Chapter 64 - The Inazuma

Several months ago, on the Lapinwood. North of Stormsteps Mountain.On the same drizzling rain day, Maeda recalled the Inazuma samurai clan mutiny against Lord Borran Grant of House Boffrant, the Commander in Chief of the Regalyon regular army. Lord Borran was known for his ruthless and cunning strategies and tactics, he commanded the regular army directly to vanquish the Leverett Revolt of the rabbit folks that had already been going on for the last decade.They had been given orders to massacre or cleanse the surrendered beastfolks, otherwise known as the rabbit people. The act was in response to their rebellion against Regalyon's empire of Men.it was known as the Battle of the Fence and also the infamous mutiny of the Inazuma samurais. an event that shook the world of mercenaries and sellswords where the employee rebelled against their employer due to the code of conduct breach.Where everyone turned blind eyes when soldiers and mercenaries committed atrocities, but this time it's not. The Inazuma clan was openly against such acts.No one would held accountable for anything soldiers or mercenaries did on the battlefield. Everything would be swept under the rug and the victor would write the history. And yet, the samurai had their standards high, just like the Jinns.While the Jinns might disagree and still follow orders because they are not one whole army, the samurais were one banner, they are not some disguised warrior in another man's banner. They would prefer to kill themselves than to do any atrocities that tarnished themselves.⁕⁕⁕The Leverette Revolt happened in the Lapinwood, the heart of the rebellion of the rabbit folks.The Rabbit People Rebellion had its roots in years of discontent and mistreatment suffered by the rabbit folk, who were considered second-class citizens in the Regalyon Empire. The rebellion was sparked by a particularly egregious practice imposed by the empire's lords: the forced provision of bunny girls.Two thousand Regalyon regular army and three hundred Inazuma samurais against a few dozen of rabbit people.Ten years of suppressing their rebellion but to no avail, and now Lord Borran was to take care of the matter into his own hands.Now, the empire got the rabbit folks in a pinch.The rabbit rebels used guerilla tactics and lord Boran employed a scorched earth strategy, a literal strategy of setting ablaze the entire forest of Lapinwood and the hills where the rabbit folks may reside, in order to flush out the rabbit rebels.The empire already implemented the encircling blockade around the forest. They kept closing in day by day and now is the final moment of truth.both used strategy from a book known as The Art of Guerilla and Anti-Guerilla Tactics written by Sudrima, a Yewa general from the Naga-ri archipelago who fought against the Compagnie of Emmer Thalassia Colonial Government eighty-five years ago.They succeeded in declaring their independence and vanquished a few guerilla rebellions backed by the Emmer Thalassia just after the establishment of the Naga-ri United Kingdoms.The book was well-known for the people who fought against larger forces and for the larger forces who fought against resistance.The resistance such as the rabbit folks, employed guerilla tactics such as; hit and run, digging a network of tunnels, sabotagefor the established force they employed encirclement, and set up posts every few distances to reduce the moving area activity of the resistance.Yet, Lord Borran made a few tweaks to the strategy. He ordered the forest to be set ablaze, creating a wall of fire that would surround the Rabbit Rebels. The roaring flames devoured the trees, transforming the once serene forest into a nightmarish inferno. Boran's intent was clear: he aimed to trap the rebels within the burning forest, leaving them with no escape route.they circled in the rabbit rebels while the Inazuma samurais marched in the inner circle closing in from the outside to the center where the rabbit rebels were.it was a ruthless tactic. many rabbit rebels and samurais fell victim to the burning forest.the rabbit rebels holed up in their mounded ground house where the fire is not very effective. but it only slowed down the imminent defeat.they were suffocating and cooked inside.The outer circle of Regalyon troops prevented any rebels from slipping through Lord Borran's defenses, with posts at every point along the encirclement. The inner circle of Inazuma samurai gradually closed in on the rebel's main base, surrounded by the burning forest."Captain Ishii, move in your units, engage and kill any rebels you find." Lord Borran's command cut through the smoky air, his tone brooking no argument. "Commander Harry, kill every rabbit that escapes the fire.""Yes sir," Commander Harry confirmed with a wide smirk, clearly relishing the order."Sir?" Ishii-Senchou couldn't believe his ears. Throwing his samurai into the blazing forest seemed a counter-productive move at best."You heard me the first time, Captain," Lord Boran's voice lowered, yet carried a serious edge."..." Ishii-Senchou fell silent, inwardly conflicted."Is there a problem, Captain?" The arrogant Commander Harry sneered in disdain.Swallowing hard, Ishii-taichou replied, "No, Commander Harry. As you wish." Yet deep down, he recoiled from the order."Good, let's get this over with. I want to dine at my castle by tomorrow." With a dismissive wave, Lord Boran retreated to the commander's tent.Ishii-taichou stood speechless once more. Lord Boran was renowned for his ruthless, cunning strategies and tactics on the battlefield – a genius, some claimed.Now Ishii-taichou would experience that brilliance firsthand, however unsettling the methods.Surveying the hellish scene before him, the raging inferno consuming the once-verdant forest, Ishii-taichou felt a knot of dread in his stomach. He knew better than to question Boran's commands, yet couldn't shake the sense that this went too far, even for the notoriously brutal lord.⁕⁕⁕"Pressing in? Into the fire?" Maeda asked in disbelief, his eyes wide. "Are you serious, Ishii-taichou?"Ishii-taichou's expression was grim. "You heard the commander-in-chief—""The men would be cooked if they get any closer to the fire, or worse, burned alive," Maeda cut in, a rare show of defiance from a samurai known for putting honor and the chain of command above all else.Ishii-Senchou met Maeda's gaze steadily. "Lord Boran wants to end this rebellion and seize this moment to his advantage. If we wait for the fire to wane, the rebels might escape, and all of this would be for naught."Three samurai returned, each carrying two buckets brimming with water."You know what to do," Ishii-senchou said.In shifts, the three hundred samurai dipped their headbands into the buckets and wrapped the soaked cloth around their faces, covering everything but their eyes."Unbelievable," one muttered."I can't see a damn thing in this thick smoke and fire," another complained."Just kill anyone with long rabbit ears," Maeda replied flatly.A third samurai shook his head. "Does he want us to die alongside the rabbits?""Yakamashii! Shut your traps!" Ishii-senchou bellowed. "Now, move forward!""As you wish," the samurai mumbled, mustering their courage and taking deep breaths before plunging into the smoke and flames."Inazuma banzaaaii!"The samurai charged forward with the distinct war cries of the Hi-on warriors, shouting their clan name as they plunged into the smokescreen enshrouding the battlefield.Though wary, they were no cowards - rushing headlong into the raging fire engulfing the forest without hesitation. This was their purpose and calling as warriors - to meet death in battle with honor, if their fate demanded it. Every samurai understood that duty and sacrificed their lives unflinchingly, committed to their warrior codes—bushido—unto the last.Maeda raised his katana with a warcry as he and his samurai comrades plunged into the burning bamboo forests after the elusive rabbit rebels. The very air rippled from the intense heat as sweat poured down their faces inside the steam-soaked armor and masks.as he crashed through burning stalks of trees, the green bands of his armor glowing orange in the firestorm. Ahead, the rabbit rebels bounded and wove through the smoke and flames. They wore light leather chest pieces dyed in dark forest colors, over loose grey fabrics allowing maximum movement for their powerful haunches. Only one shoulder was armored to still enable effortless leaping.The rabbit warriors were nimble - using powerful leg muscles to vault over smoldering logs and slip between flaming stalks. But the relentless samurai were masters of navigating chaotic battlefields. They fanned out with tactical precision, bronze spear-tips glinting red amidst the firestorm.The samurai were slowed by heavy lamellar suits that nonetheless protected them better in close-quarters swordplay. This allowed some young rabbit fighters to escape the perimeter.Whenever the samurai flushed out rebel fighters from the underbrush, the vicious short swords and blades of the inexperienced rabbit rebels were no match for the two-handed katana blows raining down. Sparks sprayed as their short, single-edged swords glanced off vambraces and helmets. Samurai steel soon ran slick with blood."We have breachers!" Maeda spotted some rebels circumventing the fiery killing field, making a break for freedom. But Captain Ishii would not be outmaneuvered."Let them run! The Imperial Army will take care of them!" Ishii-taichou bellowed over the raging blaze. "Focus on exterminating those still trapped before us!" The captain of the Inazuma samurai doubled down on their merciless assault without hesitation.The disciplined mercenaries tightened their focus without hesitation, bronze spearheads seeking the larger mass of rebels hidden deeper in the withering bamboo stands. Driven before the advancing samurai, dozens of terrified rebel troops suddenly exploded from the underbrush right into the sword-wielding kill box. In seconds the humid air turned rich with the smell of opened arteries amidst desperate screams.A rebel fighter used the surprise rush in an attempt to hurdle Maeda himself from behind. But the young samurai had spent life training his reflexes for such ambushes. He pivoted smoothly as the rebel sailed overhead, teeth bared and short slashing blade arcing downward. Maeda's katana met it with a ringing clash of steel and a burst of sparks — and then blood as he spun his longer weapon through the rebel's exposed midriff before the luckless fighter even landed. The corpse spilled steaming innards across Maeda's tabi boots. Without pausing, he stepped over it and continued his advance deeper into the fire-licked mists.⁕⁕⁕