As the sun set, night fell.
Deep in the Head Mountain, within the bandit stronghold.
Shutenmaru sat on a rattan chair, his body pierced by several arrows and throwing stars, with multiple burns and sword wounds.
Having walked into an enemy ambush and forced his way through the encirclement to lead his men in a desperate breakout, it was impossible to emerge unscathed.
"Drip… drip…"
Blood continuously dripped onto the ground.
"Thud!"
An arrow was violently yanked out, bringing with it a spurt of scalding blood.
Shutenmaru took a deep, ragged breath and looked at the few remaining brothers in the hall, his eyes quickly reddening with fury.
Even after fighting through blood and fire, he had only managed to save a third of his men. The rest had all fallen to the hands of the samurai.
This was the first time he had suffered such a heavy loss!
"Devil Muscle Man!"
Shutenmaru growled through clenched teeth.
According to intelligence, it was the Pirate known as "Devil Muscle Man" who had orchestrated all of this. This debt could not go unpaid.
He would have his revenge!
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain.
The anti-bandit forces lay hidden in the bushes.
Yamato sniffed the air, then pointed toward the mountain path. Judging by the scent, a large number of people had passed through here not long ago.
"The smell of blood leads up the mountain!"
"Well done, Yamato."
Gurd praised her without hesitation.
Now that they had located the bandit stronghold, the next step was to wipe them out. However, to prevent the bandits from escaping via hidden paths, some preparations were still needed.
"Everyone, rest here!"
"Rest?"
The samurai froze in confusion.
They had already reached the doorstep of the bandit stronghold. Why rest now instead of launching a surprise attack before being discovered?
Though puzzled, the samurai obediently sat down to rest—especially those who had been injured in the previous battle, who were more than happy for a breather.
Da Black approached Gurd.
"Lord Gurd, what is the meaning of this?"
"Patience, Da Black."
Gurd looked at him with a meaningful gaze.
"Shutenmaru is like a startled bird now, at his most vigilant. If we attack immediately, he will surely use the complex terrain to escape."
"Wait until the dead of night, when the exhausted bandits let their guard down to rest—that will be our moment to strike."
"Don't worry, you'll have your chance to shine."
Da Black fell silent.
He had to admit, Gurd's reasoning was sound. But after their brief time together, he sensed that things weren't so simple.
This man was far too shrewd!
In the earlier battle, Gurd had likely arrived late on purpose. Had he and Kaido's daughter joined the fight sooner, there was a high chance they could have trapped Shutenmaru.
Gurd couldn't have been unaware of this.
That meant one thing—Gurd had deliberately stood by, likely to weaken both their forces and Shutenmaru's.
This current rest period probably had ulterior motives as well.
Time passed minute by minute, and the forest grew quieter.
Hours of waiting left many samurai restless and impatient, while some of the more carefree ones dozed off.
"Zzz… zzz…"
Even Yamato had fallen asleep.
Gurd, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, finally opened them.
"What time is it now?"
"The first quarter of the Hour of the Ox!"
Da Black answered solemnly.
1:15 AM.
The time had come.
Gurd gauged the wind direction, then motioned for everyone to gather.
"Come here!"
"Da Black, you'll follow me in attacking from the front gate."
"Thunder Blade, take your men to the east."
"Wind Blade, Chiyo, lead a hundred samurai to the west."
Soon, the tactical arrangements were complete.
Gurd swept his gaze over the assembled group.
"Everyone clear on the plan?"
"Crystal!"
The group took a deep breath, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at Gurd. If possible, they truly didn't want to be his enemy!
"Move out!"
"Yes!"
The forces split into three groups, swiftly disappearing into the jungle.
Gurd led Yamato and Da Black, along with over two hundred samurai, up the mountain path. They soon reached the outskirts of the bandit stronghold.
The lights were sparse, the silence profound.
Not even a single guard stood at the gates.
Clearly, several hours of undisturbed peace had lulled the bandits into complacency.
"Still a quarter-hour left."
Gurd checked the time, then casually turned to Da Black. "Da Black, make sure you're careful during the fight. I'd hate to have a ninja's throwing star accidentally lodged in my back."
"..."
Da Black tensed up.
Gurd patted him on the back.
"Don't be so nervous. After this fight, I'll treat you to the hot springs. Actually, why don't you just stick with me from now on?"
"Apologies, Lord Gurd. A ninja's loyalty belongs solely to the Shogun."
A shadow passed over Da Black's eyes.
This man had seen through his intentions!
"Pity. I had high hopes for you."
Gurd shook his head regretfully, then abruptly changed the subject.
"Hey, what if I became the Shogun instead?"
"My lord, please watch your words!"
Da Black responded in a hushed, alarmed tone.
Gurd pointed at himself, slightly displeased.
"What, you don't think I could be Shogun?"
"..."
Da Black swallowed hard.
Please stop talking! I beg you!
The Shogun can't compare to you—he doesn't have your audacity!
But don't drag me into this!
"Just joking. A rough guy like me could never be Shogun."
Gurd chuckled and shook his head, then pointed to Yamato, who was glancing around furtively like a thief. He spoke calmly, as if stating a simple fact.
"The one who should be Shogun is her."
"..."
Da Black's heart skipped a beat.
Kaido's daughter as Shogun?
He didn't think Gurd was just making wild jokes. The man's expression clearly conveyed a dangerous message.
Moreover, Kaido's daughter did have the qualifications to become Shogun. She had a powerful father—no one in this country dared oppose him!
Clearly, Gurd was testing his allegiance.
As Orochi Shogun's trusted aide, he knew the Shogun wanted Gurd dead. Now it seemed Gurd also intended to remove the Shogun.
And Gurd had Kaido's backing!
"Wait... could this be the Wisdom King's will?!"
A terrifying thought struck Da Black.
The Beasts were on an expedition, yet Kaido had left his daughter behind in Wano Country. Moreover, Yamato had repeatedly tested Orochi Shogun's limits.
This wasn't Kaido's usual style!
If Kaido intended for his daughter to replace Orochi Shogun, everything that had happened recently made perfect sense.
Yes, it had to be this!
Otherwise, how could these two alone dare covet the Shogun's position?
This had to be Kaido's doing!
Kaido was using the expedition—his absence from Wano—to let his daughter replace Orochi without tarnishing his own reputation as an oath-breaker.
The more Da Black thought about it, the more sense it made... and the paler his face became.
Would he be silenced?!
"Da Black, prepare for battle!"
Gurd stood up and looked eastward.
At the mountain's base, flames had already ignited. Fueled by the wind, they raced upward, soon to engulf the stronghold.
They were burning the mountain!
The time—exactly the third quarter of the Hour of the Ox!
Gurd's gaze was icy as he raised his right hand.
"Archers!"
The warriors behind him immediately drew their bows and lit the arrowheads.
"Loose arrows!"
A rain of arrows descended upon the mountain stronghold.
The next moment, flames soared into the sky!
(End of Chapter)