"Ooh—!"
On the training grounds, the soldiers of Watatsumi Island gathered around the archery range, letting out roars of excitement in time with the rhythm of the archers.
In the center stood the man who had recently arrived on the island, the 'suspected boyfriend of the Divine Priestess', Senji Muramasa.
He held his breath, drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and released!
SWISH—
Another arrow landed firmly in the bullseye.
"Tch, I lose!" A soldier beside him, seeing his own arrow in the outer ring, slammed his bow on the ground in frustration and sullenly retreated into the crowd.
That woman asked me to intimidate them, but I have no idea how to do that… Muramasa frowned inwardly. He really wasn't good at this kind of thing. He had been hoping that he wouldn't attract that much attention, but just this afternoon, after leaving the tent, he had been surrounded by a group of overly enthusiastic soldiers and, without a word, dragged here for a 'spar'.
"After all, you're the guy our 'Divine Priestess' chose, right? We have to see if you're worthy of her!" The reason given by a slightly older man was grand and righteous, but the face of the similar-looking young man beside him revealed the true reason. This atmosphere made Muramasa foresee an endless series of challenges, a classic 'beat the young, here comes the old' scenario.
Fortunately, they were straightforward enough to let him choose the event. After looking around, he finally picked a bow that he liked and decided to settle it this way.
"How many times has he hit the bullseye..." people in the crowd whispered.
"As many times as he's shot, that's how many."
"The wind direction has changed several times, hasn't it? Is he completely unaffected?"
From the father and son who had first spoken to him, to the first soldier who had challenged him out of indignation, it had unknowingly turned into an endless, mechanical archery session. On top of that, the rumor of him being 'Kokomi's boyfriend' had spread throughout the camp like wildfire, and more and more people had gathered at the range. Anyone with a bit of confidence in their archery had taken turns to challenge him, and without exception, they were all cleanly struck out.
"As expected of the man Lady Kokomi chose. He's on a different level." It was unclear which shrine maiden had said it, but it was like a boulder dropped into a lake, creating a huge ripple.
"Yeah, yeah! I wonder if Lady Kokomi would allow..."
"Don't even think about it. Even if you were willing, she wouldn't agree."
Why do you have to say such unnecessary things… Muramasa grumbled inwardly. This was not his forte, and these people as opponents didn't even stir his competitive spirit. But even if he had no such intention, the one-sided hostility from the people around him was unavoidable. That Lady Priestess really gave me a difficult problem.
As he was thinking, his muscles, out of memory, released the last arrow in his hand.
SWISH—
The last arrow left the string with an almost inaudible sound, accurately hitting the red dot of the bullseye, which was already full of arrows, and making a dull "thud."
After a brief silence, the shrine maidens and soldiers burst into even more enthusiastic cheers and discussions. Muramasa took the opportunity to observe his surroundings. Most of the hostile gazes still remaining belonged to the elites of the army. And, unlike what Kokomi had imagined, her suitors were not just her peers, but even some married, middle-aged men—a natural product of a system that allowed polygamy.
All sorts of thoughts appeared on their faces, so blatant that he could understand the meaning behind them without even having to read them.
'Why him and not me?'
'Where did this guy even come from, to be able to charm Lady Kokomi!'
'I will tear off that mask of yours and let her see who is the strongest.'
"His archery is undeniable... but for a soldier of Watatsumi Island, just being good at archery is not enough!" A burly soldier with a shallow scar on his face pushed through the crowd, his voice loud and clearly provocative. "Her Excellency leads the entire island and strategizes everything. Her... um... important person, must have some real combat skills, right?" He deliberately omitted the word 'boyfriend', his meaning all too clear. His words also ignited the martial arts enthusiasts in the crowd who had been holding back for a long time.
"That's right! His archery is accurate, but on the battlefield, swords have no eyes. Close combat is the real skill!"
"Yeah! Let's have a go! Let us see what you've got!"
"Don't tell me he's just a pretty boy who can only play with a bowstring."
"Go on, Ooshima! Test his mettle!"
The burly soldier called 'Ooshima' grinned, cracking his wrists and ankles. His hawk-like eyes stared sharply at Muramasa. "Well, Mr. Senji Muramasa? Afraid to accept?"
"Hah…" Muramasa slowly put down his bow, thinking that a few fancy tricks wouldn't solve the problem. He then turned his gaze to the man.
"This old man…" He was about to say something, but he was immediately drowned out by an even more tumultuous roar.
"Accept! Accept! Accept!" The surrounding soldiers beat their chests and stomped their feet, shouting in unison. The atmosphere instantly changed from a lively archery range to a fiery martial arts arena. A few hot-blooded youths even jumped into the ring, gathering behind Ooshima and rubbing their fists together, all but saying, 'We're going to fight together'.
He looked into the distance. Gorou had been deliberately moved away, and Kokomi was standing on higher ground. After a brief stare, he raised his empty hand and clenched it, signaling the somewhat out-of-control crowd to quiet down a bit.
"This old man never had any intention of refusing." He silently handed the bow to a shrine maiden who was watching the fun. She subconsciously took it, a flush of excitement on her face. "It's just that," Muramasa scanned the crowd. The people who had been closing in immediately took a few steps back, naturally creating a larger open space. "There are too many of you."
His gaze deliberately swept over the few people behind 'Ooshima', then to those in the ring who were still hostile to him but did not dare to step forward. As he scanned, he caught sight of the man with the pendant from this morning. His gaze lingered for a moment before he finished counting the rest with his eyes.
Since I have to intimidate them, and I can't really hurt them, then there's only one option.
"One by one is too slow."
His voice was not loud, but it strangely suppressed the noise and was clearly heard by everyone.
"All of you, come at me together."
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