The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

"rain……"

The word came out of his chapped lips so softly it was almost inaudible.

But Chun'an heard it.

"Damn it, it's raining!!!"

This time it was a roar.

For the first time in his life, Changqing felt the terror of defying fate.

"It's raining! It's raining!!!"

Every exhausted guard raised his head.

Raindrops pattered softly on the charred wood, and wisps of white steam rose in the setting sun, making the whole city seem like the land of the dead.

The rain is getting heavier.

"Snapped!"

A clap of thunder seemed to tear a hole in the sky, and winter rain poured down.

The rain soaked the scorched earth and extinguished the embers.

"Fire! The fire outside the city is about to go out!" the lookout soldier shouted, his voice trembling.

Changqing took a deep breath, wiped his face, and shook off the rainwater mixed with blood.

We can't hold out any longer. We only have about forty men left, and thirty horses in the inner city...

"Brothers! This rain is our farewell drink! When we've had our fill, let's break through! The wounded can hide in the chaos!"

Changqing knew that even if his soldiers surrendered, they wouldn't survive. Ando's army was thoroughly enraged; they wouldn't have the face to return home without achieving enough merit.

"roar!!!"

His response was a roar far more ferocious than ever before.

The raindrops grew denser in the twilight, quickly forming lines and finally turning into a curtain of rain that enveloped the entire Moribu Castle.

For the desperate defenders of the inner city, the winter rain extinguished their hopes of holding the city.

However, for Ando's army outside the city, this was nothing short of divine assistance!

"Rain! It's raining!"

"Thank God!"

"The fire's about to go out! Charge in and kill them all!"

The cheers from Ando's troops merged into a deafening roar. Ando's soldiers, who had been utterly exhausted, seemed to have been infused with new life.

Ando Mori stood under the canopy of the main camp, ecstatic, and exclaimed, "Heaven's will! This is Heaven's will to destroy that brat Mori! Order the entire army that as soon as the fire weakens, launch a full-scale attack on the inner castle! Whoever beheads Mori Nagayoshi will be rewarded with 100 koku! No, 300 koku!"

"roar!!!"

However, before Ando's army could even regroup, Nagayoshi led his men out to attack.

Takenaka Shigeharu showed no joy whatsoever. "Father-in-law, the Mori clan is fierce; please follow me across the river!"

"A counterattack? With just his few dozen defeated soldiers?" Ando Mamoru scoffed, his gaze piercing through the rain, fixed on the inner city. "I want to see his head roll!"

"Father-in-law, please listen to me!"

……

Inside the inner city, the cavalry were ready to fight to the death.

"Charge with me! Cover the wounded soldiers as they escape!" Changqing shouted.

Before Ando's army could form a proper formation, this was their only chance to break through.

"kill!"

Nagayoshi took the lead, and Soza Samonji transformed into a fierce arc of light, slashing into the neck of the front row of foot soldiers.

Chun'an followed closely behind, sweeping his naginata horizontally, bringing with it a shower of blood.

"Madmen! A bunch of madmen!" Ando's soldiers were intimidated by the suicidal spirit of this group.

Changqing had lost count of how many times he had swung his sword and how many people he had killed. He had taken a spear thrust to his left arm, from which blood gushed, and his right leg had also been slashed, causing him to become sluggish.

Only then did he realize that even with the Sword Master System, he was not invincible.

But thinking about how he had never run away from this life, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Good spring! Have the wounded soldiers left the city yet?"

"I can't see anyone here!"

"Alright, now it's our turn to break through!"

That being said, the enemy's encirclement grew thicker and thicker, with swords and spears everywhere.

Changqing planned to find an opportunity to shoot the enemy's commander, but he couldn't find him at all.

It seems that this is really all I can go in this lifetime!

"Waaah..."

A conch shell! It's the Oda family's conch shell!

……

In the Ando family's main camp.

A rapid sound of horses' hooves approached.

A messenger covered in mud almost tumbled off his saddle and collapsed in front of Takenaka Shigeharu.

"Report! Lord Ando! Lord Takenaka! Something terrible has happened! Lord Hibino's troops have been attacked by Shibata Katsuie and Mori Yoshinari, and have... have been routed! Shibata's army is advancing rapidly this way! Furthermore, intelligence reports that Oda Nobunaga's main force has crossed the Nagara River!"

"What?!" Ando Mamoru was struck dumb, his earlier smugness turning to shock and rage. "Saito Tatsuoki ignored our advice! I never expected Hibino to be defeated so quickly!"

Takenaka Shigeharu's expression changed drastically. "Father-in-law! We can't delay any longer! Shibata Katsuie is the Oda clan's top general, and his army is formidable. With the Hibino army routed, our flank is completely exposed. If Shibata and Oda's main force arrive, the consequences will be unimaginable! We must retreat immediately!"

"Damn it... I was so close!" Mamoru Ando growled in frustration.

"To let petty gains cloud one's judgment is the act of a wise man! Please, sir, withdraw immediately!"

Ando Mamoru could only stomp his foot angrily and grit his teeth, saying, "Retreat! Send the order to retreat towards Ōgaki Castle! Quickly!"

Military orders are absolute. Upon hearing the sound of the conch shell and seeing that the main camp's cavalry had moved northwest, Ando's army had no choice but to quickly disengage from the battle.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield that had been filled with the sounds of battle was now reduced to just Changqing and a dozen or so of his men.

The ground was littered with corpses, along with the entire ruins, steaming in the winter rain.

A moment later, a troop of elite cavalry swept in like a black whirlwind. Both men and horses were clad in fine armor, with tunics draped over their backs.

One side was crimson, the other jet black, yet they still stood out strikingly against the gloomy, rainy sky.

It was Oda Nobunaga's elite force—the Moi-shu.

At the very front of the column, a general reined in his horse; it was none other than Sasa Narimasa, the leader of the Black-Clad Army, with Maeda Toshiie behind him.

Chengzheng's gaze swept over the devastated Moribu Castle.

The outer city was a charred ruin, while inside, corpses piled up like mountains. He had never witnessed such a horrific scene since his first battle.

He swallowed hard, wanting to ask Changqing "why not withdraw?", but because of their discord, he couldn't bring himself to do it in front of so many people.

Maeda Toshiie was about to dismount when he was stopped by Sasa Narimasa.

"The order is to continue the pursuit!" He paused, "to avenge the Mori's men!"

Maeda Toshiie glanced at Nagayoshi, nodded stiffly, and then whipped his horse and rode away.

Watching the troops depart, Sasa Narimasa slowly removed the naval hat from his head, then bowed his head toward Nagayoshi and the remaining soldiers behind him.

"Sorry I'm a little late..."

Changqing stared blankly at this scene.

He wanted to say something. Like, "You've finally arrived," or "It's not too late," or even just twitch the corners of his mouth and give a nonchalant smile.

But something hot and sour was stuck in my throat, overwhelming it, and then it came out through my nose and eyes.

He couldn't utter a single word...

The hand holding the knife began to tremble uncontrollably.

My vision started to sway, and my eyes started to move erratically on their own.

The last thing I heard was Chun'an's shouts and the endless sound of horses' hooves.

"Take good care of him, the main force will be there soon!"

Sasa Narimasa put his shinobi back on and caught up with Maeda Toshiie.

……

Moribe Castle was ultimately defended, albeit in a tragic manner.