At that moment, Kurozumi Orochi and his pursuers stood behind Kozuki Toki with bloodstained blades raised. The samurai leading them brandished his sword.
"You can't escape! Stop, and I'll give you a quick death!"
Thorns had torn Kozuki Toki's kimono, and the child in her arms had cried himself hoarse. She looked back at Oden Castle, where thick smoke billowed into the sky, her eyes full of grief.
Her husband, Kozuki Oden, had been killed by Kurozumi Orochi. All she could do now was protect the Kozuki Clan's bloodline.
"Mother, I'm scared!"
The boy clutched her collar tightly.
"Don't be afraid!"
Kozuki Toki forced a smile.
The words had barely left her mouth when an arrow whistled through the air. It grazed her waist, leaving a bloody gash.
Kurozumi Orochi stepped out of the shadows, a cruel smile on his lips.
"Kozuki Toki, did you think you could get away?"
Kozuki Toki hid the boy behind her and rested a hand on the dagger at her waist.
Kin'emon and the others stood beside her, ready to fight.
"Kurozumi Orochi, you traitor!"
"Lord Oden treated you well, and you still had him killed!"
Kozuki Toki's voice trembled. Seeing Kurozumi Orochi brought her husband to mind.
Kurozumi Orochi roared with laughter. "Oden? Hahaha! That fool's nothing but scraps in the pot now. You're next!"
Mu Chen stayed hidden in the trees, watching Kozuki Toki's group stumble through the forest. Blood from their pursuers still dripped from Kin'emon's blade. Kanjuro carried the unconscious boy on his back, thorns tangled in the child's hair.
Mu Chen could see the blood spreading across Kozuki Toki's abdomen. The arrow that had grazed her waist had been poisoned, and her steps were already growing unsteady.
Kurozumi Orochi really will stoop to anything!
Mu Chen shook his head.