The routed soldiers all retreated behind the pass, watching the two figures at the center of the battlefield from afar.
Mifune stood alone in the middle of the devastated battlefield.
Hanzō slowly stepped out of the Amegakure ranks.
The trailing end of his chain sickle dragged over the broken ground, its metal links scraping against gravel with a harsh, piercing screech.
He stopped opposite Mifune.
The two stood facing each other. Across the wilderness, only the howling wind and the stifled sobs of the routed soldiers in the distance remained.
Mifune raised his hand and drew his sword.
Both hands held the hilt steady, the blade pointing straight at the sky.
It was the opening stance of No-Light Slash, the ultimate secret of iaido. His imposing presence surged to its peak.
Hanzō also raised his hand and gripped the hilt of the Kusarigama.
He released no Ibuse poison gas, summoned no creature, and used no ninjutsu.
He intended to meet this strike head-on with nothing but his body and his weapon.
Hanzō did this to show the Land of Iron the true gulf between them!
He watched Mifune calmly, making no attempt to strike first. He merely wound the chain around his wrist once more to secure his grip.
Almost at that same instant, Mifune's blade came crashing down.
There were no elaborate maneuvers, only the simplest, most forceful vertical slash.
Hanzō raised his sickle to block. Its blade caught Kurosawa precisely, meeting the heavy blow head-on.
But that powerful downward slash had been a feint from the start.
The instant his blade was blocked, Mifune sharply twisted his wrist.
Kurosawa Tachi deftly flipped over the Kusarigama, its point changing direction to thrust straight at Hanzō's face with outrageous speed.
Hanzō jerked his head back to dodge.
The keen tip