Book 4: Chapter 6: Kiyos.h.i.+ and the Mysterious Samurai from the West

All kinds of spooky voices filled the desolate and ruined Kiyosu Castle at night like always, but these voices werent necessarily from demons and actually originated from the pains suffered by the hunger, chaos and despair inflicted residents of the city that made them moan out in barely audible heart-rending whispers.

A group of samurai pa.s.sed by the main street at a distance no further than 100 m from Lilys and Odas backs while they made for the west side of Kiyosu Castle.

This group, consisting of As.h.i.+kaga Kiyos.h.i.+ and four of his samurai attendants, had just left the castle tower of Kiyosu Castle and were planning to exit the city after their meeting with s.h.i.+ba Yos.h.i.+s.h.i.+ge.

Kiyos.h.i.+ only intended to investigate Owari in casual clothes and wasnt expecting to discover Kiyosu Castle under the control of humans with the city lord still being s.h.i.+ba Yos.h.i.+s.h.i.+ge, the guardian of Owari, so he went to meet him immediately.

The high-spirited Kiyos.h.i.+ was dressed in blue samurai robes and an Ebos.h.i.+ hat with two katanas at his waist as he walked through the street.

Its quite surprising that Kiyosu Castle was still under the protection of Lord s.h.i.+ba and the surviving people. Lets mobilize the As.h.i.+kaga army once we return and ally with Lord s.h.i.+ba to retrieve the land of Owari from the hands of the monsters and demon samurai, Kiyos.h.i.+ stated excitedly.

That Lord s.h.i.+ba doesnt look that reliable to me, my lord, said one of the tall samurai beside Kiyos.h.i.+.

I also felt that Lord s.h.i.+ba really isnt a tough and accomplished leader suitable for these chaotic times, but Im confident that hell ally with us against the monsters as fellow humans in such times, Kiyos.h.i.+ stated.

Youre right, my lord. s.h.i.+ba has no choice but to ally with us unless he plans to ally with the demons, said the samurai, the other samurai nodding after him successively1.

Its possible that theres a lot of samurai clans still protecting their lands in the Endless Wastelands that the East has lost contact with. We might even have a chance at ruling the whole realm if our As.h.i.+kaga clan allies with them and recovers this vast land gradually!

How wise you are, my lord! The samurai praised him.

Kiyos.h.i.+s ego heightened a little as he voiced out his magnificent aspirations, The moment I become an indomitable hero who supports the Heian Empire is when I propose to Miss Kagami!

Youre a master of the brush and the sword and a holder of high aspirations, my lord. Only a man like you can win the affection of Miss Kagami!

You think so too, dont you, Takas.h.i.+ Atsus.h.i.+?! There wasnt much distinction in ranks between Kiyos.h.i.+ and his followers, so he pushed Takas.h.i.+ Atsus.h.i.+ playfully as if they were brothers and the rest of them chuckled in unison.

A tall and lean, white turbaned samurai dressed in a long, red-patterned white coat and dark blue inner armor whose face was hidden under white cloths on both sides blocked As.h.i.+kaga and his mens path by standing in front of them.

As.h.i.+kagas group raised their vigilance after coming to a stop as they had never seen a samurai dressed in such an attire in the East. The man blocking their path also looked quite somber and powerful as he stood in front of them.

As.h.i.+kaga greeted the man humbly, I am As.h.i.+kaga Kiyos.h.i.+. I wonder what you are called, sir, and why youve blocked my path.

The white turbaned and masked samurai replied in a deep voice, I know you are the young lord of the As.h.i.+kaga clan. I am Kiuchidera Tess.h.i.+n from the West. Ive come to request your help for a certain matter this time.

The archaic p.r.o.noun character used by men in the Heian period, Maro ()2, was written on the back of the long coat worn by the tall and lanky samurai, exuded an ancient and transcendent aura.

So it was Lord Kiuchidera Tess.h.i.+n. Its a pleasure to meet you, but I wonder what help you need from me? Even though Kiyos.h.i.+ felt that the man in front of him was quite unusual, his personality made him treat even such a mysterious person with courtesy.

The As.h.i.+kaga samurai behind Kiyos.h.i.+ also looked at the man vigilantly as just the fact that he had come from the West was enough to displease them.

Lord Kiyos.h.i.+, youre acquainted with a woman named Kagami Lily, right? The white-masked Tess.h.i.+n asked.

Although Kiyos.h.i.+ acted with courtesy initially, his expression turned solemn the moment he heard Lilys name. He felt a little hostile towards this mysterious man from the West as he had asked about her in such a tone.

I do know her, Lord Kiuchidera, but I wonder why you wish to inquire about her? Kiyos.h.i.+ asked warily.

I shant hide it from you. According to the information weve obtained, this Kagami Lily is within Kiyosu Castle at the moment. I can help you find her whereabouts anytime you wish to see her.

What?! Kiyos.h.i.+ checked his surroundings. Kiyosu Castle wasnt that huge, so even he felt stunned that Lily happened to be in it at this moment.

However, the tone this man used felt quite dangerous to Kiyos.h.i.+. Therefore, he continued questioning him, Im afraid you havent come to meet me, whos a complete stranger to you, in order to just inform me about Miss Kagamis location now, have you, Lord Kiuchidera?

Youre a really wise man, Lord As.h.i.+kaga. Its not much. I just need you to mix this concoction into her tea or wine when you reminisce with her.

Kiyos.h.i.+s directed a sharp gaze at the concoction, Whats your aim? Are you trying to murder Miss Kagami?

Kiyos.h.i.+s formidable spirit power began to seep out from his body and his hand s.h.i.+fted to the hilt of his katana. The samurai following him also dispersed a bit farther and waited to move anytime at Kiyos.h.i.+s command.

Even the modest and tolerant Kiyos.h.i.+ felt anger well up inside him when faced with someone who wished to harm Lily.

Hehehe, Tess.h.i.+n chuckled darkly, You neednt get so infuriated, Lord As.h.i.+kaga. This isnt poison and rather something thats quite beneficial to you.

Just what exactly is it?

Its an elixir from the West. Havent you always admired that woman? You just need to administer this elixir to her after inviting her for a chat and itll leave her in a confused state, even making her throw herself into your arms willingly. Isnt this quite a nice development for you?

How dare you! Kiyos.h.i.+ thundered, My feelings for Miss Kagami are sincere. I cannot let you insult a n.o.ble woman like Miss Kagami with your vulgar methods! Although we have no enmity between us, I cannot let you leave simply after youve said such things, Lord Kiuchidera!3

Kiyos.h.i.+ signaled his followers with his eyes and they stepped forth to surround the man.

Hmph! You really dont know whats best for you. Dont you blame me for my rudeness now that youve trampled on my kind and sincere intentions, Lord As.h.i.+kaga, Tess.h.i.+n stated icily.

A group of tall, white-coated samurai emerged from the shadows of the alleys corner, and all of them had a ma.s.sive Maro () character written on their backs in red.

The group that encircled Kiyos.h.i.+ and his men consisted of eight white-coated samurai.

The expressions of Kiyos.h.i.+s group turned grim when they saw this, making Kiyos.h.i.+ call out to his companions, Be careful, everyone, they are a bunch with unusual strength.

Hehehehehehehe! A bell-like laughter of a girl echoed through the dark alley suddenly at this moment.

This laughter made even Kiyos.h.i.+s heart quiver and caused him to check his surroundings tensely.

Lily was overcome by unease at Kiyosu Castles west gate around the same time, but she didnt mind it that much since she was unfamiliar with Kiyosu Castle and was unaware of what exactly transpired inside it.

Its almost time for the monster to arrive, Lady Lyn-hime, said Oda.

Mhm Lily nodded, Just follow the same process as always.4

Understood.

The samurai waited at the gate just like that while Lily stood at the gate side with her head lowered.

A powerful eldritch aura rushed forth while carrying a dense black mist along with it soon after.

Its here! Lily raised her attention to the maximum and focused on the monster in front.

A 3 m tall and ugly donkey-headed monster with a long and girthy neck as well as a piggish body emerged out from the surging black mist, its neck and protruding pot belly filled with rough wrinkles.

Its two legs were tiny in comparison to its body while its arms were slightly long and slender.

Woman woman the donkey-like monster shrouded in black mist stopped in front of the gate, Give me a woman

Give me a woman or else Ill kill all the people in this city!

The monster raised his neck up high and issued a long howl, causing the wooden city wall to shake because of the resulting wind and spooking the samurai and the soldiers at the same time.

Oda looked at this donkey monster with caution and fear as he waved his hand, hinting the guards to disperse and reveal a tall, lean, and gorgeous, red-dressed girl.

The long, black hair, as well as beautiful looks that were close to perfection and br.i.m.m.i.n.g with femininity, caused the donkey monsters eyes to open wide and lick its moist nose with its ma.s.sive tongue as it salivated unceasingly.

W-W-What a pretty woman! I never imagined this Kiyosu Castle had such a stunner. Good. Good. Im quite satisfied with the women youve found for me! Why havent you come over to my side yet, darling?! The pot-bellied donkey monster got closer with an unsteady gait impatiently.

Oda and the other samurai witnessed all this transpire quite nervously.

Lily, however, remained calm, and walked towards the monster with her bountiful chest silently without a hint of coquettishness or fear.

Lily noticed a bunch of hair locks hanging from the belt constraining the monsters pot-belly when she got closer and immediately realized that they belonged to different people.

It seemed that this ugly and wicked monster had tied the hair of all the women that he had harmed around his waist to show them off.

An unpleasant stench a.s.sailed Lilys nose when the monster arrived in front of Lily, saliva dripping down towards Lilys head as it opened its mouth wide. Lily, however, dodged the saliva with unnoticeable movements.

Huh? The donkey monster was taken aback by this, but blinded by l.u.s.t, the monster just didnt care about it and lowered its long neck towards Lilys chest in an attempt to lick it with its flag-sized tongue.

You have such a sweet scent, pretty woman. Let me have a taste now!

Lilys eyes turned cold and Crescent Moon manifested in her hands instantly.

What?! The monster was shocked by the killing intent coming off from the tachi.

Clang!

A crimson sword light flashed by and bisected the monsters long and thick tongue into two!

Argh!!! The monster howled in pain while holding its severed tongue, causing blood to splash in all directions.

The black mist surged higher and the raging monster bit at Lily with its ma.s.sive buck-toothed mouth. Lily, however, didnt meet it with her blade and instead moved tens of meters away with elusive movements. A ma.s.sive white hound pounced out towards the fallen donkey monster from her blade in the next moment and began tearing at it crazily!

Arrggghhhh!!! The donkey monster wailed in pain as flesh and blood flew out in all directions, its howls echoing through the darkness of the night. The demon hounds attacks turned vicious by the second and its attacks even seemed to a.s.similate the grudges of the girls killed by the monster, empowering each of its attacks successively.

Lily watched the monster struggle under the demon hounds attacks while howling with a calm and collected gaze.

The donkey monster finally breathed out its last breath after putting up a dozen or so minutes of struggle.

Robinxen: Well.

Robinxen: History Lesson 101.

Robinxen: Finally a male character with integrity. Also nice lampshading.

Robinxen: Same old same old.