As evening approached, the sun was about to set.
Northwest of Boro Town, dozens of supply carts laden with provisions slowly made their way toward the anti-bandit camp at Mount Head.
The anti-bandit force numbered over five hundred—not quite an army, but their daily consumption of food and drink was staggering.
"Move faster!"
"We must arrive before nightfall!"
"If we delay the operation, we'll all be punished!"
The samurai escorting the convoy urged them on.
The anti-bandit operation had been too sudden. Less than a week had passed between the shogun's announcement and the mobilization, and the logistics team had only been assembled in the last two days.
This had left the supply chain lagging behind. If they didn't reach the camp before dark, the samurai would go hungry.
Fortunately, the distance wasn't too great.
"Push harder—"
"Whoosh!"
Just as the samurai raised his whip to strike a farmer, a sharp arrow pierced his chest, blood spurting out.
"Ahhhh!"
A scream tore through the sky.
Before the convoy could react, a swarm of bandits burst from the forests on either side, charging toward the supply carts with wild excitement.
"Gahaha, attack!"
"Leave none alive!"
"Take all the supplies!"
"Daring to oppose us? Witness the terror of the Mount Head Thieves Group!"
In an instant, the bandits swarmed the convoy, slashing without hesitation. They clashed with the escorting samurai and even cut down the unarmed farmers pushing the carts.
"It's the Mount Head Thieves Group—run for your lives!"
The farmers fled in terror.
Anyone living in Kuri knew the horrors of the Mount Head Thieves Group—a gang of ruthless savages who preyed even on defenseless peasants.
Countless villages had been plundered bare.
"Moooo—"
The bellow of a bull rang out like a war drum.
"Shutenmaru!"
The samurai still resisting the bandits paled in horror, their eyes darting toward the source of the sound. When they spotted the pink-haired warrior lounging on the back of a black bull, despair gripped their hearts.
The most terrifying monster in Kuri had appeared!
Against ordinary bandits, they might have stood a chance—holding out until reinforcements arrived, perhaps even turning the tide.
But with Shutenmaru here, death was the only outcome.
"Boss Shutenmaru!"
The bandits licked their blades, eyes alight with bloodlust.
Shutenmaru lay sprawled on the bull's back, tilting his head slightly to gaze at the panicked convoy. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he rarely targeted Orochi or the Beasts' supplies, focusing instead on merchants and poor villages with no powerful backing. Only during special occasions would he pull off major heists.
But now, the enemy had come knocking at his doorstep. If he didn't retaliate, who would fear him in the future? How could Mount Head remain peaceful?
This was his warning to the anti-bandit forces!
Under the eager gazes of his men, Shutenmaru slid off the black bull's back and drew his sword, pointing it at the convoy.
"Kill them all!"
"Ooooh!!!"
The bandits roared with bloodthirsty glee.
"Ahhh! Help!"
In less than five minutes, the samurai guarding the convoy were slaughtered. Even the fleeing farmers were hunted down and butchered.
The bandits eagerly rushed toward the supply carts to inspect their spoils. But when they yanked off the tarps, sharp blades instantly stabbed into their bodies.
"Ahhhh!!!"
"It's an ambush!"
"Help, Boss Shutenmaru!"
In just one encounter, nearly half of the bandit gang was wiped out. Immediately after, a large number of samurai leaped down from the grain carts and began hunting the remaining thieves.
The situation had reversed in an instant!
Shutenmaru himself was surrounded by four ninja.
Da Black stared at Shutenmaru, recalling Gurd's orders in his mind, a chill creeping into his heart.
Shutenmaru's reaction was exactly as that man had predicted.
Da Black steeled himself and growled a threat, "Shutenmaru, you have nowhere left to run. Surrender now!"
"With just you lot?!"
Shutenmaru's face darkened. The screams of his men ringing in his ears fueled his fury—there was no doubt he had fallen into the enemy's trap.
There was a strategist among them!
Right now, the most important thing was to lead his brothers to safety.
Shutenmaru's eyes blazed as he suddenly lunged at Da Black, his bulky frame erupting with astonishing speed.
"Don't underestimate a samurai!"
"What?!"
Da Black staggered back half a step in shock.
The next moment, Shutenmaru appeared behind him, his sword still mid-swing.
"Guh—!"
Blood gushed from Da Black's mouth as his eyes rolled back. A massive gash split his upper body, nearly cleaving him in two.
"Da Black!"
The other three ninja were horrified.
Da Black had been the strongest among them, second only to their captain, Fukurokuju. Yet he had been taken down in a single strike.
Just as the rumors said—this man was a monster among monsters!
"Attack!"
Without another thought, the three launched their assaults.
"Weasel Sickle!"
"Fire Release: Exploding Flame Bomb!"
"Cherry Blossom Shuriken!"
Wind Blade swung his twin blades, unleashing multiple Flying Slashes. Thunder Blade hurled a flaming bomb, while Chiyo Girl flung shuriken that scattered like cherry blossoms.
Three completely different attacks converged on Shutenmaru at the center.
"BOOM!!!"
A massive explosion erupted skyward!
Southern Atamayama, Bandit Suppression Camp.
Gurd gazed at the distant explosion, a smile spreading across his face.
He and Yamato had remained at the camp to lull Shutenmaru into complacency, while Da Black led the samurai hidden within the grain convoy, lying in wait.
A simple strategy.
After all, in warfare, ambushing the enemy's supply lines was common sense.
"Let's move!"
Within ten minutes, Gurd arrived at the battlefield with his samurai—only to find the fight already over, the ground littered with corpses.
Shutenmaru had escaped.
Da Black leaned against a grain cart, his body wrapped in bandages. When he saw Gurd approaching, he hung his head in shame.
They had successfully ambushed Shutenmaru's gang, yet not only had their target gotten away, but he himself had been grievously wounded. It was a disgrace to the Oniwabanshu's name.
Wind Blade and the other two stood beside Da Black, all injured and equally unable to meet Gurd's gaze.
Had Shutenmaru not been focused on retreating rather than fighting, they likely would have been annihilated. His strength far surpassed theirs.
"Forgive us, Lord Gurd."
"No matter."
Gurd waved a hand dismissively—he had expected this outcome.
After all, Shutenmaru was a warrior capable of clashing head-on with Jack. If a few ninja had taken him down, that would have been the real surprise.
For Gurd, mutual destruction was the best result. Both Shutenmaru and Orochi's samurai were his enemies.
Who would emerge as the victor? That depended on their own methods!
"Da Black, report the battle details to Orochi Shogun. Tell him we've dealt a heavy blow to Shutenmaru—and that we'll take his head tonight!"
Gurd gave an order, his gaze sweeping around until he spotted Yamato tending to the wounded. He lifted the girl up by her collar.
"Yamato, it's your time to shine!"
"What for?"
Yamato tilted her head in confusion.
The battle was already over—what could she possibly do now?
Gurd smirked. "Isn't your nose pretty sharp? I need you to track Shutenmaru and his fleeing gang by following the scent of blood."
"Track thieves?"
Yamato was baffled.
Her sense of smell was indeed extremely keen—she could clearly distinguish scents in the air—but something about this felt a little off.
Who tracked enemies with their nose?!
Wait a minute!
That bastard Gurd—was he treating her like some kind of dog?!
The girl glared at him furiously!
Gurd remained unfazed. "After we finish wiping out the bandits, I'll assign you ten times the usual workload—and the finest salmon sashimi."
"I'll do it!"
The girl wagged her tail!
(End of chapter.)