Check out my new translation!
***
After speaking, Shao Yun holstered his cowboy revolver at his waist, then reached beneath the saddle to retrieve a pump-action shotgun, riding Boadicea into the Kujou Encampment.
At that moment, because Shao Yun had hardly fired any explosive arrows, the chaos inside the Kujou Encampment was quickly brought under control by Kujou Masahito.
As Shao Yun rode in with the pump-action shotgun slung across his shoulder, Kujou Masahito stood with the Shogunate forces, forming a semicircle that blocked Shao Yun's path forward.
Kujou Masahito drew the katana from his waist, fixing his eyes tightly on Shao Yun astride Boadicea, and said, "I am Kujou Masahito! May I have the honor of knowing your esteemed name?"
Shao Yun looked at the calm and composed Kujou Masahito with deep admiration, nodded slightly, and mimicked his tone as he replied, "I am Shao Yun, the one who attempted to assassinate the Raiden Shogun a few days ago. Today, I've come to attack the Kujou Encampment."
The moment the soldiers heard that this was the man who had tried to assassinate the Raiden Shogun, a chorus of gasps echoed among the Shogunate troops, and many involuntarily stepped backward.
They knew well that anyone capable of attempting to assassinate the Raiden Shogun must possess terrifying strength—and daring to show up again now meant he was fully prepared to fight the Shogunate forces.
Though Kujou Masahito was shocked inside, his face remained composed.
His sharp eyes caught the subtle movements of those around him, and he immediately shouted, "Everyone, stay calm!"
The stern command momentarily stabilized the emotions of the surrounding Shogunate troops.
Kujou Masahito tightened his grip on the katana, his leg muscles taut and ready to spring. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto Shao Yun, trying to detect a flaw in his stance.
He understood that the man before him might bring immense disaster to the Kujou Encampment, but as a samurai of the Shogunate, he could not retreat.
Shao Yun saw the focused and resolute look on Kujou Masahito's face and sighed with a trace of helplessness. He advised, "I can offer you a way out. Just lead the Shogunate troops out of the Kujou Encampment, then tell the Raiden Shogun: Orobashi has returned, and he seeks revenge. That's all."
When Shao Yun offers terms, you'd best accept them.
But Kujou Masahito could not, and would not, accept. Fleeing without a fight would mean death even if he returned.
"Apologies. As a member of the Shogunate, I cannot accept your proposal. As for the ancient demon god Orobashi of Watatsumi Island, the General already defeated and slew him long ago! Do not spread falsehoods!"
Shao Yun let out a soft sigh, a hint of regret in his tone, and said, "Very well. In that case, there's nothing more to discuss."
Before the last word fell, Shao Yun swiftly aimed the muzzle of the pump-action shotgun at Kujou Masahito and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
With a thunderous bang, Kujou Masahito's body jerked violently, staggering backward several steps.
The katana in his hand clattered to the ground.
His arms flailed helplessly in the air, trying to grasp something to steady himself.
But fate gave him no such chance. In the end, he collapsed powerlessly onto the cold, hard ground.
The impact between his body and the earth produced a dull thud that echoed through the still air, evoking a fear that was hard to describe.
As Kujou Masahito fell, the Shogunate soldiers beside him dropped their weapons and fled in terror from the man on horseback.
Shao Yun sat upright on Boadicea, his posture straight as a pine, eyes cold and expressionless. In his hands, the pump-action shotgun looked like a judge's gavel that decided life and death.
Within the Kujou Encampment, he began a bloody massacre.
He was like the Red Horseman of the Apocalypse, descending upon the mortal world with an insatiable thirst for slaughter.
Each pull of the trigger was met with shrieks of agony and sprays of blood.
The flesh and bone of the Shogunate troops proved fragile before him, like paper dolls.
Their lives were stripped away in an instant, torn into chunks of flesh and splashes of crimson, strewn across every corner of the Kujou Encampment.
Blood dyed the ground a ghastly red, forming gruesome rivers across the camp.
Under the relentless blasts of the shotgun, shredded limbs and bodies flew through the air, and now and then, a horrifying blood rain would fall.
The entire Kujou Encampment became a living hell, the air thick with the stench of blood, the presence of death, and the acrid tang of sulfur—nauseating to the core.
With Kujou Sara and Kujou Masahito gone, the Shogunate army was leaderless, their morale in shambles.
Faced with Shao Yun's ferocity, they could no longer resist. All they could do was flee.
Many cast aside their weapons and armor, fleeing desperately toward the coastline of Narukami Island.
With so many people fleeing at once, a brutal stampede broke out in the chaos. Not all who died did so by Shao Yun's hand—many were trampled to death by their own comrades.
Shao Yun, like a herdsman, drove the Shogunate troops out of the Kujou Encampment at his own pace.
The quicker ones made it to the small boats first, completely ignoring their comrades behind them as they sailed toward Narukami Island.
Operating the larger vessels required coordination, but the disorganized Shogunate forces were incapable of such cooperation.
Some even fought viciously over the remaining small boats, leaving even more corpses strewn along the beach.
Most, seeing no chance of escape by boat, leapt into the sea, trying to swim back to Narukami Island.
But the vast stretch of water was a deadly trial for most of them, and few were likely to survive.
Shao Yun stood tall on Boadicea above the Kujou Encampment, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who turned on each other in their desperation to flee.
He shook his head slightly, seemingly disappointed by the chaotic scene before him.
Then he turned to look at the mountains of Shogunate corpses within the Kujou Encampment and the streams of blood flowing like crimson creeks, smacking his lips at the sight.
Meanwhile, Kujou Sara was crawling across the ground, struggling. A bullet wound to her abdomen had robbed her of the strength to stand.
Every movement brought searing pain, yet she pressed on, trying to find a safe place.
Shao Yun was about to ride over to check her condition when he saw her crawling into the inner compound of the Kujou Encampment, one hand clutching her bleeding wound, the other holding a dagger she had somehow found.
Seeing this, Shao Yun quickly dismounted and strode toward her.
Without hesitation, he kicked the dagger from her hand and then stomped hard on it.
Kujou Sara gritted her teeth, enduring the pain. She looked up at Shao Yun, her eyes burning with hatred as she growled:
"Come on! Kill me! I will never bow to you!"
Shao Yun lifted his foot away, the shotgun still aimed steadily at her head. His expression remained cold, indifferent to life.
"I never intended to take you prisoner," Shao Yun said, his voice icy and merciless.
Kujou Sara stared at the dark barrel pointed at her, despair and defiance flickering in her eyes.
She slowly closed them, as if surrendering herself to fate.
Yet even in the face of death, she voiced one last threat.
"I don't know why the Shogunate troops here lost their will to fight… but I'm certain the General will kill you!"
Shao Yun smirked, a mocking grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
He wanted to end her life with a shot—but he needed someone to spread the tale of what happened today across Inazuma City. And a general of the Shogunate? The perfect loudspeaker…
Shao Yun slowly lowered the shotgun, then pulled a bottle of healing potion from his pack and tossed it beside Kujou Sara like tossing out trash.
"Drink it, then return to Narukami Island," Shao Yun said coldly. "You're lucky—I need a messenger."
Kujou Sara's eyes flew open, falling upon the small green bottle.
She looked at Shao Yun in confusion, unable to fathom his reasoning.
"Letting the tiger return to the mountain is a grave mistake in warfare. What are you planning?" Kujou Sara furrowed her brow, wary. She didn't believe for a second Shao Yun was being kind.
Shao Yun stared down at her and replied coldly, "Do you really want to die?"
Kujou Sara hardened her resolve. If she was going to die anyway, what difference did it make if he poisoned her?
She grabbed the bottle, pulled the stopper, and gulped down the potion in one go.
Shao Yun calmly held up three fingers and explained in a measured tone, "First of all, you're no tiger. You're a tengu, sure—but at best, you're a slightly oversized cat."
"Second, I need you to return to Narukami Island alive and carry my message. Tell them that Orobashi, the ancient being slain by the Raiden Shogun a thousand years ago, has returned—leading the army of Watatsumi Island to rise again! Tell the Raiden Shogun to come out and face her doom. And since you're a general of the Shogunate, your words carry weight. That's why I need you to deliver it personally."
Then, Shao Yun pulled out a cigar from his pocket, lit it leisurely, took a deep drag, and exhaled a plume of smoke.
Finally, he sneered and added, "Third… a trivial reason, really. Hmph. When we first met, unlike those arrogant fools from the Commission of Inquiry, you didn't look down on me. For those three reasons—I'm letting you go."
Kujou Sara wiped the potion from the corner of her mouth, glaring fiercely at Shao Yun. "You really think I'll tell all that to the General?"
Shao Yun glanced around at the corpses strewn across the encampment and answered casually, "You're welcome to regroup your army and fight me again."
"But remember—however many soldiers the Shogunate sends, I'll kill just as many, until you're forced to seek help from the Raiden Shogun herself."
Though the wound in Kujou Sara's abdomen was slowly healing thanks to the potion, the burning pain still engulfed her.
She gritted her teeth and leaned against a wooden crate, staring at Shao Yun with a cold smile.
"You've made a grave mistake. You're going to lose—badly," she said with great difficulty, attempting to stand.
But her body couldn't support her, and she fell back to the ground.
Shao Yun walked over, expressionless, grabbed the shoulder of her cloak, and dragged her toward the eastern shore of the Kujou Encampment.
Thus, Kujou Sara was half-lifted, half-dragged to the beach by Shao Yun.
Though the fleeing Shogunate troops had fought over boats, not all vessels had been taken.
Shao Yun quickly found a grounded skiff with several unopened crates still aboard.
He threw Kujou Sara onto the boat, her back slamming against the crates, causing her wound to reopen and bleed anew.
Then, he kicked the boat hard. With a dull thud, it was shoved into the water, sending up a splash.
Kujou Sara leaned against the crates, glaring at him with fierce hostility.
Shao Yun sneered and waved dismissively, shouting, "Be sure to tell everyone on Narukami Island—Orobashi has returned!"
Sitting in the boat, Kujou Sara cursed angrily, "You'll regret crossing the Shogunate!"
But Shao Yun showed no fear in the face of her threat.
He spread his arms, puffed out his chest, and roared, "My only enemy is the Raiden Shogun! You were just in my way!"