"You must stop them!"
Okuragi Takatora nodded and said without hesitation.
As long as he was alive, there was still hope for a comeback.
As for the present, a temporary defeat was nothing.
He only suffered due to a lack of intelligence; once he figured out the enemy's identity and origin, he would surely find a solution!
Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka accepted the order and commanded a portion of the Personal Guards to quickly protect Okuragi Takatora during the withdrawal.
He himself grabbed his most familiar weapon, the naginata, and headed outside the command tent.
Under the protection of the Personal Guards, Okuragi Takatora quickly mounted his horse and prepared to slip away with a portion of his men.
The sounds of battle grew louder around them; the enemy soldiers seemed to have reached the vicinity.
"Go!"
Okuragi Takatora no longer hesitated and burst directly out of the command tent.
Just outside the tent, Okuragi Takatora heard a familiar roar.
"Matabei, do you dare to fight me?!"
Hearing the voice of his Personal Guards General, Okuragi Takatora instinctively turned his head to look.
He saw Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka rallying some remaining soldiers, riding against the tide, and charging toward the fellow from Kasuga Castle known as the blue sky samurai.
Ijiri Matabei Yoshitoshi, who had been guarding Kobayashi Itsuki's side, heard this and immediately pulled the reins, ready to meet Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka and create an opportunity for Kobayashi Itsuki to push deeper.
"Kobayashi-kun, leave this to me..."
Ijiri Matabei Yoshitoshi was speaking, but before he could make a move and charge forward to engage.
Kobayashi Itsuki, standing beside him, had already moved a step ahead while he was speaking.
The fully armored Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka was considered an outstanding figure in this era, both for his physical prowess and his extensive experience.
Not to mention the thick armor he wore.
To ordinary soldiers, he was definitely a BOSS-like existence.
However, none of this mattered in front of Kobayashi Itsuki.
Kobayashi Itsuki, holding two riot shields, headed straight toward Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka.
Seeing the culprit of all this before him, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka roared, swung the naginata in his hand, and led the surrounding soldiers in a charge toward Kobayashi Itsuki, attempting to kill him on the spot.
In the current situation, nothing could boost morale more than this.
If he could slay the opponent, perhaps he could genuinely reverse the collapsing battle situation.
Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka thought this, but reality was incredibly cruel.
While in the middle of the battlefield, Kobayashi Itsuki had not forgotten about farming treasure chests.
He immediately let out a somewhat chuunibyou-style shout toward the rapidly approaching Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka.
"Who goes there? My blade does not slay the nameless!"
"Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka is here..."
[Ding, you have made the acquaintance of Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka. Current relationship: White.]
[Congratulations, Host, you have received White Treasure Chest * 1.]
Hearing the system prompt, a smile immediately appeared on Kobayashi Itsuki's face.
This was enough.
Then, under the shocked gaze of Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka, three katanas suddenly floated up beside Kobayashi Itsuki!
That's right, they were floating.
There was clearly no support, and Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka did not see anyone touching these katanas.
Yet, these blades truly seemed to possess life, gathering around Kobayashi Itsuki and circling him.
Before Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka could recover his senses, Kobayashi Itsuki's figure charged forward.
The extreme distance of ten meters allowed Kobayashi Itsuki to manipulate the Invisible Hand, wielding three katanas, making him seem like a deity descended with three heads and six arms.
Before Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka could react, a naginata came straight for him from several meters away.
Compared to a katana held and controlled by a person, the naginata manipulated by the Invisible Hand attacked from an exceptionally tricky angle, like a goat's horn, leaving no trace.
Fortunately, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka had extremely rich combat experience.
He swung his naginata to block the first strike, but when the number of naginatas increased to three, everything changed.
Three naginatas attacked him simultaneously from three different angles.
This was like facing three top experts with seamless teamwork all at once.
The pressure was naturally immense.
Even an expert like Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka found it incredibly difficult to parry.
A naginata that was in front of him one second might disappear from his sight the next, or appear at his heel, or under his armpit.
In any case, all attacks were aimed at the weak points where the armor connected.
From the first exchange, only a few seconds had passed, but the three naginatas had already launched countless attacks.
And this had also successfully turned Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka into a blood-soaked man, completely covering the parts not enveloped by his crimson armor in red.
"Clang!"
Another collision sound rang out.
The naginata in Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's hand broke directly.
And the breaking of the naginata also signaled his end.
"Buzz!"
Three naginatas flashed through the air, their blades cutting through the air and producing a crisp humming sound.
"Pfft!"
The snow-white blade plunged into Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's body.
A gush of fresh blood overflowed from Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's mouth, his lips trembling as he tried to say something.
[Ding, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's ill will increased, obtained green treasure chest * 1.]
[Ding, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's ill will increased, obtained blue treasure chest * 1.]
"Don't worry, your lord will be down to join you soon!"
Seeing that the opponent seemed only able to drop blue treasure chests even at the point of death, Kobayashi Itsuki's figure intersected with his, and he laughed loudly, saying.
Indeed.
After hearing his words, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka, who was fiercely loyal to Okuragi Takatora, trembled and tried to grab the naginata in his body.
At the same time.
[Ding, Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's ill will increased, obtained purple treasure chest * 1.]
Having achieved the desired result, Kobayashi Itsuki laughed loudly and left Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka without looking back.
Just as they brushed past each other, the three naginatas were suddenly pulled out, and crimson blood mist gushed into the air.
Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka's tall body fell heavily to the ground.
Having dealt with this guy, Kobayashi Itsuki further increased his speed and plunged into the remnants of soldiers Magara Tarō Zaemon Naotaka had just gathered.
Three naginatas continuously danced around Kobayashi Itsuki.
Their speed was so fast that, under the illumination of the firelight, Kobayashi Itsuki's body seemed to be surrounded by a constantly flashing wheel of cold, gleaming blades.
Engulfing all surrounding enemies and then thoroughly shredding them.
At this moment, on this battlefield, Kobayashi Itsuki had clearly become the most dazzling presence.