Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Lady of Mino (3)
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"As expected, I think we should cut it off."
In response to her words, Takigawa drew a sickle from her bosom and gripped it in her hand.
"This should definitely do the trick."
"Y-You damned bitches...!"
Only then did Hideyoshi realize they were targeting none other than his manhood, and he shouted with a face flushed red.
"Attack—!"
"Yaaah!"
"Capture her alive! Don't kill her!"
No sooner had Hideyoshi given the order than numerous samurai charged all at once toward the women standing with the dilapidated shrine at their backs.
Ikoma Kitsuno let out a small sigh at the sight of their numbers, which seemed to exceed several dozen, and muttered softly under her breath.
"...Hoo. This doesn't add up financially."
Most of the caravan's samurai were already dead, and even the goods they'd brought along as an afterthought had all been lost. It looked like she'd have to squeeze a good amount of money out of her sister-like little sister when she got back.
Yeah.
'If I make it back alive, that is.'
With a somewhat bitter smile, she aimed her crossbow at the samurai charging toward her with eyes filled with lust and excitement.
And just as she was about to fire.
"Found you."
A cool voice pierced through the clamor of noise, rain, and shouts, lodging in her ear.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she turned her head at that moment.
And Ikoma Kitsuno saw it.
"Grrgh..."
A man clutching the head of a ronin whose skull was half-cleaved open, exposing bone, his face drenched in blood that even the pouring rain couldn't wash away.
"Hiyah!"
At that moment, a samurai belatedly spotted the man and swiftly swung his sword. Ikoma opened her mouth to warn him of the danger, but.
"Tch."
The man clicked his tongue lightly, then dove into the opponent's guard before the sword could fully swing, grabbing his throat barehanded and slamming him into the ground without drawing his own blade.
"Gahk!"
The samurai naturally dropped his sword from the impact and thrashed to escape the man's grip. But in that instant.
"One of Hideyoshi's cronies, huh."
He muttered something under his breath, then without hesitation stood up and stomped down hard on the samurai's face.
Krunch—.
And right away.
With the sound of the samurai's neck bone snapping, the man—no.
Baek Il-yeong issued a dry command toward the Hirate family samurai who had followed behind.
"Kill them."
And from that moment.
The massacre began.
"Kill them all!"
"Uwaaaaaah—!"
The samurai began charging at the suddenly appeared Hirate family warriors. They tangled in an instant, snatching each other's lives.
No, to be precise, it was a one-sided slaughter of the low-rank samurai.
"Aaagh!"
"Kaaaah!"
It was only natural.
Unlike the low-rank samurai called ronin, most of the Hirate family samurai were properly trained warriors.
Itsuki charged at a samurai rushing toward him, kicked him in the gut, and as he lost balance, severed his neck in one stroke.
The other samurai were doing the same.
However, if asked who had cut down the most enemies, anyone would point to Baek Il-yeong.
"Die!"
Baek Il-yeong rolled across the ground to dodge a sword cleaving down as if to split his head in two, then grabbed the opponent's leg and toppled him.
"Grk!"
The samurai, caught off guard by the unexpected move, fell face-first into the muddy ground and hurriedly drew his secondary wakizashi, thrusting it toward Baek Il-yeong.
Whether due to the speed or sheer luck, a short squelch rang out—puuk—. Only then did Baek Il-yeong glance down at his abdomen, and at that sight, the samurai grinned.
"Heh."
The blade was buried deep.
No matter who it was, no one could shrug off a wound like that unscathed...
But then.
Instead of groaning, Baek Il-yeong grabbed a rolling stone from the ground with his swordless hand.
"Wh-what?"
The samurai could only stare up at him in a daze, forgetting even that he'd stabbed him in the gut, as the scene defied common sense. And in that moment.
Krunch—!
"Kaaaaaaaagh!"
The stone in Baek Il-yeong's hand smashed straight into the man's forehead, and wracked with brain-shaking pain, the samurai dropped his wakizashi and convulsed.
And Baek Il-yeong didn't miss that split-second opening.
Slash.
"Grrgh..."
He severed the man's neck in one stroke, a thin red line appearing briefly on his throat before blood gushed out.
"Y-Young master."
Itsuki trembled faintly behind Baek Il-yeong as he staggered to his feet. Baek Il-yeong turned his head and waist slightly to look at him, and Itsuki could only swallow hard, feeling as if he were facing the Grim Reaper.
Clothes and face soaked in blood, turned dark crimson.
Who could imagine seeing him with a wakizashi embedded in his gut, yet not a flicker of change in his expression.
—That this man was Baek Il-yeong, Hirate Hikage.
Dozens of samurai had died by his hand alone. Today. Just today.
And his left arm wasn't even fully healed yet.
Terrifying.
It was so frightening he felt like he might go mad.
And it wasn't just him.
The Hirate family samurai who had inwardly looked down on Baek Il-yeong or begrudgingly called him young master were belatedly realizing a truth of life.
That a person who usually smiled could cross a line of rage and go to unimaginable extremes.
Thus, no one could open their mouths.
Who could say something like, "Young master, you've got a sword in your gut"? Already overwhelmed, they silently cut down Baek Il-yeong's foes.
And when that last chance to stop him ended.
Baek Il-yeong trudged silently toward the next enemy, the wakizashi dangling from his abdomen.
"...M-Monster."
"I-Is that even possible?"
As he drew closer, a foul stench of blood pierced through the rain-scent. How many bold samurai could charge at that sight?
No, many samurai were already lying dead in the shrine's mud at the hands of the Hirate family warriors.
Naturally, the battle reached a temporary lull.
That eerie lull meant the momentum had shifted to Baek Il-yeong, and Hideyoshi grimaced like an oni, grinding his teeth—gnash.
"Baek Il-yeong..."
Meanwhile, Yoshinari's face turned ashen beyond pale at the sight of Baek Il-yeong slowly approaching, and she rushed to him in panic.
"Ah, ahh..."
Up close, his condition wasn't just "serious"—a sword in the abdomen was almost laughable.
"I-Il-yeong. You're bleeding too much."
Even at a glance, there were more than one or two slash wounds.
And with his arm still not fully healed, his left arm bore numerous gashes as well.
At that moment, the other women, belatedly realizing he was Oda clan reinforcements, approached him, and Itsuki signaled the family samurai to quickly escort them.
Samurai surrounding the shrine, led by Hideyoshi.
Hirate family warriors and women, led by Baek Il-yeong.
A tense standoff formed, and Baek Il-yeong turned his gaze to the woman looking at him with slightly surprised eyes.
She bowed her head slightly and said,
"Takigawa Kazumasu, leader of the ninjas serving the Daimyo."
"Ah, the Joseon guy!"
Only then did Ikoma Kitsuno realize Baek Il-yeong's identity and looked at him with wonder. But then.
"I-Il-yeong. Stop fighting and fall back now. Okay?"
Yoshinari pleaded on the verge of tears, and only then did the other women notice Baek Il-yeong's wounds, their faces filled with worry and guilt.
"...Y-Yeah. You're hurt too badly."
Even Kichō, who had been trembling behind Ikoma Kitsuno, spoke up.
With the family samurai's protection, they could certainly escape.
But then.
Baek Il-yeong glanced at Yoshinari's tearful face as she stared mournfully at his wounds, then slowly opened his mouth to ask,
"Who did this to you?"
A chilling, raspy voice.
The voice was so unfamiliar that Yoshinari could only gaze up at him blankly, unable to answer.
And only then.
Did Yoshinari see it.
"Answer me. Yoshinari."
Only murderous intent remained on Baek Il-yeong's face.
There was no trace of the Il-yeong she remembered in that face bearing cold fury.
"I-Il-yeong?"
She called his name unconsciously.
But then.
"It was me, you Joseon bastard."
A jeering voice stabbed into Baek Il-yeong's ear, as if seizing the opening. Without a moment's hesitation, Baek Il-yeong stepped toward him.
But something tugged at him, and when he turned, it was Yoshinari clutching his clothes, on the verge of tears.
"Y-You're hurt. Right?"
Her fingertips trembled.
Yoshinari's gaze went to the sword in his abdomen and the wounds slowly revealing themselves as rain washed away the blood.
Only then did Baek Il-yeong seem to regain a bit of reason, blinking as he grasped Yoshinari's wrist pulling at his clothes.
"Eek?"
Naturally, Yoshinari's body was gently pulled into his embrace, careful not to touch the blade, and Baek Il-yeong opened his mouth while holding her lightly.
"...Eight days."
A raspy voice, but different from before, making Yoshinari's eyes widen.
"...You didn't come after one more day of waiting."
The moment she realized what he was about to say.
"...So I came."
Yoshinari squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Baek Il-yeong's shoulder. And with those words, Baek Il-yeong slowly turned his body and said,
"...Wait just a moment."
Looking at Hideyoshi, Baek Il-yeong closed and opened his eyes before saying,
"...That one's mine to kill."