Twenty horsemen came forward cautiously, bringing their horses towards the edge of the tree line, searching for a trap. Without stepping into the forest, they did not stand a chance of uncovering Gengyo's men.
Gengyo rested his rifle on his stumped forearm, squinting his eye as he looked down the sight, waiting for the hooves to cross the line and enter the forest. One of the horsemen turned their heads back, looking for reassurance from Kenshin. The man nodded his head, motioning for them to go forward.
They proceeded more confidently, driving their horses into a slow trot.
The crackle of gunfire pierced the air. A single shot from Gengyo's barrel. His men were disciplined and did not jump to unleash their rounds in a panicked frenzy. They hardly flinched, remaining motionless, as that leading man slumped in his saddle, his blood having spattered against his horse with a handsome exit hole filling the back of his head.
