Conquest of Tsushima (3)
BOOM—! The massive gate crashed against the castle wall with a thunderous roar. Shattering the momentary silence, Yi Si-woo, Baek Dong-su, and the five hundred Jangyongyeong soldiers poured into the fortress like a waterfall.
But what awaited them inside was no white flag of surrender. Beyond the castle courtyard flickering with torchlight, narrow corridors and rooftops bristled with the Shimazu clan's cross banners.
"Kill them all! Don't let a single one live!"
A Shimazu retainer bellowed, his cry filling the air.
"Damn..." Yi Si-woo sized up the forces ahead and turned to Baek Dong-su. "At least three hundred... Brother Baek, hold the main hall entrance. I'll punch through to the command post and head for the inner quarters."
"Got it. Watch yourself, little brother! Those bastards look half-mad!"
Baek Dong-su raised his sword high and charged toward the main hall. He cleaved through a pirate's spear shaft in one stroke and severed the man's neck, but the enemy's resistance was tenacious.
BOOM-BOOM—! BOOM-BOOM—! In the suffocatingly narrow passages between walls, the Jangyongyeong unleashed a volley. Blinding muzzle flashes and acrid gunpowder smoke swallowed their vision in an instant.
On open ground, that firepower would have annihilated at least a fifth of the enemy in one salvo. But Tsushima's mountain fortress twisted with bizarre angles and traps everywhere shredded the Jangyongyeong's fire net. The pirates exploited every gap in the faltering barrage.
They timed their strikes for the matchlock reloads, blades hungry for blood forcing their way into the lines.
"Argh!"
A samurai lunging from a dark corridor corner buried his sword deep in the lead Jangyongyeong's shoulder. Before a scream could escape, the blue blade sliced from collarbone to chest. A comrade swung his musket barrel instantly.
BOOM—!
The point-blank shot turned the samurai's body to rags, flinging it back. But in that split second, even in death, his desperate swing carved a deep gash into the soldier's thigh.
"Don't stop! Keep advancing!"
Yi Si-woo's voice cut through the chaos.
"Three-man teams—cover each other's backs! Bayonets for the narrow spots!"
Under his command, the Jangyongyeong reformed their ranks. Against spearmen in tight halls, they jammed muzzles into bellies and pulled triggers.
SPLAT, CRUNCH—! Flesh tore and bones shattered, the dull sounds filling the corridors.
Two samurai charged Yi Si-woo with frenzy-mad eyes. As their swords grazed his clothes, he didn't yield an inch, slashing back with the Byeolun Sword.
Enemy blood soaked him head to toe, but Yi Si-woo didn't blink, pressing forward.
Entering the inner quarters, they faced what looked like the guard captain and his last thirty men.
"Red demon of Joseon, this ends here! You'll have to climb over our corpses to touch our lord!"
Shimazu's elite warriors blocking the office drew their blades. Thirty strong—few in number, but their killing intent froze the air solid.
Yi Si-woo touched the powder pouch at his waist. It was nearly empty.
"My lord, ammo's almost gone!" Chil-bok cried urgently.
Yi Si-woo drew the Byeolun Sword.
"Now we force it through."
No sooner had he spoken than the thirty warriors roared and flooded the narrow hall. The Jangyongyeong met them head-on with greatswords.
Clang—! Scraaape! The corridor turned into a slaughterhouse of sparks and steel.
The first elite's blade aimed for Yi Si-woo's chest, but he twisted aside, drawing his sword level.
Slash—!
The man's throat parted effortlessly, blood fountaining. Yi Si-woo plunged into the next chest without pause.
"Die, you monster!"
Two samurai struck from both sides. Yi Si-woo yanked his blade free and spun. Guts and blood sprayed the walls in a long arc.
Each red trail left severed limbs and screams in its wake.
Yi Si-woo's body was drenched in enemy blood. From hair to boots, crimson-slick, his swings made the floor's gore squelch and cling.
The Jangyongyeong fought savagely too—smashing skulls with greatswords, stabbing throats with daggers, inching forward. But casualties mounted. The samurai embraced mutual destruction.
"Block them! We have to...!"
The last warrior swung in terror-struck panic, but Yi Si-woo snapped his wrist and drove the Byeolun Sword into his forehead.
A thud, and the body crumpled. The thirty men were now unrecognizable meat piles clogging the hall.
Yi Si-woo wiped blood from his cheek with a knuckled hand, breath ragged. He stepped over the corpse mound indifferently, boots slurping in the soaked floor.
Minor cuts from the melee stung in the air as adrenaline faded, muscles screaming. But his brow never furrowed as he kicked open the inner door.
The lord's seat was empty. Only a secret underground passage yawned mockingly at the back.
"Fled, huh. Rat bastard."
Yi Si-woo's bloodshot eyes pierced the darkness.
The tunnel reeked of brine and moldy damp. He advanced without a torch, unperturbed by the cooling, sticky enemy blood clinging to his skin. The scent sharpened his hunter's instincts, tracking the fugitive beast.
"Huff... huff... Faster! Row, damn it!"
At the tunnel's end—a secret dock by coastal cliffs—Lord of Tsushima So Yo-shi-to-shi's wail echoed. He flung himself aboard a skiff, oblivious to his silk robes soaking in mud.
"My lord, the boat's leaving! Hurry!"
Three guards desperately gripped oars—then.
Step. Step. Steady footfalls echoed eerily off cave walls.
So Yo-shi-to-shi's neck stiffened. Turning slowly, he saw the blood ghost emerge from shadow.
A man painted head to toe in fresh enemy gore. Each step stamped vivid red prints.
Yi Si-woo dragged the Byeolun Sword along the ground, its scrape raising chills.
"Y-you monster! Stop him! Kill him!"
The mad lord shrieked. The three guards charged, but to Yi Si-woo, their moves crawled like a frozen frame.
Clang—! He parried the first's blade and shoulder-checked. As the foe staggered, the Byeolun Sword pierced his throat.
No time to withdraw—the second thrust a spear. It grazed Yi Si-woo's side, shaving flesh.
But he was already inside the guard's guard. Crunch—! His dagger punched through the jaw into the skull.
The last guard met Yi Si-woo's eyes and dropped his sword.
"Eek...!"
He backed away, collapsing. Yi Si-woo leaped past to the skiff. It rocked, waves splashing.
Cornered, So Yo-shi-to-shi drew a dagger with trembling hands—but as the Byeolun Sword kissed his throat, it shook violently.
"Mercy... spare me! Gold, trade rights—anything!"
Yi Si-woo grabbed his hair instead.
Silence hung.
Cutting his head off would be easy.
His blood-soaked breaths heaved.
Want to rip him apart now, but he's a bargaining chip for talks with the shogunate.
His grip tightened. A short yelp escaped the lord.
"Agh... aaah!"
"Jangyongyeong—bind him now."
Soldiers swarmed in at the order, ropes biting into flesh. His pathetic screams bounced off walls.
Yi Si-woo dragged the bound lord out, shouting at the still-resisting pirates.
"The Lord of Tsushima has surrendered! Drop your weapons and surrender! Those who comply now will keep their lives!!"
His voice echoed off walls and batteries. Seeing their lord trussed, the pirates lost heart, one by one laying down arms and prostrating.
Clattering steel rang like a surrender symphony.
As dawn mist lifted, a flag rose atop Sasuna Castle's highest turret. Not Shimazu's cross or So clan's crest—but Joseon's vivid four trigrams on red.
So Yo-shi-to-shi and captives knelt under gun muzzles in the courtyard. Yi Si-woo ordered Chil-bok.
"Lock the lord and ronin in the dungeon below. Watch them like hawks—no biting tongues or escapes."
"Yes, sir!"
Chil-bok herded them roughly away. Tsushima commoners watched, holding breath lest they follow.
Yu Jeon-gan pointed beyond the walls at the starved, terrified islanders.
"Was just worrying about that. Our supply ships are here, but no grain to feed those folk too. Island stores must be empty by now—how do you plan to handle them?"
Yi Si-woo answered without hesitation.
"The lord's hidden emergency rice is inside. Divvy some of our supplies if needed—start relief now. Boil it into porridge and feed them."
Yu Jeon-gan's eyes widened.
"Hold on, Gigi-cheong chief! That'll cost a fortune. Pouring Joseon rice into enemy territory for their peasants?"
"They're tenant farmers at heart. A few sacks now buys loyalty. Secure hearts early, or expect sabotage during works or corvee. Otherwise, trouble brews while we're here."
"......"
Yu Jeon-gan eyed him, then nodded.
An hour later, Yi Si-woo assembled all troops.
He scanned the hall, then spoke.
"I know some have already started looting."
A pause.
"But from this moment—"
His voice dropped low.
"—no touching civilians without weapons. Plunder homes or assault women, and the military code takes your head!"
Murmurs rose, but his sweeping gaze silenced them. He turned to the office without another word.
Sitting at the blood-scented desk, he took up brush.
Your Majesty, your humble servant Yi Si-woo reports:
Today, I have pacified Sasuna, the key stronghold of Tsushima.
Enemy resistance was minimal, and the island's main bases swiftly secured. No further unrest is expected.
Moreover, I have captured the enemy leader, Lord of Tsushima, alive. Documents confirm his secret collusion with southern daimyo to muster forces for invading Joseon. All evidence accompanies this report.
Yi Si-woo added separate papers: letters of collusion and plunder plans with southern daimyo.
"Governor Yu, load this report and evidence on the fastest courier ship to Hanyang. Victory news for His Majesty, draft protest to the shogunate alongside."
The sun rose fully. Blinding light glittered on Sasuna harbor's calm sea.