My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 94: Chapter 75: Young King, This Is Your Stage!

”What’s going on?!”

”We’re under attack! We’re under attack!”

”How many enemies are attacking?!”

”I-I don’t know! It’s too dark! Can’t see clearly!”

”There are also people in red feathered robes attacking from behind!”

”There are enemies on the east and west sides too!”

”We’re surrounded!”

...

Inside the camp, chaos reigned.

Hundreds of enemies launched a night raid on them — this was beyond everyone’s expectations and imagination.

Shouting ”Anti-foreigner” ... it was already very clear who these attackers were.

Inside the camp, the guards responsible for protecting Anthony and others ... including Oomura, who was responsible for overseeing them, were all in a panic.

They stood there, bewildered, blankly watching the ”Anti-foreigner warriors” charging in from all directions.

Hundreds of Samurais were charging at them from every direction... they had never seen such momentum before.

Since its establishment, the Edo Shogunate, although often experiencing peasant uprisings, generally maintained basic peace.

After nearly 300 years of tranquility... the country’s Samurais had long forgotten what ”war” and ”blood and fire” were.

Even though people like Oomura were considered outstanding among the Samurais in terms of status and skills, having never heard the sounds of battle, when they saw the ”red ocean” surrounding them from all sides, they couldn’t help but be stunned, dazed...

Oomura, who had been selected as ”Captain of the Guard,” still had some skills.

He was the first among the guards to come to his senses.

Oomura was naturally someone who sweated easily. At this moment, due to anxiety and panic, sweat gushed like a fountain from all over his body, soaking his underclothes.

”Mr. Angoulême! Mr. Angoulême!”

Oomura quickly drew his sword and ran towards Anthony’s tent, not far from him.

Despite being extremely flustered at the moment, Oomura did not forget his duty to ”protect Anthony and Elodie.”

Anthony had been resting in his tent, and upon hearing the sudden gunfire, he jolted up in terror, hurriedly putting on a few garments before rushing out of the tent.

As soon as he exited the tent, angry howls, footsteps, terrifying screams... various sounds converged into rushing waves, surging towards Anthony.

When Anthony rushed out of the tent, he happened to run into Oomura, who came looking for him.

”Mr. Angoulême!” Oomura shouted, ”You must ride and leave here quickly! We will cover you!”

Still not fully recovered from the sudden change before him, Anthony’s face was as pale as his beard and hair.

Upon hearing Oomura’s shout, Anthony’s ”soul” finally returned to its place.

Coming to his senses, the first words Anthony shouted were —

”Where’s Elodie?! Where’s Elodie?!” (in French)

Due to anxiety, Anthony instinctively shouted in his mother tongue.

...

...

After Mogami’s gunshot startled flocks of birds, one loud shout of ”Anti-foreigner” after another erupted, and the ”red ocean” that charged in from every direction outside the camp shattered the original silence completely.

The originally peaceful camp was suddenly filled with a murderous atmosphere due to one unexpected event after another.

At this time, Aoto and his group were positioned at the southernmost end of the camp.

And the south... due to terrain and location reasons, was precisely where the Anti-foreigner Group first broke in!

As soon as Mogami’s gunshot — intended to announce the ”start of battle” — sounded, Saito, who had been sitting like a statue on a large rock, immediately leaped from the stone, dashing towards Aoto with a serious expression.

”Celestial Punishment! Celestial Punishment!”

”Anti-foreigner—! Anti-foreigner—! Anti-foreigner—!”

...

The first batch of Anti-foreigner Group members charged north into the camp, roaring as they attacked Aoto and others.

Their group practiced the most radical Anti-foreigner doctrines.

Not only should all the Barbarians who set foot on their homeland be killed, but those who assist, work for, or speak favorably of the Barbarians are traitors to their nation and deserve to die!

Hence, their operation tonight was not just aimed at killing the few Barbarians led by Anthony.

Those working for Anthony in the camp, serving as his guards, were among their targets tonight as well!

Upon seeing Aoto and Saito, they naturally assumed that Aoto and Saito were guards for Anthony and Elodie.

Thus... blade after blade flashing with cold light approached Aoto and Saito without the slightest mercy!

Perhaps due to having already experienced several life-and-death battles, Aoto’s psychological resilience had significantly improved compared to when he first traversed time.

Upon hearing the gunfire and the repeated cries of ”Anti-foreigner,” Aoto was also momentarily stunned by surprise.

But as the red ”ocean” surged into the camp, Aoto’s soul promptly returned to his body, regaining control.

——”Anti-foreigner Faction” ... when did such a large-scale ”Anti-foreigner Faction” group arise around Edo...

——Such numbers ... they came prepared.

——East, West, South, North ... noises of footsteps roaring from at least six directions ... surrounded from six directions, huh...

Hundreds of ”Anti-foreigner Warriors” attacking... Aoto didn’t believe himself to hold such importance in the eyes of the ”Radical Anti-foreigner Faction” to warrant such large-scale force for annihilation.

Given the target wasn’t Aoto... it was already clear who the primary target was.

Aoto turned his head slightly, glancing at Elodie standing right beside him.

Elodie’s reaction... was remarkably calm.

Because she was already frightened out of her wits.

Her face was pale, her red lips slightly parted, and her vacant eyes seemed unfocused, looking both into the distance and nearby.

The maid Leroy, who had been constantly attending her side, was in a similar state to Elodie—frozen in place by the sudden attack, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.

At this moment! Two tall fellows were the first to charge into the southern part of the camp, closing in on Aoto’s group from left and right like crab pincers!

As these tall fellows lunged at them, Aoto sliced his gaze horizontally from left to right across the two.

His right hand followed the direction of his gaze, drawing the sword at his waist horizontally from left to right.

Saito, who had been closely guarding Aoto’s left side, also simultaneously drew his sword from his waist.

In an instant, these two tall fellows had reached Aoto and Saito, raising their swords with the intent to close the pincers.

Saito moved.

Using his height and long arms to his advantage, he launched a quick as lightning assault, striking one man’s throat before his sword fully came down, crippling one claw of the pincers, then turned his blade to block the sword of the other man.

The sword was blocked by Saito... exposing a clear opening.

Aoto seized this gap, quickly shifting his weight, swinging his sword horizontally to slice open the man’s abdomen, joining forces with Saito to disable the other claw of the pincers.

”Retreat!”

Aoto swung his sword forcefully down towards the ground, flinging away the blood on the blade, as he turned and shouted to Elodie and Leroy, who were just a short distance away:

”Go and join Oomura and the others!”

Aoto hadn’t communicated much with Leroy before, hence he wasn’t sure if the maid understood Japanese.

But whether she understood Japanese or not, she surely had ears.

Hearing Aoto’s shout, Leroy finally snapped out of her shock.

Her lips and cheeks remained ghostly white with fear, but she swiftly fulfilled her duties as a maid—quickly wrapping her arm around Elodie and, holding her close, rushed towards the center of the camp where the guards were numerous.

After ensuring Elodie and Leroy quickly left, Aoto raised his head, intending to have Saito also retreat with him to the central camp to join Oomura and the others.

But just then, Aoto’s body suddenly froze.

Soon after, he swiftly turned his head to look at Saito: ”Saito! Three enemies are approaching from the right and rear side!”

Upon hearing Aoto’s call, Saito, who had been focusing on the massive force about to storm into the camp, hesitated before quickly looking to his right and rear—sure enough, three enemies had somehow snuck up on his left side.

The place was incredibly noisy, the deafening shouts, footsteps, and various sounds dulled Saito’s senses, preventing him from noticing the three enemies on his left side sooner.

These three were originally planning to sneakily ambush Aoto and Saito from behind.

Now realizing they had been spotted by Aoto and Saito, they quickly shrank back and hastily retreated.

”...Thanks.” Saito turned his head slightly and softly thanked Aoto for spotting the enemies ahead of time.

But unexpectedly—when his gaze shifted to Aoto, Saito was taken aback to see: At that moment, Aoto was holding his left hand tightly over his eyes.

”Hey!” Surprised by this scene, Saito’s face immediately darkened, ”Are your eyes injured?”

”...I’m fine.” Aoto slowly released his left hand covering his eyes, his expression puzzled.

He blinked forcefully a few times.

”I don’t know why... my vision... just from earlier, has been really strange...”

”...Vision?” Saito frowned in confusion.

...

...

At this very moment—

In a nearby grove not far from the camp—

This grove was the temporary camp for Mogami and the others.

Their luggage was placed in this grove.

The Statue of Niō that Mogami worshipped twice a day was respectfully placed on a flat boulder.

The falling snowflakes had already covered the statue in a layer of pristine white.

Suddenly, a gust of wind surged through.

The powerful wind scattered the still airborne snowflakes, blowing away the white covering on the Statue of Niō.

Crack...

As the wind rose, a faint, mosquito-like cracking sound echoed.

Under the witness of the wind and snow, the mighty Statue of Niō showed a fine crack at the top of its head!

*******

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