A Samurai Duel to the Death

Some powerful warriors would also arrange marriages with noble families, that is, they could marry young ladies from scholarly families.

In this world where women can also become samurai, the same principle applies to women from samurai families. If they are daughters of ordinary samurai families, they are destined to marry burly men.

She would spend her whole life worrying that her husband might die at any moment. When her son grew up, he would also go to the battlefield and experience the same thrilling things. After her husband, she would worry about her son. She would never have a peaceful life.

But if they become samurai and achieve great feats, everything changes. They gain more control in matters of marriage and can even attract gentlemen from scholarly families to marry into their household.

Over time, women becoming warriors came to represent the pursuit of happiness throughout their lives.

Fighting while saving money for her dowry, and if she meets her ideal husband, she'll snatch him away and force herself on him—isn't that the ideal life for a strong woman?

As the group of burly and fierce female warriors passed by, Shirou suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"Wait! I think I smell a good man!" A burly woman walking ahead suddenly stopped and said.

"Where? Where? It really is! The scent of a perfect family man!" A woman of average height and build, standing eight feet tall and wide, exclaimed in a shrill voice, her nostrils flaring.

"It looks delicious! Where is it?! Find it now!" Several other women also shouted in a frenzy.

The female warriors, their arms bulging with ferocious muscles, their eyes gleaming with the savage light of hungry wolves, licked their lips and looked around, searching for the scent of a good man.

"Yukino, now that we've already gone around, let's go back!" Shirou decisively pulled young Yukino back to their residence.

After that, Shirou summoned the four farmers and arranged their work.

"Now, I ask you to go out into the streets and find some strong samurai, um... please only find male samurai, and ask them to come here and meet me," Shirou said solemnly to the farmers, especially emphasizing the male aspect.

"Yes... I'd like to agree to that too, but it's not possible for just the few of us. We've already tried everything, from bowing deeply to offering him rice for a meal," the older farmer, already showing signs of aging in his forties, said pitifully.

"Those who are willing to talk to us are just weak samurai who run away as soon as they hear we're going to fight the bandits. The stronger samurai don't want to talk to us at all," another younger man added, his face also contorted with tears.

"Yes..." The other farmers also showed helplessness and bitterness.

Shirou understood. So that's why they all looked panicked when they heard he was going out. They had learned from past mistakes.

'But now I can't go out myself.'

After all, Shirou is now the one who initiated the conscription of samurai, so it is only natural that he should be the leader and commander of this battle. Leading troops into battle requires dignity, so he must act like a leader.

Even as a leader who helps farmers fight against bandits, it is precisely because of this that he must show more of his persuasive abilities.

Shirou must project an air of confidence and mastery to inspire the warriors who have come here, earning their trust and their loyalty in their campaign against the bandits.

If a leader were to go out on the streets to solicit people, his persuasiveness would be greatly diminished.

'Besides... it's too dangerous to go outside now...'

"It's alright. This time, tell the stronger-looking samurai that I'm recruiting warriors for the battle and invite them inside for a chat. If they're interested, I'm sure they'll do me the honor of coming," Shirou said to the farmer with a friendly smile, encouraging him.

Shirou's calm demeanor and confident, sincere smile touched the farmers and gave them confidence.

"I understand. We'll go out and try. We'll definitely find a samurai willing to come," the burly farmer in the lead agreed, pulling his companions outside.

With Shirou in charge this time, the farmer was merely acting as a messenger to extend invitations to passing samurai, thus establishing an equal dialogue. Hearing that samurai were gathering men for battle, some ronin samurai who were looking for work agreed to come and see.

The first person invited over was a tall, fat samurai in his thirties with a thick beard and a fierce look. He walked towards us from a distance.

"Master, a samurai is coming." Yukino, who was peeking out from the doorway to check the situation, turned around and reported.

"Yes, Yukino, why don't you try him?" Shirou picked out a round tree branch about the size of a wooden sword from the pile of firewood in the corner of the house and handed it to the girl.

"Huh? Try it? Master? You want me to duel him?" Yukino was stunned for a moment, then took the wooden stick and asked in a daze.

She glanced at the wooden stick in her hand, then at the tall, stout warrior, four times her size, slowly approaching from outside, and thought, 'This must be a trial my master has given me!'

The girl clenched her little fist, mustered her courage, looked at Shirou earnestly, and replied, "I understand! Master! Yukino will do her best! I'll definitely beat him, I'll show you!"

"No, no! I haven't Sparta that level yet." Shirou looked at the girl and shook his head with amusement, pointing to a dead corner by the entrance and telling the girl to stand there.

"Huh? Isn't this a sneak attack?" Yukino asked her master, looking on with a blank expression.

"Go ahead and do it. Any capable samurai won't fall for it," Shirou reassured the girl, gesturing for her to hurry up and prepare.

"I understand." Yukino nodded, hid to one side of the doorway, and raised the wooden stick high.

As the footsteps outside reached the door, Yukino mustered her strength and slammed the wooden stick down on the samurai's head.

The tall, stout samurai, hearing the whistling wind, immediately grabbed the arm of the young Yukino was holding a stick of firewood, and flung her away with a forceful throw.

At this moment, it seems that even the Yukino Servant she was in contact with had become juvenile, so she could not exert even one-tenth of Ushiwakamaru's fighting power in his previous life. However, she was still agile. She was thrown into the air, but quickly regained her balance, flipped in the air, and took a few steps back when her feet landed, just managing to lean against the wall without getting injured.

Shirou nodded in satisfaction at the girl's performance. Even though she was still quite inexperienced, she was indeed full of potential.

However, the samurai who was attacked felt insulted.

"Damn it! Are you kidding me?" The samurai who entered bristled, glaring at Yukino, then at Shirou sitting in the entryway, and roared, "What's going on? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I won't let this go!"

"Please don't be angry. Actually, there is a very urgent battle to fight, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic to test the strength of the samurai I have gathered," Shirou said, standing up and bowing.

"A war? Is it for some daimyo or a castle lord?" The samurai sized up Shirou, noticing that the man's calm and composed demeanor was quite unusual, so he suppressed his anger and asked.

"No, although it's hard to accept, this time it's to help farmers' villages defend against bandits. The only reward is two meals of white rice a day, nothing else. What do you think?" Shirou explained to the other party, then asked with a kind smile.

"Hmph! You can't hire me for that cheap! You idiot! Don't joke around!" The samurai's eyes blazed with anger at Shirou's words, and he was about to lash out.

However, seeing Shirou's smile and glancing at the katana with its exquisite hilt and guard on Shirou's body, she finally angrily flung her hand and turned to leave.

"Oh dear... it seems it still won't work." Shirou chuckled helplessly. Although he had tried his best to play the role of the leader, it was clear that charisma wasn't something that could be acquired overnight. A story like the Oath of the Peach Garden was proving too difficult.

"Master, what a pity. He was such a powerful samurai," Yukino said with great regret.

"No, this one is only average. If I had a choice, I would prefer to find at least an above-average partner. That would increase our survival rate." Shirou shook his head and then looked at the girl with a light smile.

"But speaking of which, Yukino, you dodged very well just now. You have a high talent for agility and technique. With more training, you might be able to defeat that samurai very soon."

"Really! Master, please train me a lot!" Yukino didn't doubt Shirou's words and agreed with sparkling eyes.

"Yes, I'll teach you everything you can learn during this time," Shirou replied with a smile.

Although he didn't understand the specific principles behind this world, it was certain that it was somewhat related to Servant. In his previous world, Servant were categorized not only by class but also by five factions: Heaven, Earth, Human, Star, and Beast.

Even within the same Servant, there can be beings belonging to different factions.

The "human" camp consists of historical figures from after the Age of Gods who made contributions to humanity and were recognized as heroes after their deaths.

The "Earth" faction is one whose heroic deeds are passed down in myths and epics, and has gradually become deeply rooted in people's hearts over thousands of years;

The 'Heaven' faction generally consists of humans and monsters possessing divine blood;

The 'Star' faction differs from the Heaven, Earth, and Human factions; it represents humanity's hope and symbolizes humanity's victory over adversity and hardship.

The 'Beast' faction is a calamity for humanity, the natural enemy that will destroy humankind;

Outside the street, the farmers continued their arduous search for what appeared to be a stronger warrior.

The next samurai arrived, Ushiwakamaru once again stood in the dead corner of the entrance, raising his wooden stick high.

This time, a tall, blue-haired man with a headband and a hearty smile walked up and stopped in front of the door. Seeing Shirou smiled amicably and said, "Let's not joke about this anymore."

This somewhat kind-looking man had already sensed Yukino's ambush even before entering the room; he was at least a high-ranking samurai.

"Haha, that's really rude of me." Shirou scratched his cheek and laughed, gesturing for Yukino to put down the stick and stand up to bow to the man outside.

The man entered the room, bowed to Shirou in return, and thus began this virtuous relationship.

The man wore a headscarf with his long ponytail tied up. He had a cheerful and friendly smile on his face. He was dressed in a scarlet kimono, with one side of the collar pulled down to reveal his muscular chest and left arm. A bow and quiver of arrows hung on his back.

He carried a large sack of rice, tied tightly with hemp rope, on his shoulder, but it was now more than half deflated.

Shirou greeted the man and led him to a seat, poured him a cup of hot tea, and then explained the purpose of their visit.

"I see, it's for the farmers who were invaded by bandits." Hearing Shirou's words, the man, holding the small car, nodded.

"What do you think?" Shirou asked the man.

"I understand. I'll take this job."

"That's wonderful! Master, thank you, sir. You are also a righteous person worthy of respect." Yukino ran up happily and said to the man.

"Haha, but rather than saying I want to save the farmers, I'd say I admire your character. This time, let me lend you a hand," the man said, looking at Shirou.

"Having a skilled helper like you is truly reassuring. I am Muramasa... no, please call me 'Shirou.' May I ask your name?" Shirou looked at the man earnestly and said.

"Haha, nice to meet you, General! Just call me Tawara Toda." The blue-haired man said with a hearty laugh.

"Tawara Toda? The one who shot the giant centipede and killed Taira no Masakado...?" Shirou said in surprise.

"Huh? You know me? That's quite an honor, considering there are even more remarkable people here. But then again, this is a truly wondrous world, like a mix of several eras, it's interesting everywhere you go." Tawara Toda scratched the back of his head and laughed heartily.

This was a man who didn't concern himself with trivial matters, but at this moment he also showed a somewhat troubled expression and continued speaking.

"The only bad thing is that my Noble Phantasm has been sealed. It was a bag of rice that the Dragon God bestowed upon me, which I could enjoy forever, but now it's almost empty. What a headache."

"I knew it! But it's alright, there's nothing else this time, but at least we can have a full meal of rice," Shirou said with a smile.

"Yeah, as long as there's delicious white rice, I can stay anywhere, hahaha." Tawara Toda agreed cheerfully.

"Master! What was that Tawara Toda talking about just now?" Yukino reminded him from the side.

"By the way, who was that remarkable person you mentioned before?" Shirou asked.

"Ah, that's a great swordsman who lives on East Street. He wields an exaggeratedly long nodachi (a type of katana), and one strongman after another in the neighborhood is vying to challenge him. It feels to me like his duels with others are already over before they even begin," said Tawara Toda, nodding appreciatively as he recalled the duel he had witnessed.

"Oh, are there such experts around?" Shirou asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Master, let's go look for it now," Yukino quickly suggested.

"Don't worry about me. If you want to see that person, he's in the middle of East Street. You can't go wrong if there's a crowd watching him. I'll keep an eye on things here for you in the meantime," said Tawara Toda.

"Because time is really tight, and I'm also anxious to find the five members, I'll leave this place in your care." Shirou bowed again, entrusting the place to the man.

"Five? So this young samurai isn't included?" Tawara Toda asked the girl with a smile.

"Yes! Master, I! I'm a samurai too!" Yukino said, pointing to herself on tiptoe.

"No, children don't count," Shirou said, pressing the girl's head down.

"Really... I'm begging you, Tawara Toda!" Yukino said, though she was very dissatisfied, she still bowed and pleaded.

"Don't be shy. By the way, what are your requirements for the samurai level you'd like to interview?" Tawara Toda asked.

"Yes, I think each of them should be at least at a similar level to me, maybe a little below the top level," Shirou replied after a moment's thought.

"No, no, you're too modest. In my opinion, the demeanor you're displaying right now is more than enough to be considered upper-middle class. But I understand, then let's select someone who is slightly below top class." Tawara Toda agreed.

So Shirou took Yukino and headed out onto the east street.

Chapter 217 Samurai's Duel to the Death

To make it easier to find samurai without spending too much money, the farmers chose to live in secluded corners of the southern streets frequented by poor families. However, just outside was the crossroads of the town's entrance and exit. Half of the people going out of town or into town would pass through here.

In this world, it's nearing the spring harvest season, and the streets are filled with commoners dressed in tattered kimonos, their thighs exposed. Those dressed in formal attire are mostly samurai carrying weapons, wealthy merchants, and a few government officials. However, these types of people are rarely seen here.

Shirou and Yukino walked through the alley, out onto the street, and headed east. Along the way, they gradually saw some large houses. East Street was the accommodation area, with rows of inns for lodging and rented-out houses where legitimate merchants and samurai stayed.

Upon arriving here, besides the traveling vendors carrying large bamboo baskets on both sides of their shoulder poles and hawking their wares, I saw many more people dressed in formal attire.

"Master, where is that swordsman?" Yukino looked around.

"Don't be impatient. Judging from what Tawara Toda said, he must be a swordsman who likes to duel. I believe we'll hear from him soon," Shirou said with a smile.

Sure enough, less than a minute after walking forward, a courtyard ahead was filled with people.

It was an abandoned house belonging to a private family. The courtyard was a patch of land overgrown with weeds. A row of earthen walls, about the height of a person's navel, was built around the perimeter using yellow mud and sand, serving as a makeshift fence. Now, this fence could only be considered a boundary line.

Because the fence only blocks one side, the left and right sides are completely empty. Originally, there should have been fences on both sides and some flowers and plants planted on them, but this is just an vacant house that is rented out to people temporarily, so it is not that particular.

That is why people standing outside can now have a clear view of the courtyard.

Shirou and Yukino walked to the fence together, where they saw two adult men standing on either side of the courtyard.

One was a tall, fat man with a thick beard, wearing a dark blue kimono. He had a fierce look in his eyes and a body full of flesh, and he looked very tough.

The other was a handsome man dressed in a blue samurai outfit, his expression calm and indifferent, as if what was about to happen could not arouse him in the slightest.

"Ah, Master, it's that person from before," Yukino said.

"Really?" Shirou saw that the bearded man was the same tall, fat samurai he had met earlier that day. He hadn't expected that after leaving this place, he wouldn't be looking for a job, but instead would be dueling with someone here.

At this moment, the two of them were holding the hard and flexible bamboo they had found in the bamboo forest. They cut bamboo of the same thickness and size, and pulled off the thin leaves and branches one by one to use as bamboo knives for the competition.

"Sasaki! You've come from afar, swordsman, and in just three days you've already defeated nine local samurai. But as long as I'm here, once you lose, you'd better leave this castle!"

"No, you are no match for me," the man said coldly.

"How arrogant! I'll make you submit now! Are you ready?" the bearded man cursed.