Crash...
It seemed as if the wind and rain had subsided a little, pouring on the "charcoal head" whose crazy smile had not dissipated until it was separated from the body.
And the next moment after Toyotomi's head fell to the ground, the flesh threads that had been wriggling on his body suddenly dissipated.
No more strands of flesh were seen emerging to repair the body.
Toyotomi was never seen getting up from the ground again.
Ogata had been holding on and fighting with Toyotomi to the end.
Now, looking at Toyotomi's body which was finally silent, the nerves in Ogata's mind that had been tense for a long time finally relaxed.
——It’s…over…
The moment his tense nerves relaxed, waves of intense fatigue suddenly hit Ogata like an electric current.
The added strength brought by Yashamaru also disappeared at this moment.
As soon as he came out of the "Yaksha Realm", the fatigue wrapped around Ogata's limbs and bones immediately increased exponentially.
At the same time, what also disappeared was the "transparent state"... or in other words: the integration with the world.
The world in my eyes returned to normal. I could no longer clearly see the trajectory of the wind and rain.
I can no longer hear those strange "sounds" in my ears.
(Ding! The host merges with the world!)
(I am you, and I am the world.)
Recalling the system voice that just sounded in his mind and the words that "Ogata Issei" said to him, Ogata couldn't help but have a feeling of enlightenment.
It turns out that the name "Transparent Realm" that he and Genichi came up with was ridiculously inappropriate.
It's not that the world has become transparent in their eyes.
Instead, they have become one with the world. They can see clearly how the world works and also borrow... the power of the world!
Ogata tried to call out "Ogata Yose" in his mind.
But no matter how he called out... the voice of "Ogata Issey" no longer rang in his mind.
Seeing that the voice of "Ogata Yisei" was no longer heard, Ogata felt a little lonely for no reason...
Crash...
The cool touch from the instep brought Ogata back to his senses from his state of enlightenment.
He lowered his head and saw that the wreckage beneath his feet had almost been swallowed by the sea, and the sea water had already reached his feet.
——We must... find a way to leave here quickly...
Ogata put the Daishikuten back into the scabbard, covered his charred right arm, which no longer emitted smoke, and turned his eyes to look around for a suitable sized wooden board that could help him return to the shore, or other things that could come in handy.
But at this moment - he caught a glimpse of something with bright colors out of the corner of his eye.
Turning around, he saw that it was the brocade box containing the eight hundred nuns.
After Toyotomi ate big mouthfuls of the flesh of the heads of the eight hundred nuns, he threw the heads back into the brocade box.
So when you look around, you can see the extremely broken head of the Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis riding on a brocade box, floating gently with the rising sea water.
Looking at this unrecognizable head, a trace of pity crept into Ogata's eyes.
Ogata, Toyotomi and others simply absorbed the "immortal power" suppressed by the "Henwakamaru" and became "monsters" that ordinary people could not reach.
It is hard to imagine how powerful the Eight Hundred Bhikkhuni, who possessed the most orthodox and comprehensive "immortal power", was during her lifetime.
Although he possessed such terrible power, he never thought of using it to bring disaster to the world, and was willing to live in the shadow of history.
Even when he committed suicide, he chose to do so in a remote little cave in his hometown, quietly completing the last journey of his life.
Such a peaceful woman was used as a tool by Toyotomi to realize his ambitions after her death, and her body was cut into thousands of pieces for the "immortality experiment".
The only remaining head... had become a bloody mess.
Looking at the head of Yaobikuni that was about to drift away, Ogata did not hesitate - he dragged the trembling body towards the direction where the brocade box was.
After dragging his body to the brocade box, Ogata bent down, gently closed the box, and then tucked the box under his armpit.
"Wait... Ogata Issei..."
Like a bolt from the blue - after Ogata tucked the brocade box containing the heads of eight hundred nuns under his armpit, a male voice... which was very familiar to Ogata, but also a little unfamiliar because he had heard this voice a long time ago, sounded from behind Ogata.
Hearing the male voice suddenly sounding behind him, Ogata was startled at first, then he regained his composure and slowly turned around.
After seeing the face of the owner of the voice clearly, a complicated expression spread across Ogata's face.
Standing in front of Ogata was a young man of the same age as Ogata, with a katana with a yellow handle and a red sheath slung around his waist.
The young man's physical condition at this moment... was the same as Ogata's - visibly weak.
His left arm had been severed at the elbow, and in order to stop the blood loss, a white strip was tied tightly around his left shoulder.
In addition, he also had dozens of burns of varying sizes on his body.
His cheeks were as pale as if they were covered with white powder due to pain and blood loss.
But even though his body was already broken, the young man still stood straight and stared at Ogata with eyes filled with hatred.
Prajna - People of the Toyotomi clan would call this young man this when they saw him.
But after meeting this young man... Ogata would only call him this -
"...Itagaki, seeing you here, for some reason, I'm not surprised at all..."
This young man... or rather: Prajna, is none other than Itagaki Shichigoro, a loyal follower of Toyama who was killed by Ogata at the "Kei Shin Enbu" when Ogata was still an unknown and poor samurai in the Hirose domain!
At this moment, although Ogata was surprised to see this "old friend" whom he had not seen for a long time suddenly appear in front of him, he was not too surprised.
This was because last night in Osaka, I met the owner of the Ishikawa Sword Hall, Ishikawa Heima, and the old owner told Ogata that several disciples of their sword hall, led by Itagaki, left the sword hall and the feudal state in order to avenge the murder of Toyama, and were searching for Ogata everywhere.
"Ha...hahahaha..." Itagaki laughed happily, "Ogata Nosuke...you also have...this day...I chose to serve...Lord Toyotomi...it was indeed the right choice..."
Every time he looked at Ogata's bruised and battered body, the joy on Itagaki's face grew more intense.
Previously, after receiving the task from Toyotomi to "give a signal to Master Xianyuan on his behalf", Itagaki faithfully carried out this task without any hesitation or doubt.
Itagaki has almost unlimited enthusiasm for all tasks related to "killing Ogata".
He completed this task almost perfectly - after seeing Toyotomi holding up his pierced left palm, he immediately pulled the fuse of the fireworks in his hand to inform Master Xianyuan in the ammunition depot.
Then he was blown into the sky.
Miraculously, Itagaki wasn't seriously injured.
He just had some insignificant burns on his body, and his left arm was crushed by a collapsed heavy object.
When Itagaki woke up, Ogata had just knocked down Toyotomi with the "Thunder Sword".
After seeing Ogata beheading Toyotomi from afar, the expression on Itagaki's face changed rapidly.
Ogata is now covered in wounds and in visibly bad condition, unable to even stand steadily.
If he didn't show up now and stop Ogata, he would probably run away.
If he runs away... I don't know how long I'll have to wait to find him again.
And even if I am lucky enough to find him again in the future...can he still be as choking as he is now?
Now... this may be his best and only chance to take revenge on Ogata!
Having made up his mind, Itagaki made up his mind - in order to quickly get rid of the heavy object that was pressing down on his left arm, he drew his knife and directly cut off his left arm!
The complex emotions on Ogata's face had disappeared at this moment.
His expression calmed down and he quietly looked at Itagaki who was laughing happily.
"...I met your master Ishikawa Heima in Osaka last night."
Ogata's words slowly stopped Itagaki's laughter.
This time, it was Itagaki who showed a complicated expression on his face.
"After you left the Hirose Domain, your master immediately closed the sword hall and went around looking for you."
"Your master asked me to tell you something after I see you: I, as your master, left my hometown alone despite my advanced age, just to find you. I suffered a lot for this. Even if you consider your master's face, please return to Hirose Domain as soon as possible..."
"Shut up!"
Before Ogata could finish his words, he was interrupted by Itagaki with a roar.
"How much time and effort do you think I spent to get this chance to take revenge on you?"
With a fierce look on his face, Itagaki swung his right arm.
"Those people who followed me to leave the vassal state and seek revenge on you for Brother Yuanshan are all a bunch of cowards who gave up halfway!"
"Not long after I left the Hirose Domain, I was the only one left who insisted on seeking revenge on you!"
"I went through countless hardships before I finally had the chance to meet Lord Toyotomi. Lord Toyotomi, who was also hunting you, gave me hope to find you and take revenge on you!"
"Hahahahaha! More than ten days ago, at the 'Grand Test' in Osaka, after hearing your voice and seeing Sakakibara Ittoryu's swordsmanship, I was so happy that I almost fainted!"
The fierce look on Itagaki's face became more and more intense.
"Senior Brother Yuanshan's revenge has not yet been avenged!"
"How can I just go back home like this?!"
After saying that, Itagaki quickly pulled out the sword that Toyotomi had rewarded him with.
Ogata saw it all but said nothing.
He just quietly...pulled out the Great Shitian that he had just put back into the sheath.
"Come on!" Itagaki shouted, "Ogata Yoshisei! Let's put an end to this!"
Is there any way for him to defeat Ogata who has been seriously injured?
Itagaki didn't know.
He only knew that this was the best opportunity to avenge Yuanshan. If he missed it, he would almost never get it back.
This was enough reason for him to draw his sword and rush towards Ogata at this moment, regardless of everything!
Itagaki stepped on the sea water and ran towards Ogata.
When they were two meters away, he switched the knife in his hand to an upper stance.
Ogata did not move.
He simply spread his legs leisurely, stood still, held the Great Shitian with both hands, and held the Great Shitian in a middle stance in front of him.
The two passed each other -
Phew…
The dull sound of flesh being cut rang out the moment the two passed each other...
Itagaki followed the momentum of the charge, passed Ogata, took a few steps forward, and then collapsed to the ground.
And Ogata——maintained his sword-drawing stance, standing still.
A string of blood beads remaining on the tip of the sword rolled into the sea under Ogata's feet under the splashing raindrops.
“Cough… cough cough…!” Itagaki coughed violently.
Every time he coughed, a handful of blood flew out of his mouth.
A huge cut on the vital part of his waist and abdomen slowly opened up like a blooming flower.
Itagaki felt as if his entire waist had been cut in half, and found it difficult to move his lower body.
And this "numb feeling" of being unable to move was spreading rapidly from his lower body to all parts of his body.
"Yuanshan... Senior Brother..."
A voice as thin as a gossamer flowed out from Itagaki's lips, which had already lost their color.
"I'm sorry... in the end... I still couldn't... kill Ogata Issei for you personally..."
"But... I'm not... I have no achievements at all..."
Itagaki raised his head with all his strength and cast a mocking look at Ogata behind him.
"Although I didn't hit... him... but I did... further drain his... strength...!"
“Hahahaha…Ogata Issei…If I can make you…die in the belly of a fish…I won’t be considered…to have failed in my revenge…!”
“Hahahahahahaha…!”
Itagaki seemed to concentrate all his strength on his lips, tongue and throat, and laughed hard.
Laugh, laugh.
I laughed until the laughter became weaker and weaker...
I laughed until the laughter stopped...
He kept laughing until... Itagaki's head drooped with his eyes round and cheeks full of laughter, and he was no longer able to breathe...
Ogata glanced back at Itagaki, whose life was already gone, and slowly put the Daishikuten back into the sheath.
He took a step forward holding the brocade box containing the heads of eight hundred bhikkhunis.
“Hmm…!”
Ogata's brows were instantly furrowed together, with only pain and fatigue in his expression.
The brief duel with Itagaki just now did not cause any further physical injuries.
But the sword he swung at Itagaki…drained the last bit of strength he had left…
Ogata now felt as if he had lost control of his limbs and couldn't even lift them.
Not only did the body lose control, but even the consciousness began to leave the mind.
Plop—Ogata, holding the brocade box, fell face down in the sea water that had already reached his ankles, making a crisp "plop" sound.
——Wake up! Now is not the time to sleep!
Ogata bit his tongue again.
But no matter how hard he bit, the pain could no longer restore his consciousness or control of his limbs.
Not to mention consciousness and limbs, he couldn't even control his eyelids.
No matter how he struggled, his eyelids, which were getting heavier, kept falling down...
——I can’t… just fall asleep like this…
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
The next moment when his eyelids completely drooped and his vision turned pitch black, Ogata heard the "gulp, gulp" sound of the sea water enveloping his entire body...
This was the last sound Ogata heard after his consciousness was completely cut off.
…
…
On the coast -
"Senior Asai! Can this piece of wood be used as a boat?" Shimada asked loudly to Asai beside him.
"Of course it's impossible! A wooden board like this will sink into the sea as soon as you step on it!"
On the coast, Ating and others were looking for something that could help them cross the sea.
After seeing the sudden explosion of the Hikari Maru, even Atachi and Asai found it difficult to remain calm.
Eager to know what happened to the ship and what happened to Ogata and the others, they searched the shore for something that could help them cross the sea.
They were just a bunch of old, weak, sick and disabled people, so naturally they did not have the ability like Yuan Yi and his friends to cross the sea by holding a large wooden board. So they could only look for something that could be used as a boat.
But how could one find anything that could be used as a boat on such a desolate beach?
So Ating and others searched everywhere for useful things, but still found nothing.
While everyone was still busy with anxious looks on their faces——
"Ah! Look! It's Mr. Makimura! Mr. Makimura is back!"
Azhu suddenly pointed towards the sea and shouted in an excited tone.
Hearing Azhu's loud shout, A-Machi, Asai and others were immediately shocked, and they quickly looked up and followed the direction Azhu pointed.
On the sea, I saw a tall Mucun rowing a small wooden boat straight towards the coast.
Looking closely - besides Makimura, there were also Lin and Genichi on the boat. Both of them seemed to be asleep at this moment, with their eyes closed.
Apart from Mucun, Lin, and Yuanyi, there was no one else on the boat ...
A-Ming and the others rushed to the shore without hesitation. Before Makimura reached the shore, Asai took the lead and shouted to Makimura:
"Makimura! Where is Mamiya and Ittosai?!"
Mucun had long anticipated that he would be questioned like this when he returned to the shore, so he calmly recounted the scenes that had happened on the ship before.
When he, Makimura, Lin and Genichi fled, they quickly stole two escape boats from the Hikari Maru and prepared to return to the shore by boat.
And not long after they escaped from the Hikari Maru in the boat... the Hikari Maru suddenly exploded and almost overturned the boat beneath them.
Ogata...is still on the Hikari Maru.
So, after seeing the explosion of the Hikari Maru, Mamiya made a prompt decision - he asked Makimura to take Lin and Genichi, who had fainted due to his injuries, back to the shore first, and he went back alone to check on the situation on Ogata's side.
Knowing that one of them had to take Lin and Genichi back to the shore, Makimura didn't argue with Mamiya. After replying "I know" to Mamiya, he and Mamiya split up. He first brought Lin and Genichi back to the shore, and after ensuring their safety, he came back to help search for Ogata who was swallowed by the explosion.
Looking at Atachi and the others who had injuries of varying degrees on their bodies for unknown reasons, Makimura was full of questions.
But now is not the time to ask slow questions.
After handing Lin and Genichi over to Atachi and others, Makimura immediately turned the boat around and prepared to return to the still burning "fireball".
"Wait a minute!" When Makimura was about to set off again, Ating stopped him, "I'll go with you!"
"No!" Mucun refused without hesitation.
He glanced at Ating's awkward standing posture, which was caused by the multiple injuries and made her unable to stand steadily, and said seriously:
"Ms. A-Ting, you are injured. It is not appropriate for you to go out to sea with me."
"Besides, this boat is very small. If one more person is on board, it will slow down the speed and cause delays."
"Leave it to me."
With a determined look in his eyes, Mucun clapped the oars in his hands.
"Brother Ogata is also my brother."
"I will definitely bring Brother Ogata back safely!"
After hearing Makimura's well-reasoned reasons for refusing her to go with him, as well as the persuasion of Azuchi and others, A-Machi, biting her lower lip tightly, finally gave up the idea of ​​following Makimura to find Ogata.
Hualala… la ...
The thick dark clouds that had been pouring down torrential rain with the force of overwhelming the entire ocean finally seemed tired and the rain slowly stopped.
Along with the rain, the strong wind, raging waves and thunder also slowly subsided.
The heavy rain gradually turned into moderate rain, then light rain, and finally - not a drop of water fell.
The dense dark clouds that had been separating the sky and the earth finally dispersed.
It was evening now.
All I saw were those dark clouds floating and wandering in the clean sky after the heavy rain, some in the east and some in the west.
The unique dark red glow of the evening shone through the clouds, giving each dark cloud a circle of red edges, making the black clouds look even more charming.
Even the dark clouds were covered with a layer of red sunset glow, but it failed to dye red the pale cheeks of Ating, who was standing on the shore like a helpless child .