Theninjacouldn’t predict movements that chaotic.
Within seconds, Yoshi had driven him back, his blade finding flesh more by luck than skill.
“I’m doing it!” Yoshi shouted, more surprised than triumphant. “I’m actually—”
His celebration cost him.
Anotherninjamaterialized behind him, blade raised for a killing blow.
There was no time to reach him.
No time to shout warning.
I threw my sword.
The blade spun end over end and took theninjain the chest. He collapsed backward, my sword embedded to the hilt.
Yoshi whirled, saw the body, and understood how close he’d come to death. His eyes found mine across the chaos, wide and grateful and terrified.
“Focus!” I snapped, drawing thetantofrom my belt. The short blade wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.
The fight ground on—minutes felt like hours, heartbeats stretched into eternities.
My muscles screamed, my lungs burned, and still theninjakept coming.
Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over.
The last attacker fell to Giichi’s staff, his head making a sickening crunch as it connected. The old monk stood panting over the body, his robes splattered with blood.
“Status,” Esumi called out, his voice steady despite the cut bleeding down his left arm.
“Two dead,” one of the remaining Samurai reported, kneeling beside his fallen brothers. “Three wounded, one seriously.”
I did a quick count. The four survivors all bore injuries, though most looked superficial. Giichi himself had a gash across his ribs that he was trying to hide behind his robes.
“Let me see that,” I ordered, moving to his side.
“I am fine, Prince Haru-sama—”
“Don’t argue with me. Not today.” My voice came out harsher than intended, but I was done with people dying around me.
I examined the wound. It was deep, but not fatal if we could get it cleaned and bound. “Esumi, medical supplies. Now!”
“Already on it.”
Kaneko checked the fallen attackers, pulling back their masks to reveal faces I didn’t recognize. They were all young, too well trained to be common bandits.
“Ninja, just as I thought,” he said quietly.
“How do you know that?” Yoshi asked.
Kaneko didn’t answer, just moved to the next body.
I finished binding Giichi’s ribs and turned to assess our situation. We’d won, if you could call it winning. Two men lay dead, everyone else was injured to varying degrees, and our horses were scattered or slaughtered.
“We need to move,” I said. “More could be coming.”
“Heiwa is less than onerinorth,” Giichi said through gritted teeth. “We can make it on foot if we move quickly.”
