Yashiro the Blind

"When the two armies clash, the brave will prevail. Consider the head of Miyoshi Shimoya no Kami as a 'gift' I'm leaving for you, Naotora. Don't be shy, just accept it!" Ashikaga Yoshiteru laughed heartily.

"As ordered."

The woman smiled calmly, her voice still gentle.

If she weren't still wearing a suit of armor, which added a touch of heroic spirit, she would probably only be recognized as a virtuous wife or good mother based on her gentle and graceful appearance and temperament. No one would have guessed what kind of amazing power was contained in that slender and tall body.

But this is only a temporary situation.

As the saying goes, a dragon is not meant to stay in a pond, and a fierce tiger cannot remain forever hidden deep in the mountains, unknown and obscure.

And when the tiger roars and the wind howls, that will be the day the heavens and earth tremble.

……

Everything went exactly as Ashikaga Yoshiteru had predicted.

When Miyoshi Masayasu, with his remaining troops, caught up with his main force in a sorry state and informed them of Matsunaga Hisahide's betrayal and the fall of Takaya Castle, Miyoshi Nagayoshi's expression changed drastically, and Iwaki Tomomichi was so shocked that he fell to the ground.

"Shinohara Ukyo has been defeated and is powerless to stop Rokkaku's army. Now, Hatakeyama and Tsutsui's 20,000 troops are about to launch a surprise attack. Lord Hyuga no Kami, what should we do?!"

"Don't panic! The situation isn't that bad yet!"

Miyoshi Nagahisa shouted angrily, seeing that Iwaki Tomomichi still looked completely lost, he strode forward and kicked him, sending him tumbling several times. "Shinohara Ukyo is a veteran general of Shikoku, and he leads the elite troops of Awa Province. A single defeat is not enough to completely crush him. There is no need to worry about Kyoto for now! The most urgent task is to focus on dealing with the enemy forces in the south—"

"With the loss of Takaya Castle, the enemy has no way to stop them. If they take a forced march, they will probably catch up with us in no time. There is no way to escape... We have no choice but to fight them head-on!"

Retainers of Miyoshi's age have almost all fought alongside Miyoshi Nagayoshi for many years, participating in everything from small-scale conflicts involving dozens or hundreds of people to large-scale battles involving tens of thousands of people. In terms of experience, few in the country can match him.

Even in this rapidly deteriorating situation, Miyoshi Nagayoshi remained calm. He immediately ordered someone to fetch a map, and then summoned his generals with gongs and drums, holding an emergency meeting. After arguing for most of the hour, everyone finally unanimously decided to stay where they were and fight a direct confrontation.

Hatakeyama Takamasa and the Tsutsui family were both defeated opponents in the past, and Ashikaga Yoshiteru was a stray dog. Even if you include the Iga and Matsunaga Hisahide armies, the opposing forces totaled only a little over 20,000. Although they had an advantage over their side, it was not enough to unilaterally crush them.

Now that the enemy has already stepped right onto our faces, there is no way to avoid it. How could the Miyoshi clan, which once dominated the Kinki region and was famous throughout the world, possibly abandon the war and flee?

Even though the great ruler Nagayoshi is dead, they are still the viceroys of Japan!

With these words of encouragement, Miyoshi Nagayoshi stirred the fighting spirit of his generals and soldiers, and then set up the battlefield near the middle reaches of the Yodo River. This river runs through almost the entire Settsu Province, and its banks are mostly plains, which makes it easy for the army to deploy, and it can also use some of the surrounding hilly highlands for defense.

Given enough time, he could build a strong defensive line using the river and the high ground. Even if that wasn't realistically possible, having his back to the river would still prevent him from being flanked and attacked from behind.

Despite his confident pronouncements that Shinohara Ukyo was a seasoned general who could not possibly be easily defeated, Miyoshi Nagayoshi did not really trust his colleague from Shikoku. The Yodo River was not only a defense against Ashikaga Yoshiteru, but also against the Rokkaku army, which could arrive at any time.

Rather than being attacked from both sides, it's better to fight with your back to the river.

This idea led Miyoshi Nagayoshi to make a decision: he positioned his 15,000 to 16,000 troops with their backs to the Yodo River, forming a battle formation and preparing for battle.

Just half a day later, dust began to rise on the southern plains, and groups of people carrying weapons, wooden shields, and bamboo bundles slowly advanced, with banners fluttering in the wind.

"coming!"

Miyoshi Nagayoshi stood in the main camp, gazing into the distance. However, he was getting on in years, and his eyesight wasn't very good. He squinted for a moment but still couldn't see clearly, so he asked the person next to him, "Whose banner is that at the head?"

"It looks like a square 'well' character," the neighbor replied.

"The 'well' symbol?" Miyoshi Nagayoshi frowned upon hearing this. "Which warlord from the Tsutsui or Hatakeyama families used this kind of flag seal... Wait, I remember now, the 'well' crest is the family crest of the Ii clan of Tōtōmi! Ii Naotora!"

In the Battle of Shigiyama Castle, although Yashiro also defeated the enemy army and subdued the powerful clans of Kuzushita County, in terms of showing off, he was far less impressive than Ii Naotora, who charged around with a sword in his left hand and a spear in his right.

As a result, not only the generals of Ashikaga Yoshiteru and the Miyoshi clan, but even the daimyo lords of surrounding areas such as Ise, Omi, Tanba, and Harima heard about the female warrior's illustrious reputation. Her past deeds in Tōtōmi were also brought up again, and the more people looked at them, the more outrageous they seemed.

How could Imagawa Yoshimoto bear to let such a valiant general leave? Oh, Yoshimoto is already dead.

That's fine.

As for Miyoshi Nagayoshi, who was on the opposing side of the shogun, he naturally had a deep understanding of the generals under his command. As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Among them was Ii Naotora, who led hundreds of ronin and was invincible.

However, no matter how strong Ii is, she is all alone. The people she leads are ronin and samurai who do not respect military discipline and act recklessly. It is not a wise choice to make these people the vanguard.

Could it be that they want to use these guys, who are not worth losing, to wear down their own forces?

Silently making plans in his mind, Miyoshi Nagayoshi ordered his soldiers not to act rashly, allowing the seemingly chaotic army to approach and stand still with their well-patterned flags. Following closely behind, other dazzling array of flags and troops gradually appeared before his eyes.

Hatakeyama, Rokkaku, Tenfu, Yagyu, Saiga, Negoro... and in the very center, the two banners and seals symbolizing the authority of the Muromachi Shogunate for hundreds of years, an army of more than 20,000 men set up their formation on the south side, on a wide open plain, facing the Miyoshi clan who stood with their backs to the river.

But as Miyoshi Nagayuki surveyed the vast array in the distance, his expression grew increasingly strange: "This is... a cone formation?"

The cone formation is a common battle formation in the world. It concentrates elite troops in the vanguard to break through the enemy's defenses from the front, while the troops in the rear are distributed in a trapezoidal pattern, advancing layer by layer to lay the foundation for victory.

It is named for its cone-like shape.

Is this really a plan to use that ragtag army of ronin and samurai as the vanguard? Ashikaga Yoshiteru is so confident.

Or... does he really trust Ii Naotora so much?

With doubts still lingering in their minds, the two armies faced off, and for the time being, the sounds of bells, drums, and horns could not be heard. Only the occasional restless horses and the sound of the two armies' flags fluttering in the wind kept the battlefield from becoming too silent and suffocating.

But suddenly, the conch shells started making a loud noise!

However, the vanguard of the Sanhao Army split off to both sides, and a black horse galloped out. On the horse sat a tall, middle-aged martial artist with a messy beard, a dark iron rod, and a pair of large, copper-bell-shaped eyes. He looked around with a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

He seemed completely oblivious to the archers and slingers, galloping back and forth in front of the formation several times before suddenly pulling on the reins. Staring at the banner with its well-shaped pattern fluttering in the wind, he roared, "I am Sanhao Shiro-no-Kami Masako! I've heard you have a strange woman here, with extraordinary strength that no human can match. I'm not convinced, and I'd like to come and challenge her!"

The sound was like thunder from the horizon, rolling and echoing. Not only the Ashikaga enemy army, but even the Miyoshi family's own people couldn't help but look at each other in disbelief upon hearing it.

This is... a one-man showdown?

The Kamakura Shogunate has been gone for hundreds of years, and we already have arquebuses. Yet now there are still people clamoring to settle the score with a one-on-one duel on the battlefield.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi clearly saw this scene, his lips twitching, his expression strange and inexplicable: "That Masayasu bastard... his old habits have kicked in again."

Then, as if giving up, he sighed, "Fine, fine... Let him fight a battle first; it'll boost morale. I just don't know if the other side dares to..."

The words have not yet fallen.

The next moment, beneath the well-girded pattern, a person and a horse stepped out from the crowd. It was a female warrior dressed in a tunic and wearing a headband, holding a ten-foot-long spear upside down in her hand. Her beautiful eyes showed no fear as she head-on met Miyoshi Masayasu's gaze.

"I have borrowed the strength of the ronin, Ii Naotora, to come and accept the challenge!"

……

Chapter 426 A Flat Plain

On the battlefield, the generals dueled one-on-one.

The Yodo River was swift and the autumn wind was chilly. Ii Naotora sat upright on his horse, holding his eighteen-foot spear. His body was straight as an arrow. Although he was only wearing a simple iron armor and headband, he was no less imposing than Miyoshi Masayasu opposite him, who was full of worldly power.

"You're the legendary Naotora Ii, the one who can lift a calf with his bare hands?"

After looking him up and down for a few moments, Miyoshi Masayasu suddenly snorted coldly, "Look at your skinny arms and legs, you don't look like you have any skills. This story is probably just made up. You can fool others, but you can't fool me!"

"Lord Miyoshi Shimotsuke, it's nice to see you again."

One side was aggressive, the other spoke softly and gently. Upon hearing this, Miyoshi Masayasu was taken aback: "When did we...?"

But upon closer inspection, he suddenly realized that the tall woman in front of him did look somewhat familiar. After a moment's thought, he remembered that he had just seen her at Ashikaga Yoshiteru's main camp not long ago.

He smacked his lips, only then realizing that the other party was subtly mocking his capture. His old face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he cursed, "Bastard!" Driven by anger, he didn't hesitate any longer, spurred his horse, and charged forward!

Miyoshi Masayasu was born with superhuman strength and was the bravest soldier in the army. The iron rod he used was specially made by a master craftsman commissioned by Miyoshi Nagayoshi. It was heavy and hard, and even famous swords and blades could not damage it. Ordinary soldiers could not even lift it, let alone wield it.

As he spurred his horse forward and swung his iron rod, even the vanguard soldiers standing a little further away could hear the whistling sound of the rod cutting through the air. In an instant, everyone's expression changed, and they were all horrified. They were just glad that the rod hadn't hit them, and at the same time, they couldn't help but worry about Ii Naotora.

Not only did the Ashikaga soldiers have this thought, but many people on the Miyoshi side were also on tenterhooks. After all, everyone loves beauty, and seeing such a beautiful woman, it was hard not to feel some pity for her.

Such a beautiful face, it would be such a waste to ruin it... Just as this thought crossed his mind, Ii Naotora nimbly twirled his spear, spurred his horse forward to meet the attack, and at the same time dodged the sweeping iron rod, the tip of his spear thrust forward and then dropped, narrowly missing the face covered with a hideous demon mask!

"Oh!"

Man fought for his life, horse neighed, life and death hung in the balance. The two separated, turned around and fought again. With his brute strength, Miyoshi Masayasu roared and suddenly flipped his wrist, raising his iron rod high, and brought it down on the tiger's face, man and horse at the same time!

His black horse was a renowned steed from Oshu, presented to him by the Date clan a few years ago. It was strong and had incredible stamina. With the combined force of man and horse, the attack was even more powerful. The gust of wind it generated alone made Naotora's bangs sway wildly, as if a small mountain was pressing down on him.

"Good job!"

Just as everyone else was holding their breath, and some even turned their eyes away or closed them, they suddenly heard a hearty laugh. The woman on horseback was not surprised but delighted. She neither dodged nor yielded, but blocked the attack with her spear. She did not use any fancy moves, but met the attack head-on and blocked it solidly!

Pong!

The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the battlefield. Everyone held their breath, but the spears and iron rods remained motionless. Ii Naotora's expression remained unchanged, but Miyoshi Masayasu couldn't help but change his expression slightly. However, the next moment, the warhorse riding the woman let out a long neigh and was involuntarily shaken back several steps!

……

In the Ashikaga army, at Tenka's main camp.

Within the curtain fluttering the banners bearing the character for "hero," Saiga Hotaru, unusually excited, stood on tiptoe, shading her eyes with her hand, trying hard to see the battle unfolding between the two sides. Minji Maru, more quick-witted, cried out, "Master, Master, binoculars! Give me the binoculars!"

"There's really nothing I can do about you..."

Yashiro shook his head with a wry smile, took out a piece of cylindrical material from his pocket, handed it over, and asked, "How is it?"

"...Wait, let me see...Ah, that bearded uncle swung his stick, but Lord Naotora blocked it! Then Lord Naotora countered with a spear thrust, but unfortunately he missed...Now the two of them are fighting, and they're even spinning around while they're fighting!"

Minji Maru vividly described the scene he saw.

The blind girl listened, becoming increasingly convinced of a certain idea: once this war was over and she returned to Iga, she would definitely give her apprentice a thorough refresher course in basic literacy. Putting aside everything else, just looking at his vocabulary, she estimated that Mio would surpass him in less than two years...

Don't ask her why she still has the mind to think wildly when she's on the battlefield; it's because she can't see the actual battle situation!

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice; Yashiro was also helpless.

Normally, she could have gotten closer to listen to the excitement, but now, as the general of the Iga faction, she couldn't leave her post easily. So she had to suppress her restless heart and sit on the stool, swaying left and right while listening to Minji Maru's "live broadcast".

Although her swaying back and forth appearance was not dignified, there was no one else in the main camp at the moment. Most of the generals, upon learning that Ii Naotora was going to have a one-on-one duel, rushed out to watch the excitement after receiving Yashiro's permission, leaving only Saiga Hotaru and Minjimaru, two loyal and good boys, to stay with her.

Touching.

Seeing Minjimaru gesturing with binoculars, Saiga Hotaru immediately returned. She didn't make a fuss, but stood beside the blind girl, silently looking down at her toes. Only when Yashiro smiled and handed her a pair of binoculars did she happily thank her, then move closer to Minjimaru and join him in observing the battle.

"Wow, that's a really intense fight!"

"Yes, yes, it's so lively!"

Unfortunately, even with an extra person helping with the explanations, the overall vocabulary didn't improve much. However, Yashiro wasn't worried about Naotora losing the battle; he simply leaned on his cane, listening to the two beside him racking their brains, exhausting all their knowledge, to try and describe the scene of the battle...

"Oops!"

Suddenly, Minji Maru cried out in alarm, his voice filled with obvious panic, "Lord Naotora's horse can't hold on any longer!"

"horse?"

Yashiro frowned slightly, but didn't seem particularly surprised.

Unlike her, Naotora's martial arts style is purely fierce and domineering. He was already terrifying enough with just one spear, but after being enlightened by Minjimaru's words, he mastered the dual-wielding method without a teacher. However, this fighting style is fine on foot, but it places extremely high demands on the warhorse when it comes to mounted combat.

Unfortunately, she couldn't find a suitable horse to match Naotora's style in the short term. Theoretically, due to Japan's mountainous and hilly terrain, most local horses are small and agile. Only in colder regions like Oshu, Aizu, and Hitachi could one find the tall, robust horses that Naotora needed.

However, such famous horses must be very expensive, and even rare, mostly monopolized by local daimyo. Asking them for one is no easier than asking Matsunaga Hisahide for Hiragumo.

Especially in this rush, there's no way to even think about it.

For this reason, Naotora is currently riding only an ordinary warhorse. Although it is relatively good among the best, it is still far inferior to those famous horses.

It doesn't matter much when charging into battle and being invincible, but now, when facing a martial artist who also excels in strength, the disadvantage of the mount immediately becomes obvious.

Although Yashiro was very confident in Naotora, believing that even without a horse, Naotora wouldn't lose to a mere Miyoshi Masayasu, whether one could win and whether one won gracefully were two completely different things—

Hearing Minji Maru's exclamation, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She leaned forward and asked again, "Now? What's the situation now?"

"Condition……"

Minji Maru's answer seemed somewhat hesitant. Yashiro then asked someone else, "Hotaru, how is it?"

"Yes!"

Saiga Hotaru's response was as firm and resolute as ever, "Lord Naotora... has won!"

"……what?"

……

Yashiro wasn't the only one taken aback by what he'd heard from others. Even among the many soldiers who had watched the battle unfold from beginning to end, few could have predicted this sudden turn of events—

Miyoshi Masayasu may not be good at strategic planning, but after years of experience on the battlefield, his sense of combat is far more acute than that of ordinary people. With just this one clash of blows, he had already roughly judged the strength of the female warrior before him...

Or rather, the numbness in his arm and the space between his thumb and forefinger forced him to understand a certain fact:

The rumor about lifting a calf with bare hands seems to be true.

After only one move, he was still the one on the offensive, but Ii Naotora looked calm and composed, showing no signs of strain. Meanwhile, Miyoshi Masayasu felt a sharp pain in his hand and his entire arm went numb. In comparison, even though Miyoshi Masayasu was known for his bravery, he was still taken aback.

However, the sight of the opponent's mount struggling to retreat gave this veteran general a sudden opportunity to win. He immediately put away his baton, spurred his horse, and after creating some distance, closed in again, still launching a strong offensive!

Although his iron rod was slightly shorter than the eighteen-foot spear used by women, it was still an absolute long weapon. When he swept it out, even if Zhihu could dodge, his horse would have a hard time avoiding it. Helpless, Zhihu could only use his spear to block the attack once again!

With another loud thud, the two weapons clashed heavily once more. Miyoshi Masayasu gritted his teeth, suppressing the muffled groan that was almost on his lips. However, he soon saw Naotora's horse stumble back several steps, panting heavily, its front legs beginning to tremble.

In terms of strength, he might be slightly inferior, but in terms of warhorse, the two are worlds apart.