V1 Chapter 10: Takekawa Kuma

The foundation of Gyakushinn Miko's swordplay was the Falling Cherry Blossoms Style. All her other skills evolved from this fundamental technique.

Therefore, Yae Sakura needed to master this basic swordsmanship until it felt as natural as moving her own limbs.

Since she was merely practicing swordsmanship, Yae Sakura refrained from using the Spiritual Blade or the Void. Instead, she wielded an ordinary Muramasa—a Seishuu Muramasa!

After finishing her sword practice, Yae Sakura sheathed her tachi.

She took a deep breath. If not for her exceptional physical constitution, she wouldn't have been able to endure such a prolonged training session.

The sun was now high in the sky, blazing intensely.

-

"Yae-sama, it's time to eat!"

Natsuki emerged from the shadows, clad in a kimono, just as Yae Sakura finished her practice. Though her clothes and hair were slightly disheveled, her beauty remained undeniable.

"Mm," Yae Sakura acknowledged, sheathing her tachi and approaching.

Their meal consisted of dry rations of unknown origin, which Kikyō carried with her at all times. The taste left much to be desired.

"Let's rest a little longer before setting out," Yae Sakura suggested casually, taking a small bite. She considered pulling out the instant noodles and mooncakes the Valkyries had given her, stored in the warehouse.

But those were collector's items... She'd never dared to use them. If she ate them now, wouldn't it defeat the purpose of collecting them in the first place?

"Understood," Natsuki nodded obediently.

After breakfast—if you could even call it that—Yae Sakura bid farewell to Natsuki and Kikyō. With their quest completed, Kikyō was returning to her own village.

-

Meanwhile, as Yae Sakura prepared to escort Natsuki home, in the castle ruled by Lord Yuhara...

"You worthless fools! A whole day has passed, and you still haven't found Princess Natsuki! If anything happens to her, you'll all commit seppuku!"

A heavily armored samurai, a tachi at his waist, glared down at the dozen samurai below, his face cyan with fury.

Takekawa Kuma, Lord Yuhara's foremost retainer, possessed the strength to battle yokai. He could hold his own against all but the greatest of these supernatural creatures.

Natsuki had been ambushed by yokai on her way home from Kyoto, and with no leads yet discovered, Takekawa Kuma, who harbored deep affection for the princess, seethed with rage.

"We don't know either, Lord Takekawa Kuma," the samurai replied, their voices laced with despair. "We've been searching tirelessly for Princess Natsuki, but who could have foreseen a yokai attack?"

A dozen samurai, tasked with finding the princess, couldn't help but groan in dismay. They could handle bandits well enough, but facing yokai was a different matter entirely. Heaven only knew how terrifying those creatures could be.

The horror and power of yokai were beyond the comprehension of most samurai, save for onmyouji, mages, Shinto priests, and miko. Only samurai who had mastered Sword Force stood a chance against them.

"Damn those yokai," Takekawa Kuma thought grimly. "I pray Princess Natsuki is safe." If anything truly happened to her, he would make these samurai pay with their lives.

Ordinary samurai were expendable; slaughtering them would have no consequence for Takekawa Kuma. Lord Yuhara wouldn't object either, nor would he jeopardize his relationship with Takekawa Kuma, a warrior capable of battling yokai, over the loss of a few warriors.

Takekawa Kuma's face was dark and thunderous, his expression practically spitting venom.

He even felt a surge of resentment toward Yuhara Tanachika, the lord of the castle.

To secure the support of that powerful dignitary from Kyoto, Yuhara had sent Natsuki to meet him simply because the man had expressed interest in her.

While such practices were commonplace in that era, they shook Takekawa Kuma's loyalty to Yuhara, for he had long harbored secret feelings for Natsuki.

-

"Yokai!" Natsuki screamed as a ferocious yokai lunged at them.

Along the road to Natsuki's city, the lingering spirits of fallen soldiers from human wars had become a prime source of sustenance for these creatures.

"Get lost!"

Without drawing her sword, Yae Sakura casually flicked her wrist, and a blade of Sword Force sliced off the yokai's head.

"How many is that now? There seem to be more yokai than usual today."

Yae Sakura tried to reassure Natsuki, who was cowering behind her, but she couldn't shake her unease as she gazed at the yokai's corpse.

Compared to yesterday, the number of yokai had undeniably increased. Yet they kept appearing one by one, making it impossible for Yae Sakura to keep track of how many she had slain.

Not a single Crystal had dropped.

That was why Yae Sakura couldn't feel satisfied.

Why can't they just attack in groups? she wondered.

As they continued onward, the yokai grew increasingly numerous. Moreover, these creatures showed signs of fleeing, as if they were escaping some terrifying monster battle.

Something significant must have happened ahead.

"Natsuki, how much further?"

"Not much longer. We should reach the city in about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn," Natsuki replied, clutching Yae Sakura's sleeve after a moment's thought. "Let's keep moving then..."

Within the confines of Yuhara Castle, all the samurai stood on high alert, while a large number of mages and Shinto priests maintained protective wards.

This heightened vigilance was due to a clash between two great yokai in the vicinity.

In this world, great yokai stood at the pinnacle of power. Each possessed the ability to raze entire cities, making them insurmountable natural disasters for humanity.

"Those damned yokai! Why do they have to fight so close to human settlements?"

"Now we're all trapped indoors, terrified of being caught in the crossfire."

The samurai guarding Yuhara Castle, vassals of the Yuhara clan, grumbled among themselves, their hearts filled with resentment and dread.

The battle between the great yokai had driven countless smaller yokai to flee in terror, dreading being caught in the crossfire. This surge of fleeing yokai further burdened the mages and Shinto priests, who were already stretched thin.