Minami Kyoto was burning.
Not entirely.
Not yet.
But smoke already rose above the rooftops near the broken main gate, drifting through the streets in dark columns. The great entrance that had protected the city for generations was gone. Ice still covered parts of the ruined stone, shimmering pale blue amid shattered wood, broken iron, and the bodies of soldiers killed when Yukihime's lance had struck.
Through that breach, Urakami's army had entered.
Red armor filled the streets.
Samurai moved in organized groups beneath the banners of the Urakami Clan, forcing their way through the outer district with shields raised and weapons drawn. Some broke into abandoned shops looking for supplies. Others dragged barricades aside. A few officers shouted orders for their soldiers to push deeper toward the market district and the roads leading to Norihiro's castle.
They expected fear.
They expected the people of Minami Kyoto to stay hidden inside their homes and wait to be conquered.
