Crash ...
The sound of weeds on the ground being kicked and trampled was endless.
Isshikika saw countless musketeers holding strange-looking muskets appearing from all directions in front of her and approaching her and Ogata.
They formed an arc-shaped formation, half-surrounding her and Ogata, and only stopped when they were only 7 or 8 steps away from the two.
This was the first time since Isshikika was born that she was surrounded by so many people, and was stared at by so many people with ferocious eyes as if they were prey.
The shining guns, the uniform movements, the despairing difference in numbers... the sense of oppression that these musketeers brought to Isshiki was far greater than the group of pirates she and Ogata had previously fought against.
In terms of pressure, the difference between that group of pirates and the group of musketeers in front of them is like the difference between a small hill and Mount Fuji.
——With so many cannons...if we can't even take one step forward, we'll be shot into a sieve...
Isshikika couldn't help but think so in her heart.
Isshikika, who had just thought, "If I try hard, maybe I can drag a few more people to hell," is now in complete despair.
Fear - this most primitive emotion of human beings, at this moment was like a hungry tiger out of a cage, sweeping away all of Isshikika's psychological defenses with great force.
Pale lips.
Cold hands and feet.
My skin felt like an electric current was constantly flowing through it, and goose bumps appeared frequently.
Her heart, which was already beating extremely fast, was now beating even faster as if it was about to jump out of Isshikika's throat at the next moment.
Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and the wakizashi in Isshikika's right hand was now like a live fish just pulled out of the sea, constantly "jumping", trying to break free from Isshikika's hand.
However, even though this "living fish" struggled hard to break free, Isshikika still stubbornly held the wakizashi in her hand.
Plop…
At this moment, Isshikika heard the sound of something falling behind her.
She quickly looked behind her—Ogata was lying face down on the ground.
"Master Ittosai!"
Isshikika let out a low cry of surprise, then quickly turned around and ran back to Ogata's side and helped him up.
Ogata, who had just been able to talk to her normally, now had his eyes closed, breathing weakly, and looked like he had fainted.
Isshikika shook Ogata's body vigorously several times, but failed to make Ogata regain consciousness.
Just when Isshikika was at a loss as to what to do——
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
The heavy footsteps, like the sound of an elephant walking, drew Isshikika's attention uncontrollably.
Although the owner of this series of footsteps was not an elephant, he was almost like an elephant - a burly "giant" who was 2 meters tall.
He carried a huge naginata and swaggered out of the darkness, walking towards Isshikika and the unconscious Ogata. All the musketeers in front of him obediently made way for this "giant".
This "giant" was naturally Soemon.
Zuoemon walked all the way to the middle of the musket formation before stopping.
Looking at Ogata, who was currently being held in Isshikika's arms and seemed to be unconscious, Soemon was stunned at first, then he smiled happily, and the smug look between his eyebrows became even more intense.
“It went really smoothly!”
"Not only did we successfully find Ogata Ittosai, but he happened to be unconscious!"
"God is helping us!"
Soemon didn't know why Ogata, who had been able to cripple so many of their musketeer troops not long ago, suddenly fainted, and he didn't want to delve into the reasons.
After shouting excitedly a few times, Soemon turned his gaze to Isshikika who was holding Ogata in her arms.
"Who are you?"
"Are you Ogata Ittosai's wife? According to the information I know, Ogata Ittosai has a very beautiful wife with a very plump vagina. Your appearance is exactly the same."
Isshikika ignored Soemon's question, which was tinged with mockery.
She thrust the wakizashi in her hand into the mud beside her, then silently and gently laid Ogata on his side on the ground, and pulled out and took away the katana from Ogata's waist.
After slowly getting up from the ground, she held Ogata's katana tightly with both hands and pointed the sharp blade at Soemon in the distance.
"I...I won't let you hurt him!"
Although Isshikika's voice trembled slightly due to fear, her tone did not change in the slightest because of fear - every word she spoke exuded a rock-hard aura.
“Wow…” Zuoemon raised his eyebrows and grinned, “It’s amazing that your hands are shaking like this, but you can still hold the knife steadily.”
"Looking at the way you risked your life to save others, you must be Ogata Ittosai's wife."
"Since you are Ogata Ittosai's wife, then it's perfect - I'll send you and your spouse to hell together, so that neither of you will be alone in hell!"
Zuoemon waved his hand.
"Form a formation!"
As soon as the order was given, the musketeers immediately moved in professional and orderly movements, forming a gun formation.
Soemon is the kind of person who will use the most safe tactics unless he is forced to do so.
There was no need for him to personally raid the camp anymore, so he was happy to just stay behind the gun formation and let the musketeers send Ogata to hell.
In this small forest, all kinds of human life are playing out at this moment.
Soemon was grinning smugly.
The other commanders, seeing that the mission of killing Ogata Ittosai was finally completed, also showed expressions of relief.
The musketeers were forming a gun formation, preparing to shoot Ogata and Isshiki into a hornet's nest.
Almost everyone here had a relieved expression on their face or was smiling.
Only Yisehua looked determined.
She clenched the knife in her hand and closed her eyes.
She opened and closed her lips slightly, and after chanting "Namo Amitabha" in a low voice, she prayed to the gods and Buddhas in her heart in an extremely humble tone:
——Oh Buddha! Oh Bodhisattva! I am willing to endure any hardship, please protect my family and Ichitosai-sama and keep them safe!
After the prayer, the isekai flower opened its eyes.
The musketeers in front of him had already lined up in neat rows.
All they needed was a command from Soemon to level their guns and turn Isshikika, the gorgeous rose, into a blood rose.
——Just come on!
Isshikika suddenly changed her knife-holding stance to a lower stance that was more suitable for running.
She was ready to charge towards the musket formation ahead.
She knew that what she was doing was futile, and she might be shot to death just by taking one or two steps forward.
But she chose to do it anyway.
She stubbornly chose to face death as the daughter of a samurai family and to protect Ogata.
--bring it on!
With tears still gleaming in her eyes, Isshikika stomped her hind legs hard on the ground.
…
…
"...Ms. Isshiki, I'm sorry for leaving you alone to face so many enemies for so long."
…
…
In this forest that was originally filled with the joy of "mission accomplished", the atmosphere suddenly changed in an instant.
Soemon, who had been smiling smugly just now, had his smile froze on his face.
The expressions of those commanders who thought the mission was finally over changed drastically.
The musketeers, who were ready to give orders at any time, showed various expressions at this time. Among these expressions, the most common emotion was panic...
All these changes happened because a man stood up.
When Isshikika heard these softly spoken words of apology, her expression immediately froze.
Before she could turn her head and look back, she saw a familiar big hand reaching out from her side and grabbing her hands that were holding the knife.
" Master Ittosai..."
Isshikika looked at Ogata, who was standing beside her, with an expression that seemed like she wanted to cry but also laugh.
"It's all right now." Ogata smiled and said to her softly, "Leave the rest to me."
After saying that, he took the katana from Isshikika's hand with gentle movements, and stood in front of Isshikika with the katana held in his right hand.
"...Ogata Ittosai, you actually woke up." Zuoemon's face was extremely gloomy at this time, "But even if you wake up now, it's too late. You have been surrounded by us!"
Soemon's sudden words quickly calmed Isshikika's joy at seeing Ogata wake up, and she came back to her senses.
Emotions such as panic and fear once again appeared on Isshikika's face.
Because she realized that even if Ogata woke up, it seemed that the current desperate situation would not change.
Ogata, who had just woken up, must still be in very poor physical condition.
Even if Ogata was in his prime, he would not be able to defeat so many musketeers...
Isshikika couldn't help but cast a worried look at Ogata in front of her: "Master Ittosai..."
Soemon also calmed down.
His current thoughts were similar to Isshikika's - so what if Ogata Ittosai woke up! How good could Ogata Ittosai's physical condition be after he just recovered from a coma?
With his emotions calmed down, Soemon's face once again showed a smug look.
"Ogata Ittosai! What a pity! If you were beaten to death while unconscious, the pain might have been less severe!"
"Then you should tell your men to shoot quickly." As soon as Zuoemon's smug mockery fell, Ogata responded calmly, "Let's see if your men's guns can take my life."
Ogata's words were like a fuse that lit a powder keg, causing Soemon's face to turn gloomy again in an instant.
"Okay! Then I'll do as you wish!"
He raised his big hand high.
"Raise your guns!"
Click, click, click…
Countless muskets were immediately held and pointed at Ogata and Isshikika.
It was the first time she saw a flower with so many bullet holes, and her face turned even paler with shock.
On the other hand, facing the black muzzles of guns in front of him, Ogata's expression remained calm from beginning to end.
It was as if these muskets aimed at him were not advanced flintlock rifles, but toy water guns.
He quietly put the knife in place.
A wisp of night breeze blows at this moment.
The night wind blew open Ogata's clothes slightly, revealing a piece of dark purple skin as big as a fingernail on Ogata's left neck.
At this moment, only this wisp of night wind saw this strange scene—this piece of purple skin as big as a fingernail was shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Finally - disappeared completely.
"Open fire!" The left and right guards swung their raised hands down.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…
"Ah..." Thinking that she was about to be riddled with bullet holes, Isshikika subconsciously closed her eyes and prepared to scream out in pain.
As a result—she had barely uttered one syllable when her cry of pain turned into a scream of surprise.
“Ahhhhh!”
Isshiki looked at Ogata who was "flying" with her in his arms with astonishment.
At the same moment that Soemon shouted "Fire", Ogata suddenly turned around and held Isshiki Ka in his arms in a strange posture - he supported Isshiki Ka's plump buttocks with the crook of his left arm, let Isshiki Ka sit on his left arm facing his right side, and his left palm tightly held Isshiki Ka's fleshy left thigh, holding Isshiki Ka in his arms like this.
The next moment after embracing Isshikika in his arms, Ogata leaped towards a big tree nearby.
The bullets fired by the musketeers were dodged by Ogata who jumped!
No matter the speed of holding Isshikika in his arms or the speed of jumping up, it was so fast that Soemon and others all opened their mouths wide, and their jaws seemed to drop to the ground at any time.
There happened to be an Iga ninja crouching in the big tree that Ogata jumped onto.
Seeing Ogata appear not far from him, the Iga ninja's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously wanted to move away. However, before he could even move his feet, he saw Ogata move in front of him with speed like teleportation and chopped him down from the tree with a knife.
"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"
The commanders, led by Soemon, quickly ordered their musketeers to chase Ogata and shoot.
And this round of their shooting missed again.
After killing the ninja, Ogata did not stop at all and immediately moved towards the next tree holding Isshikihana.
So – the scene that once again stunned Soemon and the others, and also stunned Isshikika who was now held in Ogata’s arms, happened again.
They saw Ogata push hard on the branch he was standing on.
Click!
The branch began to crack like spider silk because it could not withstand the strong force.
Ogata jumped up with enough force to break the branches, and like a cannonball, he leaped at a big tree 13 meters away at an extremely fast speed!
“Aaaaaaah——!”
Isshikika, who experienced a roller coaster a hundred years ahead of the world, screamed and subconsciously wrapped her arms around Ogata's neck to prevent herself from being thrown off.
13 meters, this is a distance that is impossible to jump no matter how hard you try.
However, at this moment, Ogata turned the impossible into possible.
Bang!
Ogata landed steadily on a thick trunk of a big tree 13 meters away.
Isshikika looked at the starting point where Ogata had just leaped with her in his arms in shock, and then looked at Ogata who was very close to her.
"Is this... the Buddha or Bodhisattva appearing?" Isshika said blankly.
"I don't know whether the Buddha or Bodhisattva has appeared or descended to the earth." Ogata smiled at Isshikika, "But I have always been by your side."
At this moment, a series of system sounds rang out in Ogata's mind:
[Ding! The host's physical fitness has been calculated! ]
[Current strength value: difficult to measure]
[Current Agility Value: Difficult to Measure]
[Current reflex nerve value: difficult to measure]
[Current physical strength: difficult to measure]
[Current vitality: cannot be calculated]
The constant mention of “it’s hard to measure” made Ogata’s head hurt.
He now had no time to pay attention to the system sound in his mind or study the new changes in his body.
"Quick! Chase him! We can't let him get away! We can't let him get away!"
Ogata heard Soemon's angry roar and the chaotic footsteps of the musketeers as they rushed towards him and Isshikika with guns in hand.
Standing on a tree branch, Ogata moved his gaze and quickly confirmed the positions of the commanders headed by Soemon who were giving orders.
"…Ms. Isshiki. It might be a bit bumpy. Remember to hold on to me and don't talk, or you'll bite your tongue."
"Oh, okay."
The series of events that had just happened had made Isshikika's thinking ability almost unable to keep up. After responding "OK" stupidly, she wrapped her arms tightly around Ogata's neck.
“…Don’t straighten your back.” Ogata awkwardly moved his eyes slightly to the right, “My view is blocked…”
“I’m sorry…” Isshika’s face turned red as she silently arched her back.
Isshikika is a very tall girl.
She sat behind Ogata's left arm, facing Ogata's right side. When she straightened her waist, her pair of plump fruits were just at the level of Ogata's eyes.
Ogata's entire left eye's vision will be completely blocked by a semicircular object...
After confirming that the Isshiki flower was properly attached to him and that his vision was not blocked, Ogata leaped high again.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang…
The continuous sound of gunfire filled this usually peaceful forest with the smell of gunpowder.
The musketeers chased and shot.
Their pursuit was fierce.
Their firepower is extremely strong.
But they just couldn't hit Ogata.
Ogata was rushing around like the wind.
Sometimes it jumps onto a tree, sometimes it jumps back to the ground.
The musketeers chased after his figure and fired, but could only hit the afterimage he left behind.
"That guy...what on earth did he do...what on earth did he do...?!"
The transition from great joy to great sorrow often only takes a moment - at this time, Zuoemon deeply interpreted the meaning of this sentence.
He, who had been so smug just a moment ago, now had a look of inexplicable fear on his face and a look of astonishment mixed with fear as he watched the others dodging the bullets they shot with the agility of a cheetah.
"This guy...why did he suddenly become so strong?"
Soemon felt his heart drop into his stomach.
Almost all the commanders and all the musketeers now had the same expression as Soemon.
While Soemon's mind was still in a state of chaos due to the overwhelming fear and shock—
“Aaaaaaah!”
Soemon heard the screams of one of his subordinates.
Ogata, who had been dodging just now, suddenly changed his offensive and jumped from the tree into a formation of guns.
He simply used gravity to split a poor musketeer's head in half.
Ogata's counterattack officially began.