be damning enough, especially when the officials returned with him and spoke to the traders, and found out what a truly horrific state the town had fallen into. It would be delightful.

    "Good morning, master." His maid bowed low as he returned to his residence. Even after walking here, his grin had still not faded, nor had his good mood.

    "Mm... It is indeed morning." He decided, as he passed the maid and slid his arm around her waist, whilst the other went to her b.r.e.a.s.t.

    His actions were not part of the contract that she had agreed to. Yet there was not much she could do to protest. Her family needed the money from such employment, and as his hand ran it¡¯s way up her inner thigh, all she could do was gulp heavily, and attempt to hide her shame.

    She knew from experience that it would not do to say anything. His hands were heavy, and the bruises took a long time to fade. Still, today he seemed to be in a rather good mood... so perhaps, after he had had his fill of her youthful skin, then it might be the time to voice her request.

    He did not even bother to undress, and right there in his hallway, he lifted her kimono, and released his frantic feelings of excitement on the maid, as he fantasized about seizing hold of Toyokawa, and all the women that woulde with it.

    ¡¯Hah... my life is finally looking up.¡¯

    He thought to himself, as he savoured the smooth curves of her body. One of the other maids exited a room, with a bundle full of clothes to be washed, but seeing the sight in front of her, she quickly retreated, daring not to make eye contact with the servant who was unlucky enough to be his prey.

 Chapter 164 - Grandmaster Technique

    "No. That¡¯s wrong, you need to feel the wind around your fingers before you strike, and then release. You¡¯ll create a current within the air that will push your opponent back slightly."

    Momochi instructed. It was he that was teaching Gengyo this morning, rather than Soroko. A fight was being organised for him that afternoon, in which he would fight one of the older, more experienced monks.

    And for the first time in a while, Gengyo was struggling to master one of the techniques. The form was perfect, but the feeling was off. It was a grandmaster technique after all, so it would not do to look down on it.

    He frowned at Momochi¡¯s words. This was his third time practising the strike, and each time he tried to imagine the feeling the old monk spoke of, but was unable to. It was odd indeed.

    "Can you do it against me? So I can feel this pressure that you speak of."

    Momochi had demonstrated it beforehand, but he had merely targeted the air in front of him, and had performed it more as a disy, than as a physical attack.

    "It¡¯ll hurt." The monk warned. The strikes were not designed to have their power limited, and if he wished for it to be demonstrated on himself, then he had to be prepared to receive the full brunt of the attacks force.

    "I¡¯m ready." Gengyo responded after gritting his teeth. Had he not known how strong Gengyo was, then Momochi would not have dared perform such a thing. It was only because he knew the boy¡¯s body could handle it that he even acknowledged such a suggestion.

    Kitajo was with them too, though he was practising one of the lower tier techniques. Still, he imed it helped to be around Gengyo as he trained, as it motivated him more, because he could feel the immense gap that was between them. His words had been met with some doubt, as normally that would serve to demotivate someone rather than motivate him, but still, they had not rejected it.

    "Strike of the Thunder King..." The old monk breathed through his teeth, lifting his hands with pinched fingers, as he raised his front leg, as though he were controlling it by strings. He continued upwards, until he was leaned back in a perfect high kick, and then he jumped, whirling his leg around in a vicious sweep, that covered the entire circ.u.mference of the area around him. And then he mmed his foot into the floor, and pushed forward with both palms.

    WHOOOOSH.

    "Gah!" Gengyo groaned upon having such an immense pressure exerted on his body. It was a force that did not move him much, but it had a suffocating effect on his organs, and made it near impossible to breath. As a man of science himself, it was astounding to see just how much humans were capable of.

    "Well?" Momochi asked, helping him to his feet, as he had taken a knee.

    "I think I get it now..." The only reason he was able to pick up techniques so quickly, was not because he was a master imitator, but because he understood how such things worked at a single nce, and was able to replicate that within his own body. Yet controlling the air pressure was an entirely foreign sensation, and had he not seen a human do it with his own body, then he would have scoffed, and called it impossible.

    Now that it was performed on him, he thought that he understood. It was a way of manipting the air, and the molecules within it. The momentum from the spin gathered the molecules in one ce, and the palms were used to push them outwards, causing arge number of air molecules to collide with each other, and the opponents body, thus creating an increase in pressure that was unaligned with the pressure within the opponents body, causing rather serve internal damage.

    He did as he saw Momochi do, only, the old monk did not dare stand in the way. Because he knew the boy to be more powerful than he, and it stood to reason that the change in pressure that he could apply would be more severe ¨C it could even kill a man. He preferred not to take that risk.

    WHOOSH

    Even Kitajo had was training a distance away was able to feel it. A change within the air currents, as molecules - that were once distributed evenly and fairly - found a gap, a vacuum, and they moved to fill it.

    "...Good." Was all Momochi managed to say. It was beyond good. On his fourth attempt, after getting a feeling for it, he was able to replicate it to an astonishing degree. There was only one man he knew of who could perform the strike of the Thunder King to such a degree, and that was the author of the technique itself. In the scroll, when the user struck, the air currents had been drawn, as though they were able to be seen, as well as felt. Yet it had bemon knowledge that such a thing was not possible ¨C it was merely done that way to aid understanding.

    Yet here he was, witnessing such a thing. Such serve changes in pressure that the air molecules were grouped so tightly as to be visible to the human eye ¨C though of course, only for the briefest of moments, before the forces once more bnce, and equilibrium was reassumed.

    "It feels powerful." Gengyo decided, having carried out the strike. It did not look too physically demanding at first nce, but in reality, he was actually having to shift a weight, and so needed a good amount of force.

    "It certainly looks powerful." Momochi agreed. Almost all his strikes did. At this point, after seeing such high mastery of his first grandmaster technique, it felt unfair to pair him up against one of the normal monks ¨C even if they were older and more experienced than the rest, knowing a few grandmaster techniques themselves. Yet still, it was necessary. They would make a spectacle of it, so that they could demonstrate thed¡¯s prodigy, and make it less odd when he challenged Kuraka.

    "...This afternoon, go easy on him, aye?" He asked, a little worried. He didn¡¯t think thed would kill merely for the sake of killing, but he wondered whether he might get a little ahead of himself, and rush to show off all that he had learned.

    "Haha, I¡¯ll be sensible, worry not, Momochi-sensei." He was quitefortable referring to the two old monks with such an honorific, despite being of the age he was, and the position he was. They were wise enough to warrant that and more, and they had greatly helped him. They were teachers, in the truest sense. Had the modern teachers of Japan had even a fraction of their wisdom, then the students would turn out mightily fine indeed.

    "Imagine if you¡¯d know such techniques in our battles, Miura. We would have been able to win no problem then." Kitajo murmured, in awe of the disy that he had just witnessed. His master had grown terrifyingly strong now, and he did not doubt that he could take on a good number of men alone.

    "Mm. I prefer to think of the future, and all that I might be able to achieve with it. The past is no longer something I can change." Came his response, as he toyed idly with the spear.

    "A good response. The past is gone and the present... now that¡¯s gone too. It once more bes the past. To live truly, one needs to learn from the past, be moving in the present, whilst inclining himself toward the future. You merely need to decide how much of your future you are intent in controlling." He spoke. His years of experience had brought him to such a conclusion. The phrase ¡¯live in the present¡¯ had been passed around for decades, yet the present was the most fleeting moment of all, and so he had found bnce in this way.

    "What about you, young Kitajo? Have you decided?" The monk asked, turning to thed. Whilst he was the teacher of Gengyo, and understood his might, he did not ignore Kitajo in the least, and still offered him all the wisdom that he could.

    "Have I decided what?" Came the boy¡¯s confused response.

    "Just how much of the future are you content with controlling? One year? Ten years? A minute?"

    "Eh..." Thed was stumped upon hearing such a thing. He had never considered it¡¯s like before. He merely had dreams, and nned when he felt like it. He¡¯d never really considered why he thought the way he did.

    "Ten years... Is a little unreasonable. Maybe a month?" He responded tentatively, not knowing whether that was the right answer or not. But Momochi merely nodded.

    "A month is a good length of time. If you n to make progress within that month, then your approach to achieve those goals can be detailed. Yet it not too detailed that they be overwhelming. How about you, young Miura?"

    Both of them looked his way. Momochi already had an idea of how he might respond, but Kitajo was intrigued. He was a man that he admired and looked up to, and he was finally being offered a glimpse ino how his mind worked.

    "Mm..." Gengyo pondered, as he leaned on his spear. "I wish for loose control over 30 years, a firm hold over ten years, andplete mastery of a year." He decided.

    Momochi nodded without surprised, whilst Kitajo looked down, ashamed.

    "Kitajo. Do notpare your mind to Miura. His way is neither better or worse than yours, only different." Momochi reassured him. Of course someone like Gengyo - who was forever scheming - would have such far stretching ns. Else why would he work as hard as he did? But such a mindset was not for everyone. It made them neither a better or worse person. It only made them different. Ridicule would be easy, but Gengyo did not bother. It was himself he held to such a high standard, not other people.

    "Hoho, it seems old Soroko is on his way. Are you ready for your duel, Miura?" Gengyo had heard the old man¡¯s footsteps as well, and even now, he felt a degree of nervousness. From his understanding many monks had gathered. But it was a good nervousness, and he did not allow himself to be consumed by it. It merely reminded him to perform at his best, and even if he were to lose, not to allow it to be a true loss. He would perform to the highest standard he was capable, so even in defeat, he could hold his head high.

    "I am."

 Chapter 165 - The Fight

    The temple grounds were rather deceptive in their structure. Of course, the tallest building was something you could see for miles off, but you would assume that was it. The mountain was only small, after all. But under the cover of trees, centuries of monks had cultivated quite the environment for training.

    And with training as their objective, one of the most important things for them to measure was progress. And the best way to do that, was through rigorous testings in the form ofbat. One found out very early on which of their peers they were most simr to in terms of ability, and they would spar endlessly, until one left the other behind.

    As the monks grew older, the duels grew more and moreplicated, with the new techniques that each had learned. It was more akin to a chess match when the opponents were evenly matched. Thus, the younger monks often gathered, so that they might learn from their elders, and improve their own training.

    It was of such regr urrence that an arena had been constructed. A sandy circr pit, dug into the earth, with rows of stone seating spiralling around. It wasrge. Space would certainly not limit you. But there were no safety mechanisms in ce. Down there, it was as close to a battlefield as you were likely to get without stepping on one.

    With such thoughts in mind, one might wonder whether that orange sand had always been that colour.

    The elders had the respect of the younger monks, no doubt. Every single one of them was stronger ¨C it was as simple as that. Some of the young a.d.u.l.ts might be able to cause their superiors to sweat, but that was as close as they might get. To be ssed as an elder monk, you had to have lived in their ranks since birth, and be over the age of forty. In between thirty and forty the monks were referred to as initiates, and they went through a lengthy process of being primed to assume their senior position.

    And so, you might be able to imagine what kind of stir was caused when Gengyo ¨C who could barely be ssed as an a.d.u.l.t ¨C was pitted against one of the most experienced of the elders. There had been a veritable uproar. Because of the Soroko and Momochi¡¯sck of presence after the duel had been dered, they had thought it to be an error inmunication.

    That outsider, and his youthfulrade ¨C they were rather well known on the temple grounds. Very little out of the norm happened, and so when news of that sort struck, it was spread rather quickly. Whispers had been heard of his performance against Tsuchi, but without arge gathering to witness the fight, many had put it down to dumb luck, though those that had seen it insisted that was not the case ¨C it had beenplete dominance.

    As he descended down the hill, with Momochi at one side, and Kitajo at the other, he did so under the gaze of all the monks of that temple of theirs. With vigour, they spoke, and not a single man remained unseated. They were ready to witness what most thought would be a ughter. There was no way Nakama-san ¨C who was well respected even amongst his fellow seniors ¨C would fall to the likes of him.

    His ears felt so sensitive now, after all the changes he had experienced, and their rapid wordsbined reached an almost painful volume. On his face, he maintained a small smile. It was not an arrogant smile ¨C he merely did not want to seem afraid.

    It was indeed nerve-racking as their feet crunched down of the stone, and they reached the bottom of the hill. They were thest to arrive, and no pathway was clear down into the fighting pit. Soroko had already returned, and was standing in the centre of that sandy ring, with a middle-aged man by his side.

    Nakama disyed no emotion on his face, but with his arms folded he radiated an aura of absolute confidence. More than that, he seemed disgusted by the fact that he had been called to fight someone so young. There was a gap caused by age that was simply unbreachable. But out of respect for Soroko, he had not made a scene, and epted, believing the older man to be wiser than he.

    As they neared, Momochi raised two fingers, and motioned sideways, and as though they were controlled by strings, the crowd parted together. He was forced to walk through like that, with only a few centimetres of room between him and the other monks.

    They were a mixture of young and old, and they stared at him unblinkingly. In their eyes, he did not find even a single trace of respect. But why should they? The majority had never seen him fight. Nor had they even interacted with them. He took no offence at their expressions, or their jeering looks. Nor did he im that in his mind he would exact revenge for being taken lightly. He was the exception rather than the norm. It was not folly to believe him incapable.

    ¡¯Though I would like to give you something of a show...¡¯

    He decided. He felt he owed that much to Momochi and Soroko. They had put their names on the line for this, and in reality, it was a mere stepping stone, before his fight against Kuraka.

    The third master sat there amongst the crowd, though the chairs around him were empty within a metre radius - out of respect it seemed. He did not look to be happy with the state of affairs, and his forehead was wrinkled in concentration as he viciously tried toprehend what on earth was going on. He could have sworn they had been about to take Gengyo¡¯s life at some point not too long ago. And now they were allowing him to fight against some of their best? And even training him at that? It was not just, he decided.

    Noticing his furious re, Gengyo nodded towards him. Against the silence of the crowd, and all that surrounded him, Kuraka¡¯s single "tsch" resounded out.

    ¡¯Very different indeed...¡¯

    Gengyo murmured, as he recalled a passingment Momochi had made about Kuraka. He certainly was rather different to his fellow masters.

    He then took his time to turn, and run his gaze across the crowd. He wanted to take it all in, and remind himself of his goal. He recalled something he had read about the great Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. The man had paid a servant to whisper constantly in his ear, to remind him that he was insignificant, despite the cheering of the crowd, and it was only in that moment that Gengyo truly understood his motivations in doing so.

    He had a wooden spear sped in his hand, and his body radiated more power than it ever had. He stood on a mountain that few would ever climb, both physically, and metaphorically. It was so easy to be arrogant. But he could not, for that would once more destabilize his tower.

    And so, as he heard Soroko part his lips to speak, he reminded himself of something.

    ¡¯You are nothing. As you fly past this world, your name will not be uttered. This is an honour, an opportunity, for you, a nobody, who dares to dream of great things.¡¯

    "This is quite the unusual circ.u.mstance, is it not?" Soroko spoke to the crowd, thoroughly understanding what was going through their minds.

    "This pit was set to be empty until the eve of the solstice, but here we are, narrowing our eyes, and straightening our backs, as we watch with anticipation how these men in front of us will fair. This," he continued, motioning to Gengyo, "is Miura. A man of the outside world. In him, Momochi-sensei noticed a great talent, and we have set about cultivating such a talent. Today, this duel was arranged by I, Soroko. It would normally be considered inappropriate, but I hope that you can bear with me, and pass your judgement once the fight is over."

    Of course, none would dare to criticize him. Not to his face, or even anywhere him. He was one of the three most powerful men on this mountain of theirs. Whatever whims he had, he was free to execute.

    "Thank you for agreeing to this duel, Nakama." He continued, paying his respects to Gengyo¡¯s opponent.

    Nakama inclined his head, and bowed lightly. "It is my honour to carry out your wisdom, Soroko-sensei." He replied, not allowing a hint of anything other than respect to seep into his voice.

    "This fight will be carried out ording to our normal rules. They will duel until first blood, or until it bes obvious that one of them holds the advantage, or either of their lives are in danger. Kuraka-sensei, would you mind ying referee for this match?"

    The man¡¯s lip twitched at the unexpected proposition, but with all eyes on him, he could not refuse, and so through clenched teeth, he hissed his response. "Very well." He quickly realized the significance of his own position ¨C he was giving hold over Gengyo¡¯s life. A mere split-second hesitance from him, and the boy would have his skull caved in.

    "Good. We will leave the duelists to prepare, then." Soroko said his final words, and exited the pit with a light jump, clearing the metre high wall with ease. Kitajo and Momochi followed along shortly after, and very soon, they disappeared into the crowd, and the gap closed up behind them.

    With training spear in hand, Gengyo was left alone. The crowd remained quiet ¨C at least for now. They had to give the two men time to prepare themselves mentally, as was tradition. When he judged the time to be right, Kuraka would give the order for the match to begin.

    He slowly turned, and with a slow blink, he made eye contact with the man who was to be his opponent. Nakama flinched, but quickly hid his fear. Yet it was no quickly enough for Gengyo¡¯s heightened senses. Still, what mattered was whether the crowd had noticed or not, he decided.

    ¡¯He¡¯s just a child, after all.¡¯

    He reassured himself, effortlessly twirling his spear, warming up the wood before he mped down with firm hands, and assumed a casual ready stance. One might wish to enter into their form stance immediately, but part of the skill was being able to get into such a stance quickly, as there were many stances that took a while to set up, but were immensely powerful.

    "...Begin!"

    Kuraka called out, seeing that Nakama was ready. Gengyo had not yet assumed any ready stance himself, but it was clear who the master was favouring.

 Chapter 166 - The Fight (2)

    "Strike of the nine-tailed serpent!" Nakama called out immediately after hearing Kuraka¡¯s words. Such a strike was aptly named, for his limps twisted and squirmed as though they belonged to some wounded snake. But that was not merely for show. To look down on the stance would be to meet your demise. He struck forward with his spear, again, and again, absorbing the momentum that went through his spear as Gengyo blocked his strikes, and then he delivered another. Nine times he struck, and each time his strike grew more powerful, as like a pendulum his wriggling limbs continued to absorb the momentum.

    "Get him Nakama-san!" The crowd called out, seeing their senior monk burst forth with authority. It was no grandmaster technique, but then again, he did not need it ¨C he was going against a measly outsider after all.

    "Look Tsuchi! Nakama-san will get revenge for you!" One of the young a.d.u.l.ts called out to his despondent friend. But Tsuchi merely shook his head.

    "No, you look, idiot. The outsider hasn¡¯t taken a single step back even after all that."

    It was true. If a casual observer was watching the fight, they would instantly announce that the advantagey with Nakama, for he was striking continually, and Gengyo was not given a single opportunity to strike back. Yet a more experienced eye might be able to see beneath that simple surface. Sweat was already beginning to glisten down Nakama¡¯s head, whilst Gengyo still had yet to take a single step.

    He twirled his spear aggressively, readying his body for the next technique. He was surprised, indeed. The counter for the nine-tailed serpent strike was simply not to allow all nine strikes tond. Usually, he could do significant damage with one or two, before his opponent managed to counter-attack. Yet this boy had merely stood there, and absorbed each of the vibrations through his body and spear as if they were nothing more than a light tickle.

    ¡¯Perhaps he¡¯s not so bad after all...¡¯ Nakama muttered, allowing his lead hand to slide down his shaft, and grip the spear nearer the end, improving his reach.

    "Leap of the starving tiger!"

    He sprang off his hind leg and lunged forward, having been able to disguise his increased reach, intent on catching Gengyo off guard. And that he did ¨C he could see the surprise in the boy¡¯s eyes. Yet his reaction was too quick. He raised his spear as though to counter-attack, and Nakama knew his strike to be blocked.

    Yet it was not blocked with the length of the spear, but with the narrow shaft, mere centimetres thick. With the speed at which the battle was happening the crowd were not able to notice such a minute detail, but the uracy and strength required to block in such a way was monstrous.

    He continued to pound away, using technique after technique, and his irritation gradually grew. The fight was not meant tost this long. It should have been far faster. This was the kind of fight he¡¯d have with a fellow senior monk, not someone who was barely above a child.

    Even against the immense pressure and speed of his attacks, the young man he duelled barely even flinched. His gaze was unyielding and calm, and betrayed no sign of any intent to return the attacks. Rather than winning the fight, he seemed to have some other objective on his mind.

    ¡¯These are some powerful strikes...¡¯

    Gengyo thought to himself with approval. He could tell the wood of his spear was barely holding up, but he was unconcerned with that. During training, he hadn¡¯t had the chance to test his defence too often. He had simply learned strikes, and stances. And so it was rather enlightening ¨C and exciting ¨C to find that he could absorb these otherworldly strikes without too much problem. He held no doubt in his mind that before his training, he would have fallen to the very first nine-tailed snake strike.

    "Why¡¯s he not attacking? Is his opponent too fast?" Kitajo asked with concern, as the high-speed battle unfolded out in front of him.

    Momochi shook his head with a light smile. "No, it¡¯s quite the opposite."

    "It feels cruel to have Nakama face such a little monster. How long do you think it will be before he uses a grandmaster technique?" Soroko asked with a hint of pity in his voice.

    "Haha, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be quite educational for him. And I wouldn¡¯t think it¡¯d be too long. The longer this fightsts, the more embarrassed our friend begins to feel."

    Their words were true. Nakama¡¯s frustration was growing. The longer the duelsted, the more face he would lose. Even if he had to use a grandmaster level technique, then it was likely worthwhile. The trouble with such high level techniques was that they demanded much from the body. In terms of concentration, and in terms of energy.

    The techniques ¨C if one were to simplify them ¨C were the ancestrial monk¡¯s attempts at unlocking the fullest potential of the human body, and so they able to ovee normal limiters that were ced upon the output of their muscles.

    And so, it was likely that Nakama would only be able to use his grandmaster level technique once, or perhaps twice if he pushed himself, hence his reluctance.

    "Damn it..." He muttered under his breath as his breathing was beginning to growboured. At this rate he would not have enough energy to use a grandmaster technique even if he wanted to. It felt spiteful, the way the boy was able to continue to stare back at him, unafraid and unmoved by his ferocious attacks.

    It was as though thed barely moved. He only ever moved his arms in response to an attack, and even then it was only slightly. He made no attempt to dive forward, and let out any attacks of his own. Hisck of movement made Nakama¡¯s choice of technique simple. It was an attack that was difficult tond, but its power was enough to cause the ground to crack and tremble.

    "The elephants¡¯ eternal triumph!"

    He began to set up for the attack with haste. His speed was remarkable ¨C the way his legs twirled and his feet thundered atop the ground, building up the power. Gengyo regarded him with interest, already able to feel the potential of such a strike. Yet still, he did not move.

    "What¡¯s going on? Is Nakama-san using a grandmaster technique?" Whispers passed through the crowd as they attempted to understand the state of affairs.

    Tsuchi narrowed his eyes as he studied the fight. He was well aware of Gengyo¡¯s strength, but even he found hisck of action to be folly ¨C there was no one he could face the elephant¡¯s eternal triumph and leave unscathed.

    Very soon, the power had been concentrated, and it was clearly growing difficult for Nakama to hold it back. But with a final series of patters, he unleashed it, cracking down onto Gengyo¡¯s head with his spear, ready to tear the ground asunder.

    It was an attack that even the young monks were familiar with. They had seen demonstration of its power, and remembered that rubble tended to fly through the air wherever such a strikended. All knew that the way to defeat it was simply to dodge ¨C as it was slow moving. No one had attempted to counter it before. To do so would be foolish.

    THWACK

    "..."

    "...What?"

    "How?"

    The spear arced through the air, and looked as though it extended. It flew so quickly and powerfully that it was a wonder the air did not burst into me. It¡¯s wielder¡¯s face was a mask of confidence, and he knew the defeat of his enemy to be assured.

    And yet... At the veryst moment, with both hands held above his head, the young duelist had defended himself. The only evidence of the power such an attack held was the slight twitch of his eyebrow as he exerted himself. But that was all. His knees did not buckle, and his arms did not quiver.

    "My turn." He said quietly, taking a step forward for the first time. As he did so, the entire arena instinctively flinched. It was as though a great golem had suddenlye to life, with all the power that it held behind it.

    The sand of the pit whispered across his feet as they paid homage to a king.

    "Strike of the thunder king!" He murmured, enacting the technique that he had only recently learned from Momochi. He set it up with slow grace and precision.

    Nakama¡¯s face was drenched with sweat, yetpletely devoid of colour. He knew this fight to be his loss. He had no more cards to y. Even a low-level technique was beyond him now. But he could not flee. He had nowhere to flee to. This temple was his life, and to lose face here would mean to lose all that he had.

    "Is that really..?"

    "It is! I¡¯ve seen sensei perform it before... but does this outsider really know how to perform it? I heard it wasplicated, even amongst the grandmaster techniques."

    Their words and their doubts were the furthest thing from his mind. He paid none of them attention. Not even Kuraka, as he sat seething in disbelief, lookingpletely distraught.

    VWOOSH

    Hepleted his motions calmly, and he felt the air molecules against his palm, as he pushed out, and caused a heaven-defying shift in pressure, forcing his opponent to his knees.

    "I...Surr...ender..." Nakama said, barely able to breath, as the pressure around his body steadily began to increase. Any more, and it was very likely that his heart would stop beating, or worse still, it might explode.

    As soon as he heard those words being uttered, Gengyo immediately released the technique. He was not out to kill the man.

    Before Kuraka could open his mouth and announce the victor, Soroko had already returned to the ring, and he spoke loudly to silence the uproared crowd, who could not believe what they had just witnessed.

    "As I stated, this is Miura ¨C a rare talent ¨C and he is today¡¯s victor!"

    There was a pride in his voice that was uncanny for a monk. Still, how could he not be proud? To have his pupil progress so quickly, and defeat one of the strongest members of their order. More than that, he did not have to lose face after calling out such an insane match.

    The boy had yed his part well too ¨C he had made the difference between the two of their powers quite obvious. There had not even been a slither of a chance of Nakama winning, all present were well aware of that, which made it all the more exhrating.

 Chapter 167 - The Cannon

    "Ha... To think he actually managed to do it." Morohira breathed in admiration. They had looked down on the little smith, and even as they watched over his progress, they still could not believe that he¡¯d managed to carry out the full task.

    A reserved smile sat on the smith¡¯s face as he epted their indirect praise, mightily pleased with the end result. They stood now, on the lower deck, as they viewed it. The whole crew was present, and Jikouji had a reassured look on his face, as though he had expected as much all along.

    It was almost exactly as they had nned it. A cannon that sat on twoyers of track. The first of which was circr, and allowed it to rotate around and change angle given a push by the crew. The second ¨C which sat on top of the first ¨C was a straight piece of track, and gave the cannon enough room to recoil. As it was now, it sat in the loading position.

    "Have ya tested it yet?" Morohira prodded. They hadn¡¯t heard any explosions, but he guessed they might have been other ways of making sure it worked as nned.

    But the smith shook his head in response, prompting the obvious answer from him.

    "Well, we¡¯d better get it tested then, eh? Sasaki, go and get us some gunpowder, would ya? Have you made any cannonballs yet Takeshi?" He asked, as he looked around the lower deck, trying to spot one of the metal balls.

    "Two... over there." He pointed off into the corner, where they sat smothered in straw so that they would not roll away. He had not had time to make more than two, as he had put all his efforts into finishing the cannon as fast as possible. As it happens, he was rather pleased with the results. It wasplicated, certainly, but it was extremely functional, and served it¡¯s purpose well.

    "Hoho..." Morohira purred as he walked and stooped low to pick one up. He was prepared for them to be tremendously heavy ¨C and they were, to a degree ¨C but they did not turn out to be quite as heavy as he had expected.

    With the cannonball clutched tightly against his chest, he strutted over to the end of the barrel, and prepared to let it slide down, but was stopped by Takeshi.

    "Gunpowder... Gunpowder goes first." He corrected. It should have been obvious enough, even to someone who wasn¡¯t familiar with this type of weaponry, as the gunpowder was what caused the explosion that propelled the projectile forward. But in Morohira¡¯s defence, he was plenty excited.

    "...Sasaki! Hurry up, this is heavy y¡¯know?" He shouted, trying to hurry up the supplier of the gunpowder. But as he finished his sentence, Sasaki was already waddling down the stairs, with a barrel under each arm.

    "Oh, good timing."

    "I¡¯m all about good timing boss." The big man replied with a smile, setting the barrels down next to the cannon, before he spoke to Takeshi. "How much gunpowder do we need?"

    "This much." Takeshi responded with action, removing the lid from the barrel, and scooping out two handfuls, and allowing them to fall to the bottom of the raised cannon. Immediately after he had done that, Morohira inserted his cannonball, for it was beginning to cause quite the strain on his arms.

    "Phew..." He let out a sigh of relief having been relieved of his load.

    "Aren¡¯t we going to fire it?" Rin pushed, even more excited than he to see the weapon in action. Even the slightest pause was enough to irritate her at this point. Akiko smiled warmly at her friend¡¯s enthusiasm, whilst Isabe watched on with folded arms and an apparently indifferent expression.

    "Yes... Please pick a target." Takeshi replied quietly. The cannon was currently aimed towards their little beach, and it would cause quite a bit of destruction should they let loose on it. The way he had set the cannon up at the prow of the ship, it was able to rotate round to cover around 180 degrees.

    "That rock over there, let¡¯s go!" Rin announced, taking the initiative to push the cannon round herself. Even against her touch thatcked a man¡¯s strength, the cannon still turned smoothly, and aimed towards an old rock that jutted out of the water.

    "Please... Step back." The smith said, pushing the cannon forward into its ready position, as he altered the elevation slightly, and made sure the shot was lined up properly. Then, he brandished a ming stick with which to light the fuse.

    His warningy in the eye-contact he gave them before he pressed the me to the lit barrel, and covered his ears. They made the mistake of not following his example. When the gunpowder ignited, and its groan thundered across the cove, it was their ears that was left sore because of it.

    The booming noise caused them to flinch, and that single second of blinking was all it took for the cannonball to vanish from their vision and propel itself forwards, crashing into the poor rock that had stood there for thousands of years. Once it had been part of a mighty cliff. Then the sea had reduced it to a stump. And now here it was, facing its end at the hands of feeble humans.

    SMASH

    The heavy ball crashed into it mercilessly. The aim was true and it stood not a chance. It shuddered apart sending rubble everywhere, and startling the fish thaty below. It was destruction at it¡¯s finest.

    "Now... That¡¯s... That¡¯s damn STRONG!" Morohira roared with glee, pping his hands in triumph, as though they had ovee an actual opponent, and not just some rock.

    The rest of the crew were in a simr state of uproar as they paid homage to the remains of the sea-covered rock, anticipating all the damage that was toe at the hands of such a terrifying weapon.

    "You have my respect, Takeshi-san." Togashi stated, as he patted the little smith on his back, and looked into his eyes before nodding.

    "Aye! And mine too! Any man that¡¯s capable of making something like that had better be respected, else you¡¯ll wake up in the middle of the night to find your house has been sted out from atop you!" Jikouji bellowed. He¡¯d had confidence in the smith¡¯s ability all along.

    The little smith was already blushing in response to their praise, and that was before any of the girls had said anything.

    "That was really cool, Takeshi-san!" Rin said loudly, still celebrating the destruction.

    "Yup, Takeshi-san is really clever." Akiko agreed.

    "Things should be easier from now on..." Was all Isabe managed to say, as she pondered the future. It truly was feasible for them to seize Toyokawa now. She¡¯d spend a good few days there, collecting information on iing and outgoing sh.i.p.s, and she had no doubt that they¡¯d be able to raid until their lower deck was full.

    Tomorrow ¨C if her memory served her correctly ¨C there was a shipment of gold from the northern minesing in, though there wouldn¡¯t be a lot of that. There was a shipment of armour for the city guard, as the Toyokawa smiths had been unable to keep up with the demand, what with all the new guards that kept being recruited to fill in the spaces of the fallen.

    And then, finally, there had been another shipment of gunpowder, because the first one had been robbed by someone. She couldn¡¯t quite remember who. It was a wonder to her that people still dared to sail in and out of that retched port, even after the chaos that they had caused. She would never go against their ck ship. Not even if someone offered her all the gold in the world, for there was nowhere in hell that she could spend it.

    She he heard themander of the city guard bark all kinds of reassurances to the traders, saying that there was a n in motion, and they only need to wait a few days before they took the pirates heads. She¡¯d told as much to the rest of their little crew. But in response they had merelyughed, for it was definitely a bluff. The only thing thatmander had was a severeck ofpetence.

    "We will be leaving tomorrow then, yes?" She asked quietly, sending her voice into the mour around her. Perhaps it was because the difference in pitch, because all seemed to hear what she said.

    "I should expect so. What does the captain think?" Jikouji responded by passing the decision off to Morohira, with a sly smile on his face.

    Morohira frowned in response as though it was the most difficult question he had ever been asked. He opened his mouth to respond, before closing it again, and looking as though he was deep in thought. And then, he tapped his forehead as though he had been silly all this time.

    "Obviously. What point is there in waiting when we can take down the guard¡¯s sh.i.p.s as though they are nothing more than legless seagulls, waiting to be stoned to death?"

    "Hahaha! Well put captain, we¡¯ll show those guard bastards what happens when we get hold of gunpowder too!" Il said cheerfully. He was usually the most apprehensive when it came to danger. But after seeing their new weapon in action, even he was unable to feel any fear anymore. Their time had trulye, he reckoned. This would be the first town that they conquered on their quest to rule over Mikawa.

    Oh, how surprised Gengyo would be, when he saw how far they hade by themselves. They had truly done well, and they knew it. He should be back soon ¨C surely. Any day now. And with a town to present him with, how could they not long for his return.

    "But there¡¯s cannon balls to be made, right Takeshi? Will you manage to make enough today?" Sasaki asked, concerned for their young smith, as kindhearted as always.

    "I... I can make 15 cannonballs if I push myself." He replied with a smile in response to Sasaki¡¯s concern. He had grown fond of the big man, as all eventually did.

    "15 is a good number! Good work Takeshi, we¡¯re counting on you." Jikouji said with a grin. He was nning oning on this raid as well, since it had been so long since hisst. Affairs at home had been cleared up, and he was more or less up to date. This would be his time to unwind, and let a few of his more savage emotionse to the fore, and wreak a bit of havoc for a few hours. It would be fun. Fun indeed.

 Chapter 168 - Hidden Technique

    "The state of this temple is as the state of the road that you must follow. Despite apparent good intentions, very few wish to see you seed." Momochi counselled as he unwrapped Gengyo¡¯s bandaged hands. His actions from the previous day had merely been for show, and in truth he should have dodged that strike.

    His hands were bruised and battered from where the wood of his spear shaft had mmed against the bone, and tore against muscle.

    "I understand that. I will be fighting Kuraka soon enough, and then the state will return to what it was before." Gengyo replied calmly.

    "Are you truly ready?" The old monk asked seriously, holding his gaze. Soroko and Kitajo were also present, and they were as intune with the conversation as the two participants.

    He let out a sigh as he ran a finger over the bruised tissue. Nothing was perfect. Nothing could ever reach that perfect state. No matter how strong he became, he would never be invincible. There would always be a weakness that someone might exploit. There were parts of himself that he did not like, and parts that let him down. He had made his fair share of mistakes.

    The realization of that should have brought him low down to his knees. It should have delivered a mission ¨C a cause. To find someone worthy enough to rule over Japan. A good man, with a pure heart, without fault of unpolished edge. But in truth, that person did not exist, and he never would. More than that ¨C even if such a man did exist, he would be unable to confront evil. He could not fight against it.

    "I¡¯ve always known that strength was to be found in bing a monster. If I looked at that part of myself, and understand just what extent I was willing to go, all the awful things I was willing toit... I knew that I might respect myself a little bit more. But nothing is ever so simple. Bnce is required in all things. In my heart, and in the world around me."

    "Momochi-sensei, Soroko-sensei. Thank you for your tutge. You have helped me understand what type of man I am. It always bothered me that I did not feel a connection to the people ¨C that I did not share in their love for drink, and the party. But that is what seperates me. That, and this anger I have. Happiness? It¡¯s a foolish pursuit. I feel that I would rather feel my anger more often than happiness. Anger, I feel, is vector, whereas happiness is scr."

    "In anger, I can find direction, and continue to move forward. I have the heart of a general, perhaps even a king. I seek to find order in the fields of chaos, and in this realization, in epting who and what I truly am, I have no doubt that I am ready."

    He spoke passionately, fervently. He did not need to search for words, for the words were always present. It was an understanding that he hade to ¨C an understanding of himself. He knew that now, more than any other time in his life, he was ready.

    The two monks shared a wistful smile, and nodded.

    "Aye. You have found your heartd. Be true to it, for not many men can ever reach the state in which you now inhabit." Soroko stated.

    They stood underground once more. Though this time they were not inside the chamber of fire, where Gengyo had found and spoken to his inhabitants. Instead, they were elsewhere. This room was a good deal brighter, with beautiful bronze mirrors reflecting the noon sunlight underground towards where they stood.

    A hole in the rock let out a steady stream of pure water in a stone pool. This little pool was bordered by stone steps, epassing one side of the room. With each fresh droplet of liquid, the water overflowed slightly, and trickled down the stone steps, lightly coating them in the crystal clear liquid.

    High above a golden dragon was trapped, forcing its way out of the rocky stone wall. It was ferocious in its appearance and looked truly angry. And it was no wonder ¨C its tail was quite clearly trapped. From its mouth the asional droplet of water fell, as though it was salivating, and in that wide-open jaw, sat a scroll, encased in a marble box, and ted with gold. The whole thing was the result of the most painstaking craftsmanship, and their job had truly been done well, as it looked ready toe alive at any point.

    "But do not forget, your way is not the way for all others. Each man has his own heart, and his own emotion that he finds strength in. Perhaps there might be a man who rather than anger, finds his direction from happiness, no? And I think it is fitting, what you have told us. Your heart has truly been spoken. A general ¨C a king ¨C that you are, that you have always been. But it is only now that your power hase to the fore, after you epted the existence of your true subjects ¨C those that exist inside your heart. No matter how twisted and savaged a man is, he might one day be a man of yournd. You ought to treat him as the rest." Soroko continued.

    "My old friend speaks truly. There are many men who aim for the same heights as you, yet once they achieve them, the only coat they wear is that of misery. Each man has his purpose, and it does not fall to us mortals to judge the weight or significance of one aspared to another."

    Kitajo listened to their conversation intently. He could feel the wisdom of their words swirling within his body, and from each statement they made, he felt a new understanding. ¡¯Each man has his purpose,¡¯ they had said, and each purpose is equal. Whilst he could not entirely believe thatst line ¨C for surely a king was more grand than a samurai ¨C he attempted to, with all his heart. He felt as though he understood his own purpose, a little. And that was to stand beside his master¡¯s side, and be one of the pirs that would support him as he went about his campaign.

    "And here we stand, in the hall of the dragon ¨C the embodiment of wrath. Encased up there, is the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement. It¡¯s a hidden level technique, quite obviously, and from time to time we have given it to monks and allowed them to contemte and replicate it¡¯s contents, but they have all returned unable, just as we both have." Momochi exined.

    "And now it is me who has been granted this opportunity... Ah, a dragon. What beautiful craftsmenship. Though I fear I am no dragon. I do not have the nobility that such creatures embody. I think I am more akin to a silverback gori. Primitive, and brutish." Gengyo stated, though without a hint of self-deprecation. In fact, he stated so with pride, for that was indeed who he was.

    "Primitive?" Soroko questioned, raising his eyebrows in surprise. It was the veryst word he would use to describe the man. He did not lose them with his mention of the silverback gori ¨C they were well read men.

    "Indeed. That is where I have lost myself. With the tools that I¡¯ve been given, I have thrown myself towards discovery, but I have neglected that primitive side of me, he who lends me rage. And really, I identify with him the most. But, enough. How will we reach the scroll?"

    The dragon¡¯s mouth was rather high up ¨C at least serval metres. It was impossible to simply reach up and grab it with one¡¯s hands, or perhaps, even jump.

    In response to his question, Soroko merely smiled. "You speak of the tools that you¡¯ve been given, but it seems you¡¯ve already forgotten what tools you¡¯ve been granted here. You do not need to move towards the scroll. It will suffice to simply bring the scroll towards you."

    "...Strike of the thunder king?" He asked hesitantly with a raised eyebrow. Of course, such a strike was capable of moving the scroll, but it was also capable of moving everything else as well.

    But that was all the guidance they would give him, for in response to his question, they both merely looked towards one another and shrugged. But it was enough. They did not reproach him for his suggestion of the strike of the thunder king, so perhaps it was not so inappropriate.

    "Heh, do you reckon I¡¯ll be able to reach it, Kitajo?" He asked hisrade with a lightugh, picturing the absolute worst that could happen. By his estimation, it was not impossible to copse this entire room.

    "Definitely." Kitajo responded with the utmost seriousness ¨C there was no doubt in his mind.

    And so Gengyo assumed the stance slowly, and delicately, as he began to spin round, and focus all the air towards a single point. But as he did this ¨C unlike before ¨C he made a distinct effort to hold back slightly. He only needed a slight gust in order to remove the light cylinder.

    He moved as though he had practised such a movement thousands of times, and the air that was lucky enough to escape his vortex fled outwards, lightly brushing against their faces.

    And then, with a single order from his palms, the pressurized gas flew upwards, just barely making contact with the scroll. It seemed to be too light, however, as it only pushed it a little ways, leaving it teetering on the edge.

    Holding back his tut, Gengyo slowly retired from his stance, and moved over to inspect the distance, just in time for the precariously ced scroll to tip off the edge, and plumate down into his hand. He barely needed to move. It simply fell into his open palms, as if it was always meant to be there.

    He turned back to look at hisrades, scroll in hand.

    "That ¨C that was really smooth," Kitajo said with a shake of his head. To an observer, it likely looked as though the whole thing was meant to happen that way.

    "Eh, you think so?" He responded doubtfully, as he attempted to hand over the scroll to Momochi.

    "What are you giving it to me for? It¡¯s your scroll now." The old man rebuked him, stepping away.

    "Eh..." Heined, slightly disappointed. He had hoped that the monks would be able to give him some guidance on how to interpret it, but seeing as they were now out into the stone corridor ¨C closing the heavy metal doors behind them, with Kitajo in tow ¨C such a thing seemed unlikely.

 Chapter 169 - The Lone Dragons Judgement

    Carefully, he slid off the lid from that golden case. It moved without any resistance at all, as though thousands of tiny hands were helping him remove it from the inside. And then bared was the simple mahogany wood of which the scripture had been wrapped around.

    He pinched the end, and drew it out gently, treating it with the greatest amount of respect. Contrary to all the finery that surrounded it, the scroll itself looked fairly ordinary. A wooden cylinder as it¡¯s mantle, and it¡¯s parchment carefully wrapped around.

    Finding the end, he drew it out, so that he might inspect it further. It really did look incredibly simple, even when opened. It was written by the hand of a normal man, and was not embellished with calligraphy or diagrams.

    "Oh, it¡¯s upside down." Gengyo realized, after he was unable to decipher what it¡¯s contents were attempting tomunicate.

    Once he flipped it around, the writing was much easier to read. Its phrasing was simple and purposeful as he read.

    "Within these words, you will find written direction on how to be a master of the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement technique. But before you pursue this path ¨C for it will be a greatmitment on your part - I have a series of questions for you."

    His words echoed quietly in the chamber, and he paused to look over that final word, before continuing.

    "To master this technique, your heart must be as its creators was. Are you a ve to wrath? Does your body vibrate with that intention? Do you feel empty when your anger is not there to guide you?"

    There were words and there were words. Those written in that scroll could only have been stroked by a man familiar with such experiences himself. With a light nod of agreement in response to each of the three questions, he read forward.

    "This will take time to master. Perhaps even your entire life. Are you willing to make thatmitment? Are you willing to pursue something until the end of your days without the prospect of progress?"

    He frowned upon reading that passage. In everything he pursued, progress had always been held in the highest regard. For what more was there to aim for, than to be better than your previous self? It was a game he had yed with himself as a young man. He would ground himself in a certain moment, and evaluate himself. And then he would think back to the previous year, and imagine who he was then. And then he would ask himself a simple question: "would I be able to defeat that man, both physically and mentally?" The answer, at that time of his life ¨C it had always been a solid yes.

    "To pursue something without progress... You do offer some difficult conditions, don¡¯t you, writer?" He asked to no one in particr. "Very well. When you aim for something so lofty, you should do so with a resolved heart, and be prepared for theck of progress. I will be able to take heart if progress does not present itself."

    He spoke in response to the book¡¯s questions as though he was having a conversation with another man. As though it were Soroko or Momochi, for it was the sort of thing they would profess ¨C those kinds of difficult to answer questions that you could not reply quickly to.

    "Very well, dear reader, you¡¯re been brave ¨C or arrogant enough ¨C to continue reading even after answering those questions. Then, I will introduce you to the first part of this technique."

    "The first part is not a stance, but a state of mind. Even if alone, with none to bow, a dragon still remains a king. Can your heart im to remain the same? Can you still confront the world with a kingly aura, even if there are none that follow you?"

    "So a prerequisite is solitude, then. It makes sense, given the name. Well, I do not that that will pose a problem. It is only in this life that my solitude has been lifted." Gengyo mused.

    "To cast judgement on others, one needs to be righteous himself, otherwise this technique will always fail. Since you are able to understand that, let us proceed with the first stance of this technique."

    As he read those final few words, he had expected a diagram or at least some sort of imagery to follow, yet there was nothing, apart from more text. No matter how much of the scroll he unravelled, it waspletely devoid of any imagery.

    "It seems this will be a challenge... Assuming a stance that I am unable to see."

    "As a testament to a time before our own, in which the dragons roamed the earth, this stance is more an interpretation, than a set and solid way. When this stance was first imagined, its creator stood high atop Mount Fuji, and reminisced about ancient times. He let his body tell that story, and thus the first stance was born."

    "No wonder." Gengyo said as he realized why the others had been unable to master the technique. In a sense, there was no technique. It was an idea that had been written. "So to be able to use this idea, then I must walk the supposed path that the creator did, and allow the images of a dragon to possess me."

    As when he had mastered control of air pressure, this no doubt would be a different feeling. There, high up in the ceiling, sat a golden dragon, bearing his teeth down at him, and he could only imagine the fury it felt at been trapped ¨C at ceasing to exist, and merely bing frozen in time, as a relic of the past.

    He did not truly believe that dragons once roamed the skies. No fossils had been found of them. Yet what did it matter? In this context, like the technique, the dragons were merely an idea. They symbolized what he sought to achieve.

    Before he attempted to try anything, he read on, wondering how he would know when he had achieved the state that had been written.

    "The stance itself is power. It is wrath, and it is nobility. A dragon does not cease to be a dragon merely because it is not engaged in a fight. When you have mastered the stance of the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement, then you will be able to feel heat within your palm, because it will be on fire."

    "..." Gengyo read thatst set of words again, to make sure that there had been no mistake. But that was undoubtably the kanji for fire ¨C he would not mistake it, for it was one of his favourite words.

    "Hah... Just how far do you monks attempt to push the boundaries of what is possible? Controlling the pressure within the air ¨C that is something I havee to ept, and understand, even on the scale that you perform it on. But conjuring me at will? Surely, it¡¯s some sort of trick."

    Even if he did manage to grow a me up from within his palm, then what? Would he not simply be burned? He¡¯d read of instances where humans had supposedly spontaneouslybusted, yet he¡¯d never believed him. But after what he had read, he decided to give those stories the benefit of the doubt, and assume that such a thing was possible. But what then? It still offered no solution to how he might protect himself against the extremes of temperature.

    Ice ¨C ice was certainly something that was doable. From experience, cold water was something humans could confront regrly, and survive for a good time against. The pain only continued up to a certain point, after which it remained constant.

    With his fingers pressed against his eyes, he sighed.

    "Well, let¡¯s suppose it¡¯s simr to the case for ice. We are capable of dealing with it, we merely need to alter our breathing ever so, and adapt to it."

    In truth, in reading this scroll, he felt as though he was being made fun of. But with this room that had been made, and all the honour this scroll had been given, there must have been someone capable of this in the past. Else why would anyone believe it.

    With a sigh he rubbed his hands together.

    "Friction. I am quite capable of that." If he exerted more effort, his hands would even begin to burn slightly from the intensity of the heat. But no me was sparked to life.

    "The mind of a dragon, eh..." He mused, wondering just how a dragon might think and behave. Pride, he imagined, would be foremost amongst its emotions, and so he allowed pride to wash over him, and his muscles picked up on that, making micro adjustments fitting for the amount of pride that he was showing.

    "Anger, indeed." He decided, letting a wave of anger light up his heart, and alter his expression. It was rtively easy to do, as he was quite familiar with it.

    Those two were the most basic and obvious of all of them. But he knew a dragon would not be so simple, and so he thought hard. Fear or envy seemed unlikely.

    "The Lone Dragon, eh... So perhaps lonliness?" He wondered. Even the biggest and most powerful of creatures would feel alone at times. When he allowed that emotion to surface, it made the fires he had burning moreplicated. To his anger and to his pride there was an edge, a touch of ice.

    Because he was unsure of how to proceed from there, he merely allowed his mind to go nk, as he embodied those three emotions as well as he could, and imagined himself in the position of a great and mighty dragon, as it flew over viges, and contested peaks of mountains.

    Inevitably, in this fantasy of his, someone sort to challenge him, and steal the gold that they assumed all dragons must have. It was a human. A powerful human. One that spoke loudly and arrogantly, throwing all sorts of curses towards him. Whilst he was lonely, this was not the type ofpany he desired, and his pride got the better of him, swiftly turning toward anger.

    "Burn... cken under foot, ye who dares challenge me who is older than the world itself."

    He body moved involuntarily, and one palm swept past the other at a violent speed. From the friction caused, tiny skin cells on the top of his hand ignited, and flew off into the air, giving was to a series of sparks. And then, with the gust of air that followed, they developed into fully fledged mes, lighting up the air around them.

    Gengyo stared at his hands in awe, hardly able to believe what he had just witnessed.

    "Limits... Are there none?"

 Chapter 170 - At Sea

    "Are the cannon balls loaded?" A certain captain asked, eager to get away as he walked the decks with a vigour, his ck leather armour leaking as he went.

    "Yes, everything is ready." Came the firm reply. The crew were just as eager as he.

    "Remember ¨C there is the gold shipment, the armour shipment, and the gunpowder shipment. If you are able, take all three, but do not burden the lower decks too heavily. Remember, Morojo-san said that if you filled the entire lower deck, then the ship will sit too low in the water, and some might end up getting in through the cannon hole." Isabe warned. She too was on the deck as they went about their franticst-minute arrangements.

    "Aye, that¡¯s right." Morojo affirmed.

    "It¡¯s alright, Ishi, we¡¯ll make sure he does as he¡¯s told!" Rin assured her, since Morohira had once again disappeared into the lower deck and was not there to hear her.

    "Yup, we¡¯ll tie him up if he does anything silly." Akiko agreed, though Ishi looked at the two of them doubtfully. She did not think anyone on the ship was capable of stopping Morohira if he were to put his mind to resisting.

    "Okay, but be careful." Came her less than optimistic reply.

    "Everything is ready, let¡¯s get away!" Morohira called out, storming up from the lower decks with a grin on his face. Everything was as it ought to be. As his words were called out, Rokkaku and Sasaki went towards the ramp in order to raise it, but Isabe and Morojo had still yet to disembark, and so they hurried on ahead.

    "Off you go ¨C there¡¯s sh.i.p.s to be sted." Rokkaku clucked, shooing them down the ramp. They began raising it before they even reached the bottom, and soon the two of them found themselves sliding down thest part, before they were deposited on the jetty beside Takeshi.

    With that, the ship began to pull away.

    "Wish us luck!" Rin called out gleefully.

    "Good luck!" Multiple cries echoed out from the cove. From Morojo, his sons, Isabe, and even Takeshi.

    Within moments their ship had sailed out through the gap between the two masses of rock, and was out on open sea. They did so with both masts raised high, and ck gs donned. There was no point in hiding anymore. They would let the world see who was on the waters that day, and allow them to feel the chilling fear as they made their approach.

    "Will... Will they be alright?" A nervous Takeshi asked. Despite his timid nature, he had no qualms about their involvement in piracy. In fact, he was simply happy that his services were required somewhere. Even if they had been worse people, as long as they were able to notice his skill, and appreciate it, then he would only be too happy to stay.

    And so now he had developed an involvement with them. An incentive to wish for their sess. There had been talk of permanent hire should all things go well, and it did not take too much guessing to find out what had to go well.

    Though the both of them looked towards the little man, it was Isabe that made the effort of replying, and she did so with a smile on her face.

    "No doubt. They have achieved much harder things under far worse circ.u.mstances. Today will be a wee change in the scores, where they hold the absolute advantage. It¡¯s not a question of whether or not they will seed ¨C not any longer. The question is merely how long will it take them." She spoke eloquently, with her arms folded, holding that satisfied smile. They were her people, and the sesses that they¡¯d had ¨C she was mightly proud of them.

    Takeshi looked up at the beautiful woman, unable to contain his blush. ¡¯How can she be so confident?¡¯ he wondered. But there is no doubt he would find out in time.

    "Pull the rope tighter, Rokkaku. Today is our y day ¨C let¡¯s not be making rookie mistakes tying off the sails, aye?" Morohira instructed, seeing that there was a good amount of ck of the sail line. Normally he¡¯d have been able to tie it perfectly in one go, but it seems the excitement was affecting his skills.

    "Aye, I¡¯ll get right on it mum." He replied dryly, but still doing as he was instructed.

    "Who will operate the cannon?" Togashi asked in a whisper by Morohira¡¯s ear. No doubt if he had asked any louder, then the entire crew would have their hands in the air, and be vying for a chance to fire one of the heavy metal balls.

    "Me!" Morohira responded without hesitation. He was the captain, and he wanted to fire the cannon, and so fire the cannon he would. There was no one he had to beg. Togashi held back a sigh as he heard that rather predictable reply, but such was the man their captain was, and the good had to be taken with the bad.

    Heads were turned because of his loud response, and it was easy to infer what the question might have been about. But there was no one toin. Everyone had assumed that it would be that way from the start, yet it mattered not, they would still get to pay witness to the glorious destruction that would ensue.

    They passed the familiar rows of cliffs, and passed over the old water as though they were greating an old friend. It is an odd thing to say, but many of them would im that even the sea was on their side that day, as it allowed them to charge forward uninhibited, spurred on by even the wind.

    They very soon peaked their head into the port area, continuing straight on without a single alteration to their course, as though they were just another vessel intent on trading business. The fear of the nearby captains was manifest in their sh.i.p.s, as they fumbled with their sails, and caused their boats to run off in all kinds of unsensible ces.

    Cries went out from the port ¨C they¡¯d been spotted by thend dwellers. The sound of a drum being beat could be heard in the distance, as their arrival prompted some kind of signal. It was amusing to see that an entire signalling system had been set up to amodate the likes of them. In a way, it was ttering.

    They had three sets of prey, and had been given all the knowledge they needed to identify such vessels from Isabe ¨C the job of which fell to Togashi and Rin, who seemed to have the sharpest eyes out of anyone in their crew.

    "That¡¯s one over there, isn¡¯t it?" Rin asked a little uncertainly.

    "Mm. Spot on." Togashi nced over, and gave a nod of his bearded head in approval, as he returned his gaze back to the sea, and attempted to spot the others. "Oh, we¡¯re in luck, captain." He announced. Off to the west, thest two sh.i.p.s ¨C sailing almost side by side ¨C were the armour dealers, and the gunpowder merchants. In pursuing them, they could kill two birds with one stone.

    "Aye, in luck indeed! Not that we even need luck today, eh fes?" The captain announced. He did not even need to give the orders, for the crew were entirely in tune with his thoughts by now. It was time to pursue these big fish, and capture all the cargo that they had acquired. The sails were alterted, and the spurred forward.

    Their position was an almost perfect one. They out sped every single ship in the port. They were able to merely sit there, and watch, like a hawk looking for prey, and because of their superior speed, they would be able to catch the fleeing mice before they strayed too deep into the ocean.

    As they saw the course the ck ship was intent on following, the other traders breathed an involuntary sigh of relief. Someone would die to that day, they were only d that it would not be them.

    There was all kinds of chaos happening on the port, as traders made way for seas of charging guardsmen who boarded their sh.i.p.s, matchlocks in hand, as they shouted loudly to be away, and stop these cowardly pirates from taking more from the weak than they already had.

    This time six sh.i.p.s pulled away from the dock at once. It was a veritable armarda. The traders would not settle for anything less, and it was likely that the majority would not have returned to Toyokawa port had themander not agree to follow drastic measures like that, though he kept insisting that he had a n in motion, and their end would be assured promptly. Still, nothing hade of that yet, and they assumed him to be bluffing.

    Their ck ship closed the distance as quickly as a tiger would on wounded prey. They had long since been close enough to use that cannon of theirs for the first time, but such a decision would prove counter productive, as they would send their merchandise plummeting to the bottom of the sea, alongside the ship they had just sunk.

    Instead, with expert manoovering, they ran and ced themselves between the two trading vessels, who had dared to sail so close seemingly for some sort of protection, figuring that two was better than one. And two certainly was better than one, at least for the Red Feather.

    "One, Two!" Rokkaku and Sasaki cast their hooks off to either side. One targeting one ship, and one targeting the other. They had grown rather good at such a thing now, and their hooksnded both time. With all the crew on deck, they threw themselves on the rope, and pulled in aggressively.

    The reason why these two trading vessels had a degree of confidence soon became clear. They had went to the bother of hiring guards, who stood on the decks of their ship now, swords and axes drawn. There were at least thirty per ship, and the pirates were hopelessly outnumbered.

    But it did not matter. Their reputation had proceeded them. Looking down on who they would have to fight, and the demon masks that adorned their faces, the majority of the pirates found themselves trembling in fear. Even with many men on their side, they knew a good amount of blood was bound to be shed.

    With no hesitation and no fear, the crew split themselves evenly, one group fighting on one front, whilst the other fort and the other. They carved through those that stood in their way as if they were nothing more than straw dolls. Even the weakest amongst them became whirlwinds of fury, felling multiple men within the span of a few seconds.

    SPLASH

    And once again, the captains jumped overboard, judging it better to risk braving the sea, than to stand against these monsters in vain hope of survival.

 Chapter 171 - At Sea (2)

    The cargo was unloaded with haste, but they still managed to squeeze it all on ¨C and even with some room to spare. The guard¡¯s sh.i.p.s were incredibly slow, and still had not managed to catch up ¨C they were at least half a kilometre away. It was almost disappointing.

    Slowly they turned their little ship around. They could have gone more quickly, but this was no longer an even battle. It was sport, and still one side did not know just how unfairly the tables had been tilted against them.

    "Hahah! We¡¯ve got them men! Keep pushing forward!" The captains called to their crew, ever so delighted with this turn of events. They would be rich men if they managed to sink this ck ship ¨C there was indeed a sizeable bounty on its head.

    They loaded the matchlock rifles that they were so proud of, and began to send volleys toward their deck. Yet no one was above deck by now. The Red Feather crew were all on the lower deck, gathered around the cannon.

    "Mm, which one should we go for first?" Morohira wondered. It was him who would get the honour of shooting it, but it did not matter who chose the target.

    "The one nearest to us. If we allow it to keeping, it might even cause problems, since we have to reload and all, don¡¯t we?" Togashi suggested. Their reload speed would be extremely quick, what with the number of men they had on a single cannon, but still it was better not to get caught off guard. It would be rather embarrassing if they fell after thinking themselves to be so high and mighty.

    "Come on, they¡¯re getting closer! Just fire already." Rin said, sick of all the messing about. The sh.i.p.s were getting ever closer and all they were doing was talking.

    "Heheh, alright ¨C here we go!" Morohira pressed the lit candle ¨C at least, that¡¯s what they referred to it as, it was more just a greenwood stick wrapped in cloth and drenched in oil at one end ¨C to the end of the barrel, making contact with the gunpowder. Before it even touched, they had their hands over their ears, and their captain struggled to do that same, though he only had one in which he could use.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    The beautiful sound of cannon fire. Many a European man in the port area had their ears twitch in surprise. It was not a sound they thought they would hear in this more barbard, but it was certainly one they were familiar with.

    "What¡¯s that?" One of the European traders asked another, as they looked in the direction of the sound.

    "Cannon fire, innit? Haven¡¯t heard that in ages... Still looks like whoever it was missed ¨C all those little sh.i.p.s are still standing."

    It was of no surprise to them to see that the shot had been ineffectual. They would not count on the Japanese to be able to wield the cannons to their kind of standards.

    "Ah... Think you might be wrong there, my boy. The middle ones about to go under, see?"

    The flooding of the ship was usually an exponential process. At first, it was difficult to tell whether it was going down, as only a few litres of water managed to make its way inside. But soon that amount of water grew, pulling the ship further down, allowing even more water to shoot inside.

    "Hoh! First shot, and I¡¯ve already blown them apart, eh? I didn¡¯t realize I had such a gift for cannoneering." Morohira stated proudly, admiring his handy work.

    "I think it is more thanks to Takeshi than you..." Ii muttered.

    "What was that?"

    "Nothing." Whenever he was challenged by one of the stronger men, he was rather quick to back down.

    "Alright, next! We¡¯ll get this thing loaded."

    He started to shove fistfuls of gunpowder down into the barrel, as Sasaki stooped low to secure a ball. Really, two people were all that was needed to adjust it quite quickly. But still, after the ball slid down the barrel, Togashi pushed the cannon forward into the ready position, whilst Rokkaku directed it towards the next target, so in truth, it was quicker than it might be.

    "Second shot, captain." Togashi dered.

    "Right you are."

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    And another shot thundered from the barrel. This time, the captain attempted not to flinch too heavy, so that he could watch the cannonball as it flew through the air. It arced a bit too low, and looked as though it might miss, but by some luck it dragged it¡¯s way through the softwood of the boat¡¯s side, exposing multiple oarsmen and snapping oars like twigs. A lucky few died on impact ¨C the rest were left to drown with their ship.

    "By the gods..." Sasaki whispered, shaking his head at the sight of the immense destruction they had caused. Within the waves, fear-stricken men clung to rafts of shattered wood. Such pieces could be found everywhere, as the waves carried them back and forth. Some sported horrific injuries. A many dying atop one such abused wooden pieces. A shard of wood ¨C that had splintered from the impact ¨C nowy in his throat, and he gargled horrifically, attempting to breath, as more and more blood came up in his mouth, and crept from his wound.

    His crewmates were forced to watch, as they clung to that wooden piece in desperation. All they could do was avert their eyes, and offer silent apologies to theirpanion for being unable to help him. They were frightened. How could they not be? They were unable to swim, and were stuck miles away from shore. The only thing keeping them afloat was this piece of wood. But what happens if it were to flip over? What happens when they tired? Would they even be able to make it back to shore at all?

    The remaining four sh.i.p.s were almost as psychologically abused as the two fallen. They froze under the weight of their fear. At any moment, and any point, it could be them. A single round of demonic fire, and they would be sent into the dark waters to join their friends.

    "C-captain... Please... Please retreat." One of the crewmembers begged. He could not handle it. They were too hopelessly outmatched. Perhaps they could charge forward in some kind of suicidal attempt, but what would they achieve? That ck ship was far faster than theirs. His dder loosened as he spoke. It was as though he was trapped inside one of the terrors that haunted his dreams as a child, only terrifyingly, there was no waking up from this.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    But his captain was unable to answer his plea. With his eyes wide open, that unfortunate crewmember was forced to burn a horrific sight into his eyes. And why was it that it went so slowly? It was as though the whole world was passing by frame by frame. He saw the fear in his captain¡¯s eyes, as he was seriously considering his request. But millisecondster, there was a cannonball beside his head.

    And then, his head was a cannonball. Chunks of flesh and bone flew outwards, coating the man¡¯s cheeks and face. Scraps of skinnded on his shoulder ¨C the skin of his own captain. And then, the cannonball passed by, leaving a headless man to respond to his question, before it crashed into the top of the deck.

    When he saw that headless corpse copse to his knees, he did the same. From the intensity of the fear that he was feeling, his own heart stopped, and he died but a momentter.

    "Wow Rokkaku, that was shit." Morohiramented, seeing the cannonball go far too high, and only dealing damage to the upper deck.

    "Shit? Shit? I¡¯m a rare talent, Morohira. Did you not see who this cannonball hit? That was the bloody captain. I¡¯d like to see you replicate such a shot." He rebuked heartily. This really was just a game to them. They had seen the battlefield thousands of times. They had witnessed innumerable men die. There was no regret or guilt. Not anymore.

    Within that small lower deck, the air was tainted with the poignant smell of charred gunpowder. It was not entirely unpleasant, though it was rather overwhelming. Seeing a few of them going about bickering and monopoloising use of the cannon, there was naught the rest could do but watch. That, in itself, was not such a bad thing, but Rin liked to feel involved.

    "Dad, I want to do somethinggg." Sheined.

    "Ehhhhh..." It was quite the dilemma for him. Whilst he was busy behaving like a child, his own child was growing bored behind him.

    "...Fine, you can fire it next time." He said reluctantly.

    "Wait, look! They¡¯re retreating." Togashi noted. It was all very well enjoying the vast superiority of their military might, but if the enemy were to run away, then they could still be troublesome in future.

    It was true. On the horizon, four sh.i.p.s began to row away with urgency, leaving their drowning crewmates behind, as they cried ¨C no, begged ¨C for help.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    Morohira let one shot off quickly, as the adrenaline started to pump once more. This time, that battered fourth ship was sunken for good.

    "Prepare the sails! We¡¯re not letting these sc.u.mbags get away."

    Finally, the time hade to utilise the entirety of their crew. They once more reloaded the cannon, as Il, Akiko and Rin went above deck, and adjusted the sails so they could utilise the full force of the wind.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    Yet another shot was fired. When they wanted it to be, the fire rate was amazingly fast, especially if you took into ount that a single shot was all that was required to sink a ship.

    And another cannonballnded, crushing it¡¯s way through the rear of the retreating ship, the force of the impact bending wood, and sending men crashing overboard. Their chances of survival were mightily slim.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    Another.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    And another.

    Just like that, with the same ease as plucking a few weeds from a garden, all four of those retreating sh.i.p.s had holes punctured in their sides, or their back. It was a mere matter of time now, and all they had to do was watch, as they slowly sank down into the water.

    They were growing nearer the port, so perhaps the men dared to hope that they would be able to make it back to drynd. But that was naively optimistic. The more water that entered, the faster water would enter in future. Their chances were nill, and one by one, the guard¡¯s sh.i.p.s disappeared under the waves ¨C relics of an unfairly one-sided victory. Unfortunate indeed.

 Chapter 172 - The Final Fight

    It was dark when they met. The sun had long since fallen low in the sky, and it was by the light of the full moon that they were able to see each other. That shiny rock, fighting an eternal war against the clouds in an effort to remain seen ¨C that was their only spectator.

    It was done out of courtesy, for he was a master of this temple after all. It would not do to for him to lose face in front of all the students that he would soon teach.

    "Are you sure he¡¯lle?" Kitajo asked. They had been standing waiting in the cold night air for a while by now, and they had yet to see or otherwise sense any sign ofbat master Kuraka.

    "He will. He¡¯s as intrigued as we are, despite appearances." Momochi assured him. The words they exchanged were hushed, as they did not want to want to wake any of the sleeping monks. In the forest, as they were, there was at least some distance separating them from.

    Gengyo was quiet, and calm. He held a training spear in his hand, with the shaft firmly nted into the dry dirt ground underfoot. This clearing was a perfect ce for the kind of duel he wished to have. To be frank, he was d that Soroko and Momochi had opted for a more reserved, and secretive duel. There was always the danger of bing merely a performing act. Thest duel had served its purpose in getting Kuraka to notice his skill, now they only needed to wait for the man himself.

    "Did you truly master the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement? You were in there a good few hours... But still, it shouldn¡¯t have been that quick." Soroko asked, almost nervous. Gengyo had refused to demonstrate it once leaving, iming that it was something only to be reserved for battle. And there was a distance in his eyes as he spoke to them, as though he was thinking something over in that head of his.

    "I have not performed it, yet. But I feel that I have mastered it." He replied, keeping his eyes firmly pinned on the path that he knew Kuraka would soon walk down.

    Soroko and Momochi shared a nce at such an unusual reply. Surely it was impossible to master a technique without ever performing it? But since knowledge of hidden techniques was so foggy, they could not really question him.

    The hairs on the back of his neck raised slightly, and his eyes closed in a slow blink. When they reopened, a familiar monk filled his vision, not bothering to hide his open hostility.

    "Soroko tells me you¡¯ve mastered a hidden technique? Hah. I don¡¯t dare believe it. An outsider will never reach the standard of a pure monk." He spat.

    "Yes, yes. Kuraka, remember what we agreed to? Duel the boy, and then speak afterwards. He¡¯s got skill. It¡¯s not something you can attempt to exin with reason. Truthfully, it goes against much of what we know ¨C but in our scriptures, we were being told of such events all along." Soroko pressed. He felt that the only way to make Kuraka understand was to have him experience a fight with thed first hand. It would be far deeper and more meaningful than any conversation they were to have.

    "Heh, very well, I will defeat your pet, and then we will talk once more, and you will see things as I do." Kuraka muttered, a devilish smile curling his lips. He had not enjoyed this period of distance between him, Soroko, and Momochi. And the cause of it? This outsider.

    The monk moved faster than ought to be possible, and raised his hand up toward Gengyo¡¯s face. The young man¡¯s startling eyes clocked his every movement, yet he did not even flinch as the hand came down, and knocked his spear from his grasp.

    "If you have true mastery of your techniques, then you will not need a spear to perform them."

    "As you will."

    Put off by the boy¡¯s confidence ¨C which he simply put down to arrogance ¨C he lunged in to attack straight away, sending his fist crashing forward with all the speed and power that he could muster.

    Two palms brushed past one another to block the strike, interlocking together. His eyes widened in surprise, not only because his strike was blocked, but because of the manner in which it was blocked.

    "Were those... Sparks?" Soroko questioned, hardly believing his eyes. Surely such a thing should not be possible? There was no way a human body could produce enough heat to cast sparks into the air.

    Panicked by the existence of a technique that he had not seen before, Kuraka sort to im the victory before it was allowed to act out its purpose. He swung his leg forward, and spun, hitting hard with the other leg, and then he transitioned into a swift elbow from his right arm, that led to a punch from his left. The fastest and most piercing ofbinations that he was able to summon. His own technique, filled with resentment.

    And yet... Against all that. Against a fist that had been honed for decades, and movements that had been moulded and polished so that they were as smooth and as swift as sliding on ice. Even still, the boy¡¯s guard remained unbroken.

    "Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement..." He muttered under his breath, he eyes bing vacant.

    "Gugh..!" Before he knew what had happened, his knees had copsed from under him, and he had fallen ungracefully to the floor. Fear began to set in, as he realized he could not control any part of his body. Trapped within the gaze of the boy¡¯s golden eyes, he felt as if gravity had increased tenfold, and was pressing against him. His will was not his own ¨C he waspletely at Gengyo¡¯s mercy.

    "What happened? Is this the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement?" Soroko asked with panic in his voice. He was worried that Kuraka was dying. There was no other way to exin the state of his being.

    "Aye... Aye, that¡¯s definitely it." Momochi muttered, in awe. "I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m seeing it in person ¨C it¡¯s been centuries since someone has been able to use it. The talent needed to wield it to such a degree, I can¡¯t even fathom... Just like when a surprised deer freezes, so too does the Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement make its prey freeze. The opponent is made aware of the acute difference between the two of them, and the body responds as though it had been faced with the gaze of a real dragon."

    "Surrender... I surrender..." Kuraka just barely managed to force out those words. As soon as he heard that, Gengyo released the technique as quickly as he had applied it, and for the first time since leaving the chamber, he smiled.

    "It really did work."

    "It did better than just work, Miura. It brought one of the strongest monks in all of Japan to his knees." Soroko muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. It was difficult to process such a result. Of course, this is what they had been aiming for, but to think the match would not even be close.

    Kuraka coughed on the floor, struggling to return to his feet.

    "Lone... Lone Dragon¡¯s Judgement, did you say?"

    "That¡¯s right," Gengyo replied.

    "Hah... So that¡¯s what... That¡¯s what that was." He was so terrified that he seemingly forgot to show his usual animosity toward Gengyo.

    "So, did I pass?" The young man asked, turning to Soroko and Momochi with a small smile. They had been working toward this for a good while now, and each day he had longed to return to his people, but now the moment was finally about to pass, he felt apprehensive.

    "...You¡¯re a little monster, Miura." Momochi stated honestly, but then he allowed a smile to break free. "Aye, you definitely passed. That talent you have ¨C it¡¯s terrifying... In such a short amount of time, you absorbed everything we could possibly teach you. You¡¯re ready, without a doubt, you¡¯re ready."

    "The Daimyo, eh? I fear for the man. Leaving here, you do so with immense power, Miura. Keep your mind right, and remember your honour. There are people in this world worth protecting ¨C ordinary people, perhaps, but people none the less. When youe to rule, do not allow the shift in power to change you. Be just, Miura." Soroko lectured, seemingly as worried about him leaving as he was.

    "Daimyo... This little twiglet is going to challenge the bloody Daimyo?" Kuraka cackled, seemingly greatly amused. "Haha... Oh god, this province is doomed. Better n your changes in advance, boy, the likes of Imagawa will be unable to stand in your way."

    Ufortable with Kuraka¡¯sck of hostility, Gengyo was unsure quite how to respond.

    "I will prepare ordingly..." Was all he could manage. His words caused that false smile to wipe its way from Kuraka¡¯s face.

    "Heh... I will be d when you are gone. Outsiders do not belong in this temple." He stated, before pausing for a moment. "However, I regret not paying more attention to you. Momochi and Soroko were wiser than I in noticing your talents. It will forever be my shame that I rejected him with more aptitude than I."

    "Don¡¯t go apologising, Kuraka old friend. It does not be of you. There are three masters because we are each different, and are capable of different things. Do not fret over this small matter. You are still the strongest monk in this temple." Momochi pped him on the shoulder, attempting to free him from his seriousness.

    "There are many more things you are capable of, Kuraka-sensei, do not write yourself off so early," Gengyo said, as humbly as he was able. "I hope to return here in future ¨C we can have another duel then, if you¡¯d like?"

    The monk looked back at him in surprise, both eyebrows raised. It took him a few moments before he finally understood the motive behind Gengyo¡¯s words.

    "Hah... Alright, boy. I¡¯ll be ready to meet you then." He stated firmly, returning Gengyo¡¯s smile.

    There, in the cold moonlit forest, the two groups of very different people finally parted ways, and as they walked away from one another, they began the first steps of their own journies. No doubt their paths would cross once again in future, but for now, Miura Tadakata had ceased his monkhood, and would once more assume the mantle of a ruler, and a general, and the first order of business in such a role was to secure the troops that he had set out to recruit.

    "Kitajo."

    "Yes, Miura?"

    "I¡¯m looking forward to this."

    "Me too - it¡¯s been too long."

 Chapter 173 - Bounty

    "Woohh! That was a good show,ds!" Rokkaku roared triumphantly, admiring all the carnage they had caused. There would be wood washing up on the shore for days, perhaps even weeks. If they are lucky, a few bodies might wash up too ¨C then they might have the opportunity to return them to their family.

    "Heh, the whole port is ours." Morohira chuckled lightly, seeing that the water around them waspletely devoid of sh.i.p.s or life. An area that was normally bustling with trade activity had been renderedpletely silent by a ship as meagre as theirs, and a crew as small. Only the Europeans could ever stand the chance of contesting them.

    "We could go and rob the people on the port too. There isn¡¯t anyone that can stand against us. We keep some people on the ship to fire the cannon, what d¡¯ya say? We¡¯d get loads more loot." Il suggested, his greed overwhelming him.

    But thankfully, the rest of the crew were not so feeble-minded, and would not act as magpies and merely dive in because they saw something shiny. In fact, not a single person was swayed by his proposal. Instead, they stared at him like he was stupid. Their lower deck was full of loot, what more could they want? And soon that town would be theirs ¨C they did not want to disgruntle thend dwellers.

    "Yeah, Il, I feel much happier when you keep your mouth shut." Rokkaku cut in, pping him on the back of his head.

    "Hahah, ayed, calm yourself, there¡¯s more toe in future." When it was Morohira telling you to calm down, you knew you had seriously crossed the line. "Prepare the sails ¨C we¡¯re heading back."

    Men immediately split off to fill out the orders, and soon they were sailing through the waves.

    "Conquering Toyokawa, eh?" Jikouji muttered to himself, as the wind tickled his hair, stroking it away from his forehead. In this raid, he had wanted to unwind slightly. But after seeing everyone work together so well, he took a step back. Morohira was really shaping up to be quite the leader. He was certainly rash, and unpredictable, but that was the very thing about him that was so powerful.

    "What are you doing thinking so hard, old man? You¡¯ll turn your hair grey." Togashi called out jokingly. "Are you thinking about him too?"

    "Which one? Morohira or Tadakata?"

    "Heh, both I suppose. But I meant the boss. He¡¯s been away a while, eh? Do you think we¡¯ve done alright? I ended up pushing for our independence... But I can¡¯t help feeling as though we¡¯ve made a mistake somewhere. I¡¯d like to be proud of our achievements when we wee him back, but still, I can¡¯t shake that feeling."

    "I¡¯m sure you¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s natural for us to fall into thought after battle ¨C it¡¯s what happens to you. We no longer mourn all the lives that we take, but the body still knows the act of taking a life, and so that energy is directed toward different sorts of thoughts."

    "Just worrying too much, eh? I hope so. Well, you enjoy yourself. I¡¯m going to tidy the lower deck a bit."

    They were nearing their cove by now, so getting the cargo prepared for unloading was not a bad idea at all. Jikouji looked off into the distance, admiring the little opening in the cliffs that had be their cove. It was a mighty find indeed. And yet, because of Togashi¡¯s words, he could not help feeling unsettled.

    "Silly old man. You¡¯ve lived for so long, and you still let other¡¯s words stir up your thoughts?" He scolded himself, almost sure it was nothing.

    They skirted in through the opening with practised ease, returning home.

    "OYYYYYYYYYYY! WE¡¯RE BACK ¨C AND WE¡¯VE GOT SOME GOODIES!" The captain called out, announcing their arrival home. They would not need a horn or anything of the like in future, for they had that big mouth of his.

    "¡¯BOUT TIME YOU LAZY BASTARDS!" Morojo retorted, emerging from the cabin alongside Isabe ¨C who was covering her ears from all his noise ¨C and his sons. Takeshi was off inside somewhere tinkering. No doubt he woulde outter on when he realized they had returned.

    "Now, now, what do we have here?" The shipwright purred, leaping up the ramp as soon as it was put down. "Did you manage to get everything?" He asked as he inspected the upper deck. From the front, everything seemed to be in good order. There were a few musket balls here and there that had left cracks in the wood, but the damage was extremely minimal.

    "Nah, just armour and gold. The other ship ran off before we could catch it." Morohira informed him, leading him to the lower deck to show him all that they had captured.

    "Hoh... Dunno if you¡¯d have managed to fit the cargo from a third ship on ¨C this looks pretty packed here, eh?"

    "Aye. Grab this, would you? We¡¯ll get this quickly unloaded."

    "Yeah, I¡¯ve got it."

    With them all working together, they quickly lined the beach in cargo. Takeshi attempted to join in with the carrying, but much to his embarrassment, he was unable to lift even the lightest of items.

    "You all did well again," Isabe said approvingly as she chatted with Akiko and Rin.

    "Yup, it was really easy this time though ¨C we didn¡¯t do much. I don¡¯t think this canst though. It was just too easy." Rin replied.

    "I think you might be right. Many of the traders are already talking about simply moving ports. If we want to upy Toyokawa, we had better do it quickly, else it will lose all the value that it originally had."

    "I think it¡¯s best if we wait for Tadakata before trying anything like that..." Akiko said meekly. There was so much that could go wrong with something like that. She was not willing to risk making such a big mistake, only to have him clear it upter.

    BANG

    "Eh?" She flinched, like a rabbit caught in the gaze of a wolf. By her feet was a small hole, scorched into the earth. It was a familiar sound that had rung out ¨C that of musket fire ¨C and it had missed her by mere fractions of centimetres

    "Akiko, move!" Rin shouted urgently, pushing her to the side, as another shot rang out.

    "CEASE YOUR FIRE, IDIOTS! WHERE¡¯S THE FUN IN KILLING THEM STRAIGHT AWAY?"

    A voice bellowed from atop the cliff, and finally, they had the opportunity to see just who had dared to fire at them.

    Lining the cliff tops were over a hundred men, each armed with a matchlock rifle, and each wearing a uniform that the Red Feather were likely to recognize at a single nce ¨C that of the guards of Toyokawa.

    "THE F.U.C.KS ALL THIS?" Morohira barked. Instead of being fearful under the sights of so many matchlocks, instead, he was furious. What the hell were they doing here in the first ce?

    A cacklingughter whispered down, and a momentter, they began to move. They¡¯d found where the steps were, and the men began to file down, into the cove. A single man stood out as they made their descent. He was giggling manically, as though this was the best event of his entire life. He was undoubtedly in charge.

    "Who... The f.u.c.k... Are you?" Morohira asked again through gritted teeth, as they were surrounded by the ranks of matchlock wielding men. The end of one barrel was but a few centimetres away from his head, yet he still had the gaul to remain defiant.

    Their leader seemed greatly amused by such a question, and really took his time before answering.

    "Do you have any idea what it¡¯s like to run a city?" He nced Morohira up and down. "No, I expect you don¡¯t. It¡¯s difficult work, and it only grows harder when... When... WHEN YOU HAVE F.U.C.K.I.N.G SC.U.MBAGS LIKE YOU, WHO ARE UNABLE TO OBEY THE DAMN LAW!" He struck out, smacking Morohira with the back of his hand out of anger, venting weeks of pent up frustration.

    Morohira for his part barely flinched, even as his cheek grew red and started to swell.

    "Oh... So that¡¯s what this is about..."

    "Oh? You¡¯re finally understanding then? You and your little pirate friends ¨C all your lives are in my hands. And do you know what I intend to do with them? I¡¯m going to kill you all, right here, right now. And then, when your bodies are growing cold, I will have my men cut you into pieces, and feed you back to the sea, just as you did to so many of my men. What do you think about that?"

    "Mm... What do I think about that..?" Morohira nced around, taking a look at each member of their crew, wondering if their hearts were the same as his. "This little rifle here ¨C this is what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m going to kill your men, one by f.u.c.k.i.n.g one. I¡¯m going to cut them so deeply that they¡¯ll continue to bleed even in hell. And then, as you¡¯re lying here alone, slipping in the blood of your own people, I will get one of these rifles, and I will f.u.c.k you with it."

    Themander stared at him in disbelief, surprised that he still had the courage to speak to him so boldly. No doubt... These were the right men. This conversation, those insults ¨C they¡¯d been doing the exact same thing for weeks, only in the form of action. Each of their raids had been their way of telling him to f.u.c.k off.

    But they were cornered, without a doubt. They might try to lunge forward with their swords, in a stupid suicidal charge, but as soon as they tried anything, a single squeeze of the trigger would send their heads exploding.

    "Haha... I¡¯m so looking forward to watching you die. But allow me to share onest piece of information before I send you into the afterlife." From just the way he smiled there, Morohira knew he would not wish to hear what he had to say. "How was I able to find this little hideout of yours? That little girl ¨C the one that you didn¡¯t have the balls to kill. She was working for me all along. How pathetic is that? Do you not feel miserable?"

    "..."

    There was nothing he could say in response to that. There had been a doubt niggling at him all along. They had been too willing to trust. Too focused on appearances. Sometimes it is the smallest and most harmless creatures that are capable of causing the most damage. A mistake. A single fatal mistake had ensured their downfall.

 Chapter 174 - Home

    "Give me that!" Themander pushed one of his men to the side, and forcibly grabbed his rifle. He looked turn it to the side, and squinted. "This thing loaded?"

    "Yes,mander!" The soldier responded with haste, not daring toin about his rough treatment.

    "Good." He took the rifle, and ced the end of it in line with Morohira¡¯s head. "Say goodbye." He said with a slick smile. After weeks of torture, he had finally won. His men mimicked his actions, and prepared to fire. He slowly moved to squeeze the trigger,pletely focused. He was intent on memorising every second of this experience, so he could milk the pleasure for all it was worth.

    "Eh?" An ill-timed gust of wind hit the troops from behind, and almost pushed them from their feet. He dug his feet deeper into the ground out of annoyance, as he strained to remain upright. Even the gods were struggling to make things more difficult for him, but it didn¡¯t matter, he reaimed and prepared to fire.

    "I would not do that if I were you." A voice spoke out from behind him, and some kind of force was applied to the barrel of his gun, forcing it upright, no matter how much he tried to push it down.

    "The f.u.c.k!?" He cried out in enraged surprise, turning to see the source of the voice. If it was one of his men, then he would have him killed where he stood. "Who the f.u.c.k are you?" But the man behind him was one of that he did not recognize. It was definitely not one of his men. He was dressed as a monk might, and his head was shaved. He had that monkly gaze to him as well.

    The monk wrenched the rifle from his grip with ease, and with a swift motion, he cast it further along the beach. He then reached out, and ced a hand on themander¡¯s trembling shoulder. Almost all the guardsmen whirled around toe to theirmander¡¯s aid, and point their barrels at this unusual monk, and the other monk that stood behind him.

    "This is no business for a monk ¨C stay out of it!" Themander barked, still refusing to cower. Whatever temple this monk was from, he did not have the right to question themand of a servant of Imagawa.

    "I am no monk." The man stated, reaching out, and grabbing themander¡¯s neck in his tight grip.

    "Who... are... you?" He croaked, unable to breathe, as he was lifted from his feet.

    "My name is Miura Tadakata, and this, is my army." With his free hand, Gengyo pointed upwards toward the top of the cliffs, where the guards had once stood with their rifles. There stood an almost uncountable amount of soldier. They stood squashed together holding their bows and their rifles, sneering down on the enemy below.

    "Tadakata..?" Morohira breathed, unable to recognize his own son. Theck of hair, and the difference in clothing, and even his aura. If it wasn¡¯t for those eyes of his, it would have almost been impossible to tell who he was.

    "Miura!" Rokkaku and Sasaki said together, never more relieved to see anyone in their lives.

    "He¡¯s finally back! Haha, eat a thousand bullets sc.u.mbags!" Il heckled, finally regaining some of his confidence.

    "Nii-san!" Rin called out, her eyes watering.

    "Tadakata..." Akiko murmured a gentle smile on her face.

    Isabe opened her mouth to speak, but she could not summon the words.

    "You¡¯ve finally returned then,d. And just in the nick of time, eh?" Jikouji grinned. He was old, and even with the gun pointed towards him, he had not entirely dreaded the thought of death.

    "Wee home, master." Togashi called out, his voice firm. Their impending doom by the hands of a hundred matchlock had instantly be liberated at the return of theirmander. Even if it had been him alone, without all the troops that he brought ¨C even then, a confidence would have arisen.

    "Who the f.u.c.k... is Miura Tadakata?" Themander spat, outraged, unable toe to terms with the fact that he was about to die at the hands of this unknown man.

    "The bane of Imagawa." Gengyo responded without emotion, before raising his voice. "Men of the Red Feather, FIRE!" At hismand, the drawn back bowstrings were loosened, and the readied bullets were fired, hailing down atop the defenceless enemy, who were fighting on multiple fronts.

    With a light squeeze, he took themanders life, crushing his throat, before casting his corpse aside. A stray arrow threatened to injure his shoulder, but with a casual motion he redirected it elsewhere. Within mere moments, the dispatched of guards had all but perished ¨C not a single man remained standing.

    "Good work men! Begin setting up camp, whilst I greet outrades!" He called out to the men on top of the cliff. Their discipline was substantial, and soon not a single man could be seen peering over the cliff edge, for they were already carrying out their order.

    A fallen guardsman attempted to crawl away, with multiple arrows jutting from his back, like some kind of malicious turtle shell. With a stab of his spear, Gengyo granted him mercy.

    Kitajo moved toward his side, and together they looked towards their oldrades. They had notid eyes on each other in what felt like an eternity. Even with corpses at their feet, and blood on their shoes, there was no better feeling than this.

    "Quite the pickle you¡¯d worked yourself into." He began, a light smile gracing his lips.

    "Hehe... We made a couple of mistakes..." Morohira began, scratching the back of his head ufortably.

    "No, it is I who is to me. I should have known better." Togashi jumped in, attempting to defend his captain.

    "Togashi! Shut up. It was me and Akiko ¨C we all know that... We... We... I¡¯m so sorry Nii-san." Rin cut in, her voice cracking as she attempted to confess.

    "A child, was it? Mm..." In the past, who knows how he would have responded. But with his induction into the Buddhist temple, he hade to understand something of zen, and so he knew that to punish his people here would not serve to make them stronger. They already knew their mistake.

    "It is a difficult situation to solve, in that case. There are many that we must kill in order to secure our revenge, but if we were to lose our humanity along the way, would it be worth it?"

    She looked up at him in hope, but he raised a hand, telling her not to raise her hopes so soon.

    "However, it is also true that if ourpassion were to result in the death of ourrades, then ourpassion no longer has any use. But you know what you have done, and I will speak of this matter no further."

    The eyes of the crew immediately brightened, as he passed his merciful verdict on their mistake. Jikouji nodded his approval. He¡¯d matured somehow, in a different way than he had expected. His eyes were no longer so clouded, and instead were clear and bright. And that new aura he had? It was difficult to ce it.

    "I¡¯m surprised no one has asked about our hair yet." Kitajo mumbled with a grin, knowing full well that was exactly what they wished to ask.

    "Are you kidding!? What the f.u.c.k happened to your hair?" Rokkaku growled, seizing the opportunity. "And those clothes too? Did you rob a monk or something?"

    "Haha. Not exactly rob. We made a couple of new friends on our journey, and they helped us in our training. They¡¯re the reason I was able to gather such an amount of quality soldiers." Gengyo replied with a chuckle.

    "Do you know their names?" Jikouji asked curiously, stroking his beard. There were not many monks who sort to get involved in the affairs of the ordinary man.

    "The three masters of Menryo-ji temple."

    Old man Jikouji gasped, his mouth widening.

    "What? What the f.u.c.k¡¯s a Menkyo?" Morohira looked around, confused. It seemed the others were in a simr state. It was a fairly umon thing to be spoken of this deep into Mikawa, after all.

    "A legendary warrior monk temple, said to be the home of the strongest monks in all of Japan." Jikouji breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "But I thought they were adverse to outsiders? How did you manage to get them to train you?"

    "It¡¯s a long story, my old friend, and I¡¯ll be sure to tell it to you around the campfire. But for now, should we share a meal?"

    "Eh?! I don¡¯t like this... My son has suddenly got stronger? Kid. Fight me." Morohira barked out of nowhere, readying his unarmed fists, looking as though he was about to charge at any second.

    "Dad! Nii-san has only just gotten home! Let him rest awhile, atleast." Rin protested.

    But Gengyo shook his head with a gentle smile. "No, it¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯m ready when you are, father." He dropped his spear to the ground, and mimicked his father¡¯s stance. He stood facing a man that had caused havoc on every battlefield he entered. A man that was the strongest even amongst this most elite force. A man that in the past, he would never havee close to. And such a man charged at him, ducking in low to tackle him with all the force he could muster.

    But the target that he had charged at was not there once he lunged towards it, and instead of tackling the man to the ground, he felt something trip his foot, and instead it was he that fell over.

    "WOE! THE F.U.C.K?!" Rokkaku roared, hardly able to believe his eyes. Their boss had moved faster than they¡¯d ever seen a man move before ¨C not only that, he sent Morohira of all people stumbling onto the floor.

    Growling, Morohira, jumped to his feet, and threw a punch toward Gengyo angrily, looking him dead in the eye, determined not to be caught out this time. Yet for some odd reason, he paused midstrike, and shook his head.

    "No... This is definitely your victory." Came his troubled words. Aspetent a fighter, as he was, he was able to tell just how big the gap between them had be, and how insubmountable it was for him.

    He did not know how to feel that his son was now stronger than him. Perhaps if Gengyo had been smiling gloatingly, then he would have been able to feel anger. But there was no emotion of that sort in the boys eyes, merely an overwhelming calm and consistency, like thepping waves of the ocean on a sandy beach.

    He shook his head and chuckled lightly, patting his boy on the shoulder.

    "Wee home, son."

    //Volume 3 End

 Chapter 175 - Into Toyokawa

    "What will we do now, Miura? Will we go home, back to Toyone?" Kitajo asked. Their families were back home and they had not seen each other in a good few weeks.

    But Gengyo shook his head, as he stood in front of the congregation of his troops, and of his fellow men at arms.

    "No. We march forward, and seize Toyokawa!" He announced firmly, locking his eyes with every soldier that he could, allowing his passion to be their passion. "Through the efforts of our men, and their piracy attempts, the city guard no longer exists, nor does theirmander! An empty castle, waiting to be ruled. Indeed, we will march forward."

    He had not overlooked the significant achievements of the piracy crew. Alone, they had asserted supremacy over the fleet of the city guard. The loot they had secured was substantial, and all that was left was to auction it off and collect the coin. And then, there was the surprising advance in the ship¡¯s capabilities, thought of and executed by the men themselves. It had surprised him to see that, but then he supposed he might have been looking down on them all this time.

    "My oldrades, will you take to the ship once more, so that we might control the waters as well as thend when I and our new friends march through the streets?"

    "It would be our honour, Miura." Togashi responded humbly, setting a good impression in front of the new soldiers that stared towards him with keen interest. There was a story here, both parties knew, but it was Gengyo they waited on to share it.

    "Aye, we¡¯ll get on itd." Morohira responded more casually, being not quite as thoughtful as Togashi. The new men looked towards Gengyo wondering whether he might punish him for such casual annunciations, but the man, as fitting of his monkly attire, merely let it wash over his shoulders like a warm summers breeze.

    "Jikouji, stay with me a while. I¡¯ll have you update me on certain things as we ride." He called out, as he saw the old man also turn to leave. He caught Akiko¡¯s eye as well, and let out a soft smile, and a nod. They would speak to each other soon enough.

    "As you wish, master Miura." Jikouji was attempting as Togashi had to put their master on an even higher tform than he already appeared, so that there would never be a soldier who would question his authority.

    With one final nce back, the old crewmen disappeared down the side of the cliff once more, and began preparing the ship for the short voyage ahead.

    "What of us, Miura?" Morojo asked, standing awkwardly off to the side, with Isabe, Takeshi and his sons in tow.

    "We¡¯ll have horses prepared for you all, and you¡¯lle as well. There is nothing to fear. I dare say that there will be no fighting. Or whatever fighting there might be, it will be entirely minimal."

    As he uttered those words, a dispatchment of the more conscientious soldiers moved to do his bidding, and a few momentster, a suitable amount of horses had been ced in front of them, along with a white stallion for Gengyo to mount.

    "White now? It was always ck before." Kitajomented. It had be somewhat iconic the image of the boy on his ck horse, as he charged into battle against Toda.

    "White, indeed. I didn¡¯t pick it out, but he¡¯s a good enough horse, so I suppose it will be white from now on." He replied, petting the stallion between the ears. With a slight nudge to the side, he spurred the horse forward, at a slow walk, and with him, the entire army began to move.

    "So then, Jikouji, is there any interesting you¡¯d have me know?" He asked, as the old man rode up alongside him. He¡¯d been away for quite a while after all.

    "Mm..." Each week with the boy¡¯s parting, he had always thought of things that he would tell him once he returned, but now the opportunity finally presented itself, his mind went nk. If he did not catch Takeshi out of the corner of his eye, perhaps he would not have been able to say anything at all. "Oh, that man there is Takeshi. He¡¯s the one who made the design for a rotating cannon a reality."

    Being called out like that made the timid smith immensely ufortable, and he looked down at the floor as he muttered his reply. "I-it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you... Master Miura."

    Gengyo had seen him around the campfire the previous day, and given that he was the only person that he did not know, then he had assumed him to be the smith, despite his stature that was wholly unsuited to the profession. But still, confirmation was worthwhile.

    "Good to meet you, Takeshi. You and I will be having a conversationter on, after this business is cleared up, so do expect that." He nodded his head toward the timid smith, and forecast his intentions so that the man might mentally prepare himself.

    "You¡¯ve done well with your gold as well, I¡¯ve heard. We¡¯ll make arrangements to get it sold off immediately. Aside from the small hup in regards to that girl, you¡¯ve all done remarkably well."

    "Aye, they did. I was not involved for the majority of the time ¨C merely in the logistical side. It is Morohira and Togashi who have been taking the lead. They¡¯ve been doing well enough, though I do think your father is borderline insane."

    Gengyo chuckled at such a blunt statement. He was certainly one of the oddest men from that little vige of theirs. He was violent and impulsive and almost impossible to predict. But as well as being his greatest weaknesses those were his biggest assets. He did not think before he did, he merely did and never thought. In the end, it worked though.

    "And what of you, Miura? How did you manage to gather... This amount? What is it, like five hundred?"

    "Five hundred and fifty. None of these men are from the peasantry. There is a collection of peoples that hover around the Menryo-ji area, seeking to polish their skills. I was given their location by one of the master monks, and well... the rest was rtively simple. They do not crave gold, but glory and progress."

    "And you¡¯ve promised them that? Progress?"

    "I have. I will attempt to teach them some of what I have learned, and have promised them various things upon the capture of this province. They are good men, I think ¨C loyal."

    He decided. Their likes knew much of bushido, and it would be umon to see them stain their honour merely for material gain. Some had lost their masters in previous battles. Others had never served a master at all. But the quality of the troops was something that should not be underestimated. It was something that he could never have dreamed of recruiting had he not have trained in Menryo-ji.

    "Do they not shy away from the use of guns? We samurai are particr when ites to dishonourable instruments."

    "No, they will use matchlocks dly if it means they are able to improve even a fraction of their swordsmanship."

    "I suppose that¡¯s true..."

    He looked back on them. For troops that had been hastily gathered, they were working well together, and maintained the lines as they marched. They showed no displeasure nor difort, and on their faces, he could have sworn he saw some sort of resolve.

    ...

    ...

    The entrance to Toyokawa soon neared, and their many feet pounded the ground as they drew closer. Civilians on the street looked down along the road to see their march, and with haste, they fled inside.

    Gengyo trotted slightly in front of his men, to lead them down the cobblestone roads by the front. The crowd parted and hastily mmed shut their doors. Soon, all that stretched out in front of them were empty streets. Their streets.

    He rounded the corner and continued down towards the port, that was still alive with trade and tradesmen busying themselves, but that busy scene slowly ground to a halt, and all the noises gradually died down, until a silence reigned.

    His aura radiated outwards, and his robes blew lightly in the wind. His face was an expression of the utmost serenity, yet there was still a sharpness to his gaze that sort to pierce all their hearts. It was like a war god had descended down from the heavens, and taken human form.

    "Who is that man?" They whispered. They had yet to see the army that followed him, but they could hear the many feet stamping down the street.

    With the silence, he continued forward, until he stood in front of all the crowd.

    "Traders of Toyokawa, wee to a new era."

    He spoke, with a gentle smile on his face. He then pointed outwards, towards the sea. All followed his arm, and turned around to see what he was pointing at.

    "That ck-gged ship is a Red Feather ship. These waters are ours. This very soil that you stand on - we are here to im it. Themander of the guards has fallen, and so we look to take his ce."

    No one dared to speak, but a quiet difort permeated out from each of them. European traders, and Japanese alike. If the leadership of this area had beenpromised, what was to stop this new attacking force from butchering them all where they stood, and seizing their wares ¨C after all, was that not what they were doing on the sea?

    He held up an open palm to calm their chaotic minds. "Do not fret, and do panic. You are safer now than you¡¯ve ever been. With the fall of the city guard, our ck-gged ship will no longer rob you of your wares, but will stop others from doing the same. A new age, for each of us. Let us aim for prosperity."

    They looked at him, unsure as how to react. He was a monk, it seemed. He had that monkly calm about him, and his words were soothing. But they could not simply throw their hands in the area and proim: "oh, thank goodness! You mean us no harm ¨C let us continue."

    And so, as his men began down the city streets, he dismounted, and walked through the packed crowd that parted before him. He approached a nearby jewellery stand, with his every action being watched and scrutanized.

    The store owner looked ready to die of a heart attack, seeming to think he was about to be robbed. But instead, a question came.

    "My good man, how much for this gold ring?" He asked, holding up a ruby encrusted golden ring.

    "Ah... F-for you sir, it¡¯s free..." The trader said meekly, not able to risk offending him.

    "No. State your price, I say."

    "One gold coin..." He kept it low, still fearful of doing him a disservice.

    "You are too kind. Ten gold coins, then." He reached within the sleeves of his robe, and withdrew a pouch of coin.

    "A fine quality golden ring indeed ¨C only to be found here, on the streets of Toyokawa."

 Chapter 176 - The Crowd, The Servant and The Woman

    The crowd looked at him nervously. He had their utmost attention, but what was the point in his actions?

    He slid the ring onto his finger, and admired it, holding it up for all to see.

    "A gold ring bought and paid for fairly, with the appropriate coin, would you not agree? And that is how I n to keep things. There will be no changes to your daily lives ¨C if anything, things will be better. There will be no guards to hassle you, nor will you have to pay tax on your exchanges."

    A grand proimation indeed. The tax on the trades was no small some, and no merchant was arrogant enough to look down on the amount they would be saving. But could they really trust the words of a man who had just confessed to being behind the killings and raids of multiple traders like themselves?

    "I will not push you to make a decision. You are all quite free to leave. But if you wish to continue to trade here, then know that you may do it tax-free, and each of your transactions will have theplete protection of the Red Feather."

    It was a cunning strategy indeed. Not only would theck of tax cause trade to continue to flow, but it would encourage further trade, as people chose this port instead of others to carry out their sales, so that they would not be taxed for it.

    "What about us?" A European man spoke up, his ent thick. "We had an agreement ongoing with themander of this town. Now that you¡¯re here, what will happen to that?"

    "And what was this agreement?" Gengyo asked, not in the least bit surprised by his question.

    "Well... For starters, we¡¯re allowed to dock here, and have the same rights to trade as any of you Japanese."

    "Done." Gengyo responded without hesitation. "Anything else?"

    "He was looking to buy our matchlocks. We¡¯ve got loads of them stocked up, but now that you¡¯ve went and killed him, bringing them along was pointless."

    "I¡¯ll buy them."

    "You mean, you¡¯ll take them?" The man scoffed.

    "I said what I mean. What do you wish to trade for them?" Japanese gold was not as useful to a foreigner as goods were.

    "...Silk ¨C silk would do."

    Gengyo nodded.

    "Jikouji. We have our silk with us, do we not? There should be more than to supply this gentleman with."

    "Aye, one momentd."

    Jikouji hurried off toward the cart containing their cargo, whilst Gengyo kept his gaze fixed upon the European man.

    "What is your name?" He asked of him.

    "Edwardo... Edwardo Moretti." The man replied uneasily, still unsure whether he should trust this odd foreigner.

    "Miura Tadakata. In this port your people will always be wee. If you are met with any trouble, you merely need speak my name to one of my men, and your concerns will be addressed." He spoke, holding out his hand.

    Edwardo stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, recognizing the gesture. These foreigners were a strange sort with all their bowing and honorifics, but a handshake was something he could put his faith in, and he reciprocated, squeezing Gengyo¡¯s hand firmly.

    "Aye, I appreciate that." Edwardo nodded. It was the first time he had been treated as an equal in this strangend. The people seemed to look down on them, and regard them as unclean. The only reason he still participated on the voyage was because of the precious coin he could secure from it.

    "Good man. That gentleman over there is my advisor, Jikouji. He¡¯ll finalize the trading with you." And then, the new governor of Toyokawa turned to its people. "And the same goes for the rest of you. You have my utmost support. If you ever encounter troubles carrying out your trades, then you merely had tell and I will offer you my assistance." He spoke as sincerely as he was able. His efforts ¨Cbinded with his monkly attire ¨C had a calming effect upon the crowd, but they still could not ignore the threat of the 500 strong force that stood in front of them.

    "That is all I wished to say. My men and I will now advance onto the city mansion, and secure it. Please be at ease."

    Only time would tell whether they could truly return to normal, or whether the economic value of the town would crumble. But he gave them all the reassurances that he could, and that was all he was able to do.

    "Are you not worried, Miura?" Isabe asked, seeing the state in which he had left them. "They could betray you at any time, and sell you out to the Daimyo. Someone could take advantage of the current state and cause an uproar. Is it really fine to leave no one behind?"

    He smiled gently in response to the question. She flinched at his expression. It was something he would never have been capable of in the past. "Trust, it seems, is exactly what is needed to fuel a hatching economy. If there is an uprising, let it happen ¨C we will crush it. If someone seeks to rob, then he will be made an example of. In worrying, we only create more worry as we find more things to worry about. In this, we let them do as they may, and in time, perhaps, this will truly be an asset of ours."

    The city mansion was all but empty. Themander had taken all the men that he could muster when he set about ambushing their fleet. And now, the gates stood open and seemedpletely defenceless.

    "Do we just go in..?" Kitajo asked, staring at the empty scene in front of them with uncertainty.

    "I suppose so. It¡¯s ours now, after all." Gengyo decided, dismounting, before stepping inside thepound.

    A traditional mansion of a ratherrge scale. It was a little bigger than the Niwa mansion, and so considering the size of the town, it could be called conservative. There was plenty of space, and everything was new and fresh. The wood decking of the porch did not even creak underfoot as they stepped on top, and slid into the building.

    ...

    ...

    They breezed through the building, startling many servant girls along the way. Gengyo took his time to exin that they were under new management of sorts, but sort to ease their worries in regards to coin ¨C there would still be a job waiting for them in the morning. Whether any of them turned up or not would still remain to be seen, however.

    Some servants sort to stop their advance by the de, and their efforts were given the honour of a quick death.

    Themander had an office, tucked away inside this one story building, and they soon found it. There were papers scattered everywhere. Storage facilities filled with all sorts of nonsense. It would take hours to sift through them, and even then there might be nothing of importance.

    "What now, Miura? You¡¯ve imed the town, and you sit within the mansion. Surely that¡¯s not all there is to it?" Jikouji prodded.

    "No, you¡¯re quite right. Arrangements must be made to assert our governance, and that will begin withw enforcement. This will be extremely light, however - lighter than the previousmander did. The people are well aware of what kind of army we can summon, so there is no need to be oppressive in our ruling."

    "And, the men need to be housed. Tents will do, for now. I do not n to be here long. It is best to expand our influence before news of our efforts reaches Imagawa."

    "Aye... I¡¯m sure Imagawa is itching to quash a rebellion after his defeat at the hands of Oda. We had better remain on our toes."

    "Indeed. There are the various logistical things that need going over, to make sure everything is in order, and that everyone is fed."

    "I¡¯ll get on it."

    "Thanks, Jikouji."

    The old man nodded. "Ah, I thought you might have missed this." He reached into the sleeve of his kimono, and handed him a piece of bound parchment. At a nce, Gengyo knew what it was.

    "Haha, it seems you¡¯vee to know me quite well."

    "That I have. I¡¯ll go and get your men settled in. Rx awhile,d."

    With Jikouji gone, Gengyo casually pushed the contents of the oldmander¡¯s desk to the floor, andid his old map on top.

    "Ah... I really had missed this."

    Finally, he had the means to execute what he had nned long ago. With Toyokawa secured, they needed to keep up the momentum, and capture a major city. Yet this one needed defences ¨C somewhere that they could safely house their troops.

    And he had the perfect one in mind. He had travelled there once, and during his stay, he had noted how well fortified it was.

    There was a gentle rapping at the door, before it slid open, and a head peeked inside.

    "Ah uhm... Sorry, I didn¡¯t realize you were busy. We¡¯ll speakter, okay?" Akiko spoke quickly, hurrying her words, and bing fl.u.s.tered. With haste, she sought to exit the room and close the door behind her.

    "No, it¡¯s quite alright. Come in, Akiko. I was wanting to speak with you as well." He assured her, turning his back on the map, so that he could look at something even more important.

    Nervously, she closed the door behind her. Her mind raced as they stood in silence, and she sought something to say. With each second that passed, she grew more and more embarrassed. She had thought of him every day since he left, and had missed him greatly. Yet here, now, facing the man in question, she did not know what to do.

    He blinked at herzily, with a smile hanging from his lips. There was no judgement in his stare, nor was he in a hurry. He was simply enjoying the moment.

 Chapter 177 - Emotion

    "Come here, Akiko. It¡¯s as though we¡¯re strangers." He said to her, amused.

    "..." She wandered over, standing by his side, a little embarrassed, unsure quite what to say.

    "You know, I¡¯ve been thinking. We should get married, should we not?"

    She gazed up at him rapidly, wondering whether he really meant it. "So suddenly..? But we¡¯re at war, aren¡¯t we? There is too much going on for us to set aside time for a wedding."

    "That¡¯s what I was thinking before as well. But really, the important part of a wedding is the vows, is it not? I love you, Akiko, and I want to spend my days with you by my side. Do we really need a big fancy wedding, when either of us could die at any second? Should we not just enjoy each other¡¯spany whilst we have it?" He spoke slowly, and passionately, looking deep into her eyes.

    "...You think so?" In her mind¡¯s eye, she had always imagined a big wedding, with all their people there to be pay them tribute. But the way he said it, a smaller one didn¡¯t seem so bad. And there was always that worry too. Her lover was a great man, who would definitely do great things. But the path he had chosen was dangerous. An arrow could im his life as soon as he walked out of the door, and she would have to live the rest of her life in regret, thinking of all that they had yet to experience together.

    "Indeed I do, little Akiko. In my time away, as I trained and trained, it was you that haunted my dreams, and was always in my head. My mind and my body won¡¯t forgive me. I¡¯ve been too negligent. I¡¯ve wasted too much time doing too many pointless things." He ran his arm over her shoulders, as he stood behind her, and pushed his nose into the nest of her hair, doing his best to remember the scent. He wanted to remember every part of her, so that if they were ever separated again, he would not struggle to recall her every detail.

    "And I have always thought of you... Tadakata. And I always will..." She breathed softly, reaching her hand up, stroking his cheek. "I love you, more than anything in this world. I would die for you. I would give my life a thousand times over just to have your affection in return." She stated passionately.

    "I would never wish for you to die, Akiko. The only thing you need to do to make me happy is to live. Live as strongly as you are able. I love you so much that I could eat you."

    He turned her to face him, as he pushed his lips against hers. Her eyes blinked in surprise, and a warm feeling filled her chest. Their tongues intertwined, and they tasted each other, desperately, as though this were thest time they¡¯d ever share together.

    "Oh, I love you so dearly, Tadakata. Let us get married. Let us do as you say. Your warmth, your body, I want it all. But I warn myself not to be greedy, you¡¯re a great man, and there are many people who ask for a piece of you."

    "And even then, I give my all to you."

    He kissed her, even more passionately this time, his hands working their way through her kimono, undoing the obi, and threatening to bare her chest. She gazed up at him, her whole body warm, and she willing him to go on.

    ...

    ...

    "Ahem... So you finally sealed the deal then..?" Jikouji asked, coughing into his hand.

    "You¡¯re one creepy old man, Jikouji." Gengyo stated, wondering how on earth he had found out so quickly.

    "You will have a wedding, won¡¯t you? It¡¯s surely not one of those casual things that are so fashionable these days? Not with a daughter of Niwa, surely?"

    "Calm yourself. Of course we will. I n to have it done, well, immediately. As soon as possible. Also, we¡¯ll be marching on Okazaki tomorrow. So prepare the troops."

    "What!? Tomorrow?" Jikouji raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Indeed, tomorrow. The troops are ready, and they are bloodthirsty. The most useless army is an idle one. We take Okazaki, and continue rolling this momentum that we¡¯ve got from iming Toyokawa. We¡¯ll slowly choke and starve Imagawa of all his cities, whilst ensuring good defensive locations for ourselves."

    "Is this not too hasty, Miura?" The Miura of the past would not have leapt in so quickly, he thought. It was unlike the boy. Their capture of Toyokawa, after all, had only been after they¡¯d carefully built up to it, ensuring money, and the right number of men. "If Imagawa were toe crashing on our gates, then we will be hard-pressed to fight him off were merely 500."

    "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s exactly what it wille to, old man. And you should be thinking the same way as well. In this province, it will be very difficult to secure any more worthwhile troops. Only after I seize the position of Daimyo will our army begin to grow."

    "You intend to keep pushing, even after you y Imagawa?" Jikouji asked in surprise. He had not heard the boy state this ambition before.

    "I will. I¡¯m dissatisfied, Jikouji. Corruption is rife, and it is everywhere. Blood will need to be shed so that we can disce the bad, and rece it with something better. I will assume that position, unless a better man presents himself."

    "...You can¡¯t be serious? You aim to do what Imagawa tried, and vie for the position of shogun?" Jikouji couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Just what had this boy undergone in the temple to have him affected so severely?

    "We will see. I will take it one step at a time."

    "Miura... I don¡¯t doubt you, and I agree with what you¡¯re saying. There are many in power that are unfit, and don¡¯t deserve such responsibility. But is it really our ce to take the reigns for ourself? There will be much bloodshed if we pursue this path."

    "Blood with make fertile the soil out of which a new Japan will grow. I will be careful, old man. I will always keep you by my side so that I can stay free from corruption ¨C I¡¯m counting on you in that aspect."

    "You put quite the pressure on me..."

    "You¡¯ve got the years behind you to back it up. If you¡¯re not able to keep your morales even after all this time, then what was the point in living so long?" He grinned devilishly as he forecast his morbid humour.

    "Haha... Right you are. And Akiko then, too? She will be a good anchor for you ¨C I had better get this marriage underway as soon as possible, then."

    "Akiko, and the rest of my family too. I made the mistake of pushing them away before, attempting to keep them from harm. But there is no safer space for a family than to be together. The fear is not death, the fear is unfulfilled opportunity."

    "So this is the result of hanging around Buddhist monks all day, eh? I suppose I¡¯d better go and me them for brainwashing you." Jikouji joked, though he was not entirely opposed to this outlook, for there was clearly wisdom in it.

    "It is, but it is worth considering, and it makes sense. With our brains, we look far too much toward the future, and neglect the present - such is the curse of being human. I will no longer make that mistake. It is not good for my health, nor my performance on the battlefield."

    "From what I¡¯ve heard, your performance on the battlefield will be something to behold."

    "Has young Kitajo been telling tales again? Well, I suppose it will be an improvement from the past. But things will be new to me as well. In the temple, I spent my time training with the spear. There were no horses, no swords, and no guns. It will be interesting to see how transferrable these skills really are."

    "They looked rather transferrable when you tripped Morohira over ¨C the look on his face was priceless. I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for him to get over that." Jikouji chuckled.

    "He¡¯ll get over it soon enough, for I¡¯ll teach him what I have learned, just as the others. These five hundred and fifty men, plus our little crew. That¡¯s all we have. Everyone needs to be capable ¨C the very best. Our rifles must be altered, and improved ording to the old designs I drew up. We need the advantage in absolutely everything, and even then it might not be enough."

    "Let me guess ¨C that¡¯s another reason for why we¡¯re attacking Okizaki."

    "Quite right. When I visited there all that time ago, I saw more smiths than I knew what to do with. Even they might not be enough. But I don¡¯t expect the people willin. It¡¯s just another person fighting over a seat that they can¡¯t see, no matter how tall they tried to stand. As long as they¡¯re getting paid ¨C and getting paid a lot I might add ¨C they will be happy."

    "So you profess to know the hearts of the people as well, now? Goodness, it seems you¡¯ve learned more than could fill tens of thousands of books. Quite the lucky chap, aren¡¯t you?" Jikouji continued to tease him, wondering whether this new Gengyo really could be provoked.

    "I know them just as well as I know my own, and for a while, I knew nothing of myself. We¡¯ll be able to do it old man. Let us march forward with conviction. We no longer need to turn to hate and spite to power our des, but nor will wepletely reject it. The Buddhist way, from my estimation ¨C it¡¯s stronger."

    "Aye aye, I¡¯ll do what I¡¯m told to do, ¡¯tis the duty of this humble servant. I¡¯ll serve my master till the end of my days. What shall I tell the soldiers ¨C who have only just stopped marching ¨C when they ask why we are going to war already?" He asked, turning to leave.

    "Tell them that death waits for no man. It wille as and when it wishes, so even if they are tired, and even if their bones ache, it is best to make use of the time that we have before we return to nothingness."

    "That¡¯s quite the lengthy thing to tell to so many men."

    "They¡¯ll listen, and they¡¯ll understand. Theirs is the way of the sword, after all. They could not do what they do if they did not understand death and all it¡¯s implications."

    "Right you are."

    Jikouji left by the door of the room, exiting the office, as he prepared to ready their army for war.

 Chapter 178 - Okazaki

    "Are you men ready for war, then?" He asked, from atop his white horse, as the sun rose at his back, and his army stood before him.

    "That we are, Miura-dono." A man close to the front responded, bending one knee to show his respect.

    "Just you? I hope you have a lot of energy, then." Gengyo responded with a small smile. The men did not know him well enough yet, so their responses to his words werecking slightly.

    "Come on then, we will go and cause some chaos." He spoke casually, as though they were about to go for a pic as he whirled his horse around, and began to walk slowly toward Okazaki.

    All of worth moved with him. Their craftsmen, and their spies, and even their crew. Only a few men were left behind in order to ensure that they had some sort of presence in Toyokawa, but he did not spare many. His n was to strike everywhere with his strongest force, and thus to inspire unity.

    That was where their strengthy, anyway. Not in each of the ces that they secured, but in the force that secured them. They simply did not have the manpower for any other strategy.

    ...

    ...

    "She¡¯s big." He spoke, admiring the size of the fortress. It was a littlerger than he recalled it be.

    "She is indeed." Jikouji responded the affirmative.

    From their vantage point, they could see soldiers standing guard at the only open gate, with a queue in front of them, as they paid their entry and were admitted into the settlement. There were no archers that lined the walls, but presumably they had the man power to do that if it was necessary.

    Had this been a border fortress, then one would expect it to be permanently upied with a decent troop. Yet thisy nearer the centre of Mikawa territory, and so whatever guardsmen remained behind were minimal, and were simply there to retain order over civilians.

    "What ns can we expect from our general on this fine morning?" Jikouji asked, somewhat sarcastically.

    "Oh, I don¡¯t know... Fetch me a gun?" He spoke somewhat jovially.

    "...I¡¯m turning into a bloody man servant." Jikoujiined as he wandered off to source him a gun.

    In the meantime, Gengyo wandered along the ranks of soldiers, as they stood to attention, waiting to be given the opportunity to be of use to their master.

    "You." He pointed to a man at the front. The man stood to attention, awaiting orders. "With me."

    "You." He pointed to another man, further along the line, before he began walking along the second rank, and picking more soldiers.

    When he was finished, he had amassed 20 of them. None of which were members of their previous band, and each other them were new soldiers.

    "Stand there ¨C yes, there. Good." He quietly arranged them, before turning to the rest of the troops. "Why have these few men been chosen instead of you? Well, I¡¯m afraid to tell you, the rest of you simply did not make the mark." He paused for a second to taste their reaction. He could see those next to him puff their chests out a little more, having been chosen over their peers. Finally, they had been recognized.

    "See, the reason these men were chosen, is they looked the most tired. Out of all our little army, these men seemed to be the most exhausted ¨C the most likely to drift off to sleep." He smiled widely, enjoying his little joke. "And so, I¡¯ve had to pick them, and it¡¯ll be my solemn duty for the rest of the day to make things more exciting for them, so that drifting off is impossible."

    There were a few seconds silence as they stared at him, wondering whether he was really serious, and then Morohira¡¯s loudughter filled the ins.

    "Ahahahahaha! Better to put them in a tent with a spoonful of pudding to keep them content!"

    Finally, the rest seemed to get that Gengyo was joking, and he had used the need to select 20 men as a chance to define his own ridiculous requirements. A few half-heartedughs rang out here and there, but the majority were still unsure. He shrugged, and did not push it, assuming a more serious tone. In time, they woulde to understand. Fear and danger were always present, and they should acknowledge it, but never dwell on it, for that only serves to make it worse. An army that couldugh in the face of danger was an army to be feared indeed.

    "These men and I will enter Toyokawa alone, and clean the ce up a little, then, the rest of you will move in, and we will upy it."

    "Eh? Just 20? Aren¡¯t youing up a little short there, boss?" Rokkaku shouted.

    "No, my friend. This ce is dense with civilians. If we were to kill one or two, then our attempts at upation would be significantly more difficult. There aren¡¯t enough guards to make this difficult. With twenty men, and the element of surprise, we¡¯ll be able to get done quickly."

    "Here¡¯s your rifle... And I suppose you¡¯re going to tell me to get 20 more?" Jikouji walked back with a rifle in arms, and seeing the scene in front of him, his face visibly fell.

    "Haha, thanks old man. You lot, go and get your rifles from Jikouji, and we¡¯ll get started."

    "Do you not think they¡¯ll suspect something when 21 men approach armed with matchlocks and swords?" Togashi asked, not quite sold on the rtively simple n.

    "I imagine they will. But it won¡¯t be enough for them to raise the rm immediately. It¡¯s a hell of a lot less threatening then 500 anyway."

    "I doubt they¡¯ll be willing to talk to you for long."

    "I find a bullet rupturing a man¡¯s brains presents something of an obstacle when I¡¯m looking for long conversation."

    "Haha... It¡¯s hard to tell whether you¡¯re serious anymore, Miura." Togashi chuchkled.

    "I¡¯m always serious. I¡¯ll put on the show for you lot, and you can watchfortably."

    ...

    ...

    "All loaded and ready?" He asked, before they went out over the verge of the hill, and headed towards the open gate.

    In response, he got a few tense and quiet nods. It seems they were not quite ready for this first mission.

    "My lord... I have not fired one of these before..." One the men admitted, embarrassed, his voice cracking as he spoke.

    "Oh. That¡¯s quite alright. You see this here? Point it at someone, and pull the trigger to kill them. Get the others to show you how to load it properly, and make sure your matchcord is lit, otherwise you can¡¯t go wrong."

    The man nodded, but still seemed unsure. Regardless, Gengyo paid no mind, and eagerly pushed on to clear up thest remaining things before they began their mission.

    "As soon as you have fired your shot, do not bother with reloading. Cast your rifle aside, and use the sword. Do not kill civilians ¨C that will make our job much harder. Really, just kill any armed man that attacks you, and you won¡¯t go wrong. Follow my lead."

    He jumped out and began marching forward with confidence. The men shared a nce, before following after him, still rather unsure of themselves.

    Gengyo was still d in his monk attire, and seemed quite content carrying off that look for a while. It did not bother him the strange nces he got, in fact, he thought there might be certain benefits in dressing this way, as people had unconscious preconceptions that they applied to him immediately upon seeing the way he was dressed.

    The others were armoured in their own equipment that they had likely used for a number of years. Before being recruited by Gengyo, the majority professed them to be duellists, but there was the odd young samurai who they gathered along the way, whose armour was steal clean and fresh from the armourer.

    He waltzed up, past the line of people, right to the front, despite theirints. The guard stared at him with interest, as though wondering why a monk was holding a rifle. He spied the men marching behind him, and in the back of his mind, he wondered whether the monk was being chased.

    "Back of the queue. Even you holy people need to observe thews of the district."

    "Brilliant. Holy people? I think you¡¯ll find yourself to be holier than I."

    "Wait wha-!"

    BANG

    Quickly, Gengyo drew his rifle, and shot the man through the head, barely changing his expression as he did so.

    The other guard hastened to respond, quickly lowering his spear and attempting to stab towards him. With the end of matchlock, Gengyo redirected it off to the side, before jabbing the iron muzzle at his forehead with force, fracturing the skull, and puncturing the brain.

    Those queued behind him turned from protests to outright fear, as they attempted to flee from the scene all together.

    Gengyo looked back on his men. "Well, let¡¯s get started, shall we?" They started at him, and then each other, before vigorously nodding, and holding their weapons tightly. This man was not messing around, and if they did not keep up with him, he was liable to kill all the guards by himself.

    The sound of gunfire was distinct, even amongst a noisy town. Within seconds of entering the city ¨C and ascending the ramp ¨C they heard the ringing of a bell, alerting the guards of an intruder. Even those that were asleep ¨C after performing their duties the previous night ¨C were awoken, and made to be armed.

    Within minutes, the entirety of the guard force would be assembled, and they looked to their leader, wondering whether they should not try to hide, or at least take out some guardsmen before the rest gathered.

    "Is this okay, my lord?"

    One of the men asked, fear beginning to grip his heart. War was notpletely familiar to him, and hisst battle had been many years before. He was not quite ready to die.

    "Of course. This is perfect. The guards will gather in one ce, and the civilians will flee. It makes our job a good deal easier. Ah... but we likely should find some cover for arrows. They could pose quite the problem." Gengyo nced round. There were numerous rafters and tforms in which the guardsmen could stand and rail arrow fire down upon them. It would be quite the unfortunate way to die.

    "Mm, this will do." He stood behind the wall of a nearby cksmith shop, resting his back against it. He took a nce at his men, seeing how serious they were looking. "Calm yourselfds. If you have in your mind that he will strike from one side, and he strikes from the other, you¡¯re screwed. Better to assume nothing, and be ready to respond to every strike equally, no matter where it is from."

    It was a rather specific example, but he simply meant for them to not to think so heavily. One had to be rxed, to an extent, when fighting.

 Chapter 179 - Main Street

    --

    "Step out from behind there ¨C we know where you are!" A voice thundered from down the main street, which had once been upied by numerous cksmiths and traders, but was now filled with the city guard.

    "And who might you be?" Gengyo asked, as though he genuinely cared, daring to stick his head out form behind the stone cksmith wall, only to have an arrow sent his way a secondter.

    "Themander of this here city guard, and servant of the grand governor. I do not care what kind of little insurrection you think yourselves capable ofmitting, but know that it will not be done within this walls of this city! Stand down! You are hopelessly outnumbered."

    "Are we? How many do you have?"

    "We have more a than a hundred men, and you have what, 15? Let us save the pointless violence, and we will let you away with a lighter sentence."

    "I¡¯ve got a better idea. How about you lend us 50, and we¡¯ll have an even fight? That seems more fun, doesn¡¯t it?"

    "...We will fill you full of arrows, then." Themander responded, disgusted.

    "Mm... I think I got a lot look at his face." Gengyo said quietly, so that just his men could hear.

    "Let me borrow that, would you?" He took a rifle from one of his soldiers, and quickly checked to make sure it was loaded. They all looked at him curiously, with a hint of fear clouding their gazes.

    "When I give you the signal, it¡¯s clear, and I want you to charge out, and empty your matchlocks. Understood?" They nodded hesistantly, and he grinned in reply.

    A momentter, he disappeared, gripping the rifle ready in both hands, as he elerated across the main street, going as fast as he was able ¨C which as it happens, was terrifyingly fast ¨C heading towards the nearest building, directly opposite.

    "KILL THAT MAN!" Themander thundered, appauled that someone would look down him so much as to be that daring. As per hismand, sixty arrows loosed themselves from the drawn bow strings, heading toward Gengyo. The majority were too slow, but one or two, he was forced to dodge.

    He skidded in behind the stone wall, still gripping his rifle firmly. He took a deep breath, and then stepped out once more, this time, walking.

    "All shots fired there, it seems." He noted the men hurriedly trying to renotch their arrows. "Woah, easy now. The next time someone moves, I¡¯ll be putting a bullet in your leaders brain." His threat was not taken lightly, and the oldmander gritted his teeth in disgust.

    FLOOSH

    A single arrow flew, from a bow that had yet to release it. The aim was true, and it thundered towards Gengyo¡¯s chest.

    "Man... That was close." He said, brushing it off to the side with his rifle, before pulling the trigger, and leaving a lead ball nestled within themander¡¯s cranium.

    He did not even need to give the order, as his men knew what his aim had been. They watched him dodge the arrows with ease, and they remembered why they were here in the first ce ¨C what had been offered to them. This was a man of great talent, and skill. Under his tutge, they would surely grow as warriors and as swordsmen, and then they would not need to fear so much when that inevitable danger once more came.

    Together, they lined up, and unleashed a volley of fire onto the troops in front of them. It was not exactly the hardest marksmenship challenge, and every single one of their bulletsnded ¨C even from the man who imed that he had never fired such a weapon before.

    The order of the guards all but disappeared as they saw theirmander slump to his knees, and copse on the man in front of him. The man screamed, andshed out, throwing the corpse elsewhere, sowing the seeds of disorder amongst the rest. A few managed to knotch their arrows despite this, but they were very much the minority.

    As per Gengyo¡¯smand, the men cast their rifles aside, and charged forward alongside their leader.

    "Careful." Gengyo deflected an arrow that was intent on piercing the eye of the man to his left. The man blinked, as a wave of hot dread swept through his body due to theprehension of how close to death he had been, but given the momentum of their charge, they were not liable to stop any time soon, and he gripped his sword all the tighter, shing into the front ranks of the enemy alongside their leader.

    They had not managed to reorganise themselves with the sudden death of theirmander, and as such, the majority of the archers still remained towards the front. The guards armed with yari lowered them too slowly, and the charge of men far fewer in number than them was enough to cripple them.

    It did not help that a man who was dressed as if he were a monk wielded a rifle by it¡¯s muzzle, and created a whirlwind of devestation around him. With every swing of his misused weapon, he imed yet another life, and he swung so quickly.

    The men along side him shouted loudly, attempting to drown out their fear, as they gripped their swords and hacked, shed, kicked, and bit their way through the enemy. Whatever part of their body their could use to tackle what was in front of them, they did. It was not graceful, but it certainly worked.

    Two yari wielding men attempted to cut Gengyo¡¯s charge off, as they jabbed at him together, seeming to think that was enough to cut his direction off. But he spun, and whirled, twisting madly, before they could even get to them, and as he thrust his weapon through another man, he freed his palms, pressurising the air in front of him.

    Their hands wed towards their chests, and they dropped their spears, falling to the ground, spitting blood from their mouths. As they fell, he lunged toward their weapons.

    "Ah, it¡¯s crude, but it certainly feels a lot better in the hand." He spoke to himself, whirling it around, just as they had in training, but this time, his strikes had a satisfily fleshy receipient.

    His beautiful flowing orange robes were soon coated in blood, but still he continued to stab, until there was no one left in front of them.

    "Still alive?" He called out jovially, seeing his men breathing heavily as a result of the chaos. They too nced around rapidly, as they leant on their swords. They could not see any armour other than the guards in those thaty dead, and the numbers of those standing certainly seemed to stand up.

    "We did it... Against... Over a hundred men..." A man stated, gulping, desperately trying to catch his breath. It was surreal. Such an amount of blood. A duel was never this graphic. A single cut was usually how it ended.

    "Bloody hell... We actually won that... I thought we were done for sure."

    "Oh... You doubted my leadership? That hurts." Gengyo asked, mock upset.

    "No... No my lord. Well, perhaps a little..." He looked up sharply, wondering whether Gengyo might punish him for his admittance. But the man simply grinned in return. Why wouldn¡¯t he doubt him? In regards to leadership, he¡¯d barely done anything to prove himself. "I just thought that your approach was a little extreme... I could not see it working. But you are a powerful man, as we have seen, so we were able to triumph, though it seemed unlikely." The man grew more eloquent as oxygen returned and he grasped for the right words in order to express himself.

    "This approach certainly wouldn¡¯t have worked in the past ¨C with me simply charging out there. But we would not have looked at these odds in disfavour in the past either. There are many cunning little strategies to employ. We are lucky that we do not need them, for now." He turned his head to see the civlians begin to nce round the corner worriedly. "Come, let us get the others, and then we will upy this ce."

    "My lord, were you always able to deflect an arrow like that?" One of the men asked as they made their way back through the city gates, and waved to their people, indicating for them toe forward.

    "Hm? No, certainly not. This is as a result of Menryo-ji¡¯s teachings. You¡¯d be able to do it in time as well. It¡¯s an awareness, rather than a reaction. But you will learn more of thatter." A sudden thought urred to him, and he remembered the man from earlier. "So, how was it? Your first time firing matchlock?"

    "Ah..." He looked up, surprised at the sudden question. He had been deep in thought, and had drifted out a while, as he reflected on the battlefield, and yed with the blood that was clotting on top of his skin. "It was easy... Far too easy. To be able to take a man¡¯s life with such ease is... frightening, my lord."

    "Indeed it is. But that is the way of war now, and it will only continue to get easier as time passes. We either adapt, and be used to it, or we die at the hands of the people who do. Regardless, I intent to make this matchlock easier to use." He held up the weapon, admiring it lightly, as he recalled the changes he had wished to make. "Instead of this here cord, we will have a flint and steel mechanism, so there will be no need to have a cord."

    "That certainly would make it a lot better to use, my lord. There have been times, on the field, where my matchcord as snuffed out, making the weapon useless."

    "Oh? You¡¯ve used this kind of weapon often then?"

    "As often as might be expected, my lord. It¡¯s a fine piece of equipment."

    "I see. I intend to make the bullets easier to load as well, to lessen the reload time, and instead of a ball, I will alter it, to make it less likely to bounce off armour."

    "...Those do seem like they would be good changes, my lord, but I would not know where to begin in attempting to apply them."

    "It is fine, there are people who do. I am merely letting you know that there will be a piece of finer equipment on it¡¯s way into your hands in due time, so look forward to it."

    The men really were taking their time ining past the hill, and it was Jikouji that lead them, slowly trotting over on Gengyo¡¯s white horse.

    "Come on old man, you can manage a bit faster than that! Even my horse is getting bored!" Gengyo shouted out, with a wide grin.

 Chapter 180 - Governor

    --

    They walked the streets with authority. The new men eyed the numerous corpses of the guards with shock. By now, the selected men had returned to the group, and they spread words of theirs and their leader¡¯s exploits. It did not take long for the story to circte, and the men began to look at their leader in a new light.

    They had seen what he was capable of when he sought to recruit them, but learning this made them clench their fists, and caused their hearts to beat faster with excitement. Not only was he a strong man, he was also terrifyinglypetent. His method for capturing Okazaki had been perfect. There might have been numerous strategical ploys that he could have used, but he took the city from the enemy without losing a single man.

    Perhaps his cause wasn¡¯t so lost, then. Perhaps even against Imagawa, they could cause damage, even if their force were not to grow since then.

    They continuing chirping amongst themselves, as Gengyo lead by the front, talking with Jikouji.

    "They¡¯re excited now. You just had to go and show off, didn¡¯t you?" The old man scolded. He was well aware of what the boy had been thinking. He was capable of thinking up something a little less risky, but he had settled on this merely for the excitement it would stir.

    "It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s it?" He smiled at one of the cautious civilians as he made his reply. They were still hesitant abouting within striking range, but now that the guards were dead, they had no one to hide behind. "Themander made mention of a governor. I¡¯m thinking that we pay him a visit. We might be able to use him."

    "A governor, eh? It would have been nice if we had something of that sort in Toyokawa, but all the administrative forces fled as soon as they learned of the death of theirmander... It seems luck certainly was not with us." The old manmented. "But still, trusting them ¨C that¡¯s a stretch, isn¡¯t it?"

    "What does it matter if they betray us? They will not be able to summon any forces to cause us any problems. We merely conquer, and ask of them what we require, before moving on. If they choose to remain loyal, then they will be rewarded once we have our victory. But if not, well, there are always new people we can put in charge."

    "Old Imagawa isn¡¯t going to like this. First Toyokawa and now Okazaki in less than twenty-four hours. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s starting to feel something akin to irritation."

    "I imagine he is, and I do enjoy the picture of seeing his many chins wobble. But we will continue to move forward as such."

    "That rice you sowed is of little use now... We did not have the time to wait to properly use it."

    "No, but it will be useful in the future. It¡¯s a shame that we did not go on the warpath earlier in the year, then we could have ensured that all of Mikawa had hoed extra farnd to make way for more rice."

    "That building¡¯s sizeable enough to house a governor. Should we pay him a visit?" Jikouji asked, noting a three storied building in the distance. It was rather grand indeed.

    "Aye, that we will."

    Their mass of five hundred men continued to crowd the streets as they drew closer to the mansion, and the civilians watched on with pained disgust and anguish. But all the while, Gengyo wore a carefree and kind smile, as though he were just another peace-loving monk. The blood on his orange robes did not do its part in making that image believable, however.

    A pair of guards stood at the entrance to the courtyard, unwilling to move.

    "STEP BACK FROM THE HOUSE OF THE GOVERNOR!" They barked, thinking that the loudness of their voices would do something to deter a five hundred strong army.

    "Eh... We¡¯re just visiting. Is the governor this rude to all of his visitors?" Gengyo asked, looking hurt.

    They stared at each other, the fear obvious in their eyes, but they made no attempt to reply, and simply held their yari lowered and crossed, preventing anyone from moving forward.

    "Now this is quite the problem indeed. We merely wish to speak to your governor. We do not intend to kill you, nor anyone inside, nor even your precious governor. So, do us the honour of standing down, will you?" Gengyo attempted to convince them.

    "WE OPERATE ON ORDERS OF THE GOVERNOR. WE WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LEAVE THEM DISSATISFIED." They shouted pretentiously, though the polearms their wielded were quivering.

    "I could just jump over and run in..." Gengyo reckoned, looking towards Jikouji for his approval.

    "Enough! Stand down!" A voice came from inside the mansion, as a woman of elderly appearance slowly made her way down the steps. "You havee to take our city, then? And you look for the life of this old governor?" She spoke up them. Her voice was not indictive of her age. It was pleasant, and clear, and contained within it was the power that came as the result of decades of firm rule.

    It took Gengyo a moment to collect himself before he made his reply. A woman? That was certainly unexpected. "How about you marry my friend, here? He¡¯s been quite lonely as ofte." He opened with, pointing towards Jikouji.

    "Miura! I am quite content as I am, thank you!" He replied back furiously, though for the first time, Gengyo imagined that he saw a hint of a blush tainting the old man¡¯s cheeks.

    But the old governor certainly was notughing. Her face was cold, and morbid. She truly expected to die.

    "Might wee in for a chat, respected governor?" Gengyo asked, dismounting his horse, and walking forward. The two guardsmen still had their spears pointed outwards, but without a hint of fear, Gengyo closed the gap, and used his little finger to slowly and pointedly redirect them outwards, approaching the governor.

    "I am afraid there is not enough room for an army within those halls."

    "Not my whole army, merely my humble self, my old friend there and... Isabe."

    Isabe perked her head up in surprise. She was thest person she thought would be included in their meeting, but given that Gengyo had motioned her forward with his head, she obeyed and stepped towards him.

    "...I can amodate the three of you." She answered, though she did not seem none too happy with the state of affairs. They trailed behind her, as she led them up the stone steps, and towards the building. The guards followed along behind, though they seemed greatly unsure.

    "Argh..." One of them groaned, as a rock bounced off his helmet, staggering him slightly. He nced round furiously, wondering who had dared down such a thing. But when he looked back, he saw the intimidating figure of Rokkaku, sat upon his horse, waving his fingers at him.

    She opened the doors to the grand hall, and she led them through the corridors. Multiple maids bowed as they passed, their eyes full of fear as they saw the state of the monk¡¯s robes.

    "In here..." The governor motioned towards one of the sliding doors, and lead them inside a small tea room, with a seated table and cushions surrounding it. She was about to tell them to take a seat, but Gengyo had already taken one, and was making himself quitefortable. "Make us some tea, if you would." She spoke the maid that hovered outside the door, awaiting her orders. The maid bowed lightly, and moved off to fulfil her request.

    The old governor drummed her withered fingers on the table, and looked up to Gengyo with a half-smile. "So, you have killed all my guards, have you?"

    "That I have." Gengyo responded without reservation, or a hint of remorse, ncing around the room as he spoke, looking for anything that might be interesting.

    "I could have you killed here." The governor suggested. "Of course, your army would soone in, and we would all die. But at least I will have secured revenge for my people."

    "No, you could not." Gengyo responded with a wide smile. Though there were only three of them, and Isabe would not be much use in a fight, he was quite confident that whatever small force she managed to hide away here he could handle with ease.

    There was something about the confidence in his gaze that made her pause for a second. But she soon rationalized it to herself. Given his disposition, he was quite likely mad, and over evaluated his own skills.

    The woman let out a sigh. "Go on then, enlighten me dear monk, why have you chosen to plunge Okazaki into chaos?"

    "I do apologize for that, but I hope we can remedy it quite soon." Gengyo paused, as the maid ced his tea down in front of him. He picked it up, inhaling the herbal aroma, before making eye contact with the old governor, as he took a sip.

    "I could have poisoned that." She said pointedly, taking a sip from her own tea.

    "But you did not." Gengyo smiled, drinking more deeply. "This matter between you and I, it¡¯s not personal. I would very much like to keep you alive, to rule over your people."

    "Then what was the point in all this in the first ce?" She asked, somewhat aggressively.

    "Because I have need of this town, and what it can offer. You see, I intend to usurp our great lord Imagawa." He saw Jikouji and Isabe flinch as he uttered those words. What worth was there in being so honest with a stranger? This only increased the chances of a messenger being sent to warn Imagawa of their attempts. But he was not fool enough to believe that such a thing had not yet happened, and he truly did want to have a use for this old governor.

    "Ha... So that¡¯s it then." She held her tea with both hands, and brought it to her lips. "What do you require of me?"

    "Pledge your allegiance, and we will leave you well enough alone. The tax we ask for will be quite minorpare to Imagawa¡¯s. Also, I will be giving your cksmiths quite a bit of trade for a few days, paid for with good coin."

    "Pledge my allegiance? You would have me stain my honour? How could I go on ruling when the people knew that I had betrayed Imagawa?"

    "Well, a verbal promise will suffice for now, but after I have severed the head from his shoulders, I expect your loyalty, and will require something more formal."

 Chapter 181 - Firearms

    "You asked for the smiths ¨C here they are." The old governor presented to them six different smiths, as they sat waiting in the tea room. They had allowed her to go out, and calm the people, whilst they sat inside, and continued to enjoy the tea.

    The smiths looked mightily nervous as they entered the room. The clean halls of a governor¡¯s home were certainly not the right ce for the likes of them. They were at home amongst the dirt and heat of the forge ¨C not here, in all this finery. It did not help that a terrifying monk sat across from them. They had witnessed all his exploits earlier, as he slew people by the dozen using the butt of his rifle.

    "Hello." Gengyo grinned up at them, and withdrew from his robes a collection of loose sheets of paper, strewn across each were multiple designs and sketches. "Have a look at these ¨C I want you to make them. Go on, pass them round."

    A smith reached forward, and nced at the front page, stroking his chin in an attempt to hide his nervousness. "Is this a matchlock... your lordship...?" He was unsure as how to refer to Gengyo, but the monk did not attempt to correct him, and merely nodded in response to his question.

    "Indeed, these are designs for a new kind of matchlock, and ammunition shells. I want each of you to make them."

    The smith stared at the front page, trying toprehend what he was looking at. The design followed simple enough. It was the normal barrel of a gun ¨C that all looked the same. But most things else werepletely foreign.

    "What¡¯s all this..?" He mumbled to himself, as the other smiths nced over his shoulder.

    "That is a shell that I want you to make. The gunpowder and the bullet are contained inside, and when the striker hits it, a spark is created and the powder ignites, projecting the bullet as though it were a normal musket ball."

    He went on to exin various other parts of the design. He wished for the rifles to have multiple shots, and so took inspiration from the old gunslinger¡¯s revolvers, though he put it in rifle form. In order to get that to work, he had to adjust the entire triggering mechanism, and the bullets that would be set inside the revolving barrel.

    The smiths looked towards each other as they passed the design around, clearly thinking it to be ludicrous. But there were a couple who nodded, seeming to understand the concept.

    "I think my sketches exin what I aim for well enough. If there are any among you that can make it by tomorrow, then you will receive a hundred gold for your efforts. But, as soon as possible, I want these weapons mass produced. You will each receive 500 gold per hundred rifles made."

    Their ears perked up at the mention of money. It was anguage that they all understood. He was the conqueror of Okazaki, so they had assumed that he would be forcing them intobour. But still, producing one hundred rifles was no quick or easy task for any smith.

    "A hundred rifles will take a while to make. A month, minimum." One of the smiths stated. Five hundred gold was certainly a handsome amount for a month¡¯s work, but still, there was a clear sense of urgency about the monk, and he doubted that they would be able to meet his expectations.

    "After making a number of rifles, the process will begin to be repetitive. I have an army of men avable; you can make use of as many of them as you wish, free of charge. That should speed things along." Gengyo suggested, wearing a knowing smile. He wouldn¡¯t being taking no for an answer here, and the others were only just starting to understand that.

    They were still uneasy, and their governor watched on, feeling mightily sorry for them. Still, it could have been worse. At least she was still alive, and able to exert some influence, so that she could protect them to some degree.

    "I will get your prototype made this evening." One of the older smiths spoke. Grey hairs had begun matting his dark beard, but his long hair was till a deep ck.

    "You can?" Gengyo asked, perking up. "That would be perfect. I will be avable for you to call on if you have any questions, and so that we can test it, and ensure it is working properly.

    "Right you are, my lord. I¡¯ll get this prototype done, and then the rest of us should be able to take it apart, and look at theponents. It¡¯ll be easier that way."

    In daily life, the majority of them were rivals whopeted with each other for trade. But in times of crisis, such pettiness was thrown out the window, and they united together in order to aplish the task ahead of them, and secure their gold, and their lives.

    ...

    ...

    The days past, and soon they found that they had spent a week in Okazaki, but significant progress was being made in regards to the development of their new firearm. The testing phase was nowpleted, and they were in the process of mass developing the weapons. The once busy streets now grew even busier. The civilians had learned to ept the presence of the huge army, and gradually, as Gengyo had suggested, more and more of his men began to help out the smiths, so that the production process became even quicker.

    Many bodies lined the streets. Soon, it was not enough to have just Gengyo¡¯s own men, and some other civilians began to join in, after being hired for a fair price.

    Gengyo watched on from afar, only interfering when it was necessary.

    He held in his hands a firearm that he had recently acquired from one of the smiths. He had selected it randomly from a pile ofpleted products, and was about to test it¡¯s quality. It was possible that the smiths would be unable to replicate the perfect design, and that there would be ws.

    A random test was a good way of making sure everything was in order, as it should be. Along with the newly constructed rifle, he also held a collection of bullets. They were sizeable things. Enough to puncture a decently sized hole in both man and armour alike. Because of their pointed shape, they were less likely to bounce off armour. Even steel armour would not be able to stop their likes.

    He pushed out the revolving barrel, and loaded it. He did not rush, so that he would get a good estimation of what the loading time might be. Thirty seconds, maximum, he reckoned.

    And so, on thend outside of Okazaki, he took aim at his target ¨C a withered old tree that was a single branch away from bing a stump ¨C and pulled the trigger. The rifle shot back into his shoulder, sending a shot rocketing down the barrel. Just where he had aimed, the shotnded, and tore a chunk of wood from the rotting old stump.

    The barrel had rotated properly, and without making any adjustments to his aim, he reset the hammer, and pulled the trigger once more. Yet again, the shotnded dead on the stump, sending up a cloud of dust and fragments of wood.

    He repeated the process, firing again and again, until all the bullets had been fired. The dead stump was now nothing more than a few pieces of jutting wood, and Gengyo let out a satisfied grin. The production process was indeed proceeding smoothly, it seemed. Soon, he would be able to arm every single one of his men with these firearms. Being able to fire a continuous volley would be a significant advantage on the field. So much so, that theirck of numbers no longer seemed to count for much.

    He had also begun to train his men in a few of the basic techniques. It was odd teaching them with a sword, rather than a spear, but he quickly learned to adapt. Even his old crew joined in, and all of them sensed the power in these new techniques, even though they were still so basic. They practised hard, and like a steroid, the techniques allowed them to grow rapidly. They were far from being equal to any of the Menryo-ji monks, but after a few years training they mighte close. Still, the objective was not to conquer Menryo-ji. It was to conquer Mikawa, and these techniques that they would learning ced them above the average soldier.

    Quickly, the army was beginning to shape up. The men, through the various training sessions, began to establish a new kind of connection and understanding with their leader. As theirradery grew, so did theirpetence and their morale.

    Within a matter of days, they would be ready to move out once more. There were various matters that he had been attending to whilst they focused on production. He¡¯d once more employed a guard of over a hundred men for the governor to use in order to keep the streets peaceful.

    "Are you ying out here again?" A voice came from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

    "I¡¯ll head back now."

    "Please do, it¡¯s getting dark. It would not do for you to catch a cold."

    He smiled widely at her concern. "It¡¯s like we¡¯re already married. You¡¯re mothering over me."

    "Hmph! This is what I get for being nice to you... Though it won¡¯t be long, will it?"

    "No, not too long now. We can hold the ceremony before we leave Okazaki." He wound his arm around her, trapping her in his embrace, as he spoke next to her ear.

    "It¡¯s your mother we¡¯re waiting for, isn¡¯t it? Will she be okay from the journey?" She asked worried, tilting her head back, as she looked up at him.

    "She should be fine. Morohira and Rin have been telling me that she¡¯s all back to her old health. There¡¯s no stopping her now."

    "That¡¯s good... I¡¯m d."

 Chapter 182 - Plans

    The rifles wereplete, and the men were adapting mightily well. They stood in front of rows of targets, and unleashed volley after volley of bullet fire. When the chaos died down, what was left of the targets was an extremely pitiful sight. Of hard wood and painted targets, only a few sickly scraps remained, pping in the wind.

    The men turned to each other in triumph. These were deadly weapons indeed. If that had been a man in front of them, then they would have died six times over.

    "Good work, men." Gengyo said approvingly. It was working exactly as nned. The smiths stood around to watch as well, admiring their own handy work. They had been paid handsomely for this job, and so somewhere along the way, they had stopped considering it to be a chore, and were actually excited by the new innervations they were helping to bring about.

    As expected, they were terrifying. In the hands of one man, it was a deadly weapon. In the hands of several, it was a quick march to victory. They could not stop smiling. Here, in their town of Okazaki, by their forges, such a weapon had been brought into the world.

    The governor stood watching too. Gengyo made sure to bring her. She had to see the power of their military might, so that she wouldn¡¯t make too hasty a decision, and decide to betray them as soon as they marched away.

    "What do you think?" Gengyo asked, amused by the look of sternness on her face.

    "Very good." She said, without the slightest bit of pleasure.

    "Heh... I would have thought you¡¯d be happier to see the sess of our army. Perhaps you¡¯re simply not in a good mood today? If that¡¯s the case, I can send Jikouji to cheer you up a bit."

    "Miura!" Jikouji barked embarrassedly. "Please ignore the youngmander... and his games." He said meekly, barely able to look her in the eye.

    She regarded him lightly, before turning back to Gengyo. "You have a powerful weapon, but your army is not varied. Are you sure you have all that you require to defeat the lord Imagawa?"

    "Certainly." Gengyo responded, before speaking to the men. "Assume melee formation!"

    As his words were spoken, the rifles were cast to the ground in front of them, and their weapon were drawn. The authority with which they wielded their des created a pressure that many a master swordsman would struggle to fight against. Each one of them ¨C through their monkly training ¨C was shaping up to be a fine warrior indeed.

    "Is there any kind of unit you do not think we can handle, governor?" He asked, curling his lips almost spitefully. He knew the power of his own force better than anyone else. He knew the value of diversity. This was a powerful selection indeed.

    "Cavalry." She said pointedly. "A single cavalry charge from the side would decimate your men. There are no yari units." She exercised what little military knowledge she had, but she¡¯d never truly been on her battlefield. Her knowledge was simply that X was effective against Y, like water was effective against fire. It was too simple.

    "Indeed, cavalry would pose a threat if they were to ever get close. But do you really think there is any cavalry in the world that could charge against our barrage of bullets?"

    That was why cavalry eventually became obsolete. Against bullets, their charge was useless ¨C suicidal even. It was a waste of men. Though of course, they were still employed throughout the first world war, but their effect was minimal, especially against the fire of machine guns. It was a waste of both human and horse lives.

    Cavalry, if utilised absolutely perfectly ¨C say when they had no bullets left to fire ¨C could be devasting andpleted crush their forces. But that window of opportunity was almost impossible to hit. It was thirty seconds in total ¨C the time it would take to reload. Gengyo believed in his ownmandeering enough that the enemy general would not be able to one up him as such.

    "You are confident. You had better be careful that does note back to bite you." The old governor warned.

    "You need not worry, governor. Thisnd will soon have a different ruler."

    Imagawa had no doubt been informed by now. Thend was changing, and everyone could feel it. Whispers of what was toe were brought in by the evening breeze. Even the peasants in isted viges far away could sense the unease. Something big was about to happen.

    "Walk with me a while, Jikouji." Gengyo motioned toward the old man, as he began down the main street, through the crowds of people. Jikouji bowed lightly to the governor, before following his master.

    "Was there something on your mind,d?" He asked.

    "Imagawa has sent a dispatchment, correct?"

    "Ayed. A thousand men."

    "We will not confront them here, in these walls. We will march away from the city, and fight them on the field."

    Jikouji raised an eyebrow. "But the walls would give us the undoubted advantage... We¡¯d be able to thin their ranks without ever putting ourselves in danger."

    "Indeed. But I do not want the lives of the people here to be disrupted." He replied, with a light smile. "There is also the matter of blooding the new men. It will raise their confidence by a good amount if we fight on the field, and take our victory."

    "There is that, but is it worth the risk,d? We might lose some men doing that. We can¡¯t afford any losses."

    "We will not." Gengyo responded firmly, before lightening his tone. "Is their leader anyone significant?"

    "No... A nameless man. Another one of Imagawa¡¯s dogs."

    "Good. We will use his head as an example, and continue toward the capital."

    It was not a matter of securing each city individually. The only target that truly mattered was the capital, where Imagawa made his home. That was the true battle to be fought. Once that obstacle was ovee, more options would be avable to them, and uniting the province under their banner would not be too arduous a task.

    "Tomorrow, Jikouji, I intend to wed Akiko. Can I trust in you to make the preparations?"

    "Ayed, it¡¯ll be done."

    "Good. We will set out tomorrow, after the ceremony, and look for a fight."

 Chapter 183 - Wedding

    The procession began in the early morning. Jikouji had been as good as his word, and gathered some Shinto priests and shrine maidens to help out with the ceremony. There was no shrine nearby, so instead of holding the ceremony there, it was held in one of the many beautiful mansions of the city. This sat at the highest point, and if one were to be superstitious, they might say it was closest to the gods.

    Akiko and Gengyo walked together side by side under arge red umbre, as the procession slowly ascended the steps, and those in front yed the traditional flute to mark their step.

    Though the event itself had been rushed into fruition by the two eager parties - because of the circ.u.mstances that they were currently in - no effort was spared in making in perfect.

    Akiko stood beautiful. The most awe-inspiring woman in all of the city, if not the entirend. Her hair had taken hours toplete. Ordinarily, one might wear a wig. But her hair was thick enough that it was able to be shaped and set by skilled hands. Over her hair, sat a gown-like white hat, and her body wasyered up by a white kimono, and an intricate white coat that sat over it.

    It was amusing for the two to see her like this once again, as they recalled how each of them met.

    Gengyo had no trouble in getting his hair into perfect working order, since there was barely any hair in the first ce. It was beginning to grow back, almost desperately, but there was far from enough of it to be able to style it in any way.

    Due to the weight of all theyers she was wearing, Akiko had felt that her shoulders were beginning to hurt, but as she walked all those steps, ever so slowly, she did not show a single sign of difort, and continued to smile happily.

    Gengyo stood beside her, in the grandest kimono that he had ever worn. As per tradition, there had been the crest of his house stitched into the fabric. That in itself posed a problem, for the Miura¡¯s were peasants and did not have one.

    Jikouji had suggested that they assume the Niwa¡¯s crest as their own, but to Gengyo that simply wouldn¡¯t do. It was about time the Miura¡¯s had a crest. And so, he took two red feathers, and crossed them together, like swords, encapsting it in a ck circle. It was most fitting.

    Their family and friends walked along with them, as they were led by the priests and shrine maidens. Morohira and Fuku walked directly behind, followed by Jikouji and Rin. All of the crew were in attendance. The members of the regr army would havee too, had the invitation been extended to them, but that would have made the affair too busy.

    On this day, Gengyo stated, he would give his entire attention to Akiko, and her alone. He did not want to sully it wearing the mask of themander for his men.

    All who came did so with a smile on their face. There were many weddings across the world, and many attendees, but few wished such grace upon the newly weds as those that followed along today. They had won the hearts and loyalty of their friends for lifetimes toe. They felt their happiness as their own.

    They ascended the final steps, and the luxurious mansion came into view, with its doors open in wee celebration for the ceremony toe. A shrine maiden ¨C dressed in a white and red kimono ¨C waited for them inside, before something of an altar.

    "Nervous?" Gengyo asked, smiling to Akiko as they ascended the final step.

    "Happy!" She responded without pause, her smile so wide that it brought her cheeks high.

    The procession in front of them began to split off and line the walls as they entered. Two cushions came into view, in front of the alter. Akiko and Gengyo walked up to them, one step at a time, without rushing, retaining the rhythm of the march here.

    They kneeled down on the cushions, side by side, and waited until the others made it into the mansion too. The doors were closed up behind them, and the ceremony began.

    The shrine maiden ¨C with extremely graceful movements ¨C manoeuvred a golden cup by a long pole, and submerged it in arge barrel of sake. With her free hand, she gave Gengyo a small bowl-like cup, on which she poured the sake.

    With three sips ¨C as per tradition ¨C he consumed the sake, before handing the bowl over to Akiko. With the same grace, Akiko¡¯s bowl was filled, and she too drank the sake.

    A second bowl was brought out. This one slightlyrger than thest. This too was filled and drank in three sips by each of them.

    And then a third, bigger than the previous two, was drank from in the same way.

    And then, bowls were passed to their friends and rtives, and each of them held it out, as the shrine maiden went along the line to fill them. Each of them drank deeply, blessing the marriage of the two in front of them.

    With a bow, the shrine maiden reced her golden cup, and retrieved a sacred scroll. As one, Akiko and Gengyo rose, and bowed, epting the scroll together. They opened it, with a single hand each, but it was the husband¡¯s job to do the reading.

    He was not a man of the gods. Or any god for that matter. But traditions were important, for reasons far beyond religion, and he would not dare question them.

    "Oh gods," he began. "Look upon your humble servants with favour, as I, Miura Tadakata, and Niwa Akiko, join hands together in the hopes of marriage. Forever and always, we swear to love each other, just as we do now. Please bless our union, so that it mightst until once again we return to Takamagahara."

    He concluded, before once more bowing toward the shrine, in unison with Akiko.

    Different shrines were pledged to different gods, and thus had different offerings. Since this was not a shrine, and was not dedicated to a god, the offering had been something that they had needed to ponder on. As it happens, it once more came down to the red feather.

    They drew one each, from the folds of their obi, they ced it on the altar with a bow. A single pure red feather, from the elegant Japanese red crowned crane.

    They pped once, and then bowed once more.

    The whole hall was silent throughout, though the priests asionally whispered various religious lines, praising the gods, and the shrine maidens swept their hands and artefacts through the air, hoping to achieve the same effect.

    After all these practises were observed, once more, they were led out of the temple by the priests and shrine maidens, under the spell of flute song. Silence reigned for a time, until just after they had left the building, and by then, the congrattions started.

    "Congrattions son ¨C be good to her." Morohira said with a grin, pping him on the back.

    "My... you look as though you¡¯re about to cry dear." Fukumented with an amused giggle, seeing her husband act serious for once in his life. "I¡¯m so proud of you dear. Wee to the family, Akiko! Please be patient with Tadakata. He can be a little strange at times, but he¡¯s a good boy."

    "He¡¯s the best of men, I¡¯m happy just to be by his side like this." Akiko stated, her eyes dreamy.

    Gengyo shook his head, but he still could not help smiling. All those years where he had been alone, and now he had a wife as beautiful andpassionate as her. "I¡¯m counting on you to keep me in line."

    "No worries Nii-san! I can do that!" Rin broke the formation of the line, just so she could run up and interrupt their conversation and congrattions.

    "I have a feeling you might need to keep Rin in line more than me..." Gengyo whispered in his wife¡¯s ear, much to her amus.e.m.e.nt.

    Since the line had already been broken by Rin, Jikouji took the opportunity toe forth as well. "Congrattions Akiko. Congrattionsd. I know Nakatane would have approved of this. You¡¯re a goodd, and I can¡¯t think of a better match for his daughter."

    The mood turned a little sombre as thoughts went to their fallen master, but with a smile, Gengyo soon turned them back around. "He¡¯d always be there to hit the back of my head should I do anything wrong. Well, even when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, he used to hit me..."

    "Haha, he was that type, wasn¡¯t he?"

    Gengyo noticed Fuku¡¯s eyes turn cloudy, and he could tell she was thinking of Masaatsu. Rightly, it should have been him that was getting married off first, but now that wedding would nevere.

    He struggled toe up with the words to console her, but as it turns out, he didn¡¯t need to, as Rokkaku and Togashi also broke the line and barrelled forward.

    "Congrattions boss! Congrattions Akiko! Heh, I said it first Togashi." He called his congrattions out quickly, before stating his superiority proudly over Togashi. The bearded man raised an eyebrow that suggested he was unsure they were ying in the first ce, and practically ignored him, as he offered his own thanks.

    "Congrattions to you both. You make a wonderful couple."

    "Thanks, Togashi." Gengyo said with a smile. He was one of the first to find out about their rtionship, and since then they had been through a lot. It was nice for all of them to see that the circle was finally closed.

    Isabe approached as well, though somewhat awkwardly. Her own feelings were unclear even to herself. With all that she had suffered through, she did not know how to approach the idea of wedding and romance, she only knew that she held some feelings towards this man that was hermander. Feelings of respect and reverence. One day, she hoped, there might be another man for her that she could simrly respect.

    "Congrattions..." She said a little quietly.

    "Heh, Ishi said congrattions! She¡¯s just really quiet." Rin spoke up on her behalf.

    "Thanks, Isabe."

    "Thank you, Ishi."

    Soon the rest of the crew were gathered round, all offering their congrattions to their leader. It was their single light hearted day before they would once more take to the field and head off to war, so they would make sure to enjoy it to their fullest.

    Lots of alcohol, lots of conversation, and lots of fun. That was the n, anyway.

 Chapter 184 - March

    After sleeping on a temple floor for the length of time he did, being back in a mansion¡¯s bed was infinitely morefortable. And what made it all the better, was the woman who slept by his side. Her n.a.k.e.d chest pushed against his arm, and her head rested on his shoulder, still asleep.

    Her warm breath tickled his chest, and her soft hair swept across his flesh. Even the way she smelled wasforting. As he nced down at her, in the early morning light, a smile of contentment swept over his face.

    This had been too long in the making. It was due to Menryo-ji that he felt the desire to push things forward. That talk with himself, and all that made him up. It seemed as though he¡¯d finally found what was good for him.

    He was a man with immense responsibility, and with grand ambitions. Every moment of his life should beced with stress, and worry, there should not be time for anything else.

    But through zen he had learned to love his art, so that the stress soon faded. He had learned how foolish a pursuit worrying was. And he had learned not to neglect what it meant to be a man. Every man was destined to have a woman at his arm. Any man of age who did not was simply deprived, and could not truly be happy. Of course, it¡¯s a good deal moreplicated than that, but in essence, that was where his answery.

    She was his wife and soon to be the mother of his child, should their efforts bear fruit. He¡¯d fallen to thought of the future as ofte. It was quite possible that soon he would be a father, and he fell to wondering what kind of child he would bring into the world. If a son, would he be like him? Or would he be more terrifying?

    He thought he liked the idea of teaching a child about the world, but he wasn¡¯tpletely sure. Either way, he would continue with his philosophy that had been bestowed on him at Menryo-ji, and live as much in the present as he was able.

    He gently kissed her forehead, as he freed himself from her grasp. He pulled the covers back, so that none but he would behold her in her n.a.k.e.dness, and then he dressed himself in his new dark ck kimono, with tworge crossed red feathers embraided on the back.

    Today was the day he had spoken of. Though the sun had yet to fully ascend into the sky, and though the soldiers had yet to get up, it was time for him to begin his duties as a general.

    He pulled back the door, and bumped into Jikouji as he was walking down the mansion¡¯s corridors as well. It seemed the two were of the same mind. Gengyo quietly closed the door behind him, before turning to his right-hand man.

    "Have a good night?" Jikouji asked, already knowing that he had.

    "The best." Gengyo responded, beginning down the corridor. "We had better get you a woman as well Jikouji, before you grow too old to be able to hold her."

    "I¡¯m far too old for that alreadyd. The battlefield is all that¡¯s left for these withered old bones."

    "Nonsense. There are widowed women all across Japan who are looking for a man of your stature. You could make a sad olddy very happy."

    "Only a sad olddy, eh? That alone tells me my time has passed." He responded bleakly.

    "Oh, I mean, it¡¯s possible to get you a younger woman, but with so many years between you, would she not be unable to keep up with your immense wit?"

    "You¡¯re depressing me." He replied back bluntly. This kind of talk was quite obviously a sore spot for him.

    "Well, consider it, Jikouji. On the battlefield, no one cares whether you¡¯re young or old. We could all die at any second. If you think of it like that, why me, and not you?"

    "All I need in my lifed, is to be able to rise before the soldiers, so that I can enjoy waking them up."

    "I would call you sick, but I¡¯m rather looking forward to that too."

    The two shared a devilish grin, as they began down the steps, and picked up an iron pot each. Through the rows of men they walked, in opposite directions, counting to three before they began bashing the pot as loud as they could.

    "RISE AND SHINE, IT¡¯S ALMOST NOON!"

    "WAKE UP YOU LAZY LOT!"

    Soldiers¡¯ eyes flickered open, but instantly closed again, as they put their hands to their ears, regretting not having gone to bed earlier. The majority had a hangover as well, after raising drinks in the name of theirmander¡¯s marriage. A good couple of hours and a hearty breakfast would be enough to sort them out though, even with the battle ahead.

    The noise Gengyo and Jikouji were creating was enough to begin disturbing the civilians in their houses as well, and people began to poke their heads out of the window, wondering why they were getting up so early. They might have shouted out of irritation, but they were not insensible folk, and didn¡¯t quite fancy getting blood on their new flooring.

    The men awoke, and crawled toward the already roaring campfires, staring at the meal in front of them, and being unable to fathom how they were meant to eat that. The majority simply wished to vomit, and the mere smell of the food was enough to send them retching.

    The two met up after theirp of the camp, and admired their handiwork with a grin. The men were in a bad state.

    "There¡¯s a battleing up, do you think they know?" Jikouji asked with a sadistic grin as he passed by one of the tents, allowing the men to overhear his conversation.

    "Whether or not they know, they will certainly soon find out. I tend to prefer not throwing up whilst I¡¯m engaged inbat, but they might find that it helps them."

    "They had better hope it had."

    With a few hours, the army had their tents packed in carts, and their food supplies were all stored away as well. Akiko had arisen, and donned her armour, after going in search of her husband.

    He had much the same thoughts as well, as they met each other as they went to collect their horse from the stables.

    "Good morning, wife." Gengyo said with a smile, enjoying the new word upon his tongue.

    "Good morning, husband." Akiko replied with a slight blush, recalling the frantic events of the previous night.

    He slid his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. He was wearing the trademark ck armour of the red feather, as was she. All their crew would be. And all of them would be mounted. Instead of simply being their armour, it was now a symbol of their position.

    "The battle is today. How are you feeling?" He asked.

    "I¡¯m ready. Perfect condition." She replied firmly, not daring to give him a reason to leave her behind. They needed to be strong for each other, so they would not have to worry on the battlefield, when such thoughts could prove fatal.

    "You¡¯re used to the new firearm now? And you remember the techniques I taught you?"

    "Tadakata. I¡¯m fine ¨C really." She assured him, putting her hand to his cheek.

    "Aye... you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get mounted and greet the men, then."

    He helped her up to horse after they saddled it, and rode side by side down to their army of men. The governor was waiting for them ¨C also mounted, on her chestnut mare ¨C to see them off. The roads were packed with civilians as well, all eager to catch a glimpse of this new army in unified action, even if it was just them leaving by the gates.

    As Gengyo came into view, the men stepped in as one, and mmed their fists against their sternums.

    "RESPECTS TO LORD MIURA!"

    "...Did you tell them to do that?" He asked Jikouji as their neared. It was certainly not something that he had taught them himself.

    The old man looked back at him baffled. "No. I thought it was you."

    The two could only stare at their men with confusion, wondering where this seemingly spontaneous action hade from. Their crew stood mounted in front, all donned in their ck armour. Morohira had a red ribbon wrapped around his arm, to signify his position as captain. He too was beginning to win the respect of the new recruits.

    "ATTENNNNNNNNNNTION!" Morohira barked on their behalf. The men withdrew their fists, and held their rifles firmly, ready to march. The captain then nodded toward Jikouji.

    "Are we off then?" Jikouji asked Gengyo before he gave any orders.

    "That we are."

    "ABBBBBOUUUUUUT TURN! BY THE FRONT, QUICCCCCCCKKKKK MARCH!" He bellowed, hardening his vocal cords. You would not think it by his ordinary speech, but he had a great bellowing voice that was perfect for being heard of the battlefield.

    The men turned on their right heel as one, before mming their left foot down, so that they were facing the gate. They paused for a moment, before extending their right leg, and marching as one. They began to call out the time, so that they would each be in step with in each other.

    "LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT."

    They observed the men leave by the gate, along with the rest of the popce who were gathered. Before they left after them, there was one final person who needed to be spoken to.

    "Governor."

    "Miura Tadakata." She responded evenly, as though knowing his name gave her some sort of power.

    "I know Okazaki to be in safe hands. For the good of your people, I trust that you will make the right choice in the time toe." He spoke kindly, though he was delivering a threat.

    "I will do what I must." She replied, neither saying this nor that.

    "I know you will. But there is one old man who would be very disappointed if, after all this, we had to return here to execute you as a traitor."

    "..." There was silence for a moment, until Jikouji realized that it was him they were talking about. "What? No! I couldn¡¯t care less whether she lives or dies ¨C I¡¯ve only just met her." He responded aggressively, growing red.

    The governor looked at him with a raised eyebrow, which only severed to make him more embarrassed.

    "Er... I mean... I would prefer not to have to... but..."

    "Haha, the old man and I will carry on hoping for favourable news. Until then, governor." He wheeled his horse around, and began after his army, as his wife, and most trusted subordinates followed behind him.

 Chapter 185 - The Forest

    Soon after they left the gates, the marching order was allowed to break down. The way they paraded as such was merely for the view of the public. In reality, it was a rather inefficient way of moving, and a shortcut to tiring the men out quickly.

    ording to their intelligence, the dispatchment that was sent to deal with them was less than a day¡¯s march away. They began forward in that general direction with no other ns that they were acting out.

    Gengyo did not want this to be a strategical victory. There would be plenty of time for that in the future. He wanted to test the raw power of his men, and this was the perfect opportunity to do that. He would fight this battle almost entirely reactively.

    Imagawa had thought that he was ying this safe by sending double the number of men than he knew his enemy to have. He had learned from his campaign into Oda territory, and knew that to underestimate his opponent was folly.

    But unfortunately for him, it was still not enough. Perhaps if they all came carrying a six-inch-thick iron shield ¨C then things might be a little better for him. But somehow, Gengyo thought that was unlikely.

    The spirits of the men were high. They knew their own weapons to be powerful, and they trusted in the techniques that they had been taught recently. There was actually a hint of excitement there, behind the greater nervous fear that came with every battle.

    Themanders were almost jovial in their outlook. It had been a long time in the making. They were to return to the battlefield once more, and this time, they did it in a position that was even stronger than that which they hadst. They were excited, it was true. For their master, they would put on the most glorious disy that they were capable of.

    "Second scout is back. They¡¯re still reporting seeing nothing." Jikouji informed Gengyo, as they rode together. To a less experiencedmander, losing their enemy like this might prove rming, but Gengyo knew they of thend well by now, and these reports did nothing to faze him.

    "Very well. Stop sending scouts for now, we will continue to march onwards." They¡¯d sent them a good distance ahead, with two of the fastest horses that they had, so they were able to cover ground quickly. And yet there was still no army in sight. How could a force of a thousand men suddenly disappear, when they had been moving so audaciously before? "There is a foresting up. Before entering, we will stop for lunch. It would not do to have the men fight on an empty stomach."

    "As you sayd." Jikouji responded with something of a salute, before trotting off to deliver the message to the rest.

    "What are you thinking, Tadakata?" Akiko asked, as she rode by his other side.

    "This enemy is attempting to be tricky with us."

    "Is that a problem?"

    "For them, not for us."

    She smiled at his confidence. "I hope so."

    Gengyo¡¯smand was passed along the line, and the long trail of soldiers soon drew to a halt. They started to gather in somewhat sporadic groups, before falling to the earth with exhaustion, and opening their packs, to munch on some of the food that had been prepared beforehand.

    The forest that stretched before them was vast indeed. It could satisfy a small vige¡¯s need of logs for hundreds of years, should it be looked after properly. But for now, it served another purpose to another people.

    "Is there any point dismounting?" Togashi asked, having realized what Gengyo¡¯s intentions were.

    "I think we better, just to put them at ease."

    Jikouji returned a momentter, simrly dismounting from his horse. "They¡¯ve retained their rifles, Miura. Everyone is read to fight at a moment¡¯s notice."

    "Very well. I don¡¯t think they will attack straight away, so do not disturb their eating for now."

    A thousand men had suddenly disappeared from the map, and the only thing nearby to hide them was arge forest. The intent of their inexperiencedmander was obvious. He¡¯d spied them leaving Okazaki through the eyes of one of his scouts, and now he intended to ambush them as they passed through the forest, in order to solidify his already expected victory.

    In setting up camp here, and munching away on their lunch, Gengyo hoped to taunt them a little, whilst appearing oblivious.

    "Dear, are you stopping for lunch? I made you some rice balls." Seeing that the line had ground to a halt, Fuku left the baggage train in order to give lunch to her husband.

    "Fuku! It¡¯s still dangerous. Get back to the baggage train, quickly! I¡¯ll eat these, just go ¨C they could attack at any time." Morohira said hastily, hurrying her off, as he took the rice balls in one hand. "The enemy is in that forest over there ¨C they could fire anything at any time." He exined, hurriedly motioning for her to go back.

    Fuku nodded her understanding, and hurried back. She was d to be along in the first ce. She was not going to neglect her husband¡¯s plea, and make him more likely to leave her had home once more.

    Gengyo wanted all that he cared about in one ce, so that he could protect it with his life. He would make his fortress his army, and as such have no weak points that his enemy could attack and exploit.

    There was no way any missiles could reach them from where they stood, but still Gengyo did not speak up as his father hurried Fuku away. It was better for her to be back with the others.

    "Come, Akiko, let¡¯s rx for a while." Gengyo encouraged her down from her horse, as he reached into his own pack for lunch. His closest men began to gather around him, and soon there was a circle of ck armour that had been formed. Gengyo had made sure to seat himself so that he could always keep an eye on the forest, and give themand when it was necessary.

    "Another battle, eh youngin¡¯. You nervous?" Sasaki asked Il who sat down next to him.

    "Nope, we¡¯ll smoke them. We went through way tougher than this on the ship, remember?" Il said confidently. "Though I do miss the cannon. Imagine if we could bring that to the battlefield? We could shoot them from here!"

    Gengyo smiled at that. It was something he had thought of as well. A few cannons would go a long way to causing their desired chaos on the battlefield. Luckily, they had their shipwrights and cksmith with them, so when the opportunity presented itself, they could make the desired changes.

    The only problem with a cannon was how slow and heavy it was to manoeuvre. But if they loaded it in the back of the cart, and had a few strong horses pull it, then they should be able to set up on any battlefield of their choosing. The requirement that they set it up would make it effectively useless in an ambush. Still, three canons were better than no cannons.

    He kept his gaze on the forest, as casual conversation sprung up around him. There was no unease in their group. Each man was confident about his profession, and they trusted theirmander to keep them safe, and put them in the best position to do battle.

    He saw the white head of a horse peer out from the tree line, before it hastily went back. They were being watched it seemed. He wanted to alert his group, so that they could enjoy the sight together, but he didn¡¯t want them to turn around as one - that would be telling the enemy that they had been spotted.

    He waited a few more moments, and kept watching, picturing the enemymander in his head. He could imagine how irritable he might be, as he saw his prey crouched down in front of him, apparently defenceless, but he was being forced to wait. What if they never went through the forest at all? Then this perfect opportunity to attack would have been wasted, and the enemy would have effectively got away.

    He wrestled with those choices in his head. Whether to attack, or to wait, and Gengyo was assured that it was only a matter of time. They were almost a kilometre off from the forest. For an attack to catch them off guard, then it would have to be mightily fast. Through the scouts he had learned that the enemy had some 300 cavalry, and as he saw more horse heads appear from the tree line, he started to wonder.

    They gradually formed up the line, not entirely in view, getting all the men ready before he gave the order. Gengyo continued to munch on the cold, grilled fish that they¡¯d packed as he watched them, as though he was enjoying a y.

    "Should I give the order?" Jikouji asked, seeing what he was seeing. At Jikouji¡¯s words, the rest moved as though to turn around, curious as to what was going on.

    "Don¡¯t look." Gengyo warned, stopping them mid movement. "We will wait a little while longer. We have more than enough time to prepare, but I would rather our prey expose itselfpletely first, so we can kill it cleanly, and not let it get away."

    He paused a moment, as an idea urred. "There is an order I want you to give though: tell the men only to fire one round, until I give the order to do otherwise. They are to finish the cavalry with the sword."

    The majority of their troops were still unaware that they were being watched by their enemy. They had simply been told to keep their rifle with them, and they had obeyed without question. Jikouji once more began to give them Gengyo¡¯s order, without warning them that they were in eminent danger. It was imperative that they not give away their knowledge of the enemies¡¯ position until theymitted themselves fully.

    The order just managed to make its way through the camp ¨C whispered around enthusiastically by battle ready men ¨C when the signal finally came. The previously quiet ins began to thunder, as row after row of cavalry charged out from the trees.

    "RED FEATHER SOLDIERS! ASSUME BATTLE FORMATIONS!" Gengyo roared, mounting his own horse, as his men did alongside him. The soldiers began to form up quickly ¨C some too quickly, as they fell over in their haste ¨C and as the cavalry charged across the open ins, what was there to meet them was not a band of disorganised men, but an army of rifle wielding soldiers, with fingers on triggers.

 Chapter 186 - Tricky

    The cavalrymen charged forth, their swords held high, roaring at the top of their lungs. They knew some of them would die ¨C the enemy held muskets. But their miscalctiony in just how many would fall.

    Behind them a mass of foot soldiers ran too. Even just this part of the army dwarfed the Red Feather.

    The cavalry drew closer and closer, but still no shots were fired.

    "Hold!" Jikouji ordered continually. It was up to him to give the perfect moment to fire. Theirmander had ordered something difficult ¨C that they only use one volley on these cavalrymen. As such, the single volley that they could fire had to be maximally effective, otherwise they still might lose men to their charge.

    The horses spluttered across the field, casting clumps of mud up behind them. They foamed at the mouths from the exertion, and breathed heavily. Those mounted on top let out their fierce battle cries without a moment¡¯s pause. The purpose was more to boost their own morale than it was to scare the enemy.

    It went a long way to unnerve a man when they enemy that he assumed would be fleeing was instead grouped up, with rifles drawn, entirely ready to face him, as though they had not just been gathered around to eat mere moments before. Such speed was uncanny.

    "Hold..." Jikouji was still unwilling to let their volley go. The enemy were almost upon them. An undisciplined troop would have let a shot be fired by now, out of simple fear, but even though this was their first battle, they trusted in theirmanders enough not to outright disobey the orders.

    Gengyo watched on, mounted on his white horse, with his wife and his men by his side. Each one of them held a rifle.

    "FIRE!" Jikouji barked. Like a coiled spring, all that pressure released instantaneously. They plugged their triggers almost gratefully. They could have pulled the hammer back once more, and fired again, as they had been taught in training, but they had the will power enough to hold themselves back.

    That single volley of fine bullets collided with the front running cavalry soldiers. The men were formed up in ranks. The first rank fired first, and then the second, and then the third, allowing their volleys to reach all parts of the cavalry dispatchment. The first row met the bullets, and they prated deep. They almost expected the balls to ricochet off their armour, as they were known to do, but not a single one did. They dug deep, and caused a chaotic amount of internal damage, throwing men from their horses.

    The second rank¡¯s volley came just after,ying waste to the next lot of cavalry men. A domino effect of ughter. Blood sttered continually, as the shots from 500 trained riflemen punctured holes in the bodies of 300 cavalry men. By the time that first shot had passed, there were very few mounted men that had not yet been grazed by a bullet.

    Fifty men ¨C at most ¨C remained mounted, though the majority of these men were carrying bullet wounds and rendered weakened. Still, they had managed to stay the saddle, and continued to charge forth.

    "ASSUME MELEE FORMATION!" Jikouji roared, the menplied, drawing their swords as one.

    "HAH!" They stepped down together, gripping the des ready. They had a handsome selection of techniques they wished to try. Their excitement outran their fear, and they did not give, even as the horses galloped nearer. When the time was right, they ran free from their lines to confront the enemy, selecting to hack at the horse¡¯s legs rather than the rider, so that they might cast him from the saddle.

    What was left of their cavalry was far too little. It was swallowed up in the jaws of the Red Feather army, and crunched. Several men were wounded by that charge, but not a single one was dead. Not yet at least.

    "And now, for the main event." Gengyo proimed with a wide smile. Baited by their first volley, the infantry continued to charge in after their ughtered cavalry. They thought their advantage was now to be had. The enemy had fired their weapons, and had yet to reload. With their superior numbers, they would use this opportunity to overwhelm them.

    With their swords still drawn, the men reformed their ranks, and stood ready and waiting to confront the enemy. It was almost a kilometre that they were forced to sprint. Before they even got close to the first of the Red Feather¡¯s ranks, they had begun to slow. They were too poorly conditioned, and too poorlymanded. Even if they had made it, they would have struggled.

    With a hundred metres between them and the enemy, it was Gengyo had the honour of giving out this set of orders.

    "RESUME RANGED FORMATION." Swiftly the men brought their des upwards, and plunged them into their scabbards, before reaching down, and picking up their rifles as one. They aimed it towards the enemy, and pulled back the hammer, ready. The enemy forces continued to charge, still thinking that it was they that held the advantage. But somewhere inside, they had a rather distinct bad feeling.

    Fifty metres to go, and the order was given.

    "Fire at will." He said this rather lightly, for he knew time to be very much on their side. It could have been a whisper, and it would not have mattered. The men knew what to do. This was no longer a battle, it was simple sport. A game of target practise.

    The first volley served to confuse them, as many a man fell, wondering why it was that they were able to reload their muskets so quickly. The second shot startled them. They had not expected another shot so soon. And by the third, they were convinced that by some trick of the gods, these weapons could fire an infinite amount of ammunition.

    Their already poor morale was at rock bottom, and they began to rout, fleeing from the battlefield. There was not a huge amount of men that remained standing, but as they ran, the Red Feather men were able to take their time to select the perfect target for which to unleash their rounds on. They had two shots left to spare, and they made good use of them.

    A single man remained standing, running as quickly as he could for the trees. Several men aimed at him, and missed, because of the excessive distance.

    Rokkaku drew his rifle for one final shot, making sure that everything was lined up to perfection, and then, he pulled the trigger. A momentter, the man staggered, before falling to the floor.

    "Nice shot." Gengyo said, nodding with approval.

    In front of them was a field of corpses. Both man and horse. A thousand men that stood alive and breathing merely ten minutes before, were now all dead, and scattered across the field.

    "Has anyone died?" Gengyo asked, unable to see any Red Feather corpses from his vantage point. There were several seriously injured who would need treating immediately, but that was all.

    He paused a few moments, and waited for a response, when there was none, he nodded with approval. "Good. You men have fought well today. I advise you take a look at this field, and take a look at the men around you. This was an enemy that stood double our number. I want you to acknowledge that fact, and then I want to you cast your mind to the future. Imagine the other forces that Imagawa will send our way. Now, I ask you, who believes in our victory?"

    "HOH!" They raised their weapons as was, and shouted as loudly as they were able. For the first time in the lives of these warriors, battle had be apletely different affair. They stood at the top of the food chain. It was possible to fight this war and live.

    He nodded a few times to himself, smiling widely. "Go and get yourselves some rest ¨C you¡¯ve earned it." The result of the battle had been even better than he had expected. He knew they would be able to overwhelm such a small force with ease, but this degree was almostughable.

    The decision to use only a single volley on the cavalry did note back to bite them either, as it had been a rather risky one. It allowed them to deal with the entire force at once, so that they would not be harassed by it as they continued their journey towards the capital.

    "Thoughts, Jikouji?" He asked of his advisor. He could not see many ws within their execution today, considering they had been sox in the field of strategy.

    "Excellent. Truly. We¡¯re going to cause quite a stird, I guarantee it." He said excitedly. "If Nakatane was here to see this, he¡¯d bloody love it."

    "That he would. He was an enterprising man. I know he would ept this technology with open arms."

    "Aye, and that¡¯s not even the finished product yet is it, Miura? There¡¯s much more toe?" Togashi asked.

    "That¡¯s right, my friend. I will continue to train the men, and we will expand our forces as and when we are able. The future is a very bright thing indeed."

    He was not fool enough to think they could continue on this sort of easy rampage forever, and conqueror all of Japan in this manner. Sooner orter, the technology of this revolving rifle would be leaked, and it would be mass produced to be used against them. But he would deal with that as and when it came. He would at least be able to overthrow Imagawa before that came about, he knew.

    "Shall we finish that meal then?" He asked, to no one in particr.

    "Aye, I¡¯m f.u.c.k.i.n.g starving son. I didn¡¯t realize pulling a trigger could be such hard work." Morohira joked, dismounting from his horse.

    "Try shooting with your toes next time, to increase the difficulty." Rokkaku suggested.

    "True. You needn¡¯t bother though, it¡¯s difficult enough already for you, having to shoot past that huge nose of yours." Morohira retorted.

    "I did want to test out my new skills..." Rinined, having been blessed with such an easy victory.

    "I did too..." Akiko said meekly, sneaking a nce at her husband to see if such a thing bothered him.

    But Gengyo shrugged. "There will be battles in the future, and none will be as easy as this, you can be assured. Their leader was ipetent. We will be able to keep our rifles a secret for now, but a more tactically minded man can make things difficult for us."

    "You speak as if you have someone in mind." Jikouji pointed out.

    "Aye... Matsudaira."

 Chapter 187 - Imagawa Castle

    There were few men and women in all thend that were as unhappy as he. For all his wealth, for all hisnd, and for all his women, he still could not summon the energy to smile. Nor did he need to. There was no one that he had to please. No one that he had to suck up to. But he was still not satisfied.

    He could not remember thest time he had lost a battle. He was quite sure that he never had. And then, out of nowhere, when the odds were so heavily in his favour, he had fallen at the first hurdle. The tiniest little obstacle.

    Even just saying the man¡¯s name aloud was enough to send him into a fit of rage. Oda Nobunaga. That was the biggest stain of his life. Even his councilmen would not dare to mention him anymore.

    He sat upon his throne, looking down on the room from high steps. He sat slouched in the seat, so that his rolls of fat pushed against the walls, and supported himfortably. On hisp bounced a young girl all but half his size. Her face was contorted in a false pleasure as she sought to please her lord.

    Two other girls kneeled to either side, doing whatever they could to get involved.

    It was a public space, and this was certainly not the behaviour one would hope their Daimyo would exhibit. And still, they did notin. He was ordering seppuku for even the most trivial of things now. To irritate him would be to forfeit your life. Already, almost half the council had been dealt with, resulting in a major shift of power.

    "My Lord Imagawa." A man with a short chin beard entered the room, and kneeled before the throne, waiting for his lord to notice him. He had to suffer through listening to all the m.o.a.ns of pleasure and grunts of satisfaction, but he continued to kneel down without a hint of emotion.

    "Ah, it¡¯s you. There had better be good news." Imagawa finally noticed him, and pushed the girl from his kneel. She stumbled onto the ground painfully, and hurriedly raised her robes to cover herself, before trotting away. "HALT! Where do you think you¡¯re going? You will leave when I tell you to!" Imagawa barked, and like a timid dog, she bowed her head meekly and hurried back beside the throne.

    "The dispatchment that was sent to deal with rebel forces, my lord."

    "Eh... Oh. That little insurrection they attempted. Have we finally found our men, then? Themander had better have been executed. To go almost a week without informing us of his position is preposterous."

    "Indeed. Our men began the search in Toyokawa, where they were met ¨C surprisingly ¨C with hostile forces. Apparently even the civilians chased them away. And then they journeyed to Okazaki, where the gates were closed to them."

    "WHAT?" Imagawa thundered, furious. "THEY DARED TO CHASE AWAY MESSANGERS OF THE DAIMYO? THEY OUGHT TO BE KILLED! RAZE THOSE PLACES TO THE GROUND, I SAY! HOW DARE THEY ENGAGE IN SUCH FOLLY." He grew out of breath from his extended period of shouting ¨C such was his poor condition. "Tell our men to turn back... and reim control. Execute the leaders of both towns, and double the guards. We will be more aggressive with the citizens as well, so that they might learn their ce!"

    "Yes, my lord, that would have been a wise course of action. However, we only just found our men this morning. Themander has been executed, as youmanded. But the rest are dead as well."

    Imagawa narrowed his rat-like eyes. They were barely visible due to the fat of his cheeks. He had hisst whisper of hair swept over his balding head. He was not exactly the picture of a man filled with intelligence, and so his question did not surprise his servant. "...Why?"

    "Forgive me, my lord. It was not we that killed our men. They only arrived to see corpses strewn all over a field just before Okazaki forest. They counted the bodies ¨C I was told ¨C and the number came to be exactly a thousand. Themander was found amongst them."

    Imagawa gripped his seat tightly, his fist turning white. Seeing that look on his face, the servant girls instinctively took a step back, knowing that even being in his vision when he was like this was dangerous.

    His fist crashed into the jewelled goblet by his side, that was filled to the brim with wine. It went a rather pathetic distance, considering the amount of force he put into it, but it was irritating none the less. The girls hurried to clean it, but he barked at them. "LEAVE IT! YOU WILL DO ONLY AS I TELL YOU TO DO!"

    He stood up, and kicked at the wooden table, sending it ttering. All that was in reach, he threw to the floor. The guards showed no hint of emotion. None of them dared to try and judge him. Imagawa seemed to have a gift for detecting when someone did that, and many a guard had been executed in recent days. His councilman continued to kneel, keeping his head down, as wood broke, and cups and tes crashed against the wall and floor.

    There was only one thing that could console all trapped in a room with this dim-witted hippopotamus, and that was that he would soon run out of breath. His rage lent him energy, but that would notst for long. He would soon copse back into his throne, red-faced and panting.

    And that is exactly what did happen. He sat there, gasping furiously, ring at everyone in the room, daring a single one of them to judge him. He wanted them to, just so he could give the order. His katanay by his side. Perhaps today he could kill the man himself.

    When he had regained his breath, he once more spoke to the councilman.

    "Who... dared... to kill our soldiers?"

    To everyone else in the room, it was not an impossible leapt to make, but he was brought up based on a single bias: numbers counted above all else. Even after his pathetic loss to the Oda, he still could note to terms with anything otherwise.

    "The group who was causing trouble earlier. They still number at five hundred men, my lord. We did not find any of their soldiers dead on the battlefield, but the wounds match the weapons that they use, and they have been found a few days march away. It is they who caused the chaos in Toyokawa ¨C as we already know ¨C and it is they who changed the allegiance of Okazaki. They have some people on their side, my lord."

    "Pah! Pathetic! They¡¯re a mere five hundred men! The only thing they¡¯re doing is causing minor problems. They¡¯re f.u.c.k.i.n.g ticks hiding in our furs! So, they managed to kill a dispatchment double their size? I do not believe that. Still! We will respond firmly this time."

    "My lord, it is our belief that their intent is to usurp you. They are not just rebelling, they are seeking dominance." The councilman exined. There had been a few whispers, and he knew he would suffer should this informatione to his lord by other means than his own mouth.

    Imagawa narrowed his eyes, staring him down, wondering whether he was joking. "Hahahaha... Oh my." He chuckled so violently that his belly wobbled. Hisughter was a mixture between a cough and a giggle. It was thoroughly repulsive to listen to extensively. "Then we will deal with them immediately. We will hang their heads up outside the capital¡¯s walls, and have all look at them. Just because we suffered a setback, does not mean that the Imagawa n has grown soft. We will show them just how tough our ruling can be."

    "As you say, my lord." The councilman would not dare disagree with the lord¡¯s assessment, especially when he was so impassioned by what he was saying.

    "Men are being gathered from the other provinces, are they not? My army is rebuilding. Has there been any word from our emissary to the Takeda?"

    "Not yet, my lord. But I do believe they¡¯lle."

    "Good. Soon my twenty thousand men will be recovered, and the Takeda will be at my side. Kyoto will be as good as ours. Until then, it is best to keep dogs active, would you not agree?"

    "..."

    "We will send dogs to deal with dogs. Inform the Matsudaira n. Tell them to mobilize all their forces."

    "But, my lord, that¡¯s some 7,000 men. Is that not a bit excessive? Especially with the second campaign so close at hand."

    The Matsudaira¡¯s had suffered their own losses during the campaign, but restricted by Imagawa as they were, it was difficult to recruit more. He feared putting too many men under theirmand, lest they start a rebellion.

    "Excessive? I thought 1000 men to deal with 500 was excessive, but apparently not! If we send the Matsudaira n, then we needn¡¯t worry about this problem anymore, and can focus entirely on the campaign. And, it¡¯ll keep those dogs on their toes, otherwise they¡¯ll bepletely useless on the battlefield."

    "...As you say my lord. I should instruct them to mobilize all the forces they have avable, correct?"

    "Yes, yes." He said impatiently, waving his hand as though he already saw this business to be concluded. "Tell them to mobilize and deploy immediately, before these nameless rebels cause problems in another city."

    He was smiling now, apparently pleased with his own problem-solving ability. He lied to himself, and reckoned that he had grown more intelligent after all he had experienced. The next time they set off on campaign into Oda territory, then there would be no one who could stand in his way. They would all tell tales of how cunning the Daimyo Imagawa was.

    "Consider it done, my lord."

    The man stood up, and bowed, before once again exiting the room with light steps. This was indeed excessive, to his mind, but it would cause no problems in the long run, so he would do exactly as his lord dictated.

    Imagawa was incapable, everyone knew that. But in helping him to achieve his goals, then his own power would grow, and he¡¯d be at a station far above the one he now employed. He¡¯d be advisor to the shogun of Japan.

    And so the doors closed behind him, and the plump lord Imagawa sat, contented, unaware that he was still underestimating his opponent. What a surprise it would be when he found that vey same nameless force at his gates in a few weeks¡¯ time. What a surprise indeed.

 Chapter 188 - March

    "The men are pretty fired upd." Jikoujimented, seeing them march so vigorously.

    "So they should be ¨C though that was just a minor dispatchment. By the days end, we will arrive in Honkaido, and we¡¯ll begin making preparations for therger threat that is bound toe."

    "Howrge are we talking?" Jikouji asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

    "Large enough. He could send his whole army at us. Perhaps he¡¯ll have sixteen thousand men by now. But I doubt he¡¯ll do that. No doubt he¡¯s already making ns for a second campaign."

    "Second campaign... It¡¯s still soughable that he actually lost against the tiny Oda force."

    "Agreed. He¡¯s not the most talented strategist."

    "But you shouldn¡¯t estimate him still, Tadakata. He has a lot of men." Akiko chided him from the other side.

    Gengyo smiled lightly. She was already doing her part to keep him on the straight and narrow. "That¡¯s correct. The men under him are notable, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t be the lord of three provinces. Jikouji, that cksmith ¨C where might I find him?" He asked as a sudden thought urred to him.

    "I¡¯ll fetch him. He¡¯ll be somewhere amongst the supply train with the others."

    "Thanks, Jikouji. I appreciate it." He said firmly, as he patted his shoulder, holding his gaze. It felt liketely he was asking Jikouji to do a great many things, and he did not want the man ¨C who he thought highly of ¨C to think him ungrateful.

    "Right you ared, I¡¯ll be a couple of minutes." Jikouji smiled back, and turned his horse to trot away.

    "Togashi." Gengyo called out to hisrade who rode further down the line.

    "Aye, Miura?" The bearded man asked, with an eyebrow raised.

    "This is rather sudden, my friend, but I feel that Jikouji should have someone to help him around. I do not mean you ¨C it would be belittling to have you do messenger work and the like. I want you to find someone suitable. He does not have to be a warrior. Just a boy will do, as long as he¡¯ll be able to follow orders."

    Togashi nodded seriously as he listened intently to Gengyo¡¯s order. "I will get on it right away."

    "My thanks."

    "I don¡¯t think Jikouji minds doing the little tasks, Tadakata." Akiko said with a gentle smile, noticing his thoughtfulness. "But I do think it¡¯s a good idea getting him a helper. I¡¯m sure it takes a toll on him, being as old as he is."

    "That what I was thinking as well. We have plenty of good men here. There is no need for him to be doing all my biddings. He¡¯s needed for higher things."

    "You as well, Tadakata. You should use the people around you a little more, to make life easier. We¡¯ve got so many people with us ¨C they¡¯d be happy to help."

    It was a familiar suggestion, and one that he¡¯d been attempting to act on, ever since that day on the beach. "Aye, everyone will have their need soon ¨C I have not forgotten. Once the war is over, that¡¯s when the real hard work will begin, and I¡¯ll have need of everyone we have avable."

    She nodded, before leaning in close, and whispering in his ear. "I think Togashi would do very well leading people."

    Even their two horses were rather fond of each other, and as Gengyo pulled his own horse in closer ¨C so that he might whisper back in Akiko¡¯s ear ¨C neither of the two beasts made a fuss. "So would you, my dear. You¡¯re getting better at this by the day. I do appreciate your words ¨C I want you to know that. Even if at times we are already thinking the same thing, there wille a day when we are not, and on that day you¡¯ll be able to guide me, so I want you to continue. In regards to Togashi though, I could not agree more. He and father are both doing excellent jobs leading the men in their training, and the like. As soon as a higher position is in need of filling, he will be the man for the job." He finished, brushing away one of her stray bits of hair, before kissing her forehead.

    She smiled back at him blissfully, truly contented.

    "Heh... I guess I¡¯m interrupting then." Jikouji returned at that rather inopportune time, as seemed to be his nature.

    "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to rub it in, old man, what with you missing the governor and all." Gengyo responded yfully. "Hello Takeshi, we meet again."

    The timid smith bowed his head meekly, searching for the appropriate way of addressing him. "Y-yes, y-your lordship..?"

    "Don¡¯t worry about titles for now, little smith. I did warn you that we¡¯d be having a talk, didn¡¯t I?"

    "Ah... you did your lordship." At his repetition of the lordship title, Gengyo raised an eyebrow, at which the smith grew ever more timid. "S-sorry."

    "Do not fret about it. I saw the cannon you made ¨C it was excellent. A fine piece of equipment, and perfectly suited to its role." He showered Takeshi in praise, as the smith struggled to find an appropriately humble response. As it happens, he did not need to, for Gengyo continued on. "But, what I ask of you now is of a slightly different scale, only a little lessplicated. I would like battlefield ready cannons, around three timesrger than the ship one. These don¡¯t need to rotate."

    Little Takeshi was already nodding his head away, running over the specifics in his head. In reality, he would just be making a normal cannon here. It was a simple enough task, especially whenpared with theplexity of thest build.

    "I will take your nodding as you will be able to do it? Do we have enough material in order to build five?"

    He snapped out of his thought, and blushed heavily, growing fl.u.s.tered. It only grew worse when he nced up to see the beautiful Akiko smiling down at him ever so gently. He barely managed to force the words out. "Y-yes!"

    "Ahem... I reckon we likely have enough material for ten, given what we picked up in Okazaki." Jikouji interjected, seeing that Takeshi would not be speaking any time soon.

    "I do not think we will have time to make ten, but that gives me a good idea of how much material we have ¨C thanks Jikouji. Takeshi. I will ask you to begin construction of the cannons as soon as we arrive in Honkaido. You will have men to help you. They will function the same as they did when we were constructing things back in Okazaki."

    They went quiet a moment, as Gengyo considered whether there was anything else he needed to add. As it happens, there was nothing, so he dismissed the man who was clearly ufortable in hispany. "Very well, that will be all Takeshi." He turned away from the young smith, anticipating his departure, as he began to instead speak to Jikouji. "I¡¯ve sent Togashi to get you a helper, Jikouji. A page, or something like that, to help with the boring tasks that I keep giving you."

    "Eh? You needn¡¯t have done that." Jikouji protested, thinking the little smith had gone as well, but he still had yet to leave. He worked his lips, desperately trying to say something, but unable to do it. Of course, he could build cannons ¨C any smith could build cannons. That wasn¡¯t what he wanted to do, though. At least, not only that.

    At the beach, with Jikouji, he¡¯d gotten a taste of something that he truly enjoyed, and that was innovation. Back in Okazaki, he had witnessed the birth of a monstrous weapon, yet his role in its conception had been minimal. He didn¡¯t know why, but that irritated him. Not only did it light a fire in his forge ¨C it also lit a fire in his heart. All those designs that he¡¯d kept hidden, fearing there would be no one to look at them. He¡¯d reviewed them endlessly,paring them to the rotating cannon, and the revolving rifle. Most of them, he¡¯d burned out of shame. They simply didn¡¯t match up.

    There was a single one, however, that he had kept. He¡¯d reviewed it over and over, rethinking the design to make sure that it was viable, andpletely operational. And now, with the mention of cannons, it was the perfect time to unveil it. At some point, he¡¯d begun to idolize this man. He¡¯d heard talk of his inventions from amongst the men. He¡¯d even witnessed some himself. He was a man after his own heart, yet still years far ahead of he. If only he could impress him, then his invention truly might be worth something.

    It was only then that they seemed to notice him.

    "Takeshi? You¡¯re still here? Is there something else you want to say?" Gengyo asked, surprised to see that he had stuck around, and even more surprised by how much he was struggling to speak.

    Even with Gengyo¡¯s prompting, Takeshi couldn¡¯t get the words out. He opened his mouth, but could barely speak. On a subconscious level, he was terrified of being rejected. Of his work being called pathetic. But how would he know if he didn¡¯t try?

    "Say it, whatever is on your mind, you will not be punished for it." Gengyo reassured him, almost sure that there would be some sort of criticism or suggestion in regards to the way he was carrying out his mission.

    "It¡¯s alright, Takeshi. Miura means what he says. No matter whates out of your mouth, you won¡¯t be shamed or punished for it. Speak freely." Jikouji reassured him patting him on the shoulder.

    Akiko smiled gently at him, with a gaze that contained all the empathy in the world. It was as though shepletely understood what was going through his mind.

    He clenched his fists, and held onto his reigns tight, gulping deeply, struggling to steady his beating heart, and make his own voice be heard over the mess of anxiety that was preventing him from moving forward as both a smith and as a man.

    "I..." He began, shaking as he forced the word out of his throat.

    "Go ond." Gengyo encouraged him reassuringly.

    "I... design... to show to... you." Takeshi looked up at him with pleading eyes, begging for him to understand.

    Gengyo grinned at him. To think it was something like this. "I would be honoured to review your design, Takeshi. Do you have it on you?" It was his first time hearing a request like this. To be able to review another man¡¯s creation. What greater privilege was there than that?

    Takeshi shoot his head. "It¡¯s... back with the tent." He was able to speak a little easier now, as though a great weight had been lifted off his chest, but he was still immensely nervous, thinking that his design might be called stupid.

    "Lead the way." Gengyo motioned forward, leaving his position at the front in order to review his smith¡¯s work.

 Chapter 189 - Cannonball

    --

    They trotted back to the supply carriage, where Takeshi¡¯s tent was packed away and stored, along with the rest of his things. He scrambled onto the cart, and began to search through his bag hastily, pouring half the contents onto the floor of the wooden cart, before finally finding a scroll.

    He picked it up slowly, staring at it for a long time, trying to work up the nerve to give it to Gengyo, but before he coulde to a decision, hismander simply plucked it from his hands, and opened it.

    "W-wait!" The smith squeaked, surprised.

    "Mm..." Gengyo began trying to decipher what the scroll was attempting to portray. There were multiple images, all seemingly ced sporadically across what was once nk paper. It was an incredibly frantic piece of work. But imagination was often manifest chaotically, rather than in ordered and sensible steps. "So, what am I looking at here?" He asked finally, unable to make heads or tails of it.

    Takeshi blushed heavily, taking the question as a slight on his work. "I-it¡¯s, a uhm... it¡¯s a cannonball design."

    "Ohh... And how does it differ from a normal cannonball?" He asked the follow up question, as Jikouji reached forward, wanting to take a look at the scroll himself. He held it up and down trying to find the right viewing angle, but even he couldn¡¯t understand it, and handed it off to Akiko, who was peaking her head forward curiously.

    "It... it¡¯s in a case, and then when it shoots, eight little cannon balls are fired in different directions."

    "Hoh..." Gengyo was already smiling as he ran the idea over in his head. It was certainly doable. It was basically arger version of a shotgun shell. It would certainly cause more havoc on a battlefield than a single cannon ball. "I like it."

    Takeshi¡¯s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "R-really?"

    "Aye, really. Have you thought about the specifics yet?"

    "N-no, but-"

    "Come and find me in my tent this evening after you¡¯ve thought it through a bit more. We¡¯ll begin production once we get into town. I have high hopes, Takeshi."

    "Y-yes! As you say, my lord! I¡¯ll get right t-to it!" He stuttered frantically, ovee by excitement. His face was lit up as bright as the sun from sheer joy.

    As Gengyo turned to trot away with his closest men in tow, he did so with a gentle smile on his face. He too was excited, seeing what Takeshi had presented himself with. Already his influence was being had on this timeline. In another world, Takeshi¡¯s work would have gone unnoticed, but perhaps here ¨C under Gengyo¡¯s guidance ¨C he would be able to flourish as the inventor that he sought to be.

    "He¡¯s a clever little smith, isn¡¯t hed?" Jikouji spoke with some amount of pride ¨C it was him that had found him in the first ce.

    "He¡¯s got a talent, I would say. The excitement lies in seeing where it will take him."

    Akiko watched from the side, with a smile sitting on her lips. She yed with her hair absentmindedly as thoughts of contentment filled her mind.

    ¡¯He¡¯s a good man... and a good leader.¡¯ She thought to herself, not for the first time. And he was her husband. Her lover. It was she that would carry his child. She wondered whether one day, it would be their own son presenting designs to him.

    ...

    ...

    Honkaido loomed ahead with theing of the setting sun. It was a rather old fortress, and due to its rather central position, it had been neglected. And so, there were parts of the walls that were crumbling, and it was rendered weaker than it otherwise would be.

    It was smaller than Okazaki. From what he¡¯d read, Gengyo thought it be a cattle town, though he could not see any cattle out feeding.

    "It¡¯s likely market time. They¡¯ll be keeping the cattle inside, for trading and butchering." Jikouji suggested.

    "Mm, could be." Gengyo mused, stroking his chin. He was faced with a choice. Whether to attack and secure the fortress now, or whether to wait till morning.

    He jumped down from his horse, and stretched his stiff legs out, before pulling his arms back, and stretching his shoulders and back out.

    He could see a few guards holding torches, watching him with terror from atop their walls. He gave them a casual wave, and the sweetest smile he could muster, beforeing to a decision.

    "Tell the men to set up camp. We¡¯ll attack in the morning."

    "Right you ared. Suzuki, go and tell the men." Jikouji spoke to his new helper, that Togashi had found from him earlier. He was twelve years old ¨C a son to one of the serving women who¡¯de as part of the caravan. He was enthusiastic enough, and seemed to have a great interest matters of the battlefield. But what interested him even more was having coin of his own, which he was getting in plenty of as a result of this job.

    "Yes! I will go right away, Jikouji-sama!" He called out, before moving to carry out his order at a sprint.

    "Sama? A bit much, isn¡¯t it?"

    "Heh, I¡¯ve got to take whatever respect I can get,d."

    "Mm..."

    "What¡¯s going on? Are we setting up camp? It¡¯s right in front of us. Just charge through and grab it! We can sleep in beds for a change." Hearing the order, Morohira came up on his horse.

    "I have a feeling that we won¡¯t need to." Gengyo responded with a smile, pointing to the wall, where an ever-increasing number of guards were gathered. The Red Feather setting up camp directly outside the city¡¯s gates could be interpreted in no other way than a direct threat, but considering the size of the Red Feather forces, to attack them would be madness.

    "Heh..." Morohira noticed it too, following the pointing finger, as did the rest of theirrades who were gathering. He unslung the rifle from his shoulder, and began to push bullets in the revolving chamber. "They could do with a couple of warning shots, couldn¡¯t they? Just to stop them from trying something whilst we¡¯re sleeping."

    "Hah..." Such aggression proved exhaustive as Gengyo let out a sigh. He would rather not aggravate them too much, but as long as they didn¡¯t kill anyone, it was fine to do a bit of scaring. "Fine... One shot each, whoever wants to fire. If you hit someone though, you¡¯ll be left behind when we attack in the morning."

    "Tsch... that takes the fun out a bit." Heined, as he looked down the barrel and lined up the shot.

    BANG

    The men on the walls flinched as one, as the bullet collided with a wooden beam behind them, and sent small splinters crashing down.

    "Aw... you could have waited for me." Rokkakuined, unslinging his own rifle, and quickly preparing a round.

    "Me too!" Il said hastily.

    "Hehe, thed¡¯s learning!" Rokkaku chuckled, firing a shot of his own.

    "They are quite the cruel bunch, aren¡¯t they?" Jikouji mused, seeing their brutish games.

    "...You¡¯re only saying that because you want to fire a shot too, aren¡¯t you?" Gengyo guessed.

    Jikouji stared at him seriously for a couple of moments, as though he were about to refute the boy¡¯s ims, but then he broke out intoughter. "Aye. There¡¯s something fun about firing these new weapons."

    BANG

    "You too, Kitajo?" Gengyo turned around in surprise to see that his monklypanion had been unable to restrain himself as well.

    "It is pretty fun." Kitajo said weakly in his defence.

    "Fine... Give me that - I want a turn."

    "Go ond! Aim for the post right behind them! If you get it... I¡¯ll run around the camp n.a.k.e.d three times!" Morohira roared delightedly, seeing that they had managed to break down Gengyo¡¯s calm and serious mask, and soon the rest of the crew were gathered around, after firing shots of their own, each cing bets on whether he would manage to hit it.

    "Alright..." He said slowly, taking a deep breath to steady his rifle. The guardsmen had either fled the top of the wall, or were crouched down behind it, not willing to show their heads. "Actually... I¡¯ve got a better idea." He stated with a devilish grin, pointing his rifle elsewhere.

    BANG

    A perfectly lined shot. The icing on the cake was the look of surprise on the soldier¡¯s face as his helmet was sent flying from his head.

    "Hahahahaha! Brilliant shot boss!" Rokkaku roared with amus.e.m.e.nt, pping him on the back, as a barbaric chuckle passed over the entire group. Rin and Akiko watched from afar, shaking their heads at the boy¡¯s games, though it was likely that they secretly wished to join in themselves.

    "Miura-sama!" Suzuki called loudly, struggling to be heard over the bellowingughter.

    His boyish voice was heard immediately, and the group turned to look at thed, somewhat overbearingly. But in his youth, he was too giddy to fear them, despite the weight of their presence, and his announced his message cheerfully. "Your tent is ready! So is yours, Rokkaku-sama!"

    "...Wait, howe everyone is getting a sama honorific? I don¡¯t feel as special anymore." Jikoujiined yfully.

    "Jikouji-sama-sama." Gengyo suggested.

    "As you wish, Jikouji-sama-sama!" Suzuki bowed rapidly, before speeding off to another part of the encampment.

    "I don¡¯t think he quite understands how honorifics work..." Jikoujimented, having initially enjoyed being referred to with such respect, but now even the likes of the bumbling Rokkaku was receiving the same degree of reverence.

    "I think that would be a fair conclusion. Come on fes ¨C share some food in my tent whilst they finish putting yours up." Gengyo motioned for them to follow as he walked towards his tent. "Rin, Akiko! Come on, we¡¯re going to get something to eat." He shouted towards the girls who had by now put quite a distance between themselves and the men.

    The men did not take his offer lightly. It was a privilege to be able to eat whilst the rest worked. It would never have been that way in the past ¨C and they remembered all too well the struggles of pitching the tent. It was not an incrediblyplicated task, but after a hard day¡¯s march, it was thest thing one wished to do.

    "Okay! Let me go and find Ishi first!" Rin shouted back, before pulling Akiko off somewhere by the hand.

    War and conquering did not need to an unpleasant affair, and these were a group who knew it. By now it was as natural to them as spending the days working in the rice fields, and they enjoyed their task to the fullest. There were not many soldiers who could say that.

 Chapter 190 - The Messenger

    As they were allughing and joking inside themander¡¯s tent, Takeshi was furiously attempting toe up with answers to Gengyo¡¯s questions. He had a general idea how he would bring them into fruition. What metals he would use, and how he would design the casing, but he wanted toe up with more, so that when he shared it with Gengyo he would be impressed.

    His teeth mped down on his finger nails as he chewed them out of habit, trying to think. He was already standing outside of the tent, but could not work up the nerve to draw back the p. He¡¯d be annoyed, wouldn¡¯t he? If he were to go inside without announcing himself?

    "Eh? What are you standing outside for?" A rather drunk Rokkaku asked him, as he shook away thest few drops of urine after a long piss.

    "I-I...I was just-"

    "Miura! Takeshi¡¯se to join the party!" Rokkaku announced, stumbling through the tent p, dragging Takeshi along with him.

    "Ah!" Suddenly he was cast inside under the bright candle light, and various sets of curious eyes on him.

    "Hoh. Hello again, Takeshi. Did you manage toe up with the specifics?" Gengyo asked, drawing a mouthful of chicken away from the bone with his teeth.

    "Y-yes, I uhm... I think so."

    "Well, that¡¯s good. We¡¯ll begin production tomorrow, upon capturing the town. I need five cannons building in the next two days, and I need a mixture of normal ammunition, and Takeshi cl.u.s.ter shots." He saw the look on Takeshi¡¯s face after he mentioned his invention. "That¡¯s my name for it. Don¡¯t you like it?"

    "Yes, my lord! I do... and I will... I will do as you say with the cannons."

    "Good man. Morojo?" The shipwright was sharing food with them as well. There was not quite enough room for all his sons, but they fit in who they could.

    "Ayed?"

    "Tomorrow your work will begin as well. This ce is in serious need of repairs. Reinforce the worst points, and set up positions for Takeshi¡¯s cannons to be ced. They¡¯ll be put on the frontwards wall. There is only one gate in the castle, and the wall in which it is housed is incredibly weak. That will be the breech point, when someone attacks us."

    "So, we¡¯re going to hole up here whilst we wait for that bigger army you¡¯ve predicted?" Jikouji asked, taking a sip of his sake.

    "That¡¯s the n. If it¡¯s as you say, and they have got their cattle inside, then we¡¯ll be able to survive a siege for a good while. With our firepower, we might even be able to repel them."

    "Might?" Morohira questioned with a raised eyebrow.

    "Mhm. I¡¯m not sure what will happen. This is the biggest obstacle we have to face yet. We won¡¯t be able to get through it without a bit of luck. If the gods are not on our side, then it doesn¡¯t look too promising." Gengyo stated all this without a hint of bitterness in his tone.

    "We¡¯ll do what we always do, and cut the f.u.c.kers to pieces." Rokkaku announced holding his ss high.

    "Aye! Let¡¯s just cut the f.u.c.kers to pieces. What are you doing worry about strategy when we¡¯ve got the genius Rokkaku to give us the answers already?" Morohira raised his ss to join him.

    Soon the rest had their cups raised in some sort of satirical toast. "Can you not at least try to live..?" Rin asked seemingly exasperated. In truth, every single man present hade to terms with the reality of his own death. They had be what many a warrior sought to be, and moved like water, epting whatever was toe their way with the utmost resolve.

    "Heheh, I¡¯ll try to try." Gengyo decided, moving onto his own ss of sake.

    The only person present who seemed even remotely worried was Fuku, who had not quite yet managed to ept the philosophy of a warrior. All she knew was that she did not want to have to suffer the loss of another loved one. But perhaps ¨C she reasoned ¨C if she were to die alongside them, then it would not be so bad

    ...

    ...

    They drunk and shared food untilte into the evening, anticipating that the enemy would not dare to attack. Still, even if they did, the rest of the army were mostly sober, and ready to do battle.

    Most of them ended up falling asleep inside the tent, not even bothering to return to their own. By the time sunrise came around Gengyo had only slept for a couple of hours, but since he did not want to miss out on what he thought might transpire, he arose, and went to watch the sun peak up its head.

    As he stood up, he disturbed the sleeping Akiko, who had buried her head in his chest.

    "Mm..?" She blinked up at him sleepily. "Where... are you going?"

    "For a walk. Go back to sleep." He whispered back, taking great care not to disturb the rest of their sleeping party.

    "I¡¯lle too..." She decided, dragging herself to her feet, though she was still quite obviously exhausted.

    He nodded with a light smile, before taking her hand, and passing through the p.

    The coolness of the morning air was startling, but after a few moments, their bodies adjusted, and they were able to walk without shivering too violently.

    "Oh, it¡¯s beautiful!" Akiko eximed, looking up at the rising sun, and the beautiful golden patterns that decorated the horizon. The perfect amount of perfectly shaped clouds. It was truly a picturesque scene.

    "Isn¡¯t it? It feels strange to think that such a thing happens every single day, yet we let it pass by without noticing it." Gengyo mused, wrapping his hand around her waist, as they stood side by side, admiring the sun¡¯s ascent.

    "We should wake up each morning at sunrise, so that we get to see it." Akiko suggested.

    "We could, but I think after a while, we would not appreciate it¡¯s beauty quite as much. Perhaps it¡¯s best saved for moments like these, where I can quietly enjoy it with my wife."

    "Mhmm, I guess so."

    As they were quietly enjoying their time together, therge gate of Honkaido were pushed open just enough for a single rider to slip out.

    "Tadakata! Look!" Akiko called urgently.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I see it."

    He took her hand once more, and slowly walked, until he was barring the path of the horseman. He continued to gallop forward at a pace, looking as though he would not slow. But they simply stood as they were, defiantly, not giving an inch of ground.

    He slowed to a halt just before colliding with them, and his horse snorted angrily, its hot breath condensing in the cool morning air. The mounted man looked down on them aggressively, unspeaking. In his hand was not a weapon, but a scroll.

    "Hand me the scroll." Gengyo said sternly.

    There were a few seconds pause, as it looked as though the man was intent on disobeying, but then he violently thrust it forward, with a degree of bitterness.

    The young man plucked it from his tensed fingers, and began to read its contents aloud so that Akiko might hear it too.

    "Aggressors, this town does not hold anything of value. As you can see, our walls are crumbling, as are our homes. I ask that you skip this town, and go in search of wealth elsewhere. We are willing to give you a small token of 300 gold, as a gift."

    Gengyo raised his eyebrows, and shared a look with Akiko.

    "That¡¯s pretty insulting." Hemented. How stupid did one have to be to settle for a mere 300 gold when he had an entire town ripe for the pickings.

    He nced at the scroll once more, as though to look for something else, but the horseman made the mistake of sneering, and a momentter, the man he had just been talking to had disappeared, leaving the women to stand alone.

    He looked around frantically, his forehead creasing with lines as he attempted to discern where he had gone to. And then, he felt something cold creep us his spine, as fingers found their way around neck, grasping at his throat.

    The man he thought to have disappeared leaned forward and whispered towards his ear. "We¡¯re going to have to do some... negotiating."

    And then, with a single swift motion, the horseman was dragged from his horse, and sent crashing to the ground. He gasped in pain as the air fled from his lungs, but he was not given a single moments respite. The folds of his clothing were grasped, and he was dragged along once more, kicking and shouting aggressively.

    Right up to the gates of Honkaido, the man was taken. His shouts soon turned into screams as the hold on his clothing tightened, and they came up further, restricting his breathing. At such a mour, men were awoken. Both men of the Red Feather, and men inside Honkaido.

    They peaked their heads over the top of the wall, seeing their man screaming, dragged by this brutish aggressor. They drew back their bows, and threatened him

    "Let him go, or we¡¯ll turn you into a f.u.c.k.i.n.g pin cushion!" One of the men shouted, thinking Gengyo just to be another battle mad warrior.

    "Try it, see what happens." Gengyo suggested calmly. His actions were violent, but his mind was tranquil. He knew exactly what he was aiming for.

    "F.u.c.k you!"

    The man shouted back. He was one of the best archers in the town. There was no need for him to stand on ceremony and take this kind of insulting behaviour. He unleashed his arrow without a second thought.

    It came charging toward Gengyo, seeking to puncture a hole in his lung. As soon as he had released it, the archer knew his arrow shot to be true, and his lips were already curled up gleefully.

    But what he did not expect was for the man to twist so quickly, and dodge the speeding projectile by the narrowest of margins.

    "ARGH! F.U.C.K!" The captor screamed, as the arrow speared through his leg. "OH GOD, F.U.C.K! WHERE ARE YOU AIMING?" He raged, trying to defeat the pain with anger.

    "Oh dear, it seems you¡¯ve missed." Gengyo said innocently. His men only continued to gather, so that they might watch. It was quite the show to wake up to, and they were enjoying it thoroughly.

    "He¡¯s a bastard... I¡¯m so d he¡¯s on our side." Morohira murmured. He could well enough imagine how infuriated the enemy were bing ¨C he would be raging himself if he had to suffer through half of what they had.

 Chapter 191 - Negotiations

    --

    --

    The archers thought twice about releasing a second arrow. Their man was still writhing in agony, unable to do anything to relieve the pain, as he was held so tightly. If they wished to kill their offender, then they would have toe to terms with killing their own man, and none of them were quite willing to do that.

    "Don¡¯t feel like firing again? Good." Gengyo nodded with approval, taking his time to voice hisints. "That message you sent earlier ¨C it was a bit...cking, wasn¡¯t it?"

    He kicked his captive¡¯s leg, asking his question once more. "Wasn¡¯t it?"

    "ARGH, F.U.C.K! YES! F.U.C.KKKKKKKK! YES, IT WAS!"

    "See, we¡¯ve discussed it. It was verycking. And now, after a bit of thought, you have two choices. Firstly, you send whoever is in charge to meet with me, and wee to a more appropriate deal. Secondly, you do nothing, and we will kill everyone in this town."

    He waited awhile, looking around, up and down the top wall, turning to his own people, as though he wondered what the hold up was. "Well, that¡¯s a shame. A real shame. It looks like we¡¯re going to have to go with option two." He began to speak to his captive once more. "It¡¯s not what I¡¯d like to do, but it¡¯s just how it is... I guess you¡¯ll be the first to die. Well, let¡¯s get going then."

    He began to drag him back to his own people, much to the man¡¯s disproval. With every rock on the uneven earth, he was sent the most mind-numbing jolt of pain, as it snagged on the head of the arrow, and tore his flesh even further open.

    "WAIT!" A voice called out desperately from the top of the fortress wall.

    "Hmm..? Who might you be?" Gengyo turned around slowly, and spoke to the man who¡¯d called out to him. He was dressed differently from the rest. Instead of armour, he was in his ordinary kimono. He was a man of some position, at least.

    "I am the governor of this town." He said meekly, clearly not relishing having ite to this.

    "Excellent. Come out of the gates, and talk with me, and you can have your friend here back."

    "Wait, how can I trust you? You could kill me as soon as Ie outside. I would much prefer it if you were toe inside."

    Gengyo chuckled, truly amused. "Governor, you¡¯re misunderstanding something. You don¡¯t have a choice. You do as I say, and you risk dying, or you ignore what I¡¯m saying, and you will definitely die, alongside all your people."

    Even from this distance he could see the man clench his teeth, as he came to a sudden realization. This was no ordinary band of raiding mercenaries. They could not be tricked, or bought off so easily.

    There was silence for a few moments, as he tried to think of another strategy. His men whispered into his ear, furiously trying to talk him out of it, iming that it was definitely a trap, and he would get killed as soon as he left the city gates. But what choice did he have?

    He shook his head, trying to work up the courage to do as he was being told to do. To die one way, or to die another. It would definitely be better to die for his people, facing his death, rather than trapped inside like a rat, and caught up in a furious melee.

    "Come on, I¡¯m hungry." Gengyo called out. He knew all the right buttons to press to make people maximally irritated.

    A few minutester, thoserge gates opened once more, and this time, a single man stepped out ¨C unarmed. Gengyo pulled his captor up to his feet, ignoring his cry of pain, as he whispered into his ear. "Go on now, run back to the gate. You¡¯ve served your purpose very well."

    And then he released him. Having only a single leg to support his weight, the man copsed to the floor, and began to crawl through the mud as fast as he could. His governor did not even look at him as they passed one another, and soon the man disappeared inside the gates.

    Seeing that he was alone, without any man around him, one of the more daring archers released another arrow. He was even further away than before, and had all the time in the world to tut, and step off to the side.

    "Stop." He ordered.

    BANG

    A momentter, a hole appeared in the foolish archer¡¯s skull, and he copsed to the floor. Gengyo nced back to see Rokkaku lowering his weapon with a grin. "I¡¯ve got ya back boss."

    "Hello, governor." Gengyo greeted him as he neared. "Shall we go and talk in my tent?"

    Surrounded by so many blood thirsty warriors, in the heart of the enemy camp, the governor could barely stop himself from shaking, and only managed to nod in reply to Gengyo¡¯s question.

    "Good, follow me." He said with a smile, once more making his way back towards the tent. By now, there was no one asleep inside, and it was fit for discussion. "Take a seat."

    The man sat down, as did Gengyo. The ck armoured folk began to filter inside as well, to make sure there was not a single opportunity for this unknown governor to try anything funny with theirmander.

    Gengyo looked at him for a few moments in silence, before smiling.

    "Governor, you do not need to look so frightened. I do not ask much from you."

    The governor did not make a move to reply ¨C he was quite certain what had been said was a lie, and did not trust his voice to speak without cracking.

    "Mm... how long have you been governing Honkaido, then?"

    "Eh... ten- no, eleven years." The governor responded to the unusual question, furrowing his eyebrow.

    "Is that right? How have you found ruling? It can be quite stressful, can¡¯t it?"

    "It can, but as long as you do right by your people, it is rewarding." He spoke slower than he ordinarily would, making sure he was saying exactly what he meant to be saying. His life was very much on a knife edge here.

    "That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? And in return, you get an unbelievable amount of privilege. An interesting dynamic, isn¡¯t it? And now its you, who has to go out, and put his life on the line for the sake of your town." Gengyo mused, tapping his fingers on the desk.

    "Look, governor, I do not need a single piece of gold, or any of your wealth. That is not why I¡¯m here. But a question: what do you think of the Daimyo?"

    The governor furrowed his brows, and looked him at him worriedly, wondering how he might answer. He did not want to offend whoever this man¡¯s allegiancey to, so he chose a more neutral response. "Forgive me, but I do not know. I have never met him. We only pay our taxes, and that is the amount of interaction we have."

    "That¡¯s unfortunate, isn¡¯t it? Paying taxes and not receiving anything in return? What madness. Who conceived such an unfair system? Look at the state of your fortress, governor, if you¡¯d been able to keep that tax money, it wouldn¡¯t be in such a state, would it?"

    "That is true, but... it¡¯s just the way it is. It¡¯s neither good or bad. It¡¯s always been this way."

    "Things can always be different. I¡¯m well aware of the amount of tax you pay ¨C it is far more than is required to rule thisnd. What I require from you, governor, is your fortress, for a few days. I will give trade to your smiths, and pay them for their services. We will be guests in your fortress for a weak, or so."

    The governor looked up at him surprise. There was no way it could be that simple. It caught him off guard, and he was unsure whether he should yet respond, feeling that there was something that had yet to be said.

    "That being said, we will withstand an attack here. The Daimyo will send his forces to ¡¯deal¡¯ with us, and we will fight them here."

    The governor all but melted into his chair, as the hope that had just filled his chest disappeared once more. "Ah... it seems we will die no matter what." He stated hopelessly.

    There were chuckles from around the tent at his reaction of utter despair.

    "Now, now. It won¡¯t be that bad. I have quite the army, you see. Well, even if we¡¯re defeated, I don¡¯t imagine your people will be put in danger. You had simply need tell theirmander the truth, that we forced you into it. Now, if we do happen to win this battle, then we will contest the Daimyo once more, and look for his position. Won¡¯t that be nice? You won¡¯t have to pay such violent taxes anymore."

    "Hah... Even if that dide to pass, it would not change anything for us ordinary folk."

    "...Did he not hear what I said, about the taxes?" Gengyo asked this question to his own men, as he had been seemingly ignored by the governor.

    "I heard what you said ¨C but whether you stand by it is another question. You want to turn my peaceful town into a battleground? You¡¯re a cruel man. These people are innocent. They have no part in this conflict between you and the Daimyo."

    "Innocent? It doesn¡¯t work like that, governor. Whether you¡¯re innocent or not, you¡¯ll be dragged into things. That is the way this world of ours works. People eternally contest for power, and put the lives of ordinary men and women at risk. But I will do what I can to protect their lives. I have a cause that I believe in, and this is the surest way I can see to give me a chance at victory."

    "Heh... So, what you ask of me, is that I open my gates, and give you free ess to Honkaido, so you can fight your wars inside it? Even if we survive all this, we gain nothing."

    "I wouldn¡¯t say you gain nothing, governor. Morojo and hisds will fix it up a little, and it¡¯ll still be in decent shape after we leave. Your smiths will receive a good amount of trade, as will your merchants. This is an opportunity, governor. An opportunity. Think of it like that, and you¡¯ll be less depressed. Come, let us get underway. We do not have long."

    Gengyo rose to his feet, and pulled the governor up with him. The man looked incredibly weak, seeing the fate that had befallen his city. But he had no choice.

 Chapter 192 - Inwards

    "Governor!" They called out worriedly, seeing him being marched toward the gates with Gengyo by his side. He did not even look up at them as he walked, ovee by a feeling of hopelessness.

    It was only when they arrived outside the gates did he begin to address them. "Open the gates."

    As per hismand, they were opened just enough to allow him through.

    "Open them wider!" Hemanded.

    "But governor that will-"

    "OPEN THEM WIDER!" He barked. It was not a decision that he made lightly, and having to say it twice was cause enough to irritate him.

    One guard nodded to the other, and together they began to draw the heavy wooden gates open, until they were pulled back, with enough room to fit tworge wagons side by side.

    Gengyo nodded with approval, and let out a small satisfied smile. "FORWARD MARCH!" He gave orders of his own, and contrary to the guardsmen of this rundown old fortress, his men did not show the slightest hint of obedience. Already formed up in solid ranks, with the most perfect of spacing, they began forward, their feet hitting the floor as one.

    Such unison was terrifying to beyond. A disciplined army was a dangerous one.

    Slowly but surely, the Red Feather men approached, and the guards were ovee by a hopeless anxiety, looking to their governor for reassurance, but all he could do was shake his head, as this mass of men began down his streets, further into this town that he had cared for so deeply.

    Gengyo patted him on the shoulder. "Don¡¯t look so disheartened governor. No one¡¯s died. Yet."

    He left him with that slightly morbid joke, and began to walk ahead, alone, smiling at each of the civilians that looked his way, their hopeless curiosity written across their faces.

    Deeper and deeper they went, the full force of the army brought inside. The streets were lined with the citizens as they all stopped their work in order to witness this rather unexpected event. They were unsure whether they were being invaded or not.

    Into the town square they went, where numerous forges and anvils were stacked outside of wooden buildings. A few stubborn cksmiths continued their work, not wishing to give the metal time to cool down, else they make it difficult to work with. Though, they made a point to keep one eye on this rather unusual procession that had begun storming their streets.

    There were stalls and merchants of many kinds. Despite its shabby appearance, it was reasonably prosperous. Had the taxes not been so oppressive, then not only would it not been so rundown, it would have also been doubled in size, as the governing forces were able to expand their walls.

    Gengyo continued to smile, as he walked his way up onto a wooden tform. It had been set there purposefully, for a good time. From its height, its reason for being was clear. It was made for an orator to address the crowd. More often than not, that would be the governor.

    But now it was Gengyo that ascended those varnished wooden stairs, gracefully enough, ever higher, and soon all present in the square could see him, and would not dare to even take their eyes off him. To call his presencemanding would be an understatement.

    The governor dragged his feet, as he moved up the steps to join him, looking ashamed. Seeing the depressive look on his face, Gengyo shrugged. He thought that the man was overreacting, but he did not me him.

    "People of Honkaido." Gengyo began, as his men filed their way into the square, pounding a regr rhythm with their feet. "We are the Red Feather." His words were timed perfectly with thepletion of their march, and in time with his announcement, the final pulse of mming feet rocked the air around them, enting his words, and lending them power.

    The effect it had on the people was significant, as the name washed through their conscious, and they rushed to identify it, wondering where they had heard it before. But they all came up nk, as they began to look towards each other, not the slightest bit of recognition on their faces.

    "Your governor and I havee to an agreement. We will be staying in your fine town for a week or two, and in return, we will offer you trade. We particrly have need of your smiths, though your food and clothing services will be useful too."

    He reached inside his kimono to ent his words. "This here coin pouch contains a thousand gold. In return for assisting with the making of five cannons, and numerous cannon balls, it will be yours. What say you?"

    He nced over the crowd, his eyes searching for someone who would dare to speak up.

    "I¡¯ll do it!" A man called out, sticking his hammer into the air to be seen. In truth, he was surprised that the others hadn¡¯t spoken. Trade was drying up as ofte, and if he had the chance to make that sort of money, he would certainly not look down on. The man was no fool.

    "Excellent. Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves. This is a time to fill both of our pockets. Of course, such an opportunity does note without its drawbacks." He began to speak slightly quieter as he began on talk of the siege. "We stand against the Daimyo Imagawa. Here is where we will hold siege against him."

    "WHAT!?" An old woman cried out in outrage, and soon the rest of the town followed, mouring for an exnation. To stand against the Daimyo was to ensure certain death.

    "SIEGE, HERE? F.U.C.K! COIN ISN¡¯T WORTH DYING FOR!" A man roared.

    "TAKE YOUR BUISNESS ELSEWHERE!"

    Gengyo held up a hand, and his men mmed their feet, pointing their rifles forward, silencing the crowd through fear. "Do not misunderstand. We do not intend to get you killed. My men will improve this here fortress, and after we are gone, you will have something worth protecting."

    With the positioning of the rifles against them, the vigers did not dare to speak out. He smiled lightly in an attempt to demonstrate some degree of sincerity, but in truth, he heldplete power and sway here, the only way he could show integrity was for to do as he said he would, and allow no harm toe to them.

    He turned to the ashamed governor, and patted his shoulder. "Do you have any words to reassure them, governor? Or do you also think we are incapable of standing up against the might of the Daimyo?"

    "...I¡¯m sorry, my people. They hold the power here. It is this, or they could simply kill us all." He spoke whilst looking down at the floor, in something approximating a mumble.

    "Haha, you make us out to be the viins here." Gengyo chuckled. "You have what, 100 guards? That should be enough to defend a fortress against my men. Or it would have been, had the Daimyo not let Honkaido fall into such disrepair. It is through his heavy taxes that you are all living like this. You should not feel fear with theing of his forces. If we lose, then you will live ¨C you can im to be our hostages. But if we win, the weight of the load you bare will be lessened."

    It is human nature to fear chaos, and the crowd was liable to do just that. It was aggressive, it was forceful, and it waspletely domineering, but in the end, Gengyo¡¯s actions would lead to their benefit. They were at odds now, and saw him to be their captor ¨C their enver. Someone who was thrusting their family into the danger of war.

    But living as they had been, they were just waiting for such an urrence to happen. They were not strong in their little holding here. Even a force half their size would have been able to takemand. They were forced into a position of weakness by the greed of the highest ruling body in the province. A man who did not care for his own people.

    "People of Honkaido, you may not see the sense in my words, but know that I will do right by you. I am no Imagawa. My name is Miura Tadakata, and I do not intend to lose. If even a single one of your friends of family meets death because of my actions, then I will take my life, on these here steps, in front of you all."

    He was able to smile even as he spoke of taking his own life, because of his utmost assurance in his sess.

    "You can¡¯tmit seppuku if you¡¯re already dead!" One courageous old man called out, not caring whether he was killed for his words.

    "No, you¡¯re quite right. But old man, I do not act with the intent to lose."

 Chapter 193 - Repairs

    "Takeshi, these are your people. Show them how you want the Takeshi Cl.u.s.ter shot making, and begin production. I want you to oversee the production of the cannons as well."

    "Y-yes! As you wish!" He responded nervously, still not feeling too up to the task. The gathering of smiths viewed his skinny physique with ridicule. He could barely hold the hammer up in his hand. Most of them wondered why he was there at all.

    But as he began to handle the raw iron, and process it, his nervousness faded. This was something he knew more about than anyone else. He wielded his tools with authority and precision, and the smiths found themselves watching on, awe struck.

    Gengyo smiled quietly, before exiting the workshop, satisfied that things would proceed as they should in there. He had other matters to attend to.

    "All sorted in there?" Jikouji asked him as he exited. He had been waiting patiently outside.

    "Aye. Looks like he¡¯ll be able to handle it. Where¡¯s the captain that we were meant to meet with?"

    "Already at the wall, waiting for us it seems."

    "And Morojo?"

    "Right here." The shipwright rounded the corner with perfect timing. His skills were not only limited to making sh.i.p.s, and Gengyo had plenty of ns for him and hisds.

    "Excellent. Let¡¯s not leave the captain waiting, then."

    They were on their way to the top of the walls to inspect the true state of the defences from up close. Their meeting with the captain of the guards had been arranged begrudgingly by the governor, as a result of Gengyo¡¯s relentless pushing to set everything in motion.

    The citizens were adapting to their presence rather rapidly, and they were not as aggressive as they had first been. It seemed ¨C at least a few of them ¨C were hoping for the Red Feather¡¯s victory.

    Even the climb up to the top of the walls was more dangerous than it needed to be, with the only thing supporting their feet being a rickety olddder, that looked as though it might fall apart at any second. Whether that was purposefully put there - in the hope that it might copse on them ¨C was unknown.

    The captain was not exactly weing as he watched their ascent, but still showed the proper respect so that he would not risk angering them. "This way... your lordship."

    He began to lead them along the top of the stone wall, pointing to various points of interest. The damage to the wooden arrow cage was extensive.

    "Mm..." Gengyo paused a moment to test the integrity of one of the more solid pieces of wood, leaving the captain to walk ahead, talking to himself for a few moments before he realized that no one was following him.

    He tapped one of the wooden support beams lightly, to see whether it was capable of withstanding a more vigorous assault. He was barely able to put any force on it at all, before it crumbled in his hand. He looked up towards Morojo with a raised eyebrow.

    "Rotten. The whole thing is probably going to need recing." The shipwright stated, running the crumbled wood through his hands. "It takes years to get like this... That¡¯s some neglect there."

    "We don¡¯t have the resources to waste on such an unimportant part of the defence." The captain stated bluntly, not enjoying their criticism.

    "Unimportant? This wood is the only thing standing between you, and the enemy¡¯s arrows. The way it¡¯s looking now, an arrow would slice through this like a soft cut of meat." Jikouji protested, shaking his head.

    "Be that as it may, we don¡¯t have the time nor the money."

    Gengyo sighed, scratching the back of his head. The defences were even worse than he imagined. The cement was crumbling, and even the stones beneath his feet were threatening toe loose. They were minor problems, but they had been left for so long, that they¡¯d be this great mountain of work.

    "Aye... This is all going to need to go. I¡¯m not risking the lives of my men by asking them to put faith in such a shoddy defensive wall. The whole thing needs tearing down, and rebuilding again from the ground up." He ill.u.s.trated his point with a light kick, sending a panel of rotten wall crumbling to the ground below.

    "Tsch. Do you know how much work that¡¯s going to be? My boys won¡¯t be helping. There¡¯s not enough of us to do something like this." The captain growled.

    Jikouji twisted his mouth, disliking the tone the man taking. It didn¡¯t make sense to be so against something that would undeniably help him in the long run. Out of irritation, he felt his hand fall toward his sword.

    Noticing the movement, Gengyo put his hand on his shoulder, and shook his head. "Do what you must, captain. We will find our own way of doing things. That will be all ¨C your help has been noted and appreciated. We will now begin our own evaluations of your defences."

    The captain stared at him long and hard, struggling to control his anger. The captain of the city guard was being told to leave the walls of his own city by a man who had only been there a day. It did not sit well with him, but what other choice did he have? Seeing sense, he began to walk away, his anger apparent even from the very way he moved.

    They watched him go, with two of them feeling rather disheartened. Had the people been more co-operative, then their task would be a lot easier.

    "There¡¯s a good amount of work to be done." Gengyo stated the obvious lightly, wearing his usual smile, as he kicked out at another panel, removing a small de of grass from the field of work ahead. "But it¡¯s not impossible. We can transform this in a couple of weeks. We¡¯ve got the time. Do not lose heart, my friends."

    "Do you really think so? Even the gate is f.u.c.k.i.e.d. The amount of wood we¡¯re going to need is insane." Morojoined.

    "There¡¯s Okazaki forest half a day away." Gengyo reminded him.

    "Aye, but even that is too far. The horses won¡¯t be able to pull enough wood quickly enough for us to get anywhere near the changes done that we wish."

    Gengyo¡¯s smile only widened at the mention of that, and he crossed the wall once more, to look back into the town. "Come, look at this." He pointed downwards, and motioned for the two men to follow his gaze.

    "...Those?"

    "Aye. Those. We¡¯ve got the coin, haven¡¯t we? Let us make use of it."

    Almost half the town was dedicated to a single thing. It was the reason that the town managed to carry on, despite the oppressive state in which it was ruled. A thousand cattle were penned up in various ces below, as the farmers continued to flog their precious livestock for coin, or gave them up for butchering.

    "With those, we¡¯ll definitely have the wood we need." The shipwright stated, stroking his beard with something akin to approval. "The problem is thebour. We don¡¯t have enough men to cut it all down, and get it in shape."

    "Then we will hire the citizens. They are as much in need of coin as the rest of them. Some of them might even find the task enjoyable."

    "Heh... We could do, couldn¡¯t we?"

    "Aye. With that, it¡¯ll be enough, won¡¯t it?"

    "I think it might be, boss. I think it might be."

    "There is one thing I want to add, though. Recing the archer cage is not enough. We need the wood to be thicker, so that it can stop musket balls, as well as arrows. It is likely that we will have to deal with a matchlocks."

    "Haha, that¡¯s the easy part. When you¡¯ve been a shipwright for as long as me, you pick up a few tricks along the way." Morojo chuckled, seeing such a task to be meagre.

    "Is that right? Then, can I entrust this with you, and yourds? Make sure to leave space on top of the gate for the cannons that Takeshi is working on."

    "Aye. You can count on med. We¡¯ll have it looking better than it ever has been. We¡¯ll turn this shit hole into something worthy of our graves."

    "Well, I¡¯d prefer not to die here, but something of that standard does sound good to me." Jikouji put in.

    "We¡¯re getting somewhere then." Gengyo nodded with approval, seeing that everything was beginning to take shape, as he made his way back to where he remembered thedder to be.

    "Hm? Why aren¡¯t you heading down yetd? Oh... THAT F.U.C.K.I.N.G BASTARD!" Morojo roared, seeing that there was nodder in ce.

    "Heh... Seems we¡¯ve got ourselves a little joker to deal with." Gengyo grinned. "One moment fes. I¡¯ll fetch you adder." And then, he jumped.

 Chapter 194 - For Hire

    It was amusing to see just how quickly the power shifted. He who had wealth and knew how to wield it was able to control much of a city¡¯s happenings. They had arrived with an army, and subjugated the settlement, seizing control, but they had not won the hearts of the people. The vigers still walked around past them, unwilling to be associated with their kind.

    And then two sets of interests crossed. Their treasury was something that could be freely wielded, and the price they offered for even such basic work was far above what would normally be given.

    Gengyo did not even need to get involved himself. He merely watched from afar, as Morojo spoke to the crowd of people.

    "We¡¯re readying yer shithole of a city for war, and we need workers. For your help, you¡¯ll be receiving fifty silver a day, and you¡¯ll be helping to free yourselves from the ungrateful rule of Imagawa. Pretty sound deal, eh? Who¡¯s in?"

    Before he¡¯d even finished his sentence, numerous hands were cast into the air. Even merchants rushed over from their stalls in order to receive the opportunity to enrol in such employment. Fifty silver was more money than they could make in two days.

    "I¡¯LL WORK FOR YOU, KIND SIR!" A middle-aged woman threw her hand the highest, leaping up in order to be seen, eager for Morojo to notice her.

    Looking at them from his vantage point, they really were a neglected people. Theirck of funds had even affected their appearance. The majority of them had dirt covering their clothes and faces, and very few of them were able to fill out their clothes ¨C evidence of their malnourishment.

    It was a bad state indeed that the rather unintelligent taxing system had put them in. Because it was of a simr size to Okazaki, it was expected to pay the same amount of taxes. The prosperity of the town ¨C and the amount of resources it had ¨C was not taken into ount.

    "Calm down..." Morojo murmured, a little overwhelmed by their rather extreme reactions. "I¡¯ll hire the lot of you!"

    There were at least a thousand people in the square, and ¨C amusingly enough ¨C some of them were guardsmen. Much to the ire of their watching captain, they had thrown themselves at the opportunity. What they earned day to day just couldn¡¯t match the amount that was being offered now.

    Morojo turned around to look toward where he knew Gengyo to be standing, and the two shared a look. In that look was contained equal amounts of surprise, and hope. Hismander nodded back to him, a smile hanging from his lips. It was working out as he expected it would be. Things were shaping up.

    "Come, they seem to be doing well enough here." With his arm around Akiko¡¯s waist, the two of them moved off elsewhere, toward aparatively warmer part of the settlement. With all the forges that were currently in action, it was a wonder that a serious fire had not broken out amongst all the wooden buildings.

    The smiths were proceeding well enough. As they walked by, they were able to see the beginnings of what would be the first cannon barrel. Takeshi had an incredibly focused look on his face, as he observed it from various angles. They saw him shake his head, and begin to speak to the other smiths, offering a new set of instructions.

    "He seems to be handling the responsibility rather well." Akikomented, surprised that the anxious man was now able to speak to them so freely.

    "He¡¯s a passionate man. His passion for the work is what allows him to ovee walls that would normally limit him, like when he worked up the courage to show me his design. On that note, I¡¯m interested to see his invention in action. It should prove interesting."

    "Mhm. I am as well. Is there somewhere else we¡¯re heading, or are we stopping in to speak with him?"

    "I was going to ask him how he was getting on, but seeing them all so focused, I think we had better to proceed onto other things. Come, let us go."

    Gengyo had encouraged his soldiers to walk freely through the city to make the army¡¯s presence felt, and so as they walked, there were numerous men who bowed towards them, and offered their respects both to themander, and to his wife.

    The majority of the vigers hurried to get out of their way. Some harboured animosity towards him, and had it been another man, he would not have been able to walk so freely. Yet both he and Akiko were highly capable of defending themselves, and as they walked together, they had such a presence and exuded such confidence that no one was foolish enough to attempt to do them harm.

    They proceeded on towards a part of town where the residences were more bestial than human. In the confines of their holdings, cattle munchedzily on hay, letting out the asional cry.

    There were groups of men gathered, engaging in bartering, as they sought to sell off their animals.

    "Tadakata, what are we doing here?" Akiko asked, not enjoying how cramped the road was bing, as men lead their newly purchased cattle up and own, forcing them to step out of the way.

    "We¡¯re going to buy them." He responded lightly, looking around, wondering how long it might take to do business with each man individually. "Morojo will be on his way here in a few moments, and he¡¯ll be looking to head out of the city to begin logging. He¡¯s going to want some beasts to bring with him."

    "Buy them?" Akiko asked with a frown. "Do you mean all of them?"

    "Haha, maybe not quite all, but as many as we are able." He noticed a man leaning against a fence, and called out to him. "You sir! Are these fine animals yours?"

    He was not the cleanest of men, and he looked Gengyo up and down, somewhat aggressively, as he cleared his throat and spat off to the side. "Might be that I am. What¡¯s it to you? Looking to try to take it from me, are ya? Well I don¡¯t care how many of you there are. You ain¡¯t takin¡¯ nothin¡¯ without going through me first."

    "You seem to have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I¡¯m looking to buy them from you, my man. How much for one of these fine beasts?"

    "Tsch. Five gold. But I suppose that¡¯s too high for his lordship, eh?" The man named a higher price than he would normally have been able to sell the beast for, thinking that he was going to be pressured into an unfair trade anyway, but contrary to his surprise, Gengyo pulled his coin pouch out quite readily, and ced a sum into his hands.

    "Then I¡¯ll take all ten of them. I assume this will be enough?"

    The man stared from the gold coins in his hand back up to Gengyo in disbelief. Even with them sitting there, he was still unwilling to believe that the were real, and so he took one, and bit into it, to test the metal. "By the gods... you weren¡¯t joking? F.u.c.k, here. Take them, take all of them! I¡¯ve got more to sell, if you¡¯re looking to buy?"

    The man¡¯s attitude took a turn for the better, as he flung open his gate quite rapidly, almost being caught by it on its back swing. He hurriedly motioned to the left and right, ill.u.s.trating that he had far more cattle that he was willing to sell. The trouble with farming of his sort, was that it was difficult to find a fair buyer, and in selling to Gengyo ¨C even if he were to sell his entire herd ¨C he would be making a profit. He could buy back the same amount from another seller, and still have a handsome amount sitting waiting for him.

    Akiko and Gengyo smiled at each other with a knowing look. Business, and affairs of war were just that much easier when you had gold on your side. They had made a fortune during their piracy career, and more still when they sacked the mansion in Toyokawa, and then even more through various businesses in Okazaki ¨C though they had expended a good deal there as well.

    Even if their defence of Honkaido were to cost them their entire purse, then it would be worth it. They needed not to hold back. As things stood, the life of one man was worth far more than gold, and they had to do everything they could in order to keep the size of their army what it was, else they would struggle to rece the fallen men in future, and render themselves incapable of taking the province.

    "If you¡¯re selling, then I¡¯ll be buying them too."

    "Excellent! Excellent! Do you need any help getting them to where you need them? I can call my sons over, if you want? Kuroko! Over hered!"

 Chapter 195 - Treasure

    "Come along then wife, we have some exploring to do." With the breaking of dawn, Gengyo had already arisen, and was contending himself with idle thoughts and tea as he waited for Akiko to wake up.

    "Wife...?" She blinked sleepily up at him, slightly recoiling at his use of the rather of blunt word.

    "You are, are you not?" He was smiling to himself as he spoke, taking the pleasure in teasing her. "Or would you prefer mistress?"

    "Gugh... Neither. Please, neither."

    "Oh dear... She doesn¡¯t like it. I suppose that¡¯s it then. I¡¯ve made my mistake. I will be left for another man by the morning. Ah, how pitiful it is to have lost such a treasure. I will have to embark on my journey alone." He began towards the door with an air of mock dramatism.

    She squinted at the exit, daring to climb out of bed despite the coolness of the air. She was almost sure that he was ying with her. Still, she found her way to her kimono, and dressed with haste continually looking towards the door, expecting him toe back a momentter.

    When he did not, she began to panic, wondering whether there was any seriousness in his words. And then, a momentter, she saw his head pop around the very bottom of the door, with an incredibly stupid look on his face, like that of a monkey.

    She giggled despite herself. "Oh Tadakata. I really wish you would not tease me so heavily first thing in a morning. If you wish for me to wake up, then you had only need ask."

    "Mm, but that takes the fun out of it. Anyway, you¡¯d better use this before you go out ¨C your hair looks fit for a bird¡¯s nest." He informed her, tossing ab.

    "Mmph! And who¡¯s fault is it that I am in such a state? You have no regard for the routine of a woman."

    "That¡¯s not true. I don¡¯tin even when you let out one of your routine midnight farts."

    "Hah...?" She opened her mouth in shock, blushing. "You¡¯re lying. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that! Oh Tadakata! Please, leave me in peace, and I¡¯ll join you outside once I¡¯m ready."

    "Wait, wait! I thought that was a good thing. I thought you did it on purpose, to look after your husband. You¡¯re making sure that I get enough sleep by knocking me out and kickstarting the process."

    "Tadakata!"

    "Alright alright, I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Hurry up, would you? It¡¯s a beautiful day to be burying gunpowder." He relented and closed the door behind him, with a wide grin.

    Akiko shook her head, letting loose a sigh as she muttered to herself. "Honestly... The things hees out with."

    "What was that?" The door opened once more, as though he was waiting on the other side for her to speak.

    "Nothing! Go!"

    ...

    ...

    His words were not that of a lie. The day was startlingly beautiful, and with theing of the rising sun, the birds were tweeting enthusiastically. As they walked through town, even the vigers did not seem so wary of him now. The Red Feathermander and his beautiful wife had be a part of the morning scenery.

    "Good morning Takeshi. Good morning fes." Gengyo greeted the smiths as they passed, and Akiko nodded towards them with a polite smile.

    "Morning Miura!" The little smith responded back enthusiastically, as the others spared him some morning greetings.

    "How are things getting on? This looks like a fine piece of machinery here." Gengyo pronounced, tapping the end of what was the first finished cannon. Not only did it look threatening, but it also looked rather beautiful. He had taken the time to polish the metal, so that it was as shiny as the de of a sword, and one could see their face in it. Let no one say that Takeshi did not take pride in his work.

    "I-it¡¯s going pretty well! We¡¯ve got the first cannon all ready to go, as you can see. I think things will be even quicker now. And we¡¯ve begun work on the new type of ammunition, so we can start testing it at the end of the day."

    This role seemed to be exactly what he had needed to help him get him out of his shell. His nervous stuttering had improved markedly from what it was before, and when he spoke, he was able to do so with a degree more confidence and rity.

    "I¡¯ll look forward to seeing that then. Have fun!" He bid his farewells cheerfully, as they began to walk toward the city gate.

    "See up there, Akiko? The men have already gotten so far in dismantling the old archer cages. When it¡¯s reframed as training, I swear their performance increases by two-fold." He spoke, pointing up towards the wall where the Red Feather soldiers were finishing up their assigned work.

    "Mm, they¡¯re battle junkies, just like you. But it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand ¨C I want to get stronger too."

    "Heh, you¡¯re already plenty strong. Think back to where we were just a few months ago ¨C you¡¯d be able to beat that Akiko up in seconds."

    "And that Tadakata." She reminded him with a sneaky nce.

    "Hey, that¡¯s too far. Even if it¡¯s the past me, don¡¯t go beating me up."

    "Someone needed to. You used to tease me something rotten back then."

    "And I don¡¯t now?" He threaded his arm over her shoulders, and dragged her in close to prove his point.

    "Mm, let go! People are watching."

    "So? All they see is a man that loves his wife."

    "Guhhh..." She looked at the floor, embarrassed, unable to look the onlookers in the eye. Contrary to her, Gengyo freely nodded to everyone that looked towards them, as he passed out of the old wooden gates.

    Outside one could see the beginnings of the logging train. Back and forth oxen were led by masses of people, dragging great chunks of timber, and setting them outside the city gates, readying them for processing.

    As soon as they were received, a second detachment went to work on debarking, and creating panels with which they could use for the rebuilding of the archer cage. When they had enough wood, the logging team would switch their jobs, and be the rebuilding team, ensuring that everything was pushing forward as efficiently as possible.

    "Good work everyone." Gengyo called out as he passed.

    "Morning Miura-sama!" Those with any sense called back, not willing to risk portraying an improper amount of respect.

    "What are we doing out here again?" Akiko asked, only now stopping to consider why they had been dragged to the middle of the field.

    "Well... The weakest point in this entire fortress ¨C even after we¡¯re done all the repairs ¨C will remain this wall, in which the gate is embedded. Mostmanders will seek to attack here, and burn it down, so that they can charge in an overwhelm us."

    "They can climb up too though..." She pointed out, a little worried by the prospect.

    "They can, and that might be a viable tactic since they will likely have far more men than us. They can keep us buried here as the front, whilst they run around and try and climb at another point. However, they will be unsessful in doing that. Because of our firepower, we could simply abandon this gate-bearing wall, and pick off all the men who are attempting to climb, beforeing back to defend. The climbers will be mightily exposed, so we should be capable of doing that."

    "But... what if we¡¯re not?"

    "A good question indeed. Since we¡¯ve been granted ¨C by some god or other ¨C this little grace period - this little time to prepare - then it does not make sense to leave that up to chance. I stated it before, did I not? That the only thing we can really do, is prepare our defences as optimally as we can. So, we¡¯re going to set up a little something to give us the time we need in order to deal with any climbers."

    "Mhm, I remember you saying. But what is..?"

    "We¡¯re going to burry a couple of surprises."

    "Surprises?" She asked, frowning.

    "Indeed. Deposits of gunpowder and hidden trenches of oil at locations only we know about. Then, when the timees, we had only need send a shot towards them, and then the chaos of a whole firing squad will be brought to bear upon the battlefield."

    "Wow... so that thing you said this morning ¨C you weren¡¯t joking?" She asked in dismay. She¡¯d dismissed it entirely as a joke.

    "Of course not. I never joke." He announced with a perfectly straight face.

    She shook her head ignoring his obvious lie. "But how will we remember where each barrel is? What happens if you need to go off somewhere, and there is no one else to remember where the barrels are?"

    "We¡¯ll map the location of all of them, worry not."

 Chapter 197 - Scout

    The progress was steady and promising. The field explosives were buried individually one by one, just close enough to the surface so that a bullet could easily prate them and ignite the vtile powder. The oil trenches extended outwards from the gunpowder barrels, as a lone bullet would not be hot enough to light them individually.

    Now Gengyo was back atop the wall, observing the changes to the cage around them. The wood was of a much better quality, and the cage stood even higher than before, and would undoubtedly be enough to protect them from the projectiles that were fired at them.

    Akiko was busy training with Rin, iming that she wanted to try out a technique, and so it was much to her misfortune that she was missing out on what Gengyo thought to be a rather exciting asion.

    "So, you¡¯ve done some testing with this already, Takeshi?" He asked the young smith, as he casually inspected the cannon.

    It had taken quite the effort to get it up here. In fact, they had needed to construct a separate pully system just for it. Those efforts were not for naught though, because this new pully system made the transportation of timber to the top of the wall far easier, increasing their work rate even further.

    "That¡¯s right, Miura-san. As things stand, it should function perfectly." He responded rather confidently, as he held Gengyo¡¯s gaze.

    "Good... Good. Let¡¯s test it then." He nodded with approval. The other smiths were left to work by their lonesome on the other few cannons, and to continue production of the shells and the regr cannonballs.

    He squatted down in order to pick up one of the rather unique looking shells. As he brought it up in his arms, the weight was substantial, and he could feel the heavy inner balls rattling around inside the metal casing.

    "Wait, I need to fill the barrel with gunpowder first." Jikouji warned, before quickly scooping some of the powder from the crate next to them into the end, as Gengyo slid his shell in after it, grateful to be relieved of the burden.

    "Is that right then, Takeshi? We¡¯re ready to fire?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s all good. I would have used more gunpowder than Jikouji ¨C two handfuls should be better for the range we want ¨C but just for a test shot, it will do."

    "Mm. Good. I like that you¡¯ve kept it simple. It will make it easier for our men to operate them."

    "That¡¯s what I was trying to keep in mind when I was making it." Takeshi agreed, handing him a torch with which to fire it.

    A few of the men were looking over, wishing to see the cannon in action as well. "Better cover your ears boys, I expect this will be a loud one!" Theirmander called out in warning, before mping his freehand over his own ears, and lighting the fuse.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOM

    The sheer vibrations from such a powerful cannon was enough to cause a sudden bout of dizziness ¨C and it had not even been loaded with the ideal amount of gunpowder. It was a wonder that all of them remained standing.

    More than the difort, they all felt a degree of excitement, as they rushed to look out over the wall, to see the cl.u.s.ter of ballsnd. They had spread out in the air exactly as intended, and formed a spree of balls roughly a quarter of the size of the normal ship cannonballs, and they travelled with speed and vengeance.

    Gradually, gravity worked its pull, and dragged them further towards the ground, rendering them even faster. When they hit the ground, the heavy thunk was more than audible even from the distance they were standing. The earth groaned and gave way, with bits of grass-covered dirt firing high into the air. Even little stones sprung up with irritation.

    And then, when the dirt had settled, what was left were eight respectable little craters, with a small battered cannon ball sitting gleefully in the centre.

    There was a proud smile on Takeshi¡¯s face with a fair degree of relief mixed in there. Had the shot failed to perform at this moment, when he was showing it to the man he admired, then he would have been very embarrassed indeed. He looked up at Gengyo with expectation.

    "Hm..." Themander stroked his chin, thinking deeply, evaluating it. "You know... I think it¡¯ll do." He announced it with a yful grin.

    "More than do, I should think! Look at the damage a single shot has caused! If they ever dare to group up, and get within range, then we¡¯ll hold the undoubted advantage." Jikouji stated passionately.

    "Haha, I realize that, my old friend. I was just joking." He assured him, patting his shoulder. "Well, Takeshi, colour me impressed. You came up with a design that has thus far been unheard of, and you had the skill necessary to make it a reality, and make a very devasting weapon indeed. Good work."

    At the praise, Takeshi looked overwhelmed with happiness as he nodded enthusiastically, and beamed upwards.

    "However." He continued in a solemn voice. "I think you are capable of far greater things than this. For your first creation, it was good indeed, and you show promise, yet it is not the mostplicated work. Do you not agree?"

    The smith¡¯s smile faded at Gengyo¡¯s change in attitude. "...I do." He looked slightly disheartened, but hismander grinned back at him to show him that he meant no harm.

    "Goodd. I look forward to seeing your future works."

    "Yes... Yes!" Takeshi eximed, regaining his excitement, understanding the nuance within his words. "I¡¯ll definitelye up with something even better, just you wait! I¡¯ll head back to the forge now, and make sure everything is going as nned. Thank you for your time, Miura-san!"

    "See youter, Takeshi." He responded gently to the young smith¡¯s childish enthusiasm, as he and Jikouji watched him trot away.

    "You didn¡¯t have to put it like that, did you? He¡¯s a goodd ¨C I reckon he deserved a bit more than to be told his work was simple." Jikoujiined, sensing that the man he¡¯d brought into their fold might be mistreated.

    "Perhaps. For someone else, that would have worked. But for men like Takeshi, what matters most is the next project, and then the project after that. There is more joy in the innovation than anything else." Gengyo spoke from his heart, for he understood exactly what it was Takeshi felt. They were a simr breed of man.

    "Heh... If you reckon so."

    They both stood, looking out over the ins, with the sulphuric smell of burnt gunpowder tainting their nostrils, listening to the steady hammering down of panels, and the hum of workers coordinating each other.

    But their moment of quiet was just that ¨C a moment.

    "My lord!" A man called out from behind, kneeling down with one knee, and lowering his head. Gengyo turned slowly, recognizing him to be one of the scouts.

    "So, they¡¯vee, have they?" He asked with a calm smile.

    "They have, my lord." The man replied, struggling to keep his voice from shaking.

    "Well? How long do we have?"

    "I would say a week, my lord. Though it could be longer, if they are unable to maintain this pace."

    "A week? That is not so bad. We will havepleted all we have needed to before then. Why does your voice shake so strongly? Is it their numbers that you fear?"

    "I do not fear them, my lord." The scout insisted. "Yet their numbers are great, it is true. I count their men to at least number in the eight thousand."

    "Hoh... So not quite as bad as it could have been." He raised his eyebrows towards Jikouji, still maintaining his smile.

    The scout looked up at him sharply. Not quite as bad as it could have been? They were a force sixteen times bigger than their own! Just how bad had hismander truly expected them to of been? Of course, they had all heard what number he proposed they would be assaulted with, but not many believed so many would be summoned ¨C they assumed that to be the worst case.

    "Did you catch sight of their mon? It would be nice to know what man we are facing."

    "Ah... I did not recognise it myself, lord, but there were three golden leaves encapsted by a golden circle."

    He and Jikouji shared a look of understanding, both knowing just who they were facing.

    "As fate would have it, here we are. Of all Imagawa¡¯s men, he was whom I least wanted to face."

    "The same goes for me." Jikouji agreed.

    "Matsudaira Motoyasu, head of the Matsudaira n, and likely the mostpetentmander this province has seen. You have done well. Tell your brothers to continue to keep track of their movements. You may go and get yourself something to eat ¨C you¡¯ve earned it."

 Chapter 198 - Arrival

    --

    "March onwards, march forwards. We¡¯re ready for you by now." Gengyo intoned with a smile on his face, overlooking what had now be his town. His fortress. The governor had been pushed almost entirely out of the picture. He was not able to provide the vigers with what Gengyo was able to.

    Even with thepletion of their defences, there was still anxiety in the air. His men lined the walls of the fortress, looking out towards the horizon, waiting for any sign of the grand army that was set to march on them.

    The new archer cages were strong and sturdy, and could even survive a shot with their superior bullets, so musket balls did not stand a single chance.

    The cannons lined the frontwards wall, and when they were all loaded with Takeshi¡¯s cl.u.s.ter shot, they created a nket of fire that covered the entire battlefield. It was truly the most well protected spot on the entire fortress. Had they had more time, they would have been able to cover all the walls with them, and be rendered almost invincible.

    A new set of thick gates had been erected, supported by numerous metallic braces. It was not something that could be passed through easily. It would require quite the amount of fire to burn through it, especially since it had been made out of green wood.

    And so, when the others were anxious, he held a degree of confidence. He did not dwell on anxiety, and the approaching days passed with nary a displeased look on his face. The preparations had been observed, and now it was only the process that must be confronted.

    He stood, on top of those city walls, alone, in the early hours just before dawn. Any moment now the sun would peak its golden head over the horizon, and let all around it know of theing day, unphased by the wars that go on around it. Regardless of whether a loved one had been born, or had died. Regardless or whether there was not a single person to look at it, and appreciate it. Every day it would continue to do the same.

    The men observed his need for silence, and left him to stand on the wall by his lonesome, as they coveted other areas, staring out across the rolling ins, with flickering torch in hand, walking up and down every now and then to keep the cramping muscles at bay.

    A whisper of wind flickered out from nowhere, and tussled the tufts of his hair that were beginning to grow back. He closed his eyes, and opened his mouth, surrendering himself to the pleasant sensation, as his heart filled with a sense of expectancy. And when he opened them once more, the ins were no longer so empty.

    At first it was but a single mounted horse that made its way over the brow of that distant hill. And then behind it were yet more horses and their riders. In orderly ranks they flowed forward, a great mass of men.

    Soon four-legged beast unveiled some bipedal movement, as the procession of infantry began forward. Some holding their spears, and some equipped with their muskets. Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

    His fingers sped around the hilt of his sword, as his heart beat began to quicken, and he reassured himself, taking a deep breath to allow the calm to return.

    GONGGGGGGGGG GONGGGGGGGGG GONGGGGGGGGG

    A few momentster, the men saw them too, and rushed over, fl.u.s.tered, beating therge te continuously. The soldiers rushed from their posts to congregate towards where they thought the noise to havee from.

    Their shouts began to fill the once still morning air as well. The people below were stirred, and the soldiers that had been sleeping rushed to dress in their battle attire. Their movements were rushed and erratic, expending energy inefficiently in furious action. Despite all they had done to ready themselves, they were still unable to remain truly calm when the moment came.

    With all the pandemonium going on around him, Gengyo continued to look forward in silence, with a wide smile decorating his face. The mon of the Matsudaira n mon was raised high, and fluttered proudly in the wind. By now, their lengthy baggage train hade into sight as well, looking as though it contained enough food to keep them going for a lifetime.

    But he had expected as much. They would not be able to pull such an easy victory as to merely survive, and wait for the enemy¡¯s food to run out. This was a man who knew exactly what he was doing. Though he held no belief for the cause he fought for, he would still pursue victory, for the shame of defeat was not something he could bear.

    "They¡¯re here?" Jikouji joined his side a momentter, still dressing himself in his armour as he hurried to assume his post.

    Merely standing next to Gengyo - and entering that small sea of tranquillity that surrounded him - was enough to calm the old man, as he sucked in deep breaths in order to steady his breathing.

    "As we expected them to, they havee. It will be an interesting day, Jikouji." He professed lightly, thinking neither of victory nor of defeat, but merely the moment.

    "It will... I¡¯m sure it will. What orders do you have for the men?"

    "Tell them to be ready. That is all. I will continue to watch from here a while."

    "Should you not also get ready? It would not do for themander to be seen doing battle in nothing but a kimono."

    "Haha, perhaps, but not quite yet. I wish to see the man who I am to fight."

    Sensing that he would not budge on this matter, Jikouji shook his head in silent exasperation, beforeying his hand on the hilt of his sword, realizing that he was shaking.

    ¡¯What am I doing? Am I afraid? After all the battles that I¡¯ve fought? Truly? That cannot be the case. I cannot remember thest time I felt fear in war. Perhaps... Perhaps its because I truly care for this oue. Perhaps it¡¯s because I want to see the world that this boy is attempting to lure in.¡¯

    The army continued to march forward, step by well timed step. Both generals were aware that this was a mere show of discipline. Gengyo maintained his smile as he looked over their transition into well ordered ranks, lining the length of their walls, well out of reach of any of their weapons.

    The Red Feather men were anxiously watching and waiting, continually looking toward their leader, waiting for orders, but he continued to stand there stoically, merely observing.

    The great ordered mass of eight thousand men stood staring back, with their supply train sittingfortably behind them, well out of range of any danger that might ur. They nted gs into the earth, forecasting their mon for all to see for miles around. They were warriors of the Matsudaira n, and they were proud of it.

    The army began to ripple, as the forces parted in the middle, allowing space for a single man to walk forward. Unhelmeted, in full battle attire, Matsudaira rode proudly on his brown stallion.

    He trotted forward unflinchingly, showing no fear even as he passed into the range of the cannons and the rifles. This was why his men respected him so. He did not allow fear to limit his actions.

    He knew he would not be shot. This unknownmander that had appeared out of nowhere ¨C he was an honourable man, if nothing else. They had not found the corpse of a single civilian left in his wake. He held enough power to ughter the people en mass, and perhaps that might have even been a better course of action, if he truly wished to deal a hefty blow toward Imagawa.

    He held a g bearing his mon in his left hand, flying it high, as he closed the distance, until he sat alone just below the wall.

    "ON BEHALF OF THE DAIMYO IMAGAWA, I MATSUDAIRA MOTOYASU HAVE RODE IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT HIS JUSTICE. I RECOMMEND YOUR SURRENDER, AND I SWEAR ON MY HONOUR THAT YOU WILL NOT BE MISTREATED, AND WILL BE TAKEN BEFORE THE LORD SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE JUDGED FAIRLY." He spoke slowly and clearly, but loud enough so that even his men could hear him for far behind.

    The citizens of Okazaki were immensely quiet, listening to this deration. They began to whisper to one another, suggesting that such an offer was too good to refuse, and in the face of such an army, it would be the sensible thing to do. But not a single man would dare to suggest that to a Red Feather soldier.

    He was left to dwell in silence for a while, without a single word of response, and he parted his lips once more to hurry along the process.

 Chapter 199 - Declarations

    Before he could let his intended words pass out from his lips, a man stepped forward, looming above him on top of the walls. The man did not look to be dressed for battle, neither physically, nor mentally, for he stood there in his kimono with a peaceful smile resting on his lips, as though he had just climbed out of a soothing hot spring.

    "Wee to Honkaido, Matsudaira Motoyasu." Gengyo announced, speaking in aparatively quieter tone, so that the surrounding people had to strain their hearing to catch what he was saying, but Matsudaira caught him loud and clear.

    "Who might you be?" The man responded, mimicking how loud he was.

    "My name is Miura Tadakata. Commander of the Red Feather forces, ex-soldier of Imagawa, servant of a murdered master, sibling of a murdered brother, and survivor of the betrayal of Okehazama." He spoke louder this time, so that his words reached everyone in the vicinity, even the Matsudaira. He did not shout. Nor was his voice full of hate as he uttered such sorrow-filled words. It was peaceful, and reasonable. His felt Akiko¡¯s fingers sp around his as he spoke.

    People for miles around drifted into silence. This was not a man who desired power. This was not a man who chose this path because of fame and riches. This was a man on a quest for his own source of justice in a cold and heartless world.

    The vigers looked at one another, finally understanding. No one had known what had urred at Okehazama. They only knew that Imagawa had suffered a defeat. No one cared to speak about a nameless samurai by the name of Niwa Nakatane, and the men hemanded.

    But there were men on that field who saw and remembered. Men who had witnessed their end right in front of them, as they charged into a plume of smoke. Men that had gazed at the remains of the crazed carnage that they had bestowed.

    These were men of the most frightening sort. These were men that should be theirrades. Men they should have on their side. Men they should be kneeling down in front of, and pronouncing their respect to. What they had endured and ovee was nothing short of a journey through hell.

    "...You served the Niwa?"

    "I did, and I continue to."

    Matsudaira looked towards the ground from his horse, feeling a shameful sorrow scratch at the inside of his organs.

    "He did not deserve to die the way that he did. For what it¡¯s worth, I am truly sorry for what happened on that day. From what I heard afterwards, it was due to the efforts of the Niwa men that we were not immediately overrun by Oda¡¯s charge." He spoke honestly, true sadness tainting his voice. And then, it hardened once more. "However. I cannot act in ordance with my sympathy. My loyalty lies with Imagawa. As you serve your master, I must serve mine." His head flickered upwards, as he met eyes with Gengyo, unflinching.

    "I do not me you Matsudaira. However, as it would stain your honour to be lenient with me, it would stain mine to surrender. I do not wish to spill your blood, yet that is the path I must take. I will not take pleasure in killing you." He stated simply, yet kindly. Both men understood.

    "...You are an odd man, Miura Tadakata. I will not take pleasure in killing you either. I will remember your name and the name of your master even after you pass." He whirled his horse around and began to trot backwards towards his men. An odd feeling hung in the air. None of the bloodl.u.s.t of a usual battlefield could be found, instead, what they felt was reluctance. Fate had decreed what must be, and with their hands tied, two simr men found themselves at each other¡¯s throats.

    Perhaps on that day, Matsudaira could have abandoned his position of servitude to Imagawa, but as much as he wanted to see the man fall, he had his own principals to maintain. It was not only the result that mattered, it was the process one took in between. Integrity is like v.i.r.g.i.nity, once it is gone, it does note back.

    As Matsudaira did not surrender, nor did Gengyo give the order for him to be shot in the back as he ran away. Even with such impossible odds, it would not be worth sacrificing his honour.

    He turned to look toward his beautiful wife who stood by his side, and noted the tears in her eyes as she looked back. Both of them understood the significance of the day, and as he brought her in close with a hug, he resolved that he would not allow their loss to happen.

    As they parted from each other¡¯s touch, Gengyo assumed the face of amander and addressed his people.

    "Men of the Red Feather, hear me! We have worked hard for this day. We have done all that we can. There is not a single reason we should note out on top. Trust in me, and trust in each other. The gods will our victory!"

    "HAH!"

    The men mmed their heels into the floor, assuming a position ofplete attention, as they raised their weapons high, indicating their readiness for battle.

    They heard simr cries from across the field as Matsudaira rallied his own men. Their own shouts dwarfed their own, from the sheer mass of men, resonating their voices in one great overwhelming wave of aggression.

    The army began to shift in ordance with Matsudaira¡¯s orders, and the musket infantry rushed to the front, preparing themselves to move forward, and confront the walls.

    "SOLDIERS! STAND BY!" Gengyo grouped all his men to the front of the wall. He had multiple observers in and outside of their great fortress to warn them should Matsudaira attempt a more subtle stealth tactic.

    "HAH!" Their rifles were loaded and ready. The cannons had far greater range, but should the enemy be foolish enough toe closer, then their firearms would be just as keen to punch a few holes in them.

    "BY THE FRONT, QUICKKKKKKK MARCH!" They heard one of Matsudaira¡¯s subordinates call out, and swing down with his arm, and the dispatchment of two thousand matchlock wielding men began marching forward, with Matsudaira trotting keenly behind them, ready to react should anything untoward happen.

    A steady rhythmic march across the unscarred ins. When they were a hundred metres out of the matchlock¡¯s optimal range, Matsudaira prepared to give the order for them to pause their advance, but Gengyo was busy setting into y a hand of his own.

    Five cannons pre-loaded with Takeshi¡¯s cl.u.s.ter shot, each angled in order to ensure maximum range. "FIRE!" He barked, knowing the distance to be perfect. Takeshi had schooled him thoroughly on their capabilities.

    The cloud of deadly metallic ballsunched swiftly into the air, and immediately, Matsudaira knew them to be bad news. "RETREAT! DOUBLETIME!" He ordered, and the men began to sprint backwards, as fast as they were able. But with the elerative effect of gravity, and the power of the gunpowder ignition, they were not quite fast enough.

    The cloud of deadly balls crashed to the floor like a shower of meteors, catching the back rank of men, killing many instantly, and wounding several others as it caused pieces of shrapnel to fly in all kinds of directions.

    The retreating men continued back, until Matsudaira knew for certain that they werepletely out of range, and he turned back to observe the chaos that such a weapon had caused.

    There was a line ofplete destruction where they had once been standing, leaving the earth battered and bruised, and a good amount of men dead or wounded.

    He looked out towards the unarmedmander of Honkaido stoically, pausing in thought. "Miura Tadakata... Quite the weapon you¡¯ve kept up your sleeve."

    Within the first testing act of the siege, he hade to an understanding. This was not a battle that would be won or fought utilising conventional tactics. To treat the enemy as inferior, and wield numbers as his weapon would only be to ensure that his men were sent to the grave.

    He brought his hand toward his chin, as he lost himself to obsessive thought. A tougher nut to crack would be hard to find. But one thing was for certain: he could not fight them on this front. The cannons were too powerful.

    "PREPARE TO MOVE! WE WILL ASSAULT THE EASTWARDS WALL."

    It was a shame to give up the attack on the gate, which was an obvious weak point, but the cost it would take to secure it was far too much. Against those cannons, they were not even be able to utter a response. Their weapons were ineffectual at such a range.

    The huge army began to whirl around and march towards the east with practised orderliness, dragging their baggage train along behind them.

 Chapter 200 - Tunnels

    "Red Feather men, to the eastwards wall!" Jikoujimanded, reciprocating the Matsudaira¡¯s change of position.

    "Hah!" They lowered their weapons and began towards the eastern facing wall immediately, filling up from the furthest end first, before turning, and proceeding to stare intimidatingly at the sprawling mass that was Matsudaira¡¯s army.

    "Hm... We¡¯re hung up on little games like this." Gengyo mused, stroking his chin, looking back towards the cannons. They had wheels and were moveable, but the effort and time required to do so made giving that order that much more difficult. For now, he simply waited to see how Matsudaira might conjure a new attack.

    Even whenmanding eight thousand men, a siege like this was still difficult. The enemy appeared to have the advantage of weaponry, and should they wish to push forward to use their own, then they would have to offer up plenty of men as sacrifices.

    Yet Matsudaira was not one to send his men to their deaths so freely. He treats each life preciously, and only exposed them to what he saw to be the absolute minimum amount of danger.

    Their intelligence had told them that Honkaido was a rtive ruin, and so in their march toward it, they had assumed they could batter through. Yet this was like a new fortress all together. There was not a single chink in its armour. The wall that would usually be the weakest ¨C because of its impregnation with a gate ¨C was now the strongest, due its supporting ensemble of cannons.

    Simply throwing men at walls and hoisting updders was not going to cut it.

    "Take a dispatchment of men, and head to Okazaki forest. We will begin more adequate preparations." Matsudaira intoned, feeling neither shame nor irritation by his ownck of preparation. Such mistakes would require only minimal correction.

    "As you will, my lord!" His man nodded respectfully, before spurring his horse into action, and shouting across the vast army. "FIRST AND SECOND COMPANIES! ON ME!"

    At his words, a dispatchment of near a thousand cavalry spurred into action, and began to gallop in the direction of Okazaki forest. Gengyo watched their departure with an interested smile, almost impressed.

    It took a great amount of restraint and rity of mind to bow down in front of a lesser army, and admit that even with your own vast numbers, victory was not certain.

    "Tunnelling team! Step forth!" Matsudaira called out to what was left of his army, invoking their immediate response. Almost half the men ¨C it seemed ¨C were assigned to this tunnelling team, as they stepped forth, separating themselves from the other men in their ranks. "Retrieve a shovel from the baggage train, and begin tunnelling attempts on the eastern wall."

    "Hah!"

    Within minutes, multiple tunnels were being dug, just out of range of the Red Feather weapons. The tunnels were being made very wide indeed, and with all the men that were avable to assist in the digging attempts, it was no wonder. They organised each other in chain, as one section dug, another took away the earth, and another used the small amount of wood they had to build some rafters and supportive pirs in order to give it some structural integrity.

    Matsudaira stood with his arms folded, looking up at the wall, locking eyes with Gengyo, waiting to see how he would respond.

    "So that is the card you¡¯re choosing to y? Well we have time, so why not? Jikouji, take ten men and begin moving a single cannon at a time. We¡¯ll see if we can make their tunnelling efforts a little more exciting."

    "Ten men eh? May as well just take us originals. Morohira, Rokkaku, Togashi. Get the rest and let¡¯s get moving."

    Seeing them gallop off ¨C with Rin and Akiko and all the rest in tow ¨C brought a vague feeling of nostalgia, as he recalled their ck armour, and how they had fought in a siege of their own all that time ago.

    As reliable as always, the old pirate crew were soon dragging the colossal piece of artillery between them, with the giant Sasaki doing much of the work by his lonesome, and his face a deep red from the effort that he was employing.

    They set it up and angled it outwards, before rushing off to collect another one.

    Unable to see what was going on behind that arrow cage, Matsudaira was forced to guess. In his position, he would be moving the cannons as well. He tutted with frustration, because there was nothing he could yet do to prevent them from utilising the machines ¨C not without significant casualties on his side. Still, he thought that the entrances to their tunnels were far enough out that even those bestial machines could not reach.

    "Carry on digging!" He ordered, knowing that the men would be worrying about the cannons as well. He looked off into the distance. By now, the cavalry dispatchment had all but disappeared, and with the surrounding ins being so t, such an observation paid respects to the ground that they had already covered.

    ¡¯Give it a few more hours, and we should have more than enough wood to deal with this.¡¯ He thought to himself, satisfied with the progress they were making. As far as he was concerned, they had a rtivelyrge portion of time. The food ¨C if rationed correctly ¨C couldst at least three weeks, yet he wished toplete it in under two, else he would have to deal with Imagawa¡¯s wrath, as the man was undoubtedly eager to set out on campaign once more.

    When the cannons were in ce, Gengyo turned towards Morojo. "We have need of your skills, my friend."

    "Aye, right on it. Come onds!" Him and his boys were dressed in a makeshift armour of their own. They had a simple sword at their waists, but Gengyo had cautioned them against any actual fighting, they were merely here to handle any repairs that were likely to be needed.

    As they were busy cutting the required holes for the cannons, themander turned to Rin. "Any word from Isabe?" He¡¯d put his sister in charge of overseeing the scout activity, and making sure Matsudaira did not manage to slip in some of his troops without his notice.

    "Nothing yet. It seems to be all clear."

    He nodded his understanding before signalling towards Jikouji.

    "Alright youzy lot! Let¡¯s get these cannons loaded with some cl.u.s.ter shot!" The old man barked. The men were on hand and ready, and with so many soldiers to spare, the cannons were loaded in what might have been a record time.

    "Fire!" Gengyo ordered, swinging his arm downwards, not looking toward his men, but outwards across the field, envisioning the destruction that he would cause.

    Matsudaira continued to stand unmoving, with his arms folded, seeming to be more intent on making a point than carrying out actual strategy. He had full confidence that they were precisely out of range.

    The balls took to the air, forming a unified cloud of destruction, parting from their shell and spreading out, thundering across the battlefield before plummeting down towards the ground, ready to scare many a timid soldier.

    With these hefty shotsing towards them, the men could not help but scarper back a distance, unwilling to suffer the kind of fate these cannons wished to deliver.

    So expertly made and operated they were, that each shot travelled a simr distance, forming a solid line as theynded, just before the mouth of the tunnel, and many sweating soldiers who had avoided a gruesome death by mere metres.

    Matsudaira looked at the ground, then back up at Gengyo, as though to challenge him. The man smiled in response. "He¡¯s good. He¡¯s really good." To be able to determine the maximum distance a cannon was capable of firing after a single shot? There was a man worthy of the title of genius.

    Many of the soldiers had obeyed theirmander, and remained underground in the tunnels, continuing with their digging, and though the heavy shots had caused some soil and dirt to fall down, the majority of them were unharmed, and when the air went silent again, they picked up their spades and resumed theirbours, much to Matsudaira¡¯s approval.

    "Okay men, we¡¯re going to switch things up. We¡¯ll save the cl.u.s.ter shot forter ¨C load the heavy shot for now, and double the gunpowder. We¡¯ve got to keep our guest entertained." Gengyo ordered with a sly grin. They had five cannons, and each one was set to be in line with the mouth of one of the tunnels, and thus far there were 13 tunnels in total.

    "Heh, I think I know what you¡¯re aiming ford..." Jikouji grinned alongside him, before turning to the men, and pushing them to load faster.

    With the cannons loaded and set, Gengyo afforded Matsudaira a challenging look of his own, before giving the order, and covering his ears, keeping his eyes wide to enjoy the reactions of his enemy.

 Chapter 201 - Siege

    Once more the cannonballs flew threw the air, though this time there were undoubtedly less of them. Feeling confident because of the ineffectuality of thest volley, many of the soldiers either took a single step back, or took refuge within the fortifications of the tunnel.

    But Matsudaira squinted, and recognised the difference in the magnitude of these projectiles, and immediately gave the order. "CLEAR OUT FROM THE TUNNELS IMMEDIETELY!"

    With the speed with which they were hurling towards the earth, they did not have much time to scramble up the dirt slope, and get in the clear. The unfortunate were trapped inside as the heavy ball mmed into the earth.

    With the depth of the tunnel, and the measly foundations, the beams soon sported cracks due to the immense force that was sent coursing through them, and after a terrible groan, and a look of despair, they gave way, dropping tonnes of earth onto the defenceless soldiers underneath.

    Without even needing the order, the Matsudaira men sprang forth with shovels in frantic attempt to free them from suffocation, but as they heard another cannon shot ring out, their destiny was sealed, and they were forced to sprint away.

    The causalities were minimal, but it was still irritating, yet Matsudaira was unwilling to stop their tunnelling attemptspletely. "ABANDON ALL CURRENT TUNNELS, AND BEGIN WORK ON NEW ONES ¨C MAKE THEM THREE TIMES AS DEEP!" He barked, so that even the men underground could hear him.

    With more dirt between thending cannon shot and the foundations, the earth would have time topact, and take away the majority of the impact before it reached the depths where the men were.

    "Nice idea boss, but what are we gonna do now?" Rokkaku questioned, immediately realising that they wouldn¡¯t be able to cause the same damage to deeper tunnels.

    "There is likely nothing we can do. It will take them at least three days toplete the tunnels. We will prepare a reception for them when they peak their heads through, but for now, I wouldn¡¯t worry too heavily about it. We have bigger problems." He pointed across the ins, to where the first set of horses were beginning their return, dragging heavy logs behind them.

    "Siege weapons?" Morojo questioned, squinting with his old eyes, so he might see further, but still he could not spy the end of this logging train ¨C there appeared to be an endless amount of wood.

    "I would imagine so." Themander turned to look around, trying to locate an innovator of his own. "Takeshi?"

    "Right here, Miura!" The little smith called out from behind him, peaking out from under a helmet that was far too big for him. It was difficult to find a set of armour that was suited to his frame, and this current set made him look even more childlike.

    "Ah, good. We do not have long. I realize you have only just finished work on this current set of cannons ¨C and they¡¯re doing a grand job. But seeing the way things are going, we are going to need something more."

    "Something more, sir?"

    "Indeed. Something bigger, and more versatile. A hidden weapon to catch them off guard, and counter whatever they¡¯re nning on building. It will need to fire twice the distance of these current ones, and be just as the cannon of our ship ¨C capable of rotating. Is that possible toplete within the next couple of days?"

    Takeshi frowned, running over the production in his head. Realistically, you would need about a week to attempt such a project, even if you had the maximum manpower avable, but given that it was Gengyo asking him, he would make sure to do it in the time required. "It¡¯s possible! I¡¯ll gather the others and we¡¯ll begin work right away."

    "Good man." Gengyo affirmed, patting his shoulder. Takeshi nodded before trotting away. Really, he was likely just d to be able to get out of his oversized armour.

    "Could we not just stick more gunpowder in these to get it to fire further?" Morohira asked, struggling to see the utility in making something bigger when these were functioning just fine.

    "Unfortunately not. Takeshi has tested this model extensively, and anything higher than this will have it explode in our faces." Gengyo informed him, recalling seeing such an incident during the experimentation process.

    "Heh..."

    Their gazes soon returned to across the ins, where the horses were only just pulling into camp with their massive logs ¨C they were more trees than simple logs, there hadn¡¯t been the time to delimb them ¨C as unupied men descended on them like an army of ants, and began stripping the wood of its various branches, readying it for production.

    The logs only continued to pile up, as more and more were dragged into camp. Most of which the tunnelling team took greedily for themselves in order to support their unground venture, but the rest of which was taken off elsewhere, hidden behind rows of tall tents, so that the Red Feather men were unable to see what they were producing.

    For the rest of the day, they stood there, simply watching. Matsudaira was putting all his efforts into preparation, whilst Gengyo had only need order a single task, with his preparation having beenpleted days before hand.

    "Stand down, men. They will not attack for the rest of the day." He decided. "If they do decide to take advantage of our absence, we¡¯ll have the gong rung and be assembled within minutes, worry not."

    They nodded, almost relieved. Merely standing for hours on end was incredibly boring, and ced quite the toll on the lower back.

    As they filed away for the evening, Gengyo remained, watching the sun go down, and fire spring into life in the Matsudaira camp, with smoke drifting into the air.

    It had not been the most eventful first day for a spectator, but for the twomanders it told them everything they needed to know about their enemy and how they operated. They had bothe to the conclusion that this was a fight that demanded their utmost attention and respect ¨C just a single failing to respond correctly would result in defeat.

    "Come, Tadakata. You should get some rest too." Akiko told him gently, grasping his arm in an attempt to pull him away.

    "Ah... yes, you¡¯re quite right. I was just thinking."

    "Thinking? Still? Are you unhappy with how the day went?" Hearing his tone, she pursued his feelings further.

    "No. Well, perhaps a little. I feel our cannons should have had more of a significant effect, but in all, we only managed to snag about two hundred men."

    "Tadakata..." She groaned, shaking her head. "You¡¯re the only man capable of getting such a big army to take you seriously. We should already have lost on this first day! But we haven¡¯t even had a single man injured. The men can see hope of victory now, I think, and I can too."

    "Haha, I think you might be over evaluating me there, but aye, I will rest and keep my mind fresh, and pursue victory tomorrow." He nodded to the men who were keeping watch over the wall with torches in hand. "Keep a good eye outds ¨C we¡¯ll cause some carnage tomorrow."

    "Hah!" The men saluted as he went, keeping watch with added vigour after his words.

    Matsudaira was not one to spend the night in rest, however. By the torch light, he oversaw the construction of some monstrous machines, tall and powerful, but built on their sides so that they would be concealed from enemy eyes until the morning.

    Only the tunnelling team had rested that night, but he judged the others to not need it. With these weapons, he was sure they could nail the victory home.

    Protected from bullets and protected from fire, these would allow them to get mightily close indeed. He shot it with a musket of his own, and not even the slightest hint of damage could be seen on the inside, and so he nodded with satisfaction.

    "Two more of these, and then we will rest! Good work men!"

    "Hah!"

    The Matsudaira men were no strangers to hard work, nor did any of them feel resentment because of theck of sleep. They knew theirmander to be a good man, and an intelligent one, he took whatever actions were necessary in order to ensure their victory.

    With theing of dawn, the majority of the preparations wereplete, and he eyed them with satisfaction, sitting back in his chair with a sigh.

    "Now... Miura Tadakata. Let¡¯s see how you respond to this." He asserted with a proud smile, holding his hands out towards the mes of the fire, enjoying its heat, as he pictured various strategies in his head, and imagined subjugating thismander. Thismander who was of a calibre that he had rarely seen. No hate, no anger, merely raw excitement purely manifest.

 Chapter 202 - Innovations

    With theing of dawn, thebours of the night were revealed to have borne fruit, and the men from either side stood ready and waiting once more. Behind the rows of tents, Matsudaira¡¯s siege machines werepleted, still hidden, waiting for the moment in which they would be revealed grandly.

    A portion of his men were rather tired indeed, but a single sleepless night was not something that could disturb the mind of soldiers as experienced as they.

    Already in the tunnels work was beginning once more, as shovels were plunged into the earth, and pickaxes were drawn out to deal with the more stubborn bits of stone that sprung up every now and then.

    Even the feel of the air was different today. Both sides could feel a new tension. They had contracted the muscles of war, and were preparing to release everything that they had in store on their opponent.

    A portion of Matsudaira¡¯s army would continue digging, limiting the men that he could use for a more pure offensive attack, but still the pressure created by such strategy could not be underestimated.

    Gengyo was forced to focus all his men entirely on one side of the wall. There was some room for manoeuvrability, yet with hisck of numbers, his defence would be rather inflexible.

    "Today will interesting, I should think." He spoke more to himself than hisrades, his hands sped behind his back, waiting for Matsudaira to make the first move. "Is everything loaded and ready, Jikouji?"

    "I¡¯ve checked each cannon and each rifle myself ¨C we¡¯re ready to do battle, that¡¯s for sure. Still, they were busyte into the night. I worry about focusing all of our defence here. What if they go for the gate once more?"

    "We have enough in ce to deal with threats of that kind. Ah, look, it¡¯s starting." He pointed across the battlefield, towards the Matsudaira camp, where a series of new activities were beginning. The central tents were dismantled, and the crowd parted, revealing their hand.

    "Hoh..." Hemented lightly, as he heard an audible gasp from the men around him. "To aplish all that in a single night ¨C impressive, indeed."

    There stood three colossal siege towers that would without a doubt reach the top of their wall, and beside them were two equally massive ballista, loaded and drawn, with impressive stakes sharpened and ready, all ambling across the field supported by a huge set of wheels and drawn by horses.

    "We¡¯re outranged." Gengyo realized instantly. The tension built up by those massive crossbow-like weapons was enough to send its stake hurtling a great distance across the battlefield.

    His mind began to work quickly, as the horses began to bring the two ballistas forwards, slowly but surely. The siege towers were moving at an even more rapid rate, and their target was obvious: the gate bearing wall. Inside the towers was a veritable army of men, each armed to the teeth, and ready to unleash hell once they drew close enough.

    Alongside the siege towers, half of the main Matsudaira army began marching towards the front as well, split into three columns, taking refuge behind the thick wood that was all but bullet proof.

    He nced around, as numerous responses filled his mind, but he could find no sight of Takeshi. No doubt he was still busy working on the task he had set him the previous day ¨C had that weapon beenpleted, then all the threats in front of them would part like leaves in a soft breeze. s, his solutions required a little more ir.

    "Boss! They¡¯re getting closer! What are your orders?" Rokkaku interrupted urgently. In his eyes, they should be struggling to move the cannons, else they wouldn¡¯t have a chance at destroying the siege towers.

    THUD

    The first of the ballista shots rocketed into the wall, cracking through the stone, and shaking the earth beneath their feet.

    "Fire the cannons." He replied simply.

    "But there are no targets in range!" Rokkaku protested.

    "Fire." He repeated himself once more, and the fuses were lit, sending the cannon balls flying a great distance across the field, but still they were far from any of their intended targets.

    A pile of cannon ammunitiony to one side of the cannons, and Gengyo struck out at a Takeshi cl.u.s.ter shot shell sending theparatively smaller balls scattering across the walkway.

    With the man not present to be consulted, Gengyo had to make a gamble. A single ball was lighter, and would be propelled further by the gunpowder, yet it was not made for such a barrel, and would likely be inurate.

    "Load these, quickly now!" He ordered, and the men were soon fumbling, struggling to get their cannons loaded with the ill-suited ammunition.

    THUD

    Another ballista shot was fired, damaging the wall even further. There were now a series of cracks within the structure, and piles of stone fell to the ground. They could not take much more of this.

    "FIRE!" Gengyo roared, ordering the cannon balls air borne. He focused on them intently. It was just as he predicted ¨C their uracy was dreadful, but they did indeed go far further than anything else they had avable, andnded all but in line with one of the ballistae.

    "Load and fire once more!" He called out, eyeing the siege towers that were closing the distance at a frightening pace.

    It was more down to luck than anything else at this point. They only needed one shot out of five to strike their targets, but that was easier said than done when the cannonball could quite literally end up anywhere.

    With the second volley, the gods seemed to be on their side, as one of the small shots arced through the air, and just barely nced the bow of the drawn ballista, releasing the tension, and sending the stake hurtling off to the side, rendering the machine unusable.

    THUD

    Yet that second ballista was still in operation, and it was causing quite the amount of trouble indeed.

    "Cannon team! Remain here, and continue to fire at will, everyone else, on me!" He drew his sword, and began to sprint along the wall heading towards the gate. He could not leave it anyter, else they really would have no way of dealing with the siege towers.

    His men hurtled along behind him, holding their rifles at the ready, forming up along that wall, waiting for the order to fire.

    The Matsudaira men carried on confidently, feeling rather assured as they marched behind those towering shields. They were still keeping out of range of the rifles, taking their time to form up properly before closing that gap.

    "Lend me that." He said quietly, taking a rifle from one of his men. He remembered the location of every one of the traps he¡¯d had ced down, and by now, they were the only thing that stood between them and beingpletely overrun.

    It required the calmest and most patient of minds to line that shot. Too much fear, and one would fire too early, wasting the opportunity, toote and it would be simrly as ineffective.

    Though he stood on the other side of the battlefield Matsudaira had nned this attack to perfection. The three siege towers spread out, with a column of men behind each other, and each attacked isted parts of the wall, forcing the already small Red Feather army to spread their numbers even more thinly.

    With a roar, they whipped the front horses, and began to charge. They did not move particrly quickly ¨C though there were twenty horses per tower ¨C but it was rather daunting none the less, like watching a giant take slow plods through ake, making it look like a mere puddle of water.

    The men around him werepletely silent. They were well aware of what was buried, and though they were not the ones wielding the rifle, they were nervous nheless. If there was anyone who couldnd these decisive shots, it would be him, and still, anxiety wracked through them.

    The sound of cannon fire on the eastwards wall rang out, followed by the thud of another hefty stake plunging into their wall. Things were bing rather messy indeed. He did an excellent job of blocking out the rest of the world, only looking down his barrel, and waiting patiently. A tiger stalking his prey.

    Slowly forward... Ever so slowly... Inside men with their swords drawn, and the outsiders with their rifles at the ready. Their faces were hard and determined, they anticipated their own victory. The closer the drew, the more certain it became. Step by simple step.

    And then ¨C unbeknownst to them ¨C they stepped on something far more vtile than simple soil, and Gengyo wasted no time in pulling his trigger, sending a single shot ringing out, attracting the attention of every single man on that battlefield.

    Time felt slowed, and they only realized their mistake moments toote, when they were powerless to do anything about it.

 Chapter 203 - Bang

    BANG BANG BANG

    Three shots in quick session, with all the calmness and finesse of a master duellist. Three tiny bullets with the right preparations were enough to cause cmity for hundreds of soldiers, and halt the march of thousands.

    The bullets made contact with the gunpowder as nned, and three pirs of me shot up from the earth, shaking the ground violently for miles around, indistinguishable from a regr earthquake.

    The siege towers had been designed to mount walls and withstand bullets, they had certainly not expected to have to ovee a veritablendmine, and all its after effects. Those on the inside were killed instantly. The wood buckled, and shot apart, splintering onto thendscape around them, all ckened and abused.

    Joining it were various limbs and body parts strewn gruesomely across the ground. The oil reserves soon kicked in, and that wall of me only grewrger,pletely cutting off the march of the Matsudaira men ¨C not that they would have been able to do much, with their towerspletely ruined.

    He admired his own handiwork with grim satisfaction. The heat from the raging inferno began to trigger other traps that had been left nted, and soon there were spontaneous secondary explosions that severed to unnerve the huge army even further.

    No matter how well trained. No matter how disciplined. No matter how courageous. Against such a sudden and violent attack, one would turn back, and rout, to go forward into the unknown would be suicide, and to remain still would be to ask for further casualties ¨C they had no idea whaty in the earth around them.

    They turned back and fled from whence they came, toward ground they knew to be stable, and a little less vtile. They did not go quietly however, as men with missing legs and arms struggled to keep up with theirrades, screaming despite the pain. Many had to be carried, though for most, that was a wasted effort, as within a few seconds, their bodies shut down, and they passed on to a less frightening world.

    The smell of burning oil was not a particrly pleasant smell, but they learned to enjoy it, as they watched their enemies flee, raising their rifles high, cheering as loudly as they were able. The first major victory was theirs, and morale soared.

    "MIURA! MIURA! MIURA!" They chanted, praising the name of their great leader, who had defused an almost fatal attack with ease.

    THUD

    And yet still that ballista continued to fire. A weapon that had caused chaos on battlefields for almost a thousand years, and yet it still continued to prevail. Under the genius of a certainmander, it had been modified to be sorge, and capable of withstanding such tension, that it could even outrange a cannon. Even the warlords of the past would have bowed low in response to such an upgrade.

    As he ran back towards the eastern wall, with his men sprinting alongside him, they were met with a rather displeasing sight. The stone was crumbling, leaving gaping holes in the brick work. It was a wonder that the wall was still standing at all. For one victory, there was another minor loss.

    "We just can¡¯t get a shot tond, my lord!" One of the cannoneers exined frantically. It was understandable. Their first hit had been entirely down to luck, and to replicate it one would need the stars to align once more.

    Matsudaira had his brow furrowed deeply. He had watched from a perfect view the untimely end of his siege towers, and was struggling to hold back the gnashing of his teeth. He felt that he should have predicted such cements, yet some less critical part was well aware that to do so would have been impossible. It was the first time he had been met with such a defensive tactic.

    And now, he had to gamble all he had on his ballista, in order to regain some sort of ground.

    "SEND A DISPATCHMENT TO ASSIST THE BALLISTA! I WANT THAT FIRERATE DOUBLED!" He barked orders, watching anxiously as the small cannonballs continued to drop sporadically from the sky, well aware that any one of them could be what spelt the end for his weapon, as it had for the other.

    "YES, MY LORD!" His retainer replied, leaving with haste, carrying out his orders with enthusiastic terror, still shook from what he¡¯d witnessed earlier.

    It was a war of fire rate by now, and all the Red Feather could rely on was their own luck.

    "This... Is damn unfortunate." He professed lightly, not feeling the most extensive of displeasures. "Continue to fire as quickly as you can. If we can take this ballista out today, then our victory will be well within sights!"

    "HAH!" The men let out their roar of approval, as soldiers that had previously stood idle shot forward in attempt to be of some use. The final obstacle of today¡¯s battle.

    THUD

    The tremors of the ballista stake were bing increasingly more worrying, as the whole wall threatened to copse. A few shots more, and it likely would.

    And then, just as they were running low on ammunition, two cannonballs connected, shattering the wooden frame of the troublesome weapon, rendering it unusable, and killing two men in the process.

    A collective sigh of relief went out, as for the first time in hours, their shoulders fell, and their muscles rxed.

    "Well. I guess you could say that was pretty close." Gengyo stated mildly.

    The men blinked, processing his extreme understatement, before a ripplingughter began through their ranks, beginning with the bellowing Morohira, who promptly raised his rifle and proimed their victory. "ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER FINE PIECE OF WARFARE! AS EASY AS THAT, THE RED FEATHER WIN ONCE AGAIN!"

    As Rokkaku raised his rifle to reciprocate, Jikouji stared at them, exasperated. ¡¯How are they so easy going?¡¯ He wondered. For the past few hours, he felt himself bordering on a heart attack. They had truly walked the razor edge on this day.

    Gengyo smiled at theiredy, before casting a nce up at the sky. It was a little past noon, but given that neither side had a hand to y, he knew they had seen the end of today¡¯s excitement.

    "Alright men. We¡¯re done here. Go and get yourselves a drink, and toast to our good name."

    "Now there¡¯s an order I can follow! Come on you newbloods, I¡¯ll show you how we used to do it back when we flew a Niwa g!" Morohira led the descent downwards, lured by the promise of drink, and soon the soldiers followed after him. The majority of them were men from good houses, and had been raised to be proper, and polite, yet bound by honour. Here though, they slowly felt such standards being dragged down hill, as they became caught up in Morohira¡¯s casual demeanour, and the general air about the lord in which they served. They say the temperament of apanyes from the top, and nowhere was that truer than here.

    "Nii-san, are you sure its fine to stand down so early? What if Matsudaira orders a charge?" Rin stayed behind with Akiko, voicing the concerns that the others should have had.

    "He will not. Though if he does, we can always call them back up. It¡¯s been an exciting day, little sister. The men had better get themselves some rest, otherwise they¡¯ll end up as uptight as you." He poked fun at her merrily, seeming not to care that they were standing on a wall that was on the verge of copse.

    "I think Rin is right to be concerned... Tomorrow this wall will probably fall, will it not? A few more shots, and we¡¯re done for." Akiko joined in, not satisfied with his easy-going response.

    "Tomorrow is a different day, we¡¯ll see what happens, but for now, we¡¯ve got Morojo to try and patch things up."

    Standing off to the side, the shipwright was brought into the conversation, much to his reluctance. "Quite the weight you¡¯re putting on me... would be better to drop the whole thing down, and rebuild it from scratch."

    "I¡¯ll let you do whatever you need to do. Bring the vigers back into your employment, and have them help you with the repairs. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be just as eager to secure the coin, and they¡¯ll be happy to hear your stories of battle. A sound deal, from where I¡¯m standing."

    "Heh... When this wall copses after a single shot tomorrow, don¡¯t go ming me, but I¡¯ll do what I can to keep it standing. That¡¯s all I can promise."

    "Good man. I¡¯ll leave you to it then."

    Morojo nodded, taking his hint, before calling to his sons, and beginning on his way to getting everyone gathered. It was likely one of the mostbour-intensive tasks he had been given in his life, and he doubted that they could have anything suitable done by morning, but still he had to try.

 Chapter 204 - Hard Work

    "As for you twodies, since you¡¯re so worried, how about we check on Takeshi, and see what we can bring to the table tomorrow?" Gengyo proposed, motioning with his head for Jikouji to join as well.

    "The cannon he¡¯s making, is it?" Jikouji asked, feeling even more nervous as he brought it up. That really was the only thing standing between them and another day like today. Perhaps tomorrow would be even worse. There would be more siege towers and ballistae, and they would really have no way of dealing with them.

    Their only constiony at the gate. The ground was so battered and bruised, and filled with as many holes, and the fires still burned ¨C though they would be gone by the morning ¨C that it would be impossible to move the clumsy siege towers over them. It would likely take years for such damage to thend to recover.

    "That sounds like a good n to me, let¡¯s go, Akiko!" Rin grabbed her friend by the arm, and rushed off, leading her away, leaving Jikouji and Gengyo in the dust.

    "Wrong way." Gengyo¡¯s statement brought her to a screeching halt as she looked at him usingly.

    "This is where the smith shop is? Isn¡¯t it?" The doubt was obvious in her voice. She had only been once or twice.

    "Correct. But that is not where they¡¯re making it. They needed a bigger space than just there."

    "Guh..." She trailed back, embarrassed. "Where is it then?" She asked, attempting to salvage her pride so that she might rush off again.

    "If you¡¯d like to follow, I can show you the way." Gengyo offered ¨C though that had been the n for all the rational minds present from the start.

    "Nii-sannnn..." Rinined, but could not offer up anything more than a drawn out whine.

    "When she¡¯s like this you tend to forget that she¡¯s capable of beheading a horse with a single stroke." Jikouji pointed out quietly, as he strolled alongside Gengyo, his hands sped behind his back, and his sheathed katana beating against his hip.

    "Heard that!" She growled from behind.

    "A horse? I wonder how many old men she could behead in a single stroke..." He mused, descending from the wall.

    "I would prefer not to think about it." Came Jikouji¡¯s gruff response as he followed suit.

    Through the streets they went, past many a wide-eyed viger, who had no doubt heard themotion from the battle earlier. They were surprised ¨C it seemed ¨C that a mere five hundred men hadsted so long.

    And past all that, isted in a little corner of the fortress, there sat arge building, one of the few that were made of stone.

    Even before they made their way inside, they could hear the ngs of hammer upon metal.

    "Hoh... Working hard, eh?" Gengyomented lightly to himself, as he stepped inside, and was assailed by an intense wave of heat. The barrel of the cannon looked to be almost finished.

    It took the jabbing elbow of one of his fellow smiths to finally alert him to Gengyo¡¯s presence. "Ah! Miura-san! Sorry... I didn¡¯t see you."

    "There is no problem here, Takeshi. I see you¡¯ve made some remarkable progress. She¡¯s big, eh?"

    The barrel itself was at least three times longer, and two times wider than the currently mounted ones on the wall. It was arge beast indeed. It could be said to be able to fire roughly three times further, but of course, things were never quite that simple.

    "Yes sir! She¡¯s sturdy too. Much thicker on the inside than the others. She¡¯ll be able to handle quite the amount of gunpowder indeed, without even a crack." The smith exined enthusiastically, wiping some of the dirt from his cheeks, as some of his co-workers moved in toplete the task that he was working on, whilst he continued his conversation with Gengyo.

    "These youngdies here are worried about our defence. Can you say anything that might reassure them?" Gengyo exined, motioning toward Akiko and Rin, who looked at him in irritation.

    "We were justining about the men being sent from the walls so early..." Rin mumbled in dissatisfaction.

    Having not been present on the walls this day, Takeshi had received all his information from outsiders, and all he knew was that the enemy had constructed some war machines of their own, and they were having quite the amount of trouble in dealing with them.

    "Mm... W-well. I¡¯d say you don¡¯t have much to worry about. We¡¯ll be done here in an hour or so, then we¡¯ll start getting her installed on some tracks on the eastern wall, and she¡¯ll be ready formission by morning. You¡¯ll be able to turn her, and fire wherever you like. She¡¯ll go a good distance, a good distance indeed. You¡¯ll be able to cover almost the entire wall, I¡¯d say. Nothing to worry about, I don¡¯t think."

    "Right you are. Thanks for your time, Takeshi, we¡¯ll let you get back to work." Pleased with the offering Takeshi had given - and with the confirmation of the time ofpletion ¨C Gengyo began once more toward the door. His confidence for tomorrow had only risen, and now he felt a rather strong urge to lie down.

    "Why¡¯d you have to go and say that to him, Nii-san? He¡¯s going to think me and Akiko are justining."

    "Oh. I thought that¡¯s exactly what you were doing."

    "Guh..." Rin puffed her cheeks out in indignation, and grabbed Akiko¡¯s hand, pulling her away. "Let¡¯s go find some food, Nii-san¡¯s intent on bullying us today." She announced lightly, before dragging her friend by the hand and hurrying off once more, as was her custom.

    Watching them go, Jikouji heaved a sigh. "They¡¯ve grown up in battle, and are now so used to it. Seeing them like that, the vigers must think we¡¯re not at war at all."

    "It¡¯s better this way though, don¡¯t you think? We¡¯re all more rxed about what we have to do, and we don¡¯t waste pointless energy worrying, so that when we get on the field, we¡¯re well rested and focused. It couldn¡¯t get any better, from my way of thinking."

    "Aye... I suppose, though the men haven¡¯t had to do much themselves yet. It¡¯s all been about pushing pieces so far. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a game you and this Matsudaira have been ying by yourselves." The old advisor stated inly, with no irritation present in his voice. He was under no false pretence about his position in this battle.

    "Perhaps that¡¯s the way it might seem for now. No one has made a big enough mistake for a significant amount of losses. But something will give, and soon, I expect. Our games won¡¯t be able tost for much longer. We¡¯ll be plunged into an all-out fight for our lives, I should expect, and that¡¯s where our metal will be truly be tested."

    "And so that¡¯s what you¡¯re keeping the men so well rested for? So, when the timeses, their condition is perfect?"

    "I would think so, aye. But whether it turns out that way or not, we¡¯ll soon see. We can only do all we can do. Anything more than that is beyond us, don¡¯t you think?" He smiled at his own phrasing, before patting the old man on the shoulder. "Whatever happens, I¡¯m d to have served with you, my friend. I will not be dying with any regrets."

    The old fellow paused a moment, caught off guard, before he too broke out into a smile. "The feeling is mutual, even if you are ruthless bastard at times, it has been an enjoyable service. I have no doubt Nakatane will be proud of your performance, and will greet you with open arms when we meet him again."

    "Even though I¡¯ve married his precious daughter?" Gengyo asked with a smirk, trying to picture what his old master¡¯s face might have looked like, when he found out all that they had done together.

    "Haha... I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll be getting off too easily for that. Well, he only has eternity to get his revenge. I wouldn¡¯t have thought it¡¯d be too bad."

    "Suddenly I have a reason not to die."

    "There you go. d to be of service. Shall we go find the others, and have a few drinks ourselves, whilst we leave our good friends Morojo and Takeshi to do all the hard work?"

    "Mm... Now that does sound like a good idea. Lead the way."

    With a few hours of daylight left, and a whole night ahead of them, the Red Feather men took advantage of every minute they could to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

    Meanwhile, in the Matsudaira camp,bour intensified. The only men who were allowed to rest were the injured, who could not have worked anyway, even if you were to thrust a spade into their hand. And so, for the second night in a row, they went without sleep, and produced yet more weapons to haunt Gengyo with.

 Chapter 205 - Unfortunate

    They worked through the night, Morojo and Takeshi, as they were not needed in battle the following day, and would be able to get their rest then. Theypleted their tasks admirably, and by the time the light of dawn started to flicker down, their eastern wall wasplete with a new, far more powerful weapon, that turned as easily as if it were made out of air.

    And that eastern wall had been put back together, in a rather jigsaw-like fashion, with wood recing the gaps where stone had once been, and extra logs that were utilised to scaffold, and ensure that the heavy wall would note tumbling down, even if every single one of its bricks were pulled out.

    "You¡¯ve done a splendid job Takeshi." Gengyo pronounced, tapping the solid metal of the barrel with his hand. "We¡¯ll be able to go cause quite the amount of havoc with this... But for now, you had better go and get some sleep. Make sure Morojoes with you."

    "Yes sir!" Despite his extreme tiredness, Takeshi was still able to smile with excitement, mightily proud of the weapon he and the other smiths had bestowed their general with.

    And so, another day of war began, with one side feeling a degree more bitter than the other. They had yet to secure any significant victory ¨C despite their damage to the wall ¨C and with how hard they were working on a night, they were very tired indeed.

    The Red Feather men, on the hand, were more than ready for a good bit of war, after spending the majority of the previous day rxing and drinking, before getting an early night, and gleaning their own fair share of sleep.

    "What does the battle have in store for us today?" Jikouji asked to no one in particr, casting a sideways nce at the new cannon.

    "A good bit of chaos, and a sprinkle of destruction." Gengyo replied with a smile.

    "Sound delicious." Morohiramented, as a ripple ofughter spread along the ranks in response to his ridiculousness.

    The Mastudaira men spent no time waiting on ceremony this day. They were tired enough from the previous two nights, and with each moment that passed, their desire to drift off only increased. They needed the adrenaline of battle to course through their veins, and fend off that fatigue.

    The products of theirbours were brought out once more. They were able to repair the frames of the previous two ballista, and so save them some time. Alongside these two, was a further ballista, and four siege towers, all looking eager and ready to go.

    The stone faced Matsudaira army wheeled them forward slowly and purposefully, towards the range they had established the previous day. It was far enough so that it was out of the way of the cannons ¨C they had found ¨C but also close enough so that the power of the colossal machines did not fall off, and their stakes were able to cause damage to the stone works.

    The work was still ongoing in the tunnels as well. This would likely be theirst day down there.

    The siege towers were brought round, not to the gate bearing wall, but to the southern one, where they knew there to be ack of ditches, and they would at least be able to get close to the wall.

    Matsudaira made a prediction here. It was expensive ¨C material wise ¨C toy the kind ofnd mines Gengyo had constructed to defend their gate. He certainly would not have enough to cover the entire perimeter. And so, he took a gamble.

    Drawn by the horses, the siege towers ambled across the field, with their army of men behind them, feeling rather secure in their objective, with all the attention so focused on the ballistae. Those four working inbination would almost surely be enough to ensure that the eastern wall came crashing down.

    They had been in their cannon¡¯s range for a while, but still Gengyo had not given the order to fire. "We¡¯re going to be taking damage if we wait any longer." Jikouji warned.

    "It¡¯s our surprise card, our hidden tactic. Once we reveal it, the enemy will be given their chance to react. We have to wait until they¡¯re in too deep, so that they cannot draw back. Even then, it¡¯s risky."

    The siege towers would soon round that corner, and be untargetable, and the ballistae would soon be set up in their desired position.

    "Begin fire on the siege towers. Quickly now! We¡¯ll need more men than that operating it." Gengyo spurred his idle troops into action, and the preloaded cannon was turned swiftly, and aligned with the frontmost siege tower, before a torch was held to its fuse, and its ingredients were ignited.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

    A thunderous noise, like the raging of a god. As soon as they Matsudaira army heard that, they new it to be bad news. But there was already a hefty cannon ball travelling towards them, and their cries of dismay were cut off, as would shatter as easily as ss, and men were torn to pieces.

    "LOAD! FASTER THAN THAT, LET¡¯S MOVE!" Jikouji barked, ensuring they worked at the speed that they needed.

    The men inside the siege towers were panicking as were the horses. They were torn as whether to go forward, or flee back. One of their towers had already fallen, but they could still mount a troublesome assault with the remaining numbers.

    Their disordliness proved to be their downfall, as yet another cannonball was fired, and another after that in quick session. Before long, the bones of the once mighty towers were scattered across the field, and soldiers were left bare, defenceless as they tried to turn back for camp, by a very long and out of the way route so that they wouldn¡¯t be subject to fire.

    As soon as their positions were secure, Matsudaira ordered the fire of their ballista, keen to punish Gengyo for his over focus on the siege towers.

    "LOAD AND REPOSITION! TAKE THOSE BALLISTA OUT!" Jikouji called out once more, already gritting is teeth in anticipation of the ballistae being fired.

    It moved easily, with barely any force required, but it still required a few more minute adjustments before it was perfectly aligned to fire. All these little things cost them time, and by the time they held close the torch to fire, Matsudaira had also sent his volley of bolts their way, and the impact of theirnding synchronised with the ignition of that hefty amount of gunpowder, causing quite the tremor indeed. A few men were even cast from their feet.

    CRUUUUUUUNCH

    A more satisfying sight for the Red Feather men it was hard to imagine. Those ballistae that had caused them such a hard time the previous day, being dealt with so easily, by a single shot of their mighty cannon. The massive wooden bow folded under the force of their cannon ball, getting crushed to pieces.

    Even with just one ballista down, a cheer arose from their ranks, as the men hurriedly loaded in order to release another.

    One after the other the ballistae were brought down without a hint of inuracy or luck. It became apparent to the Matsudaira forces that this change in the Red Feather armoury was significant. Not only could it fire far, but it could turn and aim as well. Like that, a whole night of hard work was crushed to dust by a far superior implement of war.

    Had Matsudaira been a different man, then such an easy defeat might have clouded his mind with anger. Yet he had just received a report from the tunnelling team. It would not be long till they broke through. The end of today, if they pushed.

    "Take this victory, Miura Tadakata. My men will soone flooding under your walls, and with sheer numbers, we will overwhelm you."

    With this in mind, he ordered his men back and down. "Establish sectional tunnelling teams. We will progress a few metres from the wall today. Have them cycle through shifts, as we rest the other men, and prepare them for battle tomorrow." He gave swift orders to his right hand man, aligning the final details before a more grand assault.

    It was a shame, undoubtedly. Copsing the eastern wall with their ballistae or mounting the southern with their siege towers ¨C that would have been a more perfect victory. A stronger one, with the advantage most certainly in their favour. Now, their fight would be more of a brawl, but their victory was guaranteed.

    With the advent of their new weapon, it took guts to swallow his pride and step back, realizing that he could not out trade him in that regard.

    Seeing the retreating soldiers, the Red Feather began to cheer all the louder, not quite understanding just how messy things would be the following day.

    "It seems its time for something a bit more creative. A bit more exciting. The climax will soon be upon us."

 Chapter 206 - A Plan

    "What? Are we already going back again?"

    "Aye,mander Miura reckons they won¡¯t be able to do much else for the rest of the day ¨Cbest to stand down and rx a bit."

    "Huh... It¡¯s even earlier than yesterday. True, we did crack open their weapons, but I don¡¯t really feel like I¡¯ve done any work. Doesn¡¯t feel like battle. If anything this is easier than working in the fields."

    "Best not let Jikouji or Morohira catch you saying that. They¡¯ll have you shifting stones for the rest of the week. Just ept the break, ande and catch a drink. I¡¯m sure our boss has it all figured out anyway."

    "Oy, you two! Make sure you don¡¯t drink too much. You need to be sober again by nightfall."

    "Yes sir!"

    "Nightfall? Is something going downter on? Would exin why we¡¯re on such an early break."

    "Dunno. Seems like it though."

    As Matsudaira focused on tunnelling, Gengyo was faced with the troubling problem of trying to counter it. To defend from the inside ¨C that seemed to be the obvious solution. To fire continuously into the darkness, and massacre the men. That would be a coin flip, however, and causalities would be inevitable, making future advancement troublesome.

    It was a significant turning point in the siege, and a decision had best not be made lightly, and even then not by a single person. It was only fitting that Gengyo called to council his most trusted men. Even Isabe was recalled from her post to take part. Everything needed to be nned and articted perfectly, without a single mistake or misunderstanding.

    "In regards to how to deal with these tunnelling attempts, I have an idea." He announced once they were all seated around the table. It was rather cramped, with the room being so small, yet noints were spoken.

    Silence reigned as they waited for him to continue, their ears primed and ready, and their hearts hopeful. "We will expand our army, by employing a new type of soldier."

    "A new type of soldier, Miura? The townspeople will not fight for us. I do not think it is sensible to put faith in their hands." Togashi immediately raised his concerns as Gengyo had urged them to before the meeting began.

    "Not the townspeople. There is another force avable, and they will be quite willing to enter our employment."

    His words caused a series of frowns, as they struggled to recall such soldiers being present. If such a force existed, then why had they waited till now to ask them to join their ranks?

    "How well trained are they? If they are unable to act on our battle tactics, then it will be useless having them in the first ce." Being around Gengyo for as long as he had, Jikouji did not bother to raise the question of where the forces truly existed ¨C he took it as fact that they did.

    "That¡¯s right, Jikouji! I don¡¯t want some noodled-armed newbies getting in the way when I¡¯m hacking f.u.c.kers to pieces. Where¡¯s the fun in that?" Morohira agreed.

    "Oh. Their tactics are a little different from ours, but they are easily implementable. They specialise in doing one thing: charging the enemy, and breaking their ranks. Opening the fruit, so we can feast on the core."

    "Eh? A cavalry unit? That would be pretty useful. That¡¯s the only thing we¡¯re missing." Rokkaku mused, much preferring the idea ofbat by horseback.

    "Something like that." Gengyo replied with a smile.

    Sensing a certain misdirection present in his words, Akiko spoke up, in an attempt to establish the truth. "You¡¯re being silly, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s not soldiers. It¡¯s something else. Some weapon."

    Being called out as he was, his smile only widened, as he raised his eyebrows, and held his hands up defensively. "I might have been ying, just a little. They¡¯re not exactly soldiers. They¡¯re more... Cattle."

    They stared at him. He stared back, undeterred, looking rather pleased with himself for his novel idea.

    "Cattle..?" Isabe repeated, shaking her head, appearing almost disturbed.

    "Of course. They are freely avable here, are they not? A good couple of thousand, at least. If we were to purchase all of them, and send them charging toward the Matsudaira camp, then who could stop them? We had only need stroll in after, and deal the killing blows."

    "Is that... Is that really feasible?" Jikouji¡¯s frown deepened, as he tried to visualize such a storm in his head.

    "I can¡¯t see why not. Matsudaira will be resting his men tonight, in preparation for the tunnel breach tomorrow. When night falls, we will send them out, and then we will charge straight after."

    "I like it." Togashi decided, surprising everyone. He was usually more reserved when it came to military affairs, but now he was mirroring Gengyo¡¯s smile. "They¡¯re big beasts. With the dark covering them, they¡¯ll cross the ins and be at the camp before the scouts can even react. And how can they react? No one¡¯s ever fought an army of oxen before. This is it. I¡¯m sure of it. I had a feeling that it would not end here. This is the path to victory."

    "Good man. I promise it will not." He looked around to see whether anyone else would voice agreement. At the very least, none coulde up with a suitable reason why it would not work. But the feeling of ridiculousness as they discussed it was poignant, and it was difficult to see past that initial reaction.

    "Hah... So what do we need to do?" Rin asked after a long and drawn out sigh. Anything less would not be expected of her brother, she supposed.

    With Rin, the score was deemed settled. No one else would speak up now. And so, the fun ¨C in Gengyo¡¯s eyes ¨C began.

    "Brilliant. I¡¯m looking forward to this one." He stated. A creative mind always delighted at the prospect of testing new strategies ¨C new ways of approaching a problem, and this here truly was a novel solution. A more exciting way to seize victory there was likely not. "Jikouji. See to it that every ox in this entire city is purchased and brought to rest by the eastern wall."

    "Aye, I¡¯ll see that it¡¯s done."

    "Isabe, recall the scouts and have them focus all their efforts on monitoring the Matsudaira camp. Any changes in formation, and I am to be notified immediately."

    "As you say."

    "Togashi, Morohira, Rokkaku. Make sure the men don¡¯t get too drunk. Have them ready and assembled by sunset at the eastern wall."

    "Got it."

    "Akiko, Rin, apany Jikouji and see to any disputes. There can be no problems leading up to this. It needs to function smoothly."

    "Sounds boring, but okay."

    "Everyone else, assist me in making a catalyst for their stampede."

    Within moments they each had a task, and the room was a mess of movement as they each struggled towards the door, preparing themselves for the final stretch of this military marathon.

    They carried out their tasks with grace, yet their minds were undoubtedly on the battle head. Their sesses had been reasonable, but against such numbers, none of them had been crushingly significant. Tonight, their efforts would culminate towards a single point. The only possible opportunity 500 men had of beating 8,000. They would bet their all on this.

 Chapter 207 - Stampede

    There was a sizeable hole in the wall that had been excavated. An odd thing, indeed. It wasrge enough to fit three carts in, if they all ran side by side. It was a curious decision for a defending party to make, but likely one the enemy still could not see. Ity to the vigers instead gossip, and try toe up with a reason.

    If they had more than half a brain, and they connected the mass of cattle that were fenced in beside it, then it might be that they hit upon an exnation.

    The soldiers were gathered and armed, their hearts beating rapidly. Their armour was clean, and perfectly prepared. By now each of them had been informed of the intent. This would be a ughter, they were aware. With both swords and rifles they would fight, using anything they could get their hands on. It was their opportunity ¨C their time ¨C to test what they had gained under the course of this man¡¯s leadership. To find out just how powerful they were. The scene had been prepared, and now it onlyy to them - the actors - to execute on it.

    "Do you men have a vision of freedom?" He began. "Perhaps not. It is not amon thing to have. The average man spends his day doing average things. He tills the fields just as his friends do. He swings his hoe, once, twice, again. His station is no higher than that of his father, perhaps it is even lower."

    "That man dwells in mediocrity. I do not beseech you to look down upon such a man, instead, I wish for you to look up, and recognize the profundity of your own decisions that you have made. Of the path that you walk, for whatever reason you walk it. You are more than themon man."

    "This war, and this here battle ¨C they are worth more than a lifetime¡¯s toll in the field. On these front lines you will find just what sort of man you truly are. And I hope you look forward to it! For I know this: the men of the Red Feather are great indeed. No matter the oue of this fight, history will remember our names, and what we stood for."

    "Now, I ask you this, are you ready for battle? Are you ready to throw everything you have in single minded pursuit of victory? Are you ready to transcend beyond the chains of mediocrity, and swing your sword boldly?"

    "YES COMMANDER!" They mmed their fists into their sternums with vigour, stamping their feet on the ground.

    "NOTICE THAT FEAR THAT DWELLS WITH IN YOUR CHEST! GRASP IT! FOR THROUGH IT COURAGE CAN BE ATTAINED, AND WE CAN CONQUER ANY FOE!"

    "HAH!" A sea of aggression. They were bing riled up. Adrenaline began to flow.

    "RELEASE THE CATTLE!" He bellowed thrusting his sword upwards, before turning and pointing towards the Matsudaira camp. The oxen look at them mildly, chewing on the straw within their enclosure. Whatever odd things the humans were up to ¨C that was of no concern to them.

    The temporary wooden fence barring ess through the opening was shifted and cleared. One or two of the more curious animals wandered out past it, but the rest were still content with their current positioning, and barely paid it any mind.

    A preorganized group of men went to work, wielding long and fat wooden paddles. They swung, andnded their blows heavily, smacking the backsides of any innocent oxen within reach.

    "AMOO!" The beastsined jumping restlessly from the pain, shifting forwards. And yet more were struck, disturbing them ¨C angering them. The pressure slowly built up, with each painful yelp, and then, from the front, it exploded, and they burst into furious charge, straight out of the wall.

    And then, the second part of the n went into motion. A shallow wall of fire was lit along the length of the gap, and the oxen were forced to cross. Disturbed and angry as they were, they did not pay such a small thing any mind, and continued to charge forward, following the ox in front. And soon their enclosure began to empty.

    They would not stop. Not for a while. Each of their tails had been dipped in oil earlier, and now, as they crossed that wall of me, the vtile liquid sprung to life, lending them even more fury and speed.

    With thest ox gone, they too followed. "CHARGE, MY BROTHERS! DO NOT FALTER UNTIL THEIR CAMP IS A RIVER OF BLOOD!"

    They shot out, sparing the fire nary a nce. Their gaze was focused frontwards. Each man ran on foot, no matter the rank, and yet, with his monkly aptitude, it was Gengyo whofortably stayed in front.

    They had worked hard since their recruitment. Each day. Endurance ¨C as had always been the case for men under Gengyo¡¯smand ¨C took priority. This kind of dash ¨C all but a kilometre in distance ¨C was nothing. They could quitefortably sprint it, and not be left too winded, even with the equipment that they ran with.

    Hard work had made way for opportunity, and now the two lovers embraced, hand in hand, ready to bear witness to a beautifully chaotic night.

    The hooves of the oxen beat on the ground, almost indistinguishable from an earthquake. Seeing them lit up, charging towards them, the Matsudaira camp did not know whether to sound the horn. It was not an enemy, but it was undoubtably dangerous. That indecision when confronted with an irregrity cost them a precious few minutes.

    By the time the horn sounded, there was not enough time for effectual action.

    Needless to say, the oxen covered the distance far faster than their human allies ever could, and they were the first to crash into camp, far ahead. The only thing they could see in front of them was the rear of their fellow oxen. No attempts were made to swerve or falter.

    Multiple tents were dotted about directly within their path. Furious with the pain caused by the fire, the oxen charged straight through.

    The men wereid in bed, as theirmander had ordered, and it was not with difficulty that they drifted off to sleep, after being awake for such a long time. Most were crushed underfoot, not even given the time to leave their beds. Others were pierced by horns, and their corpses were decorated with fallen tent material.

    As the cloth inevitably fell over the oxen¡¯s eyes and rendered them blind, it was only cause to make them even more angry. A blinded beast, kicking and bucking furiously from pain, weighing over a tonne. Even one was enough to cause catastrophe, and yet here was unleashed an army in the thousands.

    The horn sounded, as the lookouts finally alerted the men. It was likely the screams of their fallenrades, and the snapping of wood, and the groaning of bones that awoke them first. Matsudaira ¨C already a light sleeper ¨C woke up almost immediately, and exited his tent, not yet even dressed.

    The sight that greeted him made him wonder whether he was still indeed dreaming. A herd of oxen - mouths open and foaming - stormed towards him. It was with barely any room to spare that he managed to flee from their path, though his tent was not so fortunate.

    In his only just awakened state, he had trouble processing the reason for the chaos around him. He saw more beast than man. It seemed that the gods had turned against them, and this was something akin to a natural disaster.

    In all the scrolls he had read, there had never been a chapter on this. Not on how to deal with a stampede. There was likely never a general that had to!

    He gritted his teeth. A sword would serve him no good here. To fight it andsh out would be akin to stabbing a spear at water. There was no gain. They merely had need to step aside. And yet how?

    There was no good answer. No solid solution. It was a disgustingly suffocating state of affairs. The wave of oxen had already copsed onto them, and was only continuing to charge forward. The men ¨C by now ¨C should have been alerted to the crisis themselves. They should be attempting to flee. There would be no consensus or order in how they did that, as was to be expected, and so he determined his course of action.

    A n.a.k.e.d, swordlessmander. A pitiful sight indeed. To dress would be to search through the debris of his destroyed tent, and even then he was not guaranteed to find it. Action was what the moment demanded.

    "MEN! FLEE SOUTH! ON ME!" He barked, struggling to be heard over the noise. Some men did indeed hear him, but in their states of panic it did not ur to them that they should obey. They were busy doing all they could to flee from the raging beasts, n.a.k.e.d, just as he was.

 Chapter 208 - Surrender

    He grit his teeth as another ox ran past, ufortably close. Nearer and near they kepting. There was too much noise as well. Far too much to be heard. None of his subordinates were on hand to assist him in his bestowment of order, and it seemed likely that none of them would arrive.

    Going by his earlier conclusion that this was some sort of natural disaster, he felt, that perhaps it would be cleaner to weather the storm. To flee somewhere ¨C anywhere outside the perimeter of camp ¨C and regroup and calcte the damage in the morning, just as a vige must when a tsunami came hurtling towards them. It was not an easy choice to make, and it was certainly one that caused a deal of bitterness, and yet it was the only one avable to him. It would be too much to bear to die n.a.k.e.d at the hands ¨C or hooves ¨C of oxen.

    And then came the second wave of cmity. Over the miserable screams of dying men, and the painful pangs of ming oxen, there was forecast a sound that was notably human.

    They swept through the camp like a hot knife through butter. Their elite offence was finally given a chance to show its superiority, and it was against a foe that was virtually defenceless. They held their rifles and released volley after volley. Each time they pulled their triggers, another man fell. Most did not even take the time to reload, and simply cast their rifles aside, before springing in with their swords, shing at the men attempting to flee, cutting them down without a single shred of mercy.

    There were a few soldiers that had managed to arm themselves, despite the chaos going on around them, and they formed up, attempting to stop this one-sided charge. They too fell. Even more easily than the rest. The only limiting factor of the Matsudairan demise, was the speed at which the Red Feather des could reach their flesh. It no longer mattered how many of them stood together.

    It was such a cruelly one-sided affair. The oxen had fought the battle, and the men only came along to severe as the executioners.

    One set of soldiers made their way outside their tent, having narrowly escaped being ttened by oxen. They breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be in their armour and with their swords. With haste they began to make their way towards the camps perimeter, where it seemed Matsudaira was attempting to reform his men.

    The five of them together were sure they could break through ¨C as long as they stayed close. They crept behind the tents at a jog, taking care to look this way and that before moving out.

    "Oy." A voice came from behind them. At first, they flinched, thinking that they had been caught, but much to their relief it was but a single man. It seemed all that blood that covered his armour had rendered him drunk. They wasted no time in responding, and instead moved forward to silence him quickly, before he brought the others down upon them.

    The most unfortunate part of it all, was not that they had encountered Morohira, and made the mistake that of underestimating him. It was that they dared to count themselves lucky.

    The first man thrust out with his spear, only to have his neck severed a split secondter, spitting blood all over his clean armour.

    "BASTARD!" His friend roared, not wasting the opportunity to take revenge. He was killed even more easily. A single sh across the chest. Unable to even see the hands that killed him.

    It was only then that the remaining three realized this was not a man they could take lightly. This was likely not a man they could even fight at all. They made their decision, and they ran, hoping that they might encounter some allies along the way.

    "Guh!" A man turned to the left only to see a sword de sticking out of his friend.

    "Argh!" And through the neck of the man to his right.

    He copsed, terrified, unable to fathom such ability, and so his life was ended, with him whimpering face down on the grass.

    "Heh." Was his only acknowledgement. He felt with each strike that he had grown stronger ¨C even stronger than before. In the past he had needed to push himself into a state of pure aggression, and yet now, even without care, he could take a man¡¯s life with ease. Such was the results of vigorous training.

    Gengyo lead a charge entirely of his own, leaving waves of corpses behind him. He moved swiftly and shed cleanly. So easy was his ughter that he even had time to reflect on how unfortunate it was. How cruel indeed. The majority did not even get to die with a sword in their hand. But such was the nature of war, and he did not pause to regret his decision.

    Somewhere off to his right, he could hear flesh being sliced at a rapid pace, as a swordswoman duo jumped from one target to the next. He smiled briefly, admiring their ferocity, before once more concentrating on his own task.

    His men were sweeping through, leaving a trail of bodies in their path. The Matsudaira army was shrinking by the second. Yet the battle was not yet won, and he did not delude himself with the thought that it was. Instead, he continued to observe. The men fled in a rather consistent direction, and he made a swift judgement as to why that might be.

    He did not need to give an order as he changed his direction and ran towards it. The others had likely established the same thoughts. Instead he sprinted, as fast as he was able, cutting down the chain of men linking him to that destination. They turned, hearing him, and fearing his approach, but the ends for all them were just the same.

    The number of tents began to die down, as did the number of oxen. They were nearing a rendezvous point. Gengyo flittered across the grass at a speed that few humans could reach, as graceful as a cheetah. He hit a hill, and with three gentle bounds, he mounted it, revealing whaty at the top.

    A hundred men had gathered. More than half of them armed. Matsudaira stood unmistakeably, having been given armour and a sword to wear by one of his soldiers, who now stood n.a.k.e.d in his stead.

    "Matsudaira Motoyasu." He intoned calmly, standing alone to face them without a shred of fear.

    "Miura Tadakata... I should have realized it was you behind that stampede." The man responded disbelievingly. Rin and Akiko joined Gengyo on the hill a momentter, looking fierce in their ck armour, with their shing naginatas.

    "Surrender. I do not wish to waste your life."

    "There are things that a man can never do. Surrender is not an option." His voice was tainted with a dejected bitterness, having realized that this battle was his loss. He fought to ovee that unpleasant feeling, seeing it to be a weakness. "You have bested me entirely, you have my respect."

    "As you have mine. I do not wish to shed yet more of blood of your men, Matsudaira. It is not dishonourable to sheath your weapon once you have lost. If anything, it¡¯s wise."

    "DO NOT ALTER YOUR MIND FOR OUR SAKES, LORD. WE WILL FIGHT TILL THE VERY END!" One of his men shouted loudly, not allowing the fear to taint his voice.

    "Indeed, it is as my man says. This battle is not yet over. You have put yourself in a questionable position in this final stretch. Victory is still within reach." Matsudaira decided, drawing his sword.

    "As you wish." Gengyo shot forward, felling three men before anyone had a chance to react. Rin and Akiko went to work either side of him, twirling their polearms with ease, not allowing a single de to get close.

    They hacked and cut, and yet more of their own men appeared over the hill. With ten men down, Rokkaku and Jikouji came to join the fray.

    The quality of their swordsmanship overpowered the ill-equip men, despite the heart with which they fought. It was a different level all together. By the dozens, Matsudaira¡¯s men fell, until he was left alone with his five body guards.

    "Surrender." Gengyo repeated.

    "I cannot." Matsudaira stated solemnly, not allowing the ughter to sway him.

    Gengyo stepped forward,pleting thest part of this battle alone. He parried a downward swing from one of the body guards, before cutting his hands from their wrists. Another strike came in towards his side, so he leapt, and broke the man¡¯s jaw with his boot. In a flurry of des, the final three fell, leaving Matsudaira to face off with Gengyo alone.

    It was obvious how hopelessly outmatched he was, and yet, there he stood, de poised, ready to charge in. And charge in he did. With foolish courage that even his ancestors could be proud of. Gengyo allowed him to get close, and begin his sh downwards, before with the hilt of his sword, he struck his skull, and knocked him unconscious.

 Chapter 209 - Very good.

    A terrific nightmare of disorganisation it was, when the sun finally came up to reveal what destruction hade to pass. The forest of tents had been ttened. Very few remained standing. Some had even caught me, and now all that was left were a few scraps of charred canvas.

    As for the oxen, their fires soon went out, and with them, the pain began to ease off. Their mad charge had been brought to a halt, and now, they wandered sporadically around the ins, helping themselves to meals of luscious grass. The vigers might wish to gather them at some point, but for now, the men felt they¡¯d more than earned their rest.

    There was indeed a great number of corpses. The Red Feather men had spared no effort in forecasting their viciousness. And yet, there were men kept alive as well. After the capture of Matsudaira, their reason to fight had died, and mostid down what weapons they had, surrendering for the sake of their leader.

    "Awake, are we?" Gengyo asked with a light smile. They had taken control of one of the tents, and made themselves quitefortable inside. With the chimney-like hole in the top of the canvas they had even been able to light a fire.

    The men sat outside, sharing some salvaged booze, toasting merrily to their victory, doing their best to keep an eye on the prisoners as they waited for themander to finish his affairs.

    "Where..?" Matsudaira blinked, looking around, not recognizing any of his surroundings. Thest thing he remembered was clutching his sword tightly, and charging toward a foe he knew he had no chance of defeating. After that, everything went nk.

    He looked up, realizing just who had spoken to him with a start. "You..? I¡¯m not dead then..." He stated such with a degree of bitterness. Living broughtplications. Death in that moment would have been simpler.

    "Sorry to disappoint, but you have no value to me dead."

    "I hold no value to you alive either. Imagawa will not show weakness with me as your hostage."

    "I¡¯m well aware. Come, make room for the man by the fire. He¡¯s had quite the night." Gengyo motion for the others to clear away. The dissatisfaction on Morohira¡¯s face was obvious, but he moved nheless. "Go on. Sit down. We have some talking to do."

    Matsudaira looked at him with a degree of suspicion, but did as he was bided to. It felt good to warm his hands by those flickering mes, though the ufortable stares of his enemy¡¯srades did something to offset the heat.

    "A drink, as well. A drink after battle is always wee ¨C helps to still the nerves a bit, doesn¡¯t it?" Gengyo tossed him an entire bottle, having no sses avable. "No need to thank me ¨C it¡¯s your sak¨¦ after all." He prodded fun, prompting a light chuckle from the others.

    The defeated general ¨C when the gift was put as such ¨C epted it, and drew out the cork, taking a long swig to solve the dryness in his throat. In the past he would have been wary of growing drunk, but with his defeat, he no longer had a standard to uphold, and thus no longer cared.

    "What is it you want from me, Miura Tadakata?" He asked pointedly, meeting the eyes of all around him. He noted three females, which he thought to be unusual, but given the circ.u.mstances, he could not seek exnation.

    "Well, now that¡¯s rather direct, is it not?" Heined good naturedly, pausing to think, so that he might choose his words just right. "It was a riveting battle, would you not agree? More strategical than brutish. In that sense, it has been almost fun."

    "I fight for the sake of the Daimyo, I hold no other emotion on the matter."

    "Oh, right. He must be awfully good to you to inspire such loyalty."

    "It matters not how he treats me. When one takes a vow of loyalty, it must be honoured, else his integrity perishes."

    "Come, Matsudaira, though we sit by the fire, let us not keep tossing each other hot coals. There is no love between you and the Imagawa. Your n was subjugated, and forced into obedience, is that not the case?"

    "I would not im that it is not. However, that does not change my role as his servant." Matsudaira stated solemnly.

    "No, I would not expect that it did, but you also owe your loyalty to your people. Your period of servitude to Imagawa has not exactly been a happy time for them, or so I¡¯ve heard. Do you agree with Imagawa¡¯s methods as a leader?"

    "I would not assume to question my master. While he yet draws breath, my loyalty will be his, no matter in whosepany I reside."

    "Quite the predicament, I must say. Your vows chain you. Should Imagawa fall to a little ident, then you would be free once again. If only the gods were so merciful."

    "Incorrect. Even if Imagawa were to perish, I would continue to serve the Imagawa n, such is the nature of my vow, and so I wish for nothing but good health for my Lord."

    "Very good. Then you are in a position of luck, Matsudaira."

    The man looked at him with a frown. "How might that be the case?"

    Gengyo returned his frown with a wide smile, as he gestured to his people. "We are nning a short trip. We intend to render the Imagawa n extinct, for... well, personal reasons."

    Matsudaira stared at him in disbelief. "Impossible. Not with your numbers. Shigeto castle is unbreachable. I say this out of respect ¨C do not waste your lives on such a foolish pursuit. As much as many dislike it, the Imagawa will continue strong for a good few centuries, at least."

    "Haha. We were told much the same thing when we had your forces marching against us. A short while ago, it was nothing more than us ¨C we that sit round the fire. And now we have an army of five hundred men, and a possible thousand more still."

    "That¡¯s different." Matsudaira refuted immediately. "You had the defending advantage and... You used that devilish tactic." One could see the displeasure with which he recalled the events ofst night. He was so close to saying the word ¡¯cheating¡¯ but held himself back from doing so, knowing it to be childish. "It seems that my defeat was secured however I reacted tonight," hemented, "what with you having a thousand man strong reinforcementing to your aid."

    "Ah, no, those thousand would not have arrived had we not secured this victory. You are something of a main character in helping me to secure them."

    The man raised an eyebrow at the unusual suggestion. "How do you mean?"

    "Well, outside there stand a thousand of your men, captured, and disarmed as it were ¨C worry not we have to treated them poorly."

    "...What is it you mean to say, Miura Tadakata?"

    "I want you to give them to me." He proposed, smiling wildly, shocking every individual in the room with his ridiculous notion. Even his own men opened their mouths to protest, but closed them once more, not wishing to embarrass their master in front of an outsider.

    "Absurd! What man in his right mind would do that? That¡¯s akin to treachery. I would rather fall on my sword right here and now." Matsudaira responded angrily, moving to stand up, not wishing to hear any more of this supreme ridiculousness.

    "Ah, please wait my good man. They are my prisoners ¨C you do not have much of a say in this. But, though I say that, they still listen to you. See, if a vow is a chain, then it needn¡¯t hinder your movementpletely. It is still possible to work around it and move things in your favour without breaking it, and demolishing your integrity."

    "I vowed I would serve the Imagawa n! To give away my men is a breach of that vow. I have lost this battle, Miura Tadakata ¨C I thought you to be an honourable man. Let me die with my pride intact, or let me return to Imagawa, so that I can be judged ordingly."

    "I do not mean to test you. I admire your skills on the field of battle, if I am to speak honestly. And in truth, I feel you and I have much the same cause ¨C if it were not for your troublesome vow. I can make you a promise, Matsudaira Motoyasu: Imagawa will fall to the Red Feather, and it will be done soon."

    Matsudaira made no move to respond, as his frown only deepened. There was nothing he could say in response without betraying that which he had given his life for.

    "You will remain as my prisoner until then, and, once this little Imagawa problem is dealt with, you have my word that the Matsudaira n will be free once more. This here province will be free. Yet Japan is still a sea of injustice, and to my mind, there will be no peace to be had unless we once again unify her. When that dayes, it would be my honour to have you fight by my side, as a general of my troops, but of course I will not force you."

 Chapter 210 - Fight?

    "...Whatever it is that you would have me do, I cannot break my vows." Matsudaira stated firmly, though it was clear that he was beginning to be swayed by Gengyo¡¯s proposal. The others had their ears perked up as well. This was the first they had heard of any alliance being formed, and there was some disapproval amongst them, despite them being able to acknowledge without a shadow of doubt the supremepetence of the enemymander.

    "I would not ask that of you. Your men are free now, to do as they will. All I need is something subtle from you that might sway them to join my cause, anything more than that I do not expect. If they do not wish to fight for me, then I will grant their freedom, and their lives."

    Once more Matsudaira remained silent, in a deep state of thought, which Gengyo interpreted as a sign that he should continue.

    "The same will be done for your nsmen ¨C those waiting for you at home. I will send them a letter stating my intentions, so that they might be ready for when the dayes, and they will be there to wee you once more. Until then, I¡¯m afraid, you¡¯ll have to bear mypany, what with you being my prisoner and all." He spoke of his imprisonment jokingly, for he would ensure to it that it by no means felt like that.

    "I... will do my best to oblige." The man spoke atst.

    "Very good. Now, shall we go and address your men? Their mood is no doubt sour, having lost so many of their people. But that is the nature of war, is it not? I hope you will not hold that against us."

    "It would be hypocritical for me to do so, when my intentions were entirely the same."

    "Excellent, I¡¯m d you understand." For the first time he turned to look at his own men. "What? Aren¡¯t you proud? I¡¯ve just secured us a substantial ally." He stated, once again looking rather pleased with himself.

    "Always so full of ideas... It would be great if he shared them with us once in a while." Rinined.

    "Indeed. He always swears that he will ovee that bad habit, and yet once again, it manifests itself. Honestly, what kind of man have I married?" Even Akiko shook her head with disapproval.

    "And yet it somehow works out for the better, does it not?" Jikouji mentioned weakly, only to be immediately overruled by Isabe.

    "You only say that out of weakness, old man."

    "Eh... Something tells me things will be getting troublesome for you boss." Rokkaku pointed out astutely.

    "Heh..." Gengyo scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed, as Matsudaira looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Well... These are my men, let¡¯s go and meet yours." He pushed open the cloth p of his tent gratefully, feeling that foreboding air head out behind him.

    His exit was immediately announced by a loud cheer, as the men noticed him, and raised high their bottles, each more than a little drunk. He held his hand for them to quiet down before he addressed them.

    "I hope the sak¨¦ is to your liking. We¡¯ll celebrate more once we return to the city, but for now, there is a little cleaning up that needs to be done."

    Directly in front of them, bunched up and miserable, both sitting and standing, there were over a thousand men. None of them wore more than a kimono, having been stripped of their weapons and armour. Some not even that. They noticed their leader still alive, and their eyes sparked with a grim hope, though even they were not optimistic enough to believe themselves saved. They knew, that in all likelihood, he was to be taken as a hostage.

    "Men of the Matsudaira army, defeated though you are, I do not intend to take yours nor your leader¡¯s lives. Instead ¨C after discussion with Motoyasu here ¨C Ie with a proposal." Matsudaira flinched, disturbed to hear his first name used so casually. "An alternative path if you will. It has been a tiring few days of fighting, and there will be some among you who have lost your taste for war all together."

    The Red Feather troops sat back curiously, bringing the sake to their lips with interest. Never before had they been involved in a battle where the vanquished had been addressed so politely. Though it was also true that they had never been in a battle quite like this at all. From start to finish, it was a novel experience.

    "My goal, as many of you likely know, is to sever Imagawa¡¯s head from his shoulders, and ensure the end of his n. For vengeance, but also for liberation. Theirs is not a n that is fit to rule. You were sent here, because out of all of Imagawa¡¯s men, you are the most disposable. The men he sees with the least regard. He is content to use you as dogs, and treat you like that as well. Despite the loyalty the Matsudaira men have shown him, you do not receive any thanks ¨C not the slightest bit of gratitude."

    "With this battle over, I will release you. You¡¯re free to go wherever you want. Home, is where I rmend some of you go. In times as turbulent as these, if you have someone you care for, you might wish to take advantage of this opportunity, for you might never see them again. For the rest of you, however, I extend a proposal. Join me. Join the Red Feather. Together we will see the end of the Imagawa n, and the Matsudaira n will be free once again. Your leader ¨C though he will remain my prisoner for now ¨C will once more be free."

    "Consider my offer carefully. For those of you that think my task impossible, recall the events of these previous days. Look upon the soldiers in front of you. Recall their ferocity. Recall their strength. You¡¯ve fought again them. You understand. Their skill is far above an ordinary army. It is a standard you too can reach as well, if you manage to endure my training. That is all I have to say. Matsudaira, speak to your soldiers, if you have words for them."

    Gengyo physically took a step back, taking a deep breath after the passion of his speech. He had certainly riled some of the enemy soldiers up. He had caused there to surface questions. Doubts. They were tilted towards a certain edge, and it would only cause a few words to make them budge. Even the Red Feather men were surprised. It was their leader, and he was a man they hade to respect, but such a strategy was surely bold. To ask the soldiers of the enemy to join him? Just what sort of confidence did he have?

    And now all eyes were focused on Matsudaira. A man of aptitude and ability, brought low by birth, and even lower by circ.u.mstance. His meeting with Gengyo was at the same time one of the greatest misfortunes of his military career, and also one of the luckiest days of his life. For the first time in years, he had been given a direction. He had been given hope, and a way out. And so, for such a man, he could only say one thing.

    "Miura Tadakata is a good man."

    That simple statement was all that escaped his lips, as he stood there, epting the full weight of his soldiers¡¯ stares. The full weight of their grief as they wept for theirrades that had been in merely hours before. In the raw throws of such emotion, they were called upon to make a choice.

    "I¡¯ll fight." A single man said. He stood n.a.k.e.d, proudly, his manhood swaying in the wind. His confidence must have been a thing of legend. "If you can raise me to even half the level of one you f.u.c.kers, then I¡¯ll fight."

    "I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s you talking, or your tiny c.o.c.k!" Rokkaku roared withughter, only to receive a sharp nce from Gengyo, to which he responded with an apologetic "sorry."

    "Good man. As well as swordsmanship, I can also offer you clothes. It does seem like a fair deal."

    "Aye, I¡¯ll fight as well. I¡¯ve got no warm feelings for Imagawa." Another man spoke as well.

    "Me too."

    "Me as well."

    Men only continued to stand and raise their hands, both clothed and unclothed, as Gengyo¡¯s smile widened with satisfaction. Soon, there was only one man that had not yet stood.

    He looked around, seeing whether there really was any other option, before shrugging. "Hell, I guess I¡¯ll fight too."

 Chapter 211 - Casual Steps

    With more men under hismand, how could he not be contented? But nothing could erase the grief that had passed between them. Matters had to be attended to subtly, and carefully, in an attempt to properly construct a bridge between them, devoid of any cracks.

    "Wee to our ranks. You will assume your positions the day hence. Today should be spent gathering yourselves. Retrieving your belongings, and burying your dead. Matsudaira, will you return with us to the city, or remain here?" Gengyo asked, presenting him with a choice.

    "I am your prisoner." Came the man¡¯s simple response.

    "Haha, I suppose you are. Then,e with us. I would talk with you some more, and have you share in our celebrations. This is a victory for all of us, despite your defeat."

    The men began to struggle to their feet in response to the threat of movement. It was only then that they realized how much their muscles ached. Training was one thing, but battle went far beyond it. Certain limiters were removed, as adrenaline consumed the body, and without even knowing it, they pushed harder than they ever had in their lives.

    The loss of life for their order had been minimal, and so, even in victory, they were allowed to be truly pleased with their sess, knowing that they could share their celebrations with their friends andrades.

    "Off we go then." He announced to no one in particr, a smile on his lips, as he began forward. Matsudaira responded in kind, keeping by his side, and their men stumbled after them with tired drunkenness. They passed through the crowd of ex-Matsudairan men who parted before them in silence.

    The new recruit¡¯s interactions with the soldiers consisted entirely of stares. Even by the way they carried themselves, when walking by so close, the quality of their new allies was obvious, and most dared not to meet their gaze, consoling themselves with Gengyo¡¯s promise: that they too would reach such a standard shortly.

    They brought plenty of sake with them, and made no efforts to rush across the ins, taking it a single leisurely step at a time. It was only then that they appreciated the distance between them and the enemy camp. When they had sprinted across it, they¡¯d covered the distance so rapidly, and now they marvelled at their own feats, shaking their heads with proud disbelief.

    "They will not desert." Matsudaira stated, breaking the silence between him and the man beside him.

    "Hoh?" Gengyo raised an eyebrow in response, as if to question what he meant.

    "You let them stay to give them the option, without fear of unseen punishment. To make them truly choose between leaving, and fighting beside you. And so, I say again: they will not desert."

    "Heh... You truly are a man of talent. Yet how can you be sure?" He praised unreservedly. Matsudaira made such observations without a hint of emotion, as though they were the most natural thing in the world, but none of the others had realized his true intent.

    "They are my men. Their loyalty is unquestionable. They have stayed with me through far worse circ.u.mstances than this."

    "I would hear more of such circ.u.mstances ¨C we have a good while ahead of us. If I am to fight beside you, it would please me to get to you know you better."

    "I can make noment in regards to that, not whilst Imagawa still lives." Matsudaira remained ever rigid, despite Gengyo¡¯s attempt at goodwill.

    "Haha, I¡¯m sure. Worry not, I won¡¯t put you in a difficult spot. You had only need remain on the side lines for a while, as we march against him. It will give you time to decide whether you truly wish to fight for my cause; I will not force you."

    "...I will not object on that front, then."

    "Very good. It seems we¡¯ve finally reached an agreement. Now, tell me, what of your advisors? Are they amongst the living?"

    "Nay. They stood by me until the end ¨C they were cut down by your hand."

    "I see." He made no moves to apologise, nor did Matsudaira expect him to. If anything, an apology would have irritated him. In the ways of war, there was nothing reversible. Nothing you could take back. If one did not move forward with a resolved mind, then he would do better not to enter the field at all.

    The gaping hole was still in the wall, just as they had left it, only now, there were a few curious vigers who arose to peak their heads out. With no gs being flown, it was left to the more eagle eyed to decide which force marched towards them.

    Very few had resolved to sleep that night, with the fate of their city resting upon this battle, and so, when the forces had departed, so had they, as they watched from atop the walls. They bore witness to the devasting charge of cattle, and the deadly assault that followed. Still, it seemed unreasonable to expect that the five-hundred-man force held a chance, even with all that they had employed.

    A prominent face stood amongst the spectators, alongside one of his more loyal men ¨C one that had earned the ire of Jikouji quite early on. The head of the guards. Gengyo chuckled under his breath as he recognized them, affording him a curious nce from Matsudaira.

    "Good morning, Governor! It¡¯s wonderful to see you in such good health." He called out, taking a sip of his sak¨¦ and feigning drunkenness.

    "Oh! I forgot there was a Governor... I thought it was you that owned this city, boss?" Rokkaku joined in, assuming the role of the inquisitive idiot, struggling to hide his extreme amus.e.m.e.nt as he saw the dark look pass over the Governor¡¯s face.

    "No, no! You musn¡¯t say such things. The Governor rules from the shadows, and it¡¯s only thanks to his blessedpetence that this city is in such a fine state... Aside from this hole in the wall. That was my fault, I hope we will be forgiven for our insolence." Gengyo bowed leisurely, before walking past him with nary a nce.

    Matsudaira looked him up and down as well, and immediately understood the reason for Gengyo¡¯s contempt. There was no substance to the individual. The smell of weakness tainted him, and he could not hold his gaze for long. Insignificant was the perfect word to sum him up.

    "Ah." Gengyo paused a few steps away, before turning back, just in time for Morohira to pass, shooting the man a teasing look of his own. "We will get this wall fixed up immediately, but we will first celebrate our victory."

    "You had best be careful with your words, mercenary! You¡¯ve had your way merely because the Governor allowed it. Should you push too hard, then expect to meet resistance, and a set of unfortunate circ.u.mstances." The head of the guard¡¯s called out angrily.

    A set of more ill-chosen words, there was likely none. It was apetition to see who could react the fastest. As it happens, one of the foot soldiers was the first to reach him, as he drew his wakizashi faster than the man could blink, holding the metal tightly against his throat. "DO NOT DARE TO SPEAK TO THE GENERAL IN THAT MANNER!" The man damned him furiously, and all the other men around him held a simr anger in their eyes. After the events of today, their belief in theirmander was solidified, and he held to them an almost godlike status. For such a lowly man to insult him was sphemy.

    So frightened he was ¨C with the sharp de so close ¨C that he could not even struggle. It had already cut shallowly. Anymore, and it might really take his life.

    "Stand down, my good man. The good captain here was merely jesting, is that not the case?" Gengyo asked pointedly, raising his eyebrows.

    With the de slightly eased away from his throat, no matter the cost, the captain would have dly given it. He held no true battle experience. "Yes! A joke! A simple joke!" He croaked. Hearing that response, the weapon waspletely withdrawn, and he was kicked to his knees, and left to gasp for his breath, as the rest of the soldiers strolled past him contemptuously.

    After the battle, and such a victory, each of them felt elevated far beyond their status. They were inflicted with a devilish confidence that carved its way right into the source of their character itself. Like this, they felt they could confront any monster and win, as long it was that man whomanded them.

    "A man that was born into his position..." Matsudaira mused.

    "Which one do you speak of?"

    "Both of them. They are ill suited to the seat in which they sit. A merchant, at most, is the position they should upy."

    "I could not agree more. Such is the case for many a n across this country of ours. Just because a man of greatness sired him, does not mean that his pup will too rise to the same standard."

 Chapter 212 - Sake

    This city was said to be a ruin. You did well in repairing it." Matsudairamented, as they walked through the crowds of gawking people. Some cheered for them as they passed, but most simply stared, both unable to believe that their victory hade to pass, and unable to decide whether that was truly a good thing or not.

    "I have some good men who saw to it ¨C ah, there they are now." Morojo and Takeshi came racing, wide smiles decorating their faces. They¡¯d been up the entire night with worry, and several times Takeshi was forced to hold Morojo back as he suggested they cross the ins.

    "Miura! You¡¯re still alive? And so many of you too! Bloody hell... I never thought that would work. Is this really it then? We¡¯re going to overthrow the Daimyo? It seems so close! Wait, who¡¯s this?"

    Finally, Gengyo was able to get a word in, and Morojo¡¯s excited barrage died down. "This is Matsudaira Motoyasu."

    "Ah..." Morojo was unsure whether to bow towards him, or curse him for giving them such a difficult time, and so he stood there, staring awkwardly, joined by Takeshi who had much the same reaction.

    "Haha, wipe that look off your faces. Come, join us, we¡¯re going to drink until we drop. Matsudaira, that there is Morojo, a master shipwright with such talent that he can extend his hand to anything structurally oriented. Matsudaira was just praising the speed with which you repaired the city, Morojo."

    "Eh..? Ah... Thank you my.. lord?" In response to Matsudaira¡¯s respectful nod, he fumbled, attempting to give him an appropriate title, but seeing that the defeated general evidently did not care how he was addressed, he was allowed a sigh of relief as the attention was directed elsewhere.

    "And this is Takeshi. Inventor, and a talented cksmith. That cannon caught you off surprise yesterday, did it not? He managed to construct that in just a couple of days. Had it been anyter, then the conclusion would have been quite different."

    "Indeed. It was a troublesome counter." He was a most reserved individual, Matsudaira Motoyasu, and understandably so, being thrust into thepany of the enemy, and speaking with people he had never met before. And yet, despite that, with talk of his defeat, he did not show nor give voice to any bitterness, instead, his nods seemed to contain some approval, and genuine respect, as he paid homage to their achievements.

    "You had some troublesome weapons yourself. That ballista ¨C I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. How did you manage to make it sorge, yet be able to handle such amounts of tension?"

    Takeshi and Morojo gave one final nod to theirmander before leaving to talk with Morohira, Jikouji and the others that walked behind them.

    "A foreign scroll, and some experiments of my own, though I¡¯ve never had an opportunity to use it until now."

    "Heh, perhaps some alcohol will loosen your tongue a bit more. Come, let us hurry for some proper drink."

    They¡¯d carved a spot of the city for their own on the far side. There was a good deal of space for their tents, but there were also some houses as well which the higher ranked men resided in.

    They¡¯d paid some of the vigers to tend to them, and the sak¨¦ and celebratory feast had been prepared in advance. An optimistic gesture though it might have been, but who wouldin of the lost coin if they had truly been delivered to the afterlife?

    The serving women bowed deeply as their walked into the square. The feast was indeed delicious, and most of the food had been freshly prepared and steaming. Word of their arrival must have travelled fast.

    A small drinking bowl and dining bowl had beenid out for each man, and they sat on the bare ground with their legs crossed contently helping themselves to food as they waited for the alcohol to be severed.

    "Is the food to your likin? Ah, I suppose you¡¯ll have had some gourmet rations, so these probably pale inparison."

    "No, it¡¯s simple, but fresh. I regret that my men will not be able to share it."

    "We¡¯ll have some saved for them. Ah, yes, if you would begin serving the alcohol." Gengyo motioned towards one of the serving women who bowed obediently, before filling his cup. The others began down the table and hastened to do the same.

    Gengyo sat at the very head, as was his honour, with Akiko by his side, and Matsudaira by his other. His wife sat quietly, sharing conversation with Rin, not wishing to interfere with her husbands bonding with his new ally. The others were simrly thoughtful, aside from a certain duo.

    "Oyy, can we not get a jug of our own? These tiny bowls aren¡¯t enough." Morohira directed hisints towards his son, rather than towards the serving women who might actually be able to do something about it.

    "Help yourself to a barrel, if it¡¯ll keep you quiet for a while." Gengyo replied with a smile, having been cut off in the middle of his conversation.

    "A barrel? Yer a bit optimistic there boss. Give him two, and we¡¯ll fancy our chances."

    "Pah. You want one for yourself as well, don¡¯t you Rokkaku? Don¡¯t be pretending and trying to rob me of mine."

    "Aye... Might be that I do."

    "Then... We¡¯ll wrestle!" He immediately jumped to his tried and tested strategy of wrestling. In the past, his victory over Rokkaku would have been assured, but much had changed since then, and both of them were far stronger.

    "You go it! I¡¯ll smoosh yer face into the sand, and we¡¯ll see how much sak¨¦ you can drink then."

    No celebration wasplete without adequate entertainment, and with most of the men bordering on exhaustion, they were lucky to have the two of them.

    They immediately began to grapple, threatening to take the table with them, and it fell to Gengyo to redirect their brawl a little further away before his meal coated their backs.

    He let loose an amused sigh as he sat back down, continuing to watch their scrapping, as he sipped delicately on the sak¨¦ enjoying its bitter vour.

    "Who schooled you in the sword?" Matsudaira asked suddenly, prompting a raised eyebrow from Gengyo. "You move quickly, even when the intent is casual." He exined, having witnessed just how swiftly he was able to shift Morohira and Rokkaku.

    "Mm... I suppose you could say Jikouji did. Though his lessons were short, and often rather painful." He pointed to the old man who recalled such memories with embarrassed fondness, a time when he could easily manhandle this boy who had now be such a terrifying monster. "Though my true trainingy in the spear, at Menryo-ji."

    Matsudaira¡¯s head flickered up with haste, as he regarded Gengyo with surprise. "The warrior monk temple, Menryo-ji?" He pursued.

    "Aye, that¡¯s the one." He agreed, downing the rest of this sak¨¦.

    He could hardly believe what he was hearing, but the skills that he had seen brought what he knew into doubt, and so, he continued to question. "Did you grow up amongst them? From what I¡¯ve heard, they do not ept outsiders."

    "No, you¡¯re quite right in saying I was an outsider. It was a strange set of events, that Kitajo ¨C over there ¨C and I found ourselves in, and yet such was the result. The masters instructed me in their arts, and I did my best to learn them."

    "Is that how your soldiers..?"

    "Correct. I instructed them in some of the basic techniques."

    "No wonder... They have skill equalling or besting my elite guardsmen. To think I would ever face a disciple of the Menryo-ji. There are those who doubt their skill, because they never do battle. And yet here you are... I had always believed... It is truly strange the fate the gods hold in store."

    "Haha, finally! It only took three bowls of sak¨¦, but you¡¯re finally starting to cheer up a little. War had need not be miserable, Matsudaira. Now you see, when I promised your men that I would raise their skill, I did not lie."

    His gaze was distant, but the beginnings of a smile on his face were obvious. He did not give voice to his thoughts, but clearly, within his mind, some connections were being made, and he was beginning to see the significance of the events that hade to pass, and those that awaited him in the future. Perhaps... That regretful childhood dream could truly be fulfilled?

 Chapter 213 - Hangover

    With theing of morning, there was still not a single Red Feather man awake. So hard they had pushed themselves, and so much alcohol they had consumed. It was only to be expected. Most of themy there, in the courtyard, still in their armour,pletely passed out and dead to the world. They greeted the morning sun with unconscious irritation, and shifted a sleepy arm to shield their eyes, before once more drifting into a deep sleep.

    Once they finally did awake, they did not exactly feel fresh. Such was the price they had to bear. Even with such terrible hangovers, there was not a single man that did not smile. All the alcohol in the world could not drown out their feeling of aplishment.

    And yet they still had a promise to keep ¨C an appointment to attend. He stretched like a cat, cracking his back in the process, letting out a satisfied a sigh. A little more sensible than the men ¨C and perhaps with a little more motivation ¨C he had taken back to the house with his wife, and shared afortable night.

    "Guh..." Akikoined, pulling the cover back over her face, in response to the sunlight that shone through. "Do we really have to wake up already?"

    "It¡¯s past midday by now, so I¡¯d say we probably should."

    "But I¡¯m so tired..."

    "We will not march for long today, don¡¯t worry, and then we can all return to our beds knowing that we¡¯re a little closer than yesterday to our goal."

    "That sounds great and all, but I¡¯d still rather take the sleep." Despite her words, she sat up with a sigh, stretching just as he had.

    "As would I, especially when my wife reveals herself so temptingly." He thread his arm over her bare shoulder, and pulled her head into his chest, nting a kiss on her neck.

    "Honestly..."

    "Come! Let us move." He jumped from the bed, waking himself up with rapid action, throwing on a fresh kimono.

    She dragged herself from the bed behind him, and still yawning, she too began to put on her clothes.

    The men were just as when they had left them, sleeping as soundly as an army of corpses. Only a few had awoken, prompted by the calls of nature, finding a suitable location to let loose a well-deserved piss.

    Jikouji was amongst the awakened, always the early riser, and had found his mornings entertainment in watching some of the weaker-stomached soldiers continuingst night¡¯s vomiting spree.

    "You¡¯vee to watch the show too, Miura? And you¡¯ve brought your wife? Aren¡¯t you ady pleaser? Come, I¡¯ve reserved the best seats." He called out.

    "You¡¯re a pretty twisted old man."

    "If only you had called me sick instead, I would have been able to make quite the cunning joke." Hemented.

    "Hence why I chose my words carefully, and avoided such suffering."

    "Well, whatever the result, their suffering would seem to be far worse. Do you not have a hangover? I don¡¯t think I saw you stop drinking at allst night."

    "No, fortunately. I surprise myself as well. I dare say it has something to do with the temple training ¨C in the past I would have been passed out drinking only half that." He looked around, trying to find a certain face. "Say... Have you seen Matsudaira?"

    "Over there." Jikouji pointed to a man, passed out with a slight bit more grace than the others, still seated with his legs crossed, only with his face down atop the table.

    "Ah." He raised an eyebrow seeing him such a state. He had judged him to be a man of moderation, and would have thought, out of everyone gathered, he would be the least likely to give in his dignity as such. Perhaps that was part of the problem. His past moderation had done naught to build his resistance, and now, on this night, when he had truly needed a drink, he did not know his limits, and found himself to be in quite the state. "Well... Do you want to do the honours, then?" He asked hisrade before he went ahead and did it himself, knowing of Jikouji¡¯s more sadistic past time of waking up theter rising youngsters.

    "It would be my pleasure." He dug his hands under the table, and revealed a rather sizeable gong, with a beating stick to strike it. He looked to be rather pleased with himself as he held them there, expecting a question. Whilst surprised by their sudden conjuration, merely knowing that a question would be expected, Gengyo decided against it, thinking that the exnation might be quite irritating and mundane indeed.

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready." He said instead, as Akiko reached her hands to her ears tiredly, before closing her eyes, and resting her chin on Gengyo¡¯s shoulder.

    BANG

    BANG

    BANG

    He struck continually and brutally. The first strike was enough to raise and irritate everyone, but as the rest descended, and a rhythm was called out, even with their eyes opened, they longed for an escape.

    Matsudaira¡¯s eyes shed open, and he looked around with panicked alertness, not quite knowing whether he was. Tracking the source of the sound, his eyes finally revealed some sort of understanding, seeing Gengyo standing there. With that rification came a more acute realization of just how irritating and painful that noise was, and his face said it all.

    His expression was mirrored by the men around him, as they looked up with zombified visages, and throbbing headaches, only made worse by that abysmal noise.

    Jikouji ¨C quite enjoying their reactions ¨C went to strike it again, but by that point, even Gengyo had enough, and he reached out his hand to stop him. "I think that¡¯ll do Jikouji..."

    "Oh? I could quite easily just..." He reached his stick further towards the gong to ill.u.s.trate his point.

    "I¡¯d much rather you didn¡¯t."

    "Very well, this old man serves you humbly, and will obey your request."

    He nodded his gratitude, before allowing his own smile to blossom, seeing the men look towards him tiredly, quite clearly wishing to drop back down there and then, but not wishing to offend theirmander.

    "I would bid you all a good morning, but by now it is well into noon. I imagine none of you feel like eating, so you had only need prepare yourselves, and we will go and greet our newrades as promised."

    A collective groan sounded out at the prospect of action, but nevertheless, they soon rose up from where they sat, and headed off to wash their faces and grab a ss of water.

    Akiko went off toward the houses in search of Rin and Isabe, whilst Gengyo was left to try and converse with their new general.

    "How are you feeling, Matsudaira?"

    "Like I¡¯ve died multiple times over." He replied bleakly.

    "Haha, I suppose I had better officially wee you the Red Feather then. Dying multiple times is something of a requirement." He paused a moment, growing more serious. "Was it truly fine for you to miss the funeral of your men yesterday?"

    Matsudaira looked down, a bitter expression on his face. "I drank in their honour." Came his simple reply. Understanding that a grieving man was not to be pushed for exnation, Gengyo gave a short nod.

    "You¡¯ll have time to speak with them as we march. Though we must say you¡¯re a prisoner, for the sake of your vow, you may move amongst the caravan as freely as you please. I will not restrict you."

    He nodded his gratitude, seeming not to wish to speak any further, and so Gengyo left him there, to collect his thoughts as he slowly woke up, whilst he oversaw the rest and made sure that they were doing as they were meant to be.

    It took almost an hour, but finally, every single man was on his feet with all his belongings, and they were ready to march out of the city. The vigers lined the streets to see their exit, calling out praise to Gengyo and his men. They had lost nothing as a result of this battle, and had been given much in return. Despite their initial response, it had all truly worked out in their favour.

    "Governor." Gengyo spoke to the man, as he stood by the gate, ready to close it behind them after they left. The hole in the wall had been repaired, and in truth, the city was in far better condition than it had been before they had arrived, and they even had the cannons toplement it. "I have stuck to my promises, as you see, and I intend to stick with this one as well: Imagawa will fall, so you best consider carefully with whom you ce your loyalty, or the next time Ie to this city, I might very well be thest thing you ever see."

    "I will take your words into consideration, Miura Tadakata. Though I do not wish to see you again too soon." With their parting, he chose that moment to make a rather brave remark, which another man might have taken offence at. But this one merely chuckled.

    "Nor I you."

 Chapter 214 - Tired Steps

    --

    And so, they were gathered. The jovial mood of the departing party was sobered, as they saw that the fires of the funeral pyre still burned. There was not a single man amongst them who would dare disrespect the fallen. A warrior who and fought and died with bravery was to be honoured.

    The mess of chaos had been cleaned by them, it seemed, as the wreckage of tents no longer existed. In fact, there were no tents at all that stood standing. Perhaps they had all been burned, because no sign of them was to be found.

    Instead, the men stood waiting, clutching all that they owned, stern faced. They had cried their tears the previous night, and now they were ready to face the future. To explore a new avenue of conflict, a truer one. An avenue closer to the source. An avenue that mattered.

    Matsudaira lead by the front with Gengyo by his side, and all could see as they looked upon the two that they did not share the dynamic of a prisoner and his captor or guard. And so, the soldiers felt an internal wave of agreement amongst them. This was the man that they would follow. He would represent the interests of their defeated general ¨C his true interests. Not those of Imagawa.

    Not a single man had left, as Matsudaira had assured Gengyo they wouldn¡¯t, and so, the Red Feather men truly did gain the addition of a thousand.

    "Are you all ready?" He asked rather casually, as was his custom.

    "YES GENERAL!" They stamped their feet into the ground, and mmed their fists into their sternum. A few were out of sync, but their discipline was remarkable by the standards of a normal army. Still, there were some improvements to be made.

    "Not bad." He spoke his approval towards Matsudaira, who did naught but nod.

    "Very well men, we will begin our march towards Shigeto. Your training will begin when we setup camp, at sundown today."

    The soldiers shared a few sheepish nces, wondering just what this training might entail. There was an eagerness there as well. What man did not wish to grow stronger?

    The Red Feather men wished to groan at the thought of training, but they would never let on their displeasure in front of these recruits.

    And so, their march began, back along the path the Matsudaira men had taken here, towards the never before breached Shigeto castle.

    Gengyo mounted up, and offered a horse to Matsudaira beside him. They discussed many the idle topic as they marched, and during which, the defeated general voiced something of surprise.

    "Would it be possible for me to join in with this training of yours?" There was a degree of unease in his voice, as he humbled himself in the request of such a favour, despite the fact that in status, he was still a prisoner.

    "Hoh..." Caught off guard by the sudden ask, Gengyo stroked his chin. "I am not opposed to it... yet I had not expected that to be your want. You have a strategical mind, do you not? Your current level of martial skill is sufficient."

    "A general should be a man the men can look up to. He should be one of the strongest ¨C if not the strongest ¨C amongst them, as you are. And also," he lowered his voice a little as he voiced this second part, "as a child, I dreamed of being trained by the Menryo-ji monks. I had thought that if I grew as strong as them, then I would be able to save my n. As you are well aware, that certainly did note true."

    He was unable to meet Gengyo¡¯s gaze as he looked towards him curiously. He had never shared such thoughts with anyone before. As the head of the Matsudaira n, and the general of his army, he had to adopt an infallible persona, and to share such pathetic dreams would be ludicrous.

    Finally, in meeting a man even more exceptional than him, he was allowed to be imperfect, and ¨C as he was now discovering ¨C such a thing was liberating. It gave him room to breathe, and room to think and change properly. A snake that did not shed its skin was destined to die, and such was the case for man incapable of change, though his death was a far more agonising one.

    "I see. A noble dream. I will see it fulfilled to the best of my abilities. When I was a child, my dreams were a good deal more foolish. In the summer when I was six, I wished to be a frog."

    "A frog..?" He stared at him bemused, furrowing his brow, trying to decide the value of such a dream, but soon the ridiculousness overwhelmed him, and he let loose a chuckle.

    "Getting the stern-faced Matsudaira tough? It seems the heavens are blessing me today."

    "Haha... It is wrong for my humour to being back now. Surely with my defeat it should worsen?"

    "I would not say so. Forgive me for putting it like this, but have your past victories not been meaningless to you? To fight for a cause you do not believe in would not bring you pleasure, even if you were to win. Perhaps it might even serve to make you more miserable."

    "And, if you were to look upon the face of Imagawa every day, and observe his wobbling chins as he spoke, you would need to kill off your humour, or risk getting beheaded forughing at his ridiculous body." Jikouji joined in, having rode in silence for a while, merely listening.

    "I suppose you are right, but to dare to dream of a day when I might be freed from my vow? That was never possible until now. There was no other course of action, and so I do not feel any regret."

    "Nor should you. I do not wish for you to. You¡¯ve yed it perfectly, from the way things have lined up. After all, we¡¯ve met, haven¡¯t we? We have very different minds in regards to strategy. Does the thought of doing battle on the same side not excite you?"

    Matsudaira shook his head. "The demise of our foe would be certain, no matter the odds."

    "Even against Oda?" Gengyo pressured.

    "Oda is talented, it is true, but it is his boldness that propels him forward. He has done battle against butter ¨C thought there has been a good amount ¨C and he had merely need charge forward, and pierce it with ease. But the day he faces a brick wall, is the day he will fall. Even as we pursued him and gave siege, his strategyy entirely with offence, and with it, that was what forced us to withdraw. Against disciplined and defensive minded troops, he would splinter."

    "He adopts the matchlock too, does he not? It is difficult to y defensively against such a dominating weapon."

    "It would be good a fight, no doubt. Yet I stand by what I say: none of his victories would have happened had our defence been more adequately constructed."

    "I¡¯ll trust you on that. We should be meeting with the man soon enough."

    As their conversation reached its conclusion, the sun began to set on the horizon. They had only marched for two or three hours at most, the soreness of their aching muscles irritating each step. Soon, they became numb to such pain, and were able to fall back into the routine of marching long distances, with all theforts avable to them. Morohira yed nearer the back of the caravan, flirting with Fuku, as other men tried their hands at other forms of entertainment.

    As was to be expected, there was a distinct separation between Matsudaira¡¯s troops ¨C or the new Red Feather recruits ¨C and the old five hundred Red Feather men. It was noted by the twomanders, and as the order was given to stop for the night and setup camp, thought was put into trying to solve it.

    The tents went up, and food was served. Having eaten nothing since the previous night, they ate rather ravenously, and then the dreaded gong sounded once more, beat sadistically by Jikouji, calling them all to training.

    By torchlight, they formed up their ranks and waited, standing toplete attention, as Gengyo finished up with his meal, and munched on an apple, deliberating how he might go about their first training session.

    When he stood, walking casually in front of them, their attentive states only grew, as they anticipated the order, but he merely continued to walk past, and ced a hand on Jikouji¡¯s shoulder, indicating that he should begin without him.

 Chapter 215 - Grand Goals

    --

    "Form off! Each Red Feather soldier is to find two new recruits to train with!" Jikouji barked, already attempting to find his own solution to the problem of division. They obeyed immediately. Each man already held a bokken ready to train.

    It was not a problem who they partnered with, as no one knew anyone quite yet, and so these pairs were established with an unexpected speed. Gengyo watched on with approval, Matsudaira by his side. The soldiers already knew the basic techniques, as did Jikouji, so his input was not to be needed in this training session.

    "Rage of the Demon Monkey is the technique we will hone today. Watch closely." He readied himself, sword extended, a look of utmost seriousness on his face, and then, he shed downwards with all the force his could muster. He allowed the momentum to take him off his feet, and he kicked out with his legs mid-air as he spun, beforending, millisecondster, ready to strike once more. It was just as Gengyo had taught mere weeks before. A foundational technique. Because Jikouji¡¯s foundations were already strong, having studied the sword his entire life, he had picked it up with ease.

    "If you are striking properly ¨C using your entire body to aid to the momentum of this strike ¨C then this technique will be of no problem to you. It is a foundational technique, and will beter built upon. Recruits, you are to take turns practising it on each other. Seniors, help them achieve this. If a single man is not able to pick up this technique within the next three hours, then his entire group will owe me ten thousand standing shes before they are allowed to leave. Begin!"

    Gengyo¡¯s closest subordinates ¨C those with the honour of wearing the ck armour ¨C did not involve themselves in such trivialities. It would not be beneficial to their training. And so, they paired off with each other, and sparred, honing techniques of their own.

    "Ten thousand standing shes? Is that not a little harsh? Do you always train your men so aggressively?" Matsudaira questioned, wincing at such a thought. One would be guaranteed to ache for days afterwards.

    Gengyo shrugged in response. "It would take a while toplete, I suppose, but I doubt anyone will fail. Even if they do, those ten thousand standing shes will ensure that they do master the technique. As their arms begin to tire, they¡¯ll be forced to use the rest of their body to aid them. It¡¯s a well thought out punishment from the old man. But yes, this is usually how we train. A little lighter than normal, because the men are tired, but near enough."

    "Three hour training sessions as well, after such a long march?"

    "Indeed. This will not trouble them. Their endurance is quite the marvel ¨C that¡¯s something you and your men have to look forward to."

    "Me?" Matsudaira questioned.

    "That¡¯s right. You wanted to train in the ways of Menryo-ji, did you not? If your lungs and heart are not big enough, and muscles are not strong enough, you will not be able to learn the more demanding techniques. Ah, that reminds me. I had better get you involved in this practise, hadn¡¯t I? The others are getting a head start."

    "You have forgotten your bokken, though. Or should I practise the strike myself first?" The general had made sure to grab a sword of his own, and held it by his side ready.

    "Ah, no. I¡¯m not going to partnering with you, just watching." He turned around, searching through the pairs nearest to him, trying to spot that familiar face. "Rin!" He called out, spotting her tied hair bobbing up over the crowd. She looked towards him like a startled rabbit, with some irritationced in there. Clearly, she had been quite involved in her duel. He motioned for her toe over, and despite her annoyance, she did as she was bid, with her partner Akiko in tow.

    "What is it Nii-san?" She spared Matsudaira but a nce, before focusing her attention entirely on Gengyo.

    "Would you duel with Matsudaira here? The only strike either of you are allowed to use is the Rage of the Demon Monkey technique. You don¡¯t need to go easy on him, he¡¯s quite capable." He exined gesturing towards the man, who afforded him a curious nce as he looked between Gengyo, and what he now knew to be his little sister.

    "Is that really okay? He hasn¡¯t practised any of the techniques yet, has he? Won¡¯t it be too unfair?"

    "Oh no, it¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re fine with a few bruises aren¡¯t you Matsudaira?" He asked, continuing speaking before he could even respond. "See, he¡¯s fine. Duel with him, and aim to win, but also correct his technique whilst you¡¯re at it, if you would."

    "Wait, Tadakata, what about me? I¡¯ll have no one to spar with." Akikoined.

    "I¡¯ll spar with you." He replied with a smile.

    "But that¡¯s too unfair... And what about your sword?"

    He threaded his arm over his shoulder, leading her away before she could protest anymore, as he turned around to offer some final encouragement towards Matsudaira. "Train hard, Matsudaira Motoyasu!"

    The two strangers watched the odd man leave with his arm around his wife, before they looked to each other awkwardly, not knowing quite what to say.

    "I¡¯m Miura Rin, Tadakata¡¯s little sister. Nice to meet you." She bowed politely on her best behaviour, knowing just how valuable an ally the man in front of was, and after witnessing the effort Gengyo had put into winning him over, she was unwilling to be the one to ruining it.

    "Likewise. I¡¯ll be within your care." Matsudaira agreed, bowing back.

    "Okay. Shall we get started then?" She stood ready, holding her sword.

    "Lets." He reciprocated, pointing his sword back towards her, not knowing quite what to expect. From the way she was treated, this little girl ¨C despite her appearance ¨C must be quite the powerful fighter, and so he focused, not letting his guard down.

    She leapt forward off her backg, as light on her feet as a cat, closing the gap at a terrifying speed, and then, she shed forward.

    ¡¯Hah!¡¯ Matsudaira thought, seizing the opportunity. Her strike had fallen a good few centimetres short of his body, and he used the opening to cast forward a strike of his own. Yet before he could even attempt toplete such a strike, he felt a sharp pain in his jaw, and was on his back a momentter, unable toprehend what happened.

    "Sorry!" Rin apologised immediately, seeing the way he fell. The guilt was obvious on her face, as well as the worry. She feared that he might grow angry because of her aggressive attack, and so cause problems for her brother.

    Yet she needn¡¯t have worried. He was not a man so petty. He dragged himself his feet with a stagger, rubbing his jaw painfully, before attempting to speak. "Please... don¡¯t apologise. It was well done on your part. I only wish to know, what was it that hit me? Your strike missed, did it not?"

    She perked up a little, seeing the way in which he humbled himself. "I¡¯ll do the technique once again on the air ¨C watch carefully."

    As before, she swung downwards, and spun through the air, before crashing back into the ground, ready to lunge forward once more. "Did you see?"

    "...Your legs? It was a kick?" He frowned as he spoke with hesitation, seeming to believe his answer wrong, despite giving voice to it.

    "Exactly! I thought it was a silly technique at first, just to check whether your strike was powerful enough, but it¡¯s actually really useful. Your opponent focuses his attention on your sword, whilst you strike with your feet, and seize the advantage."

    "Hoh... I see!" He eximed more enthusiastically than he would have hoped, grasping his sword once more. "Let¡¯s go again."

    Their duelling continued, and once more he was beat down by Rin with ease, and once more, he rose to his feet, feeling that he had grasped the technique a little more, despite having not had the chance to use it yet.

    "Was it not a little cruel putting him against Rin?" Akiko asked, as they watched the sparring match from afar.

    "Perhaps. But the man has grand goals, and I would see him achieve them. He is not the type to give up easily, and I think with today, as well as learning the technique, he can learn other valuable duelling skills."

    "Like dodging?"

    "Exactly. He won¡¯t be able to beat her in speed, so that¡¯s the only way he¡¯ll be able to get an opening."

    "Moh... Can you train me too? If we keep up like this, he¡¯ll be caught up to me in no time."

    "Come on then, let¡¯s see if you can get past me this time."

    He raised his fists in mock readiness, as she circled him with her practise naginata, searching for even a single opening.

 Chapter 216 - A Cunning Plan

    With the passing days the invisible barriers between the men started to dissolve, as it did for their two leaders. The distance between them and Shigeto castle was closing at a frightening pace, and with each day they were only growing stronger.

    They threw themselves into their training, both physically, and mentally. They lunged forward as one, practising one of the more offensive techniques, crushing into their partner¡¯s guards with force, only to be just barely repelled.

    It was not only their individual skill that grew ¨C their functionality as a force did as well. As was to be expected, there was a difference in the drilling procedures of the two armies, and it took a while to get rid of such differences.

    All that was bearable, in their eyes. It was difficult, but doable. Their progress was constant, and they could feel themselves getting stronger. And yet, at certain points during the week, they would be forced into a freezing pond filled with misery.

    "How... how much further?" They had croaked, on the very first day running the endurance course.

    "Heh, we haven¡¯t even reached the starting line yet." Came the ominous response. The senior members of the force were allowed to look on in amus.e.m.e.nt. To maintain the standards and run the course had be rtively easy for them, and they certainly did not envy the new recruits that simply did not have enough stamina.

    And the worst part of it all? They were not allowed to stop. To stop was to invite more running onto them, as Jikouji watched on ruthlessly, looking for any sign of disobedience, so he could dish out additional volume as punishment.

    When they ran it for the first time, they proimed it to be the hardest thing they I had ever endured. And then, a day hence ¨C when their muscles were still terribly aching and sore in remembrance of such an asion ¨C they had been forced to run it again, only to find that it was a good deal harder than before.

    And alongside the struggling men, was their leader, Matsudaira. He too was made to sweat rivers, and forced to run until the muscles in his legs only knew how to cramp, with movement being made impossible.

    In the evenings as they trained, Takeshi worked on supplying them all with rifles, and slowly, as the weeks passed on their march, they all held a new rifle of their own, and were allowed to marvel at its superiority.

    They were getting to be quite the army indeed, and as they stopped to rest for the night, just a day¡¯s march from Shigeto, Gengyo called Matsudaira to his tent ¨C along with his other trusted subordinates ¨C to discuss battle ns.

    "There he is. Do take a seat, Matsudaira. I¡¯m surprised to see that you¡¯re thest to arrive, but no matter, we¡¯ll get started immediately."

    "It¡¯s probably all the bruises I¡¯ve been giving him." Rin chipped in yfully.

    "I¡¯ve begun to deliver a few of my own, have I not?"

    "Nope! Not even close."

    With their continued partnership in the field of training, the two of them had begun to be more familiar with one another, and could make such jokes without fear of offence.

    "A map of Shigeto?" Matsudaira observed as he took a seat by the table with the rest of them.

    "Indeed. With the castle so near, I think it is high time we starteding up with strategies for our victory. Especially since ¨C as you say ¨C Imagawa will have amassed near 12,000 men by now, and if we¡¯re especially unlucky, the Takeda may have arrived as well."

    "That is correct, yet that is as much as I can offer. I have alreadye extremely close to breaking my vow. To go any further, and to actively plot Imagawa¡¯s downfall ¨C that would be far too much." He professed, shaking his head apologetically, firm in his stance, quite ready to leave the tent if he were to be pushed any further.

    "Hoh... Of course, we will be discussing such thingster, with the parting of yourpany, but now, sitting here, we do not formte ns to fight Imagawa. Instead ¨C to warm our minds a little ¨C we¡¯re engaging in an imaginary conflict, against a foe that doesn¡¯t exist. It just happened to be Shigeto castle that the imaginary enemy is holed up in. Surely it would not be against your vow to y strategy, and beat an enemy that does not exist?" Gengyo smiled, drumming his fingers on the table, presenting a quite obviously false scenario as a guise to maintain Matsudaira¡¯s honour.

    "Well... I suppose in that regard, it will be of no consequence. I am a prisoner after all, to disobey my captors too often would mean to forsake my life, and limit the extent to which I will be able to aid my master." By now, he too was smiling, enjoying the cunning, as were the rest of them.

    "Excellent. Let us begin then. If it were you, Matsudaira, how would you attack this imaginary enemy if he fled inside Shigeto castle?"

    It only took but a moment of silence, before Matsudaira arrived at his answer, and tapped the map with his finger to ill.u.s.trate the point. "Shigeto river is arge reason why the city became so prosperous. It is deep and it is wide, allowing sh.i.p.s to travel along it all the way from the sea. The settlers of the past ¨C when they first came here ¨C noticed such a feature, and modelled the castle around it, in order to take advantage of it."

    "And in there lies a certain weakness?" Gengyo prodded.

    "It is not an obvious what, but I feel it is possible to take advantage of it. The river flows in through the city, and is contained with in its walls, so that the sh.i.p.s can dock freely without the danger of bandits."

    "Hoh... Surely that kind of opening will not be unguarded?"

    "It¡¯s as you say. The path upriver is barred by an iron gate. Though I do not think it will be used ¨C it hasn¡¯t been lowered in decades. In fact, that route is what they wish attackers to take. It acts as a funnel, so they can focus all their fire power on them, and bombard the enemy with arrows."

    "With twelve thousand men, it would certainly be him who held the advantage, should we decide to pursue that route."

    "It seems to me that my services as a shipwright will be once more required." Morojo mused, stroking his beard, rather pleased that he would be able to return to that which he was used to.

    "And perhaps our role as pirates." Togashi added.

    "That would depend, a n is far from being finalized, but it would not hurt to have those options avable to us."

    "I am interested to see how you might deal with this problem." Matsudaira announced.

    "You had better be a patient man then, because most people don¡¯t get to find out what Nii-san¡¯s thinking until the day before the battle, or perhaps even the morning! He¡¯s terrible, really. I bet you don¡¯t leave your men in the dark like that, do you Matsudaira-san?"

    The look of guilt that passed over Matsudaira¡¯s face said it all, and the room fell into an ufortable silence, leaving only Gengyo grinning in his momentary feeling of aplishment. "The creative mind needs no hindering."

    "...A fitting excuse." Matsudaira nodded with approval, looking as though he was taking mental notes, so that he might be able to use it at ater date.

    "Not this time... Surely, Nii-san? The battle is so important, if you-"

    "Calm yourself, little sister. I¡¯m the most serious man in this entire camp, would I leave you all in silence ¨C if there was a n in the works ¨C merely for humours sake?" The grin that barely contained hisughter did nothing to support his case, but he managed to contain himself, and give out a couple of orders to satisfy them. "We will pass a strip of forestry, at this point tomorrow." He pointed to the map to ill.u.s.trate his words. "Morojo, take whatever men and horses you require, and begin lumbering. We will aim to have enough boats to support all our men. They had need no beplicated, simple oar powered vessels will do."

    "As you will. These old hands have gone too long without doing what they were made for. I¡¯m sure myds will be pleased."

    "Everyone else, do as you normally might, and we¡¯lle up with more of a n when we see this fortress in person."

    "Got it."

 Chapter 217 - The Grunts of a Piggie

    He¡¯d been risingter andter with each passing day, trying to ready his body and mind for war. The look on Oda¡¯s face still haunted him. That smug visage, as he¡¯d been forced to turn away. He had no current obligations. He left it to his subordinates to prepare what was necessary.

    Imagawa was arge man, there was no question about it. He dwarfed his four-poster western-style bed, enjoying its luxury. It was one of the few things ¨C as he put it ¨C that the west had got right. His serving women were in constant fear of being crushed, as this walrus of a man turned over.

    With hisck of true responsibilities and activities to fill his day, he turned his hand towards experiencing newer and greater pleasures, and as such, pleasuring the Daimyo had be quite the dangerous task indeed, as he resorted to more exotic, and violent methods of satisfying his l.u.s.t.

    S.e.x, and food. His two great passions. Before his father had died, he had engaged in daily studies and swordsmanship, but after the old man had passed, he dered himself a master, and put such burdensome things aside.

    Showered inpliments daily, he felt no insecurity about his size. Devoid of situations where he truly needed to exert himself, he was unaware of how unfit he truly was, and thus, did not care about it in the least. There was a severe poverty of honest men about him. In every aspect, he truly believed himself to be perfect, and so, this whole ordeal with Oda was that much more irritating and perplexing.

    How did he manage to win? How? How? How!? It dominated his every waking thought, and he grew impatient to once more proceed on campaign. The Takeda had rejected his offer of military alliance ¨C news that he received with a good deal of scorn. There was a loose alliance, or agreement of peace between their two ns, but once this was over, and he seized Kyoto, he nned to make the Takeda pay for their arrogance.

    It mattered not, anyway. He had sent for more men from the other provinces, and soon, the full might of his colossal army would once more be at its peak, and then, he would truly be able to crush the Oda this time.

    Word had it that Oda was managing to secure a few alliances of his own, but with meagre and insignificant ns ¨C it would not pose a threat to them, so he set such problems outside of his mind, and sat up on the side of his bed, pushing the women out of the way with a meaty arm.

    "I¡¯m ready to dress!" He called out, irritation alreadycing his voice. For everyone else, the day had begun hours ago, but for the head of the Imagawa n, it began only minutes before, when he opened his eyes.

    Two maids ran in, carrying a bowl of warm water each, and a cloth. Imagawa raised his arms wordlessly, and let them begin work scrubbing the entirety of his body, taking care to raise the rolls of fat where sweat was fond of gathering.

    "Quickly." He said sharply. They were already going as fast as they were able, but it was not fast enough for the Lord, and they had to go faster still, at the risk of making a mistake.

    Another set of women came in, a team of three, carrying the Daimyo¡¯s kimono. When the others were finished, he stood, not missing the opportunity toin as he did so. "If this kimono is as itchy as the day¡¯s previous, then I will be having your heads." He made such threats so casually. They were routine for him. A man born into power, with nothing else of substance.

    As he dressed himself, one of the more esteemed servants came in. A man of position. In charge of delivering news to the Daimyo. Of course, he did not deliver every single bit of news. Only that which he knew would please the man. Or, in extreme situations like this, news which could not avoid being shared, because he was liable to find out by himself if it was left any longer.

    "The men are gathered and ready to begin the campaign toward Kyoto, my Lord." He professed, bowing deeply.

    "Good." He replied rather aggressively, expecting as much, reaching for a bowl of goodies thaty nearby, bringing to his mouth a chunk of freshly roasted chicken, and tearing the flesh from the bone. The women worked hurriedly as he held his arms up, threading the kimono ¨C which was at least the size of a bed sheet ¨C round, folding it in the middle, and then getting the belt in position to hold it all, breathing a sigh of relief once it was done. It was certainly an ordeal trying to hold that b back with cloth alone.

    He stretched. That would provide the verdict as to whether their job was well done or not. It was often just as dependant on his mood as it was the work they¡¯d actually done. Today he said nothing, and once more, a sigh of relief escaped their lips, before they bowed and left the room, leaving him to discuss further business with his advisor.

    "What? You¡¯re still here?" Hemented with distaste. When he lingered too long, it was more than likely that something irritating would be brought up, and he wavered his hand, attempting to dismiss him, as he waddled from his room, and made to go outside. There would be provided some brief entertainment, as he watched the soldiers train. It was often the case that he would make a certain pair fight to the death, for a sum of coin. It was a bloody affair, and always entertaining, no matter how many days he passed witnessing it.

    His advisor trotted after him, attempting to be as meek as possible. Everyone knew the Daimyo to be a durd. Easily lied to, easy to manipte and direct as pleased. But powerful he certainly was. If they did not keep on their toes, and ther him with praise, then it might just be they that ended up with their heads in baskets, rather than their political rivals.

    "Have you scented today, my Lord? You smell particrly fine on this morning. There¡¯s a degree of a problem, in regards to that dog, Matsudaira."

    "Matsudaira?" Imagawa whirled around, his mouth curled in distaste. From the start, he had never been fond of the man, but he was unable to take his life without adequate reason, as though supressed under the might of the Imagawa n, the Matsudaira n was still quite useful when left to semi-independence. Or so he had been advised.

    "Indeed, my Lord. You sent him to deal with that five-hundred-man rebel force a few weeks past. Do you recall?"

    "I assumed such business to be over with and concluded! Do you mean to tell me that he has not arrived back yet? Is our campaign to be dyed by yet another day? Go to their vige! Tax it! Take their rice as punishment! Insubordinance will not be tolerated!"

    "There is a slight problem there, my Lord..." The advisor began carefully, knowing him to be touchy in regards such as this.

    "Do you mean to disobey me too!?"

    "I would not dare to do so, yet, I fear that this dog Matsudaira lies dead, after his defeat at the hands of such a meagre force."

    Even Imagawa was startled into silence after such news.

    "...How? To be defeated by such a small force... Even for him, that¡¯s pathetic."

    The advisor struggled to hold back his smile at the hypocritical nature of Imagawa¡¯s statement, but continued nevertheless. "This force holed up in Honkaido, and managed to outwit Matsudaira, or so it seems."

    "Pathetic!" Imagawa repeated vehemently. "Honkaido is a ruin, how can that provide any sort of defence? What of the Matsudairan men? Do they make their way here?"

    "Much of the men were killed inbat, it would appear. We are unsure as to how it happened, but indeed, a thousand men survived and are making their way here only..."

    "What ipetence! You dare to call those men scouts? How can they fail to get information on such arge-scale battle? Ask the vigers of Honkaido! It¡¯s simple, even an idiot could do it." He was growing red in the face from his continued shouting, but very much did he wish to get his point across.

    "In there lies the problem, my Lord. Honkaido is not the ruin we assumed it to be. It has been repaired, or rather, improved, and now is a structure rivalling even Okazaki. When out scouts went to approach the vigers, and ask for this information, they were met with closed gates, and were unable to get inside, even as they asserted that they were servants of Imagawa. And the thousand men that march here, they do so under that unknown man¡¯smand ¨C they mean to attack Shigeto!"

 Chapter 241 - Lightning

    The night had been an unusual one. There had been a lightning storm that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Lying awake as he was, Gengyo counted thirty individual strikes ¨C thergest number he had ever observed. It seemed even the earth was tense, awaiting their battle.

    When morning finally came, none had mentioned it. It was as though it had been orchestrated for his ears only.

    The rain had remained. A more dismal day it was hard to imagine. The ground was muddy underfoot and with all the soldiers passing through, the grass was stripped, leaving bare soil behind.

    "Lord!" Individual soldiers stiffened upon seeing him, saluating him with a clenched fist against their sternums. He nodded in acknowledgement, pleased to see that everyone appeared ready.

    The peasants were visibly rattled, donning their poor quality equipment and fighting to control the hefty weight of their yari. Many of them were shaking their heads in refusal of taking any food ¨C they knew their stomaches would not tolerate it.

    "Eat. Even if you have to force it down. You¡¯ll need the energy." Came his orders as he walked past. Hurried obedience ensued when they realised his presense. They spooned the slop into their mouths and swallowed, barely tasting it, so nervous they were in his presense. By the time they were done, he was already gone.

    "Good morning, Jikouji. It¡¯s a miserable day to die, isn¡¯t it?" He joked grimly, calling out to his old retainer, interrupting him as he gave instructions to a group of peasants.

    Seeing Gengyo, he motioned with his hand for them to leave. "It is quite the wet day, but for battle, I much prefer it. The cold seeps into my old bones and makes everything numb and the pain doesn¡¯t feel quite as bad."

    "That¡¯s one way of looking at it. I¡¯m sure our new recruits are feeling quite differently. It will take some effort to rouse them."

    "They¡¯ll wake up soon enough. Where¡¯s that Matsudaira? I still don¡¯t know what strategy we¡¯ll be taking on today. You know, I would have felt much more confident if it was you pulling the strings. I¡¯m sure the others would as well."

    "Perhaps. But it is not just this battle, there is the future as well. This is a good opportunity for him to show us what he¡¯s truly capable of."

    "You had to choose this one, did you? When we¡¯re so heavily outnumbered and going against Takeda Shingen no less?"

    "My dear Jikouji, when are we not outnumbered? Your nerves are getting ahead of you. I know you have more faith in Matsudaira than you im. Come, let us go see him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to set you at ease."

    "Nerves? Pah. I was fighting on the battlefield before you were even walking. It¡¯s not nerves. I just don¡¯t see why you would want to fix something that isn¡¯t broken."

    "Because war is not just a game of victory, it is of constant improvement. Each battle we enter we should be stronger than thest." From behind the row of tents, they caught sight of Morohira and Rokkaku marching in the same direction as they, fully armoured, yet unusually rxed in their gait. They were a calming body on the jittering peasants that they passed.

    "Oyyy! Are you on your way to see Matsudaira as well,d?" Morohira called out upon catching sight of them.

    "That was the n. Surprised that he hasn¡¯t left his tent yet." Gengyo replied lightly, deftly avoiding the mud around a rather sizeable puddle, almost crashing into Ii and his entourage as they appeared from behind another tent. "Oh, we¡¯ve got morepany."

    "Good morning, Ii-kun." Morohira addressed him with uncharacteristic politeness, immediately arousing Ii¡¯s suspicion. Nevertheless, he decided he quite liked it and couldn¡¯t entirely prevent himself from falling for the trap.

    "Morning, Morohira-san."

    "You know Ii-kun, I¡¯ve been thinking, with this battle ahead, I¡¯ve been pretty worried about you. So Rokkaku and I came up with a winning strategy to get you through it."

    "What? Really? What is it?" Despite having fought a good deal of battles with them, he was never opposed to a quick and easy solution, such was his personality. Everyone else present could immediately tell that they were intent on making fun of him, except the man himself. Even his friends were shaking their heads in disappointment.

    "You y dead," Rokkaku answered for him.

    "Huh..? Why would I do that."

    From his answer, Morohira was alreadyughing. He¡¯d walked into it entirely. He was the only person they knew gullible enough to allow them to set up the joke so perfectly.

    "To get used to how you¡¯ll be in a second!" Morohira roared enthusiastically, thoroughly pleased with his efforts. A loud high-five followed as the two men mmed their meaty palms together, iming victory.

    A small sigh escaped Gengyo¡¯s lips. He shook his head, though his smile was unmistakable. Some things would never change, no matter how dire the circ.u.mstances they found themselves in. It wasn¡¯t normal, was it? For them to be so rxed? He briefly wondered whether their attitude was his fault and he had an inclining that it might be. Had he carried himself with more seriousness, then his men wouldn¡¯t have found it as easy to rx like this.

    A nce at Ii¡¯s face and one could see he was crushed. He would soon recover though ¨C he always did. They pushed open the p to Matsudaira¡¯s tent in good spirits, seeing that the others had gotten there ahead of them.

    The tent was quiet as they entered, despite the people gathered. From the looks they were shot, they feltpelled to keep it that way. Matsudaira was still sat hunched over a map of the field, a finger on his chin, thoroughly engulfed in thought. A pool of wax sat next to him. It seemed he¡¯d been up all night and even the candle had fallen asleep before him.

 Chapter 242 - Parlay

    The formations were set and the order was given. In the early hours of the morning, the light of the sun still had not greeted them. The rain bounced off the conical shape of the ashigaru¡¯s helmets. There was a grimness in the air and on their faces. They held their spears upright and waited.

    The tness of their simple formation wasfortable and uplicated. The peasants knew where they would have to move. That was it. That was the one change they could hope to make fluidly. It was the only chance they had at not being out manoeuvred by the Takeda forces.

    Gengyo sat in the centre, on his horse, a few metres out onto the muddy field. His white horse pawed at the ground, dragging grass up by its roots.

    A little ways to his left, Akiko and Rin tookmand, solemnly looking out over the battlefield from the height offered by their horses. A fiercely sharp naginata dr.a.p.ed from their arms. To the peasants under them, they were goddesses. To be so brutal yet so beautiful ¨C they could be nothing else.

    He calmly nodded to them, ensuring that they would not grow too tense from their nerves. They returned his gesture with a smile, understanding his intent. The responsibility that they had been given was something they seized readily. It was their chance to secure their ce by his side by demonstrating their worth as leaders as well as warriors.

    Beyond them, three ghostsmanded their treasured cavalry. Relics of the past, carrying with them the might of the ancients. It was odd. With their dusty armour donned, they looked far more lively than before. There was with them now an actual will to live.

    To his right, Jikouji and Togashi shared solemn conversation, picking up on some of the more nervous of the peasants and offering advice where it was needed. Each General had a different way of leading and ensuring that morale remained high.

    And then there was Morohira, in charge of his right-wing. He¡¯d already terrified his men, it would seem. His sword was unsheathed and he shed at the air, practising his cuts, grinning wildly. A beast of a man. Laced in through his wing were a few hundred veterans, and his trusted friends, with Sasaki and Rokkaku amongst them. The neers were affected by their aura and they knew themselves to be in for a bloody time ¨C they were to take the front row, after all. None of them would flee. Not after the threats Morohira had delivered so punctually.

    Everyone was ready and Shingen seemed not to be a man to leave his guests waiting. The vibrations of thousands of horse hooves told of theiring. The feared heavy Takeda cavalry, no doubt.

    They tore up over the horizon, galloping at full speed, as though to charge into battle immediately. Either side of the centre of the cavalry, there sprinted a sea of infantry, all of them well armoured and experienced ¨C professional warriors.

    The rain and the soggy soil provided no obstacle for them. They utilised the whipping wind to lend fervour to their cherished banners, forecasting the mon of their Takeda n. Four ck diamonds on a red field. The Tiger had arrived.

    A kilometer away, at the opposite side of the field, their charge finally paused and they made up their ranks fluidly with speed, such was their training. The dedicated bow samurai sat in front. There must have been three thousand of them at least. They nocked their arrows as one and without a singlemand needing to be said, they loosed.

    "HOLD!" Gengyo barked. Matsudaira was hidden in the back. He would not make his appearance until Shingen made his. It was a struggle for the peasants to remain still as a spree of arrows dove into the dark grey clouds and plunged down towards them. They cowered instinctively, raising their hands in an attempt to protect their face. The elite Red Feather soldiers stared at them in scorn and pointed as the arrows plunged into the mud fifty metres away. It was a mere bluff.

    The Takeda centre parted, and a group of imposing men thundered through. They only reigned in their horses when they neared the centre of the battlefield. It was obvious what they wanted ¨C a pay.

    Gengyo dug his heels into the side of his horse and trotted forward. Against Shingen and his twenty generals, he went alone, as he had instructed his men that he would beforehand. The horse and human duo appeared so leisurely in their advance, taking as much time as they liked, vastly different to Shingen¡¯s disy of ferocity.

    Shingen moved to the front of his generals, ring at his opponent, judging him with critical eyes. With his mane of white hair and horns that extended out from his helmet, it was like watching a man meeting for a deal with the devil. He squinted, attempting to find even a shred of fear or weakness, but what he found instead was a monkly calm.

    "Takeda Shingen, I presume? Unless I¡¯ve stumbled onto the wrong battlefield. That would be embarrassing." He spoke easily and with a smile, tting his horse¡¯s ears as he patted his head with a gauntleted hand.

    Shingen sat in silence for a few moments. This was not at all the man he had expected. He thought he would be greeted with a hardened monster, but it what he found was the opposite. "Miura Tadakata..? Am I to believe that man is you?"

    "I sometimes ask myself the same thing," Gengyo replied cryptically, maintaining his smile.

    The Tiger of Kai felt his lips curling into an unpleasant snarl. He could sense that he was being made fun of. "You¡¯ve had your fair share of victories, but this is where it ends. There is no need to go through with this battle. If you surrender, and bend your knee to me, then you will be able to maintain what you¡¯ve worked for. You will be General under the mighty Tiger of Kai."

 Chapter 243 - Loose Words

    "General is it?" Gengyo mused.

    "Indeed. Your men would retain their lives. We could leave here this instant and march upon Suruga. With your skill and mine, our march would be unhaltable and you would have your fair share of the spoils."

    "Tempting. That is tempting... However, doing that under themand of another man ¨C that doesn¡¯t seem too appealing." He smiled, seeing Shingen twitch in irritation. He quite enjoyed making him angry.

    "We outnumber you by more than half. Our equipment is far superior. This is folly ¨C a folly that you will pay dearly for." He jabbed with his finger to ill.u.s.trate each stabbing point. It was unfortunate to lose such a powerful asset over something as meagre as pride.

    "Better equipped? I might have to disagree with that." With the rising tensions, Gengyo remained as calm as ever.

    "Pah. One can tell with a single nce. Your gods have abandoned you ¨C with the rain your matchlock rifles are useless."

    "Ah." He pulled a face as though shocked, suddenly realizing something. His eyes flickered up towards the dark sky and he received a few fat droplets of rain with his cheeks. "I suppose the rain would spell trouble for a matchlock rifle. That is terribly unfortunate." He spoke as if it didn¡¯t concern him, which only served to irritate Shingen further.

    With the mane of horsehair on his helmet growing sodden, the warlord whirled around on his horse, pausing to deliver one final line before pushing his heels into the sides of his horse. "Confidence is fine. The moment you are defeated with it in your heart, then you realize it to be arrogance. I will humble you and then I will im your service. Do not disappoint me."

    Gengyo raised his eyebrow, watching him leave. "That goes for you too, Shingen."

    Both men returned to their armies. Surprising no one, the negotiations had failed. Gengyo reimed his position at the front, and slowly removed his helmet. With the rain, it felt ufortable. He ran his hand through his damp hair, slicking it back, eyes on the battlefield, waiting for Shingen to make his first move. From this moment on, it would be Matsudaira¡¯s strategy. They had two surprises up their sleeve. The rest would be a bloody slog.

    From his position, he could see Shingen split off from his Generals and rece them with a bodyguard of a hundred men. They made their way past the main bulk of their army and set up their headquarters on a small hill, taking full advantage of its vantage point.

    With their extensive training, any order Shingen gave would be reflected in the army within seconds. From his belt, he slipped a wooden war fan ¨C a gunbai ¨C from his belt and ran his palm against its smooth surface. When he lifted his arm high into the air, the fan went with it, and the bow samurai began to slowly walk forward ¨C the opening act.

    Holding back against the urge to give an order of his own, Gengyo continued to wait. At any moment, their rifle-wielding elite could pull their triggers and unleash a surprise volley on the advancing bowmen, but it was down to Matsudaira to decide when the most appropriate moment for that would be, so they could make maximum use of it. The flintlock nature of their rifles meant the rain did not render them out of action as it would a matchlock weapon.

    A line of three thousand bow samurai ¨C an obvious threat capable of defanging their army entirely by themselves. It was such that they immediately upied a General¡¯s attention and he neglected to observe what was happening behind the wall the had created. Shingenmanded his men like he wielded his sword ¨C with fluidity. One movement flowed into the next and already they were assuming the Crane¡¯s Wing formation behind the distraction he¡¯d ced in front.

    Even Gengyo did not notice that. A soldier would focus on the threat in front of him. A detached strategist was ced to observe every point of the field at once.

    Step by step those bow-wielding samurai came forward, stone-faced and bows partially drawn, ready to fire at any moment. Behind Gengyo, he heard tales of light movement, easily mistaken for the pattering of the rain. Turning his head, he could see the elite slowly making their way to the front ¨C the first whisperings of Matsudaira¡¯s orders could be seen.

    Shingen observed that slight bit of movement from across the battlefield and squinted in suspicion. From everything he knew of the matchlock weapon, in this rain, they were nothing but empty baggage and yet the Miura forces were pushing them to the front as though they actually posed a threat. A bluff? Perhaps. He would test the waters first and continue to hold their attention as the movement behind him waspleted. His slowly tilted his fan forwards and the bow samurai slowed beforeing to a halt.

    He signalled for them to act cautiously, and prepare for retreat, until then though, they slowly drew back the string of their bows, with arrows already nocked, and they aimed up towards the sky.

    "Damn..." Matsudaira muttered, deep behind the main Miura army. As to be expected of the Tiger of Kai ¨C his eyes were sharp. Such a trap would not go unnoticed. It was a shame, for if they had travelled even ten more metres forward, then he was confident they could have destroyed him.

    Regardless, he gave an order of his own. His was not done with extravagant fan waving, but with a messenger, for they had not trained for any other variation. The elite soldiers were to fire immediately.

    The order was delivered much slower than he would have liked, but it could be no different. It was a dy that gave Shingen an advantage over him, but it was all he had to work with for now. The bow samurai managed to loose a few eager arrows before the triggers were pulled and the rainy day was given crackling lightning befitting of its dull setting.

 Chapter 244 - Matsudairas Efforts

    //Set before the battle in Matsudaira¡¯s tent. Didn¡¯t upload for some reason.

    "Miura?" Sensing something was off within the room, Matsudaira¡¯s eyes flickered upwards, seeing his master.

    "Looks like you¡¯ve abandoned the idea of sleeping. Well, what has your night¡¯s thoughte up with it? What hope do we have?" He dragged a stool from one corner of the tent and set it next to the table, reviewing the map and the many pieces that sat upon it.

    "I... It¡¯s not as good as I hoped it would be." He muttered, defeat in his voice. The other¡¯s had begun to gather around as well, wrinkling their eyebrows, trying to decipher the formations.

    "Continue."

    "Well, in Shingen¡¯s position, wouldn¡¯t one normally go for an offensive formation like the Ganko to make full use of their numerical advantage?"

    "It would be the obvious thing to do."

    "That¡¯s what I thought as well. So I began setting up the Iron Ox formation and I spent so long deciding where to best ce our men to cover for the weaknesses of the peasantry, but as I thought about it more and about Shingen and his past battles... It was too simple."

    "Shingen will do something contradictory, then?"

    "Yes. I¡¯m certain of it. The Crane¡¯s Wing formation seems to be a personal favourite of his. If he caught us with it whilst we sat in the Iron Bull, we¡¯d be overwhelmed immediately." He pointed to the formation on the table. There sat a heavy line of archers leading the charge, whittling down the enemy before they even engaged, such a thing wasmon. And then began the ingenuity and genius of the Chinese strategist that devised it.

    The line of infantry that immediately followed was rounded. It looked odd, but truthfully, it was brilliant. As a defensive formation, it forced the enemy to take their rounded shape, creating weaknesses. Then, the defender¡¯s Crane¡¯s Wings woulde into y. Their second line of infantry would loop around and surround the enemy. Used in tow with the Takeda cavalry and it was a killing strategy.

    Those in the room that understood his description felt their faces drop, imagining the destructiveness such a decision would cause them. It was the key to winning the won battle and taking advantage of their numbers. Had it not been for Matsudaira¡¯s extensive thought, then they would almost definitely have fallen for it.

    A drop of sweat appeared on Gengyo¡¯s forehead and for the first time in a while, he felt his heart begin to beat faster. They had not even set foot upon the battlefield yet and already the Tiger of Kai was terrifying.

    "...Do you have a solution?"

    "I do. I only settled on it as you came in." He began to rearrange the allied pieces with practised ease, swiftly sliding them into ce. Slowly but surely aplicated picture was painted. There was no other way to describe it. Such a brilliant strategy drew from the well of creativity ¨C the man was an artist.

    "The Chouda! The Extending Snake..." Jikouji gasped realizing what he was looking at. Rin and Akiko shared a look. They¡¯d only just begun their study of strategy and could not yet understand the profundity of his response. There were three old men though ¨C who had made their entrance so quietly ¨C that puffed their chests out proudly, witnessing the solution provided by their prot¨¦g¨¦.

    "That¡¯s bold, Matsudaira. Bold indeed. Such an aggressive attack... It would be foolish." Gengyo muttered, scratching his chin. "It would be foolish, if it was employed in any other scenario... So this is what genius looks like, is it? It supports every attribute of our army, whilst perfectly countering the Crane¡¯s Wings." He shook his head, nearly overwhelmed by the perfection of his solution. "Matsudaira Motoyasu,dies and gentlemen!" He pointed to his Grand General with a smile. "Be d he¡¯s on our side."

    The Extending Snake appeared just as its name might suggest. It was a long line of soldiers. As with most formations, the missile troops sat in the front, bunched up, thinning the enemy¡¯s numbers before their engagement. Behind them sat row upon row of infantry. It countered the Crane¡¯s Wing formation ¨C which focused on encapsting the enemy ¨C entirely, because every time one row of infantry was surrounded, another woulde forward to attack the exposed backs of the enemy.

    It was even more so effective for the Red Feather army, with the nature of their troops. Their missile troops were also their most Elite Fighters. They would unload their rounds and stand their ground, immediately entering the meele. Each of their General¡¯s would hold a different row, with the peasants evenly spread. With so many allied forces around them, the morale of the inexperienced peasants would be as high as it possibly could be.

    Matsudaira was just as impressed with Gengyo¡¯s evaluation as Gengyo was impressed with him. With just a single nce, he had been able to tell the multitude of benefits that the formation would hold for them, without the need for exnation. There were few with such a keen eye.

    "Thank you. I propose that we start out in a t line formation and feignck of knowledge, and then when the signal is given, we transition into the Extending Snake. Even with untrained troops ¨C if they¡¯re given prior warning ¨C that shouldn¡¯t be a problem and it will set us one step ahead of Shingen."

    "Excellent. Have you given thought to the order of the rows?"

    His follow up question caused Matsudaira to pause a moment. He certainly had given it thought, but he was unsure whether Gengyo would allow his decision. "I have... but I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll like it."

    From the tone of his voice, it was obvious the formation would set Gengyo in a position he didn¡¯t want to be in. He looked at him for a few moments, before guessing his cement. "You want me right at the back..? What¡¯s your reasoning?"

    "Forgive me. I know you wish to join the fray immediately, but this will give you more manoeuvrability and it will ensure that we make full use of you. Your row will be the strongest we have. It is best saved forst."

 Chapter 245 - Surprises

    A single merciless volley staggered a thousand men. If not for their veteran experience, then they likely would have fallen there and then, after regarding the hideous crater left in their leather chest tes and the charred flesh and darkened blood that poured out from the wound.

    Already Shingen¡¯s suspicions were determined to be well-founded and he gave the immediate order for them to retreat. They turned on their heels as fast as they were able, struggling to move despite their wounds. Rifles were truly to be feared.

    And then, the hammer was pulled back once more and the barrel revolved, setting a fresh bullet in ce and the fleeing soldiers were chased with yet another volley of this horrific shot. It hit them in the back and many of them fell into the dirt, coughing up a mouthful of blood, faces covered in sttered mud and breathingboured.

    It did not stop there either. They continued to pull their triggers to unleash another four volleys, chasing the retreating men, making them look like new bloods fresh onto the battlefield with the ease that they imed their lives. By the time they finally made it out of range of the weapons, less than a third of the bow samurai remained with the majority of them still sporting heavy injuries.

    Shingen regarded the causalities with a thunderous face. The questions that had sat in the back of his mind began to find their answers. To think there was a weapon capable of unleashing wave after wave of deadly missiles. It was no wonder the enemy found sess in his battles, having such a powerful hidden card. Internally, he retracted the statement he¡¯d made to Gengyo. It would seem his enemy held the equipment advantage.

    It was not enough to unsettle him, however. In fact, it was the opposite ¨C it excited him. What he gained from this battle would be far more significant than what he had initially suspected. With a single one of those weapons, he would be able to replicate them through his smiths and finally secure the advantage he needed to put an end to the irritating fly known as the Uesugi.

    The Crane¡¯s Wing formation waspleted and before the enemy had time to reload their weapons, he gave the signal for the body of his army to charge forward at full speed. With this, he had confidence that he could overwhelm them.

    The peasants in the Miura army were blessed, they felt. The dominance of this unstoppable army that they had joined was disyed immediately. The deadly threat posed by three thousand bow samurai was immediately nulled as if they were nothing more than garden ants. They had their spears raised and were cheering the efforts by the elites ¨C their superiors. At this rate, they would not even have to raise a hand.

    Without yet being able to see them with the rain distorting his vision, Matsudaira knew the Takeda army was alreadying and so he gave the order. It was time for the second surprise they had in store.

    Slowly the order was delivered and the newly receptive peasants began to move, with the frontline cavalry of the Crane¡¯s Wing growing closer. Watching it, Shingen was at first inclined to believe that it was the actions of a panicked force and that they were merely moving themselves to send the yari to the front in order to deal with the iing threat of cavalry.

    But then, an odd order could be seen in it all. A section of the right-wing pulled forward, following behind the mounted figure of a rather enthusiastic general. After it, the right centre came, setting up a second row. Then the left centre came after it, leaving Gengyo and his force standing still waiting.

    "It can¡¯t be..." He muttered to himself, almost unwilling to believe the picture that was being painted. He¡¯d kept his eyes on Miura Tadakata throughout and he hadn¡¯t seen him deliver a single order. What was this then? Were the troops moving with their own will? The left-wing went behind them leaving the five hundred man cavalry as a response unit. Then Gengyo took his ce right at the back. "There¡¯s no doubt. That shape ¨C that¡¯s the Extending Snake Formation!"

    An impossible reaction time responding to a formation that he couldn¡¯t see. Just what was going on? To perfectly counter his Crane¡¯s Wing ¨C there was no ident here. At this rate, his numerical advantage would be almost obsolete.

    His mind was racing, trying to understand what had juste into y. They were meant to be undisciplined troops. He was sure they were mere peasants. It was impossible to inspire such order so quickly. If it really was the case though, his entire battle n would have to be revised.

    Gengyo knew his eyes would be on him and so he smiled widely, silentlyplementing Matsudaira¡¯s prediction. It had set them ahead and given them a good amount of breathing space.

    Matsudaira was well aware of the internal strife Shingen would be undergoing. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hand, pleased that his gamble had paid off. Whilst he was still mentally vulnerable, it was time to run the n through its final phase and fill his mind with something other than battle whilst they seized an insurmountable advantage.

    By his order, the gs were raised and he brought his hidden headquarters into view. The mon of the Matsudaira n pped proudly in the wind ¨C three golden leaves encapsted by a golden circle on a white background.

    Shingen noticed it immediately and his eyes widened. Was that the Matsudaira n? Were they not destroyed with the death of Matsudaira Motoyasu? Why had the sided with this new Daimyo? What Matsudaira man was capable of putting the Tiger of Kai on the back foot and why had he not heard of him before? What was to be done now, with the arrival of this new man?

 Chapter 246 - Outnumbered

    In his mind, there could only be one man. A man so highly praised but so restricted by the master that he severed. A man that made him pause before he considered ending his alliance with the Imagawa and overrunning the ipetent Daimyo. A man that was meant to be dead. Matsudaira Motoyasu.

    There was a creaking sound as he clenched his gauntleted fist tightly. His whole body shook from excitement. This Miura Tadakata was even more brilliant than he had first thought. He did not waste a captured resource like Matsudaira, but supplied the conditions necessary to utilise him. It was well done, too well done.

    His forces outnumbered the enemy, but the way he saw it now, it was he that was outnumbered. He had to fight two great minds at once. Forget Uesugi. This was the hardest battle he had ever fought. The slightest misstep and he would be clobbered.

    "So that is the way it is... That is why you¡¯ve marched out so confidently." The pieces fell into ce and the ruse was revealed. The Extending Snake formation was not a reaction but a prediction. "Takeda Shingen will not fall so easily. Miura Tadakata, Matsudaira Motoyasu, let us have ourselves a battle!"

    His warrior spirit was awoken and his mind waspletely focused. A battle that had awoken his passion. He would put his all into solving this puzzle. From the moment he had been born, this was his beautiful destiny. He would make the Gods proud and strike down two individuals loved by them and demonstrate his superiority.

    His war horses were thundering across the battlefield, along the nk of the enemy, not engaging, but moving so as to ensure that their movements would be limited, directing them straight into the abyss offered by the Crane¡¯s Wing.

    It was perfectly executed, as he would expect from his men. If it was any formation other than the Extending Snake, then he would have been proud.

    "MOVE INTO THE HOUEN!" He shouted ¨C though it was quite unnecessary ¨C whilst signalling with his fan for them to change formation. Within seconds ¨C even in the midst of a charge ¨C his troops began to rearrange themselves. His soldiers were like his limbs and functioned as an extension of his brain, able to keep up with the evolving strategy of his mind.

    The Crane¡¯s Wing copsed, and instead, the troops slowed to a halt. There was formed a circle with a slight opening, like a keyhole, offering an entry point for the approaching snake. By its side, there was a row of fresh soldiers and behind it cavalry, with thest of their bow samurai just behind them. Aplex arrangement of both yari and katana samurai formed the infantry, with the yari forward to deal with the first charge and the swordsmen waiting behind to cause havoc when close-quartersbat ensued.

    It was a formation that they could hold for hours with fresh soldiers to rece the circle constantly. The enemy were forced straight into them with their enthusiastic advance. It was not a perfect counter to the Extending Snake and was oddly defensive for the numerically superior force, but it was was a formation Shingen particrly loved for he knew the full extent of it¡¯s potential.

    Morohira¡¯s men were leading the front charge and with the sudden change of formation, they could not justify slowing. Being the fierce man he was, he met the unusual obstacle with aggression, and pushed his horse even harder, diving headfirst in through the gap. There was an audible boom as he cleaved through a helmet and crushed the man¡¯s skull, drawing first blood.

    Rokkaku and the other elite soldiers sprinted in after their General on foot, showing no fear for the ominous hole. An encirclement of yari wielding soldiers jabbed at them as they ran the gauntlet, but those troops were ignored, as they moved to aplish Morohira¡¯s goal and st through the other side of the encirclement, ruining their formation.

    Their General¡¯s horse was speared thrice, and sent rearing, pulling Morohira with them. A cheer erupted from the Takeda soldiers, thinking themselves to have put down amander already. But how wrong they were. Hended lightly on his feet and drew himself a second katana, baring his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin.

    With each sh of his sword, multiple men died and their corpses were sent flying back. A few stray thrusts found their way past his guard, but they just could not seem to put him down. Before long, a hole started to appear in the encirclement, just in time for the rest of his men to arrive.

    They crashed in, like a hammer hitting an anvil, killing multiple men in only that single engagement. Now it was their turn to cheer. The hole widened, and they set forward, preparing to breach it entirely.

    Matsudaira watched from the rear in dismay. The Takeda forces had been able to change formation impossibly quickly. Not only had their surprise not slowed him, but it seemed that it might have made his decision making faster. Shingen was truly a man to be reckoned with. But from the looks of it, brute force might just be able to overwhelm superior strategy. Their most aggressive soldiers had pryed open the door,pletely disregarding how much of a disadvantage they were at.

    If their own Grand General was shocked by their ferocity, then Shingen was far beyond it. Never before had he seen men fight with such destructive intent. They wielded their weapons with odd fluidity, using techniques that he had never seen before. An entirely new ss of soldier. Men that he had nurtured for years with daily training at the hands of masters, they were plunged through like paper walls.

    They made his formation look childish. It seemed to aplish nothing, with a hole torn through it so quickly. But it was far from over. He had forgotten ¨C he was not the only man on this battlefield. He had his twenty Generals under him. They would not allow his n to fail so quickly.

 Chapter 247 - Mounting Opposition

    After Morohira came his peasants, screaming as ferociously as they were able, fear-stricken to the extreme. They paced inside the circle tightly, wildly jabbing with their spears, focusing on the hole forming at the opposite end, attempting to make their way through it, towards safety.

    The seasoned Takeda warriors were without a doubt surprised by the strength of the sudden assault, but they were not unsettled for long. Even if it meant certain death, they would stand their ground.

    From a distance, it was easy to tell which selection of men were causing the most damage, with Morohira, Sasaki and Rokkaku being amongst them. Takeda¡¯s Generals reacted quickly to null these vtile forces and attempt to ease their casualties.

    "Reinforce the circle! Anayama, Hara, tie-down those other two, I¡¯ll take their General." Akiyama Nobutomo ¨C Shingen¡¯s trustworthy second inmand ¨C went into action immediately. "Ichigo, begin harassing their back ranks with the cavalry ¨C we don¡¯t want them all piling through at once!"

    The Generals took his orders as if they had been delivered from the mouth of their Daimyo himself and immediately drove their heels into the sides of their horses, carrying out the fulfilment of their instructions.

    The small fraction of light that the Miura soldiers had focused on was soon blocked out as a hefty pile of soldiers came to fulfil the ce of the deceased. They stepped over the bodies of their deadrades without a signal nce of acknowledgement.

    Morohira frowned with irritation, seeing the results of his hard work vanish so quickly. With renewed vigour, he shot off from his back foot, about to barrel through the new wall of soldiers. It was the fearsome length of a katana that blocked his advancement.

    In his path, there sat Akiyama, the raging bull of Takeda. With his wild hair and the scruffy stubble of his beard, he looked more like a ronin that had spent thest few years of his life on the road than he did the trusted Grand General of Shingen. "That is as far as you go, brute. Simple force will not suffice."

    Seeing him preach so arrogantly from the back of his horse, Sasaki and Rokkaku ended the lives of the men in front of them faster than they otherwise might, in a brutal race to see who could spear this mouthy General first.

    But their paths were blocked too, by another pair of mounted men. The fat-faced Anayama squared off against Sasaki, lowering the de of his naginata down in front of him, the hairs of his thick moustache twitching wildly. "Wait your turn, dog. It is I who will be your opponent."

    Rokkaku found his opposition in the well-groomed Hara, looking in disgust at his thin moustache and perfectly shaped goatee. "I have no words for the damned." He murmured quietly by way of challenge.

    With this prestigious trio blocking their way, the three men were forced to pause. They shared a look with one another, furrowing their eyebrows and twisting their lips. It was a look that one expressed when they truly did not understand what had just urred. After seeing their strength, these men still thought themselves capable of stepping up and making them pause for even a second? It seemed ridiculous, to the point where they had to physically restrain themselves fromughing.

    Morohira shook his head, chuckling. This would not take too long, he was sure. There was only one man capable of slowing him and that man was his own son. He jumped into the air, drawing level with his mounted opponent, crashing down with one of his katana at lightning speed before mming through with the other.

    In response, Akiyama observed him calmly before announcing his verdict. "You certainly are strong..." He brought up his sword to meet them, favouring a more traditional style of swordsmanship. "However, you are no master swordsman." He caught both of Morohira¡¯s strikes on the length his de, blocking them without giving a single inch.

    The zealous General was sent falling back into the mud, shocked by the strength of his defence. A simr story was unfolding for Rokkaku and Sasaki as well. The strikes that they ced so much faith in barely seemed to faze their opponents.

    It was not just a case of winning the duels they had been forced to engage in, it was about doing it quickly. With every second that passed, the walls were closing in on them more and more. Their peasant allies were falling like flies. Against the Takeda veterans, they had no answer. Some of them even attempted to flee.

    It was not just the peasants either. The elite were slowly being whittled down as well, unable to deal with the hundreds of stinging thrusts that came from every direction. Breaking through would be far harder than they thought.

    Elsewhere, Akiyama¡¯s other order was being carried out. A stream of a thousand cavalrymen sprinted down the length of the Extending Snake column, picking at weaknesses and slowly thinning their numbers.

    The bow samurai were finding sess with carefully ced volleys too. It truly was a race against time. They almost had no answer. Jikouji and Togashi had their men fire volley after volley upon the reinforcements, but their effect was lower than it ought to have been and they were quickly running out of ammunition.

    "Well..." Shingen admired the battlefield with satisfaction, seeing his Right Hand organise the flow of battle in ordance with his ns. "What will you do, Matsudaira? Any ns, Miura?"

    Of course, as the fate of the damned would have it, that was when Nobunaga found his way to the edge of the battlefield, bearing witness to the pitiful sight. Even if he were to bring the thousand cavalrymen that he had brought into the mix, there was no clear path to victory. Disappointment was the only emotion he felt.

    "We will wait, just to make sure." He announced, fighting against the urge to turn back immediately.

 Chapter 248 - Two Pieces

    Down the column of their Extending Snake, the cavalry were growing more and more confident, pushing closer to the centre. They did not pause their charge for a single second and only continued to sweep up and down, before circling back and hitting the other side of the column.

    Matsudaira delivered the order as quickly as he was able, and now the spear-wielding peasants protected all sides, their points facing outwards, the perfect counter to the cavalry. Or it would have been had the strength of their leading man not been so strong that any counter was rendered obsolete.

    As the younger brother of Shingen, Ichijo had spent much of his life walking in his brother¡¯s shadow. He weighed up loyalty against ambition and determined that he would never betray the cause of the Takeda family, but nor would he be defeated andpletely bested by his sibling. It had resulted in a single-minded obsession with the de ¨C the one art that he was confident he could defeat his brother in.

    The peasants jabbed at him half-heartedly, not willing tomit to an attack. He swept through their ranks like a wave, brushing aside their weapons. Seeing the destruction that he was capable of, the only thing they wanted to do was flee. It was to their credit that they had not yetpletely routed.

    Their Grand General watched the destruction unfold with gritted teeth. Seeing so many of his allies falling with each charge, many men would have been inclined to feel hopeless, but with his experience, he knew the tides of battle were not yet against them. It only required a single misstep and they would overturn their entire army. So far, they had not put a foot wrong and so Shingen had not been able to seize a suffocating advantage.

    He had a board in front of him so he could better keep track of the battle. Every piece was meticulously ced. They were far from using all their cards, but the same could be said for the Takeda. The game now was to force the enemy to engage all their pieces without being destroyed and whilst saving Gengyo for the crucial moment ¨C he was the de that would secure victory, they merely needed to find the chink in the armour.

    He shifted two pieces forward and lifted his head to observe the changes they had upon the field.

    "It¡¯s our turn? FORWARDS MEN! WE¡¯RE BREAKING THROUGH!" Jikouji caught the signal and rallied his troops. They were only too eager to move forward and escape the continual jabbing of the remaining bow samurai.

    "DO NOT GIVE AN INCH OF GROUND! WE ARE THE STRONGEST THIS DAY!" Togashi bellowed, his beard trembling.

    "GAHHHH!" The assortment of elite and peasant soldiers sprinted forwards together, their spirits roused, stepping through the ominous keyhole and over the many corpses that had been left inside.

    A pitiful amount of allied men were still standing, with Morohira, Rokkaku and Sasaki still engaged in mortalbat with the Takeda Generals. But amongst the many corpses, there seemed to be an equal amount of Takeda men, even if their continually replenishing encirclement gave the appearance of invincibility.

    As for the second piece that Matsudaira moved, it came in the form of five hundred trembling hooves.

    "He¡¯s rather impertinent, that boy. Leaving us waiting for so long before finally making use of us. Do you think we schooled him poorly?"

    "I would agree there, after all we¡¯ve done for him, you would think he¡¯d show more respect for his elders, wouldn¡¯t you?"

    "You do talk about some pointless things. I¡¯m more interested in testing what this generation has to offer."

    The three elders were able to gallop at full speed whilst maintaining such casual conversation in the meantime. Their troops fell into arrowhead formation behind them, and like a guided missile, they aimed towards the nk of the Ichijo¡¯s cavalry.

    Their soldiers raised the mon of the Matsudaira n proudly, letting the enemy know who it would be that imed their heads. Each and every one of them were relics of the past. A once-dominant force made to disappear for the sake of politics. They were beyond veteran. None of them would have dreamed that they would have the chance to return to the battlefield. Now with the opportunity here, they would not put it to waste.

    They were the worst kind of soldiers to deal with, for these men actively sought death, knowing this might be theirst opportunity to die a warrior¡¯s death. Their morale was godlike. Unmatchable by any force. They sped forward as though intoxicated, starving for blood.

    Ichijo caught them out of the corner of his eye and tutted, whirling his force around in time to negate some of the damage to his nk, though the enemy still plunged in deeply.

    Their arrowhead forced the unit apart, with the three old men forming a tip of hardened steel encapsted in me. It was disturbing the ease with which they slew what was in front of them.

    Rather than katana, these men wielded the longer and heavier tachi. When swung down from horseback, it made for a deadly strike. The heavy weapon was an extension of their own arm and they had no trouble bringing it up for strike after strike.

    Their men bellowed behind them like bloodthirsty wild animals. They spared no time for a defence. They did not slow no matter how they were wounded. They coated themselves in head to toe with blood, but still they were not satisfied.

    Before they knew it, they had punctured straight through the cavalry column and emerged on the other side, leaving nearly a thousand men dead. It was a matter of course for these Matsudairan soldiers though. They did not pause to admire their carnage, but circled back around to deliver another crushing charge.

    There were men amongst them with guts hanging over their saddle like dirty washing, but their grip on their reigns only tightened and they joined their brothers for the next attack.

 Chapter 249 - Man Down

    Sasaki and Anayama were locked in brutalbat. Both of them were breathing heavily, their chests heaving up and down. They could not help but look at one another with a new level of respect, blinking their eyelids against the droplets of sweat that slithered from their foreheads.

    They were both covered in a series of minor cuts, but not one of them had managed tond a more significant strike. Internally, Anayama praised Shingen¡¯s encirclement. If not for the soldiers that stabbed at his foe and distracted him, then he felt it might have been a very different battle.

    Before they had even begun to charge, Jikouji knew at which point he would strike. The fighting had reached a fragile stalemate. There only needed to be a single brick removed and it would alle tumbling down.

    He ducked a wild swing from a veteran Takeda soldier, and stepped in, plunging his de into his abdomen, not pausing his advancement for even a moment. He pulled back to the side, avoiding a brutal thrust of the yari by mere millimetres. He heard a groan as Togashi took the man¡¯s life.

    "SASAKI!" Jikouji shouted, warning him that they would soon be intruding. The big man flinched slightly, fighting the urge to turn round. His opportunity would soone.

    With a roar, he attacked with renewed vigour, ensuring that their prey would not escape. A wall of men split off from the circle, realizing Jikouji¡¯s intent, attempting to save their General¡¯s life, even if it cost their own.

    Their efforts were barely acknowledged. They pinpointed the smallest of gaps and moved between the line of spears with a soft stab here and a delicate sh there. They were not slowed in the least.

    Akiyama attempted to turn his horse so that he might ride to Anayama¡¯s aid, but was not given the chance to break away even a little.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!?" Morohira growled, mming into his guard.

    With Hara tied up by Rokkaku as well, their options were limited. It was time to bring in more of their allies. "Kosaka! Naito! Obata! You¡¯re needed!" He shouted, knowing that they would appear as soon as they heard him. He did his best to leave as many resources free for his Lord Shingen to y with, but when pushed there were no other options.

    Three men began to gallop towards them, leaving their posts at the rear where they were posted to protect against any nking attempts. It was too little toote for Anayama, however. They had determined that he would die today and with the three of them attacking in unison, they would be hard-pressed to fail.

    Whilst Sasaki continued to hold up the man himself, Jikouji and Togashi set about bringing him to their level. They shed their swords, and the front legs of his stallion were severed. It did not even have time to scream before it copsed forward, bringing the rider with it.

    There was a grim look in Anayama¡¯s eyes when the stench of death began to sting at his nostrils. There was no fear present. As a General, this was the most glorious death he could imagine. His only act was to hold his de near his neck, so that he would not be killed instantly and would help buy more time for hisrades.

    His preemptive block proved to be well-founded, as Sasaki¡¯s de that would have beheaded him instead shed against his. It was only a split second extra he bought, but he judged it to be worth it. Jikouji dashed his torso in a series of fatal cuts and Togashi sealed him away with a cleaving strike from one shoulder down past the other.

    "ANAYAMA!" Akiyama howled, not even able to see the manner of his death, his concentration demanded entirely by Morohira¡¯s relentless attacks.

    Sasaki was exhausted. He instinctively took a knee in an attempt to get his breath back, but seeing Jikouji and Togashi sh forward once more to relieve Rokkaku, he sucked in a deep breath of air and found a second wind. They had to make the most of these few moments of advantage, rest couldeter.

    "Heh, about time!" Rokkakuined tensely, having locked swords with his enemy, using all the strength he had to keep that deathly sharp de away from him.

    They carried out the same n as they had against Anayama and instead of targeting the swordsman, they went for his horse to sabotage his footing. However, Hara had already slipped his feet from his stirrups and stood up in his saddle, ready to maintain his bnce even after his beast fell.

    Strikes came at him from all angles, with there being but one safe haven, and thaty in the iing reinforcement from the left. He remained calm, as was his want. He concentrated all the energy he had on defence and saw the world around as though it was in slow motion.

    Infuriated by the distance he had managed to create between them, Rokkaku had leapt up from the ground, holding his sword in two hands over his head, mouth parted in a battle cry, intending to end it all in one motion.

    Sasaki had his shoulder lowered, intending to tackle the massive beast of a horse and send it sides ways, costing the man his bnce.

    Jikouji had abandoned the idea of slicing through the horse¡¯s legs, and instead used a corpse in front of him as a springboard and went low for the legs topliment Rokkaku¡¯s high.

    Togashi plunged forward, aiming for the centre. There was nowhere to run to. Nowhere to escape.

    But Hara would not allow himself to fall in battle, not without having achieved his goal. His intense desire to live heightened his martial talent and instinct took over. He leapt back through the air, bringing his sword in a sweeping arc with him, deflecting each strike one by one as he went, beforending lightly in the mud, a tranquil expression on his face.

 Chapter 250 - A Battle To Win

    Once more the reinforcements were caught up by Shingen¡¯s Generals, with each one of them holding martial skill far above that of an ordinary man. They were not the type of opponent they could defeat with a few fast shes. It with a chess match and a battle of endurance.

    Shingen observed, almost satisfied with his position, though they were far closer with the enemy than they should have been. Usual his Generals would be able to cause pandemonium the second they took to the stage, but now they were engaged in a brutal deadlock.

    He still had his reinforcements ready to join in the battle at any moment, but the second hemitted them, he lost all adaptability and ability to respond. With the surprises that the enemy continued to deliver, it would be foolish to go all in, at least for now.

    Ichijo was still busy dealing with the enemy cavalry. It would be unwise to rely on him. With two fingers, he motioned for his messenger toe closer. The man immediatelyplied, lending him his ear.

    "As soon as Miura dispatches his third row, throw all our forces into the encirclement and have all of the Generals ready to fight." He did not exin his reasoning to the servant ¨C there was no need. But the way he saw it, even if Gengyo came forth with his fourth row to free his men, they would have been able to deal significant damage by then, so that even if they were out of position, the advantage would entirely be with them.

    "Are they... even?" Nobunaga and his entourage were baffled. Just moments ago, it seemed that they were about to witness a ughter, but when the dust had settled, both forces still remained standing.

    "If... If we join in, then we can actually end Takeda Shingen? Right here?" Hirata was breathing heavily. They had long since feared an invasion from the Takeda. This would prove huge for them. Two horrible snakes beheaded by the same de ¨C one that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

    Equally excited, Nobunaga still had the sense to see the battle in a more mature and patient light. "We will wait, Hirata. For the right opportunity." Alongside opportunity, there was also a worry. It could well be that this Miura was an enemy far more dangerous than the ones they had previously and to grant him power would be to secure their own end.

    From that Matsudairan g, it seemed Motoyasu had found his way to his side as well. Perhaps that spoke to his character... Or perhaps it spoke to something else.

    The cavalry were still engaged in a furious battle. The famed Takeda forces were falling all too quickly. It was unsettling to see. But their strength did not lie in numbers, ity in the powerful individuals that led them. Their offence prowess was so well tempered as to create a legend.

    They cycled back and forth, cutting and cutting, thewnmowers of the battlefield. One by one they fell and Ichijo found himself curling his lips in disgust. Their enemy still rode on even armless and yet with a single sh, his men would go lovingly towards the grave.

    The cause of this reckless destruction? It was the head of the arrow. Three individuals that could well have been one. None of his men could stand against them. Was it with recklessness that he drove his heels into the side of his horse and spurred towards them? Or did he have a n? Surely he did not intend on challenging three such fearsome fighters by his lonesome?

    Hisst hundred men found protection behind him. He tracked behind the enemy¡¯stest charge and as soon as they slowed and began to wheel their steads around. He drew his wakizashi to join his katana. He had a feeling that he would need it.

    He might have mmed into them whilst their backs were turned to secure the advantage, but he slowed his steed instead and his men slowed behind him. He would not allow himself acknowledgement of victory unless it was achieved by honourable means.

    "Hoh... Is this pup challenging us?" Their old eyes settled on him. With but a nce, his intent was obvious. The two sides faced off against each other. Four hundred men ¨C many of them nursing brutal injuries ¨C stood proudly like an army of the undead, and against them, but a hundred soldiers faced off. They were almost timid now, having been humbled by their reckless fighting style.

    "I would offer you the chance to surrender, but it seems you wish to die with your men. A respectable trait."

    "As you wish to die with yours." Ichijo responded evenly.

    "Very well. Let us get this over with. We have a battle to win." The three of them spurred their horses, and split off from each other. One man took to the front, his elbow c.o.c.ked, and his sword pointed forward. Another came from the left, eyeing his horse. A third looped all the way around to the back.

    Ichijo¡¯s eyes flickered, quickly tracking their movements and predicting where they would reappear once they disappear. After decades spent in each other¡¯spany, the old men were perfectly in time, and their strike threatened tond as one.

    It would be a brutal end to one of Shingen¡¯s most prized generals and it would set the battle entirely in their favour. All eyes that had time to bear witness tilted their heads towards it, hearts beating quickly, nervously waiting for the obvious conclusion.

    Ichijo was facing forward. He dodged the piercing thrusting towards his abdomen with ease. Had it just been that one man, it was apparent that Ichijo was capable of besting him quickly. Yet there were two more strikes to deal with.

    With a single hand on his katana, he managed to deflect the powerful two-handed strikeing from his side, and it instead fell onto the head of his horse. Before the creature¡¯s life left it, he used his wakizashi to protect his back, having to predict where the strike wouldnd, not having time to turn.

    His small dagger travelled the length of the weapon, slowing it significantly, but it did not stop at merely that. The block continued in a strike, and slid under his menyori, slitting the old man¡¯s throat.

 Chapter 251 - Bloodied

    With a single exchange, the air went still, the pattering rain drowning out all sound. It was only by will power alone that the Matsudairan Elder had not yet copsed from his horse. His eyes flickered down to the torn flesh of his throat and he regarded the waterfall of blood that spilt out onto the chestte of his leather armour. He parted his lips attempting to form a word, but was unable. His body ceased to listen and he copsed forward, falling from his horse, his feet still tangled up in the stirrups.

    For all the years they had spent together, the remaining two Elder¡¯s regarded his death mildly, betraying no reaction, though internally they were more than shook. They were no fools and by their reckoning, they would be joining him very soon. It might have been prudent to turn their horses around and leave the confrontation of this monster to a better man, but there was no guarantee that there was one. More than anything, they needed to stop him reaching the keyhole before their allies were ready. He was the sort of warrior that could turn the tides of battle entirely by himself.

    And now his men were fired up as well. They could finally see mortality in the enemy and with Ichijo ying their strongest with such ease ¨C victory was surely theirs.

    The man in question did not even bother to turn to confirm whether his target was dead. From the moment he had moved his weapon, he knew he had snuffed a life out. If three of them could not face him, then two had no chance.

    He flicked the blood from his wakizashi, unwilling to wait. He sheathed the weapon, freeing up his hand. Removing himself from the carcass of his dead horse, he turned to the man¡¯s behind him. He carefully unhooked his heels from the stirrups, showing the dead his due respect, before assuming the saddle and sping the reigns. He spurred his horse forwards, slowly building up speed and his men moved forward with him.

    The relics of Matsudaira reciprocated, pushing their numerically superior force, intending to take as many to the grave with them as they were able.

    "I will be seeing you in Takamagahara. Pour a drink for me." The Elder whispered under his breath, clenching his fist for their fallen brother. He shared a nod with his friend.

    "Give flesh to save bone, brother. We willst as long as we are able."

    "To thest breath," he agreed.

    With state of the cavalry, Matsudaira was inclined to send the third row forwards earlier than he might have liked and all the other soldiers went along with them, leaving only Gengyo behind with under a hundred individuals, giving the illusion that they were going all in.

    Rin and Akiko caught the signal and began moving forward, firing thest of the bullets from their rifles, fighting against the kickback, before throwing them to the side and giving full attention to their naginata.

    In some ways, the peasants that went along with them had it worst. They had been forced to wait, acknowledging the massacre of their fellow men and then they were ordered to go in after them. This was a battle of monsters, they felt. They had no ce here.

    "We¡¯re counting on you!" The beautiful Akiko called out, her voice genuine and sweet, warm against their cold hearts, sending doubts against their thoughts of routing. If this young woman could charge into that ughter by the front, what kind of men would they be if they turned on their heel and ran?

    "Please fight for as long as you¡¯re able!" Rin pleaded emotionally, seeming distraught. That was the icing on the cake for them. There was no way they could turn back now. They had to protect their young Generals. It was a misconception that worked very much to their advantage ¨C they assumed that the girls were almost defenceless and that they were at least stronger. How wrong they were.

    With the thousand Matsudairan infantry bringing up the rear, the big yers were certainly starting to find their way into the fight.

    It was difficult for Gengyo to watch them march forwards without going in himself. He was literally itching to get into the fight, having to scratch his head continually as it grew hotter and hotter with irritation. The only thing holding him back was his trust in Matsudaira. They had an agreement. Only when the signal was given would his entrance be the most effective.

    The men next to him were not to be frowned on either. They had been plucked from the hopefuls of the elite and elected as the strongest, forming the bodyguard for their Daimyo. Most of them could duel Il to a draw, and there were a hundred of them. They were certainly a weighty hammer.

    Takeda¡¯s previously given order was already being transmitted as soon as they saw the third row begin to make their move. There was no dy time at all. The reinforcements of both sides would arrive together ¨C Shingen would not allow them to seize the initiative as they had once before, for it might cost the life of another one of his Generals.

    The two rows that had sat either side of the encirclement began to move with their mounted generals leaving them. They curved in an orderly manner and pre-emptively reinforced the formation, just in time for Akiko and Rin to make their entrance.

    It was a mess inside. Like the gate of hell. A more bloody formation it was hard to imagine. A death trap of the highest order. If not for their faith in their hidden card, then they never would have attempted to match it. The two of them looked around wildly, attempting to discern who most needed their help, but by their eyes, everyone seemed to be in a miserable position. Each of them looked exhausted. Bloodied and battered.

 Chapter 252 - Group Up

    It was to the point that there were almost two enemy Generals per allied General. It was a ridiculous position that would result in death quicker than they might have liked.

    Akiko moved to help Jikouji, blocking a strike from a neer that had been aimed at his back, dancing lightly around their position, agile andfortable with the de. The old man barely noticed her out of the corner of his eye, breathing extremely heavily. "This isn¡¯t working..." He stated the obvious, his muscles barely holding out as he blocked the most recent strikes. It might have been his imagination, but each blow seemed heavier than thest.

    "Tell me about it!" Akikoined, catching herself in surprise. It was not like her to speak so light-heartedly in grimly serious situations. It would seem her husband¡¯s mannerisms were rubbing off on her. That was it, she realized, slipping past the most recent sh of the sword. If he was here, in her position, what would he do to aplish their goal?

    There were precious few pieces of their chessboard. There wasn¡¯t much to work with. Aplicated strategy was unlikely. He would rally them, wouldn¡¯t he? He always knew the right words to get them through difficult situations. Their forces were scattered inside the encirclement, so the Takeda forces were able to make perfect use of their numerical advantage.

    "GROUP UP!" Akiko shouted, settling on an idea. "GROUP TOGETHER! WE CAN SURVIVE LONGER IF WE GROUP UP!"

    Her voice drifted into the ears of their allies and they held no doubts to who it was that might be shouting, as surprised as they were. There had never been an instant where Akiko had takenmand entirely by herself, but a good idea was a good idea and it would be foolish to ignore it.

    "COME ON YOU IDIOTS! GROUP TOGETHER!" Rin was slightly less endearing as she echoed the order, moving to join her friend, fighting by her side, offering a temporary safe haven for those that could arrive.

    Morohira was still engaged in brutalbat with Akiyama, though he very much felt himself slipping onto the back foot and frustration bubbled up. He had to fight the urge to throw himself into a reckless attack, giving up flesh, just for a chance to escape this monotony. But with the arrival of a second spear-wielding General, that option was scr.a.p.ed away. He had heard Akiko¡¯s order and as much as it pained him, he began to take slow steps back in the mud, retreating for the first time in his military career.

    Sasaki and Togashi attempted the same, allowing the enemy to push them back, putting up as good a defence as they were able, doing their best to avoid slipping in the thick and sticky mud that thousands of feet had chewed up beneath them as a result of the damned rain. But if not for that rain, then there would be nothing to wash the blood from the minor cuts on their faces away and their vision would be obscured. Perhaps the gods might have been on their side after all?

    They only knew they had arrived when their backs mmed into an ally. "Rokkaku, that had better be you, damned goon. If not, I¡¯ll gut you." Morohira growled, feeling a wide back against his.

    "Watch your mouth, Morohira. I may not be Rokkaku, but I¡¯ll still gut you before you can attempt to swing your sword at me." Togashi replied through heaving breaths.

    "Hah, you¡¯re breathing rather heavily. Are you tired, Togashi?" He goaded, fending of the strikes as he spoke.

    "Not a chance." He bit back, letting off a heavier strike than he normally would, in an attempt to pretend he was not in the least bit tired.

    Slowly, they formed a circle of their own. The weak amongst the peasants had been weeded out and the hardy warriors that remained joined them. The Matsudairan soldiers were a wee addition, as they kept the stinging Takeda veterans at bay, so that the stronger fighters could deal exclusively with the Generals.

    "Not bad at all, but it is useless. You¡¯ve merely prolonged your suffering." Akiyama murmured, admiring their formation from the back of his horse. His Generals were harassing them already. They were certainly slowed. With theck of space and therades by their side, they could not wield their full strength.

    But that was entirely their intention. Time. That was all they needed. Akiko looked around whenever she got a chance between strikes, and in her heart, she felt a deep amount of satisfaction. It was working! They could hold here for hours. They were exhausted, of course, but with the aggressiveness of Gengyo and Jikouji¡¯s training, it was nothing new. Each of them had the mental fortitude to get through this.

    ¡¯We¡¯re ready, Tadakata!¡¯ She screamed internally, clenching her fist in excitement. They¡¯d lined them all up for a single perfect strike. The blow from their lionhearted hammer would be crushing.

    Gengyo¡¯s lip twitched, threatening to smile. He could see the woman he had married at the centre of it all, taking the lead. It was unexpected, but most certainly a wee sight. He was looking towards Matsudaira¡¯s headquarters waiting for the signal. No g went into the air just yet - to his disappointment - but it woulde very soon.

    Meanwhile, Shingen folded his arms in satisfaction. "Checkmate." He murmured. That had been a thrilling battle. There would be a few more hours of fighting, but it was over. Every man was caught inside his Houen aside from a mere hundred. He was not na?ve enough to let his guard down, however, and still remained fully alert, but by his eyes, this was merely winning the won game.

    He contemted moving closer himself, to join in the fighting, but that would almost definitely lead to Miura charging him. Why give him a chance at victory? Patient moves were required now, then it would be done.

 Chapter 253 - The Strongest Swordsman in History

    "Nobunaga-san... If we engage now, we can end the Takeda for good. What are we waiting for?" Hirate was growing impatient, repeatedly unsheathing then resheathing his sword with rhymic clicks. The turned backs of the Takeda soldiers as they faced inside their encirclement were so inviting. An arrow-headed charge and it would all be over.

    "No... Not yet. That over there," he pointed to Ichijo still doing battle with the Matsudairan Elders, "that could prove very troublesome indeed."

    "That¡¯s one man! What can he possibly do?" He protested, raising his voice.

    "Perhaps nothing, perhaps everything. We will wait." Oda ordered firmly.

    Once more Ichijo charged, his men behind him. The Elders had afforded him more respect, now that they had seen what he was capable of. One had given up his arm so that he might live a few moments longer, and the other had a deep sh going down his midsection. A millimetre deeper and there would have been the white bone of a rib poking through.

    Most men would nod with satisfaction, admiring their handiwork ¨C another couple of engagements and they would be finished. His men were holding up better now as well. They were slowly thinning the enemy¡¯s numbers under his charge. He had lost track of how many he had killed. But he was beyond irritated. With each strike he dealt, he noticed minor imperfections. He should have ended this with a single perfect flurry. Had he grown rusted? He curled his lips in a snarl, closing his eyes midcharge.

    He imagined himself in a quiet courtyard, the rhythmic flowing of a stream nearbyforting to the ear. In front of him, there was a sakura tree, blossoming in the heart of spring and from it there fell a single pink petal. He admired its descent as it swayed this way and that way, carried by subtle currents of air, its movement seemingly erratic. His hand was on the hilt of his sword, and with a single motion, he sliced it in two.

    When he opened his eyes again, emotion had faded and he entered a state of deep rxation. There were no words or thought, merely an acknowledgement of the present. Two men came at him, their jaws parted in a simultaneous battle cry. This was their all that they were giving. Anger and desperation. Such powerful emotions. They were amongst the top fighters in the whole of Japan.

    He released his hands from his reigns, trusting the horse of his enemy to remain straight and true ¨C from the moment he had entered its saddle, the strength of his character had infected its mind and he had be its master. He sped his katana, sparing no thought for defence. If all went wrong, then he would be disembowelled and beheaded once their shesnded. Without fear, there came a subtle awareness of perfection. The world was slow and subtle, as he swung his sword, following that perfect line, he was in full control of the area around him.

    The two parties passed each other and they prepared to turn their steads for another deadly charge. But those Elders were unable to turn. Their horses came to a halt and before they could tug on the reigns to urge them round, they copsed from their saddles, covered in blood.

    Ichijo ¨C for his part ¨C was entirely unharmed. Their des had not even managed to touch him. Had his sh been even a millimetre off, then it would have been stopped by bone and would never have managed to reach its next target.

    "Pah. Finally." He spat, flicking the blood from his de. It had taken far too long, but it did bring him some joy to find that he was still capable of the highest level. "Let us finish you, then." He motioned his sword towards the remnants of the Matsudaira cavalry. They had grim looks on their faces, but they were determined not to go down without a fight, even if their Generals had died. Perhaps it was precisely because their Generals had died ¨C they fought to honour them, so that they might join them proudly in death.

    Whatever emotions they were feeling were of no concern to Ichijo. To them, they were a mere chore. He could stamp them out in minutes. A more imposing task would be sweeping clean the temple steps. His own men had their hearts lit on fire. This had be sport now, for them. They could hunt at their leisure.

    One cycle, then another. Ichijo had killed over a hundred by himself and the others were falling quickly. The stragglers were dealt with soon enough.

    Nobunaga turned to Hirate pointedly. "Fine... But how was I meant to know that he¡¯d be a monster?" All could tell now that this single man was capable of influencing the tides of battle entirely by his lonesome and Hirate found himself muttering rather defensively.

    "That¡¯s the point. We didn¡¯t. That¡¯s why we wait for opportunity, though it seems he will be ending this Miura Tadakata rather promptly." Ichijo was racing across the battlefield with thest of his fifty men in tow. He had intended to join the fray of the encirclement, but with a head worth taking so close on hand, there was no resisting. With a single sh, he would be the hero of this battlefield.

    Shingen watched him go, a smile on his face. "The spirit of the Takeda runs through your veins as aggressively as it does mine, brother." He whispered to himself. He would be the man that history remembered only by the luck of birth order. But even if history did not remember him, Shingen certainly would. Ichijo, the strongest swordsman to walk thesends. The strongest swordsman in history.

    "Eh..." Seeing an unexpected visitor racing towards him with enthusiasm, Gengyo was scratching his head. He¡¯d neglected to consider that they¡¯d have a cavalryman chasing after them. That will be why Matsudaira had not yet given the signal ¨C he feared that their momentum would be lost should Ichijo find his way to their rear.

 Chapter 254 - A God

    He looked towards Matsudaira¡¯s headquarters almostically. Even in the middle of battle, he was inclined to be awkward. None the less, the fan was raised. The signal was given. The de of a god would be drawn.

    As that polished steel slipped from its scabbard, the air felt considerably colder. The rain clouds groaned and the sky thundered. With his sword raised, lightning crackled across the sky behind him. They did not need to be told. They knew their Daimyo had entered the battlefield.

    "He¡¯s here... JUST A LITTLE LONGER EVERYONE!" Akiko shouted.

    "OORAH!" Their morale soared. The circle that was closing in on them ¨C with a single simultaneous shrug ¨C was cast back and a unified thrust followed it. Their spirit was electric. The tired soldiers were shocked back to life.

    "What... What is that?" Hara gasped, feeling a distinct chill pass down his spine. These were different men to those they had been previously fighting. They were strangely energised, as though possessed by something.

    Akiyama¡¯s eyebrow quivered. There was only one exnation he could think of. Their spirit was akin to religious fervour. It was something he recognised from his skirmishes with the Ikko Ikki sects, though this was much more well-grounded than what he had seen back then. Far purer and far more powerful. "Their Daimyo... That Miura... He¡¯s their God. Just how strong do you have to be to have thousands instil their belief entirely in you? Just what can he do by himself? What have we overlooked?"

    The sky was growing darker and darker. The hell that they thought they had built through the means of the keyhole was turned against them. It was no longer they who had trapped the enemy inside with them, but they who had been trapped inside with the enemy.

    Gengyo moved his neck this way and that, stimting a pleasant crack. "Ah. Now that¡¯s morefortable." There was a man charging towards him, a strong aura leaking from every pore of his body, but this monklymander leisurely took the time to dismount from his horse, about to admire the scenery.

    "MIURA TADAKATA! PREPARE YOURSELF!" Ichijo barked, pushing his horse even harder, grabbing his de with both hands, spitting up mud behind him, galloping forward ever faster, intent on capturing this fool¡¯s head.

    "COME THEN, ICHIJO! YOU¡¯VE TAKEN SOME PRECIOUS ASSETS FROM ME!" He shouted back, setting his feet firmly in the mud, unwavering, supremely confident despite having already surrendered his mount.

    "RAHHHH!" Ichijo let out his roar. He would not be the one to dodge and pull his mount to the side. He would leave that to a lesser man.

    Gradually, Gengyo worked up some speed of his own, pattering across the soggy ins lightly, not allowing his feet to sink. Soon he was engaged in a sprint, almost rivalling Ichijo¡¯s horse at top speed.

    "What... What is he doing?" This time it was Nobunaga¡¯s turn to raise a question. All the moves Gengyo had taken went entirely against battlefield logic. Leaving his men behind to engage the enemy by himself, descending from his horse. Just what was he thinking? Could it be that he truly expected to win?

    Shingen found himself staring, wide-eyed. That kind of confidence... It was terrifying. Just what kind of power did he wield? His heart raced with nervousness. His n, his y, it had all been perfect. There had not been a single blunder. Why then? Why did he feel so uneasy? Just what manner of man was this Miura Tadakata?

    "This is it... My Lord." Matsudaira whispered with a smile, his fist clenched, excitement running through him. He¡¯d done everything in his power to set the stage for his Daimyo. It was all down to him now. It was time for the world to see the full worth of Gengyo the time traveller.

    They were metres apart. The world could be seen in perfect rity. The globules of saliva that drifted from the warhorse¡¯s mouth as it wrestled with its bit. The pink of its tongue. The red of its eyes. The clenching knees of Ichijo that braced him in ce, preventing him from falling even at top speed.

    Ichijo leaned to the left of his saddle for a better swing, putting the entire weight of his body to use. A single crushing downwards sh from a horse running at full speed. There was no blocking that.

    Gengyo remained perfectly calm. When their paths crossed, he did not raise his de, but spun instead, dancing out of the way of death. In the same motion, just before the horse had passedpletely, his de passed through the back of it¡¯s leg, lopping it off entirely.

    His perfect dance came to a halt and he gracefully flicked the blood from his de, pausing to admire his handiwork. The horse did not even know itself to be missing half a limb. It pounded forward still, not even slowing. The instant it tried to reenter that forth leg into the motion, it found nothing but air and began to crash sideways, naying loudly in protest.

    It brought Ichijo with it, trapping him underneath. Together the two of them skidded through the mud, travelling a good distance before they finally came to a screeching halt, covered in dirt.

    "What... What is he?" Hirate gasped, wide-eyed. The same Ichijo that had confronted three Generals by his lonesome without conceding even a scratch. That same man had been made to look like a child at the hands of this Daimyo.

    "NOW! WE¡¯RE MOVING NOW!" Oda roared, panicking. If they did not lend a hand ¨C even if it was the final stages of battle ¨C then it might be them ending up on the end of his de. Instinctively, with every fibre of his being, he knew he did not want this man for an enemy. Not now, not ever.

    At hismand, two thousand cavalrymen parted from the trees and the nail was put in Shingen¡¯s dark coffin.

 Chapter 255 - Glass Formation

    Ichijo struggled with the horse on top of him, his leg well and truly trapped. With thebined weight of the beast and the grip of the stirrups, it was impossible to move. It did not help that the horse thrashed around madly in pain, crushing his leg again and again. It would not surprise him if he found it broken, for the pain was certainly sufficient.

    He slit the horse¡¯s throat to end its suffering. Its blood spilt out violently all over him, threatening to drown him. He struggled against it. In truth, he already knew himself to be dead. Action helped to stop him from falling into a blind panic. His world had been shattered. The truth that was his own strength had been dismissed and so frankly at that.

    Gengyo stood over him, meeting the man¡¯s gaze before he delivered his death sentence. "You¡¯re strong, Ichijo. I cannot risk leaving you alive. I trust that you¡¯ll understand." He promptly severed his head at the neck, stamping out the sparks of the only fire that might cause an issue for him.

    His men had gutted Ichijo¡¯s remaining soldiers and now they waited by his side, holding his horse by the reigns, an offering to their Lord. He sheathed his de carefully, and leapt up to mount it. They had a battle to win.

    Two streams of hors.e.m.e.n darted across the battlefield, vastly different in size. They had amon target, it would seem ¨C that of the encirclement. They were keen to pry it open. Nobunaga pulled his horse closer to Gengyo¡¯s forces, closing the distance quickly, intending to pay before they engaged.

    Gengyo barely even spared him a nce of acknowledgement. It seemed he had expected as much.

    "We¡¯vee to join your fight, Miura-dono!" Nobunaga called out respectfully, catching up with him.

    "That I can see," Gengyo responded evenly, knowing full well why he had chosen this moment to appear on the battlefield. He did not me him, for he would have likely done the same, but nor would he grovel at his feet and pretend that this victory was in any way due to him. "Attack Shingen¡¯s headquarters. Do not allow him to flee. I will shatter this ss formation he¡¯s built." He pulled away, intending on engaging immediately, not giving him the chance to respond.

    "What did he say?" Hirate pulled level, seeing the look of bemus.e.m.e.nt on Nobunaga¡¯s face.

    The young Oda Lord had to nce back on the two thousand men behind him just to make sure that they were still there. Who in their right mind would reject such a strong reinforcement? Stranger still, was he giving him the honour of dealing the final blow and ending Takeda Shingen¡¯s life, despite having not earnt it?

    "To hell with it..." He muttered. His men were fired up and ready to fight. Even if it was an unearned treat that they were sinking their teeth into, so be it. "We¡¯re going for Shingen!" He barked, directing his horse off to the right, his soldiers moving with him.

    "Hah..." It was time for Matsudaira to breath his sigh of relief. His role in this battle had been fulfilled, and ¨C to his eyes ¨C he had not made an obvious mistake. A man this nation needed would live another day. If he had helped to bring that into fruition, then he would count himself blessed.

    With the arrival of Oda, their endgame was upon them. There was no counter. It was done. Matsudaira had to wonder, what could have been written in that letter to inspire him toe to the battlefield at all? It must have been something rather special.

    Like an axe chopping through wood, Gengyo made his entrance through the circle. He sliced up all in front of him, and their cavalry wedge came after, making that hole even wider.

    "Finally! Took you... hah... long enough!" Morohira shouted throughboured breaths. They had been ready to turn over at any second. From all angles, they had been pressured. There had not been a single moment of released tension. It was an extremely demanding position to put one¡¯s body in.

    Gengyo cleaned through the suffocating masses, granting his circle of surviving soldiers some breathing room, so that they might have some chance to recover. Even the Takeda Generals were not foolish enough to keep up their aggressive offence with his arrival and they took a few cautious steps back, regouping under Akiyama.

    "Tadakata..." Akiko breathed in relief, as he pulled his horse in front of them, stopping the enemy froming even a step closer. If it had gone on much longer, then she feared she would not have been able tost without sacrificing body parts in the process.

    "Akiyama?" Gengyo let loose something that was close to a greeting, staring firmly ahead.

    "That is I." The man who had to bear the weight of his gaze replied, his jaw tight.

    "Good. I wouldn¡¯t want to waste time killing men that do not matter. I extend to you ¨C and all the men here ¨C an opportunity. Within minutes, Takeda Shingen will be dead. You have nothing left to fight for. Lay down your weapons and continue your path under my banner." He was deadly serious as he spoke, though some still chuckled, thinking it was a jest. They were so heavily outnumbered. Who was he to be telling them it was time for surrender?

    "I would rather die than fall so deep into dishonour. Here is an alternative proposition: I kill you here and now, then I ride to my Lord¡¯s defence. How about it?" His stone-faced reply had a simr appeal. He was a respectable leader, but he neglected to take into ount the physical condition of many of his men. This brief respite in the fighting was everything to them. Their bodies could not handle such abuse. They would need days of sleep before they could even fancy walking again. They did not want to continue this fight. They wanted an opportunity to end it.

 Chapter 256 - Actor

    "Might I say, that was an extremely poor choice of words, young Akiyama." Jikouji purred with a smile.

    Akiyama red at him sharply, his lip twitching. The old man had an arrogant tongue. He would make sure to end him personally, once this first obstacle was ovee.

    Gengyo was drawing his de from the scabbard, tutting lightly. "It is a shame. You are worth much to this army of yours. You are the cement that binds these average men together. Your strength is your army¡¯s weakness."

    They did not even see him move. One moment he was sat on the back of his horse, the next he had disappeared. Akiyama opened his mouth to give reply, frowning when no words came out. There was a distinct itch near his throat, and through it, he felt as though he couldn¡¯t talk. He scratched at it in irritation, surprised when his fingers slipped and return back red.

    "What...?" The hair on the back of their necks prickled. There was the smallest of cuts through Akiyama¡¯s throat. A small trickle of blood left it, gradually increasing in intensity as the skin was forced further and further apart. The Grand General choked, wing at the wound with his fingers, his eyes wide and bulging, watching Gengyo return into his saddle.

    It was just deep enough to take his life. Strength left his body and he fell forwards in his saddle, resting his head on top of his trusty warhorse, drawing hisst breaths.

    Thousands of soldiers were so quiet that even the clicking of Gengyo¡¯s sword returning into the depths of its scabbard was audible. He regarded them with a refreshed smile. He had demonstrated his skill with a certain amount of theatricality as to render himself as something above a man. He had not allowed them to see the full depths of capabilities, but had forecast how easily he could pluck a life from this world.

    "Allow me to repeat my previous offer: surrender and live, fight and die. The choice is yours."

    "BASTARD!" Hara roared. Never in his life had he felt so insulted. Surrender would not even pass through is mind. He would secure revenge for Akiyama, and he would do it immediately. He thrust his horse past the rest of his dumbfounded men, growling furiously, his sword fueled by anger. Morohira and Jikouji attempted to step forward to block his strike, but they were toote. He slipped past and let loose an aggressive blow, aiming to cleave Gengyo from head to toe.

    With Gengyo¡¯s sword sheathed, he was inclined to make him feel rather foolish. But there was more to a warrior than merely his weapon. When that strike came to im his life, he met it with metal, using the steel te of his shoulder armour to ensure that it would not cut. In the next motion, he grabbed the swordsman¡¯s hands and twisted, breaking them at the wrist, before taking Hara¡¯s own de and ending his life with it.

    "Is there anyone else?" He asked, feigning calmness, as though the slumped body in front of him was the most natural thing in the world. In truth, he had made a mistake. He had not anticipated that an attack woulde with so little warning. He quietly scolded himself for sheathing his de, having been too caught up in the act. There would be a sizeable bruise on top of his shoulder now, as a result of that foolishness.

    But by the eyes of the masses, he had demonstrated invincibility. They caught not even a whiff of mortality. Who were they, professional warriors or not, to fight something that was not inclined by nature to die? What worth was there in that death?

    In the span of moments, he had ended the lives of two of their strongest fighters. His earlier words were true. With the death of Akiyama, the Takeda forces copsed. The foot soldiers lost the will to fight and the Generals descended into a state of berserk, more than disgruntled to see two closerades fall with so little dignity.

    The Miura peasants that had managed to survive were in the midst of prayer, their faces coated in smiles. Of the thousands that hade, but a few hundred remained, and they were amongst them, but by the Gods were they pleased to have headed the call. This man that they had ced their trust in, he was like nothing they had seen before. He ascended even above what they imed to call legends. Where was his weakness? There didn¡¯t seem to be any. He would fulfil that promise to them. The fields would be a thing of the past.

    They began to cheer despite themselves. A gaggle of under a thousand men raising noise to drown out millions. Ears were fit to burst at this expression of animalistic victory.

    The Takeda men were done. They allowed their des to slip from their hands, hanging their heads.

    "COWARDS!" General Obata barked, beginning to swing at his own men, disgusted by theirck of resolve. Other Generals joined him.

    With each second the bounty that Gengyo would reap was decreasing, and so he turned to his men, his own trusted Generals, and asked of them one final thing. "Today you¡¯ve written history. You???ve pushed yourselves beyond what is humanly possible. You¡¯re more than that now, you¡¯re Gods. You¡¯ve achieved more than I could have ever hoped for, and I do not have the right to ask you to do more. Yet, with victory so close, it would be my honour to have you fight by my side, and see and end to this battle."

    "Stupid. Of course we¡¯reing. We¡¯re not going to let you have all the fun yourself." Akiko called out, her hair matted in blood, though she was no less beautiful for it.

    "Aye, if you tried to tell us to wait now, we¡¯d have your scalp for it!" Jikouji dered, brandishing his sword.

 Chapter 257 - Dead Man

    Shingen was too stunned to flee. Even if he were able, what was there to return back to? His army would be demolished. There would be nothing left. He waspletely and utterly defeated. He could not even bring himself to climb up from his stool to confront the band of attacking cavalry, brandishing their Oda g.

    The amount of hidden cards this Miura had yed was unfathomable. From the start, the information he had wascking. This was the momentum unique to the unknown ¨C those that had been operating in the shadows.

    "Hah..." A dry chuckle escaped his lips and his head fell into his hands. There had been everything to y for, but now there was nothing left. He would have regretteding here at all, and bothering to challenge him, had he not felt so alive. This was by far the most thrilling battle he had ever fought.

    His bodyguard moved out, shouting, attempting with their lives to slow this attacking force. Their efforts were futile, but nevertheless, their loyalty wasmendable. As the des came in search of his life and his men fell around him, Shingen looked upon thest asset he had. That keyhole formation that he had worked so hard to defend. That was his only hope at survival, or even at victory, and yet, by the hands of a single man, even that was beginning to crumble.

    He watched Akiyama fall from his horse, and then Hara after him. One by one his Generals were massacred. All that he had built up through his life was washed away with a series of easy strikes. His men began to surrender. Their swords ttered to the floor. He did not me them. The fire in his heart hadpletely died. He epted defeatpletely.

    "Takeda Shingen... You¡¯ve been a thorn in my side." It was a second prodigy that came to im his life. The Oda Nobunaga that had overturned Imagawa¡¯s suffocating attack and sent him scurrying with his tail between his legs. It was almost unfair how young he looked. Had it not been for this Miura, then he might have gone on to be a storm that all of Japan could not quell.

    "Do it cleanly, or give your de to a man that can." He spoke clearly, his voice weaker than it normally would have been. He removed his helmet, and held his head forwards, offering his neck.

    "Worry not. I would not have you die at the hands of anyone less than a Daimyo. You¡¯ve been a menace to my Oda n, and you¡¯vemitted foul acts aplenty... However, you have my respect."

    Shingen did not bother to reply. His eyes were already closed, waiting for death. The honourable words brought warmth where he felt he might have been undeserving. The air was still, and he thought he could hear the sword swishing through the air. Cold steel patted his neck, and it was all over.

    "..? Nobunaga? What are you doing?" Hara asked incredulously, confusion in his voice.

    Those words were enough to tell Shingen that he had not yet parted from this world, and he opened his eyes, raising his head, demanding an exnation.

    Nobunaga had his lip curled and his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "Damn it!" He cursed. This was his chance to remove the Takeda from the map entirely, but yet when his weapon was finally poised to take his head, he could not do it. "That bastard is testing me... I¡¯m sure of it. If I kill you and take all the glory for myself, it wille back to bite me."

    The Takeda Daimyo stared back at him. The worries of the living were quite troublesome, it would seem. "I do not believe that he is so petty. I have spent this entire day doing battle with him. Every move was perfectly calcted and filled with reason. He would not need to resort to such underhanded politics." When Nobunaga opened his mouth to interrupt, he raised his armoured hand to quiet him. "However, now that you have stilled your de, I would consider it a great honour if you allowed me to meet him."

    His sword drifted down from over his head, the will to kill disced by the odd question. He found himself looking towards his advisors, not immediately sure what to respond.

    "No way!" Hara barked. "He¡¯s Takeda Shingen! This is definitely a trap. If you don¡¯t kill him now, then you¡¯ll regret it. I¡¯m sure of that."

    "Hoh... It is ttering to know that I have instilled such fear." Shingen purred.

    "Shut up, you bastard!" Easily provoked, Hara swung his fist to strike him.

    "Calm down, Hara! You¡¯re making a fool of yourself." Nobunaga held him back. He valued his young friend immensely, but when it came to the more delicate matters, he was often worse than useless.

    "I¡¯ll acknowledge your request, Shingen, if you remove your katana and wakizashi and hand them over to me. I have a feeling Miura will want to meet you as well."

    "Done." He was not one to be caught up on the small details. He drew his beloved de and dropped it into the mud without second thought, dropping his wakizashi on top with a tter.

    Even the unconventional Nobunaga was surprised at the ease in which he parted with his weapon. Most men would not even sleep without it. They shared a stronger bond with their sword than they did with their own wives.

    "A mount! Someone get him a mount!" He ordered. There were over a hundred Takeda men littering the remnants of the headquarters, some of which had been in in the saddle. A disgruntled soldier dismounted his horse and trudged over to one of these dead riders, dragging him from the saddle and dumping him unceremoniously in the mud.

    He handed the reigns to Shingen briskly. "Thank you." He murmured, unused to having to show gratitude, but feeling it was necessary nevertheless.

 Chapter 258 - Brother

    With the conclusion of battle, Matsudaira left his headquarters with his entourage of guards, past the thousands of corpses that littered the field. Before joining Miura, he paid his fallen Elders a visit.

    "Thank you." He said simply, inclining his head low, bowing from atop his horse. "I will make sure you have the finest funeral." The grief was not as much as it would have been, had he not known what this battle truly meant to them. In their lifetime, the Matsudaira n had fallen so low, and though they might not have said anything, they med themselves for that, just as he had. Now they would be able to greet their ancestors with their heads held high, promising that the n would now reach new heights that even the feats of past men could not top.

    Gengyo had already disarmed the remnants of the Takeda army, and ordered all their swords and spears and daggers to be set down in a giant pile. He then gave the order for them to sit, so that it would be harder for them to do anything untoward. With the state of the earth and the serve damp that would coat their bottoms, in normal circ.u.mstances, this was amand want to warrantint, yet with their extreme exhaustion, they could not imagine anything more pleasant.

    Of all the men that had fought that day, under ten thousand remained. Three thousand Takeda footsoldiers and two Takeda Generals that had not yet thrown their lives away. And on Gengyo¡¯s side, two thousand men, the majority of which wereprised of the specially trained Elite and the veteran Matsudairan men who had decided that the enemy was not quite worthy enough to im their lives. Mixed in with them, there were fewer than a hundred peasants ¨C those that remained will have been of the highest calibre.

    Gracious in victory as he always was, Gengyo gave his speech, and the cheers came. He promised his men that tonight would be one of feasting, as would the entire week toe. For the first time since Imagawa, they would be able to truly rest.

    Matsudaira managed to creep up behind him amidst the mour, andy a hand on his shoulder. Gengyo spun his saddle to greet him, a smiling blossoming on his face. "Matsudaira... The work you¡¯ve done today, I will not forget it. To be able to manoeuvre a force as outnumbered as ours to victory ¨C I¡¯m d you came to our side."

    "As am I, my Lord." Matsudaira replied, the words almost catching in his throat, so ovee with joy. He was always a humble man, but today he knew he¡¯d fought harder than he ever had in his life. "Of course, it would have been impossible had it not been for you."

    "Ah, but who was it that forced me to wait to make my grand entrance?" He waggled his finger, shooing away his humbleness.

    "Perhaps... To be honest, I was surprised you waited for so long." A chuckle followed his words, before he grew more serious and formal. "It was truly an honour to fight as your Grand General today, my Lord."

    Gengyo shook his head, tutting. This simply wouldn¡¯t do. "After all you¡¯ve done for me, only a foolish man would think you a servant. Come, embrace me as a brother. We are partners in this." He held his arms out wide, nodding encouragingly. A man that could match him ¨C it would be a waste to confine him with the chains of a retainer. They had amon cause, and it would do them well to be able to act independently.

    Matsudaira fumbled, unable to find the right words. Honour... Honour... But beyond Lordship and formality, he felt an immense joy at Gengyo¡¯s proposition, and returned his embrace.

    "...Are you crying Matsudaira?"

    "No..." He lied in embarrassment. He found escape in the party that was approaching behind Gengyo. "It looks like we have visitors."

    "Hm...?" He pulled away, putting on a more business-like face, catching a nce of Jikouji. He motioned with his hand, giving the order. He wanted the troops to be on their guard, just in case their new ¡¯ally¡¯ might like to try something.

    He could not help but notice that there was a familiar face riding despondently beside Nobunaga, his head still held high in pride. The surrendered Takeda soldiers grew restless seeing his approach, fearing that he would scold them for their cowardice. Many of them turned away in shame ¨C a gesture the Tiger noticed, and scowled at.

    His two remaining Generals fell into the dirt, pushing their facing into the ground, bowing deeply in his direction by way of apology. Defeated or not, everyone could feel they were in the presence of a true Daimyo and their behaviour altered ordingly.

    "Nobunaga. You¡¯ve brought me a gift." He noted, addressing the Oda Lord first, only sparing Shingen a casual nce.

    Nobunaga¡¯s face twisted slightly, being referred to so casually, interpreting it as an insult after the respect he had shown the man earlier. "That we have, Miura-dono... We thought it would be wrong to kill what you yourself had hunted."

    "That was honourable of you." He acknowledged, turning his attention to the man who had spent the day causing him such trouble. The best-case scenario would be to subordinate him, and use him as an asset, but he was well aware that such hopes were beyond unrealistic. A man with his pride could never lower himself.

    "Takeda Shingen." He greeted him, using his full name as though it was the answer to some grand mystery.

    "Miura Tadakata." He replied evenly, not faltering under his gaze.

    "Are those the only words you have for me? Had you not wished to speak to me, you would never have bothered to mount a horse. You¡¯d already be dead, by your own hand or by Nobunaga¡¯s. Can I assume that you are open to negotiation, possibly towards the means of an alliance?"

 Chapter 259 - A True Lord

    "Hah..." Shingen sighed, hearing those wordsing from his mouth. "By alliance, you mean servitude, correct?" He had been intending to force Gengyo into the same position at the start of all this. How foolish those words seemed now that he looked back on them. It would be impossible to tame someone like him.

    "A harsher word, but that is the essence of it." He replied with a shrug, not bothering to hide anything.

    "I¡¯m sure you already know my answer before you even asked. A tiger cannot be chained."

    "I thought as much." He nodded, still disappointed nevertheless.

    "However..." It seemed Shingen was not yet done, as he drew their attention back with a raised palm. "This battle, I cannot pass to the grave without expressing what an honour it was to war with you. This might have been the best I have ever fought. It is certainly the best my men have fought. What manner of training have you put your soldiers through for them to be so strong?" The usually stern-faced man could not let go of thisst opportunity. It was with excitement that he intended to discuss such an exciting battle with men that he respected.

    "Ah..." Gengyo scratched his head awkwardly. "I might have you to thank for that. I spent some time at Menryo-ji when I was recruiting men from Kai. Their techniques have provided assistance."

    Hearing of Menryo-ji, Shingen¡¯s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Menryro-ji..? All the years I tried to employ their help, and they gave it to you." He could not help but chuckle. Some things were simply not meant to be. "What of those soldiers that came inter, bearing the Matsudairan g? Their fighting style was different, but they proved resilient."

    "We have our own ways," Matsudaira responded cryptically, struggling to hide his smile. They were men who had done nothing for decades but practise their de. They were the peak of their profession. To be able to bepared to those with Menryro-ji training would be a great honour for them.

    "Of course. There is no point in sharing too many secrets with a dead man. But you, Matsudaira Motoyasu, your hand in strategy is troublesome. You were wasted under Imagawa." Shingen had liked to fancy himself as a master of strategy, and so had focused his attention on other weaknesses, but there was actually a man that had gone even with him.

    When one was praised by the Tiger of Kai, it was impossible not to bow their heads with gratitude. "We made up for what wecked in orderliness with a good few surprises. The Gods bless me, freeing me of my chains. Your Houen, however... That was something we overlooked."

    "Haha! I¡¯m d to hear it. To have all my moves predicted would be crushing indeed." Shingen chuckled once again, startling his remaining two Generals and his men. Their Lord never smiled. Not even once. "Hah..." He went quiet once again, mournful that it had to end here, but there was truly no other way. He dismounted from his horse, Nobunaga watching him carefully, suspicion written all over his face.

    "Miura Tadakata, Matsudaira Motoyasu, today you have won my respect. Though I will not be joining you in future campaigns, I would not see you weakened as a result of our sh. Before I grant you a gift, can you promise me that you will rule my people with a lenient hand? They need not suffer for the mistakes of their Daimyo."

    "I can promise that... But, Shingen, are you certain? What of your son?"

    Mention of his son evoked a sad smile from the defeated Lord, and he shook his head. "My son has been plotting betrayal for a while now. With word of my defeat, he will take the reigns, but he does not have the strength to rule, nor to defend against the Uesugi. My people will be overrun and tortured."

    There was nothing Gengyo could say tofort him after hearing that. When betrayal came from someone so close, it would be a sore spot, no matter the man, hence why his son still drew breath.

    Shingen stepped forward to address his men, and Nobunaga shot Gengyo a sharp nce with a question written in it, ready to stop him at any second, but Gengyo shook his head. There would be nothing underhanded here.

    "Yamagata, Yamamoto, I give you one final order: do not follow me in seppuku. Enough Takeda men have died here today. I ask that you follow this man for me," he pointed to Gengyo, "and ensure that he achieves what he is capable of. Akiyama and I will need something entertaining to watch when I meet him again."

    His two Generals ¨C men of hard hearts and cold steel ¨C could not help themselves, receiving that finalmand of their Lord. The tears ran rapidly, and they clenched their fists, still daring to nod as an example to the troops.

    "Thank you." He turned from his Generals to the rest of his men. "I want you to serve under Miura. He will ensure that your families are kept safe against the Uesugi. Do not feel shame in your surrender. Today, you have fought harder than any man has right to. You¡¯ve given me pride, and more still. For today, and for all you¡¯ve done in the past, I thank you. It has been an honour to serve as your Lord." And then the prideful Daimyo of the Takeda lowered his head, and bent his body ny degrees at the waist, bowing deeply to those that had severed him.

    His men stood up, moved, and returned the gesture, bowing deeply despite the aching of their muscles. Thousands of men, at once. They knew him to be a true Lord, for even when he had forfeited his own life, and been rendered defeated, his thoughts and concernsy with them, his people. Let him be an example to all that might rule after.

 Chapter 260 - Honourable Takeda-dono

    "Shingen, you..." Gengyo was at a loss for words. This man in front of him, his selflessness was almost rming. He had to put his people before his own feelings, and this is the solution he settled on. It was a wake up call. This is what it meant to be a Daimyo. That crushing responsibility. Could he have done the same, if their positions had been reversed? He was unsure.

    "I do not want to hear it." The man interrupted, shaking his head. "COME! KNEEL FOR YOUR LORD, TADAKATA OF THE MIURA CLAN!" That was the man they remembered. That dreadfullymanding voice. It was by habit that they obeyed, immediately breaking to one knee, all at once. Their discipline was phenomenal. Yamagata and Yamamoto were amongst them.

    "They are yours now, make good use of them. You would do well to rely on Yamamoto ¨C his hand in strategy is exceptional. And there is no man braver than Yamagata. Please do not let what I have cultivated go to waste."

    He had given Gengyo such an immense gift, and yet he made it sound like he was the one receiving a favour.

    "Thank you." Gengyo said simply, his voice filled with genuineness. "I will not forget the favour you have shown me. I will have your people know that even in death, their Lord watches over them. You¡¯re a good man, Takeda Shingen. I am d it was you I battled here today, for I fear my preordained distaste for Daimyos might have infected my future judgement. A man can be born into power and still take a bite from the fruit of greatness. You¡¯ve taught me that, and so again, I thank you."

    He mirrored Shingen¡¯s earlier gesture, and dismounted his horse, patting the beast to reassure it. He bowed deeply. "Honourable Takeda-dono." He held that posture for what felt like minutes, catching Shingen off guard. His jaw sat slightly agape. To be given such respect from a man like him ¨C it meant a great deal.

    It did not end there either. Matsudaira left his horse straight after, his heart having opened towards their enemy. He joined Gengyo, and bowed deeply. "Honourable Takeda-dono." He repeated.

    Jikouji followed soon after. As Gengyo¡¯s Generals, they were an extension of himself. When he bowed, so did they. He came by the young man¡¯s side, thoroughly impressed. Humility. Strength. Intelligence. His Lord had it all. "Honourable Takeda-dono."

    Rin and Akiko came too, followed by Rokkaku and Morohira. Togashi and Sasaki. Kitajo and Il. They all dismounted their horses, and stepped solemnly forward. When they bowed, the men under them bowed too. Their new Takeda recruits bowed with them. Every man on that battlefield ¨C save for the baffled Oda entourage ¨C bowed as one, thousands upon thousands of exhausted men all lowered their heads. "HONOURABLE TAKEDA-DONO!"

    Of all his years of rule, never had there been a moment more profound than this for Shingen Takeda. He felt as if all that he worked for had been acknowledged. That his life had been worth it. His eyes clouded despite himself, and he feared that he might actually cry. Forcefully, he pushed his head down, and returned their bow.

    Gengyo was just within whispering distance, and to him he begged. "Please, I must do it now. My des have been confiscated."

    Wordlessly, Gengyo withdrew his wakizashi, and handed it to him, handle first. In the same instance, he drew his katana. "I will be your kaishakunin. There is no need for you to suffer."

    "Thank you." Shingen said one final time, before kneeling down in the mud. All heads were still bowed. They knew what was happening. Until Shingen passed from this world, they would remain this way, and show him the utmost respect, for he deserved it.

    The Tiger acknowledged the shining edge of the polished wakizashi. It was well taken care of. Its owner was a diligent man. He grasped its handle with both hands, raising his eyes to the sky. Past the dark clouds that had brought rain, there was a peaking sun. "Ah..." He murmured. The Gods were ready for him. He drew in one final breath, appreciating its rejuvenating effect on his body, and then he plunged the wakizashi into his stomach.

    "Guh..." That was his only reaction as the dagger tickled his guts. A tough man. A true samurai. He pulled it across and fully disembowelled himself before he was granted relief at the hands of Gengyo and his head was severed from his shoulders.

    His body fell forward, and would have copsed deep into the sticky mud had Gengyo not caught it and gently lowered it to the floor, respectfully recing the head. He bowed once more to Shingen¡¯s corpse before turning to face the gift that he had left them.

    "We are one and the same now. Takeda, Miura and Matsudaira. We fight under the same g, in ordance with thest wishes of Shingen. Retrieve your weapons. There will be no discrimination between us. You will feast with us tonight, and we will tend to our dead and grieve together tomorrow. That is all." Before they could go a step further, he demonstrated what trust he had in them and in the promise Shingen had made. He held no reservations and immediately rearmed them.

    Cautiously, the Takeda men moved forward, drawing up their weapons, their eyes darting here and there, fearing a trap. But there was none. As the two Generals came to retrieve their weapons, Gengyo stopped them. "Yamamoto and Yamagata, correct?"

    "That is us... my Lord." Yamamoto replied hesitantly."

    "Good. I wish to reassure you that you will retain your rank as General. You will be treated the same as my existing members. Do right by me, and there will be plenty of rewards awaiting. I am counting on you."

    "Wee to the club." Morohira was the first to greet them, having fought briefly with Yamagata on the field. He patted his shoulder and walked away, but that simple gesture was enough.

 Chapter 261 - Ridiculous Idea

    In the dark of the night, upon the very field that they had battled, a circle of tents had been constructed and many fires raged, lighting up the sky. They splurged thest of their rations on a grand feast. Bodies intermingled by design. Takeda men shared fires with the very soldiers they had warred with, and they raised sses in each other¡¯s names.

    The only party that did not quite fit in were the Oda. They had won no one¡¯s respect with theirte arrival. They huddled around fires of their own, slowly sipping on drink, distrustful eyes flickering around. How did this happen? The men they had ridden to reinforce were toasting to the enemy. It was unprecedented. It was down to their leader to ensure they did not return back to Owari empty-handed.

    Nobunaga sat amongst Gengyo¡¯s circle, with Hirata at his side, sharing their drink, struggling to find the right words to speak amongst the celebratoryugher.

    Morohira had Rokkaku in a casual headlock, doing his very best to keep his drink from spilling as the man struggled and struggled. He talked to Togashi, pretending there was nothing untoward going on at all, thoroughly enjoying himself. The bearded man had sustained an unhealthy amount of alcohol amidst the celebrations and so despite his usual seriousness, he was able to entertain him without growing too frustrated.

    Working a little more carefully with an ear to the delicate matters, Jikouji made sure to strike up conversation with their new Generals and make them as wee as possible. He asked them all sorts of questions, opening up to them, evoking a smile now and then, but it was ultimately an awkward affair as one might expect. They simply were not ready, still shook from the events of the day. With age brought understanding, and he took no offence.

    With his arm dr.a.p.ed over Akiko¡¯s shoulders, Gengyo admired his surroundings, sipping from his cup. He was the pebble that had caused these ripples across the pond. The arrival of but a single man had manifested all of this. It was interesting. The way things were going, it would seem SAPPHIRE understood him better than he understood himself.

    With that knowledge of the future, he knew the full worth of the man sat opposite him, young Nobunaga, but he did not rush to sing his praises or slip into an alliance. In this world, in this time, he was nothing more than the Lord of Oda, and he treated him ordingly.

    "I must thank you for heading my call. Had things turned sour, it is reassuring to know that you would have been there to help." He smiled thinly, knowing that such a thing most certainly wouldn¡¯t have happened, but he knew that before writing the letter.

    "Ah... yes, we would have endeavoured to help." Nobunaga responded, awkwardly scratching his head, quite looking forward to returning home.

    "Matsudaira and I have quite a few things to attend to, now that we have sessfully defended our territory. How many provinces do I rule now? One? Or six? I suppose it depends. Imagawa¡¯s son still draws breath, and I expect he will be moving to challenge me at any second. Uesugi will not be far behind." He had a distant look in his eye as he listed all that he had to defend, before looking back at Nobunaga. "But then, none of those things are your problem, are they? Unless you decide to move against me. That would be rather troublesome."

    Nobunaga wet his lips before replying. This was a matter that required delicate handling. For him to have such a man as his enemy, that would prove troublesome, but tomit to something that would prove unbeneficial merely because of fear would leave him resentful.

    "My people are still recovering from unrest. I would not put them through war for a while." He pronounced, maintaining a straight face.

    Gengyo snorted hearing such a barefaced lie. If this was the man he thought him to be, then he certainly would allow nothing to get in the way of him seizing the opportunity. This battle they¡¯d fought today, and the ones they??d fought in the past, they had removed bricks from the previous stable structure of the surrounding provinces, and through the chaos, it was the prudent and not the powerful that would rise.

    The youth¡¯s eyes narrowed at his snort, thinking himself to be mocked. Anger rose within his chest. Just because he was outnumbered did no give this man the right to disrespect him. Even Matsudaira had an rmed look on his face. Gengyo was able to be delicate in political matters as he had proved with Shingen, so why would he suddenly regress and shun a possible resource?

    "Forgive me, these subtleties irritate me. Let us throw everything out in the open at the risk of offending each other, I feel it will be easier that way. You, Nobunaga, are an ambitious man. You are eyeing thends around you greedily longing for the day that you will be able to set foot in them as a man of power. I¡¯ve heard of you, you see. People don¡¯t seem to take you seriously, do they? But yourpetence is without question. No, that is not why Iughed. Iughed because of the ridiculous idea that just popped into my head. I thought to myself ¡¯if young Nobunaga were to assist me in reiming the gifted Takedands, then how would he mind Shinano as a reward?¡¯"

    His circle went quiet, hearing his proposition, and he took the opportunity to take another sip from his cup. "Ridiculous, right? Shinano is a rather big province. With the number of men you have, you¡¯d struggle to keep hold of it. Ah, it is much too silly. Forget I ever said anything."

    "No!" Nobunaga barked, a little too excited. "I mean... There is such a thing as foolish wisdom. It is an idea worth exploring."

 Chapter 262 - Hes Mad

    "Explore it we shall then!" Gengyo proimed, pouring Nobunaga another drink from the jug of wine. He brushed his stool out of the way, and shuffled closer to the fire, where the mud had all but dried out, d of the opportunity to be able to sit back on his hands. "So, Shinano? It borders your Owari. It would be a useful province for an ambitious man to take hold of. You wouldn¡¯t say no to its acquisition, would you?"

    "No," Nobunaga began carefully, taking care not to spill the wine from his cup though his hand shook rather fiercely. "I wouldn¡¯t. However, what is it you ask for in return?"

    "Oh, that¡¯s the crux of the matter, isn¡¯t? You made a rather poor showing today on the battlefield ¨C if I might be so bold as to say ¨C but that¡¯s fine. That was not the limit of your capacity. I have four enemies that will be raising their sword against me, and I require allies of my own."

    Nobunaga barely flinched at the tant insult, for he most definitely agreed with it. They¡¯d done nothing. "Four? The Imagawa remnants, the Takeda remnants, the Uesugi and who..? The Hojo? They¡¯re not involved yet. How can you be so confident in marking them an enemy?"

    "Because that is certainly who Imagawa Ujizune has scurried to, in looking for a way to overthrow me. The Hojo will have only been too willing. They¡¯ll have their banners raised in assistance, and when the timees, Ujizune will be cast aside, and the Hojo hold will be unshakeable."

    "I see," young Nobunaga mused, carefully sipping on his wine. That was quite the many enemies. Could he not use that to his advantage, and push this Miura into a wall? But what then? When the elephants of the Uesugi and Hojo came knocking, he would struggle to respond. He had a look in his eyes as he thought it over, and from that look Gengyo could tell numerous calctions were running through his head. He wanted to know whether he¡¯d be cheated in epting the request that was toe. "And so, if I ally myself with you, who is to say you will not fall? What bes of my people then? Through the alliance, your enemies be my enemies. I am not convinced."

    Gengyo smiled at that. ¡¯I am far from immortal,¡¯ he thought to himself."Oh, broadly speaking, I will definitely fall. One day, at least. Though I do not think it will be any time soon." He reached into the folds of kimono and drew a scroll,ying it out on the stool he¡¯d just vacated. It was a simplified version of a map he kept back in his tent, and was drawn in the ck ink of his own brush. "We," he traced his finger from Mikawa and headed eastwards into Shinano, "will campaign through into Shinano and seize control of more men and resources before Takeda Yoshinobu gets wind of his father¡¯s death and begins rallying an army."

    Nobunaga was shaking his head, entirely dissatisfied with that answer. "You¡¯d leave Mikawa defenceless? Hojo will march up easily from the south with Imagawa as their figurehead, they¡¯ll sack Mikawa and then they¡¯ll plunge straight into Owari. What am I to do then, when I am off fighting your battles? And what of the Uesugi? You have not mentioned dealing with them at all. Shinano is tainted whilst The Dragon still roams."

    "Ah." Gengyo paused a moment, as though he¡¯d made a critical oversight. He turned to Matsudaira before voicing his answer. "I did say earlier, didn¡¯t I? We¡¯re partners in this, my friend. I will have you take what is yours and sit in the seat of Daimyo, ruling Mikawa in my absence, and readying yourself for the Hojo invasion."

    To this request ¨C that surprised all listeners present ¨C Matsudaira reacted with the utmost grace. Akiko had her delicate lips parted in surprise, staring at her husband wondering why he¡¯d give up the power he¡¯d only just acquired. Rin had to bite her tongue not to say anything. With them, the recently promoted Generals were shuffling ufortably. "Your vassal? It would be my greatest honour." He bowed his head low, his heart flushed with pride. "I will not merely defend Mikawa, I will conquer Totomi and Suruga in your name."

    "Wait... Wait just a moment, Miura. Where would that leave you?" Jikouji asked that critical question, his wrinkled forehead creased in a frown.

    "Oh, I¡¯m d you asked." Instead of resting his eyes on Jikouji to give a direct response, Gengyo stood up, and wee some blood back into his legs. "We stand here, barely a few thousand in number, yet I will dare to voice my goal. Shinano, Kai, Mikawa. They¡¯re the scraps that we¡¯re distracted with fighting over. Yet who is it that ims to hold true power in this nation of ours?"

    "Not the emperor..?" Togashi asked hestitantly.

    "No, not the emperor. He¡¯s a puppet without true power. I speak of the Shogunate. I need not own every scrap ofnd personally, I need to make use of this momentum and continue to conquer, with allies that I can trust stopping the enemies from attacking me at all fronts."

    Nobunaga could barely believe his ears. Before the words left his mouth, he needed a moment of respite, a brief rification."Wait... Miura-dono, you can¡¯t mean...?"

    "Indeed. I will overthrow the Shogunate, and end this era of warlords. I will unify thesends under my banner, and quell the bloodshed. Do you believe me incapable?" He saddled the young Oda Lord with an immensely heavy gaze. Eyes full of confidence and intelligence.

    ¡¯He¡¯s mad...¡¯ Oda realized, unable to stop himself from grinning. ¡¯This is all mad. The chaos that will follow his actions... it will set the precedent for the truly capable to take the reigns.¡¯ "No... I do not. If you will help me put the Uesugi to rest, and deliver on your promise, then you¡¯ll have my sword."

 Chapter 263 - War and Peace

    The sky was blue and delicate as Gengyo look up at it. Not a single fluffy cloud could be seen. The sun shone proudly and with shocking warmth. It was a hotter day than a man might have liked. He was hidden in the overgrown grass of rolling ins, seated cross-legged and peaceful. He¡¯d given the order, and they¡¯d begun their march home. Affairs needed to be set in order in Mikawa before they could attempt to campaign.

    <i>With each passing day, the surprise we had on them lessens</i>, Gengyo thought to himself with a certain amount of dissatisfaction.<i> Yet there is simply no other way about it. Nobunaga is heading toward Owari to raise an army of his own, and he¡¯ll journey to Mino as well, to try and employ the help of the Saito.</i>

    The way he saw it, the Uesugi would be mobilizing their men within the course of weeks, but the Takeda remnants would be doing the same. He hoped their interference might buy them the time they needed to build a more respectable foundation. <i>The people need feeding. War has torn families and farms apart. I may have forsaken my seat for Matsudaira, but I will not see the province of my vige suffer.</i>

    He wrestled open his kimono, baring his chest to the sun. A thinyer of sweat coated it, and it shone in the light. Since when did I be so well-muscled? He wondered as he looked down upon himself. Much had changed. He remembered his words from the previous evening, and the look he had put in all their eyes, it was certainly something. <i>But talk means nothing if I do not manage to achieve. There are enemies everywhere. Until Japan is conquered, it seems likely that I will always be at war. There is no breathing room or minute¡¯s respite. I need to master governing with haste, otherwise every province I conquer will be worth nothing.</i>

    "So this is where you ran away to." A sweet voice called out from behind him. He smelled her before he heard her, with the wind carrying herforting scent. "I think Matsudaira was looking for you as well. It seemed quite urgent." She sat down beside him, brushing a stray strand of her out from her face, looking up at the sky, trying to guess what he might be thinking.

    "Akiko..." He murmuredzily, acknowledging her with a warm smile, before returning back to looking at the clouds. "It will be tiring. To win without having a chance to rest. Only now am I beginning to understand what this game entails."

    "It might well be, but who can do it if not you?" Shetched onto his arm and nuzzled her head into his open chest. He fought the urge to flinch as her soft hair tickled his skin.

    <i>Nobunaga</i>. He responded to her question internally. That man was dangerous, no matter how respectfully he imed to address him. <i>There would have been two options, restrain him, and stop him froming into power. Or, give him just enough to satisfy him. With option two, I hope I can make him into an asset.</i>

    "Or you. You¡¯re fierce on the field now Akiko, truly. You and Rin rallied the men as though this was your thousandth battle. I¡¯ll be relying on you from now on."

    "I¡¯m ready." She assured him, squeezing his hand. "Just give the word. One day, I might even lead an army of my own in your name, do you not think? We will have plenty of enemies for it. You have Matsudaira-san and Nobunaga-dono, but you¡¯ll need more, won¡¯t you? For each border we have. And who¡¯s to say we won¡¯t be invaded by sea?"

    She had a point certainly, but the passion with which she raised her argument without him even objecting caused Gengyo to smile, and he could not help but kiss her.

    "Mmphh..." Sheined, thinking that he was looking down on her. "I¡¯m serious, you know."

    "As am I." He grinned. "When that timees, I will rest safe in the knowledge that my wife will keep my behind safe from invasion. We have a new strategist to make use of as well, so that day mighte sooner than either of us imagine."

    "A new strategist?" She pulled a face. "Why would that matter? Do you think I can¡¯t handle my own strategy?" One could practically see the steaming out of her ears as she got more and more fired up.

    "Heavens no, but you have already mastered the art of leadership. Your men respect your strength and your bravery. Would it not be sensible to leave the strategy to someone who has spent his entire life studying it?" He had to hold up his hands defensively, fearing that she might strike him in their y.

    "You never did, not until recently." She pointed out, doing her very best to force him into an ufortable position.

    It was no longer with words that he could win, and so as she struggled to get up, his hand went to her ankle, and he tripped her from bnce, catching her gently, and rolling her to the floor, pinning her warm body beneath him. "You know, I remember a time when you could not speak to me without blushing."

    "And I remember a time when you used to wash! You stink of sweat... When was thest time you bathed?" She was struggling so desperately to get out from underneath him, but if Takeda Ichijo could not stand up to him, his wife had no chance.

    He raised his arm and tilted his nose toward his pits for a sniff, and raised an eyebrow at what he smelt. "Mm... Smells like hard work."

    "Hard work? You¡¯ve been sat in the field all morning staring at the sky!"

    "SSSh." He held a finger to her lips, moving his face in, closer to hers. "Don¡¯t let them know."

 Chapter 264 - By the Candlelight

    By the candlelight, a few days out from Imagawa Yoshimoto¡¯s beloved castle, Gengyo sat, quill in hand, studying a map. He would stare at it for a while, before his hand would dart across the page, and he would etch a series of characters, making notes. He wanted knowledge of every bit of useable farnd and notable settlement in all of Mikawa.

    As he worked, his unreasonable hopes for consolidationy in Imagawa¡¯s supposed ipetence. He prayed that the man ¨C in all his wisdom ¨C had neglected to truly see to hisnd, and had overlooked certain valuable nuggets in the process. Nuggets that would be of use in the weeks toe. Of course, he knew the folly in such hopes, for there were plenty ofpetent ¨C and greedy ¨C officials under him.

    It¡¯s not looking particrly promising, he thought to himself, biting his lip. It would take time to process everything, and inform them of new leadership. To reestablish taxes and to ensure cooperation. All of it was necessary for raising and supporting an army. His achievements would help so far as quelling the wrath of the people, for at least he had presented himself as a man of talent.

    As he sat there, enthralled in his work, a certain man made his way to the entrance of his tent. "My Lord." The man called out, not even touching the heavy p of waxed cloth that marked the entrance.

    He thought he recognized the voice, but by his mind, there were few with reason to visit him sote. "Come in." He set down his quill, and put his hands together.

    The entrance trembled and was pushed aside, revealing a bearded man, hard of face with serious eyes and an intimidating height. "Togashi... To what do I owe this pleasure? There is no need for the formality either."

    Asking his questions he noted that Togashi had trouble meeting his gaze. He put his hands together inside his blue kimono, and stared at the floor, struggling to find the right words. "I¡¯ve served you loyally for a while now."

    "That you have. For a very long time. We¡¯ve been through much together." Gengyo agreed, but somewhat hesitantly, not sure if he liked where this is going.

    "In thatst battle, I took thirteen separate wounds. It took three hours to stitch me up. When I awake in the morning, I can hardly move. I have to roll out of bed on my side, and carefully make my way to my feet, else the stitches will open up. And the pain... the pain is something else."

    "I... I¡¯m aware that many have suffered as a result of the conflicts. If you have need, I can find you a better healer." Gengyo squinted as he looked at him. He valued Togashi immensely. He was one of his trustedmanders. To lose him would leave a wound of its own, and yet the way things were going... It did not look promising.

    "There are men amongst us with lost limbs. The pain is worse for them. They spend the entire night screaming, even after they¡¯re given herbs for the pain."

    "Togashi, what is it that you¡¯re trying to say exactly?"

    At the sudden firmness of Gengyo¡¯s voice, Togashi¡¯s gaze flickered upwards, and his hands fell down to his side. His fists clenched, and he said what was truly on his mind. "You¡¯re a good man, Miura. A military man. I think you can go on to win many more battles. In fact, I can¡¯t see you ever losing. Yet, I do not feel so immortal or unkible. It is a wonder I am still alive today. With the pain, I can not help but ask myself if this is all truly worth it?"

    "I intend to unify thend, Togashi. There will be less blood under one ruler. At least, for a while. This era of warlords has to end, by someone¡¯s hand. Do you think that to be false?"

    "No." Came the sharp reply. "My issue is not with your goals or the cause that you fight for. If not you, someone else certainly will do it. It is better a good man than a tyrant... though it is possible to be both."

    "You think me to be walking along the edge of tyranny?" Gengyo questioned, tilting his head. He was not averse to criticism, especially not from men he respected.

    "That¡¯s not it at all. I just... I just can¡¯t justify risking my life without having truly achieved anything. I am amander in your army, and that is a great honour. But in truth, I am still no one. In the eyes of the world, I am still the same Togashi thaty in Toda¡¯s cell. I am still weak and without true power. As you find your sess, I can¡¯t help butpare myself to you. Miura, I am a selfish man. I am not ashamed to admit it. I need to establish wealth, and a family, otherwise when I go to the grave it will all be for nought. If I can not find that here, then I must go elsewhere."

    Gengyo sat back in his seat, stunned, having been given that ultimatum. Have I not been giving my men wealth, for fighting for me? They receive their gold... But that hasn¡¯t changed since they first came. If it is Togashi speaking to me, then the others must feel the same. It is not Togashi who has been selfish, but me. Men strive for progression. The men I attract, anyway. Ambitious men.

    Had he been alone, he might have pped himself for his oversight. Thend his conquered was not only hisnd, it was his men¡¯s. Coin was all well and good, butnd, a home and a family, they were what truly mattered.

    "Togashi... Come. Take a look at this map in front of me. Choose five thousand acres ofnd, and it¡¯s yours. I will handle the politics, you had merely need choose. I will put thought into how I shall better reward you, I have been too single-minded. You¡¯ve given me much, and I will give you much in return. Every province we conquer, you will imnd from. As will the others." He pushed the map across the table towards him, carefully studying his response.

 Chapter 265 - Long Reaching

    At noon, half a day from home, the exhausted army paused for lunch. As they marched, many of their wounded died. They had yet to go a night without a funeral. Their morale had sat low for days, only with the sight of Shigeto castle in the distance did their mood begin to pick up once more.

    The sun had been beating down on them for days, unrelenting. The ground beneath their feet was all dry and cracked. It was with relief that they passed through forests, for therge canopies of leaves would give them a brief respite from the sun.

    Gengyo sat away from his men, as he was taking to doing more and moretely, deep in thought. On hisp, there sat a package, wrapped thickly in cloth. A messenger had delivered it as they marched, alongside news from the castle. Whilst they¡¯d been away warring, Takeshi and Morojo had been busy rebuilding their defences, amongst other things.

    Oddly ¨C for him at least ¨C he found himself hesitating before he unwrapped it. There was something about gifts hidden inside paper and wrappings that he distrusted. Often, more time was spent wrapping a gift than in choosing it. It seemed like a form ofpensation. If this is someone¡¯s severed arm or leg... From the shape, it seemed very likely that it could be a limb.

    Irritated by his own imagination, he tore back the coverings. A sword, he recognised immediately, though that one word did not do it justice. The sheath alone had been given more attention than it ought to. Dark and polished wood, with a dragon of gold winding its way along the length, only revealing its head when it darted along the handle and out onto the pommel. Its jaws parted in a fearsome roar just above the leather wraps of the handle. The attention to detail was astounding.

    Slowly, he drew it, worried that he might mar its perfection. Only then did he notice the red jewels used for the eyes as a ray of sunlight lit them up. It was perfectly bnced in his hands, and ever so light. He knew it would be deathly sharp as well, if it was crafted by who he thought. Along the de, there were engraved a series of characters, and he read them out loud in a whisper.

    "The Monk of Mikawa. For he who even tigers pose no threat."

    He had to smile as he read it. The timid little cksmith could be quite amusing at times. He could imagine the words slipping out of his mouth. He was rather fond of the man, for all his quirks. But The Monk of Mikawa? I hope that doesn¡¯t catch on.

    He tried a few practise swings, and it cut through the air with greater ease than any weapon he had ever wielded. Takeshi¡¯s craftsmanship was something of legend. If he closed his eyes and swung, it did not take much imagination to feel like he was plunging a de through into another dimension.

    But the sword contained a greater meaning for him than merely a present. The gold and jewels that had been spared for its creation meant that the order he had left for Morojo and Takeshi had beenpleted. Shigeto castle wasvish beyond need, overrun with gold and jewels and rare vintages of all kinds. Whilst they warred, he had ordered it stripped. That alone was enough to finance much of what he intended, though control still needed to be established.

    Through the utilising of messages, his presence could be felt across thend without him even having returned yet.

    Against the dark knight sky, a horse thundered along a cobble road, panting heavily, globules of its saliva falling back against the boots of its rider and onto the brown fur of its side. The rider skidded to a halt just before the heavy wooden gates and the towering stone walls, inviting the immediate ire of the night¡¯s watch.

    "WHO GOES THERE, AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT?" A guard shouted down, leaning out over the top of the wall, torch in hand, two bowmen by his side, ready to loose an arrow at the slightest provocation. They had been infiltrated once, with ease, and theirmandery dead for it. These Okazaki men were not about to let that failure repeat itself.

    Through their tenseness, the messenger dug past the confines of his armour, deep into his kimono, withdrawing a scroll and holding it up towards the light, hoping that they would see it. "NEWS! THE WORD OF MIURA TADAKATA!"

    That name was loaded. It bore an immense weight in their city. It was not something a man dared to utter lightly. The guard¡¯s aggression received, and he proceeded more cautiously, transitioning into respectful speech. "MIURA-DONO? THE MAN STILL LIVES?"

    "THAT HE DOES! HE HAS SLAIN THE TIGER OF KAI AND LOOKS FOR THE SUPPORT OF YOUR GOVERNOR IN HIS FUTURE CAMPAIGNS!" The messenger shouted back up, proudly. He was a peasant that had fought at the front and had witnessed Gengyo seize victory with his own eyes. He had been so inspired by the spectacle that he had volunteered for the role of messenger, just so he could spread the news, despite the injuries that still bothered him in the saddle.

    There was silence for a few moments as the guards muttered to one another. It was a matter to be handled delicately. They knew their governor would want to hear of this. Ever since they¡¯d heard news of Imagawa¡¯s death, they¡¯d been expecting a visit.

    "OPEN THE GATES! HE BARES THE DAIMYO¡¯S NEWS!" The guard shouted atst. The gate horses were reawakened and harnassed and following a stroke of the whip, they pulled with all their might. Those heavy bs of wood creaked open, revealing the delicate light of the nighttime city. The messenger quietly urged his horse inside, making sure his scroll was within clear sight so as not to arouse unfounded suspicion.

 Chapter 266 - Nobler

    Their grand army moved sluggishly across the rolling ins, towards the open gates of Shigeto. Morojo had worked tirelessly while they were away, and all traces of their battle with Imagawa had vanished. The servants had toiled for days, throwing body after body on top of a grand fire. The smell of burning flesh had hung in the air for weeks, until the storm came and the wind and rain washed the air clean.

    With the rebuilding, the merchants had been weed back into the grand capital, and dly they came. They were the first to be bound by the new taxws in ce, but there was never a word ofint, for it was still half of what Imagawa had forced on them.

    The river was once more filled with wooden barges, poled up and down the river, loaded with all sorts of good. Jewellers had swarmed to the capital like flies, hearing of the gold and jewels that were being auctioned off so cheaply.

    A crowd blocked the entrance to the gate. Thousands of people of all different sses. They cheered and cheered, some from horseback but most on foot. They waved banners in the air, hailing the Miura n. Enthusiastic youths shouted out, begging for enlistment. He was the seconding of the War God, they were sure of it. Even the Tiger of Kai had fallen at his hand.

    "They cheer for you, Miura." Matsudaira said delightedly, riding by his Lord at the front of their party.

    "And soon they will cheer for you." Came the humble reply as Gengyo raised his hand to ept their wee, bringing their cheers to a climax.

    Only when they were about to trample over those in front did the crowd finally part, shooed back by the new city guard, operating under Morojo¡¯s orders.

    The passion of the people was overwhelming, now that he was all but swallowed up by their sea. Women offered held up their children towards him, asking for his blessing. He tried to nod towards them with as much grace as he could muster, but their cries came from all angles, and it was impossible to appease them all.

    When he finally crossed the line of the city gate, he was rescued. Morojo sat upon his horse, looking more noble than he ever had. Clearly, he¡¯d used some of the coin for his own ascension, but Gengyo paid it no mind as he greeted him.

    "Miura-dono! We¡¯ve been looking forward to your return." He bowed humbly from the back of his horse, more aristocratic than Gengyost remembered.

    Above the noise of the crowd, the young Lord attempted a reply. "As have I. The road grows tiresome... It would seem we have much to discuss. Is there a way out of this crowd?"

    "But of course." Morojo inclined his head, and motioned with his hand. A group of five guards went on ahead of him, spearing through the people from atop their horses, whilst the shipwright fell in beside Gengyo.

    "I had the coin from the taxes put in chests, so that you might see just how much we¡¯ve earned... It¡¯s far more than I expected. Far more than even the gold brought us."

    "I do not remember asking you to do that." Gengyo said, his voice cold, though he still wore a smile and held out his hand to the crowd. Behind him, there were looks of hostility emanating from his men. Rokkaku did not like what he was seeing. Who was Morojo to be dressed in such fine silks?

    The shipwright gulped before he could work up the nerve to reply. "...I¡¯m sorry, Miura. It¡¯s just, with trade going back to normal, there was so much money being lost. If we had waited until you returned to collect the taxes, then we would have missed out on ten of thousands of coin. I thought you would be pleased."

    "And the clothes that you wear upon your back? The gold rings on your fingers? Those guards that you¡¯ve hired?"

    "That¡¯s... I needed them to think I was a noble birth. Who is going to listen to a shipwright?"

    "A shipwright? Indeed, that¡¯s what I thought you were. I trusted you with the repairs. Not once did I discuss taxes with you. I sent messengers out with my word to each of the towns and cities, that is the extent of my role in this. And yet you¡¯ve established yourself as what, mayor? The governor of this city?"

    They¡¯d managed to get away from the people now, and the noise around them had died down. Gengyo¡¯s scolding could be heard by more than just Morojo, and he was beginning to grow red and fl.u.s.tered, gripping his reins tightly.

    "Aye, I¡¯m a shipwright. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve always been. My father was a shipwright, and his father before him. That¡¯s what I was damned to be as well. You¡¯re a peasant, just as much as me, and look what you¡¯ve done. I thought out of all people you would understand. I¡¯ve got a better eye for coin than any man I know. Are you going to disgrace me for taking advantage of opportunity when I saw it? For grabbing hold of coin in your name, thinking myself to be doing you a service? Aye, I took some for myself, I won¡¯t lie, but what of it? I made you thousands in return. Is this it? You damn me merely because of my birth?"

    The old shipwright grew angry, and his words wereced with venom. He spat each one out with ferocity. Gengyo listened patiently, observing his face very carefully as he spoke, remaining perfectly calm.

    "You¡¯ve spoken honestly." He decided.

    "Damn right I have!" The shipwright bit back.

    "That is all I require from you. Do not keep me in the dark again." He said firmly, before pausing a moment. "However... you¡¯ve shown talents that I did not realize you had, and I will not ignore them merely because of what I perceive to be a wrong. Leave your anger here, Morojo, and take me to where you¡¯ve established office. I want to hear the full extent of what you¡¯ve achieved here."

 Chapter 267 - Wealth

    When they were finally able to sit down in his office, it was easy to see where the extra money had gone. The snakewood desk that Morojo sat behind was varnished to the shine of a mirror. Each desk leg had a sock of gold, fashioned with the tongues of serpents or perhaps the tongues of dragons. A quill and unfoiled scroll sat upon it, appearing to have been left in a hurry.

    "I was not aware you could read," Gengyomented, lowering himself into the seat opposite. Feathered cushions, it was easy to tell. Nothing could match thatfort.

    "My family business would not havested long had I not learned the craft. The number of times my logs have saved my skin is past counting." The shipwright replied morefortably, sliding the doc.u.ment across to him. "I¡¯ve employed that practise here as well. A record of all the taxes we¡¯ve received."

    Gengyo nced at it but briefly. It was neatly ledgered in a drawn up table of values. Each bit of information was easily discernible. It was well done, but he held no immediate interest in it. "You spoke before of the coin you¡¯d boxed up... I¡¯d see it, if you have it on hand."

    He nodded and stepped up out of his chair. "By all means."

    As he drifted across the room, the young Lord prepared to follow him, expecting that they¡¯d be reentering the vaults deep below the castle. It would be something of a journey, for Morojo¡¯s office existed as an ind of its own, right in the centre of the marketce. He was close to everything that was worth being close to.

    But contrary to what he had expected, Morojo stooped low by a leg of one of the tables. He ran his fingers along one of the golden socks and grasped it. When he slid upwards, the upper half of the sock moved with him, revealing a tiny chamber in the wood, the perfect size for a small key.

    "Clever." Gengyo noted approvingly. "Do we have Takeshi to thank for that?"

    "Aye, it was the smith that came up with it," he admitted peeling the key out from its hole. "It didn¡¯t seem wise to keep it in my pocket. I¡¯m too easy a target. That amount of gold is enough to turn a peasant to a Daimyo overnight."

    "It must have been tempting."

    "Heh, and what would I do with an army? You¡¯re the military genius, not I. You don¡¯t need to keep testing me, Miura. I¡¯m not fool enough to attempt to betray you. There would be no shield in the world that could save me if I did."

    "As long as you understand. Thendscape isplicated enough already. Another de in the darkness would be crushing, especially if I had armed that man myself."

    Instead of replying, Morojo moved over to a panel of the paper wall. It looked exactly the same as the others. Pure white and freshly done, framed in polished wood. But when a certain amount of force was applied, it functioned just like the sliding door they had entered by, and revealed a set of stone steps leading down into the earth.

    Seeing the look Gengyo gave him, he felt the need to defend himself. "I know, it¡¯s basic, but it wasn¡¯t constructed by my hand. It¡¯s enough to keep the average man from finding it."

    The young Lord joined him at the doorway, looking down into the darkness. "I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find the time for something a little more clever."

    "Indeed." He pulled out one of the drawers of his desk and retrieved a candlestick. He quickly lit it, before rejoining his master by the steps. With the flickering of the me, light was cast on the true defence mechanism that he had ced his faith in. A door of solid iron, standing intimidatingly, not a single obvious weakness.

    "Now that was definitely Takeshi¡¯s doing," Morojo announced before the question could even be posed. With his small key, he bent down toward the keyhole right at the bottom of the door. Compared to the frame of the door, his thin key looked measly, like it would snap the instant he inserted it. But with barely any resistance at all it turned. There was an audible click, and with a slight tug, the heavy iron door swung open smoothly. "Good luck to the man that tries to raid this vault without a key."

    Luck would certainly be useful. Now that it was open, they could tell just how thick it was. Ten centimetres of folded ironpletely surrounded by solid stone. If a man ever wanted to get inside, he¡¯d have to bring his pick and go mining. It was certainly not something that could be done quickly.

    "There you go, the main event." He led Gengyo inside, lighting two worn candles by the wall, pointing to three solid wood chests that sat in the centre of the room.

    "...Is this a bluff?" By the size of the chests, it seemed impossible that more than one could be filled. They were as big as a fat piglet, and all of them the same. If each were to be overflowing with coin, then Gengyo could not even imagine how much there was in total. <i>A hundred thousand? Two hundred? </i>

    Morojo shook his head and with a self-satisfied smile he flipped the lids. Gold and silver. Rivers of it. Not a single piece of measly copper in sight. They formedkes, and threatened to spill out over the side. They caught the flickering candlelight and glimmered so prettily.

    "How...?" Gengyo breathed. "This can¡¯t all be from taxes, can it?" He ran his finger through the chest, plunging his hand right to the bottom. They were just as deep as they looked. The metal was pleasantly cold on his skin. Such wealth. It was unfathomable. His shipwright held the answers, and he would not allow him out of this coin chamber until he revealed them.

 Chapter 268 - Reconciliation

    "No, not all taxes," Morojo admitted with a smile, pleased by his master¡¯s reaction. "Around half we got following your orders; sacking the ce and stripping down the useless jewels. Half of the wine is gone too, and the other half is due to go shortly."

    "That¡¯s to be expected," Gengyo agreed with a nod. "But the rest of it is a surprise. Was it truly from taxes?"

    "Every bit of it. I have the logs for you to look through, if you need confirmation."

    "I would look at them, if they¡¯re on hand. I¡¯ve been studying the doc.u.ments left over by the old Imagawa administration, and the numbers never were this high. What is it, corrupt officials altering reports and pocketing the rest? We¡¯ve halved the taxes as well, I imagine the merchants will be rather supportive of our rule now... Good. Very good indeed, things are shaping up."

    "As to be expected of Miura, that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ve found. All the tax receipts were sloppily done, miss spellings alongside ridiculous sums. I can¡¯t imagine how any one could let it get so bad."

    Gengyo had a thoughtful look in his eye as he stroked his chin and considered this new information.<i> This is the nugget I was looking for. Finally, the treasure was revealed, but not by my hand. A discovery that could only be made through experimentation. We¡¯re in a far better position than I had previously thought.</i> "And this is from a single city. Granted, the most prosperous of all the Mikawa cities, nevertheless, the total ie will far exceed this."

    After a silence, the young Lord released a long-held breath, and let drop the coins from his hands. He gave the room onest cursory nce and left for Morojo¡¯s office, leaving the shipwright to trail behind him and lock the door. When he¡¯d finally put everything back to the way it should be, he found Gengyo sitting behind his desk, the doc.u.ment he¡¯d offered him earlier held in his hand. He lowered himself into the seat opposite him, still nervous.

    "There¡¯s only a hundred people in this report. What about the rest?" Gengyo asked, looking out over the top of the paper.

    "The drawer to your left," Morojo answered softly, waiting as patiently as he possibly could.

    Gengyo followed his direction and found a stack of papers inside. He spread them out across the desk, and each of them were as neatly done as thest. He briefly scanned through them and could not find a single problem. Finally, he set them down, and looked Morojo in the eye. "You¡¯ve done well here, Morojo, very well indeed. You have been operating outside my orders, yet you have contributed much towards my cause."

    "It has been my honour," Morojo dipped his head modestly, a smile blossoming beneath his beard.

    "Do you want to keep this position you¡¯ve established for yourself?"

    "I do, my Lord, if you approve of it."

    "Very well. It is a position of immense power and responsibility, but I can not think of a better man for it. These reports here," he tapped the papers, "I want you to keep them up, and store them in an orderly manner. They will be your shield against usations, so keep that in mind."

    "Done! Done, a hundred times over!" Morojo said, beaming.

    "Your want for coin as well, it will be sated. You will receive your fill, and you¡¯ll have your choice ofnd around Mikawa. Positions will be found for your sons as well. If they have the ability, it may prove useful to have them ced in other cities for administrative purposes."

    "Thank you, Miura-dono, my Lord. I will give you no cause to regret this. The coin will pile up until we can not move for it, that I promise you." He bowed once more, standing up from his seat this time.

    "Good, and keep me in the dark no longer. When a new venture seems appealing to you, I will hear of it so that we have no cause to mistrust each other."

    "That too will not happen again. I see now that it was foolish for me to keep it from you. You¡¯re not the sort of man to dismiss an idea because of the person that suggests it. This was my failing."

    Gengyo waved his hand, all too ready to move past the business of apologies. "I will deliver you a new order then. With this coin, make sure the entire province is fed. It will be nearing harvest season soon, I want every man to have the rice he needs. Toyone, my home vige, it will prove of interest. We sowed much seed long in advance. I knew it would prove useful, in time."

    "It will be done."

    "Very good." Gengyo got up from his seat, and paused just before the door. "Join us for a meal tonight, in the pce. I¡¯ll clear up the misunderstandings. We¡¯ve missed yourpany, and Takeshi¡¯s as well. It will be good for us to take the time tough, just as we used to."

    "I¡¯d like that," Morojo admitted. It had been odd how lonely he and the boys had felt in the absence of the army.

    "Good," the young Lord finally broke a smile, taking off the mask of a leader, and Morojo was very d he did. There had been an intensity in the air ever since he¡¯d walked in the room. He was terrifying when he got like that. The shipwright feared what the consequences would have been if he truly had been intending to betray the man, and he¡¯d not had the right answers to his questions. He shuddered to think, closing the door after his master, and wiping the sweat fromhis brown.

    "We¡¯ve missed yourpany..." Morojo repeated to himself, sitting back behind his desk. He had been pleased to hear that, he realized. It brought a smile to his face and he had to shake his head to dispel it.

 Chapter 269 - The Feast

    The festivities were loud and the smell of smoke and alcohol hung heavily in the air. It was to the point that a sober man might begin to feel tipsy merely by opening the doors to that pce throne room. Once it had been coated in gold and silver and littered with jewels, and then it had been stained with the thick red of Imagawa¡¯s blood, and now it was lined with rows and rows of tables filled with men and whole trays of food.

    Serving girls negotiated through the boisterous crowd, carrying jugs of the finest summerwine, pouring refills upon refills. Most men wanted more than simple food and drink however, and the alcohol had made them bold. They reached out and grabbed the girls in their drunkness, pulling them in close and seating them on theirps. Most were simply pushed away andughed at, but some had mastered that art of charm, and with their triumph arose the cheers of their friends.

    These men here were not merelymon soldiers either. They were only a few hundred of the most distinguished and elite soldiers, both Takeda and Miura and Matsudaira alike. Men of standing. For the rest of the men, there were benches outside and torches were lit. They feasted just as well as their superiors.

    Stray dogs wormed their way around the people¡¯s feet, often being met with a kick of distaste, but sometimes they might be rewarded with a near-clean bone of chicken, and so they carried on.

    Morohira sat at the head table with Gengyo and the other Generals, though he would have done just as well in the lower section. He drank with the thirst of three men, and his cheeks were flushed a deep red. Heughed loudly at every jest, and kissed Fuku with unreserved passion whenever the fancy took him. His wife had the good grace to blush, and Rin wrinkled her nose in distaste, but it was clearly a rxing evening for many.

    There was many a toast. To men departed in battle. To the heroes of the field, and to Miura himself. Their frequency only grew the drunker the men got, and most evoked a loud response from a multitude of soldiers.

    There was many wounded amongst them, all d in bandages, some attempting to instigate brawls, only to be held back by the intense pangs of pain from the opened wounds and the new flowing of blood. Theirrades would be on hand to pull them back when the time arose.

    Gengyo drunk as much as the others, but his was a quiet watchfulness, like an owl perched high in the tree. That was not to hint at a dissatisfaction, for a smile always hung yfully on his lips, and he responded to Akiko¡¯s affections with eagerness, and allowed her to nuzzle her head into his chest. But beyond that, he tried to see more, and think more.

    He was pleased to see Morojo weed back by his friends. He sat in between Rokkaku and Togashi, and downed many a cup of sak¨¦ in their name. Little Takeshi involved himself as much as he could as well. He had established a friendship with one of Morojo¡¯s sons, a young man in his twenties, but with a sharp mature look to his eye and a forked beard that made him seem older.

    "Go ond, tell me what is you see," Jikouji said, munching down on a b.r.e.a.s.t of chicken with his bare hands, enjoying theck of formality. The sauce spilt down his chin and ran through his beard, taking some credibility from his questions.

    "Now why would you be asking that?" Gengyo responded, a knowing look in his eyes.

    "It¡¯s always the quiet one who sees what¡¯s really going on. Is there something that displeases you?" His words were slurred, but his question was sober enough.

    "The opposite. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong, and that¡¯s what worries me." It was a pessimistic offering that should have been paired with a frown of some sort, but that smile did not waver.

    Jikouji looked taken aback. His old yellow teeth were caught slightly ajar. He looked to Akiko rather than Gengyo, and barked hisughter. "Do you never rx? It¡¯s like you want there to be a problem."

    "Mm?? He has a point, you know? You never switch off." Akikozily murmured her words up at him, apparently having trouble staying awake.

    "My hands do not do very well being idle," he responded evenly. It was his nature. A more conscientious man it was hard to find.

    "Then we¡¯d better give them something to do," she purred, taking his hand to cup her cheek with. She dove in for a kiss, and he reciprocated for a moment, before drawing back.

    "You¡¯re drunk," he warned her. Without the aid of liquor, she would have been beyond embarrassed to be caught kissing in front of all their friends, but as she was now, modesty was the furthest thing from her mind.

    "Sow?" A single slurred question that came off especially drunk.

    "He¡¯s right you know, you¡¯re really drunk," Rin chipped in from her right, pointing aughing a finger.

    "Says you," Akiko shot right back with a point of her own. Her fingernded on a boy that Rin had stolen from the ranks of the officers below. Some samurai¡¯s sandal bearer who didn¡¯t have the nerve to refuse her. He¡¯d been plucked up and had looked to his master for help, but the gaudy warrior merelyughed and pped him on the back, wishing him luck. He was a year younger than her, and she had him kneeling without the offer of a seat, looking like a whipped dog.

    "Mind your business," Rin said with a pout. "Usho likes being with me, don¡¯t you Usho-kun?"

    "My name isn¡¯t Us-" The youth began weakly, but she talked over him immediately, forgetting that he existed.

    "See, he likes it," she announced confidently.

 Chapter 270 - The Feast(2)

    "I think you might have gotten his name wrong, little sister," Gengyo suggested with an eyebrow raised, lifting his cup of sake to his mouth, feeling that he might need a good deal more of it.

    "Impossible," she stated incredulously, looking at ¡¯Usho¡¯ with confusion written all over her face. "After all, I¡¯m the one that named him. Isn¡¯t that right, Usho-kun? You should be grateful, sitting this close to me, I¡¯m the great general Miura Rin, after all!" She was more than a little bit drunk.

    Timid Usho bowed his and muttered his response, "I know... my master had to fight against you."

    "You were a Takeda man?" Gengyo asked, suddenly interested.

    "That¡¯s right, my Lord," came the quiet reply. He dared not look upwards into his eyes.

    "How old are you,d?" He pressed.

    "Fourteen, my Lord."

    "Half man and half boy, eh? Still, you¡¯re old enough to understand what your eyes see. Can I ask you a question, then? That is, if you¡¯re able to respond honestly."

    "Eh... Usho¡¯s mine, Nii-san. Get your own," Rin stepped in drunkenly, pouting as she watched the exchange between them, feeling rather left out. She stuck her tongue out at Akiko as the girl began tough.

    "By all means, my Lord," Usho said ignoring Rin¡¯s interjection. He seemed to sense that Gengyo was his only way out of the drunken general¡¯s grasp with his pride still intact.

    "Good, Good... How are my men responding to Takeda integration? Have you noticed any disputes?" He went straight for the important question, and Jikouji shot him a doubtful look, though he continued to sip on his sake in silence, watching the exchange.

    The boy paused for a few moments, his face a mask of thought. Clearly, something had happened, he was simply afraid to admit it. "Do not lie to me," Gengyo said bluntly, he needed not false pretences.

    "There have been a few, I think... but there¡¯s always someone to break it up. My master says the men are confused, and tells me to let the fights happen. He says its better for them to work it out now before we get on the field. He says that if we¡¯re not united by the time we face off against the Uesugi, then we¡¯ll be torn apart," the boy clutched the folds of his kimono until his knuckles turned white, almost unable to deal with the pressure of a Daimyo¡¯s gaze.

    "Your master sounds like a wise man," Gengyo mused, stroking his chin, "he has a point about the disputes. You needn¡¯t worry yourself about them either. Once we begin training again, you Takeda men wille to understand our ways. Jikouji here will make sure of that, won¡¯t you, old man?"

    "Old man inpany as well is it?" Jikouji said, downing thest of his drink, before reaching for the jug to pour another. "Aye, I¡¯ll whip them into shape. You¡¯d better remember this wrinkled face, Usho boy, you will do better in your training for it."

    "Training? Am I to be training with the samurai and soldiers?" Usho asked, surprise raising his voice a pitch higher.

    "But of course," Jikouji responded like it was the most natural thing in the world. "If your master is wounded and you have no skill on the field, do you think you¡¯ll be able to protect him? Do you want your master¡¯s death weighing on your mind, boy? I wouldn¡¯t have thought so. It changes a man. It changed us, eh Miura? All of us." He leaned in close, forcing the boy to look him in the eye, pushing his elbows onto the table. "You see him, boy?" He pointed at Miura. "He¡¯s only four or five years your older, and he turned the province upside down so he could avenge his master. Could you do that?"

    Usho was looking up at Gengyo with big gleaming eyes, in awe. News of the young Lord¡¯s ascension was notmon knowledge, especially for the Takeda men. "...Miura-dono was like a god in the battle, everyone says so. If I can be like him, then my family would definitely be proud."

    "First we have to defend that family of yours, so you had better get training. Two weeks is not much time to prepare for battle, but it¡¯s a lot better than two hours. I expect that you¡¯ll put all your effort into it," Gengyo said, taking the lead of the conversation before Jikouji could fill the youth¡¯s head with more ideas.

    "Yes my Lord!" Usho said enthusiastically, bowing his head low, seemingly riled up.

    "You run along now, I expect your master will be missing you," Gengyo dismissed him, and the boy got up with haste, fleeing the scene with quiet patters.

    Rin reached her hand out after him, her mouth open in despair. She shot Gengyo an angry pouting look. "No fair, Nii-san. Who am I going to y with now?"

    "Perhaps Matsudaira might like somepany," he suggested. His grand general was seated further away from him, after offering to entertain their new Takeda generals and try and establish a connection with them, knowing how important consolidation was. He caught the man¡¯s eye as he looked over to him, and the grand general smiled, bowing his head respectfully.

    "Boooo, he¡¯s like you. He only cares about swords and battles, it¡¯s no fun to tease him," sheined, resting her head on top of the table in a sudden depression.

    "Boooo," Akiko echoed, seeming to make fun of her, though it came off more as a drunken tic. She was giggling to herself, the sound muffled with her face turned into Gengyo¡¯s chest. They¡¯d both certainly drunk more than enough.

    Morohira was still shouting loudly, throwing his cup into the air with each cheer, sshing liquid everywhere. The fires burned and burned for the longest of times. It was not until the sun came up over the horizon did the festivities finally start towards their end.

 Chapter 271 - Training

    And somenced the first day of training. Five thousand men gathered in the pce courtyard. Where there had once been rows of beautiful flowers and carefully trimmed trees, there was nothing but the cold hard stone and the t earth. It was a brutal sight on the senses.

    Each man had a metre between himself and the next, and they were all arranged in orderly rows and columns, fully armoured with live steel sheathed at their h.i.p.s. They were ready to go to battle from the look of them. Red armour, blue armour, yellow armour and in ces, ck. Where peasants had once fielded a lone and measly dou over a ragged kimono, they had been equipped with full brown leather armour and twin swords to go with it, as befitted men who had endured what they had.

    It was Jikouji that stood at the front, using the height offered by the pce steps so that all might see him. He was armoured as well as they, all in ck, and his hand rested on the hilt of his weapon. He was an intensely intimidating sight with that sharp look on his face, and the demonic horns that shot up from his helmet.

    Be they grand general or footsoldier, on the training field, the only man that outranked Jikouji was Gengyo, who now stood off to the side like a shadow, leaning against a pir, drinking everything in. Even Matsudaira had been demoted to being amongst the rabble, but no man daredin, for not a single one of them could match Gengyo¡¯s de, and so they knew more training to be needed.

    There was a silence over the gathered men, but a gong had been set up in case there was not, and Jikouji would not let it go without use. He gave a nod to the serving-man with his hair tied up in an oiled top knot, and the servant drew back his hand, wielding his club, and he smacked the weighty bit of bronze metal right in the centre.

    The gong trembled and oozed and it¡¯s mournful sound, vibrating through their eardrums for a lengthy time. Only when its sound hadpletely stopped did Jikouji raise his voice to speak.

    "<i>Men of Takeda, men of Matsudaira, men of Miura. Greetings. I am General Jikouji of Toyone vige. Today I will be overseeing your training session, and we will be getting very well acquainted,</i>" he announced. They had no trouble hearing what he had to say, for even as the old man¡¯s body withered, his voice was still as firm as stone.

    Gengyo smiled quietly to himself, enjoying the threatening nature of Jikouji¡¯s speech. The most effective trainer was the one with a sadistic ilk, for he would enjoy your suffering, and that suffering would make you stronger.

    "<i>You havee dressed for war, asmanded. You can follow orders, but are you orderly? I think not. Looking at you now, you have about as much discipline as a herd of shitting cows. If I were to say,</i>" he paused for a moment, hoping to catch them off guard, "ABOUT TURN!... <i>How many of you might respond?</i>" As he had expected, the bulk ¨C some three thousand Takeda men ¨C all turned on their heel at once, their discipline engraved into them like dogs that feared the boot. They had been trained in the traditional way, and followed orders of that kind. Half the Matsudaira men turned, but it was done sluggishly. They had not drilled in decades.

    "<i>Look at that,</i>" Jikouji pointed with a tut, "<i>half our army have vacated their brains. It is one thing to be a warrior, and another to be a soldier. Before I can teach you how to fight as men, I must teach you how to fight as an army.</i>"

    He walked along the stairs so that he might see the full breadth of their forces. All the high ranking men had been put at the front, and so the generals were right in front of him. He could see a look of discontent on Rin¡¯s face, and that Rokkaku¡¯s lips were twisted in a snarl from his insults, all but ready to jump up there and strangle him. He paused in front of another man instead, and addressed him. "<i>Yamamoto,</i>" he called out, speaking to the Takeda strategist, "<i>what do you call men that can not obey orders?</i>"

    "Useless," the grizzled general replied dryly without missing a single beat.

    Gengyo had to cover his mouth to quiet his chuckle at that, and even Jikouji could not stop himself from smiling. "<i>Useless indeed,</i>" the old man agreed, continuing back along the line. "<i>I am saddled with the task of making you better than useless, and only then will I offer to improve your martial skill. An army must be united, even if only in appearance. With that I answer the question you¡¯ve all been asking yourselves: for what reason are you surrounded by vats of dye? You will remove your armour, and you will soak it in the dye, and you will do it now,</i>" His tone left no room for argument. It was full of authority. As soon as he finished his sentence, they began to move.

    Rows of troughs and barrels and even buckets had been set up, all of them filled with dye of the purest ck. It had been an idea Gengyo hade up with the night before. It was time for the Miura army to wear his colours, and so they did. Blood red armour soaked up the darkness and transitioned into a midnight ck. The blue deepened and became coal. Yellow was overpowered in seconds and reced by something much stronger. Even the white horse hair that clung to many of their helmets was steeped in dye, arising cker.

    They reformed their ranks as they left their equipment to steep. By the end of the day, it would be certain that the Miura army stood united.

 Chapter 272 - Training(2)

    The stench of all those thousands of gallons of dyes was nauseating as it drifted out over the courtyard. Many a man felt light-headed, and they could feel the rumbling of hunger in their bellies. With the sun beating so strongly overhead, passing out became a very real risk.

    "<i>I expect you¡¯ll be beginning to feel rather hungry around now, are you not? How about thirst, does it bother you? Good, then we are ready to begin our training,</i>" Jikouji was sat down on the cool stone steps, enjoying the shade provided by the overhanging roof of the pce. On hisp, there was a tray full of mouth-watering cooked fish, and he salted it aplenty, letting out many satisfied noises as he crunched down on it. In his ss, they¡¯d been crushed several apples, allowing for a thick and refreshing drink. He smacked his lips as he enjoyed it.

    He¡¯d made the men stand there for more than two hours. He had not permitted them to talk, nor had he permitted them to move. Their hands were together behind them, resting in the small of their backs. They were only allowed to look forward, and never once were they allowed to itch, even as the droplets of sweat ran down off their forehead and towards their eyes. However tempting it became to brush them away, no one ever did, fearing the punishment.

    Old Jikouji stood up and dusted himself off, finishing hisst mouthful of fish, shaking his head in exasperation as though he could not believe just how good it tasted. Gengyo watched him with grim approval ¨C there were few more sadistic than him.

    "<i>First, you will learn to listen. As soon as I begin to speak, you will bring your right foot in and clench your fists by your side. You will look stiff and alert as though someone has just slid a spear into your arse. You will remember this from now on</i>," he paused a moment to look at them, before barking the next order. "UNDERSTOOD?"

    "HAH!" They brought their feet in together, almost as one, mming them into the ground, straightening their heads and looking forward, their fists clenched by their side.

    The old general pulled a face and looked towards the pir where Miura was standing. "<i>In the name of the gods, what the hell was that? Are some of you deaf? Why were you still moving seconds after I had spoken? Do you think the enemy will wait for you to look around and guess what you¡¯re meant to do by looking at yourrades? I think not. If I catch you falling behind, you will be shot.</i>" The way he said it, there was no question about whether he meant it. He¡¯d willingly kill one man if it meant instilling discipline into a thousand.

    At his words, the same servant that had brought him his food and had struck his gong for him came running. He bowed low and presented Jikouji with a loaded rifle, and he grasped it barely looking at the man. For Jikouji, a threat was no empty thing.

    "Good..." he ran his fingers along the length of the barrel, "<i>stand at ease. We will try this once again.</i>" The ranks of men slid their legs further apart and returned their hands behind their back, looking forward, a tenseness in them. Not a single man would dare miss this next order, not even the sweating generals by the front.

    He let them wallow in silence for a few tense seconds, before he spoke up casually, "<i>prepare</i>," he hung on that first word, demanding that they respond to it, "<i>for an about-turn</i>." By the time he had finished his sentence, the whole army had stepped in at once. It was no longer a ripple that went across the crowd, but a single simultaneous movement. They stood toplete attention, praying that their fellow men had no fallen behind ¨C they wanted done with this training and with this heat.

    "<i>Very good,</i>" he pronounced with a smile, "<i>not quite as stupid as you look, are you? At this rate, we might finish before nightfall. Now, you will perform an about-turn at mymand. Turn on your right heel ¨C always your right heel, and then m your left down beside it and return to attention. Do it swiftly, or my bullet wille searching for you.</i>"

    Once again he gave them a few moments respite before he thickened his vocal cords and let loose a drawn about bark. "<i>Abooooout...</i> TURN!" He forced them to learn quickly. It would normally require a few attempts at practice to master a uniform about-turn, but they managed it first try ¨C their lives depended on it. They spun on their right heel, while their left legs bent to catch up, and the wooden soles of their sandalled feet mmed into the floor, echoing across the courtyard, thousands of little noises congregated in a single massive sound with no outliers. They¡¯d managed it simultaneously.

    "Would you look at that, Miura-dono," Jikouji said ¨C he always tried to address him with a more respectful honorific in front of lesser men, "they¡¯ve only gone and mastered it. Should I let them eat, or should we teach these useless animals something harder?"

    "Let them eat," Gengyo announced, pleased by their progress. He had seen the look of excitement on Matsudaira¡¯s face as he felt himself a part of the uniform body. It would be a massive strategic advantage to be able to control their entire army in an orderly fashion, just as Takeda Shingen had managed to do, or perhaps even beyond that.

    "You are too kind, my Lord," He turned away back to the edge of his steps. The men were still stood toplete attention with their backs to him. "<i>Aboooout</i> TURN!" Hemanded, bringing them back to face him. "<i>Go and get yourselves some food and drink. We will continue in half an hour.</i>" The men drifted away zombified to where the servants were waiting.

 Chapter 273 - Training(3)

    Two weeks had passed, and every day they had trained. Their coffers swelled with coin. The province united under him. The governors made their journeys, and knelt in front of him, pledging their loyalty. Thend was consolidated, and all knew of Gengyo¡¯s triumphs. New recruits flocked, and their army grew, growing to over ten thousand men, though those five thousand new recruits were still unblooded.

    Their army could hardly fit in the pce courtyard anymore. When the new men arrived, they were immediately thrown into training and given their equipment. If they could not keep up, then pain would motivate them.

    Jikouji had them all practising with the spear, wearing them into a sweat. The ck armour was heavy on their backs, and the sun was ruthless. They were walking furnaces. Gengyo had spent much of the morning watching them, until a servant had arrived and bowed before him, bearing a scroll within his hand.

    He¡¯d taken it from him and stretched the parchment open, already knowing who it might have been from. With the ck and yellow Oda flower printed before everything else, it was not difficult to tell. His eyes traced down the page as he raced past several characters, praying for good news.

    "Damn it," Gengyo cursed, crunching it into a ball inside his fist.

    "The Oda?" Jikouji enquired, joining him in the shade, leaving the men to stand in formation, their yari¡¯s upright on their right-hand sides. The old man would always find ways to forget about them and make them wait.

    "Unfortunately," Gengyo replied, heaving a sigh, attempting to put his frustration aside. "Nobunaga¡¯s negotiations with the Saito failed. He¡¯ll only be joining us with three thousand men."

    "It was a bit of a stretch in the first ce, was it not? The two of them have been warring for years. It was the Viper that he had a chance with, not the son," Jikouji reasoned, stroking his beard.

    "Nobunaga assured me that conquest would be enough to bring the Saito to our side. I¡¯d inclined myself to believe him," Gengyo said dryly, scratching his head. The Oda Nobunaga he knew was a monster. A terrifyingly capable man. But this Nobunaga that he¡¯d spent weeks exchanging correspondence with... he was almost awkward. "Perhaps I offered the gift ofnd too early. He doesn¡¯t want to y all his cards in my support. I¡¯ve blundered, by the looks of it."

    "Nonsense. You have no reason to doubt yourself. We can still cut ties with him. After what he saw on the battlefield, he will think twice before crossing us. Set it from your mind," Jikouji said, patting him on the shoulder, attempting to cheer him up. "Allow me to show you what your army is capable of."

    Gengyo gestured with his hand with uncharacteristic impatience, allowing the old man to do as he pleased. It frustrated him even more to know that he¡¯d allowed Nobunaga to irritate him. Calm, that was what he knew. He sucked in a breath of air and closed his eyes, leaning against that stone pir. Only once he was calm did he open them again.

    Jikouji had made his way to the edge of the steps, his hands folded behind his back, and his twin swords sheathed at his hip. Ten thousand men were looking towards him intently. "<i>This,</i>" he began, his single word igniting a sea of action, as the men brought their right foot in and mmed it down on the ground by their spear,ing to attention, "<i>should be considered a test. You will show your worth to Miura-dono, and you will not make a single mistake.</i>"

    From general to foot soldier, they were all at Jikouji¡¯splete mercy, all of them armoured in a deep ck, with a spear twice their size standing at their side. It was the beginner¡¯s weapon, Jikouji told them. Only once they had mastered it would he teach them individual swordsmanship.

    "COMPANY DIVISION! FORM UP!" Jikouji barked, his voice echoing around the courtyard. Serving girls carrying baskets of dirtyundry paused to spectate and merchants stook their heads up over the low wall.

    Their discipline was extraordinary. They moved like a collective. The metre gap between them vanished. There was only a space between each row. They stood shoulder to shoulder in squares a hundred men strong, each headed by a captain. Ten of these squares were given to each general, and they stood at the front, just a metre out from their men, taking themand.

    This time, when Jikouji spoke, the generals echoed his order. "SPEAR WALL!"

    "SPEAR WALL!" The generals called after him.

    "SPEAR WALL!" The captains echoed, and just like that, an order from themanding general was given and carried out by troops mere secondster. Wooden sandals ttered a threatening rhythm against the stone floor, and the space between each row disappeared. They slipped together, with spears held out over the top, so that men several rows back could still cause damage. It was a solid and immovable wall ¨C a cavalryman¡¯s nightmare.

    Gengyo was smiling, and he knew Jikouji was smiling too. The men saw that look of approval on their faces, and their lips curled upwards too. Even as their chests heaved up and down breathlessly from the full day of gruelling training, they was confident that it was all worth it. Finally, they were an army.

    The servant girls blushed despite themselves. Such obvious strength brought chills down their spines. The merchants had to be held back by their sons as they attempted to climb the walls, suddenly possessed by the desire to enlist.

    "<i>These are the men, Jikouji,</i>" Gengyo said, loud enough so that they all could hear him. "<i>These are men worth leading. Our solidarity will be our strength. An ally might let you down, but the man at your shoulder never will. Trust in him and our ranks will never break or crumble. We¡¯ll trample them all underfoot, no matter their strength.</i>"

 Chapter 274 - Letter

    After that afternoon¡¯s powerful training scene, Gengyo had picked up his brush with conviction, and did not need to pause to think what he might be writing. Straight into the potted ink it went, and he dashed a series of lines and then characters onto the parchment. Within moments he¡¯d made his thoughts clear, and he held it up in the candlelight, gently blowing on the ink to dry it.

    The room that he¡¯d fashioned himself was deep within the bowels of the pce, down as deep as the wine cers. It was always cool down there, despite the heat of the outside. At times, if anything, it was too cool, but he much preferred the cold, it allowed him to think straight. It made him alert, and when he was alert he was confident.

    When he disappeared, not even his wife knew where he went. This was his secret little hideout. A ce where he could go forplete disconnect. He liked ces like that, with a sort of enforced loneliness, and he often sought them out when he needed to make an important decision.

    Akiko wouldin at times and say, "there¡¯s no need to run away from things. I¡¯m your wife ¨C I¡¯m here to support you. If you need quiet, you had only need tell me to be quiet."

    He would always smile when she said that. Sometimes he would attempt to exin, but most often, he would distract her with a kiss, and tap her nose with his finger yfully, before disappearing just as he had intended.

    And now the important matter was one Oda Nobunaga, the young Lord. In this lifetime, he¡¯d already done well enough for himself. He¡¯d restabilized the Oda province, and rid himself of those with questionable loyalties. He¡¯d tried his hand at expansion against the Saito, but had not yet managed it. That was not to overlook his exceptional victory at Okehazama, made slightly less exceptional by the efforts of Gengyo. Nobunaga had achievements to his name, and confidence in his own ability, in therey a problem.

    When Gengyo had shown Nobunaga good will back in their encampment and proposed a military alliance, he was sure that he understood Nobunaga¡¯s nature, and his urge to expand. Just like a bear needed territory, warlords needed to conquer. He thought that he could tame him, at least for a while, by offering him that chance to seize further power.

    But their most recent correspondences had betrayed ack of enthusiasm in Nobunaga¡¯s words. He was bringing a measly amount of men to support their campaign. Men that Gengyo felt would still be inferior to his own. He would not deserve the promised provinces with such a measly contribution.

    His letter hadn¡¯t stated that directly. He¡¯d made sure his words did not contain too much irritation, but there was definitely amanding tone to them. He¡¯d ordered that they meet, before they set out into Kai, so they could discuss the campaign further. Gengyo had decided that if Nobunaga failed to produce results there, then he¡¯d have to find another way of dealing with him.

    He reread his writings, and nodded with satisfaction, rolling up the parchment and binding it with string and his wax seal. He set it back down on the desk that he¡¯d brought down into that dark room himself, and drummed his fingers on the table. A candle was flickering just in front of him, and that was the only source of light he had. ck spiders and thick cobwebs sat in the corner of the room, and asionally a rodent ¨C be it mouse or rat ¨C would scurry past his feet.

    It would be another week before he set out with his men to begin his campaign. He¡¯d arranged for them to meet at a temple on the border of their two provinces for a tea ceremony two days before they departed. He hoped that would give them enough time to iron it out.

    He arose from his seat, blowing out the dying candle, plunging the room into a deep darkness. He pushed his letter into his sleeve and made for the door, but as he was about to slide it open, a noise in the darkness made him pause.

    Footsteps. They started up as soon as he stood up, slowly creeping away, the wooden sandals betraying their wearer. Gengyo had a de at his hip. He felt no fear. He flung the door open, and ran past barrels of wine and jugs of sake to pursue them.

    It was just as dark outside his room. It waste into the night and the torches were out ¨C no one had any business being down there. The footsteps sped up, fleeing as fast as they could having realized he was pursuing them.

    His eyes were adjusting to the darkness now, and he could see a human shape up ahead. He was gaining on it, and fast. They would reach thedder soon. There was no escape.

    He was close enough to hear their heavy breathing when he reached out to grab them, holding his de to their throat, as a woman¡¯s perfume filled his nostrils.

    "Please!" The voice begged, terrified.

    "Yukio?" Gengyo said with a frown, recognizing the serving woman¡¯s voice. "Who sent you? The Hojo? The Oda? Speak!"

    "I¡¯m sorry..." the woman whimpered, her tears dropping onto the de of the sword. "Lady Akiko asked me to find out where you go... I know it was wrong... Please... Please don¡¯t kill me."

    There was a silence for a few moments as Gengyo stood there stunned. He had expected a far more malicious reason than that. His whole body was primed and ready. That was then he realized, deep down, he had expected that someone would betray him.

    "...Yukio. Don¡¯t let me find you own here again, do you hear?" Gengyo said, following a sigh.

    "Yes! Yes! I promise I¡¯ll nevere back! I¡¯m sorry!" Yukio said passionately, her voice cracking.

    "Go on now," Gengyo released her, sighing once again, suddenly feeling rather tired indeed.

 Chapter 275 - Departure

    The morning had blossomed into a scorching afternoon. It had rained heavily the night before, but already not a single trace of it could be found, and the dirt was once more cracking under the heat.

    They were in the courtyard, all men of importance, with servants buzzing around them, tightening buckles here and saddling their horses, ensuring that everything was in ce. No matter where he stood, Gengyo continued to find himself in the way. The servants never told him to move ¨C they would not dare ¨C but their gazes as they stood there awkwardly waiting for him to move was enough bother in and of itself.

    His conversation with Jikouji was continually interrupted for that reason, and as the wind whipped up more noise, it became nigh on impossible to hear the old man speak.

    "Will ten guards be enough?" He heard Jikouji say atst, having to shout it.

    "Ten guards and five generals. Anything more would be excessive for a tea ceremony," Gengyo replied, moving closer to him so that he wouldn¡¯t have to raise his voice so high.

    "Thedy Akiko, myself, Morohira, Togashi and Yamamoto? You could bring another man ¨C thedy is your wife. She should not count towards your guard," Jikouji suggested, ever the prudent man. They¡¯d made certain to bring the Takeda man, Yamamoto. He was wise, that much was obvious. His wit was there. His youngerpanion ¨C the general Yamagata ¨C was more inclined towardsbat and strength. Both had yed a pivotal role in integrating the Takeda troops.

    "And have Akiko dress in a yukata? This may be a tea ceremony, but I want us all to be armed and armoured. I do not want Nobunaga to forget for even a second that our intentions are purely military," Gengyo said, shaking his head by way of refusal.

    "Your mount is ready, my Lord," a servant informed him, speaking modestly quiet as he bowed.

    Gengyo barely heard him, "yes thank you," he dismissed him with a wave of his hand. It was shaping up to be a chaotic afternoon. There was so much happening with his departure. So much that needed his attention. He nned toe back that same evening, to collect the body of his army, but he found himself making more preparations than necessary.

    "But-" Jikouji tried to protest, yet his timing was off and his words were drowned out by the arrival of Matsudaira.

    "Have a safe journey, my Lord Miura. If anyone can make this Oda man see sense, it is you. I will be praying for your sess," Matsudaira said respectfully, having dressed in his very best silken kimono, of navy in colour. He¡¯d tied his hair neatly in a top knot, and oiled it. He¡¯d even trimmed the whiskers that had begun to invade his lower jaw as ofte, as he poured over maps and prepared for the task that was to be set for him.

    "Will I ever manage to rid you of that formality?" Gengyo asked with a smile, grasping his shoulder. "You take care of yourself as well, Matsudaira. Of our ten thousand men, it worries me to only give you four for our defence. Are you truly certain it will be enough?"

    "More certain than ever," Matsudaira said firmly, "I will make full use of our fortresses. There¡¯s a of them on our eastern front. There¡¯s strength in them. I¡¯ll hold the Hojo and the Imagawa remnants back, you have my word on that. It is me who should be ashamed taking so much of your forces when the objective you pursue is so muchrger than mine. The unification of all the Takedands and battle with the Dragon of Echigo? That¡¯s a daunting task indeed."

    "If you swear to win, then so will I. The odds are against us once again, but that seems to be the way of the Miura forces ¨C always fight outnumbered. We managed against Shingen, and our men are stronger now, better trained. We¡¯ll do it again. We¡¯ll go further. And with the Oda on our side, it will be much in our favour," Gengyo reassured him. "Work with Morojo. He will ensure you have all the coin you need. Takeshi as well. Mount his cannons on your walls, and the enemy will note close."

    Matsudaira smiled at his concern. Of course he¡¯d already considered those options already. "You have a difficult day ahead of you. Your concern should be with yourself. I told you, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯ll seize victory, worry not, my Lord."

    "Our Matsudaira-dono has a point," Jikouji chipped in. "If you don¡¯t n to push your luck with guards for fear of offending Oda, then you had better mount your horse and let us getaway. If you arrivete, that will be a far bigger insult to that fickle little Lord¡¯s honour."

    Gengyo had to smile like that, imagining the look on Oda¡¯s face should he make him wait. It was tempting just for that reason. s, his sense won out, and he thread his foot through the stirrup, and jumped on the back of his horse.

    He could see better now, from that height. Everyone important to him had gathered to see him off. Rin was pouting, threatening to say goodbye, irritated that she wasn¡¯t included in the five generals that he was bringing along. <i>There are reasons for that, little sister,</i> he thought to himself as he smiled at her, <i>if I were to bring all my best men along with me to a tea ceremony, then who would defend all that I own should my enemies smell weakness? </i>

    "She¡¯ll forgive you soon enough," Akiko said from his side, mounted on her white mare, smiling towards Rin as well.

    "Let us hope it is sooner rather thanter," Gengyo dered, pulling back his reigns and digging his heels into the sides of his horse, leading their party off to the warm sounds of theirrades bidding them farewell. The guardsmen drew open the fortress gate just in time, and then they were racing across the long grass of the ins, the wind running through their hair, enjoying the ultimate freedom.

 Chapter 276 - Ride

    "They¡¯re quiet," Gengyomented as he rode by the front, referring to the ten guards that they brought with them. They were like shadows as they kept behind them. Their faces were barely visible beneath their ck armour, and not a single word came out.

    "That¡¯s part of the reason I chose them. This is a diplomatic matter ¨C we don¡¯t need men with loose tongues," Jikouji responded, turning to give the men an approving nod.

    "Nah, they just don¡¯t have anything interesting to say," Morohira butted in, spurring his horse into a gallop so that he could take the lead of the party. Hours of travel was not befitting of a man like him, and with Rokkaku left behind, it fell to him to make his own entertainment. His sheathed sword ttered against the side of his horse at it ran, spurring it even faster.

    "Was it truly wise to bring him to something as sensitive as this?" Jikouji asked, speaking more quietly, so that the charging Morohira would not hear them.

    Gengyo smiled at that, and turned his eyes back to the front. "Father has his own uses. His unpredictablity will be unsettling for both Oda and us. Besides, if you worry about the strength I bring, how many are there that are stronger than him?"

    "He¡¯s right, Jikouji-san," Akiko said from the other side, supporting her husband with a sweet smile. "My father isw may act wild, but he¡¯s a reliable man."

    "Mm... I suppose," Jikouji grumbled, looking down from his saddle with a frown on his face.

    "Jikouji, please do notin. It is me that has had to listen to his madness all the way here. For a whole hour he talked about the nonsense benefits of breeding a bull with a dog. A bog, he called it? Can you believe that? Am I going insane? Is it possible that this is all a dream?" Togashi said, his voice pleading and desperate.

    "Haha," Gengyo could not help but chuckle at the distraught look on the bearded man¡¯s face. "What about thatnd I gave you, Togashi? Was it to your liking?" The young Lord had made good on his promise, and had urged Togashi away on his horse to inspect thends that he¡¯d set aside for him. It was an established vige whose samurai master had passed away quite suddenly, without an hier to take over.

    "It was, my Lord," Togashi said, dipping his head respectfully, "the soil is fertile and the sake they brew is clean. Foreign architects have already begun work on a new mansion. They sat with me for three nights nning it. When it¡¯splete, it will be a structure to behold, I pray that you¡¯ll visit it."

    "Give me a time and I¡¯ll be there. We¡¯ll have to get you married soon, and have a bunch of little Togashis to run around and brighten up the ce," he replied with a smile.

    "Aye, in time, perhaps. Though I would have thought you¡¯d be with a child long before me," Togashi said with a mischievous smile.

    "Well, it¡¯s not forck of trying," Gengyo put it to him with bold confidence.

    "Tadakata!" Akiko gasped, flushing red at his openness.

    "Another Miura... How would Japan cope?" Jikouji asked himself quietly. "If he¡¯s anything like his father we¡¯ll be in for a wild time."

    "Oh, you¡¯ll be long dead before then, old man," Morohira rushed back at the opportune moment, seizing the chance to poke fun.

    "What about you, Yamagata? Any family back home?" Gengyo asked, turning back to include their quieterpanion.

    "A boy, my Lord, and the wife that bore him," was all he said, but the worry on his face was tant.

    "...We will instil order in thosends before any harm cane to him," Gengyo said gently. "You have my word on that."

    The Takeda strategist did not look convinced, but he bowed his head respectfully nheless and went back to his brooding silence.

    With the stone steps of the temple finally upon them, they dismounted their horses, and tied their reigns up in the branches of a nearby cherry tree. ALready in full blossom, its pink petals were spewed up into the air with every gentle gust of wind.

    A monk stood at the top of the steps, in his white robes and with his shaven head. He was old, and his shrine was long since forgotten. It was only he that tended to it now, sweeping the leaves away on the cold autumn days. The vige that had once been there had died out, and no one made the long journey any more. When the old man died, so too would the temple.

    Aside from its grim future, the quietness of the temple was why Gengyo had chosen it. Apletely neutral ce for he and Oda to go at their discussions without worry. With a swift look around, he could not spy another man for miles. There were no horses tied up before they came and no men riding out from the horizon. They¡¯d beaten Oda here, and rightfully so, with Morohira urging them ahead by the front.

    Gengyo nodded with satisfaction. They had time to seat themselves before their honourable guest arrived. He looked down on himself, and felt the part. He was dressed as well as any daimyo. His ck kimono and the ck armour above it. He wore wide grey trousers with armoured greeves on legs, and a white obi around his waist, his two swords tucked inside of it. And above all that, he wore a loose red jacket, sitting open on top of the armour, with a coin-sized Miura mon stitched above each b.r.e.a.s.t.

    He started up the steps, and motioned with his head for his men to follow, e, let us have our leisurely drink of tea before the ceremony begins."

    They started after him, stoic expressions etched upon their brows, well aware they were entering a holy ce.

    <i>I¡¯m ready, Nobunaga, are you?</i>

 Chapter 277 - Waiting

    They seated themselves upon springy tatami, legs crossed and stoic in face. There was a chilling breeze that day. It whipped in through the open temple doors and numbed their hands. The tea was wee then. They sped the cups of steaming liquid in their hands and took delicate sips, refilling themselves reservedly from the bronze teapot.

    The monk had left them to their business, and climbed down the mountain. He had bowed and smiled knowingly and then disappeared into the forest with his weight leaning heavily upon a knarled willow walking stick.

    "Where¡¯s Oda?" Morohirained, resting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. As much as they wanted to scold him and urge that he quiet down, he did have a point.

    "Before sundown, that was the agreed-upon time, was it not?" Togashi asked Gengyo, looking out at the sky. It was tainted with orange. The sun had long since begun its setting. Soon night would fall, and Oda was nowhere to be seen.

    Gengyo was tapping his fingers on the table, a look of discontent on his face. This was a slight, he realized. There was no way a man as precise as Oda would bete by such arge margin. Akiko grasped his hand within hers and held it tightly, sharing a look, attempting to calm him.

    The guards he had brought with him were looking his way as well. They all were. The long table that had been prepared specifically for this purpose sat half empty, and it fell to him how he was to deal with that.

    He turned his eyes to his drink, and lifted it gently with one hand towards his lips, sipping thoughtfully. It was for times like this that cigarettes were invented, he thought to himself. A cigarette was perfect for brooding.

    He emptied it, and ced the cup back down on the wooden table with an audible click, announcing his decision. "We will give it until the light of the sun goes out and then we will leave. If Oda does not arrive before then, it will be safe to consider him an enemy."

    The men nodded ufortably. It seemed these days that the enemy was on all fronts. Their hands fell to their des thoughtfully. Even if Oda were toe, it might be easier to cut him down there and then.

    "That man is far from straightforward, it would seem," Yamagatamented, reaching inside his kimono beneath his armour and drawing forth a bamboo canteen. "We have no allies, whether he arrives or not," he continued, pulling the stopper and pouring a foreign liquid into the mixture with his tea. Its odour wafted into the air. A strong and dry odour ¨C sake without a doubt. "But, I do not think that should worry you, Miura-dono. The honourable Takeda Shingen was willing to fight the entire world should it turn against him, and we believed him capable. I have long since been prepared for an impossible war."

    "But is it the wise thing to do?" Togashi asked. The bearded man was seated with his arms crossed, right by Yamagata¡¯s side. He was observing his partaking of the alcohol with a raised eyebrow, but it was impossible to tell whether he was intrigued or disapproving.

    "Oh, I wonder. But in war, everything is uncertain. We must instil order where we are capable, otherwise, we cannot confront the chaos. To that end, I believe an army with a smaller force is stronger, if it knows that force is truly avable to it. You cannot do meaningful calctions without knowing your true numbers," Yamagata replied, holding the canteen towards him, offering him a taste.

    Togashi shook his head firmly, but Morohira noticed the exchange and extended his hand forward, "I¡¯ll take some," he said, prying it from his fingers and pouring a cup of his own.

    "Having the whole world as my enemy is all well and good, if I can defeat them one by one. It would not be difficult to starve us of our resources as we currently stand. The Oda, the Uesugi, the Takeda remnants, the Imagawa remnants, the Hojo, if they ally themselves against us instead, I am not confident we could defeat them,?? Gengyo said measuredly.

    "There are wars with swords and there are wars with words," Jikouji agreed, "but as you stand now, having all our enemies on one field might just prove beneficial." His voice was t, but it was possible to tell the slightest hint of a jest from it, yet Gengyo could not summon a smile.

    "I would not tempt that fate. Once we instil order in the Takedands, I would be far more confident, perhaps even bold. But until then, a certain degree of meekness is required. Oda knows that, therefore he takes advantage," Gengyo replied.

    They fell into silence once more, with Morohira looking up and slowly sliding the canteen back to Yamagata, not daring to interrupt the silence.

    The mood was heavy and the breeze was cold and regr. Suddenly, Morohira spoke, "do you here that?" He asked, but the party was in no mood for jokes.

    "If this is a jest- " Togashi began, but stopped midsentence, he could hear it too. Drumming out a sound behind the breeze there was unmistakeably the sound of hooves. Plenty of them. Far more than a simple riding party. Their force sent tremours through the floor.

    Gengyo was on his feet and at the top of the steps in but a few moments, looking down through the long grass and trees to see what hade to greet them.

    An army. Two or three thousand strong, all of them mounted. Hundreds of gs. A red kanji character on a purple background. Kenshin¡¯s standard.

    "...Impossible," Jikouji breathed. "That can¡¯t be... the Uesugi shouldn¡¯t be able toe far west."

    "No, they certainly shouldn¡¯t be," Gengyo agreed calmly, his eyes hard and his hand falling to his sword.

 Chapter 278 - Uesugi Kenshin

    Their hands fell to their weapons. The air was still. Silence reigned. Their hearts were calm.

    "We¡¯ve been betrayed," Gengyo dered, a smile on his lips. In a world that was so often grey, it was helpful to have a man painted in ck. "Oda Nobunaga has dered himself our enemy."

    "Foolish," Jikouji murmured, shaking his head, there was not the slightest hint of fear.

    "Indeed. The question still stands though: how did he ship Kenshin¡¯s men this far west without us noticing?" Gengyo said, stroking his chin, more interested in that puzzle by the threat that was in front of him.

    "They¡¯ve got our horses," Akiko noted monotonously. The men had made their way to the bottom of the staircase, holding spears, longer than the average yari. They pierced through their horses without mercy, and their screams rang out into the evening air.

    "That they have," Gengyo agreed. "We will have to take a few lives inpensation." Behind him, he heard the purr of steel passing wood as his guardsmen drew their weapons. He turned, looking at them a moment, before giving them an approving nod. Their fear was not present either.

    He wondered why he hadn¡¯t heard his father put forward one of his usualments and worried that the man might have finally begun to feel the pressure. However, when looked at him, Morohira¡¯s jaw was clenched into a tiger¡¯s smile. The reason he did not speak was due to excitement. It was not often that he was put in a situation with such adrenaline.

    Of all the men amongst them, Yamagata was without a doubt the weakest. He had only been training with them for a short amount of time, and though he had improved, he did not stand anywhere near their elite level. Whilst they thought about solving this problem brutishly, his mind was awhirl with strategy. "There are woods a mile south of here. If we can pass these foot soldiers, we will be able to lose them in there," the Takeda general suggested.

    The Uesugi men were steady as they marched up their steps. A man stood at their helm, d in armour befitting of a Daimyo, though it was a spear that sat in his hand as well. It was a party of three thatmanded them, and it was not a menyori that covered their faces, but a length of ck cloth raised up to their noses.

    It aligned with the what Gengyo knew of the man. Uesugi Kenshin was said to be a devout Buddhist, and a servant of the war god Bishamonten. That was what the character on his banners represented. It was that turban-like half-mask that Gengyo had seen in doc.u.ments in the past.

    "<i>Kenshin!</i>" Gengyo called down to him from atop the steps when the men had made it halfway up. "<i>I had thought you to be an honourable man! Cornering me at a temple does not strike me as particrly honourable!</i>"

    The man did not reply. None of them did. They continued marching up the steps one foot at a time, their spears extended forwards, already falling into a wall. Gengyo loosened his sword from his scabbard, and he heard Togashi and Jikouji draw theirs. Akiko had her naginata grasped with both hands, confidence written on her fair face.

    "<i>Do you truly fear me this much? I have done you a favour! Had I not seized victory over Shingen, he would have seized your head sooner orter,</i>" he spoke words filled with an itching venom, attempting to irritate his opponent into irrationality, but the men did not speak a single word and only kepting forward with the robotic insistence of an army of golems.

    Every inch of those narrow steps was filled with men, all with spears in their hands. Bowmen sat right at the bottom, arrows knocked and strings drawn, whilst a detachment of cavalry stayed mounted, prepared to chase them should they decide to flee.

    Gengyo was tapping his finger against the grip of his sword, his eyes flickering here then there, trying to search for any sign of weakness. But when one stood against an army of that size with as few men as he, the options were limited. A head-on confrontation would have them killed, no matter their superior skill.

    "If we are to survive this, we will need to take those horses. Stay close beside me, we will force our way towards them. Do not die until then," Gengyo said in a low voice, his muscles tensing up, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

    The imposing trio in their deep purple armour and gold horned helmets stopped mere metres out of range. The entire army ground to a halt beside them. From the trio, a single man separated, the smallest of three, but he had an air of absolute authority. Kenshin, Gengyo assumed.

    That man reached up with his hands towards his helmet, and Gengyo¡¯s party flinched, fearing a trick, but he merely drew it from his head. His hair, like his mouth, was bound up by the same ck cloth, and he drew it back, unwinding it. His long hair spilt out, and then his nose was revealed, and then a mouth with lips curled in a superior snarl. The beardless face of a young man. "Hello, Miura-dono," he said.

    Gengyo¡¯s fist clenched as he looked upon him, realizing who it was that dared to stand so close. "Nobunaga... You cur."

    "Now now," Nobunaga said, wagging his finger, "you only say that because you¡¯ve wound up on the losing side."

    The riddle was solved. The impossible question of how Uesugi Kenshin managed to shift so many men westwards was revealed to have no answer, for he had not managed it at all.

    "So those are your intentions? You n toy my death at the hands of the Uesugi because you fear how my army will retaliate? Cowardly, Nobunaga, cowardly indeed. I have to say, I am disappointed," Gengyo replied calmly.

 Chapter 279 - Oda Nobunaga(1)

    Oda shrugged at the insults to his honour. "There are winners and losers, the living and the dead. You can make all the excuses you want about underhanded y, but the result will still remain the same. You knew I was an ambitious man, Miura-dono, but you were not aware just how ambitious. Why would I settle for one measly province when I can take it all? Your army will be mine, and your life will be mine."

    "I had thought you to be an intelligent man," Gengyo said softly. "After seeing my battle with Shingen, you still dare to believe that you can fell me? You might have the numbers, but youck the strength."

    "Perhaps," Nobunaga agreed, though that terribly sure smile did not fade from his lips. "But it is not me who will be fighting you." He nodded to one of the men by his side. That man stepped forward with the presence of a ghost. His face was deathly pale, and when he peeled off his helmet, he revealed the eyes of a killer.

    A sword left his scabbard, but it was not the katana that they were so used to seeing. It was smaller than that, and where the katana was curved, this weapon was straight. A ninjato... which meant that man in front of them was no samurai. "A ninja, is it?" Gengyo announced. The man did not respond, but Oda¡¯s smile only widened.

    "Ah, I¡¯m so pleased you are who you are, Miura-dono. If it was a lesser man, I would not be able to exin all the trouble I¡¯ve gone through. This man is no ordinary ninja. He is the deadliest assassin in all of his n. He is not the type of man you can buy with coin. Land is what they deal in."

    "And you invited such a man to duel him? An assassin skulks in the shadows. He has no ce in front of a warrior with the eyes of a monk," Jikouji growled on behalf of his master.

    Oda turned his head and shot the old man a look filled with murderous contempt, as though he could not believe that such a man had spoken up in his presence. He then continued,pletely ignoring Jikouji??sment. "Perhaps if there wasn¡¯t an army backing me, you might have been able to best him in a duel, but that matters not. He will slow you down enough for my men to impale you. This is where you die, Miura Tadakata."

    "There¡¯s an irony in all this," Gengyo said with a smile, finally drawing his sword. "In another life, you too were betrayed, stabbed in the back by your own men, corned in a temple. It would seem that time retains some circr qualities, for this will be your grave once again."

    "...What? You attempt to unsettle me with a mystic¡¯s words?" Oda spat, his face falling into a disappointed frown.

    "No, I need not unsettle you with words. I will separate you with steel," and then he lunged forward, his de grasped with both hands, its sharp single edge shing toward Oda¡¯s neck.

    Oda reacted quick enough to flinch, but the de was poised to slice him from shoulder to hip, and he had no way of defending against it. His sword caught against his scabbard as he drew it in a panic, and halfway out was when the strikended.

    Sparks flew as steel met steel and the edge of the de chipped. Gengyo had not seen him move, but the ninja had stepped in front to catch the strike on his employer¡¯s behalf. His eyes contained no emotion, and not a single shred of weakness could be sensed through his short de.

    Oda had the good sense to take a step back as a droplet of sweat drifted down his forehead, but not before he allowed himself a superior smile. He raised his arm high into the air then swung it forwards, and his men charged with it, storming up the steps.

    Gengyo¡¯s own men went forward to meet them as their Lord stood to face off against the ninja. There was an air about the man that made him difficult to read. The way he stood, there were no obvious weaknesses. <i>With speed then,</i> Gengyo decided, lunging forward as swiftly as he was able. A stabbing attack that aimed to run his sword through the ninja¡¯s abdomen.

    But that ninja stepped off to the side and brushed it away with contemptuous ease. He may not have said anything, but his eyes were entirely condescending. The ninja cast a side strike of his own. Gengyo caught it on his sword with a parry, but the weight of the blow made it difficult to cast off and counter. They locked weapons, both pushing forth with all their strength, neither able to gain the upper hand, until the ninja twisted and caught him in the mouth with an elbow.

    Blood welled up in Gengyo¡¯s mouth. He could see his men looking to him, waiting for him to break through. They met the first wave of Oda soldiers, and cast them into the air, sending them back in bloody packages, but there were more to take their ce.

    "Damn it..." Gengyo cursed. For the first time since leaving Menryo-ji temple, he had met a wall. A ninja grandmaster, nheless. His weapon suddenly felt rather heavy in his hands. His movements felt clunky. <i>This isn¡¯t it. This can¡¯t be all I have.</i> In the midst of battle, he closed his eyes, and pictured himself in a forest of cherry blossom, with a quiet stream flowing nearby. He saw a balloon with the number 100 painted on it, rising up into the sky. With a loud pop, it burst apart, and a 99 balloon took its ce. After the 99 there came the 98. With each balloon that popped, he felt more and more rxed.

    When he reopened his eyes, he was ready to truly battle.

 Chapter 280 - Ninja

    Under boiled leather and ck silk, beads of sweat swept down Gengyo¡¯s chest as the ninja pressed the attack. The song of shing steel rang out, punctuated by the screams of dying men. Gengyo was forced back up the steps, defending himself as best he could as against the strikes that reigned down at an inhuman speed.

    When the ninja raised his sword, Gengyo ducked underneath it and tried a sweeping blow at his leg, but it was steel that his de found and not bone, as the ninja recovered and blocked once more. When Gengyo tried a downcut, the ninja answered with an underhand and went searching for his head. Gengyo only just managed to duck, though he was forced down hard on his bottom as a result.

    Hisrades watched Gengyo being overrun with shock. They had never seen him fight as fiercely as he had ¨C the speed he moved at defied reasoning - and yet his opponent stilled seemed to have the upper hand.

    Gengyo caught sight of their distraught nces as he fought, knowing that they were hard-pressed to survive. Akiko did the best to keep her enemies at a distance with her naginata with a thrust here and a side sh there, but even as the bodies piled up, there were always more men to take their ce.

    Morohira sent an armoured fist towards the face of one of the braver soldiers, cracking his teeth with the impact, and sending him hurtling back down the stairs, a few broken bones heavier than he had been before.

    Dancing in the shadows, there was Nobunaga, giggling as he waited for his men to distract the enemy, so that he could lunge in with an annoying stinging thrust and litter their body with a dozen shallow wounds. It was Togashi that had earned his wrath first, and blood already ran out from his armour, under the armpits and by the helm.

    Gengyo barely recovered back to his feet and even then the ninja did not allow him to do so free of charge. A deep cut hadnded on his thigh in the gap between greeves and chestte and it slowed him. He switched his stance around to put that weakened leg behind him to remove it as a target, but the wound still proved troublesome.

    The night¡¯s sky burst into sudden light as ming arrows shot through the air and buried themselves within the dry wood of the temple frame. The fire spread rapidly and greedily gobbled up more and more wood, creating a second wall behind Gengyo and his small troop, as they were gradually pressed in on both sides.

    "We can¡¯t hold much longer, Miura!" Jikouji warned him through ragged breath. A soldier charged at him, sword held high above his head, roaring in brave stupidity, only for the old man to run him through with his de and lift him from the ground, so that he might cast the heavy corpse aside and move onto the next man.

    Gengyo did not even have the time to respond. His teeth were gritted and he could think of no weakness to target. Even in employing all that had learned at Menryo-ji, he still fell short. Every strike of his own felt inconsequential whenpared to that of the ninja. He was slowly being worn down, and he was very much aware of that fact. He could feel his strength sapping with each drop of blood that he lost and with each heavy strike that he defended.

    The ninja regarded him coldly. He held no pleasure for the killing. No real emotion at all. His de was as empty as the void, and formless in that sense, as though it was the grim reaper himself that wielded it. That emptiness was strong and all-consuming and Gengyo knew not how to encounter it. The weight of nothing was heavy indeed.

    "You wish to hold onto everything," the ninja said in a t voice, pairing his odd words with a contemptuous kick to the midsection.

    "Guh..." Gengyo caught the wooden sole of the ninja¡¯s foot with his chest. It was all he could do try and stop the heavy sword strike thaty in wait behind it. There was such fluidity in the ninja¡¯s movements. Every attack that he stopped was but a precursor to the next attack, everything flowed with an unstoppable momentum. "No..." Gengyo said in the time it took to try a strike of his own, "only that which matters."

    Their des shed and sparks flew once more. Their swords tangled together, and they pressed against each other with all their strength. The ninja was the taller man and he leaned his weight into the strike, knowing that Gengyo¡¯s wounded leg would soon buckle. Gengyo was forced to spin off to the side, losing the space that he had just gained as a consequence. The ninja sniffed weakness and sent a side sh towards his head.

    Gengyo released a hand from the grip of his sword. When that strike came looking for him, he had not raised his de in protection. The ninja felt the executioners tremor as he knew another great life to have been imed by him. His opponent had lost the will to fight. He had seen it many times before.

    What rose to stop the ninjato was not a de, but the thinly armoured leather of Gengyo¡¯s hand. He blocked like a boxer, as though it was not steel but flesh that he was to meet, and he pressed an attack of his own, thrusting his sword through the soft flesh of the ninja¡¯s undefended chest.

    Blood welled from the ninja¡¯s heart and Gengyo¡¯s severed hand fell sullenly to the floor. The bone had slowed the strike just enough so that it would not be fatal, though there was still a shallow gash on Gengyo¡¯s neck.

    They locked gazes. "No... only that which matters," the ninja said, chuckling blood, as he fell dead to the floor.

 Chapter 281 - Wounded

    The blood dripped from the end of his arm and fell against the floor like the tears of the sun. He held his de steadily in the other hand, breathing heavily. A more monstrous sight it was difficult to find.

    "Impossible..." Nobunaga breathed, taking a step back and almost falling down the hundreds of steps,pletely overwhelmed by fear. "That man had fought hundreds of duels as a samurai before he turned his back on the emperor and trained as a ninja... They assured me, a thousand times over, that no man could defeat him. That even monks trembled before him. What is this?" He wailed, shaking his head violently. "Have I been deceived?"

    "No, Nobunaga. It was you that deceived yourself," Gengyo stated, tying the stump of his arm in ace to stem the flow of blood, showing no hint of the pain that he felt. "You knew from the start that standing against me was not an option. You fooled yourself and now you will pay the price."

    "Get back, my Lord!" The second of the trio forced his way in front of his Lord in an attempt at protecting him, holding his sword steady. "He has only one arm! He¡¯s bluffing! We will still see them to their graves!"

    And then his throat was sliced clean through and he fell to the floor, his face a mask of confusion. He moved his lips, but no words came out. He demanded his legs to step forward, but they gave way beneath him, and he trembled on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

    "Wrong again," Gengyo said, as he flicked the blood from his de. "I would not give away my own arm if I wasn¡¯t certain I could still carve my way to freedom. Men, on me, we have a traitor to cut down."

    "ORRAH!" They pushed out with their weapons, sending the swarm of enemies that had piled against them flying. Morohira covered them in hundreds of shes and Akiko ran several men through with her naginata, tears running down her cheeks, as she bore witness to her husband¡¯s injury.

    Jikouji clenched in teeth in a fierce scarl, cutting and cutting, until there was nothing more in front of him to attack. The men were enraged, seeing the injury of theirmander and they fought stronger for it. The heat of the mes boiled against their backs and they stood uncontested at the top of those stairs, having carved the space away from the enemy.

    No longer did the Oda men advance with the same sureness. Their Lord screamed orders and pointed furiously, picking up a spear himself, threatening to charge in alone, but there was no inspiring them. The stairs forced them together too tightly and the wall in front of them was too hard to ovee.

    Like a grim reaper, Gengyo stood, his de hanging from his single hand, and he pointed it towards Oda, announcing his death. ming arrows were loosed against them, but they were brushed aside with contempt.

    "Your hand, Miura..." Jikouji muttered desperately, in their moment of respite, pointing at it sullenly. "We have failed you. We allowed the greatest warrior Mikawa has ever seen be tarnished by the likes of a turncoat samurai."

    "I did what I had to do, Jikouji. There were other ways to defeat him, but they would have taken too long and left me too exhausted. That is my weakness, not yours. A loss of a hand means nothing, as long as we all still draw breath. I will learn to fight without it and I will be stronger than I ever was. On Oda¡¯s death, I do so swear," Gengyo said, patting Akiko gently on the head to reassure her and her saddened eyes. "But for now, it¡¯s time for our hunt."

    Gengyo leapt from the top of the steps, skipping several at a time, dodging the points of spears that came his way, and stabbing where appropriate. His men flitted out after him, dancing through rows of terrified enemies.

    Oda saw his deathing. It was only then that he tried to flee. The heads of the two Lord¡¯s turned and they both saw the horses waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Oda made his decision and began to run towards them, discarding his spear, as Gengyo chased.

    "FIRE!" Oda ordered, swinging his arm down urgently.

    "But my Lord... Those are our men in there," the captain of the archers replied, hesitant to loose his string.

    "FIRE! FIRE OR I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!" He screamed, pushing past them, diving onto the back of a horse andtching onto its reigns.

    The men loosened their arrows on the enemy, only to find one of them missing.

    Oda turned his neck in the saddle, sweat dripping into his eyes, his heart beating erratically, fuelled by disappointment and regret. "Damn it," he cursed to himself.

    And then the legs of his went out beneath him, and the creature crashed to the floor at full speed, throwing dirt up into his face. <i>He¡¯s here,</i> Oda realized as the fear began to course through his veins and he desperately struggled to his feet, drawing his sword.

    "WHERE ARE YOU?" He demanded, turning this way and that, searching the shadows.

    A sword ran through his chest and a red flower blossomed upon his armour. He saw that reddened steel peaking out below his chin and his eyes widened. "How..?" Was the only word that left his lips.

    "Rest well," Gengyo said softly, as he gently lowered his body to the floor. "I have enjoyed this game, Oda Nobunaga," he said and he meant every word of it. With his men behind him, he could finally admit that. "We are not too dissimr you and I. In there, I suppose,y our problem."

    Oda moved his lips, attempting to reply, but the blood had already left him and his consciousness was fading. He grasped hold of Gengyo¡¯s shoulder with his fingers, squeezing mightily, and then he died.

 Chapter 282 - Return

    Gengyo¡¯s men snatched up horses of their own and rode behind him. With the death of their Lord and of several of their generals, the Oda army had plunged into aimless chaos. Many of the men simply fled, for they had nothing to fight for. They had lost, well and truly.

    "Is it bearable?" Gengyo asked, turning his head in his saddle. Yamagata had taken an arrow through his side and he winced with each bound of his horse. He held the reins in one hand, tending to the wound with the other, his face clenched in pain like a fist.

    "A-aye," Yamagata barely managed to say. Morohira had needed to lift him in the saddle. They were not the only one¡¯s sporting injury. Three of their elite guardsmen had perished and all of them were nursing some injury or other.

    In regards to his own injury, Gengyo seemed to show no concern. He hid the awkwardness that came with the loss of a hand and did everything with an acted ease. He rode by the front as he always did, taking the lead of his men.

    They galloped at speed, for preparations would need to be made. The Oda province of Owari would be weak for a long time. They were never truly strong in the first ce, it was theirmander that made them so. There were so many ripe pickings, but Gengyocked the resources to take care of them all.

    "Speak no word of my injury to the men. It will unsettle them and affect the morale," Gengyo said as the wind rushed passed them and they leapt over streams and negotiated their way through a sparse wood, doing their best to avoid low hanging branches and being hit from the saddle.

    Jikouji nodded his agreement, a dark look on his face. He was not able to dismiss the day¡¯s events as easily as his Lord and he still boiled with rage, cursing Oda a thousand times over in his head. "That bastard... By the gods, that bastard. Neither of us gain anything from this. That fool has merely weakened armies that should have been allies from the start."

    "Hence where the goose puffs out his feathers and makes himself look big, but at the first sign of a fight he flees. To crush enemy after enemy is not worth it. An injury will be met down the road," Togashi said.

    "Not unless the odds are entirely in our favour," Gengyo said. "There is a school of swordsmanship that the west favours. Their swords are light and thin and they flex. They wield them with but a single hand, aiming to thrust, rather than sh. I will have Takeshi make one these des for me."

    "You still wish to fight at the front, after all you¡¯ve endured?" Akiko asked, her voice tainted by shock. "You¡¯ve done enough, my love, please! Your mind is enough a weapon to slice down any foe. You had need not put your body in harm¡¯s way."

    Gengyo favoured her with a light smile. The kind of smile that should hang from an old man¡¯s mouth as he rxed in the warm of the sun, not the kind that should have been worn by a man that had just lost his hand. "It is the Miura Tadakata who fights his own battles that the soldier respects. It is that me that I respect. I lost my hand, dear Akiko, what of it? A man will call it a weakness, but I will see it as the door to greater strength. I will get stronger still, my dear, for now I have a reason to."

    "Woah now. Let¡¯s not get too much stronger, alright?" Morohira chipped in, fearing the prospect of his son slipping even further ahead of him.

    "Only strong enough to fight ten of you with a single hand, rest assured," Gengyo replied without missing a beat.

    The castle was nearing ahead of them. Yamagata had grown quiet a time ago. Every time Gengyo nced back around the man had more blood staining the side of his horse and his hands. His eyes had zed over, seeing little.

    "Jikouji, go on ahead. Get the gates open and find a healer for Yamagata," Gengyo said.

    "I will. You need a healer as much as any man though. I will see to that as well," Jikouji replied, putting his heels to his horse, spurring it faster.

    "That would be appreciated. Keep word of my injury as quiet as you can," Gengyo called after him.

    They could see the torches held by the patrolling guardsmen in the distance. Jikouji¡¯s mount was pushed to the limits as it went on ahead. They heard the exchange of words but at that distance, they could not be made out. The gates soon opened and more guards came out from them, each bearing torches,ing to greet their leader. Gengyo slid his hand behind his back and Akiko watched him do so, biting her lip in worry.

    "My Lord!" The guardsmen said as they greeted him, all bowing deeply at the waist, wearing the hard iron conical hats of city guardsmen. They were men that Morojo had recruited. Gengyo slowed his horse alongside them and jumped from it, betraying no weakness.

    "That man there," Gengyo pointed to Yamagata, "help him from his horse. Gently now. Carry him through the gates."

    Yamagata could only spare a groan as the men reached from his. Ten men surrounded him, forming a stretcher with their arms. They moved slowly and carefully under the watchful gaze of their Lord, not daring to do anything that might cause pain to the wounded General.

    Only when they had passed the gates did Gengyo start after them, almost tripping. The loss of blood had made him dizzy. The cloth that he covered the stump of arm in was matted with blood. There was no one to see it though, only Akiko, whose eyes once more clouded with tears.

 Chapter 283 - Accident

    It had rained mere minutes ago. A light shower, but it was enough to refresh the stale summer air. Gengyo wandered the empty streets under the night¡¯s sky in a simple kimono, just like what a merchant might wear. His hand had been tended to and stitched and they had given him herbs for the pain, but still there was that dull throbbing and at times he could have sworn his hand was still attached.

    He whistled a tune softly to himself, stepping his way across the slick stones. He recalled how quickly his men hade once they had found out his return. How quickly his inner circle had learned of his injury and how vtile their reactions were.

    Matsudaira hade first, bursting into the room he was being treated in. He had given his Grand General a friendly smile, but the man ignored it and continued to look aghast.

    "How..?" He¡¯d said, his wordsing out as no more than a whisper.

    Gengyo had shrugged in reply. "I thought it preferable to being killed. There is something about death that strikes me as being awfully boring."

    "Nobunaga had this done to you?" Matsudaira had moved closer to the bed, as the doctor shot him an irritated look, cleaning out Gengyo¡¯s wound. "Where is he now? The bastard! He will not be treated lightly for what he has done. I will salt his flesh and y his skin for what he¡¯s done to you."

    "He¡¯s dead, Matsudaira, calm yourself. By my hand. The one I still have attached. He has already paid dearly for what he has done, and now, by ident, there is one lesser yer to worry about in this game of ours. You and I can focus on our tasks."

    And then Rin had burst in, weeping, her face stained with tears as Akiko, held her arm tightly, her own face a mask of sorrow. "Nii-san! Thank goodness! Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness!" She buried her head in his chest and with that the healer finally sighed and gave up, deciding to move away and wait out their visit.

    Gengyo raised an eyebrow at the reaction of his little sister. When everyone else was cursing Oda, she was thankful. "Thank goodness? Your brother has lost a hand," Gengyo said, perplexed.

    "Stupid!" She hugged him even tighter at that. "I¡¯m just d Nii-san is still here. When Akiko told me Oda had betrayed us... I was sure... something bad. But even against an army of two thousand, you did everything you could to live. I¡¯m d. So d, Nii-san. After Masaatsu... I couldn¡¯t. Not you too. As long as you are still alive, I¡¯m happy."

    "Heh," Gengyo had broken into a smile at that. "With only one life to live, I¡¯ll cling onto it like a drowning rat on thest bit of floating wood, rest assured, little sister. Akiko too, I would never leave you behind."

    Jikouji stuck his head around the door. "Yamagata has woken up," he informed them and with that Gengyo had breathed a sigh of relief. Losing a strategist of Yamagata¡¯s calibre would have been a wound almost on par to losing a hand.

    "All right, you¡¯ve said what you need to. I would ask that you leave now whilst I tend to the wound of my patient. If you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll be leaving him to bleed out," it was then that the doctor¡¯s patience wore thin and he stepped in to begin shooing everyone out the door.

    Matsudaira, Rin and Akiko all looked to Gengyo. No matter what the doctor said, it was always Gengyo that they knew to be in charge, but he had nodded to them. "Go. I¡¯ll dine with youter. Let the doctor do what he needs to."

    "I am afraid I cannot condone what you just proposed, Miura-dono. You must stay here, in this bed and rest for a few days at least. You may try tough it off, but the wound you took is far from insignificant. Major veins have been severed, not to mention the nerve damage," the doctor said, making sure that his words could be heard by those close enough to Gengyo to enforce such advice.

    "We¡¯ll make sure he does as he¡¯s told," Akiko assured the doctor, bringing Rin out with her towards the door.

    Matsudaira had his mouth hung open, as though he had something to say, but he could not find the words and opted instead for a bow and afterwards, he withdrew.

    And then began the painful part for Gengyo, as the doctor cleaned his wound and went about repairing what was left of his arm. He was pleased then that there was no one to see.

    Of course, Gengyo had promptly ignored the doctor¡¯s insistence that he rested. As soon as the man had left, he had dressed him and left too. He hoped that his absence would not be discovered, but either way, he felt his small act of insolence to be worth it.

    Even without that extra hand, he still prowled around the city like a tiger.

    Above, the sky shed with lightning and then thunder rumbled, heralding theing rain. He had to smile. The rain was his favourite weather. When the fat droplets of water hit his wound, it stung, but it was a rejuvenating pain. It woke him up and it heightened his senses.

    He looked to the clouds and grinned, as the water stered his hair back against his head. Triumph ran through his veins. He had defeated a man heralded as the greater leader in Japanese history and he had done so against such impossible odds. He could still hardly believe it.

    As a modern man, he would never have dreamed he had such potential. He wondered then, just how many other people there were, in that modern world, who had the capabilities to be conquerers but would never know, confined to a system of stable peace and subtle tyranny.

 Chapter 284 - Plan

    When - for the third time that day - Gengyo reached for his cup only to find that there was no hand to grasp it, he sighed deeply and gave up on that endeavour entirely, choosing to stare childishly at his steaming cup instead.

    Matsudaira moved forward with his hand, about to push it across the table. "What are you doing?" Gengyo asked, an eyebrow raised.

    "...Pushing your tea closer to you, my Lord," Matsudaira replied. It was only them in Gengyo¡¯s chamber, sitting with their legs crossed at the low table.

    "Do you think me incapable of doing that?" Gengyo asked.

    "No my Lord... I just thought that..." Matsudaira stumbled on his words and withdrew his hand, looking truly regretful. For such a dangerous general, he was an awfully sensitive man, and immediately, Gengyo felt guilty.

    "Ah, no, you do not need to exin yourself. It is I have that have been irritatable. It will take some getting used to, this loss of a hand," Gengyo said, staring at his stump beneath those clean white bandages. It no longer pained him quite so much, but it was still an eyesore. "It will only serve to make me more grateful when I do return it to its proper function."

    "Proper function, my Lord?" Matsudaira¡¯s eyes lit up at that. "Is such a thing truly possible?"

    "Possible, yes. But, for now, we have more pressing issues. It seems most of Japan want our heads. Myck of a hand is somewhat more trivial than the loss of life," he refocused on the maps in front of them,plete with their many pieces. There were so many enemies that he found himself running out of colours for the pieces. Red for the Takeda remnants, purple for the Uesugi, blue for the Hojo, green for the Imagawa and yellow for what remained of the Oda. "Tell, what news is there of Shinano?"

    "Worse news than yesterday, I¡¯m afraid. Takeda Yoshinobu has seized control and called in what retainers they have left. But, our spies in Shinano have spotted Uesugi scouts a day¡¯s ride from the border," Matsudaira said solemnly.

    "The scouts were a days ride away, you say? The bulk of the army will be a day or two behind them... If we dare to hope that Yoshinobu will be able to hold him off for a single day, then we have but four days to meet his threat. Four days until the Takedands that Shingen trusted I would protect are lit up in mes..." Gengyo puffed out his cheeks as he thought that over, shaking his head. "It is grim, but within our calctions. Our men will be ready to ride by sundown and I have confidence within our forces."

    "That said my Lord, are you sure it is wise for you set out so soon after suffering an injury? You can leave your army within the hands of your generals whilst you rest a few days longer," Matsudaira said, ying with his forked beard, seeming to have already guessed what the answer might be.

    "You know I cannot do that. Already I have given you the burdensome task of defending against the Hojo with so little men. My campaign needs to be quick, so that we can relieve you as soon as possible. How have the repairs gone on our own border fortresses?"

    "Well enough. We have stocked them well with arrows and bullets and reced rooting wood with green. We¡¯ve coated our walls against me and we have enough men manning each so that a surprise assault would not undermine us. We can hold the border for a month, at least, I am confident in that. You can set us from your mind and focus entirely on your own campaign," Matsudaira assured him, reaching for the bronze kettle to pour himself another drink.

    "Please, honourable lordship, this one is just boiled and freshly made," a serving girl made her way into the room, holding a new kettle with both hands on its handle. She bowed as she offered it to Matsudaira, leaning in front of Gengyo, her strong perfume attacking his nostrils.

    "Ah," Matsudaira looked stumped and a slight blush crept onto his cheeks. The serving girl was young and pretty, but with her head lowered, she did not notice his reaction. Gengyo certainly did not miss it though, and he allowed himself a smirk, as Matsudaira hesitantly exchanged kettles with her. "Thank you," he said atst.

    "It is my honour," the girl said simply, as was customary and she bowed once more, kneeling down to close the sliding door behind her.

    As they listened to the quiet patter of her footsteps down the corridor, Gengyo¡¯s smile only widened. "A serving girl, Matsudaira? Love has no boundaries, I suppose. It is rather surprising to see you capable of blushing though. I had thought you to have been numb to women."

    "...You have your wife to care for, my Lord. When you bless us with an hier, I will entertain your insistence on finding me a woman," Matsudaira said, managing to retain a mask of calm as he politely brought his cup of steaming tea to his lips.

    "Akiko is pregnant," Gengyo said tly.

    Matsudaira spat the tea from his mouth, coating much of the table andnding a few droplets on Gengyo¡¯s face. "A jest!" He shouted as he coughed up the rest of his tea.

    "Not quite. Her blood has been dyed weeks. There is no mistake," Gengyo said calmly, gently wiping the droplets of spittle from his cheek, before pulling the kettle from Matsudaira¡¯s side of the table and pouring his own cup. "When you sever the limb of a young tree and then nt it, an entirely new tree sprouts, if one cares for it properly. Perhaps it is something like that. It would seem ¨C if your earlier promise is to be honoured ¨C that we will soon see young Matsudaira with a women to share his burdens."

 Chapter 285 - Campaign

    Once more Gengyo set out, this time with 7,000 men under hismand. From their reports, the Uesugi army numbered upwards of 30,000, but despite that, Gengyo had a strange confidence in his forces. He felt that, in some sense, they actually outnumbered the enemy.

    Under Jikouji¡¯s supervision, a disciplined army had been forged. Takeshi and Morojo had overseen the production of a healthy amount of firearms too, and every man was armed with a revolving weapon with the ammunition toplement them. They had been trained in the sword as well, to a degree, though their training was not as extensive as it should have been.

    The remaining 4,000 they had left with Matsudaira. The Grand General had continued to assure Gengyo that it was enough and though he had his doubts, he had no choice but to trust the man andplete his own campaign as quickly as he could, so that he might relieve whatever pressure Matsudaira would get under.

    "The men are making good marching pace, Miura, we will make it on time, it seems," Jikouji said. Gengyo noticed that Yamagata were listening in on their conversation. They were both nervous with worry for the family that they had left behind in the Takedands. The old strategist Yamagata had hardly recovered from his injury and he was pale as he rode in the saddle, but he had insisted oning. Inparison, the youthful warrior Yamamoto was full of energy and fidgeted in irritation, unhappy that there was nothing he could do but ride.

    "They will be d of their training ¨C it is a vicious pace we are pushing," Gengyo said. The men were running at a slow jog, uniform in their ranks, hardly showing anyint as the men of rank rode by the front on their horses. "Have the Uesugi passed the border yet?"

    "Not yet. Another day, at most, and they will begin their burning of viges and draw Yoshinobu intobat, so that he can crush the opposition in one fell sweep. It unsettles me, the thought of having The Dragon residing over Shinano. We would never be safe. We have to crush him here and now," Jikouji said grimly.

    "Another day? Good. We will continue this pace, at the risk of exhausting the men," Gengyo affirmed. News of his injury had not yete to pass, but a question was passing through the troop, as they wondered about the straight sword that hung at their Daimyo¡¯s hip. A sword as thin as a finger, and as flexible too. "And you are right to have that idea unsettle you. That is why we must crush the man. I only worry about what we will do with Yoshinobu after we have in his enemy. Make no mistake, I intend to seize thosends, for they are mine, I merely wish to avoid offending Shingen¡¯s son too heavily."

    "Hah. To hell with that," Yamamoto said impatiently, clearing his throat and spitting off to the side. As Gengyo raised his eyebrow, it was left to Yamagata to speak up on behalf of his youngerrade.

    "Yoshinobu may be Shingen¡¯s son, my lord, but he deserves none of the respect thates with that title. He made himself an enemy of Shingen, towards the end. It is a wonder that he still holds onto his life," Yamagata exined.

    "The treachery, is it?" Gengyo mused. "You¡¯re more familiar with thosends than I am, Yamagata. How would the people react if I were to cut down Yoshinobu?"

    "They wouldn¡¯t," Yamagata assured him. "They will praise the hero who saved their fields from fire and their crops from being trampled. The samurai families ¨C those that remain ¨C will bend the knee to the strong. They already know you to be a strong man, with your victory over our lord Shingen. If you do the same with Kenshin, then you will have established yourself as a man truly worth following and none would begrudge you Yoshinobu¡¯s head."

    "Coming from the mouth of a Takeda man, that is certainly reassuring," Gengyo said.

    "I am a Miura man now, my Lord," Yamagata said strongly, throwing off the sickly appearance that hade with his injury, even for just a second. "We all are. All these thousands of Takeda men under you, wearing your ck armour, they sing your praises over their cups. They are impressed with the training and with the martial knowledge that you have given them. They are eager to walk the fiery path of a conquer."

    Gengyo looked at him, long and hard. The man held his gaze. When Gengyo looked to young Yamamoto as well, he saw the man nod respectfully, agreeing with what his olderrade had said. And then Gengyo looked out across at his army. They truly were Miura men. There was nothing to tell them apart. They were simply one river of ck with rifles over their shoulders and swords at their h.i.p.s.

    "I see," he said simply. There was nothing else that could be said. He caught Akiko smiling quietly, the look on her face saying far more than any words could. He had thought about leaving her behind, given her pregnancy, but then he realized that there was nowhere safe. By his side was the only ce that he was sure he had a chance to protect her.

    They had left Sasaki and Togashi and Kitajo behind, to assist with Matsudaira¡¯s defence, and theirpany was missed, but their entourage had grown. If anyone was content with the current arrangement, it was Morohira, who had been allowed Rokkaku back. He appreciated his friend¡¯spany now, more than ever, after knowing how boring a ride could be without him.

    "Have you given any thought to our battle strategy against Kenshin?" Jikouji enquired, more out of curiosity than expectancy.

    "Victory. Beyond that, I was hoping to see what our friend Yamagata is capable of, if his injury is not too bothersome," Gengyo said.

    "It would be my honour," Yamagata said with a dip of his head.

 Chapter 286 - Problem

    Their horses bounded through the mud of the border vige dayster. Fields had been abandoned mid-harvest ¨C there was not a single soul in sight.

    "They¡¯ve fled the Uesugi," Jikouji said, "a relief that they had sense enough to do that at least. We have made good time. We might be able to meet them yet."

    "The tracks my lord," a samurai interrupted. He had professed himself to be an expert of the hunt and so they had brought him to the front of the column in order to test his skill. "The mud is chewed up. There have been horses through here. A lot of them and recently too."

    Gengyo shared a look with Jikouji at that. "Uesugi or Takeda?" He asked as he thought out loud.

    "Let us hope it is thetter," Jikouji said bitterly. Their scouts were runningte and their knowledge of the position was far more crude than they would have liked. With smoke on the horizon, things were looking grim.

    Their Daimyo raised his voice, about to rouse his men and demand that they march faster, but a single look at the soldier¡¯s faces and it was easy to tell that such a thing was an impossible task. The men were exhausted. They had marched throughout half the night only catching glimmers of sleep. Their haste was approaching the point of recklessness, but with his promise to Shingen and the lives of thousands of civilians on the line, Gengyo was reluctant to slow down.

    "We need Uesugi to know that we¡¯re here. We need to rm him. We need to stop him without moving," Gengyo said, twisting his lips as he pondered that seemingly impossible problem. "Jikouji, have the men set up their tents. We will camp here."

    "But Miura, it¡¯s midday attest! We can push on further than this. There are lives at stake," Jikouji said indignantly and it was easy to tell that Yamagata and Yamamoto shared the same opinion. They were anxious for action.

    "Look at the men, Jikouji. They¡¯re exhausted. I will not force them into battle when they are going mad from sleep deprivation. They are far too valuable assets for us to expend lightly. They have done their part. The rest will be down to us generals and trickery. You will do as I say and all of you will meet with me in my tent when it is done," Gengyo said in a tone that brooked no argument, staring Jikouji down. Finally, the old warrior dipped his head, managing to set aside his anxious will to move.

    "As you say, my lord," he said, moving away on his mount, barking the orders to the men.

    Gengyo watched the confusion on the soldier¡¯s faces as they dropped their packs to the ground, but the relief was obvious there too. He could tell, from the way they were walking, that the only thing on their mind from the moment they had woken up was going back to sleep. There had been a painfulck of conversation. Morale was dead and they walked like an army of ghouls towards the hope of rest.

    The Daimyo caught Akiko¡¯s eye as he looked past the men and he saw her nod approvingly. She was growing an adept hand at war. She was able to keep her emotions in check and calcte appropriately so that she might understand her husband¡¯s conclusions. In that sense, she had a hold above the older warriors.

    Rin noticed the exchange and looked between the two of them with a hint of confusion. "What?" She asked, irritated that she was being left out of something.

    "Nothing," Akiko said with a smile, knowing it would irritate her friend further.

    The two of them spent their time quarrelling as tents were erected around them, within the ghostly confines of the abandoned vige. The men went to their beds still full in their armour, too tired to care about attempting to loosen it. The sun was still high in the sky and there was plenty of daylight to spare.

    Gengyo made his way to his tent ahead of his men. His war table had been set up and the map had been spread across it with bowls full of pieces ced either side, ready to be used. A soldier was still busying himself preparing the rest of the tent as Gengyo sat down in his chair at the head of the table.

    The p trembled after him and Jikouji came in ahead of the rest, taking his seat by Gengyo¡¯s side.

    "Apologies," the old man said quietly, now that there was no one around to hear. "I should not have questioned you like that. I know you would note to such a decision lightly. I am too invested in the lives of people that are not even my own. I have embarrassed myself through it."

    "It might have been best if you had saved that apology," Gengyo said, wearing his joking grin, "it still might happen that we are unable toe up with a solution and thousands of woman and children will be ughtered as a result of my carelessness."

    Jikouji stared at him, stunned. "You do not mince your words, do you boy?"

    "I aim to please," Gengyo replied, setting aside his morbid predictions as Yamagata and Yamamoto joined them with Rin and Akiko behind and Morohira and Rokkaku to the rear. He busied himself setting the pieces in ce, ording to what their scouts hadst told them.

    "Well," he said atst, after a silence had reigned for a time. "We are faced with a problem: how do we stop the Uesugi army without moving our own? My best estimate is that we have, say, six hours to hit upon a solution. Every hour after that and there will be another vige burned."

    The generals clenched their fists hearing the facts and the stared intensely at the board, willing a solution to manifest itself.

 Chapter 287 - Solution

    Their foreheads were wrinkled in concentration. A single slither of sunlight slipped in to light their dark tent. It felt like it was already mid-evening. It was a difficult problem they were presented with and the time they were given to solve it feltrgely insufficient.

    Men like Morohira who thought with their swords struggled more than the rest. It was rare that he and Rokkaku sat for so long in one ce, attempting toe up with answers. They were the quickest to voice ideas, but their solutions were simple because of it.

    "We attack them," Morohira said with confidence, mming his fist down on the table. "Even if it¡¯s just the few of us, we can unsettle them a bit, get them scared and shivering. They would have to pause their march then."

    "They might pause their march to deal with us," Gengyo agreed a thoughtful look on his face, "but that would not take long. We would have to hold off a whole army for an entire day. I can not see that happening. We could halt their march for an hour at most. It simply isn¡¯t long enough."

    "Not to mention how reckless it is," Yamagata said, digging his fingernails into his palm. He had more to lose than many of them, but even he could see no merit in a pointless death.

    "Then we kill someone that matters," Rokkaku put in, supporting his friend, having been convinced by the idea already. "We assassinate a general or we cut off that Kenshin¡¯s head. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard, should it?"

    "You mean infiltrating the ranks of a moving army and getting close enough to a man that matters so that we could take his life, and then ¨C assuming that we manage it ¨C we escape as an army of twenty five thousand men closes in on us," Gengyo asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "...When you put it like that, maybe not. Do we not have any sake? This thinking is making me thirsty," Rokkaku said, looking around for a servant or for a jug, but he could find nothing.

    "Aye! A nice cup of sake, that will get the gears oiled enough to start turning. You¡¯ll see the ideas starting then," Morohira seconded.

    Jikouji shook his head in exasperation. "No sake," he said firmly, raising his hand with an idea of his own. "Fire is the only idea that keeps running its way through my mind. Fire or explosives, they¡¯re the only thing that such a massive army will have to bow to and respect."

    "A wall of me, is it?" Yamagata murmured, stroking his chin. "We would need a wall so long that they cannot get around it and a me that burned for so long that they would not dare to pass it. I can¡¯t see Kenshin merely looking at that and deciding to set up camp. Any sane man would sense danger and aim to pierce through it, not wishing to risk encirclement."

    "I didn¡¯t say anything about a wall," Jikouji retorted, "only something to attract their attention." He turned to Gengyo then, an exasperated look on his face. "Do you not have any ideas, Miura?"

    "Ideas? Plenty," Gengyo assured him. "But a n has yet to form."

    "Well, share with us your ideas," Jikouji begged, "it doesn¡¯t seem like we are getting anywhere on our own. This is your area of expertise, is it not?"

    Yamagata and Yamamoto looked towards their new Daimyo curiously. They had not known him to be a man of novel ideas, though they had of course heard the stories. They judged him to be a warrior above all else.

    "That¡¯s right, Nii-san, what are we doing here?" Rin asked. "When we need an idea or a n, it¡¯s always you thates up with it. We¡¯ve never been good at that. Have we, Akiko?"

    "Well, I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ve never had to be particrly good at it, because Tadakata solves problems that we do not even know exist. You¡¯re giving us a chance, is that not so, Tadakata?" Akiko asked, turning her head towards him, herrge brown eyes almost hypnotic as they rested on him.

    "We can assume that the Uesugi scouts already know where our army is," Gengyo said, choosing to ignore their questions and instead restating the facts that they already knew, hoping that they would present themselves in a new shape and pattern. "There is a respectable woond here," he ced his finger on the map, "and if I judge rightly, the Uesugi army should at least be passing it even if they do not dare to risk ambush by passing through it."

    "Large enough to hide a whole army, that¡¯s for sure," Yamagata said absent-mindedly, his voice tired.

    Gengyo stared at him in a hard silence as the dots began to connect in his head. "That, Yamagata, is brilliant."

    "Sorry...?" The man looked back at him in a daze.

    "We are a force that thrust ourselves on the scene suddenly. From Uesugi¡¯s perspective, we might have appeared out of nowhere. If there were to be the potential for a new army ¨C one that he had not yet heard of ¨C his newfound experience would force him to respect it," Gengyo said enthusiastically, his voice running faster than it normally might.

    "You would have us pretend to be this new army?" Yamagata asked, squinting his left eye, beginning to understand the strategy that was being unveiled.

    "We have a hundred men that we can use. Horse owning men, that rode here. Put one of our rifles in the hands of those men and they would create enough noise to answer for thousands," Gengyo said, grinning wildly.

    "We put those men in the forest, have them fire at the Uesugi when they approach. They won¡¯t be able to march on and ignore us, else they would be risking an attack to their rear. They would be forced to deal with us. Perfect!" Jikouji finished, mming his fist on the table and wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

 Chapter 288 - The Forest

    They took the men with the deftest hands and set them about embroidering several new banners. They hit upon a mon for their new n almost immediately. Nothing was more fitting than the sly coils of a grinning snake all embalmed in red. Its tongue was almost as long as itself ¨C a thoroughly despicable image.

    They had thempleted at speed as they prepared their selection of men to set out for the forest. As they worked, the entire camp slept, a deep and undisturbed sleep. If they could prolong battle until the following day, Gengyo was certain that they would hold an advantage.

    Each man took two rifles, both of them fully loaded, so that they might unleash twelve shots without having to pause and reload. It would certainly be enough to cause some havoc. They loaded bamboo packs with a disgusting amount of ammunition, eliminating the problem of running out.

    It was Takeshi they had to thank for those supplies. No doubt the little smith was hard at work back in the capital, preparing the defences for the Hojo invasion.

    As they prepared, they had the scouts continually sent out, receiving regr updates on the Uesugi position. They managed to take out the Uesugi eyes that had been set on them, granting themselves a short window of action, before the loss of the scouts would be noticed and suspicion would be raised.

    By then, Gengyo and his army of a hundred had set out on their horses, pushing the beasts into a furious gallop. The paths they chose were uneven and overgrown with plenty of low hanging branches barring their way, but they could choose no over course else they would risk revealing themselves to the enemy.

    The sun was falling in the sky and soon the sky horizon would be lit up in an orange glow. There were still a few hours of daylight left ¨C more than enough time for the Uesugi army to make its assault on the nearest vige. Before then though, they would have to pass Gengyo¡¯s forest.

    They made their arrival with hardly any time to spare. There was a bend in the wide road that the Uesugi army would have to pass and after that, they would have a clear view of the forest.

    "Get the banners up!" Gengyomanded, hurriedly tying his horse to a tree deeper into the forest, hefting one of the bamboo banners off the side of the horse. They had sharpened the end of it into apoint and with a slight jump to lend himself power, he thrust it deep into the ground.

    The men ran next to him, heading further down the tree line to nt more banners into the earth. When they were finished, there were fifteen swaying banners all with that mon of theughing snake, covering the entire length of that tree line.

    They finished their preparations just in time and headed near twenty metres deeper into the forest, where the undergrowth was thick enough to hide them. They put their second rifles to the side of them and took aim with the other, all but invisible to those outside of the forest.

    "Hold your fire until given themand," Gengyo whispered. The order was quickly whispered down the line as one man turned to the other and then men nodded. He noticed that their barrels were steady, and that they were calm. He was d of that. They were soldiers of position and leaders of men, through that they had earned the honour of riding a horse at the front.

    The clopping of hooves and the stamping of feet sounded in the distance. Banners were held high in the sky, peeking over the tops of the high grass that grew either side of that wide dirt road, with its deep trenches that the carts had left.

    The first horse¡¯s head made its way past the corner, snorting against the bit in its mouth. The rider held his reigns with a single hand, proudly keeping a bamboo banner held straight with the other as the base rested against a support in the saddle.

    Behind him there came another two men, fully armoured with only their helmets removed, stern looks on their faces, maintaining that threateningly slow swagger keeping their horses at a slow walk so as to keep pace with the infantry.

    After those two was another five. Then ten. Then twenty, until a whole column of furious cavalry was revealed along with their leader in the centre of it all. Just like Nobunaga had attempted to imitate, the real Uesugi Kenshin kept his head tied in a flowing white cloth that fell down to his shoulders. His personal guard surrounded him in their purple armour, oozing casually violent auras.

    The army never seemed to end. That column of cavalry continued until the whole road was filled with thousands of them and then came the marching infantry. Katana wielding samurai followed by spear-wielding peasants.

    It did not take them long to notice the snake banners that had been set up along the line of the forest. A man to Kenshin¡¯s left pointed towards them and a frown settled on his lips. Seeing that look on his face, even from that distance, it made the veteran warriors of the Miura army grin.

    "We¡¯ve irritated him," Gengyo said with satisfaction.

    "This is the best thing we¡¯ve ever done," Morohira stated without reserve. There were few feelings more powerful than halting a mammoth army of thirty thousand men with a mere hundred.

    Kenshin held up his hand and his whole army paused a few hundred metres from the edge of Gengyo¡¯s forest. As eager as their fingers were to squeeze the trigger, the optimal timing for their shots stilly in the future.

    The Uesugi Daimyo spoke to his men and settled on a course of action. A group of brave scouts brought their horses to the front, volunteering for the dangerous task of investigating the unexplored territory.

 Chapter 289 - A Few Shots

    Twenty hors.e.m.e.n came forward cautiously, bringing their horses towards the edge of the tree line, searching for a trap. Without stepping into the forest, they did not stand a chance of uncovering Gengyo¡¯s men.

    Gengyo rested his rifle on his stumped forearm, squinting his eye as he looked down the sight, waiting for the hooves to cross the line and enter the forest. One of the hors.e.m.e.n turned their heads back, looking for reassurance from Kenshin. The man nodded his head, motioning for them to go forward.

    They proceeded more confidently, driving their horses into a slow trot.

    The crackle of gunfire pierced the air. A single shot from Gengyo¡¯s barrel. His men were disciplined and did not jump to unleash their rounds in a panicked frenzy. They hardly flinched, remaining motionless, as that leading man slumped in his saddle, his blood having spattered against his horse with a handsome exit hole filling the back of his head.

    The horses spooked at the sounds of the shot and sought to flee. It took the soldiers a time to get them under control again. By then, they too had lost the conviction to follow their man to the grave.

    Curious heads were turning throughout the entire Uesugi army and whispers broke out. They had never seen that mon of the snake. Was there an army hiding in there, or but a single man?

    Kenshin turned to one of his generals and spoke an order. The general nodded in receipt and began to bark orders to the men. A further eighty or so soldiers came to join the initial exploration party.

    "He¡¯s calling our bluff. Prepare yourselves ¨C make every bullet count," Gengyo said, slotting a bullet back into his rifle.

    "If a man sees us, he can not be allowed to live," Jikouji reminded them.

    "Rx old man. No one is surviving this," Rokkaku assured him. With the branches that he had brought down to cover himself, therge warrior was one with the ground, perfectly camouged. It would be impossible to locate him from their distance.

    The party of a hundred cavalrymen drew their swords and two of them hefted up an Uesugi banner. They galloped at the tree line, roaring obscenities, lowering themselves into the saddle in a futile attempt at ducking.

    The leaves of the outmost trees swished as the soldiers passed them. It must have been a signal, for a split secondter, the sound of shots began to ring out.

    A man took a bullet to his chest and blood shed. He nced nonchantly at his wound, opening his mouth to let loose a battle cry, revealing a row of bloodied teeth. His horse began to charge faster out of fear and though there were still several metres between him and Gengyo¡¯s line of soldiers, it looked like he might make it.

    That was, until, two separate bullets from two separate marksmen tore open chunks of his face and sttered brains onto his well-kept armour.

    His fellow men faired no better. The sound of bullets did not stop for a single moment. Men and horses alike were filled with metal. They fell uselessly into the dirt, their corpses skidding as they kicked up dirt.

    The men were far from being a bad shot. Not a single one of them misced a bullet, though some fell short of their marks and shattered hands rather than ribs, forcing bold warriors to drop their swords.

    As soon as their shot left the barrel, they pulled back the hammer to line up another. The sound was deafening and their ears rung and the scent of charred gunpowder hung in the air. It was a sound they had grown used to though and not a single Uesugi soldier managed to reach them.

    Only a handful of them still lived, groaning through their death rattles, or trapped on the floor under the immense weight of their horses. A few mercy shots ended their mour and then the world went silent once more.

    In truth, the men had not stood a chance. Their numbers were equal, but the massacre was entirely one-sided. Gengyo¡¯s men did not even need to move onto their second rifle and they had treated the attack with a casual contempt, knowing that they only needed to kill but a single man each and the victory would be theirs.

    The stench of defeat began to sink in for Kenshin as it became evident that his men would not be returning. He was forced to deal with the possibility that a force of a worthy number had set up its camp within that forest. They could number upwards of a thousand. It could even be more.

    Kenshin was an ambitious man, but he was certainly no fool. His many battles with Takeda Shingen had taught him the value of patience. He had wanted to make a statement and begin his piging of the viges that very day, to lure the Takeda remnants in action. But that n was foiled and he realized that he would be a fool to push it.

    Rather than the forest, he was looking at thend around him, trying to make a decision as to what he might do next. The road was bordered by fields of grass and weeds and bushes that came up past the neck. Aside from that, it wasrgely open, to both them and the enemy.

    Kenshin made his decision. They could not make camp here. "Burn it," he said to his generals.

    Gengyo and his men slid fresh bullets in their rifles, loading them back to their maximum capacity, not knowing the problem that was about toe their way. They had their horses ready to leave at but a moments notice and with that came a confidence.

    The Uesugi forces began to buzz into action as the supply carts were brought from the rear all the way to the front. Greenwood wrapped in cloth was plunged into the oil and set alight and the men set towards the forest.

 Chapter 290 - Fire

    "Our n might have been foiled," Gengyo admitted grimly. There were still a few hours of daylight left. They needed to keep the Uesugi army upied until night fell.

    Hors.e.m.e.n ran along the tree line, carrying caskets of oil, drenching the ground in it. They covered the entire perimeter.

    "That won¡¯t be enough, will it?" Jikouji said with a frown. "Something so primitive shouldn¡¯t be enough to push us back."

    "As unwilling as I am to admit it, I think it just might. If we stay here much longer, then we will be burned alive in support of our n. But, we can stall a little while at least. Prepare to move forward, men," Gengyo said, sliding out from the undergrowth, using the trees to cover him. "As soon as anyone gets close with a torch, he¡¯s taking a bullet."

    "There¡¯s risk in that," Yamagata warned. "We might find ourselves diving through a wall of me."

    "We will split up, get ourselves into that long grass. We can keep them on their toes for a while," Gengyo replied. "That is what we will aim for. Cut free the horses ¨C we won¡¯t be needing them."

    "...We¡¯re cutting off our escape route?" Yamagata asked, his voice doubtful.

    "Something like that," Gengyo grinned. "Some guerri warfare so that we might better enjoy this pleasant afternoon. We will position ourselves along the road and reign fire on some of the more important men. They will have to burn down the entire countryside if they hope to find us."

    "That means you¡¯re going for my n? Ha! I told you I was a genius ¨C it¡¯s about time you started listening," Morohira said.

    "I¡¯m suddenly starting to have doubts," Jikouji said dryly, before motioning to a few of the soldiers, indicating that they should go and free the horses as Gengyo had said. "Torch bearer," he said then, pointing at a man riding forward with a ming stick in hand, ready to set the entire forest on fire.

    Gengyo raised his rifle about to shoot, but there was a booming crackle to his left, and the man fell to the earth long before he reached the oil. Gengyo turned around to see Akiko with her rifle raised and a satisfied smile on her lips. "Don¡¯t forget about us," she reminded him.

    "I will take Rin and Akiko with me and you men, from there to there. Jikouji, you lead another squad. Rokkaku, father, you take another. Yamagata, Yamamoto, you take the final one. As soon as the sun goes down, make your way back through the fields. We will meet back at the encampment," Gengyo said as he pointed at a selection of men for his squadron, dividing his forces up quickly and efficiently. "We will be impossible to find in smaller groups. Those fields are vast and that grass is long. If you move carefully, we will not find a problem."

    The men nodded as he gave them their orders, suddenly growing serious. They began to make their way to the side of the forest where the grass had crept up to the line of trees and where they could make their exit without being seen.

    As they busied themselves making their escape, the Uesugi men brought forward their archers and brandished arrows coated in cloth and oil before setting them alight and drawing back their strings.

    By then Gengyo and his men had already made their way into the field, still as arge group. They pointed fingers and indicated with their heads before each squadron set off in different directions.

    They heard the mour of hooves and the snorting of horses as their mounts fled through the forest and raced out in front of the Uesugi army, almost taunting them as they disappeared down the road in a cloud of dust.

    It was not a moment too soon as a volley of ming arrows flew into the air, setting the oil ame. Within the space of a second, the whole perimeter of the forest was engulfed in fire. Its fingers crept high and tickled the lower branches of the trees, already charring the greenwood and looking forward to spreading its hot terror.

    Seeing it grow so powerful so quickly, Gengyo was immediately d that he had not tried to prolong their stay inside the forest. Even the grass that surrounded the forest was growing ck, but it would not catch a me, it only smouldered.

    He heard the Uesugi men cheer as they watched the red snake banners catch fire and burn. That had been the first real confrontation of their campaign, and their leader had dealt with it with swift contempt. Their morale was high.

    If they had known what manner of predator was lurking in the grass, they might not have felt quite so safe. With two rifles each and a bamboo pack filled with ammunition, Gengyo and his men crept through the grass in a low crouch,pletely hidden, heading in the direction they knew the road to be.

    Elsewhere the other squadrons attempted to do much the same. Birds that watched high up in the sky saw through their creeping and could tell that the four groups had fallen into a rough circle, surrounding the road on both sides, as Morohira took advantage of a bend to cross the wide-open track, hidden from view.

    Kenshin did not move straight away. He stared suspiciously at the forest, wondering why he did not hear screams or see men running through the mes. It was not until he watched the me spread right to the heart of the forest that he found himself satisfied. Whatever had chosen to stay in there would be long dead, he knew.

    He nodded to one of his generals and the order was passed down. By the front, they began their march once more, leaving the excitement of the forest behind them, having watched both the birth and death of the red serpent faction, never knowing who it was that they had killed.

 Chapter 291 - Mission

    Gengyo and his men skulked through the fields as the massive Uesugi army began to move once again. Their pace was that of a snail and it was easy for Gengyo to work his way into a position to ambush them.

    "Here," Gengyo said, kneeling to a crouch, a few metres away from the road. It was close enough to afford a view, but like a set of blinds, they were invisible to the outsiders.

    Rin and Akiko kneeled beside him, the butts of their rifles against their shoulders and their eyes squinted ready to shoot. Their secondary rifles hung loosely by their sides, held upright by a leather strap that wormed its way between their b.r.e.a.s.ts.

    One slow step at a time the mammoth army came towards them. There was only one man that Gengyo truly saw worth in aiming for. A single bullet through his head, and they would end a war before the battles even begun.

    He followed the lines of Rin and Akiko¡¯s barrels and it seemed they had much the same idea. Their men surrounded them in a crescent, delicately avoiding trampling too much of the grass.

    Further down that same road, the Jikouji party had found a position for themselves as well. They had torn up some of the grass by the roots and threaded it between the cracks in their armour. It was a technique that he remembered Gengyoing up with, when they had infiltrated an Oda castle all those moons ago.

    As confidently as a surfacing whale, Kenshin ced himself within Gengyo¡¯s sights, with nothing to protect him. His head lookedrger then and Gengyo squeezed his trigger, certain that the shot was to hit.

    His bullets disturbed stalks of grass as it sliced through them, neatly aiming for Kenshin¡¯s head. But by the Gods own decree, a man had ced himself in that path. A mounted man, approaching his Lord with a question. The bullet tore through the man¡¯s skull and like a squeezed gr.a.p.e, his red juices ended up all over his Daimyo.

    Gengyo¡¯s shot was the signal and the rest of the men began to release their bullets, all of them aiming for Kenshin. The bullets came from both sides of the road, from both near and far. It was chaos for both the attackers and the defenders. Words could barely be heard above the crackle of gunfire.

    "PROTECT THE LORD!" A man screamed with all his heart, drawing his sword and putting himself between Kenshin and another bullet. His brown leather armour was sullied almost immediately. A hole opened its way up at the back leaving a horrific exit wound. To his credit, the man still stood strong on his horse, refusing to budge. He truly was a wall. Two more bullets collided with him before he finally keeled over in his saddle.

    And yet there was another man to take his ce. Kenshin¡¯s own bodyguard. Men that had sworn more than just their lives to their Lord. There was a solid minute of carnage, when Kenshin¡¯s horse bucked and nayed in fear, and the man himself was startled. He could not quickly locate the attackers, for they were everywhere. Nor could he run away to save himself, for the attackers were nearby and any man that got close would be filled with bullets.

    When the shots finally ended, there were more than a hundred men dead at Kenshin¡¯s feet, surrounding him in a circle.

    "FIND THEM!" Kenshin bellowed, seizing the opportunity. "INFANTRY, COMB THE FIELDS! ARCHERS, FIRE SHOTS AHEAD OF THEM! CAVALRY, TRAMPLE EVERY BLADE OF GRASS AND WASH THESE COWARDS OUT!"

    The warlord was red with fury at the dishonourable attack and he was forced to give orders before he truly had chance to think up an optimal solution.

    The men were about to move, but then they were returned to hell. Gengyo and his men switched to their second rifles and once more put their eyes down the sight and pulled back their hammers to unleash near six hundred bullets between them.

    The infantry dove to the floor in fear. The shooters had begun to spread their loads throughout the entirety of the ranks and men that thought themselves safe were copsing backwards, having been granted a glimpse of their own churned guts.

    Even Kenshin dismounted his horse and ttened himself against the mud, seething with anger. Who were these men, to force a man like him to push his face in the dirt? There was no worse insult to his pride.

    His own men copsed backwards on top of him, giving their lives to take a bullet in his name. He was forced to soak up their blood, unable to move. It washed through the cracks of his armour and soaked through his clothes, warm and ufortable against his skin.

    This time, when the bullets finally ended, the men did not dare move.

    "Let¡¯s go," Gengyo said, taking Akiko by her hand, leading them back into the grass. He hoped that Jikouji and the rest would have the sense to do the same.

    They attempted to reload as they ran, but it was a troublesome business and they lost a few bullets for it. It was an entire ten minutes before Kenshin regained control of his army. Even then, they had not fully lost their fear. They stared at the grass mistrustfully, flinching at the slightest of noises caused by the breeze.

    The men had to dig their Daimyo out from beneath a pile of bodies and once he was finally free, they found themselves wishing they could put him back. They had never seen their Lord in such a foul mood.

    The four parties were deep within the grassy fields by now, forever hidden. They moved in a crouch for miles until their backs ached from the position. But that achiness could not wash away the satisfaction. They had achieved their mission, as impossible as it was, and they knew the Uesugi army would not be moving for a time at least.

 Chapter 292 - Return

    Gengyo¡¯s squad was the first to arrive back. Their feet were wet with all the streams they had to walk through, but their spirits were high. The camp was still asleep when they hade back under the cover of darkness, but there were a few men about, sitting by campfires, warming a bowlful of soup before dropping back into bed.

    Those men noticed theming back in and their curiosity demanded that they not let them pass quietly.

    "What has happened, my Lord?" A samurai asked boldly, lowering his head, holding a bowl full of soup in one hand.

    "No viges will be burning today. Tell your Takedarades to rejoice," Gengyo told him, patting him on his shoulder, before turning his back on the man and resuming his wait for the other groups. It would only be a sessful mission if they all managed to return safely.

    "Nii-san, a scout just came in," Rin told him. "He says that the Uesugi are still searching the fields. Apparently, they keep sending arrows into the sky. It looks like they might run out at this rate."

    "Haha! We¡¯ve angered him," Gengyo chuckled, picturing the scene in his head. "Have they found anyone?" He asked, his voice more serious.

    Rin shook her head slowly. "We¡¯re not sure. Whilst he was there, he did not see anything."

    Gengyo grimaced slightly, but it was to be expected. "They are leaving us in quite the amount of suspense. I suppose this is the downside of arriving first."

    "They¡¯ll be fine," Akiko assured him. "You should rest too. You intend to battle on the morrow, do you not?"

    "Aye..." Gengyo said slowly, stroking his chin. "The Uesugi are making that battle rather easy for us. Shingen will be grinning as he looks down on us. It must feel good to see the man that stalled your ambition running around as angry as a child. We will crush Kenshin, I have no doubt. Our men are far stronger now. Eight thousand is more than enough. I will wait. It will have no effect on the end result."

    "Allow me to fetch you something to eat then," Akiko said atst, her hand on his chest. "You must keep strong," he saw her eyes flicker towards the stump of his hand.

    "You need not worry so much, little Akiko. Tomorrow it will be me that takes Kenshin¡¯s head. Even if I only have one hand, I am stronger than most men with two," he said, cupping her chin.

    "But I will go and get it all the same," she told him, gently kissing his cheek, before she pushed him away and disappeared deeper into the encampment.

    "Guh... Gross," Rin said, sticking her tongue out.

    "There she is. My mature little sister," Gengyo said, ruffling her hair. "You know, I heard Matsudaira is looking for a woman. Perhaps it¡¯s time to end your depressing years of loneliness?"

    "Oh, okay! Sure! Right after I finish puking my guts out," she replied feigning enthusiasm.

    "I know a few healers that might be able to push them back in before the wedding. If that is the only problem, then we will have it arranged," Gengyo stated yfully. "Oh look, Jikouji is back," he said, quickly pointing towards the shapes emerging from the shadows, before Rin could send an angry fist his way.

    Hepletely ignored her as she scowled, fully riled up, opting instead to wee the return of his general. "How goes it, Jikouji? Any injuries?"

    "No injury sustained today can be bigger than the wound we¡¯ve dealt to Kenshin¡¯s pride. The man will need to bathe in the rivers of a volcano if he hopes to wash away this stain," Jikouji said with a menacing grin. "That said, we¡¯re clean. We managed to slip away before they began with the arrows."

    "Good man. What a day we¡¯ve had. It almost makes me crave more problems so that we can enjoy solving them, purely for the sport," Gengyo said truthfully.

    "Best not say that too loud," Jikouji replied seriously, before dropping that mask and allowing a wide grin to take over. "But after today, I might be tempted to agree with you."

    "You¡¯re both terrible," Rin put in, needing to jab at something.

    "That¡¯s my little sister, Rin," Gengyo told Jikouji, as though they had not yet met.

    "Oh? It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Rin," Jikouji said with a light bow, ying along. "By the way, I do not think that Yamagata and Yamamoto will be long. We were positioned rather close to each other." And then once more Rin was forgotten about, unable to give a reply of her own.

    "I think that might be them now," Gengyo said, inclining his head towards the edge of the camp where a new group of shadows entered.

    "We¡¯ve done it!" An older man shouted. "We will defeat the Uesugi army before they can begin their piging! Praise to Miura!"

    Yamagata¡¯s men responded in kind, raising their helmets in cheers. No doubt they were exhausted after the distance they had covered, but their spirits were too high. An impossible situation had been turned into their biggest asset.

    "Wee back, Yamagata, Yamamoto. How did you enjoy your first taste of Miura Tadakata¡¯s strategy?" Jikouji called out to them.

    "Absolutely brilliant. Is this what I¡¯ve been missing out on? I had thought that glory can be found in one on onebat, but if this is the feeling that strategists get when they see their n work out, then might be I¡¯ll have to finally start reading some of those dusty old scrolls," the young warrior Yamamoto said cheerfully.

    "Woah there, don¡¯t get the party started without me," a familiar voice interrupted from behind them and Morohira emerged from the shadows, slightly more battered than the other squadrons.

    "You¡¯re wounded," Gengyo stated. The shaft of a snapped arrow was sticking out of his shoulder.

    "Nothing but a scratch," Morohira replied. "Didn¡¯t manage to outrun those bastard arrows."

 Chapter 293 - Medic

    "We have confirmed that the Uesugi army are not moving, my Lord," one of the scouts told Gengyo as he knelt on one knee in front of him.

    "Good," Gengyo replied with a nod. The dark had reigned for a few hours yet and the men had begun to wake from their sleep and they gathered rowdily around fires to share a meal together before stealing a few more hours of rest.

    The Uesugi men had been so exhausted and demoralised from their fruitless searching, they had set up camp right where they were, in the heart of the wide road and out into the sprawling fields. Their sleep would be fitful, not doubt, fearing whaty out there, lurking behind the long grass.

    It was modest celebrations that were in order for Gengyo and his men. Just enough drink to reward themselves with, but not enough that it would limit their ability in the intended battle in the morning.

    Morohira¡¯s screams pierced through the air as the medic pulled the arrow shaft clean from his chest. The medic had gone white as Morohira squeezed his shoulder. It seemed it would not take much more topletely crush it.

    "I... I need to put some snitches in now," he managed to say. He was a young man, butpetent enough.

    "Do it," Morohira spat, a whole bottle of sake in his hand, using his liquor to dull the pain.

    The medic drew out arge needle with a length of thread attached. He pierced into the skin like it was ayer of cloth and slowly brought it in closer together.

    "Guh..." Rinined turning away.

    "No stomach for it?" Gengyo asked. Both Rin and Akiko were unable to look at it. In fact, they were doing everything they could to block it from their senses, holding their sleeves up to cover the corner of their eyes.

    "It¡¯s disgusting," Akiko asserted, unwilling to even be goaded into looking. For such fearsome fighters that caused such brutality, Gengyo found it amusing that they would still be squeamish about something like this.

    "It¡¯s not that bad," Gengyo said. "It¡¯s just like leather, isn¡¯t it? Only it¡¯s a stretchyyer of human skin. Pretty disgusting, now that I put it like that."

    "Stop... I can imagine it. You¡¯re too cruel, Nii-san. You used to get squeamish just cleaning a fish, so you can¡¯t make fun of us," Rin replied, looking like she might vomit. She had a bowl of rice in her hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other. The chopsticks had not moved in minutes and she was eyeing the rice with distaste, looking like she might throw it over her head at any moment.

    And Morohira¡¯s screams continued. He gritted his teeth, but they still ran out through his teeth. The men that he led had gathered round him, holding him back, secure and firm so that the medic could do his job without fear of being decapitated.

    There were two men on each limb, but when he grunted and his muscles tensed, they had to lock their feet firmly into the floor, otherwise he would drag them forward, seeming like he really might break free.

    "I would like to cleanse it with fire," the medic said timidly. "It¡¯s the only way to be sure it stays clean."

    "To hell with it! Set me on fire, you bastard," Morohira replied, sake dripping down his chin. He was thoroughly drunk by now.

    The medic had left a knife in the coals of the fire and when he withdrew it, the metal was glowing red and throbbing. As he approached Morohira with the knife, he struggled all the more, moving his mouth in something that might have approached fear.

    When the knife made contact with the flesh, it let out a sickening sizzle and was punctuated by the most anguished scream imaginable. Akiko and Rin covered each other¡¯s ears wordlessly, unable to stomach the sound much less look at it.

    "It¡¯s done," the medic said finally, taking his knife away from the flesh and taking a few measured paces away from Morohira, and suddenly it was his turn to grow afraid. The eyes of the devil were on him and they were filled with anger. "You can release him now," the medic said in something that was close to a whisper as he turned around and put one leg in front of the other, preparing to run.

    The men released him at once and Morohira threw himself from them. "F.u.c.k that hurt you bastard," he grumbled, locking gazes with the medic, filled with an aggressive adrenaline. It was the only thing keeping the pain at bay, but it demanded some sort of retribution for the damage that had been caused to his body.

    The medic began to run and Morohira ran after him. It was like watching a sheep try to run away from a tiger. With a few quick bounds Morohira had closed the gap and had lowered his shoulder about to tackle him.

    "Careful! You¡¯ll undo your stitches!" The medic shouted desperately, right before he hit. And then they collided and he was sent flying with the force of a bull, Morohira on top of him. Gruff yet nervousughter broke out from the men. It was certainly amusing seeing their young medic tossed around like a ragdoll, but there was something unnerving about the ease with which Morohira did it.

    Morohira brought back his fist, for another instance of revenge, but from the tackle alone the young medic had been knocked out cold. "Pah," Morohirained, shaking his head, getting up from his prey. Rokkaku was at his side. "It hurts like a bitch, Rokkaku."

    "Pretty funny, though," his friend replied with a merciless grin.

    "You bastard." Suddenly, Morohira had a new target for his rage and the two of them fell to the floor in a wrestling match, covering their clothes in dust, absolutely no regard for the stitches that had just been put into Morohira¡¯s chest.

 Chapter 294 - March

    When dawn came, the army was ready for battle. An army armed with nought but rifles and swords ¨C they no longer had need of spears. Any cavalry charge would be disrupted adequately by their barrage of bullets.

    It was a cloudless sky that greeted them that day. The air was dry and warm. It would be a sweat ridden battle.

    Morale was high as the men shared jests, falling into formation. For a number of them, it was their first battle, but the self assured aura of the veteran men and the generals that led them had a calming effect and their nervousness did not win out.

    A horse came galloping in as thest of their tents were felled. Gengyo noted the scout and trailed off in his conversation with Jikouji, waiting for the man to pull up and speak his part.

    "They are only beginning to stir now, my Lord. Their morale is low and Kenshin is nowhere to be seen," the scout told him.

    "Guh, is that to say that this will just be us butchering them? Where¡¯s the fun if there¡¯s no resistance?" Morohirained, overhearing him.

    "Overconfidence could cause problems in itself. I do not think Kenshin will disappoint us," Gengyo said, feeling for the rapier that he had sheathed on his hip, almost nervous. He had practised in the quiet with the new de and he knew his skill to be adequate, but with the loss of a hand, he could not charge forth with the same confidence that he¡¯d had before. "You have done well. Go and see the cooks ¨C they¡¯ve saved food for you."

    "Thank you, my Lord," the scout said, driving his horse away.

    "Be careful, Tadakata," Akiko said quietly once the scout was out of earshot. Her eyes were pointed towards the stump where his hand used to be and her point was obvious.

    He gave her a warm smile. "It is me that should be saying that to you. My child is in your stomach. A battlefield is not the ce for you now," he told her, knowing full well how she would reply. They had spoken much the same conversation just the night before.

    "If it is a boy, then a baptism on the battlefield will make him stronger. He will grow to be even stronger than his father," Akiko said. "And if it is a girl, it will be just the same. She will be as fierce as Rin."

    "Auntie Rin," Rin corrected. "No pup is going to overtake me though. Not without three lifetimes of training."

    "Three weeks training," Gengyo corrected. "That is my child you are talking about."

    "Heh, already boasting about your kid, are you boss?" Rokkakuughed. "I¡¯ve got three boys, I can tell you it¡¯s not as exciting as it seems. The oldest is uh... ten? Or was it nine? Anyway, they¡¯re quite on thezy side. Don¡¯t really do much. Can¡¯t even handle a drink with their old man. Boring, I¡¯d say."

    Gengyo blinked back at him, dumbfounded, and the rest of them fell into an uncertain silence. "Rokkaku... you were trying to get your kids drunk on sake?" Gengyo asked hesitantly.

    "Yeah, why? What are you all looking at? There¡¯s nothing strange about it. My old man had me on the rice wine ever since I started talking," Rokkaku stated defensively.

    "That exins a lot," Rin put in.

    "Agreed," Akiko seconded.

    "...Shall I rally the men before Rokkaku says something else?" Jikouji asked, looking like he wanted to forget everything that had been said in the past two minutes.

    "The honour is yours," Gengyo told him. With a nod of his head, Jikouji began riding out to the side of the column.

    "<i>Alright you little bastards! We¡¯ve got a short march ahead of us and if any of you start falling behind and you feel something up your arse, that¡¯ll be my boot! By the front, quuickkkkkkk march</i>!" Jikouji shouted enthusiastically and the men at the front stepped out together, entirely coordinated and began a swift march down the road.

    "I thought your boots were looking a little bit dirty today, Jikouji. And it¡¯s no wonder, with you going around kicking people up the arse," Rokkaku said once he had returned.

    "Miura, if you pair me with Rokkaku today, I cannot promise that I won¡¯t kill him," Jikouji said solemnly.

    "A risk I¡¯m willing take," Gengyo responded with a smile. The strap of his helmet had been tied tightly under his chin, to the point where it was ufortable. He used the few fingers he had to loosen it, allowing the straps to hang unrestrained. His forehead was already coated in sweat and with the heavy armour on his back and chest, he was thoroughly ufortable. "I hope this battle is quick," he said looking up at the orange sun doubtfully.

    "I¡¯ll do my best," Morohira said, "but there¡¯s only so much one man can do. Maybe if you lot finally pitch in and do some work, we might just finish it a little bit faster."

    "The two of you today..." Rin began, exasperated. "Can you not choose another time to be idiots? You shouldn¡¯t even be here, dad, what about your stitches?"

    ???Healed," Morohira replied gruffly.

    "That¡¯s just not possible," Rin said, shaking her head.

    "But it¡¯s healed," Morohira said again, unwilling to concede the point.

    Their light conversation continued as the road began to widen, enough for four carts to be pulled together side by side. A stream flowed gently nearby, it¡¯s cold waters drawing many tempting eyes from the marching column as they imagined the satisfaction of cooling themselves inside it.

    With a whole army at their backs, it took Gengyo far longer to reach the Uesugi encampment than it did just the day before. The sun was at its highest point when they rounded a familiar bend in the road and hit upon the charred remains of the forest. The Uesugi army had begun their own march, but their banners were visible on the horizon.

 Chapter 295 - Retreat

    They sent their army into a faster march and they held their banners with their red feathers high and proud, forecasting theiring. They were gaining on the Uesugi rear with haste and it did not take that collosal army long to notice theiring.

    The terrain was ill suited to battle. The road was far from wide enough to allow the Uesugi men to fan out into their preferred formation and the grass was too long for them tofortably branch out into it.

    Instead, their formation was like that of a snake. When Gengyo stood a kilometre away along that road, he called his men to a halt.

    "Perfect," he eximed. There was no space for manevouring, which left the advantage with him and his gunmen who only needed a straight and clear shot to send their enemies to the grave. There was a confidence within his chest as he reviewed the facts.

    Kenshin barreled his way to the front of his men, in a thoroughly foul mood. They had searched the remains of the forest they had burned and they had not found a single human corpse. It had be obvious to him that it was all a ruse and that he had been dancing to another man¡¯s seductive tune.

    Even his horse was pawing at the ground and snorting angrily, unwilling to sit still. Kenshin looked upon Gengyo¡¯s army with a thoroughly irritated frown on his face.

    "Is this what killed that bastard Shingen?" He said, asking no one in particr. The irritation grew even more severe when he realized his own nervousness. He had heard news of the battle and he knew that this new yer ¨C this ¡¯Miura¡¯ ¨C was a dangerous man. And he had just fallen into his trap.

    Looking at his soldiers, with thirty thousand at his back, logic stated that his chances of victory were clear. But, it was Miura that had chosen this battlefield and forced them into this standoff. There was only one reason he would do that: he believed he held the advantage.

    Eight thousand men, all of them armed with rifles. No real room to manoeuvre. Running was not an option. But neither was fighting. The battlefield was too unfavourable. He would not willingly walk into another man¡¯s trap.

    "Burn it," he said for the second time in a matter of days. "All of our oil, throw it on this damnable road and out into the fields. We will leave this ce at a fast march and head for the ins."

    "As you say, my Lord," his chief strategist nodded his head in agreement with his Lord¡¯s assessment, and began a chain of orders that soon began a good deal of movement.

    They threw one pot down, shattering it against the floor, literring the road in oil. They did not wait to set it alight ¨C it was done immediately. They allowed that puddle to spit up a tree of me and then the men came to fore with more pots and threw them against the floor, spreading the fire¡¯s wall wide and wider.

    It was not long before it covered the entirety of the road and the Uesugi army was already marching away. A dispatchment of cavalry continued to ride back and forth, returning each time with a pot full of oil. They began to lead the mes out into the field, charring the long grass and threatening to set them in me. Ordinarily, they would burn poorly, but with the immense heat and with theck of recent rain, it was a possibility that the fire might spread beyond the oil.

    Slowly, Gengyo began to p. His meaty palms met each other in a dry disy of approval. "Well done Kenshin, you have avoided a massacre," he said.

    "What now, Miura?" Jikouji asked.

    "We do the only thing we can do ¨C we go round it. We will have to give it a wide birth indeed, lest the me spread and trap us," Gengyo told him.

    "They will be putting distance between us again," Jikouji said with dissatisfaction. "But at the very least, they will not be able to leisurely pige the viges on their way. The men are well rested ¨C we can push them."

    "Exactly," Gengyo agreed. "He is merely prolonging the inevitable. As soon as he works up the courage to engage us, we will crush him, as we must. There is too much to do and too little time to do it. No matter how great amander Kenshin might be, I can not afford to spend too much of my time on him."

    "Our training is superior," Yamagata stated. "We will not struggle."

    "From the lips of a man that has first hand experience with battling Uesugi, that is good to hear," Gengyo said, pulling the reigns of his horse and pushing the animal into the parted grass. Even on horseback, the grass threatened to drown him. The men on foot could do nought but follow the man in front of them.

    There was a small mountain in the distance, small enough to still be coated with green grass, butrge enough that rock peeked out from its cliff faces. He headed towards that mountain, not willing to risk entrapment should the fire choose to spread. Only once he had reached it could his men finally begin forward again, instead of sideways.

    The beating sun was merciless on them as they were forced to continue their march. It was draining beyond belief and dehydrated a man quickly, but with bamboo canteens filled with water, they were able to push through it.

    The going was slow with grass and undergrowth to contend with, but with their sophisticated training, the men were able to maintain a more aggressive pace without yet beginning to g. They were forced to watch as the Uesugi banners disappeared out beyond the horizon and many a man swore to himself that those cowards would pay for their trickery upon the field of battle.

 Chapter 296 - March

    They continued their march in the heat as the Uesugi men raced further and further away. It would have been demoralizing had their anger not reced the energy lost to tiredness. They would fight with a viciousness now, one thatbined with their confidence to forge a clenched steel fist.

    When night came and that beating sun went down, they did not slow. Jikouji had trained them in the most aggressive manner he could conceive. After a full day of rest, they were more than capable of enduring a prolonged march, fuelled by the hope of battle at the end of it.

    The absence of sun did not cool the air as quickly as one would hope, but from the tops of the mountains there now rolled a soothing breeze that slipped through the cracks in their armour and reinvigorated them.

    Miles away, the Uesugi army had found their way to the open ins where the grass made its way only up to the knees and not the neck. They made their camp there, tired as they were, demanding rest for battle.

    The Miura men ate as they marched. The cooks set up a camp of their own and hors.e.m.e.n went racing along the column of marching men to deliver them their food. They did not slow for even a second and as the bright moon made its appearance in the sky, they were finally able to go forward once again, having made their way to the mountain and around the fire that still raged.

    "The men are angry," Yamagata said. "I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. An angry general one might see often enough, but it is rare to see the whole army so insulted."

    "We¡¯ve trained them to be confident as well as strong," Gengyo replied. "They are insulted because they know themselves to be above these Uesugi soldiers. The fact that they have been forced to chase irritates them."

    "Confidence? A dangerous thing to dabble in," Yamagata stated.

    "For a soldier, it is everything. It might encourage a higher degree of recklessness, but that is preferable to the debilitating side effects of fear," Gengyo said.

    "If you can assume that your men will go forward instead of backwards, then in strategy that will be a weight off your shoulders. I look forward to seeing the results of your unusual training on the field of battle," Yamagata said, stroking his chin in thought.

    "The men will not slow until we have shattered Kenshin," Jikouji chipped in. He knew the limits of their endurance better than anyone after constantly pushing them.

    Gengyo looked up at the moon in the centre of the sky. They were into the night and only now had they begun on their road forwards. "It seems that the sun will be out once more by the time we reach them. Feed the men again ¨C we will keep them alert with food in their stomachs and pray that the day of rest they had is enough to get them through. We cannot allow Kenshin to slip any further ahead."

    "The viges grow denser from here. More people to hostage," Yamamoto said grimly, breaking his hours of silence, the worry on his face obvious.

    "A problem that I would much rather not face," Gengyo agreed. He looked to his right and saw Akiko swaying in her saddle, thoroughly exhausted. He smiled lightly on her behalf. She hadn¡¯t had nearly as much sleep as their men after spending the day tormenting Kenshin from inside the long grass. He gently nudged her and she blinked up at him sleepily.

    "Mm... Tadakata?" She said. "I wasn¡¯t sleeping... I was just resting my eyes."

    "Come, share the saddle with me. You will be able to catch a few hours of sleep from there," he told her.

    She was too tired to protest and merely nodded at his urging and jumped agilely from her horse to his, wrapping her hands around his waist and burying her head in his back. Gengyo grabbed the reigns of her horse just before it could wander off and he tied it together with his.

    "Nii-san...." A voice called out from behind him, unusually feeble for Rin.

    "Hm?" He asked as he turned to her.

    "Can I too??? She asked with a sweet smile, blinking her eyes like a baby owl.

    "There isn¡¯t enough room for that..." he began, but after seeing the look on her face, he caved in and sighed. "Fine," he said atst.

    She did not need any further prodding and jumped quickly from her horse onto Gengyo¡¯s. She did not seat herself behind Akiko as he had expected, but instead skipped to the front, in front of Gengyo, seating herself backwards so that she was facing him. Before he could protest, she had buried her head within his chest and curled up to sleep.

    "Guh...." He groaned lightly.

    "Going to be a longer night for you than us, boss," Rokkaku said in a whisper, wearing a sly grin.

    "It seems that way," Gengyo replied, suddenly feeling rather tired himself as he snatched up the reigns of Rin¡¯s horse and tied it to his own.

    The column of men had grown quiet, the only sound was their feet mming onto the earthen ground and trampling down the vegetation. They had spent all their conversation throughout the day and now with the dark sky above them, it felt wrong to speak too loudly.

    They marched throughout the entire night without even beginning to slow. They ascended towering hills and crossed through shallow rivers, all whilst fighting off the symptoms of sleep. When the sun finally peaked out over the horizon and the fingers of its bright rays reached out across thend, they met it with a quiet cheer, birthing a second wind.

    "Mm... Is it morning?" Rin asked, rubbing her eyes and looking sheepishly up at Gengyo.

    "Aye, morning it is, with a breakfast of Uesugi banners," Gengyo replied, seeing the pping purple banners a few miles in the distance. "We made it on time."

 Chapter 297 - Form Up

    The Miura army did not slow for even a moment. They were unwilling to let their prey escape for a second time.

    Seeing them on the horizon as he lifted the p of his tent, Kenshin was stunned. "Did they march throughout the night just to get here? Even then, the pace needed to maintain that march... It¡¯s too much. They will be exhausted."

    He ran his fingers across his jaw as he stroked his chin in thought. Pushing his men to such limits was foolish, that much was obvious. His own men had rested through the entire night, whereas the Miura army had all but jogged for near sixteen hours. Logic dictated that he draw his sword and crush them for their foolishness, but he was hesitant to give that order. Something wasn¡¯t right.

    The Uesugi camp was buzzing to life around him. Men stumbled out of their tents in their kimonos and dunked their heads into water basins, shocking themselves free of thest of their sleepiness, and then they would stumble back inside and buckle on their armour and sheath their swords at their hip.

    "My Lord," one his generals kneeled in front of him. "Your orders?"

    Reluctantly, Kenshin gave themand, still unconvinced that it was the right thing to do. Everything about it stank of a trap, but where did that trap lie? "Form up. We will meet them."

    The general nodded and stood up, holding his helmet by his side. He quickly caught sight of his lieutenants and began to bombard them with a series of orders, preparing them for battle.

    Kenshin¡¯s horse was led in front of him. The peasant soldiers saddled the ck beast and armoured it in the same deep purple armour that he wore. He mounted it absentmindedly, still thoroughly distracted, trying to solve the riddle of this reckless assault.

    With the ins ahead, the Miura army allowed themselves a cheer. Their morale was unusually high for an army that had just spent the entire night marching. They seemed to be even more alert than the Uesugi men who boasted their night of sleep.

    "<i>There¡¯s no escape for the bastards now!</i>" Morohira shouted to the delight of the men around him. They raised their rifles and stamped their feet, mouring for Uesugi blood. "<i>We will trample them!</i>"

    "<i>Begin battle orientation!</i>" Jikouji shouted next, as they grew nearer the short grass of the rolling ins that the Uesugi men had lined themselves up on. With his order, the Miura men found their step and they marched with robotic precision, all eight thousand of themnding a foot at the same time.

    When they stepped onto the battlefield, they did so as a single entity. The ins of the field were surrounded by mountains, making a valley of its own. It caused Gengyo¡¯s heart to pause as he interpreted his own profundity in the setting. "And so we enter the valley of the shadow of death," he muttered, hoping that such an omen did not link his fate to the poem that he had recalled.

    "What was that, Tadakata?" Akiko asked, overhearing him.

    Gengyo shook his head. It would be impossible to exin. "Nothing, my dear. Your soldiers are waiting for you. Keep yourself safe."

    She looked ahead, seeing that Rin had already ridden away to takemand of their units. "You take care of yourself too, Tadakata," she said to him, as she gentlyid a kiss on his cheek. When her heels pressed to the sides of her horse, it lurched forward, and she disappeared in her ck armour, her beauty hidden underneath a heavy helmet.

    The Uesugi army stood a kilometer away across that field, soldiers still running into formation, their helmets and their armour disorganised. It might have been prudent for Gengyo to give the order for them to charge right there and then, but he patiently waited, allowing his own men to adopt the formation that they were so used to.

    They had formed their soldiers into a t line and each general tookmand of several units. In the centre, only Gengyo and the Takeda strategist Yamagata remained.

    "Five thousand cavalry in reserve. He wields them like they are thest arrow of his bow, only sending them in when the kill is certain," Yamagata began to exin the formation they were seeing before them. Behind the main line of infantry, there was thd block of five thousand cavalry that the strategist mentioned. "Seven thousand bow samurai and three thousand bow ashigaru. His understanding of their range and their speed is exceptional. His sense of timing is not something that can be easily mastered." The bowmen stood in front of the infantry with quivers across their backs, ready to deter any attackers that were toe their way.

    "And the infantry? Anything noteworthy?" Gengyo asked.

    "They reflect his approach to warfare. He favours the positional battle. He slowly works his men into better positions, never adhering to a preordained formation for long ¨C he works the position as the battlemands. He moves like a snake and makes his battles slow. You might sink your teeth into his wing and think that you have the victory, but then you feel that he has coiled around you and the battle is over." As Yamagata spoke, he did so with a certain amount of respect that was tempered by hatred. He had fought a fair share of battles against the Uesugi warlord.

    "Troublesome," Gengyo stated. "I favour the tactical battle. A single strong attack with everything behind."

    "As did Lord Shingen. Kenshin is too cautious to allow an attack like that to seed, we must be patient my Lord and try to keep our cards hidden until there is a weakness that we can exploit. If it please you, my Lord, this is the sort of battle that I am used to. I have spent the past decade training myself to deal with this snake," Yamagata said.

    Gengyo looked him hard in the eye. "I will allow you to take the lead then."

 Chapter 298 - Cards

    Kenshin began the engagement just as Yamagata had thought he would. He slowly sent his bow samurai and ashigaru forwards. He paid particr attention to the bow unit that held the right-wing and ordered that they take control of a small mound, a distance away from the rest of the firing line.

    It truly was a small mound and it barely offered any advantage at all, but still Kenshin seized it and ced one of his units there, knowing that they would be better severed for it in the future.

    And then his attention turned to his cavalry and he moved them out from behind the rest of the units and sent them over to the right once more, staring down the open space that was in front of them, taking control of that right nk so that Gengyo would not be able to use it for tactics or strategy of his own.

    It was then that Gengyo truly began to understand Kenshin¡¯s style of war. The suffocation that Yamagata had described became painfully obvious. Kenshin slowly worked to take up more space on the battlefield, to secure more lines for his own men to operate, all whilst starving the enemy of potential ideas of his own.

    "He slowly works up the tiniest of advantages until he has built up a great wall around you. Before you can escape from it, he crushes you," Yamagata exined, having not yet made any movements of his own. "This is the problem with an army like ours ¨C one that isposed of only one style of unit, however versatile it might be. We can not build up the creative position like he can ¨C we can only rely on brute force. And for that, we simply need to make sure we are not outmanoeuvred."

    With a motion of Kenshin¡¯s fan, he finally began to work on positioning his infantry. Two bow units dispatched from the left-wing and went even further leftwards. After them came four katana samurai units whilst the rest went to upy the centre. Kenshin took the fullest advantage of his superiority in numbers.

    "His attack wille for our left-wing. His earlier movements were to stop us fromunching a counter-attack in the centre or on the right," Gengyo noted. Incredibly subtle movements that were extraordinary flexible, before revealing his actual intention and cing the men he needed on the left for an attack.

    "That¡¯s right, my Lord. And in moving our men to counter that attack before it happens, we open ourselves up to further weaknesses that can be exploited with their numerical advantage. As painful as it is to say, we are best served in doing nothing and staying with our t line," Yamagata proposed, already sweating heavily. The pressure of his post and the heat of the sun made for a deadlybination.

    "Hoh," Kenshin muttered to himself, a hint of respect in his voice. Keeping still whilst your enemy busied himself with action was no easy thing to do. It required an understanding of the enemy¡¯s intentions and above all, nerves of steel. Having ced his pieces optimally for the position, Kenshin and hismand centre began forwards themselves, a slow and steady trot upon their horses.

    Still, the Miura army showed no reaction. Rin and Akiko shared a look with each other, continually turning their heads to nce back towards Gengyo, waiting for an order that never came. They were not the only ones. Jikouji and Morohira found themselves unsettled too, unused to theck of movement. It was only Yamamoto that betrayed no hint of unease, for he had fought in this style once or twice before.

    It was left to Kenshin to make the first attack and he took all the time he needed to give the order. Finally, his fan went up into the air and the bow units he had positioned on the far left-wing began forwards. They stood not directly opposite the Miura riflemen, but diagonal to them, so that if the Miura men wished to return fire, they would have to turn slightly and reveal the subtlest of weaknesses in their position.

    "Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease," Yamagata said quietly, having read through what Kenshin??s intentions were. "But other times there is no choice." He gave the signal with his fan and it was echoed down the line and tranted into voice.

    "Turn and face!" Jikouji shouted when it finally reached him. His men turned immediately as a single entity and aligned their barrels with the enemy. Their range exceeded that of a bow and as the bowmen were still walking forward, looking to get close enough to loose a deadly arrow, they had already stepped into the zone of the riflemen. "Fire!" Jikouji barked, swinging his arm forwards. A volley of bullets were shot as a result of his words and a spray of red mist sang into the air.

    Kenshin was quick in reorganising his troops. His fan had been held halfway up all the while in preparation for the order to retreat and so when it was sent and his men began to run backwards out of range, the death toll was insignificant. A hundred men at most ¨C those unlucky enough to be caught up at the front.

    Even with such minimal casualties, Kenshin could not brush them away. He was a man that favoured every tiny advantage he could get.

    He stared long and hard at the enemy and noticed that their rifles were still tight against shoulder and their eyes were still down the sight even though each of them had already released a bullet. It was then that it clicked and he understood.

    "Interesting," he purred, tapping his finger against his thigh as he thought through its significance. "A rifle capable of unleashing multiple bullets before needing to reload. A scary weapon indeed. So that is the source of your confidence, Miura? Understandable. But now that I know your card, I will dance past it and crush you."

 Chapter 299 - Entanglement

    It never took Kenshin long toe up with his decisions on the battlefield. He would pause for minutes at a time to think, and toe up with certain ideas after cing himself in his opponent¡¯s shoes, so that he would be prepared no matter what that reaction might be. In that preparation, he would quickly overwhelm the opponent, having already considered his response before he began his movements in the first ce.

    Kenshin knew his advantages well and he knew his men and now he knew Gengyo¡¯s. To the untrained man, the Uesugi bowman might have been considered useless, for they were hopelessly outranged, and at the point that they did indeed try to get closer, they would be massacred. But in their presence, they controlled space, they limited the opponent¡¯s movements even if they could not attack him directly, all of that pointed towards an advantage.

    He motioned with his hand and swept a dispatchment of a thousand cavalrymen over to the left-wing, still leaving a few thousand to retain an iron grip on the right nk. This time, when he sent his bowmen forward ¨C cautiously still ¨C he had a distinct threat behind it.

    The bow samurai walked forward with measured steps whilst the cavalry left the battlefield in a wide loop, circling entirely out of the Miura soldier¡¯s range. They could have charged in there and then, but they paused just in line with the Miura left nk, a few hundred metres to the side of the soldiers, whilst the Uesugi bowmen stood to the front, right on the edge of their range, pinning them down to that position.

    Jikouji and Morohira began to bristle, thoroughly ufortable with their positioning. There were enemies from too many angles and there were still plenty more toe. It was a psychological warfare as well as a practical one.

    "Venomous," Gengyo proimed, watching it. It was difficult to remain cool when he was so utterly helpless. All he could hope was that he did not lose too much of the advantage before the first engagement when his superior soldiers would be put to work.

    "Indeed," Yamagata said softly, his fingers quivering from nervousness. "This is far harder with so few men. I can not handle our pieces until he makes a mistake."

    "Remain calm, general. Once he stops with his flirting, we will cast all the pieces into the air and destroy order. We will plunge this battlefield into chaos where my men thrive," Gengyo said, nearly confident.

    Yamagata looked at him and nodded slowly. "Aye... I¡¯ll aim for that."

    With the left-wing units in their optimal positions, Kenshin paid his infantry more attention. He marched them up into the centre until they were only ten paces out from the rifle¡¯s range. There they stood bearing down on their enemy, ready to close the distance between them at a moments notice.

    The right-wing bow units went forward too, and then it was the turn of the final unit ¨C the several thousand strong cavalry of the right-wing. It looped around the edge of the battlefield, just as its twin had done on the other side, and it aligned itself with the right nk. This one did not pause once it had met with that perfect position though, it continued past it, until it was behind the Miura lines and then it finally turned with an absurd amount of momentum and prepared to smash into the rear of the Miura infantry.

    Kenshin¡¯s hand swung down and all his perfectly ced pieces activated at once. The cavalry on the left-wing charged into the left nk. The bowmen finally stepped into their own range and they began to knock and draw their arrows. The infantry lowered their spears and held tight their swords and the Uesugi gs swept forward as they roared their battle cries and sprinted forwards without a shred of mercy.

    From all angles, the Uesugi units closed in, targeting weak points and throwing their extreme numbers where it truly mattered, not allowing the Miura men to deal with a single threat before they moved onto the other.

    Kenshin himself began forward with that, moving hismand centre closer to the action, confident enough to wield his own sword if it meant a deceive blow that would lead to victory.

    Finally, Yamagata was allowed to spit orders of his own.

    "<i>Right-wing, right turn! Aim and fire!</i>" He shouted. The right-wing did just that, their morale still high, somehow, despite all the ustrophobic movements of their enemy. They turned on their heels and stamped their feet down together, the front rank kneeling so that the second rank could shoot over the time of them. They stepped out of exact lines just well enough to use the full brunt of their firepower. And then, against the raging heat of a few thousand cavalrymen, they sent their bullets. One pull of the trigger shattered the front charge and sent men and horses copsing. The hammer was pulled back and the trigger was tugged again and hundreds more died. Their fingers moved with a speed that could only be attained as the result of extensive practice and by the time the cavalrymen closed the distance between them, only a few hundred were still yet alive.

    It was a victory no doubt to kill so many men so quickly, but they had no time to celebrate. Arrows had beenunched into the sky and were reigning down on them without mercy. They were still faced off to the side, dealing with the remnants of the calvary when the infantry were about to charge them by the front.

    From every viewpoint of the battlefield, the advantagey overwhelmingly with the Uesugi army. The snake had managed to coil itself tightly and there was truly no room to breathe. The men fought on several fronts at once and were split up from the rest of theirrades, unable to group and force their way through. It was a grim scene for the Miura men.

 Chapter 300 - My Turn

    "Well, my Lord. You have your chaos," Yamagata stated dryly, appearing to have aged fifty years in the short course of the battle.

    The Miura Generals screamed their orders, trying to keep their units together. The powerful soldiers struck with the weight of sledgehammers when the enemy drew close, but they were not allowed to build up any fighting momentum as the enemy came from all fronts.

    Arrows chased away clouds, falling down upon Miura men, giving them hardly any time to react. The Generals ordered their men further into the fray, so that the volleys of arrows would not im only allied lives, they would also im the enemy¡¯s, should they choose to continue to lose them.

    The wings had it worst. They dealt with the continual charge of cavalry, whilst being held in ce by the infantry. The hors.e.m.e.n would gallop through, ughtering everyone in their path, and then they would disengage, trot a short distance away, and then build up the momentum for another execution.

    Morohira held the right-wing. It was lucky that he did too. The man thrived on bloodshed. Two arrows pierced his chest, but they only made him fight harder. His soldiers had emptied their barrels and expended all their bullets just before the enemy came upon them. Then they threw their rifles away, just as they had been taught to, and their hands fell to their swords.

    By necessity, that right-wing unit had adopted a circr formation for it was demanded from them that they fight on all fronts. It stopped them from beingpletely overwhelmed immediately, but with the way things were going, and the mounting pile of allied bodies, it would not take long.

    The left-wing was in a marginally better ce. Jikouji and his men had managed to st apart the cavalrymen before they couldnd a single charge against them. But there was still the infantry to their front, and the arrows that came out over the top. They fought fiercely, and they would survive for a time.

    The Miura centre had hardly budged. Akiko and Rin stood strongly with Yamamoto and they refused to give a single inch to the enemy. A row of peasant spearmen came at them, and the two girls set upon them like a strong wind. Akiko danced her way past ten jabbing spears and severed a head with her naginata, and then an arm, and then a leg, all in a single graceful sweep of her weapon.

    Rin leapt into the air, searching for more worthy heads. She found the captain of that yari ashigaru unit, with a red ribbon on his sleeve and she threw her naginata towards him without a single shred of hesitation. The naginata was far from being a throwing weapon, but after leaving her hands, it pierced through the enemy all the same, cutting the valves of the man¡¯s heart before he even knew what hade at him. She cracked the wooden heel of her sandal into another spearman¡¯s face, fracturing his skull and relieving him of his weapon. She took that spear with her and sted apart the enemy ranks like a pile of leaves, until she retrieved the naginata from the captain¡¯s body.

    Kenshin watched all the while, stroking his chin. He held up his fan and sent more men towards the centre. He intended to suffocate them before they could put up any further resistance. The bow units changed their position at the order and began to send all their arrows towards the centre, neglecting the wings.

    With but a single volley of that magnitude, the centre¡¯s fighting strength was nearly halved.

    "My turn," Gengyo said, drawing his rapier, the weapon feeling odd in his hand. "On me, Yamagata, we¡¯re going to even the odds."

    He spurred his horse into a gallop and hismand centre of a hundred mountain men followed. It was not the left-wing ¨C whose chances of victory seemed very possible ¨C or to the centre ¨C who might well still be able to get back in the fight ¨C but to the right-wing, where his father fought, where the battle was almost certainly lost. Where his small dispatchment of men might have the least effect, or that was the way it might have appeared.

    He met the remnants of the Uesugi cavalry ¨C some three hundred men ¨C and he met them midcharge, catching their nk with an arrowheaded formation that he headed. They shattered through the side, killing multiple men instantly. It was only towards the centre that they found resistance.

    A man came at Gengyo with his katana, screaming his blood thirst. Gengyo was forced to duck underneath the blow, knowing that his rapier did not excel in parrying such heavy strikes. Even with his hand missing, his swiftness still remained and the sword went wildly over his head. Gengyo thrust with his sword whilst leaning heavily to one side in his saddle and the sharp de punctured neck. With a flourish, he had torn his throat to pieces.

    It felt like a clumsy and awkward way to kill someone when Gengyo was so used to his old sword style. But when the next two enemies came, he began to find his rhythm. They set upon him together, knowing his head to be prized above all. The slender piece of steel outranged a katana by a rather respectable amount. Before they could even think to swing at him, he had jabbed his de through one man¡¯s eye and cut open a gash on the other¡¯s thigh. It was a gauntleted fist to the throat that ended him as Gengyo still clutched the sword in the very same hand.

    They broke through the other side and the Uesugi cavalry was left with but a few stragglers. Gengyo admired their work with satisfaction, turning his new de in his hand. "Not the best weapon for horseback, but it will do," he proimed, before charging around behind the right-wing to assist his father with the bulk of infantry that had been settled upon him like a pile of weighty stones.

 Chapter 301 - Car Crash

    "Well, my Lord. You have your chaos," Yamagata stated dryly, appearing to have aged fifty years in the short course of the battle.

    The Miura Generals screamed their orders, trying to keep their units together. The powerful soldiers struck with the weight of sledgehammers when the enemy drew close, but they were not allowed to build up any fighting momentum as the enemy came from all fronts.

    Arrows chased away clouds, falling down upon Miura men, giving them hardly any time to react. The Generals ordered their men further into the fray, so that the volleys of arrows would not im only allied lives, they would also im the enemy¡¯s, should they choose to continue to lose them.

    The wings had it worst. They dealt with the continual charge of cavalry, whilst being held in ce by the infantry. The hors.e.m.e.n would gallop through, ughtering everyone in their path, and then they would disengage, trot a short distance away, and then build up the momentum for another execution.

    Morohira held the right-wing. It was lucky that he did too. The man thrived on bloodshed. Two arrows pierced his chest, but they only made him fight harder. His soldiers had emptied their barrels and expended all their bullets just before the enemy came upon them. Then they threw their rifles away, just as they had been taught to, and their hands fell to their swords.

    By necessity, that right-wing unit had adopted a circr formation for it was demanded from them that they fight on all fronts. It stopped them from beingpletely overwhelmed immediately, but with the way things were going, and the mounting pile of allied bodies, it would not take long.

    The left-wing was in a marginally better ce. Jikouji and his men had managed to st apart the cavalrymen before they couldnd a single charge against them. But there was still the infantry to their front, and the arrows that came out over the top. They fought fiercely, and they would survive for a time.

    The Miura centre had hardly budged. Akiko and Rin stood strongly with Yamamoto and they refused to give a single inch to the enemy. A row of peasant spearmen came at them, and the two girls set upon them like a strong wind. Akiko danced her way past ten jabbing spears and severed a head with her naginata, and then an arm, and then a leg, all in a single graceful sweep of her weapon.

    Rin leapt into the air, searching for more worthy heads. She found the captain of that yari ashigaru unit, with a red ribbon on his sleeve and she threw her naginata towards him without a single shred of hesitation. The naginata was far from being a throwing weapon, but after leaving her hands, it pierced through the enemy all the same, cutting the valves of the man¡¯s heart before he even knew what hade at him. She cracked the wooden heel of her sandal into another spearman¡¯s face, fracturing his skull and relieving him of his weapon. She took that spear with her and sted apart the enemy ranks like a pile of leaves, until she retrieved the naginata from the captain¡¯s body.

    Kenshin watched all the while, stroking his chin. He held up his fan and sent more men towards the centre. He intended to suffocate them before they could put up any further resistance. The bow units changed their position at the order and began to send all their arrows towards the centre, neglecting the wings.

    With but a single volley of that magnitude, the centre¡¯s fighting strength was nearly halved.

    "My turn," Gengyo said, drawing his rapier, the weapon feeling odd in his hand. "On me, Yamagata, we¡¯re going to even the odds."

    He spurred his horse into a gallop and hismand centre of a hundred mountain men followed. It was not the left-wing ¨C whose chances of victory seemed very possible ¨C or to the centre ¨C who might well still be able to get back in the fight ¨C but to the right-wing, where his father fought, where the battle was almost certainly lost. Where his small dispatchment of men might have the least effect, or that was the way it might have appeared.

    He met the remnants of the Uesugi cavalry ¨C some three hundred men ¨C and he met them midcharge, catching their nk with an arrowheaded formation that he headed. They shattered through the side, killing multiple men instantly. It was only towards the centre that they found resistance.

    A man came at Gengyo with his katana, screaming his blood thirst. Gengyo was forced to duck underneath the blow, knowing that his rapier did not excel in parrying such heavy strikes. Even with his hand missing, his swiftness still remained and the sword went wildly over his head. Gengyo thrust with his sword whilst leaning heavily to one side in his saddle and the sharp de punctured neck. With a flourish, he had torn his throat to pieces.

    It felt like a clumsy and awkward way to kill someone when Gengyo was so used to his old sword style. But when the next two enemies came, he began to find his rhythm. They set upon him together, knowing his head to be prized above all. The slender piece of steel outranged a katana by a rather respectable amount. Before they could even think to swing at him, he had jabbed his de through one man¡¯s eye and cut open a gash on the other¡¯s thigh. It was a gauntleted fist to the throat that ended him as Gengyo still clutched the sword in the very same hand.

    They broke through the other side and the Uesugi cavalry was left with but a few stragglers. Gengyo admired their work with satisfaction, turning his new de in his hand. "Not the best weapon for horseback, but it will do," he proimed, before charging around behind the right-wing to assist his father with the bulk of infantry that had been settled upon him like a pile of weighty stones.

    --

    --

    "OORAH!" Morohira bellowed, finding a second wind and arousing his men. When he heard hoovesing from their rear, he already knew who they belonged to. He was surrounded by more dead men than living, but those that could stand kept battling with a fierceness. If the enemy dared to make it near them, they would be torn apart.

    With an impact as loud as a bellow of thunder, Gengyo tore through the Uesugi infantry that had managed to work their way around to Morohira¡¯s rear. He cut them down with ease from his saddle, each strike filled with enough weight to st through bone and cast limbs into the air.

    Their single action of relief transformed the state of the right-wing in a few short moments. When those men ¨C few as they now were ¨C had but a single direction they needed to fight in, their resistance became that of a solid stone wall. Not only were they holding the enemy back, but a tension was rising, and it would soon burst and they would breakthrough.

    Gengyo hacked down thest few remaining men and wordlessly brought his mount free of the melee. His men followed. From across the field, he saw Kenshin lift his fan of war, and bring it down, pointing directly towards him. The bowmen listened to hismand. They shuffled their feet and nocked their arrows and unleashed a dark cloud of concentrated projectiles that would not even allow sunlight to pass.

    It was a challenge that Kenshin had sent him, and one that Gengyo refused to back down from. He put his heel to the side of stallion all the same, and drove the beast forwards, into that cloud of death.

    Before they fell upon him, he managed to use his sword to swipe arge many from the air, but a determined few made it past his guard and punctured his torso, making him sag in his saddle. "Guh..." heined softly. An arrow in the shoulder of his useless arm. Another through his back, barely missing his lung. And then a third through his thigh.

    He dared not look behind him, for he feared that there might not be a single man left. He could not even pause to consider it, for he knew it would take the venom out of his own attack, and render his sacrifice meaningless.

    Morohira¡¯s right-wing was outnumbered ten to one. His men were more dead than alive. The enemy continued to push against them like a mountain of meat and that weight was beyond fatiguing. It was that enemy¡¯s nk that Gengyo targeted, not knowing there were merely ten men behind him.

    Kenshin saw his intentions and acknowledged them with a shake of his head. His bowmen drew back their strings to release another arrow, but he held up his hand to stop them. The enemy was defeated, and their numbers few, any arrows fired whilst they were engaged in melee would only harm themselves more. "A valiant effort, Miura Tadakata, but s against careful strategy your wild style of battling does not work."

    He understood how the man in front of him was able to best Shingen. He knew that his old enemy, the Tiger of Kai, would never have been able to resist a battle on even terms, a sharp and testing conflict.

    Akiko managed to look over to where she knew her husband to be, after having the briefest of respites. She saw him riding, all but alone, at an enemy that numbered well into the thousands. Her heart softened and sank, and she almost lost the hard will to battle, fearing so intently for him.

    She and Rin had thrown everything they could at the enemy in the centre. But it was like punching water ¨C whatever they cut down would be reced in a few short moments. There was little hope of victory.

    "Come on you bastards! Fight, damn it! These are mortal men! Cut them to pieces with the ws of demons!" Morohira screamed, bordering on madness. He remembered a time when their anger alone had carried them through impossible circ.u.mstances. He sought to arise the fighting spirit in his own men as his son had managed to do all that time ago.

    It seemed to work, as the men screamed, filling themselves with an energy that did not exist, convincing themselves of a second wind. In truth, they had simply shut down part of their minds.

    When Gengyo met with the enemy, rapier in hand, two forces collided with it at once. One, his small group that he arrow-headed, and the other was the small army of demons that Morohira had awakened.

    Gengyo hit that fleshy mass of men expecting them to part at his charge, but it felt like driving a car into a wall. He was thrown from his saddle, high into the air,nding awkwardly on his side. His ears rung and his vision blurred. Dusty dirt filled his mouth and the air no longer ran cleanly to his lungs. He coughed, t on his stomach, hardly able to move.

    A man ¨C be it ally or enemy ¨C stepped hard on his legs, fighting to hold on to hisst hopes of living. Gengyo scrunched his face up from the pain, unable to think as he usually might. He stumbled to his feet dizzily, and almost fell down again. The arrow in his thigh was bothersome, so he grasped it tightly and removed it, tearing free a lump of his own flesh in his efforts.

    He saw his rapier lying in the mud nearby. Its silver guard glistened in the sun, fashioned like the wings of a bird. The very steel itself had been imbued with a red in parts ¨C abour of love that Takeshi had spent weeks upon. Gengyo coiled hisst fingers around its leather grip. "A master swordsman makes the world his weapon," he told himself quietly.

    When a bellowing Uesugi man made it to him, Gengyo cut his head clean off.

 Chapter 302 - Monsters

    They were overwhelmed and all but defeated. From a distance, it was difficult to see the Miura soldiers, there was only a mass of Uesugi men attacking some invisible enemy.

    Gengyo had not fought so hard in a long time. His lungs ached and each breath came painfully, but he kept moving. There were men all around, all of them looking for his head ¨C he could take his pick of who died first. He stabbed through a man¡¯s chest te, puncturing his head. He then offered a side strike to another, shing open his belly. A third got far too close, and Gengyo gave a knee to his jaw to stagger him. He mmed him in the throat with his handless arm and finished him messily with several stabs to his stomach.

    There were more toe, always more, but his movements were growing more and more crisp. He killed and killed until there was nothing left in front of him. He could not afford to waste even a shred of energy, for he truly did not have much left to give.

    They began to fear him, those Uesugi men. He could see it in their eyes. Where they had once ran forth with no regard for their own lives, they now began to back away. Gengyo was alone. He could see no men of his own around him, but of the Uesugi men there were plenty. They had him encircled.

    They tried to stab him in the back as he fought a man to his front, but he was far too quick to allow that to happen. When they had first tried, he had cut off a man¡¯s hands without even needing to turn around, kicking away the enemy to his front with a hard kick to the chest.

    And now, they would not even daree forward. A demon, that was what he looked like, all covered in blood, his breath managing to mist in the warm air. They could fight men, but they would not fight a demon.

    Gengyo stepped towards them, one side or the other, it did not matter. His legs ached and standing still threatened cramp. His mind was nk. There was no space for thought. A state of pure flow. The only thing in his heart was murder, a truer baptism for his rapier there was hardly any.

    The men he walked towards took a step back in fear. As a rabbit learns to fear the fox, they had learned to fear Miura Tadakata. Every life that he took, he could feel his skill returning. The pieces had already been there, he had merely needed to master the fight once more, this time without a hand. There was no better ce to do that on a battlefield, where a single mistake could be perilous.

    Techniques from an old temple came to him like instinct ¨C adapted to his new body. He moved faster than ought to have been possible. He cut through a hole in that encirclement of men, carving up armoured humans like pigs. More came to fill the gap. He cut through them too. Their swords could no longer touch him. Their movements became slow and repetitive. His mind had seen that pattern a thousand times before. It grew older and older the more men he killed.

    sh, sh, sh. The bodies piled up around him. The men quivered. There were stories of legendary warriors that were undefeated in a hundred duels, but never before had they seen a man fight those hundred duels all in one sitting. By now, it was likely even past one hundred. Gengyo had long since crossed the point of no return. He could feel the warm waters of the underworld swimming beneath his feet. If he paused his fight for even a second, then he would drown.

    "A monster... He¡¯s a monster!" The men cried, backing away from him. Even the bravest could not bring themselves to face him. It was no longer a question of courage, but of impossibility. They could see no way to defeat him.

    A man came running at Gengyo from behind ¨C the first man in a while. His spittle flew into the air when he opened his mouth wide in a battle cry. Hisrades were taking a step back for every step Gengyo took forward. The young Daimyo did not even turn to face his opponent. He stabbed out behind him with the speed of a snake, his eyes lifeless, his movements contemptuous. He made it look easier than rising out of bed in the morning.

    The encirclement was finally lifted, and there were allies in sight, men that were fighting almost as hard as Gengyo. Morohira had picked up a second sword, as he often fell to doing, and he terrorized their foes. There were a hundred men left with him, and each of them must have just stepped through a portal from hell, for a more devilish group of men it would be hard to find.

    The reinforcements stoppeding. The Miura men were no longer fighters, but miners, digging away at the wall around them. They acknowledged the arrival of their Lord with fresh blood. Finally, they were united in a single battle line. A row of Spartans they were, pushing back their colossal enemy with each step they took forward.

    The singers would call itmendable the resistance they put up ¨C a more honourable way to die there was not. But then the vigers would rejoice in shock when they discovered that not only were their attempts valiant, they were effective. Shockingly, those few Miura men were beginning to win.

    Kenshin felt a very human shiver creep down his spine. There was something so unnatural about it all. He had a feeling that none of this should ever havee to pass. It felt like a taboo to the Gods themselves. "This... What is this?" The Uesugi general breathed. "Who unleashed this monster onto the world?"

 Chapter 303 - Victory

    The Uesugi men pressed into a sea of bodies, trying to use shear weigh alone to punish the stubborn one hundred that still dared to fight on.

    "<i>Push</i>!" Gengyo demanded. His men were his will, and his words manifested themselves in immediate action.

    "URAH!" Theyshed out as a single defiant unit, using both shoulders and swords, and they managed to stagger the frontline, forcing them to step backwards. It gave them a metre of space, and they utilised that to the fullest. A sword thrust forward and then another and then another. By the time that gap was once more filled, the Uesugi soldiers were three hundred men lighter.

    "<i>Hold!</i>" Gengyo called out, fending off the aggressors, allowing the tension to build up. More and more men joined the Uesugi attack, pressing down on them once more.

    "<i>Push</i>!" He said again and once more they forced that space into existence and they used it to butcher all that was in front of them. They trimmed the fat of the Uesugi right wing again and again until their numbers were all but even. The Miura men did not slow. They did not falter. Not the slightest shred of weakness could be seen.

    They hacked down those final men, and through a cloud of red mist, they could once more see the light of the sun. The ground around them was long since forgotten. They stood above it, three bodies high, bathed in blood, emerging from the w.o.m.b of war.

    "Archers!" Kenshin called out, doing his best to avoid panic. His fan was up in the air and then it was swung downwards. Another storm of arrows took to the sky like a disease.

    Gengyo looked up towards it, calmly acknowledging the threat, and then he reached down and threw the corpse of an Uesugi soldier over his shoulder, holding it as a shield. "Advance," he ordered calmly.

    The men mimicked their Daimyo and in a t line, they began to march forward, closing the gap between them and the troublesome missile units.

    When the arrows hit, they paused for but a moment and braced themselves. Chunks of flesh and blood spewed into the air as dead men were pierced a hundred times over. The Miura soldiers? They continued their march forward, all but unharmed. Some arrows made it through deep enough to scratch them, but the wounds did not slow them in the least.

    They chanted together fiercely. "<i>Hoh, hoh, hoh.</i>" Every time a foot hit the floor there came that deep sound from their throats. "<i>Hoh, hoh, hoh.</i>"

    "<i>For glory</i>!" Jikouji bellowed from across the battlefield. His cry was taken up by the rest of the men, as they saw their Lord far in front, taking the fight to the enemy.

    "<i>For glory!"</i> They repeated, throwing themselves into battle with renewed ferocity, for a slim hope of victory had finally presented itself.

    Kenshin sent another volley of arrows into the air, fear tainting his order this time. Gengyo¡¯s men did not even pause to acknowledge it as the arrows fell ?? they knew their flesh shields would protect them.

    The Uesugi bowmen discarded their bows and drew their swords. The weapons looked foreign to them. Gengyo¡¯s soldiers fell upon the first unit heavily, throwing their corpse shield to the side. They provided nearly no resistance. It was like a steel sword through a paper wall. The ranged unit was not prepared for the hardened might of an elite melee force.

    And then the strangest thing happened ¨C those soldiers began to run. Their frontmost men were killed with such contemptuous ease that those in the back did not dare to face the enemy. It was not something they had been adequately trained for.

    Kenshin bit his lip as one of his bow units ¨C nearly a thousand men ¨C disappeared just like that. Gengyo was charging towards the next unit, and they were already trembling in fear long before he had hit them. Kenshin reached for his own sword ¨C it was the only way he could see to keep his men in the battle. As Gengyo charged, Kenshin led hismand centre ¨C some one hundred cavalry ¨C to hit them in their rear.

    "Turn," Gengyo ordered softly and they turned on their heels mid charge. He had expected Kenshin to leave his nest at any moment, and so when he did, he was more than prepared for him.

    Five or six men had taken up spears when their own weapons had failed on them. They stood to the front of Gengyo¡¯s unit, prepared to take the brunt of the charge. The rest of the men had their backs, falling behind them in an arrowhead, relieving themselves of the true might of a cavalry charge.

    "Miura Tadakata! Face me!" Kenshin growled, spurring his horse into a gallop, grasping his sword with both hands.

    "As you wish," Gengyo responded in a whisper. An instant before the cavalry hit, Gengyo sprang off his own man¡¯s shoulder, high into the air. He looked upon Kenshin with the eyes of a lion, and an instant before his death, Kenshin assumed the terrifying visage of prey. Gengyo spun and severed his head, catching it before it could hit the ground.

    Morohira and the rest of his men expertly diffused the cavalry charge, reducing them to a few fledgeling fighters that were soon put down.

    Gengyo took Kenshin¡¯s horse for himself, and he reared it high into the air. "<i>Behold! Your Lord Kenshin is dead! Long live the Red Feather!</i>"

    <i>"Long live the Red Feather!</i>" His men bellowed. The Uesugi men began to flee. They had lost their reason to fight. It began first with thest of the ranged units, and then the morale of the infantry fell too. They ran away from the field of battle,pletely routed, and those that did not were ughtered on the spot.

    From a pile of bodies, Gengyo saw thest of his soldiers arise. A number pitifully low. But it did not change the fact of their victory.

 Chapter 304 - Kneel

    They searched through the mounds of the dead, looking for entrappedrades that still yet drew breath. It was a grim task, but it did nothing to dull the mood of the victorious. Of the original eight thousand, only a little over two thousand remained.

    Another man would have counted his blessings. To be able to defeat an army of thirty-four thousand with merely eight thousand ¨C it was certainly a feat. But the losses were heavier than Gengyo had wished for. Kenshin had pushed them to their absolute limits with his careful strategic head.

    The only mercy was that he had lost none of his generals. Though Yamagata hade close to breathing his final breath. Hey once more on a sick bed, barely hanging on to life.

    Gengyo had his own mission to tend to, before the evening¡¯s celebrations. He mounted his horse as his men worked, taking two hundred guards with him, and he went in search of defeated Uesugi soldiers.

    Akiko came with him ¨C she would not allow him out of his sight again. "I thought you were dead," she had told him with a tear in her eye. "I saw you get knocked off your horse and then you disappeared for nearly a quarter of an hour." Rin had not wished to be left behind either and the two girls nked him, still d in their bloody armour.

    The Uesugi men had not managed to run far. Their cavalry had been exterminated ¨C there was not a single horse left avable to them. They were too exhausted from battle to cover any respectable distance, and nor did they have the heart to. They had lost their Lord and they had lost their generals. They operated on instinct. The only reason they had stayed together was because ¨C like cattle ¨C they merely followed the man in front of them.

    They were a pathetic sight when Gengyo found them. A few thousand of themy across a hill beside the sad graveyard of what was once a forest ¨C only stumps remained of it now, where the woodsmen had made their axes felt.

    Those that were still conscious enough to pay attention to their surroundings stood up and ran as soon as they saw him. "Wee with weapons sheathed, but if you run so rudely, we will cut you down," Gengyo said measuredly, just loud enough for them to hear him.

    The remnants of the men far outnumbered Gengyo¡¯s little party. They were eight thousand to his two hundred. But they were hardly fighting men anymore. The threat they posed was minimal. Their numbers werergelyposed of bow samurai, for they had managed to run before anyone else.

    Those that had begun to run now cautiously began to slow and they kneeled in the grass as if the ankle-length shoots could shield them. They unbuckled their swords and threw them to the side, doing whatever they could to defuse Gengyo¡¯s aura of aggression. Fighting was thest thing they wished to do.

    "You came here to conquer Takedands. I can offer you the opportunity to do that. Or would you rather flee with your tail between your legs?" Gengyo asked them mildly.

    The men did not know. They did not particrly care either. All they wanted was a bed to curl up in beside a warm fire, so that they could forget the horrible memory of that day. Never had they felt so weak.

    "I did not bare Kenshin any particr ill will. He merely blocked the road I wished to travel, as I blocked his road in turn. It was only natural that he and I battled. I do not think he will curse me for my victory when both sides put forth their best effort," Gengyo continued. "By extension, I do not hold any resentment towards you. You are soldiers with the highest level of training, you are worth much. I have the coin enough to pay for your upkeep. I can offer you even more than Kenshin did. Beyond that, I can offer you something far more weighty. I can offer you glory."

    "What glory is there to be had anymore?" An old soldier called out resentfully. "We don¡¯t have a choice here. If we refuse, you¡¯ll kill us. We¡¯re a problem for you, that¡¯s what we are."

    The others began to mutter in fear at the words of the old soldier and Gengyo quickly held his hand up to set their fears at ease. "He¡¯s absolutely right. If you refuse, I will have you killed. I can not let your number fall into the hands of my enemy. However, in regards to what glory, there is much. There will plenty of plunder to be had. Victory will be yours in every battle. You will be trained to be more than soldiers ¨C you will trained to be gods of the battlefield."

    "These Takedands will all be ours in a few short days," Akiko told them, taking off her helmet, allowing her long hair to fall down to her waist. She shocked plenty when they discovered that she was a woman, but only the fools thought less of her ¨C she had fought harder than any of them. "Shinano, Kai, Musashi and Mikawa ¨C they all belong to Miura Tadakata, or will soon enough. He has in both the Lords of Owari and Echigo as well. Six provinces will be held in his name. He defeated your Dragon with merely eight thousand men. Can you imagine what he could do with thirty thousand? Behold, you look upon the future unifier of Japan. What further glory is there?"

    Her words startled them as Akiko put his achievements into perspective. Even Gengyo had to scratch his head in embarrassment at such high praise, though none of it was untrue.

    "It is as you hear," he told them. "Kneel and be part of it."

    And so they kneeled. Eight thousand defeated men threw down their swords and bent the knee to Miura Tadakata, Lord of Mikawa and future unifier of Japan.

 Chapter 305 - Allies and Enemies

    The Uesugi men came back with Gengyo, albeit reluctantly. They made camp with the men that night, just as the Takeda soldiers had done before them, and they were surprised to find that there was no animosity from amongst the men. They had known from the start that their Lord would be sure to recruit the enemy if they were given the opportunity. And many of them had been enemies themselves at one point. They were weed.

    They were given soft sleeping mats to rest their head, and many fell asleep almost immediately, when darkness had only been in their presence a short while.

    They fires licked at the night sky, reminding the nearby viges of their presence, and of the fate that they had avoided when Kenshin had been defeated.

    They brought out the very best of their rations and theyid it out in avish feastplete with an abundance of rice wine. Both allies and enemies were encouraged to indulge. When the alcohol in their blood was raised, the line between allies and enemies grew thinner, and they were merely one and the same. They were men that had spent their day fighting a horrific battle, fearing for their lives. They had much inmon. Friendsh.i.p.s were forged that night.

    There was still an enemy out there, in the Takedands, but he was far from being of Kenshin¡¯s calibre. He wasmb with a crown on, ying at the game of Daimyo. Gengyo hoped that he would not run for too long, for he still feared for Matsudaira at home.

    The scouts hade at the start of each day, giving him news. The army of Hojo and Imagawa men had begun their siege of Matsudaira¡¯s fortresses. That was as far as Gengyo knew. Matsudaira was holding out for now, but it seemed that it was only a matter of time before things went sour. Between them, they had amassed a shocking army of fifty thousand men. Much of that number was made up of untrained peasants, but it still made it less than threatening.

    "The Hojo are experts at the siege," Jikouji had told him days before. It was not something Gengyo had wished to hear, for it only heightened his worry.

    "Are they?" Gengyo had asked back. "I thought their talentsy in raising structures up. Their fortresses are well known to be the most resilient. Be it an earthquake or siege weapons."

    "Exactly. It stands to reason, doesn¡¯t it? That n has technology that allows them to raise the strongest fortresses in all of Japan. If they know what it means to make them strong, do you not think they would know just as well where the weaknesses lie?" Jikouji had said.

    "...You have a fair point," Gengyo replied back. He still thought on their conversation now, scratching his chin. Through it, he could not truly enjoy the celebrations. He wanted to keep moving andplete his mission with as much speed as he possibly could. It was a feeling he knew he would have to get used to. Soon all of Japan would be his enemy ¨C he would be fighting a war on multiple fronts at once. There would never be a moment¡¯s peace or respite, it would always be careful manoeuvring and battles won back from the brink of defeat.

    Losing Matsudaira Motoyasu would be the greatest blow to his prospects of future domination. He was one of the most capablemander¡¯s Gengyo had avable to him, and he was extremely loyal to boot. He would be the key piece that allowed him to fight in multiple ces at once.

    "Drink," Akiko told him, growing irritated as Gengyo sat there in thought, staring deep in the mes of the fire. "Since I can¡¯t drink anything, you must drink enough for both of us." She raised a cup to his lips and all but forced it down his throat, pushing him to rx.

    "Guh..." Gengyo coughed as it went down too quickly, but another mouthful and that problem was solved. She had a te of grilled fish in front of him as well. She worked with her chopsticks cutting it up into mouth-sized bites for him.

    "Say ¡¯ah¡¯," she said and she began scooping it into his mouth.

    "What are you doing?" He asked. This was strange, even for Akiko.

    "I¡¯m practising," she told him. "It will not be long until I need to do it for real, everyday, and when that happens I want to be good at it."

    "Ah," he smiled at that, cing his hand on her belly. There was that in the future for him as well ¨C a child of his own. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he felt about it, but he thought he was at least as excited about it as Akiko. The idea of teaching a younger version of himself all that he had learned throughout his long life ¨C it was greatly appealing. He was sure that he could teach the child much, and have it be even more capable than himself at a much younger age.

    But then he worried that the child might grow bored of all his lessons. It might be that it preferred art and dancing, something that he would never be able to understand or rte to. That would be a difficult child for him to raise, he realized, for there would be little he could teach it.

    "You¡¯re frowning again," Akiko told him, using her fingers on his forehead to straighten out the frown wrinkles. "You need to rx, even if it is only for tonight. It will do you good."

    "I know," he said with a sigh, "ah, give me those." He took from her chopsticks and spooned a few more mouthfuls into his mouth, and then he forced a couple into hers. When his te was empty, he wrapped his hands around his wife, and lifted her up onto his knee. Resting a chin on her shoulder, he watched the celebrations of his men.

 Chapter 306 - Ashes

    Where there was once miles of rolling ins, there was now a scar upon the earth. The funeral pyre for such a battle had been massive. The ashes of thousands of men ¨C both enemy any ally ¨C coated the earth. A strong easterly win would carry clouds of them up at a time, blowing them back towards the sea.

    The men said thest of their prayers and they marched deeper into Takeda territory, towards the capital.

    "I must say, it takes a weight off my shoulders knowing my people are no longer under threat," Yamagata said. He had only just barely managed to make it into the saddle and his face had gone back to being a sickly pale blue.

    "That weight hasn¡¯t disappeared yet for me," Gengyo admitted. "But it is indeed one less thing to worry about... And now I must execute the son of a man that I respect."

    "It might note to that. If he has the sense, he willy down his weapons and we can end this all without bloodshed," Jikouji said, providing a slight amount of hope.

    But both Gengyo and Yamagata shook their heads. "That will note to pass. Even if he does surrender, he will nevery down his sword truly, he will always hold it in his heart that one day he will be able to take his father¡¯snds back. I can not have such a loose cannon hiding in my territory," Gengyo said.

    It was grim looks that met his words, some looked dissatisfied, but none objected, for they knew that even if he put it harshly, he was very much right. It was a tower of cards they were building up. It wasn¡¯t enough toe up with a single extraordinary solution ¨C they had to push for the impossible every single day.

    "Ahem... Will you have a thought to cavalry now, Miura? After that battle, it seems we would be misyed to refuse their use. Their strategic utility is something else ¨C and the home of the finest warhorses in all of Japan will very soon be ours. It makes sense, does it not?" Jikouji offered.

    It was a consideration Gengyo had not made. He had been too focused on leaving with immediate haste. He c.o.c.ked his head to one side as he briefly thought about it.

    "I want a cavalry unit!" Rin said excitedly. "I¡¯d be way more effective with riders at my back rather than foot soldiers. We¡¯d take a general¡¯s head every battle!"

    "Well," Gengyo said slowly. "It would seem you¡¯ve already convinced my sister. I can not think of a valid reason to refuse that suggestion. It diversifies our options on the battlefield and broadens the actions we can take in dealing with the enemy. Had we had more mounted men in thest battle, then Yamagata would have no been so hard pressed to keep us in the fight."

    "That¡¯s right," Yamagata agreed. "It would have allowed us a chance at counter attacking. We could have dealt with their ranged men without the need for a full breakthrough. Arm our cavalrymen with rifles too, and you¡¯d have a deadly attacking force. If it¡¯s something you truly mean to consider, Yamamoto had ties with the Royal Breeders. He¡¯d be able to work something out."

    Gengyo looked towards the quiet Yamamoto to confirm the truth in Yamagata¡¯s words. "It would be my honour," the young man said with a bow of his head.

    "Then it is settled. The Red Feather men will finally have cavalry amongst our ranks," Gengyo announced, much to Rin¡¯s delight. She gave a squeak of excitement. Akiko was smiling too.

    Along the pce road, they spied many a traveller and many a merchant. They knew that word of their arrival had long since reached the ears of the Shingen¡¯s son. The only question they had for him was whether the man would flee, whether he would choose to abandon his pce and risk an attack on them, or whether he would keep his arse firmly cemented in ce and refuse to stubbornly budge.

    It was the second option that the Takeda man chose, much to his credit. He armoured his garrison of two thousand loyal retainers and he gave them each a fine warhorse from the stables and they galloped to meet Gengyo on the road to the pce.

    They heard the Takeda arrival long before they saw them. It was no easy task to sneak up on a man with heavy cavalry. Their hooves were louder than the bellow of thunder.

    Gengyo nodded his head to himself in approval when he saw them emerge from over the horizon. The Takeda boy had done little to earn his father¡¯s respect during his lifetime, but this choice he made to end his life in battle rather than on the run, that was something Gengyo respected.

    The Miura army had arrived in Takedands with eight thousand men, and now they numbered ten thousand, but they were still weaker for it. The Uesugi soldiers had not been trained with them and so were still not engrained properly into the army and they could not make use of them fully.

    "Form up!" Jikouji barked. When that order was given, it was his own men that Gengyo ced his faith in. The two thousand riflemen formed a wall on the pce road, their rifles pointed towards the horizon. The Uesugi remnants stood behind them with their bows in their hands and they knocked their arrows, awaiting for the order to begin their execution.

    When Takeda Yoshinobu finally caught the light, it sent a chill down Gengyo¡¯s spine. He was armoured just as his father had been that day, with his helmet covered in a mane of white horse hair, red from head to toe. He had his sword held out, bellowing. His men roared with him.

    The ghost of a brilliant man, that was who he seemed to be. "No matter," Gengyo whispered. "I will kill you again.

 Chapter 307 - Honour

    The Miura men pulled back the hammer¡¯s on their rifles and the Uesugi soldiers drew their bows taught and true.

    "Fire!" Jikouji barked, swinging down his arm and fire they did.

    A monstrous cloud of arrows crept up into the air, enough to blot out the sun. The same weapon that Kenshin had used against him, Gengyo was able to try for himself. It was a pleasant feeling. The men were quick in their movements, and before that arrow evennded, they had nocked a second and were drawing their bows skyward for that second shot.

    The difference between a bullet and an arrow was made immediately apparent. Whilst the arrows flew into their skypleting the ascent of a dragon, making their presence felt, bullets shed through the air like the stealthiest of ninjas and tore a hole in that which was directly in front of them. Two thousand bullets were released just like that. The bite of the Takeda charge was taken immediately. Yoshinobu took a couple of bullets himself and his eyes widened, but he kept his sword pointed forward and did not fall from his saddle.

    It was a hopeless prospect for them. Before the arrowsnded, a second volley of bullets was released and less than half of the Takeda force remained. Yoshinobu and his generals kept to their saddle, despite taking the worst of the fire, though now they slumped into the neck of their horses, their eyes darker than they once were.

    The arrowsnded. Men howled. Horses were torn to pieces. It was a willful execution. Yoshinobu had led his men in the most honourable suicide he could conceptualize. There was seppuku, but nothing couldpare to a true warrior¡¯s death.

    The third volley and Yoshinobu finally left his saddle, riddled with arrows and bullet holes. Only a handful of men still stood. They were dealt with when the next swarm of arrows fell on top of them.

    Silence swept the air. The breeze brought with it a chill and a familiar smell, heralding the arrival of autumn and the promise of a cold winter.

    Two thousand horses and two thousand hors.e.m.e.n ally dead in the mud in front of them. Not a single one had managed to make it close to the Miura frontline. The only cost for their deaths was the expending of ammunition.

    A sombre mood took the men. They could not throw their arms up at the victory, for it had not been a hard-earned one. True, they were d to have been spared a true fight, so there was relief in their hearts, but the reckless charge of those two thousand Takeda men, it had won their respect.

    Everyone had a story, Gengyo reflected. He wondered upon Yoshinobu¡¯s. He had his own opinion¡¯s of the man, and in his mind ¨C and his own father¡¯s ¨C the boy had never amounted to much. But with such a fiery death, there must have always been a fire in the boy¡¯s heart. How did he feel when he awoke that morning? How was it to grow in his shoes and live his life? If the stars had aligned differently, was there a time when he could have reached his full potential, when he was given the chance to truly rule? It might have been that he¡¯d be the greatest warlord Japan had ever seen. Or perhaps the most ruthless tyrant. But it was a story that had been snuffed out before it could truly be told.

    "Honour to he who seeks death inbat," Yamagata stated resolutely, a fist across his heart.

    Gengyo returned that gesture, he waspelled to. The men followed his lead and they saluted the army of the dead thaty to the front of him.

    "A pyre will be built for these men," Gengyo stated. "They will be ushered into Takamagahara as if they were our own."

    The men were only too happy to oblige. There was a small cl.u.s.ter of trees nearby, thest remnants of a dying forest, their wood was long since dry. Everything wasid before them as it was truly meant to be and so with an eye to the gods, Gengyo dipped his head, knowing that he swam the river of the gods¡¯ flow and operated ording to their will.

    It was a grand structure every time they did it. A tower of carefully arranged wood with plenty of gaps and spaces for bodies to be ced. They could not light them all up as one, so they added them to the mes gradually whenever a space was burned free. Even the horses went with them ¨C it seemed a shame not to allow them their steeds when Takeda men were known to be so close with their horses.

    The tinder was lit beneath that wooden tower and the mes crackled to life. They licked at the bodies of their enemy and soon devoured them entirely. They worked throughout the night to burn them all, but each of them was d to have done it. They felt the enemy deserved no less. If they were in the shoes of those Takeda men, would they have the courage to charge forward, knowing that it meant certain death? It was a question that hung on all of their minds.

    When morning came, Gengyo had not slept a wink. He watched the rising of the sun, surrounded by dew-covered grass, with Akiko¡¯s head resting on his arm. The path forward was for the capital. Thisnd all around him was his. He did not rejoice in that fact, but epted it, for in his heart it had always meant to be.

    "I am d for you, Shingen," Gengyo whispered to the breeze. "Your son has done you proud in his final moments."

    He was d for himself too. He did not want to sully the name of a good man with the execution of a pitiful child. Indeed, Takeda Yoshinobu was a Takeda man through and through.

 Chapter 308 - Conquerers

    They rode upon the pce, finally in the heart of Takeda territory.

    It was painfully empty and quiet as their horses trotted down the stone path, observing the grandeur of the massive building. Its red tiled rooves curved like the wings of a dragon and its white washed walls were pure without a single smudge. The regr wooden support beams looked fresh enough to have been installed yesterday.

    It was not a sight unfamiliar to them. When they breached the city walls ¨C just as when they had breached Imagawa¡¯s castle ¨C it was only the servants that dared remain. Without the castle, they would lose their lively hood, and by their reasoning it did not matter who upied the throne. Whoever they were, they would need servants to attend to them.

    There was an empty row of a hundred stables, still filled with straw. Just a day prior they had housed the finest steeds that Japan had to offer, but now every one of the horses ¨C and the men that rode them ¨C were reduced to ash.

    In front of the pce, there was a sakura tree in full blossom. It was thickly trunkened and surrounded by a deep pound full of golden koi. Only, the waters of that pond were a demonic red. As they walked around it, they found the source of that redness. The corpse of a man slumped over in front of it, a pool of dried blood running from a sh to his stomach. He still held the dagger in his hands.

    He was not the only one they found that had chosen seppuku rather than surrender. The wooden floors of the pce were littered with numerous instances of bloody deaths.

    "And so here we are," Gengyo said, stepping over the most recent of corpses, finally reaching the throne room at the heart of the pce. He stepped up ten steps and plonked himself in the grand wooden chair. "Conquerers."

    It was difficult to be in high spirits when it seemed that all they had gained was hollow and lifeless.

    "Order will have to be reinstated. We need men here to build back up what once was, whilst we keep the enemies away from our door. Yamagata, Yamamoto, that will be your duty. No one knows these Takedands better than you," Gengyo said, resting his chin in his handszily.

    The two men drew their swords kneeled in front of the throne, bowing to their Lord. "It will be our honour. We will see that prosperity returns. You will have the wealth that you need to be a conqueror," Yamagata said respectfully, his voice echoing in the wide open space.

    "We need men. Do what you can to recruit them. Keep what you need to uphold order and send the rest my way," Gengyo said.

    "As you say, it will be done. Do you still desire the cavalry that we spoke of?" Yamagata asked.

    "I do, but the men take priority. Do what you can. I will leave you with two thousand of the Uesugi lot. They should be enough to uphold your authority," Gengyo said, getting up to leave, ncing briefly around the throne room, deciding that he would not miss it.

    "Are you going already, my Lord?" Yamagata asked in surprise. The other¡¯s seemed surprised too. Jikouji had stood with the rest of them, with Akiko and Rin at his side, and Rokkau with Morohira just behind them, struggling to remain silent. All of them looked tired.

    "That I am. Matsudaira requires our assistance," Gengyo said, sweeping past with his robes billowing. He was out of the pce and mounted on his horse before a single one of them could stop him. They had spent far too much time already paying their respects to the dead ¨C it was time to keep their man amongst the living.

    Akiko mounted up beside him. "Is everything alright, Tadakata?" She asked tentatively, sensing that his mood was off.

    "The sooner we leave this morbid ce, the better," Gengyo announced. "This is the pride of the Takeda n. I am not wee here. Its conquering was necessary, but it is no more than a stepping stone. I dare not linger."

    He kicked his horse into a gallop and ran headfirst into the cool autumn wind, leading his men by the front. He quickly left the foot soldiers far behind, but still he did not slow. He pushed the horse hard, until both he and it were gasping for breath.

    There was a stream where he stopped, an opening in a sparse forest. He stopped there and dismounted, leading his animal to the water to drink. There was arge rock nearby, it had probably been there for thousands of years. No man could manage to move it.

    A carving on it caught his eye. A primitive depiction of a bird etched deeply in with a chisel. He ran his fingers across it. Time and weather had made it smooth. He wondered upon the man that had spent the time to carve it, and curiousity took him. He wandered around the rock, wondering if the sculptor had left anything else.

    His suspicions were confirmed when his eyes fell upon a paragraph of faded characters. His horse nuzzled him, its nose wet from where it had been drinking. He petted it, soothing the beast and then he read aloud the words that the ancient had left behind for him.

    "To ye traveller that walks this road; to ye who for which the sky has turned cold; fear not nor fear it;mand the wind with power of spirit; ye who has mastered time, I beseech thee; harden your heart, your destiny is your own; o¡¯ time traveller, you are not alone..."

    Gengyo stared at thatst sentence for a long time, his fingers tracing over the faded characters, wondering whether he had misread it, if it was simply what he had wanted to hear.

    Either way, his army had caught up to him and there was not long to ponder.

 Chapter 309 - Arrival

    The scouts were growing more frequent the closer they came to home. They were able to cover the distance in under a day, if they truly pushed their horses. The reports were not favourable. Not favourable at all. They did nothing to set Gengyo at ease and only served to increase his fear.

    A fortress had fallen. They had shattered its walls and breached it and killed every single man inside. The scouts said that the Imagawa and Hojo army covered the horizon for as far as the eye could see, they were like the ocean.

    It was a wonder that Matsudaira was holding on at all. He had three fortresses still standing against an army of fifty thousand men. His own numbers were far fewer ¨C barely five thousand by now, though these men were the elite.

    It was as much Takeshi that they had to thank as Matsudaira for them surviving that long, at least that was what he was told. The defences of those fortresses were nearly unimaginable. The tops of the walls were littered with cannons and the gates had been reinforced with solid steel.

    When Gengyo asked about the circ.u.mstances of the first fortress¡¯ falling, he had been given Matsudaira¡¯s reply. "We did not have time to properly prepare it ¨C we gave it to them and they gave us a few thousand men in turn."

    If Matsudaira¡¯s words were to be believed, then it might be that he had actually earned himself the upper hand in the conflict. But a siege was rough on any man. Their supplies would gradually dwindle. Each day the Hojo men made use of their strategies to weaken the walls, employing the use of gunpowder whenever they could make it close enough to use it.

    Eight thousand men Gengyo had left with and eight thousand men Gengyo had returned with, though the Uesugi men were far weaker than he would have liked. There was too little time to train them. They simply marched as fast as they were able with the intent of relieving Matsudaira.

    They made it past the tree line and caught sight of their first fortress just after midday. From a distance, its grey stone walls appeared to be ckened by a liquid of sorts. As they grew closer, they realized that the ck mass were men, attacking the walls from every angle.

    "By the gods... He¡¯s managed to survive against that?" Jikouji muttered, looking upon it in awe.

    "So it seems. With three fortresses as well. We¡¯re lucky he¡¯s on our side," Gengyo replied back.

    There was a ground-shaking booming and they were introduced to Takeshi¡¯s cannon. A great cloud of shrapnel flew high into the air as the heavy cannonball sent a cl.u.s.ter of men flying. It was a ruthless weapon, leaving men legless, clutching their bloody stumps as they screamed manically.

    They were looking upon a mere fraction of the Imagawa-Hojo army and there already seemed to be more men than they knew what to do with. A distance away from the fortress, there were several gs speared deep into the earth, bearing the white and blue pyramid of the Hojo n and the golden bird of the Imagawa.

    Amand centre was seated behind that g line and generals sat under the shelter of their tents giving orders with their fans, keeping a few thousand men in reserve in case a weakness presented itself.

    As much as Gengyo simply wanted to charge their rear and ughter them all, he cautioned himself against such reckless action. His foot soldiers were far too slow to make good use of a surprise attack. By the time they found themselves in firing range, the Imagawa men would have already rearranged themselves.

    There also remained the problem of reinforcements. If they attacked and exposed themselves, then men might dispatch from the other fortresses a few miles away and hit them in the back before they had time to deal with the enemy in front of them.

    Gengyo decided against any action at all. He stayed stationary within the trees and used his scouts tomunicate with Matsudaira.

    "We¡¯ve arrived at the eastern border fortress," was the first message he sent with the scout. He watched the man gallop across the field with it clutched into his hand. He realized that it seemed likely that the Hojo army knew exactly where he was ¨C that only cautioned him further against action, for a trap was highly likely.

    "I¡¯ve stationed myself in the central fortress. The Hojo siege engineerspleted their tunnel this morning. They¡¯ve blown through a hole in the wall. The men are defending it admirably, we should be able to hold until repairs at sundown," came Matsudaira¡¯s reply an hourter.

    Gengyo stroked his chin as he read the reply, trying to decide on how he would best be ced. "Make use of me," he said simply in the next message. Matsudaira knew better than anyone else the situation, so Gengyo left the decision with him.

    "Liberate the fortress they took. They have not repaired it ¨C the gates are wide open. You¡¯ll find a resistance of a thousand men. If you hold it, we can begin to suffocate them," Matsudaira¡¯s message read.

    Gengyo had to smile as he read it. It was indeed a clever strategy. The three upied fortresses were all aligned protecting the Mikawa border, whilst the fourth fortress that they had lost sat several miles in front. In capturing it, they would trap the advanced Hojo-Imagawa army between the two fronts.

    The sun was going lower in the sky by the time Gengyo received that final message. He motioned with his hand to summon a second scout and he gave him a simplest message. "Consider it done."

    And then he spoke to his men. "Move out."

    They kept to the tree line for as long as they could, flitting past the Hojomand centre, drawing closer to the undermanned fortress. By the time darkness fell, they caught sight of it.

 Chapter 310 - Fortress

    On ins of wide grass and rare tree ntations, the heavy stone fortress stood out like a sore thumb. Dusk had fallen. It seemed that time of day had an affinity for the Miura men, for nearly everything of importance was done with the promise of dark.

    nted walls of stone brick, strong enough to withstand an earthquake. It was of a simple square build ¨C it was easier that way ¨C and at at the top of the walls, there were wooden barricades for the archers to hide behind and reign fire down upon their foes.

    The gates were torn to shreds. Charred and shattered, their remains had made it a distance away from the walls. The archer¡¯s cage was in no good condition either. The Hojo men had wasted a good amount of their resources on capturing it.

    It was obvious where gunpowder had yed a part too. Walls of such solid stone should not have been easy to break, yet in parts, they were reduced to rubble.

    Lazy repairs had been done by the Hojo forces and a meagre amount of men remained inside to keep it captured.

    They crossed the fields without bothering to hide, approaching the fortress with all their numbers forecast.

    "Who goes there?" A soldier from atop the walls shouted. "State your business or we¡¯ll fire upon you!"

    The mere fact that he had to confirm whether they were friend or foe was enough to amuse Gengyo. He motioned with his hands and his riflemen went to the front. A pull of a triggerter and the man fell in a copsed heap.

    They marched upon the walls, targeting the poorly barricaded gate. There were a few brave archers that tried to arm their bows with arrows, but they made easy targets for the Miura men, and they would be punctured by several bullets before they could pull the string back.

    Gengyo kicked at the mess of wood in front of him. Once, that gate would have been strong enough to hold an army of a thousand, but now it wasn¡¯t even strong enough to withstand an army of one. The rotten wood splintered and he threw the debris out of his way. The men moved to help him and their way was quickly opened.

    They found three hundred Hojo spearmen waiting for them inside, already in battle formation, holding their weapons tightly together in a spear wall. Against a meele attack, they might have been able to hold for hours, but against rifles, they could not even hold for minutes.

    The Miura men formed a line of their own. The tight formation of the enemy made their bullets doubly effective. One volley and most of them were on their knees. A second volley and they had created a pile of corpses. A third volley, and not a single one of those men moved ever again.

    "Search it. Make sure there isn¡¯t a single man left inside," Gengyomanded, and his men hurried off to search the fortress and its few remaining buildings.

    There was a barracks in the centre of it all, two stories high with a watchtower on top of it that went much higher. It was only enough for a few hundred men ¨C his few thousand would have to make use of their tents.

    "Shall I send that message with the scout then?" Jikouji asked.

    Gengyo nodded. "Matsudaira will have assumed that we captured it with ease, but it will make his calctions more concrete if he knows for definite that it lies within our hands."

    "As you say," the old man said, unbuckling his helmet and disappearing off to find the messenger.

    "Are we really going to be trying to hold this?" Morohira askedzily, filling in on Jikouji¡¯s absence. "It¡¯s a ruin."

    "It is," Gengyo agreed, "but it is enough to make our numbers count for more. It will be a thorn in the Hojo¡¯s side, and from here, we canunch further attacks."

    "Eh..." Morohira stuck his finger in his ear and turned it around, admiring the fleck of wax that came out when he withdrew it. "Well, you¡¯re the boss. If they try to attack us, we¡¯ll cut em¡¯ up all the same. Just don¡¯t much fancy staying in this shithole for long."

    "I¡¯d bet that no man does," Gengyo told him. The fortress must have been built a hundred years prior. Even if it were not inplete ruins, it would still be unsatisfactory, for its age had left most of the wood rotten and the roofs holey. It did not seem that it had been used at all in the past century, until Matsudaira upied it with his own men.

    Hoping that it might provide something more than the rest of the ruins, Gengyo headed towards the old barracks, in time to see a man kick through a rotten section of the wall as he ran away screaming. A Miura soldier ran after him and tackled him to the ground, ending his struggling with a dagger to the chest. "Apologies, my Lord," he said when the blood sshed onto Gengyo.

    Gengyo made noment. Inside, there were several other bodies and the floor was fresh with blood. There was movement overhead as a pigeon flew from one rafter to the other, working itself into a panic. There must have been a whole flock of them making nest there, for themon room was coated with bird faeces, the stench near unbearable.

    He cautiously stepped his way up the rotten stairs to the next floor. It was no better. Soiled nkets and empty wine bottles, plenty of cobwebs. A sorry state indeed. Adder on the wall led up the watchtower. The first two rungs had snappedpletely off. Out of curiousity, Gengyo tried the next solid rung and tugged on it hard. It held, so he put his foot on and cautiously tried to scale it.

    The very next rung came off in his hand, and he shook his head at it. "A shithole indeed."

 Chapter 311 - Starry Sky

    There were several more messages sent throughout the night between Matsudaira and Gengyo as they nned their next move. The Hojo and Imagawa soon caught sight of the scoutsing to and fro and they began to fire upon them. Thest scout returned riddled with arrows, barely clinging onto his life, but he still held Matsudaira¡¯s message tightly between his fingers.

    "You did well," Gengyo told him, before shouting for help from the medics. "Get this man everything he needs!"

    He unfoiled the bloody roll of paper as the scout was carried away and he read it to himself in a whisper. "The enemy likely know that you have retaken the fortress. Come morning, they may decide to throw all their forces at you. If that happens, I will lead my men to hit them in the rear when the time is right. If they decide to continue to attack me, then you will be able to cut them to pieces against the wall. If they decide to do nothing at all, then we should also do nothing."

    It was lucky that they had managed to conclude their n before their scout was put down. Their messages were straight and to the point and with them, both he and Matsudaira would be able to act together, despite the miles between their two armies.

    Akiko had stayed awake alongside him, as the rest of the camp went to sleep. They sat together quietly, their breath misting in the cold morning air.

    "There was a time when all I dreamed of was sitting enjoying the crispness of a cold day with a pretty girl at my side to share conversation with," he told her suddenly.

    She nced up at him, resting her head on his shoulder. It was rare that he ever spoke sentimentally with her. "Just like this?" She asked.

    "Haha, maybe not quite like this. I never imagined that I would find my calling upon the field of battle. Less still that I would reach such heights. To think that I ¨C a virtual nobody ¨C have crossed swords with such great men as Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin... and even Oda Nobunaga," he said, looking up at the bright stars of the dark night¡¯s sky as he ran his fingers through the silky hair of his beloved wife.

    "You¡¯re Miura Tadakata, the greatest warlord Japan has ever seen," she told him, as she leaned in to nt a kiss on his cheek, "and my beloved husband ¨C the father of our child."

    He smiled at her. "I would never have thought such things would be said of me. There was a time ¨C when I was much younger ¨C that I would sit alone upon the banks of a river and simply stare at the waters of its current, dreaming of a different life. I would do that everyday, when the ground was hard from frost and when the skies split open from rain. It seemed that I was always cold... always wet... and always so lonely. What life did you dream of, Akiko?"

    "To think that there was a time when even you felt that way," Akiko said softly, tracing the lines of his face with her fingers. "I always dreamed an unwomanly dream of bing a warrior. I thought that if I became strong enough, then my father wouldn¡¯t have to be pushed around and we could live quietly again... I always told myself that I would never marry, no matter what, yet here I am. It was you that helped me achieve my dream, even beyond it... You know how you said that you were always cold?"

    "Mhm..?" Gengyo murmured.

    "It¡¯s funny, because I think that you¡¯re like the fire that warmed all of us. A great big fire, as hot as the sun, and being next to you, we were all unfrozen a little bit. It¡¯s as though only now am I truly seeing the world, and that I¡¯m truly feeling," Akiko said passionately. "Rin feels the same too, you know. She swears she¡¯s got the best big brother in the whole world. And Sasaki too ¨C he¡¯s the only one who admits it, but everyone else feels the same."

    "Is that so..?" Gengyo asked quietly, his mind full of thoughts, the suggestion had taken him off guard, for he had never considered it that way.

    "Absolutely. You were always going to be a great man, no matter where you went, but you chose to be a good man as well. Maybe that¡¯s why we can ovee the impossible ¨C because all of us are willing to die for you," she told him.

    "I¡¯d ask that you don¡¯t," Gengyo said, taking her hand in his. "The world would feel so much colder if it wasn¡¯t for your presense."

    "And I¡¯ll say the same to you, and just hope that you listen," Akiko said back, her soft brown eyes looking deep into his. "But you keep making me more and more worried... I know that I shouldn¡¯t say that to you, because there¡¯s no one better than you at battle - you wouldn¡¯t fight if you thought you would lose. But it doesn¡¯t stop my heart from trembling when I see you getting hurt."

    "It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer," Gengyo assured her. "We will reach a point where we no longer have to fight the impossible, but we can go into battle with even terms, and that way we can be certain of our victory."

    "In time for our son to be born?" Akiko asked.

    "Our son?" Gengyo repeated. "How do you know it¡¯s a boy?"

    "It¡¯s definitely a boy," Akiko said firmly, "I can feel it. He¡¯s got a fiery heart, just like his father. I can feel it burning. He¡¯ll make us both very proud, you can be sure of it."

    "A son... I wonder if he¡¯ll surpass me? Or whether he¡¯ll avoid my path entirely? It might be that he despises the sword and seeks to change the world through his writings? Either way, I¡¯m excited to see."

    "As am I," Akiko seconded.

 Chapter 312 - Cold Morning

    When the light of dawn came, it fell upon Akiko and Gengyo¡¯s faces. They had fallen asleep with their backs against the old barrack walls, resting in each other¡¯s arms. The brightness quickly caused them to stir and they rubbed their eyes, throwing off their sleepiness.

    "Good morning," Akiko said with a gentle smile.

    "Good morning," Gengyo replied back, grinning at her.

    It was difficult to force themselves towards movement. The morning air was cold and bracing. Dewdrops coated the grass around them and glistened on their clothes. If not for the heat of each other¡¯s bodies, it would have been a chilly night indeed.

    "It will not be long till winter is upon us," Gengyomented, smelling the autumn air. It was a nostalgic scent for him.

    "Mm... A warm fire to sit by, with snow on the ground ¨C it¡¯s my favourite season," Akiko said back. "But we¡¯ll still be busye winter, won¡¯t we?"

    "I¡¯m not sure," Gengyo said honestly. "It seems likely. That does not mean we can¡¯t take the time to enjoy the season, even if our snow ends up red instead of white."

    "Mm..." Akiko kept closing her eyes, about to drop back to sleep at any moment. "Pull me up," she begged.

    "To do that, I¡¯d need to stand up myself," Gengyo said quietly, unwilling to move out from their little nest.

    "Pleaseeeeeee," she said again.

    "Gah..." Gengyo hefted himselfzily to his feet. He almost cried out when he felt the stiffness in his legs, but he did his duty and grabbed Akiko¡¯s soft hand to pull her easily to her feet.

    "My hero," she said jokingly, looking deep into his eyes with her gentle look. They spent a few long moments looking at each other, their hearts filled with love. "Look, they¡¯ve lit a fire. Shall we go and steal the heat?" She said finally.

    "Absolutely," Gengyo affirmed without hesitation.

    Around the fire, they found their exhaustedrades, huddled over a tiny me, begging the wet wood to catch and give off better heat. "Morning," Gengyo said, as he sat down on the damp log beside them.

    "Oh," Morohira said mildly, looking up at him, barelyprehending who he was looking at, his eyes heavy with tiredness. He had a woollen nket over his shoulders and he shivered under it, his teeth chattering.

    "Rough night?" Gengyo asked to the others when his father¡¯s conversation died so quickly. Only Jikouji, Morohira and Rokkaku had made their way to the fire, the rest were nowhere to be seen.

    "The worst," Jikouji affirmed, "I have never slept so poorly in my life." He looked ten years older as he grasped his cup of tea in his hand, drawing whatever he could from its tiny heat. "Rats drove me outside first, then these two joined me. Didn¡¯t manage to sleep a wink, far too cold."

    "I went to the second floor of that shitty barracks, and some poor sod fell through the floorboards right next to me ¨C broke a leg he did. That was enough to get me outside," Rokkaku said, appearing so tired that he looked sickly.

    One of the captains came over with a pot of oil as they shared their tired conversations. He poured it straight onto the fire without too much thought and the me nearly tripled in size, burning with an angry growl. The wet wood soon took. A cheer met his actions, and other men began to gather around.

    "Any news from the scouts?" Gengyo asked, beginning to wake up a little more.

    "We can see their banners from here ¨C they haven¡¯t moved yet. Can¡¯t say I me them. This is winter weather this is, a man should be curled up under a nket by a fire, waiting it out till summer," Jikouji said back.

    "Now that we agree on," Rokkaku seconded. "If you ask me, us humans aren¡¯t as clever as we think. The squirrels and the bears have got it right, this is the weather that you want to hibernate through."

    "Listen to all of youining," Akiko teased, "it¡¯s barely autumn weather yet and you¡¯re already acting like the world has frozen over."

    Rokkaku leaned closer to the fire and shot her a dry look. "You have the boss to keep you warm ¨C he must be hotter than this fire if he¡¯s got you in such a good mood."

    It was such a light jab, yet it was enough to make Akiko blush and she struggled for a counter-argument. It was Rin that rescued her. "Shut up, Rokkaku, if you weren¡¯t so ugly you¡¯d have someone to curl up next to as well."

    "Guh, there she is, loud mouth," Morohirained, covering his ears, too tired to deal with his own daughter.

    "Is he joking?" Rin asked, looking to Akiko. "How can he call me loud mouth when he never knows when to shut up?"

    "I think we might have found his weakness," Akiko suggested.

    "I will be taking notes on this," Rin assured her with an evil grin.

    "Am I right in guessing that you slept well, little sister?" Gengyo asked, before Rin could detail her torture n any further.

    "Of course she did," Rokkaku jumped in, "she took all the nkets for herself. There were five really fluffy things and she threatened everyone until she took them all for her. Bet she slept like a princess."

    Somehow, that did not surprise Gengyo in the least.

    "Well, I deserve it," Rin said defensively. "A bad night¡¯s sleep would ruin my fine features. Without my beauty to motivate them, how do you expect the men to fight at their best?"

    "You could go at the back and scare them forward," Rokkaku suggested innocently.

    "Ha...ha..." Dryughter and a murderous look were enough to quiet him. Even Gengyo got shivers when his little sister grew angry.

    "Well, it¡¯s reassuring to know that we¡¯re all in perfect fighting condition," Gengyo said sardonically, pouring a drink of tea for himself.

 Chapter 313 - Breakfast

    The men came pouring out into the cold morning air. One by one at first and then in streams. They set up their own fires on the grassy ts inside the old fortress walls, borrowing hot embers from the roaring fire that Gengyo¡¯s party had managed to set up.

    With the fires burning, the cooks went about their work, settingrge pots above the me and pouring in enough rice to feed a few hundred.

    "There you are, my Lord," one of them handed Gengyo a bowl full of rice and poured a selection of pickled vegetables and fish on top. He was always the first to eat ¨C he enjoyed that, for it always felt like he was hungry.

    "Thank you," he said simply, holding the bowl of steaming food in one hand and his chopsticks in the other. He caught Rin looking over enviously, still clutching her empty bowl, waiting for her turn. He began to spoon it into his mouth, looking at her all the while, making sure she noticed the satisfaction on his face.

    "Cruel... Way too cruel Nii-san," sheined, unable to even look at him much longer. She had to look up at the grey morning sky instead.

    Akiko might have been inclined to the sameints, but she was swift enough to nab some of Gengyo¡¯s. "It¡¯s true," she would say, "it tastes even better from someone else¡¯s bowl."

    "I¡¯ll be sure to test that theory," Gengyo assured her. And when his wife had her food poured, he was looking over, waiting for his opportunity. She held it closely, protectively, knowing exactly what he was doing.

    "You still have a bowl half full," sheined, "must you assault me for mine?"

    "Gah! I¡¯ve had it with you two. Give me some food, Akiko!" Rin finally snapped ¨C her bowl still hadn¡¯t been filled and the growling of her stomach could be heard from across their little circle.

    "Ah," Akiko looked from the ferocious Rin back to the sneaky Gengyo and she decided that her husband was the lesser of her two evils ¨C it was Rin she turned her back on now, protecting her te.

    Rin didn¡¯t stop there. With a hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder, she was stabbing towards the bowl with her chopsticks, hoping to pick up anything. Even a single grain of rice would have been a victory. But Akiko fought her back with chopsticks of her own and the two of them engaged in an intense duel, their chopsticks moving as quickly as their des on the battlefield.

    "So loud," Morohirained. He¡¯d turned away the food for want of more sleep. He kept closing his eyes, hiding under his rough woollen nket, begging the world to quiet down.

    "That¡¯s your daughter there," Rokkaku stated, "isn¡¯t hard to tell who she got her loudness off."

    "You be quiet too, Rokkaku," Morohira murmured, "let your pal get some sleep."

    "Is he hungover?" Gengyo asked. It was rare to see Morohira as anything less than the most energetic person for miles around.

    "Hah! I wish. Your father¡¯s a fun drunk, mostly. Bit of sake would have got his spirits up and let him sleep better. But we couldn¡¯t get our hands on any, so here we are, bloody miserable," Rokkaku told him.

    "Alcoholics," Jikouji said mildly, cleaning up thest of his food.

    "Aye, so what?" Rokkaku didn¡¯t even try to deny it.

    And finally, Rin¡¯s food arrived and the battle between her and Akiko was over. "Here you are, Lady Rin," the cook said nervously, terrified that she¡¯d tear his head off. But her eyes were only for the food. She snatched it from him and began to wolf it down with the contented look of a happy cat on her face.

    "I¡¯ll have some more if you¡¯ve got it," Gengyo said before the cook left for the others.

    "Of course my Lord, there¡¯s plenty," the cook assured him, filling his bowl right up again.

    "Your food is now safe," Gengyo told Akiko.

    "Good," she said, rxing.

    "Mm, but it does taste better," with her guard lowered, Gengyo managed to snatch a chunk of pickled fish for himself, enjoying the irritated look on his wife¡¯s face. "I win," he said with a fool¡¯s grin.

    "You always win," she said back, sounding less than happy about it.

    Jikouji had been trying to get his attention for a few moments, and with his victory secure, Gengyo looked over to him.

    "The scouts are back," Jikouji told him, pointing across to the other side of the fortress where two men were dismounting their horses.

    "Mm. They look rather excited," Gengyo noted, waiting for them to cross over to him as he continued with his food. The scouts were sharing conversation with a group of their men. It took them a few minutes before they finally caught their breath it deemed it appropriate to deliver their information to their lord.

    The two of them bowed as they arrived, holding their helmets by their sides.

    "What news?" Gengyo asked them mildly.

    "None yet, my Lord. Their men are beginning to wake up and feed themselves, but there¡¯s no other movement to be had. We can¡¯t tell where they intend to go, not yet," one of the scouts told him.

    "Mm... Have another two men sent out. An eye needs to be kept on them at all times. Once you¡¯ve done that, find yourself some food and rest a while," Gengyo said.

    "As you say, my Lord," one of them said, and they bowed once again, showing their respects before they disappeared to fulfil his order.

    "The Hojo are taking their time with this," Jikouji noted once they were gone. "They¡¯re sure to have noticed our capturing of this fortress, but they haven¡¯t rushed into immediate action."

    Gengyo thought about that, wondering on the old man¡¯s point. "Theirmander must be experienced then, if he is able to remain calm despite our movements."

    "Aye, we would do well not to take him lightly," Jikouji agreed.

 Chapter 314 - Watchmen

    "To hell with it!" Morohira said finally, throwing the nket on the floor in front of him. "You¡¯re all too loud ¨C it¡¯s impossible to get any more sleep."

    "The day has been out a fair few hours yet," Gengyo said with a point. The sun was a quarter of the way up the sky.

    "I would dly have slept through all of it," Morohira said grumpily.

    "You have to earn your sleep around these parts," Rokkaku put in, enjoying the opportunity to jest with his friend.

    "Now that you¡¯re up, you had better armour yourself. There¡¯s no telling when we will need to move," Gengyo had advised. Both he and Akiko were sitting in their full armour, save for the helmet, which they kept on theirps. The others were the same, Jikouji and Rokkaku too, even Rin. In fact, in the entire encampment, likely the only man who was not properly attired was Morohira.

    Morohira saw this as he nced around. He had attempted to block the world out in hopes of sleep and so he had missed the cue in which everyone armoured themselves incquered leather. "Fine," he mumbled, going off towards the barracks where he remembered he had left it. "If anyone has stolen my things, there¡¯s going to be trouble."

    "They definitely haven¡¯t," Rin called after him. "I saw them in the middle of the floor ¨C everyone else has taken their stuff. You¡¯re thest one, dad!"

    "Good!" He shouted back.

    "I almost hope that the Uesugi begin their attack on us soon," Jikouji said, "another night in this decrepit old forest is worse than any night out on the field."

    "If ites to that, we¡¯ll know to put our tents up tonight," Gengyo said back, but he was looking towards the gate and towards the watchman and the scouts, searching for any sign of activity. Two men were engaged in a heated conversation, but they did not seem eager to share.

    Still with nothing else going on, Gengyo decided to part from the heat of his roaring fire and from the softpany of his wife, so that he might go and investigate, and perhaps sneak a look towards the Uesugi encampment himself.

    Jikouji stood up with him. "Catching a look, are we?"

    "Aye, my legs are about to go dead," Gengyo said. "Akiko?"

    His wife shook her head. "I¡¯ll trust that you will do your job properly. This fire is too pleasant to part from."

    "Agreed," Rin seconded. "Go and do your business, Ni-san, we¡¯ll watch over the fire," his little sister said with a shooing motion of her hand.

    "Just me and you then, old man," Gengyo stated as he turned his back on the fire.

    "It really is a mess, this old fortress," Jikouji said as they nced at the walls around them. There were holes everywhere and everything seemed to be so rotten. "I wonder why Matsudaira did not see that work was done to it."

    Gengyo shrugged at that. In Matsudaira¡¯s position, he might have done the same. "I suppose it¡¯s better to have three fortresses that are as strong as a god¡¯s shield than it is to have four with weaknesses. Especially when you have as few men as us ¨C you can¡¯t afford to waste any on defending the indefensible."

    "But that will be our task, won¡¯t it?" Jikouji pointed out. "It¡¯ll be left to us to defend this indefensible pile of rubble. We wouldn¡¯t be much worse off if we merely faced them on the open field."

    "We have the numbers to make it possible and the weaponry. We¡¯ll manage somehow," we always do, Gengyo said lightly. He nodded to the two scouts as they drew close. The men bowed deeply back.

    "Any news?" Jikouji asked them.

    "Nothing that we can truly report... but the camp seems odd somehow," one of them said tentatively.

    "That¡¯s right, we haven¡¯t seen anyone move away from camp, but inside it they all seem busy, like they¡¯re working on something," the other said.

    "Mm," Gengyo stroked his chin at that, considering it. He decided that he wanted a look for himself and with three light hops, he jumped atop the old walls. Jikouji joined him a momentter.

    With the progress of the day, the sky had cleared and they could see unobstructed for miles around. A portion of the Uesugi encampment was hidden behind a small grove of trees, but the rest was clearly visible. Both Jikouji and Gengyo could see it just as the watchman had ¨C the camp was buzzing like a hive of angry bees.

    "They¡¯re up to something," Gengyo said with distaste. They could not tell quite what, but he had his ideas.

    "Whatever it is, it can¡¯t be good," Jikouji said. "Do you think we¡¯ll be alright? We¡¯re rather exposed here. If theye at us with a solid n and weaponry to disrupt our order, they can easily overwhelm us."

    A horse broke out from the cover of the trees, a barrel either side of it. A soldier hurried in a panic after it and dragged it back into the shadows, but not before Gengyo realized what he saw. "That¡¯s gunpowder," he guessed. "They¡¯re intending to blow us to the heavens." The thought made him shudder. It was a bad way to die.

    "Gunpowder?" Jikouji repeated. "We can gun down a few thousand before they have time toy it, but if they¡¯re sending horses charging in suicide with those barrels on their backs, then there isn¡¯t much we can do about it."

    Gengyo very much agreed with that. Matsudaira might be able to hold his walls against that kind of attack, but they certainly couldn¡¯t. They would buckle at the first explosion. "Call the men," he said. "They have changed their n, so we must change ours. It is time to leave."

    Jikouji looked relieved as he said that. "Immediately, my Lord," he said with rare formality. A momentter, he was hurrying across the encampment and shouting as he went.

 Chapter 315 - Amusing

    They left the run-down fortress leisurely by the gates, filtering out onto the field. Their exit was no doubt immediately noticed by a rather disgruntled set of Hojo generals, as they watched their n fail before it could be fully attempted.

    Out onto the field, Gengyo was unsure quite where to go. He walked by the side of his horse, leading it by the reigns, so that he would not stray too far away from the men. It was a waiting game now. A question of reactionary manoeuvres.

    They began at a leisurely pace, walking along the edges of the battlefield, a respectable distance away from the Hojo encampment ¨C far enough away that any attempts to attack them would be seen long before they couldnd.

    "Let¡¯s get closer," Gengyo decided. "If we can irritate them into sending their calvary chasing after us, then we can an easy advantage."

    "This is an incredibly odd way of fighting," Jikouji noted, but they went closer anyway, as calmly as if they were merely eight thousand men heading out together on a rxing pic.

    They were soon close enough to make out individual men, but still far away enough that any arrow fire would fail to reach them, and any cavalry charge would be seen long before it hit them.

    Gengyo wondered whether Matsudaira could see them from his fortress and whether he was as amused as Gengyo felt. They were merely eight thousand men wandering across grassy ins, as though they were unaware of the fifty thousand strong ho¡¯s nest watching them aggressively.

    "Tell the men to load their rifles," Gengyo put in to Jikouji ¨C it was better to be prepared.

    "LOAD!" Jikouji shouted quickly. He was able to summon a voice louder than a thunder god with hardly any preparation. Gengyo almost envied him.

    The men were soon fumbling with their rifles, loading them as they marched, preparing six deadly shots for any fools stupid enough toe their way.

    Gengyo walked right past the Hojo encampment, barely looking their way. He set his destination as Matsudaira¡¯s centremost fortress.

    At Gengyo¡¯s actions, the Hojo generals were stunned. They watched it from a distance, too shocked to react immediately. "He¡¯s surely attempting to lure us into a trap," one of them said, though that begged the question: what trap?

    They dared not immediately send in their cavalry for fear of being made a fool of. Such confidence was surely backed up in some form or another. But then, they were being made a fool of anyway, allowing the enemy to pass so close by without doing anything about it.

    They formed up their infantry instead, to at least exert some pressure. Ranks of Hojo spearmen began to form up on the edges of their camp and bowmen filtered in behind them. When there was enough ordered to be called a threat, they began at a slow march towards Gengyo¡¯s army.

    Gengyo barely acknowledged them. He altered his course just enough to amodate for the slowly advancing enemy, but otherwise stayed true.

    Thus, the Hojo men began to advance a little bit faster, and units of cavalry raced up and down, looking for an opportunity to engage.

    Gengyo pushed his men to the same speed, pushing forward at a faster walk.

    The Hojo men began to run, as did the Miura men. They raced towards Matsudaira¡¯s middle fortress together, still a fair distance away.

    The cavalry were allowed to grow excited, sighting a fleeing enemy¡¯s back. They left their men and galloped forward, drawing their swords, intending to smash them in the back.

    "...Is he a fool?" One of the Hojo general¡¯s asked incredulously. There was not a single way he could foresee that easily eight thousand strong unit surviving. In their attempt at putting on a show, they had given their backs and forced themselves into an undesirable position.

    The Miura men could maintain their sprint far longer than the Hojo equivalents. They put quite a distance between themselves and the enemy infantry, but the mass of cavalry was catching up more and more with every second. In a few short moments, they would be plunging into their undefended backs.

    Finally, Gengyo gave the order. "TURN AND FIRE!"

    It was so crisp, so disciplined, that even the enemy was inclined to feel a hot flush at its beauty. Two thousand riflemen formed a solid wall of artillery in half a second, the first rank crouched down to allow room for the second. The Uesugi remnants soon stumbled into their own positions, and they notched their bows with arrows, in time to fire with the rest of them.

    The front cavalryman finally noticed the danger. He pulled hard on the reins of his horse, attempting to veer off to the side, but at such a speed, his action was fatal. The horse veered sideways and crushed him underneath it, screaming all the while. Hisrades soon joined him.

    Arrows flitted up in a cloud towards the sky. Another was notched in the bows before they evennded. But it was the rifles that did the heavy lifting. They tore fist-sized holes in the chests of mounted men, killing them instantly. The cavalry charge buckled in a wave as the trigger was pulled again and again until there was not a single bullet left to fire. Even then, it only took them a matter of seconds to push more into the chamber and the heavy artillery once more resumed.

    It was a massacre. Not too dissimr to that they had inflicted upon Takeda Yoshinobu. Half dead men were left crawling amongst a sea of arrow ridden corpses.

    Gengyo had left the Hojo generals stunned with the sudden venom of his attacking prowess. Seven thousand cavalrymeny dead at his hands. But his next action infuriated them.

    When the massacre was over, he held up his hand, and then he began forward at an even slower walk than before. It was terribly taunting and borderline devilish. His whole army began tough.

 Chapter 316 - Reunited

    With a casualness that approached an old man¡¯s leisurely stroll, the army made their way through the open doors of Matsudaira¡¯s fortress.

    The defenders cheered as they came inside. Gengyo noted that they looked tired. They must have been d of their arrival for the temporary relief that they offered.

    "Worry not," he told them, "we will soon be sending these dogs back to where they came from."

    They cheered even louder at that, banging the butts of their spears against the floor in an urgent chant. "MIURA! MIURA! MIURA!"

    As he waded through the sea of cheering men dipping his head to the soldiers that reached out to him, he spotted Matsudaira. His Grand General stood stoically a distance away from everyone else with his arms folded and a stone look on his face. When their eyes met, that stoney look crumbled and he broke out into a smile.

    When they were close enough, Gengyo reached out his hand as an offering and immediately Matsudaira sped it in a firm handshake. "It is good to have you back, my Lord," Matsudaira said honestly.

    "It¡¯s good to be back. Now I can focus on the enemy in front of me and take my time to enjoy their destruction. It is unpleasant fighting in a hurry. Regardless, you¡¯ve done a miracle here, Matsudaira. Their army appears fearsome. To hold it for so long ¨C only you could have been relied on to do that," Gengyo told him.

    As the two of them talked, old friends reunited. Togashi and Sasaki reunited warmly with their brothers in Morohira and Rokkaku and Jikouji. Takeshi hovered shyly in the background and Akiko and Rin took charge of extending their greetings to him. The little smith blushed until he was as red as a cherry, unable to deal with the conversation of such beautiful women, but that smile on his face was most genuine. Despite his nervousness, he was d to see them.

    "If it were you, they¡¯d be defeated by now," Matsudaira said humbly. "You¡¯ve made them look less mighty than they once did with your disy out there. I had forgotten what a Miura battle looked like, but you soon reminded me. You make it seem effortless. Just how deep do your ns extend? Their generals have been careful and patient up till now, but with that manoeuvre there, you¡¯ve sure to have destroyed their calmness. That will go a long way for achieving our victory."

    "You give me too much credit," Gengyo told him with a grin. He lowered his voice before he continued. "Shall I tell you the truth, oh general of mine? I had not thought beyond leaving the fortress. I simply knew that to be an appropriate course of action. The rest was merely reactionary. We¡¯ve been using these rifles for so long, it¡¯s only natural that I would know their capabilities, isn¡¯t it?"

    Matsudaira shook his head in awe. "If I could operate one day with that level of confidence, then I would have considered myself to have reached the peak of the martial mountain. It¡¯s even more impressive that it was instinct that led you towards such a decision. Your talent is unfathomable."

    "Ah, now you¡¯re merely ttering me," Gengyo said with a cheery tut.

    "Absolutely not," Matsudaira insisted. "Tell me ¨C beyond what you put in the letters ¨C just how did you manage to secure the Takedands so quickly? Was Kenshin¡¯s reputation not deserving of him? Are those Uesugi men that I see you¡¯ve replenished our ranks with?"

    "They are indeed. They did not need much encouragement to join us. They¡¯ve no idea with a rifle, but their skill with a bow is not to be looked down on. It will keep them useful until they¡¯ve had the time to enjoy our training... As for Kenshin, that man deserved his reputation and more still. What a terrifying man. We barely seized victory there. I dread to think what would have happened if even a single thing went wrong," Gengyo said honestly.

    "You must share the stories with me over our cups tonight," Matsudaira said.

    Gengyo chuckled at that. "If those Hojo men could hear us talking so leisurely, their rage would know no bounds."

    "We have the time to," Matsudaira assured him. "With your reinforcements, they would be fools to attack without due preparation. Should theyunch a minority attack on one of the other fortresses, then we had only need leave and hit them hard in the rear. An easy victory it¡¯ll be."

    "Ah, I wonder if this news will excite you: we¡¯ve some Takeda cavalry of our own in the works. It might take a month or so to see results from it, but I¡¯ve been assured that some will be sent our way soon. That will give us an extra brush to be creative with in our ns. We will soon be able to tear our enemies to pieces," Gengyo said excitedly. Matsudaira¡¯s eyes lit up as he spoke.

    "That is good news," he said with a simr level of excitement. "If we had a thousand of those ready to be used right now, we would be able to cause some havoc."

    "Aye. My battle with Kenshin made me realize the weakness of only have a single adaptable unit," Gengyo told him.

    Matsudaira shook his head. "I¡¯m almost upset that I wasn¡¯t there to witness it. It seems to have had a great effect on you. You really must make sure to tell me every detail ¨C how it was you managed to overwhelm such a man despite being so hard-pressed. Shall we go inside and share a drink?" He asked, pointing with a finger towards the barracks.

    "As long as you can promise there¡¯s no rats or bird shit staining the floor in there," Gengyo joked.

    Matsudaira smiled at that. "None at all. I made sure this fortress was brought up to standards long before the Hojo came. I apologise for having you stay in such a rundown facilityst night, but I think you will find this one more to your liking. Takeshi has done wonders with it, Morojo as well. I¡¯ll give you a tour as soon as you wish for it."

    "I look forward to it," Gengyo said, heading with Matsudaira towards his barracks.

 Chapter 317 - Plans

    "Well now, this isn¡¯t too bad then, is it?" Gengyomented as they made their way into themander¡¯s quarters. The floor was all clean tatami and in the centre of the room there ran a long low table capable of sitting up to thirty men. It was the cleanness that delighted him most. After so long on the road, he had forgotten what it meant to be clean.

    Spread across the middle of the table, there was a map, as there always should be in amander¡¯s room. Numerous little pieces were dotted around on it, blue for the Hojo-Imagawa army and red for the allied forces.

    There was a pile of paper and a pot of ink ready as well, the quill still firmly ced in the pot. One could guess just how many messages Matsudaira had been sending. Tomand from a distance was no easy feat.

    "I¡¯m d it¡¯s up to your standards," Matsudaira smiled, "care for a drink?" He held up a pot of sake as ill.u.s.tration.

    Gengyo paused a moment. Normally he would not be in favour of drinking so early in the day, but he shrugged despite that. "If you¡¯re drinking, then I will too," he decided, kneeling down by the table and paying the map a closer look. The tatami was incredibly springy. There wasn¡¯t much that couldpare to its feeling. Comfort of kings, truly.

    "Are you thinking of battle once more?" Matsudaira asked as he slid Gengyo a shallow bowl of sake, noting that his Lord was gazing so intently at the map.

    "I can not help it," Gengyo confessed. "Battle has seemed tiresometely, with our backs so against the wall, but this here is an opportunity for creativity and enjoyment. I¡¯m excited."

    "The truth is, I am too," Matsudaira admitted. "With you back, it is a weight off my shoulders. Victory seems so clear and certain now. Even if you hadn¡¯t brought eight thousand men with you, if it was just you alone, victory would still be much closer."

    Gengyo had tough. The smell of the alcohol reminded him of its feeling and he loosened up all the more. "Imagine if those Hojo men could hear us talking so confidently when they have an army of fifty thousand men waiting outside our walls."

    "They would implode with irritation," Matsudaira said, seeming delighted by the thought.

    "Well, it has been a while since we¡¯ve done this, but shall we form a n?" Gengyo asked, finishing up his sake and reaching for the pot to replenish himself.

    "Nothing would delight me more," Matsudaira said. With a finger, he pointed to the Hojo camp on the map. "They have the advantage of slight tree cover. The movement within camp is near impossible to see unless we send a scout right up close, but even that is worthless ¨C we¡¯ll only be sending a good man to his grave."

    "Mm... I¡¯ve heard it before said that only a strong offensive could make up for the disadvantage of numbers. There was a man once who was put in much the same position as you and I, but perhaps even worse. He had only two thousand men under hismand, yet he had to contend with an army of twenty-five thousand," Gengyo stated.

    "Those are some horrific odds," Matsudaira murmured, "far worse than ours. How did that man fair?"

    "Oh, he shattered his enemy. He cut them down, right to thest man. Under the cover of darkness, he led his men into their encampment and sliced the head of the enemymander clean off. The general had underestimated him, expecting him to merely wait and take siege, for what kind of mad man wouldunch a counter-attack with such minor numbers?" Gengyo told him.

    "That is certainly within our grasp," Matsudaira said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "Where is theirmander now, after he aplished such a great victory?"

    "He¡¯s dead," Gengyo said grimly, "I killed him." He awarded himself a sip of sake.

    "As to be expected of Miura-dono. Even a talent like that, you crush without problem," Matsudaira said in awe. Gengyo liked him even more for not asking a follow up question. For being satisfied with that simple answer.

    "Well, I¡¯m sure his strategy only worked because of the viewpoint he had. He knew where the enemy was and what they were doing at all times. We don¡¯t hold such an advantage. We can perhaps turn to Takeshi instead, to cause some havoc of the modern kind," Gengyo said.

    "Takeshi made sure to put our cannons on wheels, so that they could be repositioned whenever was necessary. Perhaps we might be able to employ them to a certain effect, get the enemy running so that we can swoop in with our men and deal a decesive stroke," Matsudaira said.

    "Hoh, you can always count of Takeshi to do things the right way," Gengyo said, pleased by the news, "I will have to pay him a visit. The sword he had made for me has served him well."

    A head stuck around the door as they talked and Rin made her presence known with a loud condemnation. "Really, Nii-san? Running off to the pretty room with Matsudaira and leaving us behind? Don¡¯t you think we would have wanted to join you where it¡¯s warm?"

    "It¡¯s the sake. My sister is turning into something of an alcoholic," Gengyo exined to Matsudaira.

    Matsudaira immediately epted his words as fact and with a stone face, he began to pour a second drink. "We all have our crutches," he said, "the stresses of war are not for everyone. Please, Lady Rin, share in our drink."

    "I¡¯m not an alcoholic-" Rin began to protest, but Gengyo was already talking over her.

    "Thank you for being so understanding, Matsudaira, my dear sister is ashamed to have a weakness, so she always moves to deny it. But she is in goodpany here, let us assure her. She will not be judged."

 Chapter 318 - To Future Victories

    More and more of theirrades found their way into themander¡¯s room and Gengyo and Matsudaira¡¯s quiet was soon interrupted.

    "Takeshi," Gengyo said with a smile when he saw the timid smith walk in behind the rest of them.

    "M-my Lord," the smith said with a stiff bow, "it is good to see you."

    Gengyo rose to meet him. "You¡¯ve done me well with this sword. If not for it in my hand, then I might have been a dead man by now."

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m very d to hear it... Has there been any damage to it?" Takeshi asked, struggling to keep the topic steered firmly towards his strengths.

    Gengyo drew the de from his hip and set it down on the table for Takeshi to examine. The blood and the dirt had long since been washed away. It drew the attention of the rest of theirrades.

    "So that¡¯s the de you¡¯ve been swinging around, is it?" Morohira asked, picking it up by the handle and trying a few practise swings without asking anyone¡¯s permission. "No... I don¡¯t like it. You won¡¯t be getting any power behind that," he decided, setting it back down again with distaste.

    "You truly fought with this, Miura-dono?" Togashi asked, looking upon the de with a curiosity. "It appears much too thin to parry, but it is certainly long. You could cut down your opponent before he has a chance to swing at you."

    "Made for a one-handed man," Gengyo told him with a smile, waving his stump to ill.u.s.trate his point. "It served me rather splendidly. Was I not back to my old self?" He asked with a pointed look towards Akiko.

    "It seemed that way, towards the end," she said honestly, "but you had us all worried for a while there. He disappeared into a mass of enemy men,pletely encircled. He had to fight his way out, he did. We were sure he was gone. But then ten minutester, he crawls out from a pile of bodies and leads a charge at Kenshin, winning us the battle."

    "That sounds like the boss," Sasaki said cheerfully, "I wish I could have been there to see it. In the moment, your heart is messy when you¡¯re in battles like that, but then afterwards, you¡¯re so proud. You get that badge of honour, for oveing the impossible. Every battle with the boss has been like that. It makes you feel invincible."

    "I¡¯d beware of that feeling if I were you, Sasaki," Rin told him. "My Nii-san seems to think he¡¯s invincible, with all the efforts he puts into finding impossible ces to fight his way out from. If you n to get a wife, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be a good man, and sensible, and try and temper that wild side of you, just has my brother haspletely failed to do."

    "It¡¯s not even battle, but it seems I¡¯ve been stabbed again," Gengyo said dryly, clutching for his heart. "Would anyone else like to test my de? You might find it suits you better."

    "I¡¯ll give it a swing," Jikouji said, "but I can¡¯t see myself changing. Too old and too set in my ways." He went to pick it up and the surprise was obvious on his face when he felt its weight, "by the gods, it¡¯s light, isn¡¯t it?" He tried a stance, instinctually standing like a fencer, realizing that the de was meant for thrusting rather than shing. He looked like a natural with it as he jabbed at the air. Their men had to step back to avoid being caught by it.

    "It has its advantages," Jikouji said atst, concluding its testing, "the reach would be troublesome to deal with, if it¡¯s a katana that you¡¯re using. But I suppose with enough training, you could work around that. Step in, close that distance, and the katana has the advantage once again."

    "Ah, so you were testing it only to find a way to defeat me, is that right?" Gengyo asked, taking the sword back off him.

    "Something like that," Jikouji said with a sly grin.

    "If I had two hands, I¡¯d put my faith in the katana as well," Gengyo admitted, "but this here is more than an adequate recement. What do you say, Takeshi, have I treated it well, or have I been too rough with it?"

    Takeshi had to examine the de up close before he offered his verdict. Even then, he was said without the slightest shred of confidence. A genius, for true, but one without the gift for socialising. "There is work to be done on it... Ah, but that isn¡¯t to say... I mean, that isn¡¯t... to say my Lord has treated it poorly... It¡¯s only a result of battle... to keep it strong and flexible... I had better see to it."

    He was about to go there and then, but with a hand on his shoulder, Gengyo brought him back. "Woah there, Takeshi, you had not need hurry towards work. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been busy making cannons for Matsudaira. You need a drink as much as the rest of us;e, rx, take the time off until the next battlees knocking."

    "Aye, drink," Morohira said firmly, nting a bowl of sake in the smith¡¯s hands. The loud warrior had already helped himself to plenty of it and had proceeded to his third bowl without anyone having noticed.

    With all eyes pinned on him expectantly, Takeshi didn¡¯t know quite what to do. He shivered as though he was audienced by an alien species. He cautiously took a sip to see whether that would appease them. It did. Everyone broke out in grins when he finally did.

    "Everyone, get some sake in your hands, a toast for the battles toe!" Morohira pressed.

    "I¡¯ll settle on water," Akiko said modestly, patting her belly as ill.u.s.tration.

    "I¡¯ll take the sake then," Rokkaku lept in.

    With bowls raised in the air, they toasted. "To future victories!" Gengyo said.

    "To future victories!" They repeated.

 Chapter 319 - A Game

    With the amount of drink, there began a rowdiness, and none were more rowdy than Rin. She had developed a taste for sake that rivalled her father''s.

    "A game! We need to set up a game to y¡­" Rin said loudly, before quietening down as she looked around the room in drunken thought.

    "I have a feeling you might not enjoy the game my sisteres up with, Takeshi," Gengyo told the little smith. He''d managed to get two bowls of sake down him, and with that he had loosened up ever so slightly, enough to talk to hisrades without imploding.

    Takeshi blinked like a rabbit at the warning, eyeing the door to make sure his escape route was left open. When Rin looked his way, he froze to the spot in terror, sure that something awful was toe his way.

    "¡­Throw some cups up for me, Nii-san," she said instead, grabbing a handful of y cups from the table. Matsudaira looked sympathetically towards Gengyo, scratching the back of his head, unsure how he might help his lord.

    "Ah, Rin, perhaps we better not," Akiko said, gently grabbing a hold of her friend''s arm, "the mess it will cause is a bit much, isn''t it?"

    "It''s fine, it''s fine!" Rin insisted, forcing her pile of cups onto Gengyo.

    "And what might I be doing with these? Has my sister turned into a magpie?" Gengyo asked with a raised eyebrow.

    "Throw them up for me," Rin said, "I want to see how many I can cut through before they hit the floor."

    She drew her sword. A gasp went around the room as they spied shining steel. Their battle instincts woke up. Rin waspletely oblivious to their reactions and she stood with her sword in both hands, waiting for her brother to toss the cups into the air.

    "That''s your daughter," Rokkaku reminded Morohira when no one stepped forward to stop her.

    "Oh. So it is," Morohira said absentmindedly as though he had only just realized, "give her space, gentlemen! A Miura de cuts deeper than most!"

    He was as drunk as his daughter and absolutely no help at all. Gengyo was left clutching a pile of pottery as everyone cautiously stepped away from him. His mind was telling him that such a game was certainly a bad idea, especially in that kind of enclosed space, but the alcohol was telling him that it might be fun after all. "Well¡­ I suppose a single go would not hurt. Are you ready, little sister?"

    "Mhm!" Rin said seriously.

    With a quickness, Gengyo cast five cups into the air, throwing them high enough that they would not be impossible to catch, but with enough space between them that a single sh could not catch two.

    Rin took a deep breath,pletely focused. Alcohol slowed her only slightly. With a terrifying uracy, she shattered through the first of the cups, driving straight through the centre and with her back sh she managed to catch a second cup. Just before they all ttered to the floor, she sought to get a third, but missed it by half a finger, and they all shattered on the ground a momentter.

    "Two cups," Gengyo said, "not bad at all."

    "I can do better," Rin insisted, "let me go again."

    "Hold your horses, little Rin," Morohira stepped in, his interest piqued. "It is your father''s turn."

    Rin grumbled herints but Morohira had already drawn his sword, an excited grin on his face, hispetitive spiritpletely taking over.

    "Go on, Morohira!" Rokkaku shouted his encouragement.

    "¡­Am I tasked with throwing them again?" Gengyoined. It seemed like he had been saddled with a rather troublesome position.

    "Same thrower, so we canpare points," Morohira said.

    With a sigh, Gengyo resigned himself to his fate. He plucked up a handful of potted cups and resumed his position as the designated thrower. "Ready?" He asked.

    Morohira did not reply. He only tightened his grip on his sword. Gengyo cast his cups into the air, five of them at once, just as he had Rin.

    Morohira stood for a quiet moment. He did not move until they had all begun toe down. And then with the quickness of a snake, he lined his sh so that he cut through two at once. He tried for a third and just barely missed. Before they hit the floor, he had time for a third strike, and this one managed to catch the edge of the cup, just enough to shatter it to pieces.

    A satisfied grin was on his face. "Three cups. I win," Morohira said.

    "No way," Rin protested, "I can get all five if you move out the way."

    "¡­Could I perhaps have a go?" The amiable Sasaki spoke up. When everyone looked at him in surprise, he scratched the back of his head and exined himself with a big smile. "It looked fun."

    "Sasaki''s turn then," Gengyo decided, picking up yet more cups. The floor was covered in broken bits of pottery by now. "Sorry about the mess," Gengyo whispered to Matsudaira as he passed him. The Grand General did not show the slightest bit of annoyance.

    "No need to apologise," Matsudaira said, "it does look fun, after all. I might even try for a go myself, after Sasaki."

    Now that did surprise Gengyo. He had to congratte his sister internally. Everyone had doubted her game at first, and thought her to be growing too drunk and dangerous, but it had proved to be popr after all.

    "I''ll go and get more cups!" Takeshi excused himself expertly. He''d be shivering in the corner during their game, flinching at every sharp noise. Gengyo was about to stop him, but he had already closed the door behind him before anyone could say anything.

    He shrugged and turned to Sasaki instead. "Ready?" He asked the huge bear-like samurai.

    "Very much so," Sasaki said, putting forth his rare serious side "don''t go easy on me, Miura-dono."

 Chapter 320 - Small Chance

    "Small chance of that," Gengyo said with a smile, "they¡¯d have my head if I did not keep my throws the same." With that, Gengyo cast the cups into the air for Sasaki, interested to see how hisrade would perform.

    Sasaki did not retain the calmness of Morohira, nor did he try and attempt the same grace as Rin. He attacked the cups with a ferocity that was downright frightened. A strong chop severed a cup straight through. A messy backsh caught a second. His size was a problem though, and with that second cut, he was too slow, and the cups fell out of the reach of his sword.

    And so it was a foot that heshed out with. He mmed into a third cup with the wooden sole of his sandals andpletely shattered it to pieces. It was the style of a man that had grown his skill on the battlefield. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but it was brutally effective. Each one of his movements would have immobilized a man.

    "Three," Sasaki announced proudly. It was clear that he had aimed to match Morohira.

    "Are we really counting that?" Morohira asked incredulously. "He kicked it! He didn¡¯t cut it!"

    "I¡¯m counting it," Gengyo said. "He shattered the cup all the same, using what other tools that he had at his disposal."

    There was no more arguing to be had with Gengyo. In making him the thrower, they had established him as some sort of referee.

    "Thank you very much," Sasaki said with a ceremonial bow. "Good luck, Matsudaira-dono."

    Matsudaira nodded his head to receive the well wishes. He drew his sword, and stepped up to the mark.

    "Well, Matsudaira. Shall we see how much you have improved?" Gengyo said, toying with the y cups in his hand. "Whenever your ready."

    Matsudaira took a moment to calm himself with a deep breath. He was approaching the game with an icy seriousness, but it was a seriousness shared by the crowd. They went quiet and focused all their attention on him, interested to see how he would perform. "Ready," Matsudaira said quietly.

    At his words, Gengyo once more sent the cups skyward.

    Matsudaira was of an old school of the sword. He had been trained by old and noble samurai that engrained in him that ancient style of the sword. Of course, he had oveyed the Miura sword training on top of that, but that did not change his foundations nor the essence of his technique.

    When he cut, he forced the air apart. A wooshing sound apanied each sh. He went through his first cup with a speed that surpassed all previous contestants. He was onto his second cup before they were even halfway to the ground. He shattered through that, and then a third one, and he even had time to attempt a fourth.

    Of all the contestants, he managed to get the furthest. He made contact with a fourth cup and it was only by sheer bad luck that it did not shatter. And then they all collided with the floor and his turn was over.

    "Three..." Matsudaira said, sheathing his sword. Gengyo could not tell whether he was dissatisfied.

    "I thought you had managed four for a second there. A slight bit more force and you would have got it," Gengyo said, moving the fragments of pot that had begun to pile by his feet to somewhere out of his way. "Your skill has improved vastly though. You¡¯re like a different man."

    Matsudaira dipped his head at the praise, it seemed to mean a lot to him. "I have put much time into it," he said.

    "Alright, enough ying around. Let an old man show you how it¡¯s done," Jikouji said, climbing to his feet.

    "You too, old man?" Gengyo teased, reaching for another few cups. It seemed Takeshi hade in to drop his cups off before disappearing again without anyone having noticed. "If you¡¯re joining in too, then I suppose I had better go after you and show you what perfection looks like."

    "You might have a strength to you, boy, but this requires something more than that. Do not be ashamed when you lose to me," Jikouji said, drawing his sword.

    Gengyo smiled. He did not even ask Jikouji if he was ready. He did not need to. He cast all the cups into the air, just as he had for the previous contenders, and he noted the change in Jikouji¡¯s eyes. They went from being the withdrawn mole-like eyes of an old man to being the sharp burning eyes of a tiger.

    When he moved, he made the difference between all of them immediately apparent. His speed was legendary. For such an old man he moved with a swiftness that should have been impossible. It was more than that though, the weight of his experience wound together in each strike, there was not a single shred of wasted movement. He had trained until his swordy had be as natural to him as the beating of his heart.

    He cut down two cups before they even knew what had happened. Then a third shattered out of nowhere ¨C they could not even see his de make contact with the pot. Then a fourth. And for the fifth, he struggled as hard as he could to get it, but the cup spun and instead of meeting the sharpness of his de, it brushed off the t face of the weapon and it was the floor that dealt the shattering blow.

    "Damn," Jikouji cursed, "if it were not cups but people, then I suppose I could have imed the victory, but s, it looks like pottery has got the better of me."

    As he spoke, the others glowered at him. They had all done worse than him, yet there he was, condemning his own score as if it was beneath him. "I suppose it¡¯s your turn, Miura, if you still think you can win," Jikouji said.

    "Then you throw them for me, old man. If you watch closely, you might learn something."

 Chapter 321 - Drunken Fist

    Gengyo retrieved his sabre as the room watched on quietly. He tested its weight, reminding himself of how fast he would have to move it.

    Jikouji went and scr.a.p.ed a handful of cups from the table. He had an intense look on his face. Gengyo could tell that he really wanted to win the little game they were ying.

    "Ready?" Jikouji asked.

    "Ready," Gengyo said with a confident smile.

    One by one, Jikouji threw the cups into the air. The want to win had really gotten the better of him. He threw them lower than Gengyo had, giving him less time to attack them before they fell down.

    Gengyo slid his left leg back and assumed a stance more suitable for a rapier. A deep breath prepared himself. Time slowed as he looked at the world through the eyes of a warrior. A thought shed through his mind.

    ¡¯It would be wrong to cheat my weapon, casting shes when it is designed to thrust¡¯. It would no doubt be harder to marry five thrusts than it would be to shatter the cups by whatever means possible, but Gengyo forced that limitation on himself. The cups were already falling.

    He twisted his h.i.p.s and thrust straight and fast, shattering the first of the cups. At that height, it would have gone straight through a man¡¯s throat had it been a soldier rather than a cup.

    And so the limitation of the thrust was revealed. He had to draw his sword all the way back before he could jab out once more, whereas with a sh, he could merely flick his wrist and proceed onto the next target.

    ¡¯Faster,¡¯ he told himself. The first jab had merely been a tester. He knew he could operate at a much more impressive speed. He drew his de back then thrust at the next cup with all the speed of a gunshot, smashing it to pieces. Within the same breath, he married a third cup with the tip of his sword, another perfect fencer¡¯s thrust.

    There were still two cups left, falling through the air. They looked to be past the point of no return. They had fallen past his waist due to Jikouji¡¯s shallow cast height. Most would have given them up as lost at that point, but Gengyo had a standard to uphold. His men thought him weaker now that he had lost a hand. And perhaps he was, ever so slightly, but he was still stronger than all of them.

    He clenched his fingers tight on the hilt of his sword, begging his body for an even faster speed. His legs tensed, offering their support to the movement. His h.i.p.s twisted back, then his whole body twisted forward, exploding like a coiled spring, his whole shape but a blur to those that looked upon it. Thosest two cups seemed to shatter at the same time. A split secondter, all the fragments of pot hit the floor.

    "Five," Gengyo announced slowly.

    A silence hung in the air, as though they still could not believe what they were seeing. Jikouji was too shocked to be irritated by his loss, for he knew full well that he had tried to put Gengyo at a disadvantage. He was the first to break the silence. He shook his head with a tired smile. "My fault for trying to beat you," he said, "there exist some monsters among us. Monsters that we¡¯ll never get close to, no matter how many limbs they lose or how hard we try."

    "Fast!" Rin squeaked. "That was too fast, Nii-san! How do you manage to move so quickly? Is this a new technique? It is, isn¡¯t it? Tell me, how do you do it?"

    "A new technique?" Gengyo repeated with a smile. "Ah yes, it¡¯s called ¡¯not wanting to lose at a random game that my sister came up with, so I used every ounce of my strength¡¯."

    "Boo..." Rinined, thoroughly dissatisfied with that response.

    "I almost want a turn now," Akiko said, her hand on Gengyo¡¯s shoulder.

    "By all means," Gengyo said, "I can toss the cups up for you."

    "No. I¡¯ll stay where I am and pretend that I can at least win in maturity," Akiko said.

    "There she is, mama Akiko, already setting a good example for my child," Gengyo teased.

    "...??? Akiko could not even respond. She didn¡¯t seem to particrly like the title.

    "Mama?" Gengyo repeated, prodding her cheek with a finger.

    "Guh... I am going to have to get used to that," she said weakly.

    "A good show, Miura-dono," Matsudaira said, offering his congrattions. "It motivates me when I see you perform inbat. It reminds me that I¡¯m still far away from the martial ceiling."

    "Not too far away anymore," Gengyo told him, "you¡¯ve improved vastly in such a short amount of time."

    "All thanks to the techniques and training that you and Jikouji have bestowed upon me," he said modestly.

    "Heh, then let¡¯s toast to the technique of the drunken fist. Might be that if we drink enough sake, we might have a revtion. The key to ultimate power, perhaps?" Gengyo said, raising to his lips a bowl of rice wine.

    Matsudaira grabbed one to join him. "Then we had better drink a lot," he grinned.

    "The excuses youe up with just so you can force some sake down you," Akiko said, shaking her head. "Did you forget that we¡¯re under siege?"

    "Under siege? It is they who are under siege. They¡¯ve got a gruesome twenty-four hoursing up for them as they struggle toe to terms with the men we ughtered earlier. We should drink and celebrate our reunion while we have the time," Gengyo told her.

    "If you say so," Akiko shrugged, "but I do hope that you¡¯ve knowledge of that drunken fist if ites down to it, because I can¡¯t say I¡¯d want to be fighting whilst full up on sake."

    "Nonsense!" Morohira shouted, overhearing. "Fighting full up on sake is the only way to fight!"

 Chapter 322 - Drunken Generals

    The liquor began to kick in something devilish. They drank more than any man rightly should. Far more. Their livers protested with stomach pangs, but they drank even more to drown out the pain.

    The day went as quiet as Gengyo had predicted. The Hojo-Imagawa army remained inactive. Their generals staged a meeting and many furious words were exchanged. It was not an environment that allowed for sensible decision making.

    With the amount they had drunk, the smallmander¡¯s room was no longer enough to constrain them. Gengyo was the first to stumble out of the sliding door, prepared to explore the rest of the castle.

    There was a thought on his mind, and that thought was of cannons. He recalled his ns to inspect the defences that Takeshi and Matsudaira had setup. Akiko counselled against it, but he went anyway.

    "I¡¯ve never seen any of you so drunk," Akiko said, hovering in the background, ying mother to all of them. She had to all but carry Rin as they went outside. Rin had her eyes closed like a corpse, groaning lightly. Akiko wrinkled her nose as she smelt the drink on her breath.

    "I¡¯m not even that drunk," Jikouji protested, trying to maintain his dignity. But his words were undermined by the drunken swagger that went with his walk.

    The sky had turned an orange with the setting sun, and the men were beginning to filter their way indoors. Soldiers pped each other on the shoulder as they exchanged watches, sharing idle words. More than just the Generals were pleased to be back together, everyone was.

    It was an odd boiling pot of many different men within that castle. Takeda, Uesugi, and Miura. They all epted each other very quickly. The Takeda men looked upon their old enemies with understanding eyes, for they had once stood in their very position, and understood the feeling of being an outsider. They did as the Miura men had once done for them and they weed thempletely.

    In that rather peaceful castle, the antics of the drunken generals stood out and soldiers stuck their heads around doors trying to sneak a peek at their intoxicated leaders, hardly able to believe it.

    Gengyo brought his feet slowly up adder and staggered on top of a wall. He helped Matsudaira up after him. "A lot of cannons," hemented.

    A drunken Matsudaira giggled at that. "A lot of cannons," he agreed, "a lot of shiny cannons."

    Takeshi materialized from almost nowhere. Talk of cannons might have been all that was needed to summon the little smith. But in truth, he had been on top of that very wall for a while, running his inspections on the equipment, making sure that they were ready to be used at a moments notice.

    "Miura-dono... W-what are you doing here?" He stuttered. He looked past Gengyo to see the rest of them climbing thedder behind. A rowdy drunken Morohira singing a tuneless song with Rokkaku; a brooding Togashi with cheeks flushed red; a jolly Sasaki unable to stop smiling; a half-serious Jikouji and a half-dead Rin. Akiko smiled at him apologetically, understanding how troublesome it was bound to be for him very soon.

    "Ah... Takeshi. Hello. We wanted to look at cannons. We thought about looking at cannons. We are now looking at cannons," Gengyo exined very sinctly.

    "Poetic... That was very poetic, Miura-dono," a drunken Matsudaira praised.

    "You think so?" Gengyo asked, feeling unusually pleased with himself. "There are a lot of cannons," he said again.

    "Yes... There are a hundred on this wall alone," Takeshi exined, doing his very best to keep up with their drunken conversation.

    "One hundred? That¡¯s a lot. How far can they fire?" Gengyo managed to concentrate his brain enough for a half-serious question as he put a hand on his chin.

    "A few hundred yards, at least," Takeshi said, "enough to wipe out any attackers before they can even get close."

    "Demonstration," Gengyo demanded.

    "Demonstration!" Matsudaira repeated eagerly.

    "Demonstration!" Rin mumbled, seeming to like the word.

    "Oh, a demonstration?" Sasaki echoed.

    With so much pressure on him, Takeshi blushed. "I can¡¯t lift the cannonball," he apologised weakly.

    Sasaki was all smiles hearing that. "I can lift it. You¡¯ve got a big brain, I¡¯ve got big arms. We¡¯ll work together," the bear of a man said. He stooped down low to scoop up the cannonball with a ridiculous ease. Gengyo thought that he might have been able to do it with one hand if he really tried. He slid it into the end barrel.

    "Ah! You forgot the gunpowder!" Matsudaira squeaked, suddenly realizing how bad it was.

    Takeshi scratched the back of his head. He was unused to seeing the normally stoic Matsudaira so childish with his liquor. He wasn¡¯t at all sure how to act. "Actually... Seeing as there¡¯s to be no rain for a while, we put in the gunpowder already, just in case we need to fire quickly."

    "Oh, clever!" Matsudaira praised, instantly relieved.

    "Here, Takeshi-dono," a soldier came by with a lit torch and handed it to the smith, overhearing their intentions. He spared an odd look for his leaders, seeing the state that they had got themselves in. He was hardly able to hide his smile.

    "Thank you," Takeshi said, a grateful look on his face. He seemed to want to appease the crowd of a.d.u.l.t children that had gathered around him so expectantly as Akiko shepherded them, making sure that none of them slipped off the wall in their drunkenness. "Well... You had better cover your ears."

    They all covered their ears very obediently, aside from Morohira. "No I don¡¯t," he said confidently.

    Takeshi put the torch to the fuse and an instantter, the ground shook as a boom resounded across the sky. Even covering their ears, it was enough to make them ring. A great big ball thundered across the sky, high and powerful. When it came down, it did so with a force, leaving a dent in the soil and sending a cloud of filth flying through the air.

 Chapter 323 - Rude

    "Gah..." Morohirained, having to crouch down as his ears rang.

    "Should have covered your ears," Rokkaku told him gloatingly.

    From the look on Morohira¡¯s face, he seemed not to be able to hear a word Rokkaku was saying, but from the smile on Rokkaku¡¯s face, he could likely guess.

    "If that was half the size, it might even have reached their camp," Gengyo eximed excitedly. "These really do have some power to them."

    "They do, they do," Matsudaira seconded with equal excitement.

    "Can you make a smaller ball, Takeshi?" Gengyo asked. "Then we could sit here and fire upon them, preventing them from sleeping."

    Takeshi blinked wondering whether it was a serious question, but when Gengyo continued to look at him expectantly, he realized that he would have to answer. "...I don¡¯t think it would work quite like that," he exined, "it would take far too long to smith enough balls of that size, and then when we did, they would just move their camp further away."

    "...True," a drunk Gengyo agreed despondently. "But we don¡¯t need lots, do we? Just a couple to cause havoc and have some fun."

    "To havoc and fun!" Rin toasted, downing another bowl full of sake. Akiko stared at her in horror.

    "Where on earth did you get that?" Akiko squeaked. "Stop drinking," she begged, "you¡¯re going to kill yourself!"

    "Rokkaku gave it to me," Rin said, pointing at the man. Rokkaku noticed them looking towards him and he gave them a ttering wink. Akiko red angrily back.

    "...I have ten," Takeshi said quietly, immediately regretting having said anything at all.

    "What was that, Takeshi?" Gengyo asked.

    "I have ten..?" He repeated, slightly louder, truly regretting it by now. His drunk generals were in no position to be firing cannons upon the enemy.

    "Brilliant!" Gengyo eximed, jumping up with glee, "load them up, the Hojo won¡¯t be sleeping tonight!???

    With a sigh, Takeshi went towards thedder, having to exin where he was going to a drunken Matsudaira. "They¡¯re back at the forge," he exined.

    "Oh. They¡¯ll be heavy too, do you need us to go with you?" Matsudaira asked.

    "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get one of the soldiers to help me," Takeshi said firmly.

    "Okay, if you¡¯re sure," Matsudaira shrugged.

    Within a few moments, the smith had disappearedpletely. Akiko sighed, sharing his exhaustion. Without the same alcohol running through their veins, it was difficult to keep up with the whims of the intoxicated.

    "Is this really a good idea?" She checked with Gengyo.

    "The best one I¡¯ve had in a while," Gengyo said, though it did not help that the alcohol was making him grin like a fool as he made that im.

    "If you fire upon them, you¡¯ll be shaking up the ho¡¯s nest. Are you really in a state to be doing battle?" Akiko pressed worriedly.

    "It¡¯ll be fine," Gengyo assured her. "Here," he stamped his foot on the solid stone ground to ill.u.s.trate his point, "is where we¡¯re strongest. If they¡¯re stupid enough to attack us directly, we¡¯ll ruin them."

    "Oh, that sounds fun," Morohira overheard, his hearing having recovered. "Do you think they really will attack?"

    "Who knows," Gengyo shrugged, "they¡¯re definitely pretty angry already, but whether or not they¡¯ve be stupid is another matter."

    "They¡¯re definitely not stupid," Matsudaira asserted grimly, managing to grow serious for a second. He had fought with them a while. Every move was clear and calcted. It was only Gengyo¡¯s strange manoeuvring that had managed to unsettle them.

    They heard movement from across the courtyard and they went to the edge of the wall to see Takeshi speeding across the cobblestones. Behind him, two soldiers did their best to keep up, sharing the burden of a heavy-duty wooden box. Gengyo guessed that the cannonballs were inside.

    "Nine," Takeshi said breathlessly once he reached the bottom of thedder, "I miscounted. There are only nine."

    "Nine is better than none!" Gengyo shouted back down.

    It took the soldiers a while longer to reach them. Even if they were smaller than a normal cannonball, only fist sized, they were still heavy lumps of dense metal. They had tried to go as fast as Takeshi, but they had tired quickly and had to set it on the ground to continue any further.

    Another four soldiers jogged over to help them. Fresh hands gave fresh speed and they managed to set the box down on the wooden tform of the pully elevator.

    "All secured, Miura-dono!" A soldier shouted up, nervous to be talking directly to his leader.

    "Very good! Thank you for your help!" Gengyo shouted back down.

    With Sasaki and Togashi working together on the rope, they quickly pulled the elevator up to the top of the wall. When it was level, Morohira and Rokkaku plucked off the wooden box and waddled over with it towards the nearest cannon.

    "We¡¯re going to need to move the cannon as well," Takeshi told them. Sasaki took charge of that. The cannons had been set on wheels, which made the moving of them ever so slightly easier. The big bear of a man dragged it away from the wall, and aligned the end of its barrel with the middle of the Hojo encampment as he had assumed Takeshi would want him to.

    "...Good, we need to tilt it up as well," Takeshi said. Sasaki took care of that as well.

    "Gun powder and fuse," he said next. It was the same cannon they had fired earlier and so the explosives needed recing.

    Finally, it was all set in ce. Gengyo was holding onto the cannonball himself, desperate to slide it into the barrel. Whereas a normal-sized cannonball was bigger than a man¡¯s head, these were only slightly bigger than two fists. They¡¯d definitely fire much further, though the damage they caused would be minimized.

    "Go ahead, Miura-dono," Takeshi said when everything was in ce.

    And so Gengyo slid in his cannonball and prepared to terrorize the miserable Hojo camp.

 Chapter 324 - Shaken Hive

    With the lighting of the fuse and the rumbling of the earth, the cannon ball wasunched high into the air, disappearing amongst the thick clouds of the darkening sky.

    The Hojo camp was rtively quiet. Most men had disappeared into their blue canvas tents for the evening. Very few people were still up and wandering around, and those that were had duties they needed to attend to. They might have been in charge of keeping the fires fuelled or they might have been responding to themands of their own dders.

    No doubt they flinched when they heard the rumble of cannon fire. But their reaction was only to widen their eyes for a few terrified moments before theyforted themselves with the knowledge that the cannon ball could never reach them. Just as it had earlier, the ball would fall in the middle of the ins, out in no man¡¯snd. It would make a terrible noise, but that was all. If they could block out the sound then the enemy¡¯s antics would have no effect.

    Gengyo had long since lost sight of the ball. It was in the air for a good few seconds, invisible amongst the clouds.

    "It¡¯s going to make it," Togashi said without a hint of emotion in his voice. He was one of the more eagle-eyed amongst them. They were all clenching their fists in anticipation, wondering where it wouldnd, even those that had been against the idea from the start.

    And then gravity really took hold. As though spat from the sky by the Gods themselves, the cannonball thundered back to the earth. Still, Gengyo could not see it. He could only bear witness to the damage that it caused.

    Of all the thousands of tents in the Hojo-Imagawa encampment, it was one particr tent that had drawn the worst luck. Without a shred of mercy or a single moment of warning, the cannonball fell hard on the roof of the canvas tent.

    The wooden support beams had no chance of handling such an impact. They splintered shockingly and flew outwards, catching men in their bare skin. One man was particrly unlucky and a sharp stake of splintered wood pierced him straight through the throat.

    Hisrades were no better. They howled in fear as they understood their fate just a moment before it urred. A cloud of harsh shrapnel sprung into the air with a deadly force, knocking them unconscious, breaking many bones.

    They were left in a ttened pancake of a tent, unable to see even as they struggled. They wreathed like fish caught in a.

    "Bullseye," Gengyo said gleefully, seeing the tent copse from a distance.

    "Gods that was good," Morohira grinned with excitement. He was reaching for the next ball about to prepare another shot, excited to unleash hell on their enemy.

    Gengyo stopped him. "We don¡¯t have enough to keep firing continually. We¡¯ll be better served firing at them randomly, so that we can keep waking them from their sleep."

    Morohira paused a few moments to look at his son, quite clearly dissatisfied. The alcohol that clouded his head did not help. But he soon saw sense, and an evil grin took hold of his lips. He seemed to quite like that longer n. It had its own sort of sadistic appeal to it. "Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way."

    "If we can have our men well slept whilst we keep theirs on edge... We¡¯ll be doing rather well indeed," Jikouji said. "We had better make sure to reassure our boys before they all go and start donning their armour."

    "That we better," Gengyo agreed.

    There was a guardsman standing a distance away, a torch in his hand. He kept stealing curious nces towards them, thoroughly intrigued by his general¡¯s antics. Jikouji called out to him. "Boy!" He shouted. "Come here a moment."

    The man looked this way and that, making sure that it was really him that the legendary Jikouji was calling out to. He soon realized that it was, and he came over, undecided whether he should walk or he should run, so he ended up doing both. He bowed deeply when he came close. "...My Lords, you called?"

    "Yes. We¡¯re going to keep firing on the Hojo every once in a while. Will you see to it that the men are not rmed? Tell them we¡¯ll ring the bell if there¡¯s an issue," Jikouji saidmandingly.

    The guardsman listened intently, nodding a few times, doing his very best to remember the instructions. "I¡¯ll see that it¡¯s done," he said, sounding rather excited.

    They watch him rush towards thedder and slide down it, before running across the courtyard to the barracks where the soldiers were sharing drink and tales.

    "There¡¯s that sorted," Jikouji announced, "back to the fun then."

    "Good," Gengyo said simply. He found the drink in his veins was making him more tired than he normally might be, but that did not stop him from looking towards the Hojo camp with the rest of them.

    After thending of the cannonball that saw the end of an unfortunate few, the hive was shaken. Men started to emerge from their tents, knowing their was something different about this cannonshot. There were the screams as well. None of them could ignore the screams.

    When they came out, they did so fully dressed and armoured, entirely ready for battle, preparing to face what they thought was an enemy night attack. But what they found was nothing at all. There was no enemy lying in wait for them, only a few terribly wounded men screeching in their distress.

    Thousands were soon gathered around that one tent. They cut open the canvas and freed the living and the dead from its suffocating embrace. The Hojo Generals arrived soon after, surveying the damage with dissatisfied faces.

    They turned to look towards the walls of the Miura castle, and there upon the wall they saw the Miura Generals stood there waving at them, big smiles on their faces.

 Chapter 325 - The Music of Cannon fire

    The Hojo men were faced with a particr choice, one where both solutions were not truly good ones. They were forced to choose between two poisons of varying toxicity. With their men awoken from their slumber and in fear for their lives, they were forced to consider moving their entire camp in the darkness.

    But that would take a few hours at the very least. If they chose to do that, then their sleep would definitely bepromised. With those faces grinning at them from atop the castle wall, the generals were hesitant to run away so quickly with their tails between their legs.

    They made a decision, and they decided it was a bluff.

    "They¡¯ll only have one ball like that," one general proposed, "it¡¯d take weeks to get a respectable amount. If they had any sure amount of them, they¡¯d have turned all their cannons on us already and shot us down with what they could. I say we sleep through this night, and move our campe morning."

    As they made their decision, men ran past them carrying corpses on stretchers. There were few uglier sights that than of a man that had been caught within the st of a cannonball.

    "Aye... We¡¯ll settle on that," another said slowly, still quite evidently dissatisfied. Still, it was better than running so quickly.

    Gengyo and his generals watched from atop their wall, making gleeful guesses as to how their enemy might react. But after a while, they saw the Hojo men begin to return to their tents without doing anything at all. A handful remained to clean up the mess, but the rest were well and truly on their way back to sleep.

    "Would you look at that," Morohira remarked. "They took a cannonball to the back, nodded, epted it, then went straight back to bed without doing anything at all. Are they brain-dead stupid?"

    "They don¡¯t know how to react," Gengyo exined, "they¡¯re just trying to guess and gain an upper hand. I doubt they want to be humiliated twice, so they¡¯re putting on a brave front and standing still and firm."

    "We have to be the most irritating army ever before seen," Matsudaira giggled. "We¡¯ll be waiting a while before the next shot, won¡¯t we? Catch them off guardpletely?"

    "I would think so," Gengyo grinned. He nced up at the sky. The moon was already making its appearance. "I suppose we can stay the night up here and keep a watch on our friends over there. With some drink, the time will fly."

    "Must we?" Akiko asked. "There is already a chill in the air. I had been looking forward to a soft bed this night after so long in the mud and filth."

    "I¡¯ll keep you warm," Gengyo said with a smile.

    "...I suppose we must," Akiko relented. "At least let me go and find and cloak for us. It wouldn¡¯t do to tire out the enemy only for us to fall sick with fevers."

    "I¡¯ll help!" Rin said, looking to be thoroughly out of it. The drink still weighed heavily on her head.

    Akiko looked at her doubtfully, wondering how much she could truly help. But then she supposed that the girl was likely better off being close to her where she might keep an eye on her and make sure she didn¡¯t fall off a wall somewhere.

    "Well, we¡¯ll be off then, I suppose, see you in a little while," Akiko said quietly, her breath misting in the nighttime air.

    "See you soon," Gengyo said with a smile. When the moonlight caught her face, Gengyo was reminded just how beautiful his wife truly was.

    She disappeared down thedder and Rin followed a momentter.

    "We could get a fire going," Jikouji suggested. "A couple of logs to sit on as well, since we¡¯ll be here a while. It¡¯ll be a grand reunion party."

    Takeshi looked to be most rmed by that suggestion. "To have a fire s-so close to the gunpowder, that would be more than dangerous. We shouldn¡¯t do it, we definitely shouldn¡¯t."

    "We¡¯ll take care to keep it well away from the gunpowder," Gengyo assured him. "If you get some kindling, Jikouji, we¡¯ll get hold of some seats. Another hour or two I¡¯d say, then we¡¯ll be ready to fire upon those sleeping beauties again."

    Takeshi still didn¡¯t look very happy, but with the approval of his Lord, Jikouji went off in search of kindling and oil, rubbing his hands together in excitement for theing ze.

    With a fire to warm their faces, the Hojo camp would be unable to forget the looming menace atop that wall. Even between cannon shots, they would not be able to sleep, for fear that it would be their tent that fell next. It was a menace that Gengyo delighted in inflicting. A menace that only an experiencedmander would be able to employ, amander sofortable with battle that the nerves and fear no longer affected him.

    Gengyo employed the help of Sasaki and Matsudaira in looking for the seats they would sit on. Timber from the reconstruction of the fortress could be found on almost every corner. They¡¯d soon collected enough of it for firewood and for sitting. A cosy little encirclement began around a budding me, as old friends shared in each otherspany.

    Morohira made sure to find another crate of sake, and with that in their veins, it warmed them almost as much as the fire. Akiko and Rin were soon back too, carrying an armful of cloaks each. Their eyes lit up when they saw the fire, looking forward to itsforts.

    Akiko dr.a.p.ed a cloak over her husband¡¯s shoulders before she sat herself upon hisp and looked up into his eyes. Her sweet scent ran into Gengyo¡¯s nostrils and he ran his fingers through her soft and silky hair.

    It was a most pleasant evening of partying for them, sponsored by the music of cannon fire.

 Chapter 326 - Morning

    When morning came, it was the light of the sun that awoke them. They were more than groggy from theirck of sleep. Their head''s rung from all the alcohol that they had drunk. Their clothes were soggy from due and their breaths misted in the cold morning air.

    "Morning¡­" Gengyo put in quietly, his throat feeling hoarse. He could tell that he had spent a good amount of the night shouting and cheering, though he could not remember much of it.

    A quick nce at the wooden cannonball crate told him that they had indeed fired all nine balls.

    "Morning boss," Rokkaku said. He was up and grinning as though the alcohol had no effect on him at all.

    "Too loud¡­" Rin hissed.

    "What?" Morohira shouted as though he was deaf.

    "Too loud!" She shouted back.

    "What?" Morohira said again. It was then that Rin realized she was being teased. Her childish father was wreaking revenge on her for the sleep she had stolen from him a few days before.

    Matsudaira was up already, tending to the fire with a diligence. He poked at the hot ashes, trying to get the dry wood he had ced on top to take a light. He''d sobered up, it seemed, for he was back to his usual serious self, though there were ck bags under his eyes telling tales of how tired he truly was.

    Gengyo was pinned down by the weight of his wife as sheid across him, her face snuggled into his neck, her eyes still closed tight in sleep. He smiled seeing her like that. When she was asleep, she seemed so weak and helpless, a far cry from the fierce warrior she was on the battlefield.

    He was grateful for herpany, especially in such cold. Where their bodies did not meet, he felt icy shivers. He wrinkled his nose at the weather, reminding himself that it was still only autumn, and they still had the true cold of winter to look forward to.

    Matsudaira blew onto the hot ashes, supplying them with the oxygen to make them hotter. After a third gust from his lungs, the wood sprung into a bright yellow me, crackling wildly.

    Jikouji cheered his efforts quietly, raising a pumped fist before yawning a momentter. "Thank the gods for Matsudaira-dono, bringer of me and warmth."

    "Something like that," Matsudaira smiled patiently.

    More of the men began to awake from their slumber, lured by the crackling sound of fire. Togashi awoke with a start, his eyes wide and wrestles. He sprung to his feet as though afraid, thinking himself to be in the midst of a batter. It took a few moments before he remembered where he was.

    "A battle dream?" Sasaki asked understandingly, patting the log next to him, indicating that he should sit down.

    "A battle dream," Togashi confirmed grimly. The men nodded their understanding. It was one of the drawbacks of a warriors profession. No matter how stoically they faced battle in the living world, fear would always worm its way into their dreams, forcing them to relieve battles that they had once won, over and over again, making them taste defeat.

    "Which one was it?" Gengyo asked, quiet enough that he would not awake.

    "Okehazama," he said. "It''s always Okehazama. When Imagawa turned on us, and forced us to run to our deaths."

    "That''s it for me as well," Jikouji said. "Used to be other battles, nice and varied like that ¨C I''ve fought my fair share of bloodied conflicts ¨C but ever since that day, it''s always that damnable Okehazama."

    Matsudaira and Sasaki and the others were quiet with interest as they discussed such the battle that neither of them had taken part in.

    "We experienced death that day," Gengyo said. "By all rights, we should have died."

    "I don''t feel human anymore, not since that day," Morohira said. Everyone turned to him as a result of his odd words. It was not like him to be at all poetic. "We had to be monsters, didn''t we? Just to survive that madness? Even that did not truly help¡­ We lost too many good men that day. Far too many."

    "Monsters¡­" Matsudaira muttered, considering the idea. "That''s it. That''s what I first felt when I faced you in battle, Miura. You felt like demons. Unruly monsters with reckless passion, denizens of absolute chaos. Perhaps that was your power."

    "Monsters?" Gengyo considered it. Considering himself a monster did not feel as wrong as it should have. "I suppose¡­ To scramble up the mountain we aim to climb, human hands would not be sufficient. We need ws."

    "And here we are, in chaos once again," Matsudaira said, pointing towards the Hojo encampment. "We''re surrounded by our enemy, yet we feelfortable. It''s your nature, Miura. You find your order in absolute chaos. Anyone else would not be able to stomach it. The stress would be too much for them. To unify Japan as you seek to, one must fight every battle with all his strength. Death would be far easier."

    Gengyo looked towards the Hojo camp, pondering his general''s words. He observed the results of their nighttime antics. Several tentsid ttened in that sea of tents. The whole encampment was awhirl with activity. The men were likely too unsettled to even try to sleep.

    "I do like a bit of chaos," Gengyo agreed with a smile.

    His men saw that look, and they too began to smile. Those smiles broke intoughs, and for a brief moment, they forgot their tiredness.

    Akiko sturred at the noise. She opened her long eyshes, and looked up at Gengyo with soft brown eyes. When she recognized him, she too smiled. "Morning¡­" she said quietly.

    "Morning," Gengyo said back. "Did you sleep well?"

    "As well as I could hope to. It was no feathered bed, but I suppose it wasn''t too bad," Akiko said, rolling herself to her feet. She noticed the fire out of the corner of her eyes and went to warm her hands by it, dragging Gengyo along behind her.

 Chapter 327 - Retreat

    As they broke their fast on grilled pork and steamed rice, they cast a leisurely eye over to the Hojo camp, observing its happenings. They all seemed to have awoken by now and were busying themselves with movement. Tents were copsed and rolled into neat logs of cloth and timber before they were slid on the back of a cart for storage.

    "Good ridden," Morohira said, watching them go. "The cowards might even go all the way back home."

    "I think that''s too much to hope. The only thing that could cure that shame would be seppuku. They''ll want their vengeance as soon as they can get it," Jikouji said.

    "I wasn''t hoping for it," Morohira corrected him, "I still want to wet my de with their blood."

    Jikouji shrugged and continued munching on his food.

    The Hojo camp still held Gengyo''s attention. He thought they moved rather quickly for a camp that was meant to be down in morale. He wondered what propelled them to do so. It was unusual to see soldiers so eager to retreat. Fear, he might have supposed.

    The number of tents was dwindling. Less than a hundred remained. Each tent was felled with an increasing speed as more men finished their duties and hurried to join them. A train of carts was horsed and ready to leave at a moment''s notice.

    Gengyo looked to his own men. Their morale was rather high, as might have been expected. By now they knew of the nighttime antics of theirmanding generals, and talk of it passed around the castle, pushing many men towardsughter.

    Some ascended the walls and leaned against the cold stone whilst they munched on their breakfast, watching the Hojo men run away. They made sure to keep a respectable distance between themselves and their leaders, but that did not stop them from stealing the asional nce, especially at the beautiful Akiko and Rin.

    "Last tent," Matsudairamented, handing Gengyo a bowl of steaming rice and sitting down beside him.

    "Indeed¡­" Gengyo said slowly. He was sure there must have been more to the Hojo''s ns than simple retreat. There had to be, hadn''t there? Such an old n couldn''t possibly be run over with such casual ease. It was almost embarrassing.

    Thest tent went down, and Gengyo''s men began to cheer, shouting insults at their fleeing enemy, telling them to go back where they came from like the dogs they were.

    The enemy tilted their heads, seeming to hear the insults, but they did not droop their shoulders in shame. They continued as though unfazed.

    Gengyo stood up for a better look, leaning against the wall.

    With thest tent, there went the Hojo men, orderly in their ranks, their spears in their hands and their swords at their h.i.p.s. A g waved at the front, and they began to march away.

    They left thend ckened where they had stayed, as thousands of little fire pits were dotted across the ins.

    An odd soldier caught Gengyo''s eye. At the back of the marching column, there stayed behind a single horseman. He wondered what a cavalryman was doing at the back when the rest of the hors.e.m.e.n had left by the front.

    He squinted his eyes and looked across their camp for any clues or suspicious signs.

    With the men cleared from the camp, he soon found what he was looking for, that single out of ce piece. If a man had not known to search for something strange, he never would have found it. For all the ck holes where fire had once been, there ran one that was deeper and wider than the rest. Gengyo guessed what it was.

    "Ring the bell! Now!" He shouted, his fighting spirit springing to life.

    His generals were on their feet in an instant. They did not think to question him, or rush over in an attempt to see what he was seeing. They merely did as he asked, cing theirplete trust in him.

    Rokkaku made it to the bell first. He grabbed its rope and nged the bell with a fervour, sending the battle-readymand all through the camp. He rang and rang it until his arm ached.

    The men that were atop the wall to watch the show flew into a panic as they scrambled towards thedders, hastily trying to make it back to their rooms to don their armour.

    Gengyo saw that horseman light his torch into a me. He wandered over to the opening of the hole with a superior swagger, knowing of the destruction he was about to cause. And then, with the casualness of a man brushed an insect from his shoulder, he dropped it down into the darkness.

    The reaction was instantaneous. A sound that challenged thunder itself, a great ground shaking boom. Earth and stone were spat skyward violently.

    The explosion rippled towards them, opening up the ground as it went. It was as though a giant snake dug its way under that ground and was racing towards them at an ungodly speed.

    His generals caught sight of that monster that wasing towards them, and they finally understood Gengyo''s warning.

    With the early ringing of the bell, the men had long since dismounted the wall and headed to their rooms to armour up. They would only need a few minutes longer before they were battle-ready.

    "Run!" Gengyo shouted. It was their turn to dismount the wall before it was sted to pieces as he knew it would be. He sprang at thedder, leading the way by example. He did not climb down it, but instead slid, putting his feet outside of the rungs and allowing gravity to do the work.

    The others went just as quickly, using all their strength and agility to leave that wall as quickly as they could. Like gods, they fell to the ground, their faces masks of seriousness. They were warriors. It did not matter that moments before they were leisurely munching on breakfast. When the call for battle came, they were ready and waiting, hearts calm and fiery.

 Chapter 328 - Armour

    They only just made it to safety before the explosion made its way to the wall. Solid stone bricks were torn apart with ease and thrown hundreds of metres away. The thick wooden gate was sted to pieces and sections of the wall werepletely erased.

    The amount of gunpowder it took for such damage was not to be underestimated. Their ears rung from it. The whole world shook. They could not help but fall to their knees. It was all they could do to prevent themselves from falling t on their faces.

    A screen of smoke hung over the holes in the wall drifting up from the deep unroofed tunnel where the gunpowder had been kept. Chaos, that''s what it would have caused had they not had those few minutes of preparation. Even as it stood now, it was a difficult problem to meet.

    When the breeze blew away the smoke, the damage could be seen fully. Piles of charred rubble were strewn everywhere. Two men were particrly unlucky, being caught in the head by the flying debris as they ran.

    Through that new hole in the castle wall they were rendered exposed. And there, on the horizon, standing battle-ready and leering several miles away, there was the Hojo army, ready to charge.

    "Bastards," Morohira said, spitting the taste of chemicals from his mouth, "they had to resort to some underhanded means even when they outnumber us sopletely. Pathetic."

    "That tunnel must have taken weeks to dig. They would have been working all day. How did it go unnoticed?" Jikouji asked, perplexed.

    "I apologize¡­ It must have been ack of diligence on my part," Matsudaira dipped his head in shame.

    "Nonsense," Gengyo chipped in. "In all of Japan no one stands better than the Hojo at siege warfare. They''ve had centuries to perfect their craft. No man would have expected such an attack when there were no signs of iting¡­ Besides, we have a more pressing problem. Arm yourself, myrades, and prepare to lead. We have but a few minutes before their attack wille."

    The Miura generals nodded seriously. There was no cause for panic, not yet, but there would be if they stood around much longer. They began to run towards their rooms for their armour, Gengyo went with them.

    Their own soldiers were already ready by now. They spilt out onto the courtyard, hastily adjusting thest pieces of their equipment, making sure their rifles were ready and functional. Gengyo barked amand at them as he went. "Form the ranks! Load your rifles!"

    The men were d of some instruction. They hastily marched themselves into a t formation. The riflemen fiddled with their weapons whilst the Uesugi bowmen made sure their bows were strung tight and ready to be used.

    Gengyo disappeared inside the barracks, heading back to the Commander''s quarters for his sword. The others had raced back to their own designated rooms.

    It was there, sat upon the table just as he had left it. He grasped it by the hilt and whirled around looking for his armour. He''d brought it in a bundle and left it somewhere in the corner, he was sure, but as much as he desperately searched, he could not find it.

    He knelt down to look under the table, and just as he was beginning to panic, he found it. All his equipment stored in a clean straw sack. He noticed there was another sack right next to it. "Akiko''s"¡­ he realized. He stood up with both sacks in hand, wondering where his wife had got to.

    "Is that mine as well?" He heard a woman''s voice call out breathlessly. He turned around to see Akiko at the door naginata in hand.

    "It is," he tossed it to her.

    They tore their equipment from the bags and through their armoured dou over their torsos, reaching back for the leather straps to secure them in ce. "Here," Akiko said, "it''ll be quicker if we do each other''s."

    Gengyo wordlessly let her do as she pleased. A strange calm fell on the room as a silence fell, the only sound being that of leather against leather as Akiko''s fingers did their work.

    With a tug here and a twist there, Gengyo felt his armour tighten against his chest, secure and fluid, like an extension of his own body. It was always a shock when he felt the weight of it, but he quickly grew used to it.

    It was Akiko''s turn next. She dr.a.p.ed her ck armour of her torso and turned around for Gengyo to tighten the straps, lifting her long hair up out of the way so that he could see what he was doing. He carefully made sure it was tight around the shoulders and then the chest and the back.

    "You didn''t have time to wrap your chest," Gengyo pointed out. "Will you be alright?"

    Akiko turned to look at him as though he was stupid. "Worry about yourself, silly. You still have one hand, remember?"

    "I suppose I do," Gengyo chuckled. "We''d better hurry; the others are probably done by now. Where''s your helmet?"

    "Here," she slid it onto her head, having to rearrange her hair inside of it, not having the time she needed to properly tie it back. Gengyo strapped his own under his chin and quickly put his greeves in ce.

    "I''m done," he said. He wasn''t quite as well armoured as he normally might be. There was a looseness to some of his pieces that wouldn''t normally be in ce, but given the circ.u.mstances, it was still rather good going."

    "Me too," Akiko said, checking her sandals to make sure they weren''t going anywhere anytime soon.

    Together they ran from themander''s room, Akiko with her naginata and Gengyo with his sword.

    They made it to the outside just in time to here the Hojo sound their horn. Their charge began a momentter, the ground pounding from their thousands of feet.

 Chapter 329 - Demons

    In their formation they stood, armed and ready, standing guard by the gaping hole in their fortress walls.

    The Hojo cavalry thundered across the battlefield, weapons raised high and lips twisted in bloodthirsty snarls. They were angry and humiliated. The only thing that could bandage the wounds to their honour was the blood of Miura men.

    Their infantry hurried behind them, heavy in their armour, the blue Hojo banners flying proudly. There were Imagawa birds amongst them, but their numbers were few.

    In response to such a fearsome charge, in response to that unexpected explosion, to that ground shaking terror... the men were grinning.

    The new Uesugi soldiers were unused to such expressions. They look around unsettled, even if the men were on their side. Still, they thought they might have understood the reason for their confidence.

    "Armed and ready, are we?" Gengyo asked his generals quietly.

    "I am," Rin and Akiko confirmed.

    "More than ready," Morohira put in.

    "Suited and booted," Rokkaku said.

    "I¡¯ve been ready all day," Jikouji dered.

    "Sasaki and I have been stood here a while," Togashi said gruffly.

    "And I too am ready," Matsudaira said.

    "Good," Gengyo nodded. "Then there¡¯s some fun to be had, I would think. Draw your swords, and let us enjoy this battle, as we stand united once more."

    They did not respond to his statement with words of their own, but growls, such was the extremity of their bloodthirst.

    Gengyo rose his voice to speak to his men, calm and confident, despite the enemy that was racing across the battlefield to meet them. "Raise those rifles men. We have been granted with a rare opportunity ¨C a privilege. The enemy is serving themselves to us on a silver tter!"

    They cheered his words, some of them. Their battle spirits still needed rousing.

    "Do they think their numbers count for anything? Have we, the Miura army, not shown time and time again that the only thing that matters is our might?"

    A cheer resounded once more, louder this time. They stamped their feet against the floor and beat their weapons together.

    "They still mistake us for humans! We are not! We are demons of the battlefield! Even death will not free them from our wrath!"

    Even the Uesugi soldiers joined in this time, their eyes bulging with a necessary madness.

    "Every battle is a privilege! Every war is a blessing! We are the fish of the battlefield ¨C only through the spilling of our enemy¡¯s blood do we truly draw breath! Fill your lungs, men, crush the mortals in front of you! For victory!" He rose his sword high in the air, and the men joined in, screaming their cheers manically.

    The Hojo men were forced to charge towards that. No doubt their aggression lost some of its edge. They could not understand why their enemy was cheering, why their morale was so high, when in but a single moment, they would sure to be ughtered. Madness is what they saw it for and madness is what they began to fear.

    "RIFLES OUT! STAGGERED FORMATION!" Gengyo barked. The men¡¯s focus was electric. His words immediately became their actions. Those men with rifles took to the front. The first row knelt down on their knees, allowing the second row to crouch down just above them and for the third to shoot from the very top.

    The Uesugi men knew their part as well. They stood just behind the riflemen and they nocked their arrows.

    "FIRE!" Gengyo ordered, swinging his sword down to ent his words.

    Arrows sprung high into the air, out over the top of the castle walls. A cloud fell upon the charging Hojo men, killing hundreds of men at once.

    Bullets raced after them, diving through the hole in the castle wall with vengeance, tearing holes in any men that were foolish enough to think that they could make it inside.

    The charging Hojo cavalry wheeled off to the side, pulling away from the mainline of missile fire, and thus missing their opportunity to enter the castle. They did so with a bitterness, trotting back to safety, waiting for a better opportunity.

    The Hojo ranged troops began to walk up, slow and steady, bows and bomb-throwers.

    The bomb-throwers were made to look especially useless, as they could get nowhere near close enough to make use of their weaponry.

    The Miura soldiers fired at will. They reloaded when they needed and then there were six more shots and six more deaths to inflict. It was a new kind of spear wall, one that extended for hundreds of yards forwards, and stopped anything froming close.

    When they realized that their surprise attack had been all but useless, the Hojo generals could be found clenching their fists in annoyance. They rearranged their soldiers, and began to march bowmen down the side of the castle, hoping to get close enough to send their arrows over the wall without being harassed by gunfire.

    "Send men to operate the cannons!" Gengyo said to Matsudaira. The Grand General had already been thinking the same. He gave the signal, and a few hundred men disappeared from the formation and made their way to the still-standing walls.

    It was not long until the coughing of cannon fire could be heard, drowning out the crackle of gunfire.

    The Hojo bowmen bravely attempted to loose their arrows, sending a few light showers over the walls, killing several men instantly. But when the fuse was lit on the cannons, and those balls came racing towards them, their effectiveness was immediately dulled. Even the men that were not outright killed were rendered disorientated.

    The Hojo forces were made to look foolish. They had invested everything that had into that surprise attack, and focused on speed rather than orderliness, but in the end it was they that seemed to be ill-prepared. With cannons and guns firing upon them, the hole in the wall mattered for nothing, for they could not get close enough to take advantage of it.

    Gengyo stood with his hand on his sword, waiting for their next move.

 Chapter 330 - Seeds of Chaos

    The Hojo were growing impatient. They had already done their clever preparations, but it had amounted to nothing, and now they sought to use their numbers to overpower their enemy.

    With a flick of a general¡¯s wrist, another four thousand bowmen made their march towards the same wall.

    With every shot that the cannon operators fired, they ducked behind the wall to avoid the arrows that came searching for their heads. But with more bowmen there came more arrows and it grew near impossible to find their opportunity.

    The arrows rained over the top of the walls in streams, falling upon Gengyo¡¯s men without a shred of mercy. The Hojo infantry stood watching from a distance, daring them to make move, daring them to give up the perfect defensive position that they¡¯d set up.

    "Jikouji!" Gengyo shouted above the screams of injured soldiers. "Take a thousand riflemen with you and deal with those bowmen on the wall!"

    "Roger!" The old samurai shouted. "On me, you bastards, let¡¯s get this dealt with!" He said, and a detachment of a thousand men went with him, slowing shimmying their way updders, doing their best to avoid the worst of the cannon fire.

    "Go against the wall!" Gengyo shouted to his own men next, motioning with his hand towards the wall where the arrow fire wasing from. With their backs pressed against it, Gengyo knew that it would be almost impossible to hit them, but in doing so they gave up their position and their view of the hole in the wall, allowing the enemy forces to approach unmolested.

    The men that were still able to march did so, d to be out of the sharp stabbing arrow range. They went with their backs against the solid stone wall and the riflemen retook their shooting positions at the front, waiting for the enemy to pass through.

    The bowmen turned their bows upwards, shooting blindly towards the front wall, hoping to catch any approaching enemy that they could.

    Soon the crackle of rifle fire started up again, as Jikouji and his forces made it atop the wall and unleashed their rounds before ducking once more behind cover. With the cannons to support them, the bow units began to thin slightly.

    With a signal from the Hojo generals, the bowmen began to march back. Their fire over that wall had be useless, for there was no enemy to attack.

    Unhurriedly, they began to walk around to the opposite wall. Jikouji¡¯s men followed them, and before the Hojo soldiers could draw back their bows and make use of the new position, the rifles fired upon them once more.

    It was a careful battle that the aggressive Hojo were forced to fight. Each attacking move they made was being checked before it could be made decisive. Piece by piece, they slowly slid their army closer to the castle, looking for a more certain opportunity to im victory by.

    As their bowmen manoeuvred and remanoeuvred themselves, making it difficult for Jikouji to keep up with them, the infantry neared the hole in the castle wall, waiting for the right moment to pop their heads through.

    The Hojo headquarters were moved forward as well, as the ten mounted generals made their way closer to thebat. Imagawa Yoshinobu was amongst them, flinching at every rumble of cannon fire, his helmet ill-fitting and his fingers trembling.

    The Hojo generals discussed their ns amongst themselves, knowing that Yoshinobu was merely there for his utility as a symbol, as a man he had no real worth.

    "These hardy bastards, tucking their heads inside like turtles going into their shells. We¡¯re going to need something pretty special to overwhelm them," one man tutted, his fierce ck beard stripped with grey, eager to wet his sword with warm blood.

    "Calm yourself, Nakamon. We¡¯ve done all the hard work. We merely need to take our time and do this the right way. We¡¯ll put them in their coffins soon enough," another man counselled, this one much younger, clean-shaven with an intelligent look in his eyes.

    "And what is the right way?" Nakamon pressed impatiently.

    "We need to dismantle that orderliness of theirs, else we¡¯ll lose too many men. Our fire bomb-throwers need a chance to sow their seeds of chaos," the man said.

    "Is this not our opportunity now? They¡¯re cowering behind the wall. We¡¯ll be able to march the bomb-throwers right up without problem," a third chipped in.

    "Wait for the infantry toplete their march, have them stationed by the opening in the wall, ready to engage, then we can make use of our bomb-throwers," the man said.

    There were a few grunts of annoyance at that. They did not like that such a young man had been put in charge by their Daimyo, but none of them voiced their protests too loudly.

    They watched as the infantry slowly picked their way across the battlefield, having slowed to a walk to conserve their energy. With every boom of cannon fire, they looked up, expecting to see the balls reign down on them, but the bowmen were performing their jobs as distractions admirably, and the infantry were able to close the distance without too much harassment.

    Only when the backs of the men were against the stone wall did the Hojo general finally give the order for the vulnerable fire bomb-throwers to follow. They walked with caskets filled with gunpowder in one hand and torches in another. It would not take too much for them to self destruct and blow themselves into oblivion.

    It was a nervousness that crept into the hearts of the generals as they watched. cing their hopes on such a brittle unit was difficult, especially when the unit had not seen much battlefield action. It was hard to believe too much in their sess.

    When they were within range, they began to light the fuses of their bombs. With the fuses still burning, they took a few brave moments to pick their shots and toss the bombs inside. Had one man missed, and hit the wall instead, then the whole troop would have perished.

 Chapter 331 - More Targets

    The first of the fire bomb-throwers made it into range and threw his bomb inside, only exposing his head for a single moment. He managed to send the bomb where he wanted, but for the price of his brain. Two bullets shattered his skull before he had the chance to draw back, and he fell to the floor a momentter.

    And then his bomb went off, sending men flying, killing multiple soldiers instantly, and severely disorientating the rest.

    "Retreat! We¡¯ll go deeper into the castle!" Gengyo ordered. He had initially nned to have his men posted nearer to the hole in the wall so that they could pick off the enemy as they came through, inflicting damage that would not be easily rectified. But the bomb-throwers more than countered that.

    The men marched their way backwards, giving more ground to the Hojo men, but rendering their bomb-throwers ineffective.

    They managed to throw two more bombs before the Miura army was ced out of range, and those fell short, spewing up clouds of dirt rather than clouds of blood.

    With Jikouji keeping the bowmen in check, the Miura army retook the centre of the castle, so they once more had a direct line towards the hole in the wall, albeit a good distance further back.

    That was not to say that the arrow fire had stoppedpletely ¨C a few volleys still managed their way over the wall, but they had been disturbed enough that the arrows were few and the damage they caused was minimal.

    "He¡¯s good," a young Hojo generalmented. "From the reports we have on him, I did not think he would fair well with small manoeuvres and positional y, but he has yet to make a major mistake."

    "Yeah, very cool, can you shower him in your shallow praise after the battle? The bastard is pushing us back!" Came the angry response.

    "Those rifles of his are beyond problematic... I have not seen them used so effectively. With them covering the path right up to our opening, we will never make any respectable amount of progress... I hate to say this, but even with our numbers, it is we that are at a disadvantage."

    "...What is it that you¡¯re saying?"

    "We need another opening. If we can make them fight on two fronts, we can eventually overwhelm them. The rear wall, we¡¯ll put a hole in that as well."

    "I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been taking notice, but they don¡¯t exactly seem like they¡¯d be ready to let us do that."

    "Of course not, but the more targets we force them to deal with, the more we make proper use of our numbers. Load a cart up with gunpowder, and we¡¯ll threaten to march it right up to the walls and detonate it under their noses."

    "That won¡¯t work. They¡¯ll blow it up with their rifles before we can even begin to wheel it forward."

    "Then cover the barrels. Wood and stone. Prevent them from detonating it prematurely."

    They didn¡¯t believe in him, but they had sworn to the Daimyo that they would follow his orders and listen to his ns. Without truly wanting to, the order was given, and a collection of soldiers went back to their supply train to prepare the cart.

    The young general watched them go with approval. His soldiers were maintaining the pressure at the front. The bowmen continued to fire then move, demanding that a portion of riflemen stayed with them. The infantry were right by the wall, alert and waiting for the opportunity for them to begin forward.

    The gunpowder cart was prepared quickly. Six barrels of potent powder were hauled onto it and then scraps were thrown on top. First a wet leather covering to discourage any me and then as much debris as they could find.

    "Be thorough about it, else it¡¯ll be your heads that go flying! After you¡¯re done, you¡¯ll be pushing it right up to the wall, so you had best hope that you¡¯ve made it strong enough to withstand their attacks," theirmander told them. When they realized that, they prepared it a little more tentatively, ensuring that there were no gaps where a stray bullet could slip through.

    Solid rocks formed their shields and then another wet leather covering went on top, truly ensuring that a fire could never start. The problem after that was trying to move it.

    Twenty men worked together behind in, having to use all their strength just to break its inertia. With all the stones and debris, it was more than heavy. It sunk deep into the earth and its wooden wheels groaned under the weight and the men groaned even louder as they desperately tried to move it.

    It slipped forward ever so slightly, barely a finger forward, but that was significant. The men did not miss that opportunity. They hit it even harder, supplying it with an amount of momentum, and then it truly began to move.

    It was a slow and defenceless tank. The men could not even carry their spears with them, all they had was the short daggers that hung at their h.i.p.s. A single shot from the cannons would shatter it to pieces and so they rolled it towards the front wall, where there was already a hole and where the cannons were near inoperable as a result of the earlier attack. From there, they nned to stay close to stone walls and wheel it to a second point of attack.

    It looked more than ineffective as it slowly crossed the field. Apart from that one young Hojo general, there were very few that thought such a n would work. Nevertheless, those that had been tasked with pushing the cart did so without a shred of reservation, for their very lives depended on the sess of the attack.

    "Okay," the Hojo general said with approval, "now prepare another. As I said, the more targets they have to deal with, the more we can use our numerical advantage. See to it."

 Chapter 332 - Cunning

    Where there was once but a single cart full of gunpowder, there now rolled five, all of them heading to the same point in the wall, though they would quickly switch directions once they reached it.

    The Hojo generals were beginning to see the logic in their youngerpanion¡¯s n. With so many targets to deal with, the Miura forces would not be able to counter without revealing certain weaknesses.

    From a single nce, it could be seen that the carts were resistant to fire and so no burning arrows were wasted on them. From the rocks that were piled high inside them, one could tell that no bullets would be able to puncture them. And with the cannons on top of the gate-wall being all but inessible, they had no immediate means of dealing with them.

    Instead, they held their position and fired upon the infantry that came forward with the intention of support.

    "They¡¯re putting more cards on the table," Matsudaira said grimly as the two of them observed the battlefront. Jikouji was doing an admirable job in making therge amount of Hojo bowmen next to useless, but there was no way to deal an easy finishing blow.

    "That they are," Gengyo agreed, "we¡¯d lose too many men stopping the detonation of those carts... But if Jikouji loses ess to the walls, he won¡¯t be able to keep the bowmen at bay. Without bowmen to attack us, we could hold this position indefinitely, no matter how strong the enemy."

    Matsudaira stroked his chin as the battlefield raged around them. "In other words, we need to find a way to crush their bow units before they have a chance to make proper use of them... Another instance when that cavalry we¡¯ll be getting would have been rather useful."

    "Very useful indeed," Gengyo agreed with a smile, "but I suppose if we do it with a certain amount of cunning, then we might be able to inflict a blow."

    "I can hold here," Matsudaira. "A thousand riflemen ¨C nay, even less. Seven hundred. That¡¯s all I need. If you take the rest, you might be able tond a decisive blow."

    It was dangerous. A gamble worthy of the Miura forces. But Gengyo respected Matsudaira for bringing it up, and with a nod, he agreed.

    "Rin, Sasaki, stay with Matsudaira and hold the line," Gengyo said, "the rest of you, on me, prepare to move with a swiftness!"

    His orders were shouted by his generals back down to the soldiers and they stopped their continual fire and paused a moment to fully reload their rifles, before they were given the order to redeploy.

    Gengyo caught Jikouji running along the wall beside him, his men following behind. "WHERE ARE THEY HEADING TO, JIKOUJI?" Gengyo shouted up to him.

    "SOUTH WALL, HEADING THERE BY THE EAST, THEY¡¯LL DRAW THEIR BOWS ON THE THIRD TOWER!" Jikouji shouted back with hardly a pause, not needing a single shred of exnation.

    "GOT IT!" Gengyo raced across the courtyard with his men at his heels, modelling the situation in his head, predicting where the Uesugi bowmen might be as each second passed. "GET THAT GATE OPEN!" He demanded. The southern gate had been locked tight close, two thick bars of solid woodid across it.

    His men acted out his will and they went ahead of him. They needed ten for each and even then they struggled. Gengyo raced under to join them, as in his head he knew their time to be running out.

    "HEAVE!" They pushed upwards as one and flung the wooden beam free from the steel brackets, allowing it to m to the floor with a thud as they moved onto the next one.

    "ONE, TWO, THREE, HEAVE!" They were even better coordinated this time and the beam was freed with greater ease. Once again, it pped hard onto the tough cobblestones and bounced dully, beforeing to a dead stop.

    The ropes weren¡¯t set up for the gates to be pulled open with the ease that they normally might. Usually, draft horses would be set to work in dragging them open. They were designed to hold a whole army at bay, after all. But with no time for either measure, they had to improvise.

    Gengyo himself became that rope. He wrapped his hands tightly around thatrge ck iron ringlet and he gave his orders. "LATCH ONTO ME AND PULL, DAMN YOU!" His heartbeat with an aggression. In his mental simtion, the Uesugi had already made their way into position, and they were plucking arrows from their quivers, about to line up a shot before they would move once more and Gengyo¡¯s opportunity would be lost.

    The men did as they were told. The soldier nearest him grasped hold of Gengyo¡¯s waist, forming the first link in their man-made chain. Another bound on behind him, and then another behind him, until there were twenty men in a long snaking line, all ready to pull.

    "ONE, TWO, THREE, HEAVE!" Gengyo demanded, straining his muscles as soon as thest word left his mouth. It barely budged at first, but then like the ripple of water, their strength went down the line, as everyone contributed their efforts.

    There was a groan, and then, like the lid to an ancient coffin, the massive giant¡¯s shield of a door began to swing open, ever so slowly, until there just enough of a gap for three men to slip through at once.

    Then, it was time to move. "RIFLES AT THE READY!" Gengyo barked, not immediately rushing outside until his men were ready. They needed to make the fullest use of their surprise attack.

    Into formation those disciplined soldiers fell, their rifles fully loaded and ready to wreak havoc.

    Gengyo charged through the open gate, his own rifle in hand, and they too followed.

    They were just in time to see the Uesugi bowmen loose their arrows. Their enemy turned their heads to face them, giving them just enough time to understand what was happening before their execution began.

 Chapter 333 - Careful Calculations

    With his only hand, Gengyo raised his rifle. He couldn¡¯t aim the way he wanted to, but it didn¡¯t matter. When he pulled the trigger, a hole appeared in a man¡¯s chest, as if by magic. And then when he pulled it another five times, five more men fell.

    "FIRE!" Gengyo barked. His men fired as they moved into position, sting the enemy to pieces.

    There was nothing the Uesugi men could do. They had no time to slip fresh arrows onto their bow-strings. Some, in their panic, ran towards Gengyo and his men, thinking that their only option was to meet the threat head-on. They quickly died.

    Others ran away. They did notst either.

    Under their unforgiving rain of bullets, those Uesugi bowmen were ughtered. The only thing keeping them from total extermination was the bodies of their deadrades that had built up around them. They ducked to the floor, using dead meat as a shield.

    But Jikouji joined in from the top of the wall a momentter. He and his men were only too d of the opportunity to finally put an end to the irritating bowmen that they had been chasing around for a while.

    With bullets from the front and from the top, there was nothing they could do. Every single one of those men were dead or dying with no hope left for them.

    "CAVALRY GOING AROUND THE WALLS! THEY¡¯RE LOOKING FOR YOUR BACKSIDE!" Jikouji shouted down to them.

    It did not matter to Gengyo. They had alreadypleted their task. Their rifles were empty, and there was no point in meeting the angry cavalry head-on. He gave the order to retreat.

    "QUICKLY NOW, BACK INSIDE!"

    They could soon hear the beatings of hooves as they galloped around the outer walls of the castle, chewing up mud. Gengyo made his soldiers go on ahead of him, so that he could be sure they were all inside before those angry hors.e.m.e.n hit. He reloaded his rifle as he waited. The men that had already made it inside started to do the same.

    Just as thest few soldiers passed through that gap in the parted gates, the hors.e.m.e.n rounded the corner, their swords drawn and thirsty for bloody vengeance.

    Gengyo blew apart the first man, as he too skipped inside the safety of the castle. But the hors.e.m.e.n were unwilling to let him get away with such a narrow escape. The hole in the gate was there and they sought to follow him through it.

    A few bullets ended that attempt, culling the threat before it could even start, but by some suicidal urge, the enemy kepting, and each time they made it a little further inside. In Gengyo¡¯s mind, he could picture the infantrying to support them, and he began to panic.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if they had already regrouped and reloaded, but as they were, they needed time to get back into formation. The gates needed closing, and there was only one way to do that.

    "ON ME!" Gengyo shouted, emptying his rifle on the enemy, before tossing it aside and throwing his shoulder at the door. His men soon followed, hundreds of them at once, pressing against the heavy b of wood that kept the enemy at bay.

    Slowly, it began to edge closed, even as the Uesugi men tried to dismount their horses and keep it open.

    "FIRE!" From the top of the walls, Jikouji took the opportunity to humiliate the overly aggressive cavalry. He and his men leisurely picked them off one by one,pletely immune to attack. They even had time to turn the cannons and set them in ce, before theyunched a few heavy lead balls on top of them.

    With the door closed and Jikouji keeping the enemy busy, Gengyo turned their attention to the massive beams. As it happened, they were much harder to get up than they were to take down. It took thebined efforts of thirty men just to get it to waist height, and then another ten men to heft it over their heads.

    They slotted that hefty beam upon the first bracket, and it nearly took everything out of them. A few even copsed from the effort. They needed time to catch their breath. Looking upon that, Gengyo confirmed that his decision was the right one. It might have been possible to retaliate against the Hojo right there and then, and meet their hors.e.m.e.n head-on, but it was risky.

    When Gengyo fought now, he had to keep a mind to the future. He had to keep as many men alive as possible for the future enemies that would be looking for their heads.

    With that one beam in ce, the door was near unbreachable. They heard Hojo hors.e.m.e.n run into it, but it barely budged. That second beam was there to fend against a battering ram, but being as that was not yet a problem, Gengyo concluded that his job was done.

    "HA! RUN! COWARDS!" Jikouji jeered as the cavalrymen finally had the sense to turn and gallop away, though they had already lost half of their attacking might from that kamikaze attempt at iming the head of the enemy leader.

    "Come down, Jikouji, we¡¯ll regroup from here," Gengyo said up to him. With the missile troops dealt with, it was now merely a question of technique, though it was in those sorts of situations when most things were bound to go very wrong.

    "Aye, down we go," Jikouj signalled to his men and they slid down thedders, grins on their faces from the carnage that they had inflicted. Chasing those bowmen had been like chasing a buzzing fly ¨C it felt good to finally see it swatted dead.

    They marched together back to the centre of the castle, where Matsudaira and the rest were defending. The enemy had their gunpowder carts in position and ready to detonate, but with their men down from the walls, Gengyo had no worries about the damage those explosions would inflict.

 Chapter 334 - Swirling Formation

    "Still alive, then?" Gengyo said as he rejoined Matsudaira and the rest.

    "That we are, you bastard," his own father said back to him with a bloodthirsty grin.

    "These rifles are monsters on this kind of terrain," Matsudaira said back, "with an open line of shot between us and the enemy, they can''t get close without due sacrifices. They''ve hardly bothered us, even with the absence of most of our force."

    "Hardly bothered us? A funny thing to say about battle," Gengyo grinned, "but I do agree with you. The soldiers sing our praises, for we are the leaders of the battlefield, but in truth, the technology we wield is what gives us the edge, and for that praise must be offered towards young Takeshi."

    "Praise he might be given, but he''d never want that, I fear," Matsudaira pointed out, "he merely wants a quiet workshop where he can test his ideas, then he will be a happy man."

    "Are you two really chatting so casually in the middle of battle?" Akiko asked, a little annoyed.

    "We might be," Gengyo shrugged. "We have breathing room. We''ve dealt with their bowmen, right down to thest man. All they have left is their fire bomb-throwers and they''ll never get close to cause a problem. Now we only need to wait for them tomit themselves fully to an attack and we''ll wipe them out."

    "You make it sound so easy," Akiko sighed.

    "Oh, it won''t be," Gengyo agreed, "but we''ve grown used to walking the line between life and death, have we not? In situations like these, our heads are level. It will be a good baptism for that child of mine inside your belly. He wille out already knowing what war is."

    Akiko sighed, "I really can never win with you." She did not seem to hate that fact too much, for she was smiling there beneath her helmet, as Rin looked back and forth between them, wondering what she was missing hidden in their words.

    "Carts are against the wall," Jikouji said, joining their ranks a momentter.

    "They''re going to open up as many holes as they can, to attack us from as many different directions as possible," Gengyo predicted, for that was what he would do. "However, I do not think that will give them enough of an advantage. We have culled their numbers enough so that their force is no longer overwhelming. Perhaps thirty thousand, or thirty-five thousand are left."

    "That few?" Rin asked in shock. "This''ll be easy then!"

    "Easy might be too light a term for it," Gengyo said, "but they''re certainlycking something¡­ As such, I would like to try out a new formation, if you would permit it."

    "What formation?" Matsudaira asked intrigued.

    "A swirling one," Gengyo said. He immediately held up his hand to stop their questions, knowing how ridiculous it sounded. It was normally aplished by a small detachment of mounted bowmen. Small and mounted were two things his men were not.

    "We''ll be able to cover all our angles that way," Gengyo stated, "it''ll beplicated, but our men will pick it up soon enough. With that, the enemy won''t make it close."

    "I don''t know, Nii-san¡­ That sounds kinda dumb. Won''t we get dizzy?" Rin asked.

    "It does sound it," Gengyo admitted, "but we''ll constantly be changing directing, not simply spinning in a circle, so we won''t get dizzy. I don''t really know if it''ll give us an advantage, but I''ve been considering employing it, and now is a chance to see it in action."

    "We''ll do it then, Miura-dono," Matsudaira said resolutely. "I understand what you are aiming for. I''ve seen it done with the mounted bowmen of other ns. It''s more of a spiral than a spinning circle. We create a rotation that forces men who have emptied their rifles into the centre, towards safety, whilst those with loaded weapons are on the outside. If perfected, it would be monstrous."

    "Exactly!" Gengyo grinned excitedly, pleased that Matsudaira understood him. The only problem was applying it. It seemed like the sort of thing that would take weeks of drilling to get right. Not something one should try in the middle of battle, especially when they were so heavily outnumbered.

    BOOM!

    The ground shook as the first of the gunpowder carts was lit on fire. A huge chunk was torn in the wall, right at the front again, just beside the original hole. The st made the wall look like it was made of paper rather than stone.

    This time, it hardly affected them. Gengyo''s men were stationed firmly in the centre of the courtyard, a respectable distance away from the wall and from the disorientating effects of such a st.

    "Here we go then," Gengyo said.

    "I can get your little swirling formation to work," Jikouji said quickly.

    Gengyo looked to him in surprise. "Are you sure...?"

    "I am. Give me control of the troops, I''ll get them moving the right way," the old man said as they watched the rest of the Hojo carts roll past the holes in the wall, onto new locations.

    "You''ve got them," Gengyo said without hesitation, "do what you need to."

    Jikouji gave him a stern nod, before he hardened his vocal cords and gave his orders to the men. "DRAGON SQUADRON! CIRCLE FORMATION! AROUND ME!"

    At his words, a portion of the troops broke off from the rest and began to form a circle with Jikouji as their centre. He stood there as it happened, his face serious and determined.

    BOOM!

    But a momentter, another st went off and a hole was torn int the wall nearest them. The Hojo would be attacking at any moment, Gengyo noted.

    "TIGER SQUADRON! CIRCLE FORMATION! QUICK MARCH! JOIN FORCES!"

    With thosemands that the soldiers already knew, another portion of the troops joined that encirclement, not merely as an extra ring, but as part of a spiral, marching all the while. Those closest to the centre were marching too, slowly filtering their way outwards beforeing back inside again.

    "It''s working¡­" Gengyo realized with a start.

 Chapter 335 - Machine

    Another one of the carts rumbled into position. They did not leave it long before they tossed in the oil followed by a lit torch. They barely had enough time to run away before a massive ball of fire was spat into the sky, followed by a fist of pressured air that punched straight through the solid brick wall.

    When the Hojo men peered through it, they could see the nk of the Miura forces. They only needed to expose one more hole to their rear, and then they would be able to overwhelm them with ease.

    The word came to the Hojo Generals that their bowmen had been dealt with.

    "Bah, it matters not," one of the generals spat, "we will be ridding ourselves of this man and his pointless resistance soon enough."

    "He¡¯s done remarkably well with what little men he has," the youngmanding general mused, "have his other forces not left their stations in the other two fortresses?" He asked the messenger.

    "No, my Lord, they haven¡¯t budged," the messanger said.

    "And yet he still managed to eliminate all of our missile troops... Splendid. An impressive disy," the manmended.

    "Will you stop with that? It makes a man ufortable, hearing his ally continuallyplimenting the enemy. We¡¯re going to be cutting his head off in a few short minutes, so you had better stop getting so attached," one of the older generals said gruffly.

    "Oh, for true, even with the bowmen gone, I think he is overestimating himself to think he can stand against the full might of our army," the man said.

    And then another boom rang out. A signal, letting them know that the final cart had managed its way into position, opening the way for their entry through the back wall.

    "And there¡¯s our little signal," the young general said, "prepare your men. A quarter by the front, a quarter by the east, a quarter by the west and the rest from the south. It¡¯s time to overwhelm him."

    "Now we¡¯re talking," the generals pulled tight the reigns of their horses and kicked the beasts into a trot, running down the line of their soldiers, barking their orders.

    Gengyo and his army only just perfected their new formation in time. Clouds of dust were still hanging in the air from the recent explosions, and the sulphurous scent of gunpowder hung with it.

    The men stood still in the formation for now, aplicated mass of spiralling soldiers. Gengyo was on the outer section, his rifle in his hand, ncing here and there, half expecting to see an enemy arise from the smoke.

    When the order to march was given, their little machine would be kicked into gear. Gengyo¡¯s heart beat quickly as he thought about it. There was nothing better than that. That thrill of battle. Thousands of men¡¯s lives held in the bnce. It was as close to godhood as a man was likely to experience.

    The earth began to tremble as the Hojo¡¯s massive army began to move. The sheer scale of it was more than anything they had faced in the past, but their knees did not go weak, nor did they tremble. It was a matter of course for the Miura men.

    The Hojo men made them wait, showing nothing, only offering to them the sound of their marching, as though they were taunting them. They hid behind the stone walls, using them to disguise their movements, as they worked their way into position.

    The Miura men looked this way and that, expecting the enemy from any direction. They flexed their fingers upon the grips of their swords, and they checked their rifles again, then again, assuring themselves that a bullet would being out the end of it.

    BOOM!

    From nowhere, another explosion went off, sending more rocks flying into the air. An explosion that shouldn¡¯t have existed ¨C for all the carts were already ounted for ¨C and this one was even bigger than the rest.

    Yet all it did was serve to try and unnerve them. The enemy already had all the openings that they needed. It might have rattled some of the newer recruits, like the Uesugi bowmen, who sat scattered through that swirling formation clutching bows rather than rifles, but it did nothing for the rest. They merely nced at it mildly as though they were looking upon the antics of a naughty child.

    And then, the enemy revealed themselves. Masked warriors charged through the open gate in front of them, bold and brave and full of blood thirsty, proudly carrying the blue Hojo banner.

    More poured in from the left. Just as many as from the front, and just as blood thirsty. Spears and swords and fire bomb-throwers amongst them too, rushing to the front, attempting to unleash their missiles before their allies entered into the fray.

    And then just the same came from the right, samurai and peasantry alike, all of them screaming with the same anger, feeling hot the humiliation they had been forced to endure, no longer fearing the rifles that were pointed against them quite as much, merely wishing to do anything they could tosh out and get rid of that horrible feeling that haunted their hearts.

    Then, to the rear, everything else was put. Cavalrymen and generals stacked on top of each other, intending to drive in the final nail themselves.

    Morohira sniffed his snot back up into his nose, then he cleared his throat and spat a globule of phlegm out onto the floor. "Ten men each before you get to die," he said, "else I¡¯ll spend eternity torturing you in hell." He looked to them with the eyes of a demon and none of them doubted his words.

    It was left to Jikouji to pull the lever and start up their machine. No newmand was given, only one that they already knew. "QUICK MARCH! FIRE AT WILL!"

    And then it began, a conveyer belt of standardized destruction.

 Chapter 336 - Carnage

    A mess, that¡¯s what it was. At the centre ofplete bloody chaos, there was but a single point ¨C that of the Miura swirling formation.

    Men came at them by the front and they were met with a wave of bullets as the soldiers span around and emptied their rifles, before disappearing inside the spiral to reload.

    Arrows did their jobs too, as the Uesugi men drew their bowstrings and fired upon the enemy in a rushed manner. At such a close range, the projectiles weren¡¯t likely to miss.

    The Hojo soldiers had hurried across the courtyard as though their rear¡¯s were on fire, straight into a swarm of bullets. Men fell in the thousands, and that was only the first few minutes of battle.

    With a boldness, the Hojo generals took to the scene. They raised up their swords and sought to inspire the troops, knowing that if they were to make any progress, they would have to put everything into demolishing the swirling formation in front of them.

    A particrly young man took the lead, knowing that it would be all but impossible for them to bepletely stopped. They merely needed to stop holding back, and plunge in, without fear for the consequences.

    And that¡¯s what they did. Lead by their generals, the remainder of the cavalry timed their charge with the infantry and they kicked their heels hard against the sides of their terrified horses, and they raced across the battlefield, honing in on their foe.

    "Was I stupid to challenge you?" A certain Hojo general questioned himself as he raced to his death. But before he went so willingly, he reached and pulled out his final card. A bomb, straight from the hands of their fire bomb-throwers. He lit the fuse as they neared, counting down the seconds in his head until its detonation.

    A bullet hit his shoulder. He wouldn¡¯t have noticed the pain at first. His body was too shocked to feel it. But his eyes could not deny what they saw ¨C the cap of his left shoulder was stedpletely off and his own charred meat was sent flying into the air behind him.

    He felt blood rise up in the back of his throat and he smiled the fearless grin of a samurai, before raising his bomb up, about to throw it, knowing that in death he would have at least dismantled that troublesome formation, and he will have paved the way for the victory of his men.

    He caught the eye of a certain man amongst that formation. A man d fully in ck armour, wielding his rifle with but a single hand. They shared a look that seemed tost longer than the young Hojo general¡¯s whole life. Somehow, he knew, looking into those cold harsh eyes, that he had beenpletely defeated. The live bomb slipped from his fingers ¨C he did not have the heart to throw it. It detonated on his own men instead.

    A bullet sted through his head a split secondter, confirming to that man that his efforts had been futile. Even if he had tried, his bomb would never have reached them. He went into the next world feeling ready to confront the gods, for he had already met something equally as immoveable.

    Wave upon wave of destruction. Piles of bodies mounted up. It was like a giant thousand-man mini-gun. It sprayed at their enemy an endless stream of bullets. Not a sword could reach them. With no bowmen to contest it, that spiralling formation was all but invincible. To the very end, it seemed as though everything had operated ording to Gengyo¡¯s perfect n, even though, in reality, it had been a series of instinctual responses.

    A minute went by and not a single horseman remained. Dead men ¨C their chests filled with bullet holes ¨C rose up from the ground, groaning as blood dripped from their lips, propelled by anger alone. Those men were quickly finished. They only made it a step further and then they were gone.

    Aplete and utter massacre. More than thirty thousand men, culled in a matter of minutes. In all of history, there had never been such an overwhelming victory.

    Even with no enemies to face, the Miura men spun round and round, not quite knowing when to stop. They continued to pull their triggers, firing at empty air, adrenaline still fierce through their veins. It was so impossible that it took a while before their brains evenprehended it. They were sure there was meant to be an enemy closing in on them, from somewhere. But there was none at all. Only piles of dead men. Meat and bone.

    "Call it off, Jikouji," Gengyo said, exhausted. It had not taken much from him physically, but mentally, it had drained all he had. He had a feeling that this one battle would take weeks to properly absorb.

    "HOLD YOUR FIRE! HALT YOUR MARCH!" Jikouji shouted, even his voice unsteady.

    The men slowly ground to a halt, truly like the gears of a machine. They were still trembling, their breathingboured, absolutely disorientated.

    "Did... Did we win?" A confused Uesugi soldier asked, hidden within the centre of the spiral.

    "That we did, damn it," an ex-Takeda soldier said, pping him on the back, "we¡¯re men of the Miura army. The question is not whether we will win, but how much will we win by!"

    Gengyo heard every word that the man said, everyone did, for the world waspletely quiet now, only the smell of charred gunpowder was left behind. He smiled as he heard what they said. ¡¯It¡¯s growing,¡¯ he realized. After so long, it was finally starting to take effect. The legend of invincibility that he had cultivated.

    He took advantage, hammering home the point. "Aye. Now, and for a thousand years toe, the Miura army will remain undefeated. No matter the obstacle, we will ovee it. Together we will enter into the ranks of immortality."

    The perfect words at the perfect time. Battle-drunk disorientated men allowed those words to alter the very fibres of their being. It became an unconscious truth that their whole identity was built on.

    With a fervor that could only be described as madness, they cheered.

    "OOORAH! OOORAH! OOORAH!"

 Chapter 337 - Luxury

    With the conclusion of battle, Gengyo emerged from the gates of his battered castle sessful. In the distance, he saw a detachment of hors.e.m.e.n wheel their stallions around and gallop away into the distance.

    "The Imagawa stain still breaths," he muttered, somehow dissatisfied by that. Like father like son, he supposed, the coward did not even draw his sword to fight his own battles.

    "Our work is done here," he said to his generals as they stood beside him. "There are dead to be burned and buried, but the initiative is ours, for now. More enemies will crawl out of the woodwork soon enough, but before then, we must im what we have won."

    "Morend," Morohira smiled, "I can feel my pockets growing fatter by the second. War is a good business."

    "Aye," Gengyo nodded, "each of you will have your fair share of it. An estate, at least, in each province. More than enough to keep your families set for generations when we retire from this business."

    "I don¡¯t want to retire," Morohira said. "Keep conquering, I say, until the whole world is ours."

    "I wouldn¡¯t mind that," Rokkaku agreed, a thoughtful look on his face.

    "Haha, one step at a time. Let¡¯s get this dealt with. Owari needs iming, as do the old Imagawa provinces. We will have the strength to put an end to the Hojo whilst we are down there as well," Gengyo said.

    "Owari..." Jikouji mumbled, "one step closer to Kyoto. The shogun will begin to notice our movements soon enough... Aren¡¯t we causing quite a stir?"

    "It matters not," Matsudaira spoke up on behalf of Gengyo, "we¡¯ll deal with them all the same, just like we dealt with the rest of them. Our army is sure to grow even more as we pluck these fruits that we¡¯ve earned, and then, our strength will be unquestionable."

    "My thoughts exactly," Gengyo agreed, "we can only hope that our Takeda friends are seeding in their governing, and then they will have more power to send our way. For now though, let us call together all our men and march back from the pce. It¡¯s time to meet up with Morojo, I would think."

    "The messages have already been sent," Matsudaira told him. "Upon the conclusion of battle, I had a scout sent to each fortress. I do not doubt that they will be here shortly," he paused a moment to look around their wreck of a castle, "I wonder, is it worth rebuilding this?"

    "If we have the resources and men to spare, perhaps, but our borders will soon be stretched several provinces down and that is where we will meet our enemies, rather than here. Even if we were to build them, they would likely see no use," Gengyo said.

    "Unless our enemy arrive by sea," Jikouji reminded them.

    "A fair point..." Gengyo agreed, "we will have to make preparations to avoid such attacks, else it could ruin us entirely."

    He turned back to nce at the mess of a fortress. "Regardless, we need not stay here much longer. Soft beds and silken sheets for the next few days at least... Our battle is over, for now. What we have achieved in such a short amount of time is nothing short of a miracle. We must celebrate duely."

    There were cheers at that, especially from the girls. "I can¡¯t wait," Akiko put in, "after so long travelling, and then sleeping outside for two nights in a row ¨C it¡¯s going to be a real treat."

    "A good sleep... I do look forward to that," old Jikouji said, stretching out his back. "When you get to my age, pulling these all-nighters like you¡¯re having me do, it grows more difficult on the body."

    "We couldn¡¯t have done it without you, old man," Gengyo said truthfully, a hand on his shoulder, "shall we leave this rabble to the captains and go on ahead? A swift horse and we¡¯ll be in luxury in a matter of hours."

    "That¡¯s the best thing you¡¯ve said all day," Rokkaku said without hesitation.

    "Bold, leaving the captains without a general... But I suppose after today, we have nothing left to worry about," Togashi said. When even he was in agreement, it was all but decided. They wandered back inside of the castle together, towards the remnants of the stables and they nabbed themselves a horse each.

    ncing up at the sky, they noted that the sun had only just passed its highest point. There was still a few hours of daylight left. It felt like they had been fighting much longer than they truly had.

    The servants looked at them in surprise as they all demanded a horse to be saddled, still d in their bloodied armour from battle, but nevertheless, their demands were met, and within minutes, they were all mounted, barrelling out of the battered castle gates with the giddiness of children.

    The men cheered their leaving, not seeming to mind that they would be left behind. The euphoria of victory still had yet to wear off, and they smiled at everything as though intoxicated. No one could do any wrong.

    Winter wasing, that much was clear as they raced across the open ins. Patches of thin white frost clung to the green grass, hiding in the shadows where the sun had yet to reach.

    Theirughter hung freely in the air as they rode. There was a sense of freedom in their hearts as they proceeded unenc.u.mbered, reminding them of a time when they had nothing ¨C no men to follow them, nor grand army to fight their battles. It had been a difficult time, for sure, but they looked back on it fondly now, from their position near the top of the mountain.

    "They would be proud of you,d," Jikouji said quietly as they rode, looking up towards the sky. Gengyo did not need to ask who he was referring to.

    "Proud of us, Jikouji," Gengyo said back. "This was not my doing. It was the doing of us all."

 Chapter 338 - Relax

    They burst through the pce doors long before Morojo could prepare them a proper weing. Even the guards at the gate had been mistrustful of the bloodied group of warriors that bid that they enter, but with their striking ck armour, and the two beautiful women that rode with them, there was no mistaking who they were.

    Morojo rushed down, wearing a silken kimono with a cor of golden threads. He was truly transitioning well into the role of a governor.

    "Miura-dono, Jikouji¡­ You''re battered. Have you just done battle? I''ve had no words from my scouts, else I would have had preparations made. I was told that everything seemed to be stable¡­ what on earth happened?" Morojo asked. His face darkened when they were quiet for a little too long. "Don''t tell me¡­ you were defeated?"

    "Ha!" Morohira shouted hisughter at that, and the rest of them began to chuckle with him, even Gengyo.

    With an intense look in his eye, Togashi took a few steps closer to Morohira, and he announced what had truly happened. "We ughtered them all. Right down to thest man."

    Gengyo saw Morojo visibly shudder. He had worked his whole life with warriors, preparing sh.i.p.s for them and the like, but he had never been one. "¡­You terrify me, you do. What you achieve is impossible for a man to predict. You did not even mobilize your whole army, did you? Of course you didn''t, else I would have heard about it. So, am I right in guessing that you ughtered the entire fifty-thousand strong Hojo army merely with the few thousand that you had inside Matsudaira''s fortress?"

    "I suppose you would be right in saying that," Gengyo agreed, unbuckling his dou and allowing the weighty piece of armour to fall to the floor. Servants were already on hand, waiting in the wings of the grand entrance hall, and they rushed over to clean up after him. "We seem to fare better against aggressive foes, I would wager. Against the more conservative types, like the Uesugi, victory has been harder to grasp."

    His men began to copy him, ridding themselves of their armour, and allowing it to p against the floor in front of them. Morojo was getting the idea by now. "I''ll have you some food brought," he dered, "a grand feastid. The baths have only just been cleaned, with a section for both the men and women. You might enjoy them. I know I do. We have a cause to celebrate. Reunited atst, with the most extreme pressure removed, and victorious above it all."

    "There you go, Morojo, finally getting it right," Jikouji smiled. "I know I''ll be taking you up on that offer. A good bath is just what these old bones need."

    "I think we all do," Gengyo agreed. "Our army will likely being through your city gates before sundown, Morojo."

    "Noted," the shipwright nodded. "I''m d you came ahead of them, so at least I have a little time to make some preparations."

    "Always looking out for you," Gengyo grinned, before turning to the rest of them. "Bath time, boys."

    They rushed on ahead, eagerly seeking out that those warm waters, looking forward to getting the wintery chill from out their bones. They passed the old Imagawa throne room as they went.

    "They managed to get the blood out the floor," Morohiramented.

    "Do you know what they did with the body? I would have left the f.u.c.ker there to rot," Rokkaku spat.

    "Straight in the river," Morohira said resolutely, "I dragged the bastard there myself. Would have been even better if he was still alive. Let the fishes slowly nibble away on him. That would have been justice."

    "He went in a bad enough way anyway, didn''t he?" Gengyo pointed out.

    "Not bad enough," even Jikouji spoke up. " A stain on the earth, that man was. Only when all of his seed are dead will I be satisfied."

    "Their day wille," Gengyo promised, making his way up the stone steps, passing by rows of bowing servants. Morojo had restored the pce to its previous high, even if they had removed all the gold and jewels for the costs of their wars.

    "We''re going on ahead," Rin said, dragging Akiko behind her and racing up the stairs.

    They barely managed to utter a word in reply before the girls had cleared several flights of stairs and imed the best part of the bathhouse for themselves. Gengyo saw several servants hurry after them in a panic, apparently needing to prepare for theiring first, but being more than unable to.

    "What''s a bathhouse doing so high up, anyway?" Jikoujiined, beginning to struggle with the steps.

    "How is it that you don''t even breath heavy in battle, but when you''re climbing stairs, you''re like a cripple?" Gengyo asked.

    "Efficiency," Jikouji said, "give me a hundred men over a hundred stairs any day."

    "I could carry you," Sasaki offered.

    "I''d rather you throw me down them than carry me up," Jikouji said, refusing to forsake his pride.

    "I''ll take you up on that," Morohira said, pretending to push him.

    "Just you try, pup, I''ll have your hands cut off before you can blink," Jikouji bit back.

    "This guy," Morohiraughed, pointing with at him with a thumb, "still thinks he can take me, even after how much of my strength he has seen."

    "Aye, I could take you even if I only had wooden de," Jikouji said, his plight with the stairs making him irritable.

    A vein appeared on Morohira''s forehead. "Better back up your words old man, before I make you eat them."

    "Alright, that''s enough," Gengyo stepped in, "the baths are on the next floor. Let''s try and keep everyone alive until then."

    "Damned old man¡­" Morohira muttered, but he managed to keep his de sheathed. Jikouji''s true battle had been with the stairs anyway, and soon they saw the steam of the hot baths drifting up over paper walls and they put their quarrel to the side in the ce of a rxing pleasure.

 Chapter 339 - New Weapon

    <h4>Chapter 339 - New Weapon</h4>

    The waters of the pce baths were so warm that they almost put a man to sleep. Through the fog of steam, it was hard to see and soon their eyes stopped trying at all and they began to close, attempting to sleep.

    They did not know quite how tired they were until they''d entered into its waters. With towels around their waists, the men leaned against the tiled sides, bearing their scarred muscr bodies for everyone to see.

    The vigour that they had fought with and the vigour that they had arrived with hadpletely vanished. None of them said a word. They were far too tired for that now. They craved the soft support of a warm bed, but at the same time, none of them wished to part with the soothing heat of the bathwater for anything at all in the world.

    Morojo had done well in predicting that. Maids arrived with trays full of food. They put them atop wooden floats and sent them sailing out on top of the bath. They didn''t near to worry about the little food sh.i.p.s capsizing, for none of the tired warriors even moved, and so no waves were caused.

    "Your food, Lord Miura," a pretty young maid said, waking Gengyo from his trance. She blushed as he met her gaze, averting her eyes from his body.

    "Thanks¡­" He said drowsily, taking the tray from her hand.

    Holding it in front of him, he didn''t know quite what to do with it. All the fatigue had caught up with him all at once. Not just from their night of sleeplessness or their day of battle, but from their entire campaign into the Takedands, from their battles with the Uesugi and from their frantic march back. It had taken a harder toll on him than he had expected and it was only in the warm waters of that bath did he finally loosen himself up enough to face it.

    "Still¡­ no hand?" Sasaki asked, now that Gengyo''s stumped arm was out in the open for all to see.

    "Hm?" It took a few moments for Gengyo to even notice. He had grown rather used to the loss of it. "Ah¡­ No hand indeed¡­ I might think about it¡­ about getting a new one¡­ I think Akiko would be happy if I did."

    "I would," Akiko said, hearing him through the paper wall that separated the women''s and the men''s bath areas.

    "Oh, hello," Gengyo said, tapping the wall where he thought her to be.

    "Hello," Akiko said back. "I think Rin might be drowning¡­" she didn''t say that with any particr worry.

    "Oh," Gengyo said mildly, oblivious.

    "At least show some concern, Nii-san!" Rinined in a huff when her ploy for attentionpletely backfired.

    "Sorry¡­ I''m¡­" He did not even have the energy to finish his sentence, distracted by the pipes that ran alongside the bath. The water must be getting pumped up from below. He thought he might have suggested such a thing at one point. A fresh stream of boiling liquid left the pipes, keeping the temperature of the baths nice and high.

    All his wounds ached with a numbness as the water cleansed them. All the little cuts and scratches that he didn''t know he had. Especially those from the battle with the Uesugi. The difficulty of that fight had left a sour taste in his mouth ¨C he knew it shouldn''t have, for rightly, the battle should certainly have been a struggle¡­ but he still did not like how close to the edge his came, even now that he had power.

    He clenched his fist in the bathwater, vowing not to let anything like that happen again, no matter howrge an army he faced, or how skilled the general. It was the missile units that he struggled most to deal with. If there was a way to remove them from battle before they could be used to their full effectiveness, then he was confident enough to believe they could face any foe, but, for that kind of superiority, they needed cavalry.

    That one action of clenching his fist was enough to tire him. He fell deeper into the water, dreaming of where he might go next. They could walk straight into Owari and take it now, with Nobunaga gone, and that would give them a clear marching line towards Kyoto, where the Emperor and Shogun dwelled. It was tempting merely to attempt to take Kyoto immediately, before the name Miura Tadakata could truly begin to make the rounds.

    "What are you doing¡­ with that frown on your face, Miura-dono?" Matsudaira asked with a smile, already guessing what he was thinking. "Still with war on your mind."

    "It won''t ever leave¡­" Gengyo admitted. It filled every moment of his thoughts. It was what gave him his fire. It was the most exciting and rewarding game he had ever yed. "The way I see it, we have four fronts we need to fight on now. We need four separate armies, headed by men of your capabilities and only then could we pretend some kind of stability."

    "One to be posted in Owari, another in the Uesuginds, another in the Takeda and a final one with the Hojo?" Matsudaira asked. "It is the only way to ensure against surprise attacks¡­ but we would need a good amount of time to build armiesrge enough to be useful at those points."

    "Or maybe effective enough¡­" Gengyo mused, "argh, I do hope they hurry up with our Takeda cavalry. That will be a game changer for us. With the right training, facing five times our number should not be a problem."

    "Perhaps it''s time to consult Takeshi for a new weapon?" Matsudaira asked.

    "It might well be," Gengyo nodded, wondering what else he could bring to the table that would give them more of an advantage than they already had. Something to deal with troublesome bowmen while they waited upon cavalry. Various ideas popped into his head and he fell to quietly thinking them over.

 Chapter 340 - Cheating

    <h4>Chapter 340 - Cheating</h4>

    "There are all sorts of technologies I can bring to this world," Gengyo mused as he wandered the pce corridors alone after his bath, "electricity, for instance, that would change everything. It would give us such an advantage in these wars would be unfair. But... I am unsure whether I wish to do that. To give development such a hard push forward."

    His robe was loose upon his skin and the wintery air about the ce was soothing after his time boiling away in such a warm bath. Most of the others had already gone to bed, despite it still being early evening. They had agreed to tend to their celebrating tomorrow, when they could meet it with excitement and actually enjoy the asion like they were meant to.

    Seizing the opportunity for a rare bit of quiet time, Gengyo engaged in some thoughtful reflection, as he looked upon the stump of his arm, wondering whether the trouble he¡¯d have to go through to get a new hand would be worth it. Whether the consequences it would have on the world would be worth it.

    "I don¡¯t want to live in such aplex world anymore," Gengyo realized. "For all thefort technology brings, it takes so much away from you as well. This here... these cold walls without air-conditioning, this is where I truly began to feel alive. That feeling is more important than anything else, than a hand, than even victory. I want to hold onto it for as long as I can, until I enter the grave like the rest of us moral folk."

    But such a simple conclusion wouldn¡¯t be allowed. There were thousands of little voices in his head, each of them giving rise to an opinion. "But if it is depth of experience that I crave, to live without a hand would only be to miss out..." came another line of thought.

    "Perhaps a hand... perhaps the technology required for a hand... perhaps that doesn¡¯t have to lead to aplex world. Not if I can control it. Not if I work on my hand in secrecy and then dispose of my tools once the job is done. Even if I were to the hand, I could always make another, and the finder would not be able to glean anything too important from it," Gengyo supposed.

    "Is the weaponry I brought not of the same vein though? I¡¯m wishing against technological progression when I¡¯ve already forced something into y, aren¡¯t I? But then, I wouldn¡¯t say so. True, the revolving rifles like we have were nowhere to be found at this time, but nor have we truly created something new. We have merely improved what has already existed. The effect on history is therefore minimal," Gengyo said to himself, wandering along a quiet corridor, lured towards one of the many open pce balconies.

    "Shall I do that then?" Gengyo asked himself. "Shall I give myself space to work on my hand in secret? And then dispose of everything once the job is done?"

    He was beginning to run out of excuses for not getting it done. And then when he began to really consider doing it, he grew excited. He hadn¡¯t be a robotics engineer by ident, after all. He did it because he had a passion for it, and there was no one in history who had achieved his peak.

    He felt guilty at the same time though. As though he was using a cheat system in one of his favourite games. Regardless, he hadid out the rules of use for himself and he vowed not to let it go beyond what he had said, else it would ruin what he had created.

    The open air of the balcony quickly won its way past the hot afterglow of his bath and he began to a shiver.

    "Going to need materials," he told himself, "and a space to work... Could ask Takeshi. Need to make sure that what I use is never found. Need to avoid the temptation of making aputer... Then again, for a reasonable hand, I may have to use aputer," he scratched the back of his head as he walked away, before pulling his robe tighter to him, wondering just how far he could push the boundaries of his ¡¯cheating¡¯ without feelingpletely guilty about it.

    Akiko was waiting for him back at their room and had urged him to be quick about his wanderings, for she was already exhausted and wanting to go off to sleep. But as Gengyo turned his feet towards his room, about to head there, he made a slight detour, knowing that with such thoughts on his mind, he¡¯d never manage to sleep anyway.

    On the door of another room, he gave a few tender knocks, before standing waiting expectantly for the person inside.

    "Miura-dono..." Takeshi said in surprise, "I thought you would be asleep by now." It pleased Gengyo to see that the little smith was still fully dressed and all the candles in his room were still lit. He hadn¡¯t attempted to sleep either.

    "Couldn¡¯t sleep with a mind full of ideas," Gengyo defended himself weakly. "I need a space to work whilst I set about restoring this hand," Gengyo said, pointing to his stump. "I need it to be away from prying eyes. This is not the sort of technology I want to fall into anyone¡¯s hands, for it would only be a matter of time before it fell into the enemy¡¯s."

    "I see," Takeshi nodded his understanding without asking any undue questions, seeming to understand. Gengyo was grateful for that. "There is a space under the castle," Takeshi recalled, "even deeper than the wine cers. If you were to work there, I don¡¯t think anyone would ever wander in on you. Do you want me to have some materials delivered down there? I¡¯m just about to order some as well."

    "That would be brilliant," Gengyo beamed before he began to list the various rare metals and oils that he needed, watching as Takeshi¡¯s eyebrows raised more and more in surprise.

 Chapter 341 - New Workspace

    <h4>Chapter 341 - New Workspace</h4>

    Akiko was full of questions when Gengyo finally returned to bed, but he avoided them deftly, saying that he merely needed the air. Neither of them were up long enough for that conversation tost much longer. Their exhaustion hit them all at once and they fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms.

    Gengyo¡¯s dreams were haunted by a life that he had left behind. The busy streets of Tokyo, the crowds of people that fled across open roads when the traffic finally stopped to allow them across.

    He remembered back to school, a time that had begun out rather well for him, for his athleticism and his intelligence had earned him poprity. But as his home life decayed, so too did his confidence and his social skills and he soon earned himself a spot in the corner, entirely alone.

    They were painful memories for him. Even as he climbed to the top and worked his way to fame and fortune, they still stung. There was still a hollowness in his heart, as he felt he had missed out on the prime of his life due to circ.u.mstance. But, with the SAPPHIRE AI, he had been given that second chance.

    His psychology was all over the ce as he sought to return to the world ofputing in order to offer himself a new hand and once more take back what he had lost.

    Dreams of that kind haunted him throughout the entire night. It was only when the light of the sun began to drift through the pce was he finally freed from their chains. He woke up with his beautiful wife next to him, her long eyshes closed over her sweet little eyes, sleeping as cosily as a cat.

    "This is it now," he murmured to himself, casting away all those doubts that he had, "this is where I will spend the rest of my life in, in this period in history. I have a duty to do all that I can for those I care about. Despite my reservations, this needs to be done."

    He freed himself from the sleeping Akiko¡¯s embrace. "Mmph..." sheined weakly, before turning over and falling right back into her deep sleep.

    The maids had been in whilst they slept, leaving a fresh pair of clothes neatly folded upon the clean tatami floor. A thick winter kimono of blue to keep him spared from the cool air. He put it on slowly and deliberately, in no rush at all, continually casting looks back to his wife to reassure himself. He found it odd how quickly his heart was pounding. Surely this shouldn¡¯t be that big a deal?

    He slid open the door and was surprised by how weak his grip was. For the first time sinceing to this world, he prayed that he did not bump into anyone on his down to the wine cer. He did not think he¡¯d be able to maintain a sensible appearance if he did.

    He wandered his way quietly down the many stairs, keeping his hands tucked firmly into his sleeves. It was unavoidable that he¡¯d pass more than one maid as he went. They each bowed to him deeply, pausing whatever they were doing to show their respect. He would merely nod in return then shuffle onwards.

    He heard the loud voice of his father somewhere deeper down the many corridors. For a moment, he was tempted to stop by to greet him, losing that earlier feeling of wanted istion, but in the end, he merely slid past, making his way to the ground floor.

    "Good morning, Miura-dono," an elderly maid said. Gengyo assumed her to be in charge of something or other, but he had not seen her face before. "Breakfast will be served in a little over an hour. Will that be suiting you?"

    Gengyo straightened his shoulders and hardened his voice. "It will," he said deeply, assuming the mantle of a Lord.

    "Very good, my Lord," she said, bowing deeply, before shuffling out of his way.

    Gengyo nced behind him before he began down the bas.e.m.e.nt steps, wondering what questions woulde his way if he were to be caught.

    "Ridiculous," he told himself, "there is no need to be so ufortable with secrecy. They know you¡¯re going to be working on your hand ¨C there¡¯s little more to care about beyond that."

    Down the stone steps, he went and through the heavy bas.e.m.e.nt doors. Gengyo noted their newness as he passed through them. Morojo must have had them reced, for the previous pair had begun to rot from the damp bas.e.m.e.nt air.

    It was dark down there in that cer, darker than it had been before, when hundreds of thousands of caskets of royal wine were stacked here and there. Now, there was more space free than there ever had been, as Morojo sold off what was unnecessary in order to pay for the expenses of their war.

    Everything was stone down there, both the walls and the floor, it could not be any other way, for the dampness that racked the air would have crumbled any wood.

    A few dying torches lit the way upon the walls. From the look of them, they had burned throughout the entire night. By their light, Gengyo made his way deeper into the wine cer, checking each door and hole in the wall for the room that Takeshi had mentioned.

    Rats and smashed pallets were what greeted him, rather than the raw materials of a roboticist.

    It was thest locked door in the entire space that yielded his bounty. A heavy iron door barred the way forward and three different locks kept it closed.

    "Ah... Keys..." Gengyo cursed, wondering why he hadn¡¯t stopped by Takeshi¡¯s room first to collect them.

    More irritated than he had been when he first went down there, Gengyo pushed on the door anyway, and by some luck, it had been left open, and its well-oiled hinges swung the heavy piece of metal out of the way, revealing his new workspace.

 Chapter 342 - Proof of Concept

    <h4>Chapter 342 - Proof of Concept</h4>

    Dusty, wet and filled with cobwebs, it was hardly like the clean workspaces that he had grown used to all that time ago. But then, in a strange way, it reminded him of the run-down apartment that he had first started out in, with its mold on the walls and questionable stains on the floor.

    He closed that door behind him with a click and wandered over to the only table in the room, upon which therey a little note, penned in thick ck letters. "The keys are on the table, Miura-dono. I had them changedst night. You are the only one with ess to this space now. I had your materials delivered as well. If you should need any more, please be sure to ask. Signed, Takeshi."

    Gengyo carefullyid the note back down on the table with a smile. When he knew to look for them, it was not long before he found the stubby iron keys that Takeshi had mentioned. They lookedrge enough to keep a castle gate closed, never mind his little room in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

    His materials were there too, just as had been said, but all of them were the rawest that they could be. There was none of the silicons or stics that he would eventually need, nor even the oils to prepare them. A good deal of work was necessary and it was difficult to know where to begin.

    Thankfully, there was a firece in one of those walls, even as the rest dripped with water. It had been fully stocked by a thoughtful little smith, with a bundle of tinder sitting under some dry sticks and a box of logs lying in wait next to them. Gengyo struck that to light first.

    "I suppose it¡¯s fitting, isn¡¯t it?" He spoke to himself as he worked. "If I am to journey through human invention in this little space of mine, I should start back at the very beginning, with what started it all: our mastery of fire."

    With the fire burning heartily, Gengyo held his hands by it to warm himself. It was not long too before the room began to warm up as well, and all the dampness that had been pooled on the floor arose upwards in a vapour.

    "Good idea," he said, watching it do its work, "we¡¯ll do our electricity next, in a good old primitive way... A ma and a coil of wire. That would be useful."

    Gengyo rummaged through the pile of metal that had been left for him, but he did not find any naturally maic pieces of material, but he knew that would have been too much to hope. He could always ask Takeshi to find him one... Or he could maise something himself.

    To make the coil of wire required would be an effort as well, especially without any real tools to help him. It was problem after problem after problem for Gengyo, but instead of feeling overwhelmed or even irritated, Gengyo felt excited. It was in his industrious nature to want to do more, and there he was, with a specific goal in mind, limited only by his own creativity.

    He went to find Takeshi to get that which he required, and he returned an hourter with a roll of copper wiring ¨C thicker than he needed for his purposes ¨C and a handful of stone maites.

    "Miura-dono!" Takeshi stopped him just as he was about to begin his work. "You said you needed thinner wire, so I made a quick coil of it. I hope this can be of use." He bowed as he put it in Gengyo¡¯s hand.

    Gengyo grinned as he received it. "That saves me a lot of trouble, thanks Takeshi."

    Takeshi bowed once more, before he disappeared to leave Gengyo to his work. Gengyo closed the heavy door after him, and looked at his materials once more.

    "Well, the first order of business is to begin with a sess, then build on that," he said, "so let¡¯s start with the simplest circuit and get it to work."

    He recoiled a good amount of the copper wire around some hollowing tubing and he put the rest to his use, setting up the simplest of circuits. He took a tiny amount of tungsten from the chunk that he had been given and he drew it out into an extremely thin wire. He attached it up with copper wiring and included the coil as part of the circuit.

    "That might be too thin," he realized as he looked at it. But then supposed it didn¡¯t matter. Even if the tungsten wire were to melt, it would have served its purpose of proving that a current had indeed been created.

    He passed the ma through the centre of the coil then brought it out again. In and out once more with an increasing regtory. He put his eye to the circuit when he felt something should be happening and sure enough the tungsten wiring was glowing a bright red, ready to melt at any second.

    Then, it grew in brightness, suddenly letting off a light as bright as the sun, just like a fment bulb. And, of course, the wire burned straight through and that faded a momentter. But Gengyo was grinning. To him, it was a huge sess. Whilst it was ever so simple, it was those tiny fragments of simplicity that he needed to build up something moreplex.

    "Proof of concept achieved, now to make this automated, as any self-respecting roboticist should," Gengyo said to himself. The simplest way to do that was simply with water and steam and a good-old steam-powered wheel to get it going, but being on the scale of his tiny room, he was sure more cleverness would need to be done than that.

    Nevertheless, he set about it. Above his fire, he ced a trough of water and he made sure he had sufficient fuel to keep it going for a good while. Then, with mathematical precision, he drew up the shape for a wheel.

 Chapter 343 - Modern World

    <h4>Chapter 343 - Modern World</h4>

    Throughout that first day he focused on making his electricity automated. With a big wheel and a bowl full of water, that was more or less done, at least to the point where he was happy with it.

    Next, he was down to make his firstputer system, a simple sort, but he hoped from there that he could make the most basic of AIs and begin to automate the processes.

    The only problem was, again, hisck of materials. He had not the quartz sand needed for silicone nor the oil needed for stic. It took a whole day of waiting before materials of that sort were finally delivered to his door and even then work needed to be done on them.

    Throughout the process, Gengyo had to continually remind himself not to attempt to make anything tooplicated straight away. In truth, all he was doing at first was making his tools.

    With his first stics and silicone, he was finally able to begin with a circuit board. A basic sort, but enough to handle a very primitive processor and other such essentials. And then, with the tungsten wire that he had been ying with a day or two before, he made up his disy, with hundreds of tiny little bulbs.

    With a screen of sorts and aputer without any operating system to speak of, Gengyo felt he had finally made his first steps into the modern world. He spent a few days merely on that system, programming it to be of use to him, automating the production ofputer parts, making it more precise.

    He soon had a little conveyer belt on his table flowing with parts, with his very first robots doing their work as they extended over with the single arms thatprised their entire bodies and made minute adjustments to circuit boards, all ording to the instructions that Gengyo had programmed.

    From there ¨C for Gengyo at least ¨C the path was much straighter and easier to navigate. As soon as he had AI to work with, even the most primitive sort, it was a steady process of upgrading processing power and intelligence.

    First, he started off with an intelligence system that was no better than that of a worm, then from there he upgraded it to that of a fish, then a mouse, then a rather dull-witted cat, then a dog. That was where he was forced to end that day, with an artificial self-learning intelligence that was eager to serve.

    As he went back to rejoin his friends and family, he left it the task of teaching itself how to better produce the parts that would be needed in future, to save Gengyo the effort of reprogramming it. He left it the raw materials to do so, and could only hope that it would not cause too significant a disaster if were to all go wrong.

    He slept easier that night. Better than he had in a long time. He always did, when he knew that work was being done as he slept and there was nothing he could do to speed it up.

    When he came down the next day, he mentally prepared himself for a mess, just in case his programming had truly contained some sort of bug, but to his delight, there was nothing at all. Nothing but a clean row of parts all lined up on the table.

    He checked each one individually and was more than happy with the quality. Things were starting to improve. They looked like the sort of professionally made circuit boards one would find if they opened up theirputer and gutted it. The connectors were clean and well shaped without any issues at all.

    Gengyo patted the robotic arm, praising it for its work, and then he began to assemble the newputer. By his calctions, this one should have enough processing power to support an AI with a simr level of intelligence to a human, which was more than a big step, but whether or not that was the case remained to be seen.

    He used the operating system he had already set up on thest twoputers, a rather ugly and primitive sort of thing, more focused on functionality than appearance, and then he began to make the changes required to his robot¡¯s system in order to give it the capacity of human intelligence.

    It took more than a few hours to get to that stage. He was surprised to find how well he remembered that code. Then he realized just how many months had a poured over it, all them years ago, trying to decide what it was about the human minds ability to think that made it function so.

    Before the day was out, the scripts were done. Awork of intelligence had been built up inside thatputer with the capacity for human-level intelligence. That would be where its home remained, for now, as he got it to work on something bigger and better, by itself.

    When his machine reached human level intelligence was when Gengyo¡¯s work was almost done. Now, by its own processing power and by trial and error, it could simte and learn what was necessary to create a system more intelligent than itself, at a rate hundreds of thousands of times faster than any human possibly could.

    He left it to that, beginning the process with a nervousness, just as he hadst time. As a leading head in the robotics industry, he had never feared AI as many had begun to, but with so many tales picturing the end of humanity at the hands of the very machines they had birthed, it was difficult to be too confident that nothing could go wrong.

    Once more he closed his heavy iron door at the end of a productive day, but this time he checked the locks even more thoroughly, testing them more than once to ensure that they would not open for anyone. Now they had truly entered the modern world.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!