'Thung!'
The woman drops down on the metallic surface of the train, blood spilling all over the floor forming a puddle.
"Fujiwara-sama!"
"Argh hah!..."
Danzo knelt down next to Takina.
A bullet punched into the left of her chest as she dived forward to block it, and now she's bleeding out profusely from the wound.
"No... No!"
If there were anyone unlikely to lose in an actual fight it was Kenshin, followed by Genji, General Tamahara and then finally Takina. And two of them had fell in order to protect Danzo today, a bad omen.
"Tch.... Pity, she had potential but there she goes dying to safe a lowly ninja." The man said as he sheathed his sword back.
To the back of the man, Marielle had a pained look on her face. "Why..."
"What's wrong, forgot your coin purse?"
Suddenly, an arrow flew by the man's face.
'Fwssh!'
The arrow barely misses Minuano's face. Had he noticed it later and dodged just a bit slower he would've been shot right in the head.
"Damn that was close!"
To the top cliff right next to the train track is a road. Danzo had jumped down from the road onto the train, but she didn't come alone....
A group of calvary soldiers were in hot-pursuit of the train. By taking a short cut from the city they had managed to catch up to the train even though they were late.
These riders were led by none other than Genji, the only person who could make such accurate shots at a great distance.
"Damn it..." Genji cursed under his breath as he tucks another arrow into his bow.
"I almost died twice today.... How come no one aims for you, Fujimoto?"
"...Please take this seriously."
"Heh, I guess people naturally avoid attacking women. Oh well, sucks to be me!"
Danzo suddenly rushed forward with her dagger in hand intending to attack the two.
"Who asked you to stand?" Minuano draws his blade and in an instantaneous motion he struck at Danzo.
'Clank-!'
Her dagger was knocked out of her hand by just a single attack. A weak dagger is simply not suited to fighting.
And when Danzo got back up on her feet, a gun was pointed at her face.
"!..."
"Move and I'll kill you..."
"Watch out idiot!"
'Tank!' As Minuano called out, he quickly rushed forward pulling Marielle out of the way of an incoming arrow.
Taking the chance, Danzo jumped backwards onto a safe distance.
"Princess, now isn't the time for us to play around anymore!"
"Don't call me that!"
Minuano grabbed the scythe that was lying on the ground, and swung down onto the train's platform.
'Clank!'
The sharp blade sliced apart the thick metal plate of the train, separating the engine compartment from the rest of the train.
Immediately, the engine compartment began to speed up quicker than before, leaving the rest of the train along with a bleeding Danzo and a unconscious Takina behind.
As the engine train speeds forward, Genji aimed his bow at the duo one last time.
"Not on my watch!"
At the same time the white haired woman pointed her gun at him, her eyes glew in red colour as she concentrates energy to it....
"Don't move..."
'Bang!'
The bullet flew up as the arrow comes down, passing by each other as they made their way to the target.
'Tank!'
The arrow was struck away by Minuano once more, missing its target.
Meanwhile the bullet flew up and struck Genji's steed.
"Neigh-!" / "Shit!"
'Thump!'
The horse fell along with the young Lord and crashed into the cliff face.
"Genji-sama!" (?x)
There lies Genji on the ground next to his steed, unconscious from slamming his head into a stone wall at such speed.
And finally, by the cart of the train that was separated from the engine compartment...
"Fujiwara-sama! Keep yourself together, Fujiwara-sama!"
"Ark-!... Cough!..."
She was coughing out blood, if she isn't treated immediately she'd die from drowning in her own blood.
___________
At the speeding train, the duo finally relaxes once they lost the pursuers.
"Phew... They certainly aren't pushovers."
"Of course not. It's only you who likes to play around until you put yourself in death's door."
"Hmm, I saved your ass twice today and you didn't think to humor me?"
"I don't have the mood to fool around like you..."
"Huhu, I guess so huh, especially since it's like your soul is lout of your body. You can't concentrate on anything ever since you took the Severance Blade."
"!..."
Minuano looked at Marielle a bit, and then he sat down.
"We are hired swords so I have no business digging in on other's problems... But that red haired woman they call Fujiwara Takina of the Uesugi Clan, you know her right?"
"No... But she called me her sister."
"Oh... My condolences."
"It's alright, don't worry yourself about it...."
____________
And so ended the deadly first-battle between the Uesugi clan and the Takeda Clan.
In a later strategic meeting, this ambush was broken down by the strategists of the clan :
Most of the foot soldiers were sent out to fight-off the Oda Clan's advances, leaving the backlines exposed. Under disguise, the Takedas snuck into the city of Toyama and attacked it's leaders.
More importantly, this ambush isn't even planned in this city... a few assassins from the Takeda Clan had infiltrated the ranks of the supply caravans and that is why they were so easily able to take over the caravan in charge.
In this ambush, 2 captains were killed - from the supply division and the castle guard's division.
A whole caravan of soldiers numbered between 30 to 50 were slaughtered.
But all of this does not compare to the grave injury that was dealt to the clan when a few of its leaders is defeated in combat....
Genji is knocked unconscious and suffered a head injury that took days to recover.
Takina was shot in the chest, bullet puncturing her right lung... and survived only barely with emergency treatment from the doctors.
And the one who was injured the most was Kenshin, who suffered multiple lethal stabs to his body's organs as well as severe blood loss.
It is doubtful that he would survive this encounter.
After a few days the Takeda Clan declared war on the Uesugi clan in an act of betrayal, now siding with the Oda Clan to once and for all take down their common enemy.
With only General Tamahara leading the soldiers, they were quickly pushed back by the enemies.... Eventually the battle would reach the castles of Toyama city.
"General, I'm afraid we can't hold on much longer..."
A soldier reported to the general sitting alone besides a map.
"So it seems... Without Genji around I can't show up to the front lines in person and this is what happens. I've grown too reliant on the young Lord it seems."
"General, please listen to me. We can't hold this castle much longer-"
'Thump!' The general slams his fist on the table.
"...My apologies, young man. I had to vent my anger somehow."
"...."
"Sigh... Tell everyone to pack up their things. Take whatever you can take, and we will abandon this castle and move back to Niigata.
I want every soldier, every person inside the gates of Toyama castle to get ready before sunset."
"Understood my Lord. I understand your frustration in not being able to defend your home but this is the right choice."
"Thank you for your encouragement.... And one more thing lad. We don't have much horses and carriages to spare so take the supply carts and use them to the carry the wounded.
Any supplies that we can't carry home shall be torched or thrown away. As long as it doesn't fall into the hands of the enemies."
"Yes sir. If there is nothing else I'll be leaving to fulfill the tasks that you've given me."
"Right."
The soldier left the command room, leaving only the general inside...
A few minutes later-
"General." The voice of a woman sounded.
"Who is it? I didn't request any servants- ah, Kato Danzo. Good morning."
Kato Danzo stood at the entrance of the room, her clothes stained with blood and light wounds on her body.
He noticed a bag that Kato Danzo was carrying in her hands.
"What is that?"
"I've brought you the helmet of the red guard's leader. (Captain of the Takeda soldiers)"
"How did you...."
"I caught the man in the midst of the city. As he was busy giving orders to his men and fighting our soldiers, so I jumped out from the rooftops and assassinated him."
"Weren't there normally a whole group of those Shinobis accompanying the captain?"
"Yes my Liege, but I managed to cut down a few of them as I approach and thin down their numbers before I killed the general.
...My original intention was to help kill the enemy ninjas anyway, it is mere coincidence I ran into the enemy captain."
"I see... Good. I appreciate your work but you should not do this again. I have lost many men in the span of a few days, I cannot afford to lose someone as reliable in scouting as you.
Anyway, with one of the captains dead it should buy us more time before they starts building magic cannons to destroy the castle's walls. Enough time for us to leave this place at least."
"What more can I do to help?"
"I want you to assist in checking and guarding our escape routes along with the rest of the ninjas of our clan. I've sent a few of them already, regroup with them and scout ahead.
We'll be leaving by this evening."
"And the injured?"
"I have arranged a few carriages to take them. As for Genji, Kenshin-sama and Lady Fujiwara, if you could help im guarding their carriages tonight then I'd greatly appreciate it."
"Very well, general. I'll leave immediately and go scout ahead, we'll be back by the evening as you said."
"And please throw that 'trophy' away properly. I don't want to have this place to be haunted by the cursed spirit of the captain because you disrespected him in his death."
When the night falls and the shadows enveloped the city, the army of soldiers begun marching back to Niigata from their city.
(Chapter end)