“Even Yagyū Ken’go was defeated?”
Under the overwhelming assault of Oni Group One, the defense line composed of numerous Shinto priests and shrine maidens was forced to retreat repeatedly, suffering heavy slaughter as blood dyed the entire battlefield red.
At this moment, seeing Yagyū Ken’go also perish under Oni Kazuki’s katana, morale suffered a deadly blow.
“Yaichimaru-no-kami… I beseech you, descend now!”
At this moment, the High Priest, heavily guarded at the center, finally completed his ritual.
There was a massive Kikyo crest on the ground, already stained with blood. The High Priest, with a solemn expression, drew the wakizashi at his waist and stabbed it deeply into his own heart.
As his life force rapidly faded, the ritual array on the ground began to glow.
Witnessing this, a faint smile appeared on the High Priest’s face before everything turned pitch black.
Puchi!
Numerous katanas emitting black qi sliced through the barrier. The Oni Group One warriors who rushed in witnessed an eerie sight—the blood on the ground surged, forming a humanoid figure.
“You have slaughtered my priests… you shall be punished!”
The crimson figure spoke softly, its tone vastly different from the Japanese language, carrying an air of mystery and eeriness.
This was “Crane Language”—a legendary divine tongue of Japan. Each word seemed to subtly vibrate the air, yet its meaning was clearly imprinted in the minds of the Oni warriors.
“Kill him!”
However, the Oni warriors, already frenzied from slaughter, ignored the warning and charged forward wielding their katanas.
“Despicable insects!”
The crimson figure said emotionlessly, raising its hand slowly. Several heart-shaped illusions appeared above its palm before it clenched its fist tightly.
Bang!
Blood splattered as several Oni warriors in the front clutching their chests fell down in disbelief.
The Oni warriors’ demon-bestowed vitality could not save them at all!
As the blood flowed into the figure, it became even more tangible.
Yaichimaru-no-kami’s eyes gazed toward the remaining Oni warriors, filled with intense desire: “Sacrifices!”
…
“Hmph? I knew something would go wrong!”
This battlefield involved over five thousand soldiers and was clearly turning into a defeat for the Iyu clan. Naturally, Wu Ming’s attention shifted to the smaller battlefield nearby.
“Although those two level-three experts are formidable, with over a hundred level-one and level-two Oni warriors employing the wolf-pack strategy, they will eventually wear them down… That light—could it be a divine manifestation?”
Wu Ming caught a glimpse of crimson from the corner of his eye.
“The manifestation is level-three, so the original must be at least level-three peak, possibly even level-four divine—akin to the city god Chufeng or the river god Nurulong. It should belong to the Yaichimaru-no-kami of Izumo Grand Shrine. More importantly, this deity also seems to belong to the Susano lineage…”
Thinking thus, a mocking smile appeared on Wu Ming’s face: “Onikazuki Hikaru!”
“My lord!”
Onikazuki Hikaru arrived, kneeling on one knee. On the battlefield, strictness was required.
“You take the rifle unit to this location and assist our Oni Group One in eliminating the rebels!”
“As you command!”
Watching Onikazuki Hikaru ride off, Wu Ming’s smirk deepened: “A human-path deity has too many restrictions. Faith is one aspect, but those with great fortune are another! Onikazuki Hikaru bears the dragon aura of Japan and is a direct descendant of Susano. What can you really do against him?”
Onikazuki Hikaru arrived just in time. With Yaichimaru-no-kami’s manifestation aiding, the priest squad began counterattacking, nearly pushing Oni Group One into a desperate situation.
“Rifle unit, fire!”
Seeing this, Onikazuki Hikaru was furious and immediately issued orders.
Bang! Bang!
Intense flames spewed from the gun barrels, and lead bullets instantly bloomed crimson flowers on the white garments of priests and shrine maidens.
Yaichimaru-no-kami stared at Onikazuki Hikaru, stunned: “Divine heir?! Could it be the divine heir battle has already begun?”
The direct confrontation among the Three Noble Deities resembled a chess match, where concealing one’s intentions was paramount.
Before Onimaru Takeshi’s rise, unless Amaterasu Omikami and Yomotsu Hikari personally arrived, no one could detect any anomaly. Even Susano could only vaguely sense the traces of his fate. This was the price paid to conceal one’s presence and prevent enemy divination.
Now, Onikazuki Hikaru’s fortune was beginning to flourish but had not fully manifested. Yaichimaru-no-kami could only vaguely sense the divine bloodline within this warrior but could not confirm it yet.
“Heretic god!”
Without hesitation, Onikazuki Hikaru galloped forward. His katana slashed downward at Yaichimaru-no-kami’s manifestation.
At the same time, a flash of purple fortune emerged from above his head, forming a terrifying suppression that descended upon Yaichimaru-no-kami.
“What is this…”
Yaichimaru-no-kami was shocked, then effortlessly sliced in half by the Mikazuki Munechika, blood splattering everywhere.
Puff!
The blood ritual array on the ground exploded, signifying the true demise of this manifestation.
“Yaichimaru-no-kami… how could this happen?”
Witnessing this, the remaining priests and shrine maidens were stunned.
“What are you hesitating for? Kill them all! Leave no one alive!”
Onikazuki Hikaru roared furiously, urging his rifle unit and remaining Oni warriors to slaughter the enemy.
…
The setting sun was as red as blood, and the battlefield was in chaos, with the Iyu clan’s flag burning in flames.
Many ashigaru diligently cleaned the battlefield, carrying back their comrades’ bodies, stripping the enemy’s armor, and gathering the corpses for burial or cremation.
“My lord!”
Inside the camp, Yamakaya Shikanosuke excitedly reported to Wu Ming: “In this battle, our clan lost over forty ashigaru, while the various clans lost over three hundred ashigaru…”
“Hmm, this loss is acceptable. What about the enemy?”
Wu Ming waved his military fan casually.
“The enemy general, Akagami I-no-suke, was slain by our warriors! Of their three thousand troops, eight hundred were killed in battle, and one thousand five hundred captured! This is a great victory! After this battle, even the Iyu clan will have to acknowledge our dominance in Inaba District!”
“Bring in Hikaru, Kotarou, and Ken’ichi!”
Wu Ming issued the order. First to enter was Mochizuki Kotarou, the ninja, who respectfully knelt and presented a severed head: “My lord, I have slain the enemy’s senior ninja. After this battle, I have finally broken through to the rank of senior ninja…”
Although he had changed clothes, Wu Ming could still sense the strong scent of blood on him, indicating severe injuries. Obviously, he had experienced a life-or-death struggle.
To kill a level-three opponent as a level-two, even with traps and ambushes, was still a remarkable feat.
“What’s the casualty report for Oni Group One?”
“Reporting to my lord, Oni Group One lost thirty-seven men. Matsukawa Shota, Koizumi Kensei, and Koizumi Kengo were all killed…”
Koizumi Ken’ichi knelt and reported.
“Hmm, I see. From now on, you will be the official leader of Oni Group One. All the fallen must be properly compensated. Next, I will expand Oni Group One to five hundred members!”
Wu Ming clicked his fingernails indifferently. To him, the demon-fighting swordsmen of Oni Group One were mere consumables. Losing a few meant nothing. As long as there was enough powerful demon flesh, such warriors could be produced endlessly.
However, Koizumi Ken’ichi had shown signs of another breakthrough after this battle. He might soon cross into level-three, which brought a slight sense of surprise to Wu Ming.
“Onikazuki Hikaru, you seem to want to say something?”
Wu Ming glanced at Onikazuki Hikaru again, noticing his hesitant expression, and smiled slightly.
“That’s right!”
Onikazuki Hikaru clenched his teeth and stepped forward: “I believe we must not retreat now!”
“Oh? Can’t defeating Akagami I-no-suke secure our clan’s foundation?”
Wu Ming asked with a half-smile. The people present were confused, except for Yamakaya Shikanosuke, whose eyes flickered with thought.
“Of course it can. After today’s battle, the entire Izumo Province will recognize my lord’s power!”
Onikazuki Hikaru said: “If our clan wishes to become a local daimyo and remain confined within Inaba District, this victory is more than sufficient! But if we aim to rule the entire Izumo Province and let the entire realm witness my lord’s greatness, this is far from enough!”
“Haha… The entire realm!”
Wu Ming laughed heartily: “Indeed, among everyone here, only Hikaru truly understands me! Moreover… our clan’s strength has now reached a critical juncture. Even if we retreat now and consolidate Inaba District, we will inevitably attract envy and attacks. It’s possible that an encirclement coalition against us is already forming!”
“There’s no need to mention the Iyu clan—they are the ruling daimyo of Izumo Province and will certainly monitor us closely from now on. Furthermore, the three warring families of Aki Province are gradually clarifying their positions. The winner will be either the Mori clan of Sagakami Castle or the Daizoji clan of Goryu Castle! Once either of them unifies Aki Province, their next step will undoubtedly be invading Izumo to become a daimyo with a million koku!”
In this region, Izumo and Aki were the two most powerful provinces, each possessing several hundred thousand koku. Unifying both provinces would cause surrounding daimyos and clans to submit, making them million-koku-level daimyos capable of influencing the entire realm’s fate!
“The Mori clan has always had conflicts with us. This time, their military campaign was due to our secret alliance with the Daizoji clan to counterbalance them. Otherwise, our rear would have certainly been attacked! Unfortunately, the Daizoji clan is still slightly inferior to the Mori clan. Even with our covert support, Aki Province will likely fall into the Mori clan’s hands!”
Wu Ming’s expression turned solemn: “Therefore, this battle is only the beginning. We absolutely cannot retreat. Once we falter, our clan will be unable to develop. When the Mori clan unifies Aki Province, we will immediately be caught between the Mori and Iyu clans!”
“Therefore, we must attack! Attack!! Attack!!! Until we completely crush the Iyu clan!”
Yamakaya Shikanosuke was sweating profusely, immediately kneeling: “Please forgive my previous short-sightedness and failure to see my lord’s ambitions. Indeed, we must crush the Iyu clan in one fell swoop and establish our dominance over Izumo!”
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