Chapter 8 · The Traitor
Dead flesh lures crows; the body, broken and bleeding, can no longer move.
A psychological torment has already begun.
Blood clogged his throat, choking any cry for help; in the crow's narrowing vision he seemed to stare death straight in the eye.
In that terror it began, gnawing away my still-beating life, piece by piece.
Talons sank through flesh, beaks pierced eyeballs; every rip came with a deafening, wet sound of blood.
Through the haze, his mother's cries from the temple hall crossed every barrier and reached his ear: "Inosuke… Inosuke…"
Sorry, Mother… I can't answer any more… In the blur, those phantom dead re-appeared; with his last strength he crushed the final noise-seed in his pocket.
A shrill, piercing ring burst out, scattering them. Nogami Inosuke exhaled a long breath, blank eyes fixed on the sky.
You must… you must come back… Father… Lord Blackday… At last, amid the crows' greedy struggle, the heaving chest fell still.
Yet the slaughter beside him continued.
"Country bumpkin ninja, after all! Is this the best the so-called Way of the Crane can offer?"
The purple-cloaked Lone Shadow sneered and kicked his limp opponent high into the air.
Several Ninja Dogs appeared from nowhere, lunging for the man's limbs and throat.
Fangs tore; the tengu-masked, straw-caped ninja screamed as he was ripped apart, a crimson rain falling in pieces.
Clearly, in this round of Interior Ministry Lone Shadows versus Ashina Way of the Crane, the Lone Shadows had won hands-down.
No surprise: the deep-pocketed Interior Ministry and the back-country Ashina were worlds apart in resources.
Even without that, the two fighters themselves were on entirely different levels.
The Way of the Crane operative, sent in secret by Ashina Country to guard the cadet Hirata Clan, was no weakling—but his foe was an elite Lone Shadow.
Gafuku Masanari, one of the seventeen adopted sons of Lone Shadow chief Oribe Masatsuna.
Inside the Lone Shadows, common members own no names; they are mere killing tools.
Only after fully mastering a single secret ninjutsu do they rise above the rest, are taken as sons by Oribe Masatsuna, and given a name that matches their signature art.
"Gafuku" corresponds to his art of summoning bloodthirsty ninja hounds.
Watching the still-resisting Hirata retainers, Gafuku whistled; the dogs' eyes flashed with hunger.
"Rip off their limbs! I want to see them squirm like maggots on the ground!"
…First line of defense.
Roland drove back Misyama-in Enshin with a sweep of his blade, then flipped his wrist to gut a Bandit.
"Lord Blackday!"
A shout at his side snapped him alert; turning, he saw Nogami Gensai charging out with three more samurai.
"Why are you here too?"
Nogami Gensai's face was grim, voice tight with panic: "Lord Blackday, the second line inside the manor has been breached by Interior Ministry Lone Shadows. They should be in the main hall by now. I need you back there to protect the master and Lord Kuro."
He spoke fast, sword faster—together with another samurai he cut down a Monk Soldier in a dozen strokes.
Roland's eyes narrowed. The guards at the main hall far outnumbered those here; Lone Shadows alone could never have broken through so easily.
Yet Nogami Gensai's look said imminent disaster, proof that the divine heir Kuro and the Hirata lord hidden in the secret temple were in mortal danger.
The answer was obvious.
"Have… they made their move?"
Nogami Gensai gave a bitter nod. "They have. Though they haven't shown themselves, that blend of spirit-summoning and illusion—only she could do it… Lady Butterfly."
Roland had never named the two traitors aloud; only oblique warnings had let Hirata retainers prepare.
Their identities were simply too explosive.
Without hard proof he could never convince the clan.
They were veteran retainers who had served the Hirata for decades and still held high status.
Old heroes of the Blood Feud to Reclaim the Country, co-founders of the Ashina alongside the Sword Saint Isshin Ashina—figures of immense prestige.
Lady Butterfly, the Phantom Butterfly, and… the peerless ninja Owl, Sukaze Ukonzaemon!
Both hailed from the northern Usubayashi Forest of Ashina; their strength was such that Roland reckoned he would need two or three more world-cycles to stand against them.
Luckily, according to the original tale, they wished to fake a glorious death defending the Hirata and would not expose themselves lightly.
"Abandon this post! Burn the bridge and fall back to the main hall—that's exactly what they want!
The hall offers no terrain advantage; herding us there lets the Bandits use their numbers to wipe us out in one sweep."
Roland weighed the field and reached his decision.
"But before we go, we bleed them a little more."
His gaze locked on Misyama-in Enshin. He sheathed his sword and dropped low.
Ashina Cross-Slash!
He burst forward like a whirlwind; under the crossing arcs three Bandits screamed and toppled in blood.
Rising, he shifted to high stance, raised his tachi, gathered strength, and slashed.
Ashina One-Stringer!
Clang!!
Blade met spear in a skying clash that showered sparks.
Both roared.
Roland stepped in, closing distance once more, blade high for another crushing Ashina One-Stringer.
Enshin spun his spear, channeling force from heel through legs, waist, torso, arms, into a sweeping strike.
Neither defended; each hurled every ounce of strength to kill the other here and now.
"Die!!!"
A massive blow caught Roland in the hip, hurling him sideways toward the Ryusen River.
A section of his samurai armor cracked, dark-red shards spiraling with him like blood-blossoms on the wind.
"Lord Blackday!!"