“Kill!”
Opposite, the sound of war drums suddenly arose. The ashigaru of the Iyu family, clad in blue armor and bearing the clan’s standard on their backs, began their fierce charge.
In the main camp, surrounded by white tents and the blue ogre head flags of the Oni Clan, Wu Ming sat calmly on a stool, his expression as steady as a mountain. This composed demeanor immediately eased the concerns of the surrounding clan lords.
“Order! Onikage Yoshitsune’s firearms unit, move out!”
Wu Ming waved his military fan and directly issued the command.
“Prepare!”
Facing the wave of ashigaru charging down the hill, Onikage Yoshitsune raised his right hand, his expression unchanging: “Load! Aim! Don’t forget your training!!”
If it were an ordinary daimyo’s army, seeing such a large number of charging ashigaru would certainly cause panic or premature action, at least resulting in disarray.
But now, he commanded the Oni Clan’s standing ashigaru troops. Through extensive training and strict military discipline, although they seemed about to be overwhelmed by the charging ashigaru at any moment, they mechanically repeated their practiced actions.
Clomp! Clomp!
A unit of cavalry wearing blue armor charged forth, rapidly approaching the Oni Clan’s main camp.
“I didn’t expect the Iyu family to even deploy their ‘Blue Unit’!”
In his heart, Onikage Yoshitsune murmured. In Yamashiro, horses were scarce, and cavalry was an extremely luxurious military force; even the Yamada family didn’t have a dedicated cavalry unit.
However, the Iyu family of Izumo Province selected 300 of the finest horses and repeatedly screened for elite warriors capable of taking on ten men each, forming the 300-strong Iyu Blue Unit, which was a crucial force for maintaining the Iyu family’s rule.
This time, over a hundred were deployed, clearly showing how seriously they regarded the Oni Clan!
The horses charged swiftly, covering nearly 100 meters in an instant, approaching within 500 meters of the main camp.
“Hold your ground!”
Onikage Yoshitsune shouted, waiting until the cavalry was within 300 meters, close enough to see the armor patterns on the horsemen and their fierce expressions, before suddenly slashing his hand down: “Fire!”
Bang! Bang!
A burst of white smoke erupted, accompanied by a loud explosion. A row of firearms flashed sparks, and the first dozen riders immediately fell lifeless.
“Ahh… Is this the power of lightning?”
“Demons!”
This power beyond comprehension immediately caused hesitation among the enemy forces. Onikage Yoshitsune seized the opportunity without hesitation, drawing the Mikazuki Munechika and shouting loudly: “First unit, retreat! Second unit, fire!”
The firearms unit, which had been half-kneeling, immediately stood up and withdrew while tearing open the paper cartridges and loading them.
Meanwhile, the second unit, already prepared, unhesitatingly pulled the triggers.
Bang! Bang!
Another burst of white smoke rose, and a dozen charging cavalry fell.
“Third unit, advance! First unit, prepare! Don’t stop!”
This three-stage firing technique was also mentioned in the Fire Scroll, specifically designed to address the cumbersome reloading process of firearms. Onikage Yoshitsune made full use of this strategy, dividing his troops into three groups for consecutive volleys, creating a smooth and artistic rhythm.
After several rounds, the enemy’s Blue Unit cavalry had already been mostly felled, and even the horses were frightened, running about and disrupting their own ranks.
“Fire upon the enemy ashigaru!”
Onikage Yoshitsune arrived at the heavy cannon unit: “Attack!”
Boom! Boom!
Five cannons roared like angry celestial deities, creating terrifying explosions and sparks within the enemy ranks.
Frankly speaking, the current firearms and cannons weren’t particularly powerful in terms of lethality. Several volleys, combined with the heavy cannons, had only killed about a hundred enemies. However, the fear they instilled was immeasurable.
This new weapon’s debut created an unprecedented impact.
“It’s the power of a demon god…”
“They are evil beings who command thunder and fire…”
The ashigaru summoned by the Iyu family were still ordinary farmers. They could handle favorable battles, but when faced with scenes of blood and flesh flying everywhere, their lack of training was immediately exposed, causing a massive rout.
Even though the commanding samurai raged and punished with executions, it was completely ineffective.
As for the remaining warriors who wanted to charge forward relying on their individual bravery, they were mercilessly riddled with concentrated gunfire.
“After all, these are revolutionary firearms. How could even a first-level samurai resist them? Even second-level swordsmen, yin-yang masters, or mid-level ninja might get injured carelessly…”
Wu Ming stood up from his stool, waving his military fan: “The opportunity for victory has appeared. What are you waiting for? Full army, charge!”
“Haa!”
At this moment, the soldiers, who seemed somewhat stunned, finally reacted, beating the war drums and ordering the entire force to charge.
“Hahaha… Everyone, what do you think of our clan’s military might?”
The enemy was already in chaos. The addition of these 2,000 ashigaru immediately turned the tide, making the pursuit of the enemy as easy as herding ducks, greatly boosting morale.
Seeing this, the clan lords, who had been watching in shock, finally came to their senses and knelt down: “Our clan’s military fortune is prosperous!”
…
“Worthless!”
On a small hill, a shrine priest, a swordsman, and a ninja dressed entirely in black watched this scene, their limbs turning cold.
“What now? Should we still attack?”
The ninja asked.
“No need! We must return immediately and persuade our lord to act. The Oni Clan is truly a great threat to our clan. We must gather all our forces and destroy them in one fell swoop!”
The shrine priest gritted his teeth and replied.
“Watch out!”
The swordsman-like ronin waved his hand, a sword beam appearing like a ribbon, slicing through nearby branches.
“Indeed a Yagyū sword hero, able to detect my hidden technique!”
A flash of light, and the figure of Wakasa Kotarō appeared, surrounded by numerous samurai.
“Everyone! Please become the nourishment for our Oni Unit!”
Leading the charge, Matsushita Kenichi had a clear illusion of Utagomotsu behind him, licking his lips: “A sword hero, an upper ninja. We specially requested our lord not to come, wanting to use you to perfect our strength!”
“So many powerful warriors? This is the Oni Unit?”
The shrine maiden and ninja were shocked, looking at the nearly hundred samurai surrounding them, their faces showing a hint of despair.
“A hundred sword students and masters… Even the largest dojo of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū has never seen such a gathering…”
The swordsman, who bore the surname Yagyū, murmured thus.
“Everyone, be careful! These opponents possess the power of demons!”
A shrine priest’s eyes flashed, suddenly shouting loudly.
At the same time, he felt intense regret in his heart.
Originally, he thought that with the shrine priests he brought, they would be sufficient to suppress the entire Oni Unit. However, now, just the demonic aura emanating from the enemy made him feel danger.
“Our plan has been discovered by the enemy. We’ve already fallen into a trap…”
The shrine priest’s face turned calm: “Everyone… Please buy me some time. I must summon the deity Takemikazuchi!”
Powerful onmyōji and shrine priests could form contracts with powerful spirits or even certain deities to gain their assistance.
However, Takemikazuchi was a deity worshipped at the Izumo Grand Shrine, one of the most powerful among the Eight Million Gods, and practically impossible to form a contract with an ordinary human.
The only hope was to offer a sacrifice to have the deity send down a manifestation.
This shrine priest had already resolved himself to die!
“Kill!”
In the next moment, the Oni Unit and Wakasa Kotarō’s ninja forces charged forward, clashing with the opposing shrine priests and ninja in fierce combat.
Wakasa Kotarō’s eyes flickered, immediately targeting the jōnin-level upper ninja, and in an instant, he disappeared from sight.
Meanwhile, Matsushita Kenichi and Ken’ichi, along with Sugawara and others from the Oni Seven Warriors, surrounded the Yagyū swordsman together.
“Kill!”
Matsushita Ken’ichi roared, his arm muscles bulging as he swung his katana down fiercely, carrying the majesty and power of thunder.
“Ha!”
The opposing Yagyū swordsman’s face turned solemn; he suddenly clapped his hands together, trapping the blade between them!
“Mu-To-Ku (No-Blade Capture)!”
The Yagyū swordsman charged into Matsushita Ken’ichi’s chest, snatching the katana and delivering a fierce slash: “Secret Sword—Quick Draw!”
Slicing through!
Blood splattered as a deep, diagonal wound suddenly appeared across Matsushita Ken’ichi’s chest, extending down to his abdomen, blood gushing forth.
“You bastard! Daring to take my sword? I’ll definitely tear you apart…”
Matsushita Ken’ichi roared to the sky, large patches of black aura appearing on his chest. His flesh writhed, and the wound that would have seriously injured an ordinary person healed rapidly.
“Originally, your physical strength and martial skills had reached their peak. If you had merely purified your sword spirit, you would surely have ascended to the level of a sword hero…”
Seeing this, the Yagyū swordsman sighed: “Unfortunately, you have gone astray, using the power of demons… You will never glimpse the ultimate path of swordsmanship!”
“Annoying!”
A large shadow pounced, carrying a fierce intent, as ghostly claws directly slammed down.
Boom!
Amidst the flying debris and smoke, Matsushita Ken’ichi emerged half-naked from the upper body. However, his appearance had undergone a tremendous transformation.
The previous illusion of Utagomotsu revealed a sinister grin, completely diving into Matsushita Ken’ichi’s body. After his muscles writhed, Matsushita Ken’ichi’s original form grew taller, almost becoming a small giant, with dark blue skin covered in worm-like blue veins, his hair tinged with blood red, and two small demon horns sprouting directly from his forehead.
He had become like a miniature Utagomotsu!
“Kill!”
The Oni Seven Warriors roared, showing varying degrees of demonic manifestation, and charged forward ferociously.
At this sight, a trace of shock also appeared on Yagyū Jianhao’s face. His samurai sword moved like a nimble swallow, tracing intricate patterns in an unbroken flow, its blade flashing continuously: “Swallow Flight!”
Pfft!
His astonishing explosive power allowed him to slash through six katana blades—and even bloodied palms—in an instant. Yet, in the next moment, the Oniichi Seven Warriors all let out sinister laughs and lunged forward without regard for their own lives.
“Heavenly Dog Slash!”
Yagyū, the master swordsman, took a deep breath. His blade flashed, severing two heads in an instant, only to be immediately engulfed by the remaining demons…
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