Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Harunobu stroked his chin and looked at Hirako: "Sachiko, how is the black market in Asakusa handled?"

Because of the main quest "Effective Governance," the black market in Asakusa, as a source of unrest, had long been wiped out by the Bracers, without even being shown to Harunobu.

Hirako smiled slightly and drew the Haruyuki-maru she had just acquired from her waist: "That's it—"

A flash of light, and the two thugs who realized something was wrong and tried to run away fell to the ground, clutching their missing arms and howling in pain. The various gazes that had been drawn to the scene turned to surprise, disbelief, and anger.

But that's completely useless.

The author says:

Author's note: The words I've etched here come to mind, so I'm leaving my drafts here.

Chapter 256: The True Nature of the Three Royal Families? (2/3)

Yukiko Hira and Amu Hosho had dealt with a lot of black market dealings. After all, there were always people willing and able to do such profitable, even extremely lucrative, business. As for these fools who were oblivious to their own mortality and knowingly committed crimes, the Bracers had a very tough stance—they would kill them outright.

In any case, Japan's economy hadn't exploded at that time. Although industrialization had led to some "sheep-eating-man" situations, overall it hadn't reached the point where people couldn't survive without buying things from the black market. In other words, at this time, at least eleven out of ten people running black markets were not good people.

What else is there to say?

kill!

If you ask them, they'll accuse you of smuggling; if you ask them further, they'll accuse you of treason—in any case, these black markets really do engage in smuggling.

Or rather, if it wasn't smuggling, why would he open a black market?

The Blue Sky Pavilion and the Guerrilla are now both operating under the guise of the Special Higher Police, which is exactly what they're in charge of. Let alone just those black market thugs and merchants like TuTu, even wiping out their entire families through a coordinated attack would be perfectly reasonable and legal.

So now you can't find a single black market in Asakusa Ward, at least not the large-scale, fixed-location kind. Private, small-scale mobile smugglers are too difficult to eradicate.

The price was that the reputation of the Bracers became—even better!

Normal people wouldn't like the black market, since it involves not only smuggling but also the sale of stolen goods—essentially downstream of thieves and robbers, and sometimes even upstream. With a large population, especially in places like markets, the hiring of labor naturally develops.

In short, the existence of the black market is definitely more harmful than beneficial, as can be seen from the fact that they are often colluded with the Yakuza and corrupt officials.

Therefore, killing directly is not excessive at all, and is actually very effective.

Harunobu said this sincerely to Shiranui Ran.

Miss Fox's lips twitched, confirming once again her judgment of Harunobu—if this guy went mad, there would probably be a bloodbath right away.

But how many samurai aren't mad?

Headache.

But since they're all trash anyway, it doesn't matter.

Miss Fox abandoned her needless worries and gestured with her chin toward Hirako and Amu Hosho, who were already slowly walking into the alley: "Aren't you worried that their masters will retaliate against you for killing so many people?"

To be able to operate such a large-scale black market and obtain and sell firearms almost openly, these black market dealers must have high-level protection behind them.

Shiranui Ran didn't believe Harunobu hadn't thought of this, but she was very curious and concerned as to why Harunobu still used such brutal methods. This completely disrupted her initial plans.

"Aren't those big shots busy dealing with Katsura Taro's death and the cabinet election? They don't have time to bother with these dogs."

Qingxin smiled casually, put the kitten down, and let her go to the alley to collect heads.

People's heads are merits, and can be exchanged for Qingxin!

The kitten pulled out its newly acquired paw and quickly caught up with Hirako and Amu Hosho, who were slowly advancing. With a sudden thrust, it pierced the heart of a short thug who jumped out of a hidden door.

The powerful impact even slammed the thug's chest against the alley wall after the cat's claw pierced his heart. The wound on his chest ruptured abruptly upon impact, exposing his entire chest cavity. Blood gushed out from the bursting cavity, staining the surrounding walls and ground crimson.

This is undoubtedly a terrifying scene.

The thugs, who were already in a losing position, collapsed instantly, and their previously decent formation became chaotic. Some tried to escape, some tried to hide in secret doors or tunnels, and some tried to climb over walls and onto rooftops... In short, they had completely lost the ability to resist.

The three of them, including Taira no Yukiko, did not torture or kill the weak who were crying out in pain. Since the enemy had stopped resisting, there was no need to kill them.

Just cut off one of its legs to prevent it from escaping.

As for what happens if they bleed to death before being caught... well, good luck to them.

Completely different from her gentle, lively, and quirky demeanor in front of Harunobu, the three of them, including Taira Yukiko, were now displaying utter coldness. Among them, the coldest of all was not even the stray child, Kitten, but Taira Yukiko herself.

A smile remained on her face, but there was no trace of joy in her eyes; instead, it made the smile all the more chilling and sinister. Her movements were precise and elegant, each strike landing with deadly accuracy, while she also dodged enemy attacks with pinpoint precision. Apart from the inevitable dirt on her boots and the hem of her kendo hakama due to the filthy ground, she wasn't stained with a single drop of blood.

This might seem to indicate her exceptional swordsmanship and combat experience, but a closer look at her fighting reveals a strong sense of aversion permeating her battles. She's like a ghost that utterly rejects the living, completely avoiding even the blood or breath of her enemies, preventing them from touching even a single patch of her clothing.

It's as if they completely deny the existence of the enemy, regarding them as the most despicable thing in the world, even lower than excrement.

Comparatively speaking, neither Amu Hojo nor Koneko are as extreme. At least they haven't given up piercing the enemy's heart just to avoid the enemy's breathing.

Are these people in your family really okay?

While intently observing the battle, Shiranui Ran couldn't help but ask a question, even forgetting to answer Harunobu's previous question.

"Is there a problem? Are we supposed to laugh and joke during a battle?" Harunobu crossed his arms, not seeing anything wrong with it.

"It's not that kind of problem. I mean Hirako's obsessive tendency to avoid things."

Chapter 279

"She's easily manipulated." As a ninja, Shiranui Ran keenly perceived Hirayuki's problem. This kind of overly persistent approach might be fine against weaker enemies, but against enemies of similar strength, it makes her easy for others to anticipate and exploit.

For example, someone like Hirako could be completely blocked from moving by using tactics like intentionally bleeding, thus forcing her into a situation where she has to fight with her sword.

Small fry will only be cut in two if they do this, but if it's a powerful enemy...

“Don’t worry, Sachiko isn’t that stupid.” Shiranui Ran’s kindness prompted Harunobu to explain, “It’s just a habit of hers, because I don’t like my woman being in contact with other men—although I wouldn’t mind if it was just getting blood on her hands while killing enemies.”

"However, Sachiko is more... well, she spoils me a bit, so I don't know when she developed this habit. But when facing a strong enemy or a life-or-death battle, she won't be so stubborn."

Shiranui Ran felt like she had suddenly been force-fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), and she felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath, with a sour taste in her mouth.

But I don't know how to vent.

I had to change the subject and go back to what I was talking about earlier: "Political turmoil always passes, but they hold grudges very much, especially when it involves big interests."

Harunobu habitually reached out and rubbed the head next to him, replying with a smile, "Then we'll see how capable His Majesty the Emperor and Princess Mitsuku are. Surely they can't control two dogs after their internal strife, right?"

Shiranui Ran paused for a moment, then suddenly seemed a little angry and said sourly, "You still say you don't understand politics."

“I don’t understand politics, but that doesn’t mean I’m brainless.” Harunobu rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe you don’t know how our Aozorakan deals with the black market, but you still called me in, and even deliberately made me perform first—”

Chapter 257: The Black Market's Trump Card (3/3)

"Are you saying you didn't do it on purpose? Are you insulting everyone's intelligence?"

As Qingxin spoke, his hand, which was rubbing his head, instinctively reached down and pinched his soft earlobe. Then he awkwardly withdrew his hand.

Oh no, the one I'm rubbing is someone else's.

Feeling the warm, heavy pressure above her leave, Tsuchimikado Haru pursed her lips, a touch of melancholy in her eyes. But she quickly composed herself, attributing her feelings to a natural reaction to her first physical contact with a man. After all, she didn't like Taira no Harunobu, and she couldn't possibly be with such a promiscuous and fickle man.

However, he is indeed a good teacher, and a very capable one!

Watching the three starter families wreaking havoc in the distance, Tsuchimikado Haru felt a pang of envy. Yes, what she craved was power!

Pava!

This interruption completely dissolved the somewhat serious, questioning atmosphere. Shiranui Ran's slight tension vanished, and she even gave a teasing look, jokingly saying, "Tsk tsk tsk, I remember someone saying they weren't interested in Koharu? Your wife's only been gone a few minutes? She's still up there, and you're already making your move?"

"Shut up!" Harunobu demanded angrily. "Don't change the subject! Why are you trying to force me to break with those powerful clans? You know I hate being blackmailed!"

Shiranui Ran rolled her eyes playfully behind her mask: "Come on, what do you mean I forced you? Did I force you to kill them? Or did I threaten you, saying that if you didn't kill these black market merchants, I would kill you?"

"You know so much about this, yet you're still being so proactive. You're obviously holding back to make me feel guilty!"

"To be honest, I never expected you to be so direct and proactive in my initial plan! I was prepared for you to see through my plan and continue to choose to slack off and remain neutral!"

Miss Fox's original plan was to bring Harunobu to the black market to ask him about his approach; first, she would verbally confirm his inclinations, then explain the specific reasons and justifications, and then see if Harunobu wanted to provide action support—who knew that this guy would jump straight to the end and start killing on the spot.

Even you Bracers don't fight your way through every black market like this!

"Tsk." Harunobu clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, feeling seen through, and then continued to skip the conversation with a sense of righteous indignation, "Anyway, just tell me, will the Emperor and Princess Misuru support me or not?"

Shiranui Ran really wanted to say "If you don't help, you'll die" to scare Taira no Shin, but then she thought that this guy would probably say something strange like "If it doesn't work out, I'll just run to England." In the end, she successfully puffed up her cheeks in anger.

"You bastard."

Gritting her teeth, Shiranui Ran couldn't help but pinch Harunobu's waist, "Are you trying to provoke me?!"

"I'm warning you, don't you dare lay a hand on me! I have a wife—bang!"

A loud gunshot interrupted Harunobu's strange ramblings, making him immediately look over seriously.

The gunshots, of course, came from the alleyway, which had been two-thirds clear of Hirako and her two companions, and whose ground was stained red with blood. The black market merchants were clearly on the verge of collapse, and they didn't even care about the difference between the charges of "smuggling firearms" and "murder with a firearm," and used their high-end goods against Hirako and her companions.

The gunfire was like firecrackers, and it was certain that at least twenty guns were firing at the same time.

Haru Tsuchimikado stared nervously inside, muttering to himself, "How dare they fire?"

She actually wanted to say, "They won't die, will they?", but saying that at this moment would be rash and could easily offend Hiraharunobu. So, the moment she opened her mouth, she switched her lines to a seemingly pointless question.

—The man is about to die, why don't you dare to shoot?

This is a black market merchant, not a bastard.

Harunobu raised his hand and then waved it in the air: "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

As if bearing witness for Harunobu, three bright yellow lights illuminated the dim alley, shining on Hirako and her two companions within the light. They stood in a straight line, with Hirako at the head and Koneko at the back. Yellow-orange bullet casings piled up at Hirako's feet, with the top few trembling as they fell from the top of the hill, rolling all the way to Koneko's side, only to be deflected by the yellow light.

"Hmm, it seems Sachiko blocked them all. Their marksmanship doesn't seem very good." Harunobu commented, stroking his chin. But Shiranui Ran and Tsuchimikado Haru could clearly sense that he was actually relieved.

After all, even with defensive magical artifacts as a safety net, and the Ashina-style deflecting sword and the Shimada-style dodge as bullet-resistant attacks, a strong enemy firepower could still break through the defenses. And no matter how skilled one is in swordsmanship, being hit in a vital spot by a bullet will still result in death.

Although the possibility is as low as Godzilla appearing in Tokyo Bay tomorrow—after all, there may be many black market guns, but manpower is certainly limited—otherwise Harunobu wouldn't have felt comfortable letting Taira no Sachiko and the other two go and rack up kills.

But it still makes people a little apprehensive.

We really need to find a completely reliable protection method as soon as possible.

Asahi, Asahi, when will you finally release your Shikai?

Harunobu, strode into the alley, ignoring Shiranui Ran and Tsuchimikado Haru, and touched the hilt of his sword.

The thick, slippery blood made a strange sound as it was trampled by the leather boots, the smell of gunpowder in the air filled the nostrils, and the lucky survivors who were still alive groaned all around, weakly reaching out their hands to Qingxin.

But Harunobu's gaze remained fixed on the three people deep in the alley.

Shiranui Ran and Tsuchimikado Haru followed: "So you're planning to take action yourself? Aren't you being a bit too protective?"

"It's better to do revenge yourself if possible." Since nothing bad has happened, Harunobu was still quite rational. "I just plan to enjoy watching those idiots die up close."

Harunobu's voice traveled through the scarlet alley and reached the ears of Hirako and the other two. Upon receiving permission, the three immediately ran out.

This time, Amu Hojo got to be first.

It is noticeably wider and thicker than a normal katana.

Chapter 280

She raised the demon sword, Dream Transmission, and held it horizontally at her side, pulling her right hand, which was gripping the hilt, behind her back; her left hand was open, pressing lightly above the tip of the sword, as if pressing down on something extremely sharp, showing great caution.

"Shoot! Shoot!"

At the end of the alley, hidden behind a half-body concrete bunker, three teams of black market thugs, spurred on by the prospect of death, quickly finished loading their weapons and aimed at Hojo Amu, who was charging towards them.

The fact that this woman hid behind that monster woman earlier means she definitely couldn't dodge the bullets, and she'll win!

They thought this, and...

boom! ! !

The deafening roar of thunder interrupted their thoughts, as if they had truly been struck by lightning, leaving them momentarily stunned. In that brief moment of bewilderment, Hirako, having fully unleashed her power and mastered the Breath of Thunder, appeared before them.

No Outflow - Secret Technique - Fang Thrust!

Strengthen your mind! 1000%!

Meng Chuanxin struck the concrete bunker, the broad blade arching slightly and bending for a moment. Then, with a bang, the concrete bunker exploded and scattered like a grenade, the flying fragments instantly killing several black market thugs.

But there's no need to regret it, because as the bunker was destroyed, the remaining black market thugs soon died as well.

It's over.

"Die! You government lackeys!!"

Just when everyone thought the battle was over, a sharp voice came from the deepest part of the alley. It was originally a secret passage used for customers who couldn't show their faces, and also for escape in case of emergency.

But at that moment, along with that sharp cry, a series of rapid and heavy footsteps came quickly from inside.