"I think I've gotten rid of that Kondo already..." A-Machi looked back a few times.
"Probably." After casually responding, Ogata took out his map to confirm their location while calming his breathing.
"...We're almost there, A-Machi, let's go."
After stuffing the map back into his arms, Ogata looked around.
"...Is this the 'burnt area'..."
Ogata now feels like he has entered another world.
As of about 3 minutes ago, he could still see beautiful houses and passers-by walking on the streets.
But now, Ogata only sees fragments of ruins.
There were burnt blackened wood and shapeless ruins everywhere. Some tiles and brick walls were burned to a bluish black color, as if the fire had just been extinguished by rain.
At this moment, there was a gust of wind, and the broken wall whined, expressing the pain of being burned at the stake in its own unique way.
Looking around, I didn't see a single intact wall or a single living person.
Just by looking at it with his eyes, Ogata could feel how terrible the dawn that burned 80% of the buildings in Kyoto to rubble two years ago was.
"...It's so miserable." Atachi, standing next to Ogata, sighed softly.
"...A-Machi, let's go."
…
…
Ogata and Omachi were jogging side by side in the deserted streets.
After trotting for a while, the two finally saw a living person.
The first living person that appeared in the field of vision of Ogata and Atachi was a pair of women huddled behind a brick wall that was burnt black.
This woman is an old woman and a young woman. Their facial features are somewhat similar, so they should be mother and daughter.
When Ogata and Atachi ran past the mother and daughter, the mother and daughter immediately looked at Ogata and Atachi with fearful eyes.
Ogata noticed that after the mother and daughter saw the knife at his waist, the fear in their pupils seemed to become more intense.
Gradually, the two saw more and more residents living in the "burned-out area".
Without exception, these people's clothing and mental outlook are no different from those living in Huiyuan.
Even if no one explained to Ogata, Ogata could guess what happened to the residents living in the "burned area" - the residents who once lived here.
Feng Mo also told the two of them just now: the shogunate's financial situation has not been good in recent years, so there is not much funds allocated to Kyoto Prefecture for disaster relief. Therefore, until now, large areas of Kyoto have not been reconstructed.
Large areas have not been rebuilt, which means that many people are still homeless.
"...Is it my imagination?" At this time, Amachi suddenly asked Ogata, "Why do I always feel that these people seem to be afraid of us..."
"...No, they are not very afraid of us." Ogata said softly, "I feel like they are afraid of the sword on my waist... they are afraid of the samurai."
"Did the samurai in Kyoto ever do anything terrible to them?"
"who knows……"
…
…
The two of them ran along the route drawn by Feng Mo on the map, and finally arrived at the end of the route Feng Mo drew for them - a three-story building that had also been damaged by fire.
Although this small building was also devastated by the Tianming Fire, the overall condition of the house is relatively good, and it still maintains the appearance of a small building. It has not collapsed or collapsed, but the exterior of the house has become charred black.
Ogata and Omachi were hiding somewhere far away from the small building, constantly looking at the small building.
"...It should be right here." As Machi said, he took off the rifled gun on his back and began to fill the rifled gun with projectiles with skillful techniques.
"Ah-Machi, you stay outside." Ogata said as he lifted up the Daishiten around his waist, "I can go in alone."
"Are you going in alone?"
"Well. Just stay outside and help me guard."
"I understand." Amachi nodded without thinking much, then raised his head and looked around.
"There's no high place around... Just use that tree to make do. Huh? Ayi, why are you looking at me like that?"
"I thought you would be unhappy if I asked you to stay outside." Ogata said in a half-joking tone.
"Don't be silly. I don't know if I've ever told you my motto."
Atachi gave Ogata a sly smile.
"My motto is - do what is best for you, and leave to others what is best for others."
"With my level of close combat, accompanying you in will only cause you trouble."
"So staying outside obediently and using this 'Izayoi' to warn you is the best thing for me to do."
After saying that, A-Machi raised the rifled gun in her hand.
"Izayoi?"
"That's the name I just gave to this gun. Giving the weapon a name also makes it easier for us to call it. Because the butt of this gun has a red crescent engraved on it, I named it 'Izayoi'.
How about it? Not a bad name, right?"
"It's okay. Then - I'm on board."
"Yes." A-Machi nodded vigorously and quickly ran towards a big tree not far away.
bass.
Ogata pulled out the Daishiten and walked slowly towards the 3-story hut.
This 3-story hut is surrounded by a row of stone walls. The original owner of this small building must have had a very good family background.
Ogata did not go through the gate on the wall of this small building - after all, who knew whether the people who occupied this small building had set any traps at the gate.
So to be on the safe side, Ogata decided to jump over the wall directly.
Ogata bit Da Shiten in his mouth, and when he was still a dozen steps away from the wall, he suddenly started running and accelerated.
While accelerating during the run-up, Ogata switched his breathing to "the breath of the source".
[Ding! Use "Breath of Source" to temporarily increase reflex nerves by 5 points and improve concentration]
[Current reflex nerve value: 14 points]
[Increased concentration]
After running to the base of the wall, Ogata jumped up and grabbed the edge of the wall, and then nimbly climbed over the wall.
With the blessing of the "elementary" Shiranui-ryu stealth technique, Ogata's movements are much lighter than ordinary people.
If you don't listen carefully, you won't be able to hear the sound of Ogata running and climbing over the wall.
After his feet landed on the ground, Ogata immediately hid in a nearby bush.
I looked around - there was no one in the courtyard.
After confirming that there was no danger around him, Ogata took Da Shiten out of his mouth, walked slowly out of the bush, opened the paper sliding door in front of him, and entered the house.
After entering the house, a pungent musty smell immediately penetrated Ogata's nostrils.
"Okay..." Ogata muttered softly, "Where are Inaba's wives and daughters being imprisoned by these bastards..."
…
…
When Ogata broke into the three-story hut alone, Omachi was sitting on the thickest branch of the big tree.
In order to facilitate his movements, A-Machi had already lifted up the entire hem of his yukata and inserted it into his belt.
Open your legs and bend your knees, put your arms on your knees, hold Izayoi in your right hand, and place Izayoi above your left arm.
The left hand pinched the wrist of the right hand, and the right hand grasped the handle of Izayoi's gun. The index finger of the right hand near the trigger was straightened, and the fingers were in a state where they could pull the trigger and start shooting at any time.
A-Machi's eyesight is excellent, and his night vision is equally good. The only regret is that the height of the big tree under A-Machi's butt is not high enough to allow A-Machi to perfectly monitor all movements in that small building.
.
"Although it's a rare thing, it doesn't work very well..." After taking a look at Izayoi in his hand, A-Machi muttered displeasedly, "I'll find a chance to make another iron that's more suitable for me."
The gun is ready..."
After muttering like this, A-Machi turned his attention back to the small building not far away and continued to monitor the entire small building carefully.
However - at this moment, A-Machi suddenly heard footsteps coming from the southeast direction of him.
After hearing the news with a confused attitude, A-Machi's pupils suddenly shrank.
To the southeast of A-Machi, I saw four young men wearing strange black uniforms walking slowly towards the big tree where A-Machi was staying.
After realizing that A-Machi had noticed the four of them, the person walking in the front row among the four grinned, showing his yellow teeth towards A-Machi, and let out a sinister laugh.
"Finally I found you...you...rebellious ninja! Atachi, I don't need to tell you, you should know the consequences of betraying Shiranui, right?"
"……Of course I know."
A bit of surprise flashed across Omachi's face. After being shocked, he regained his composure, and then jumped down from the tree with Izayoi in his arms.
"Then do you know that kunoichi should not be underestimated."
…
…
Ogata searched the first floor of this small house inch by inch.
After searching, Ogata found nothing.
No trace of Inaba and her daughter was found, nor was there any human figure.
After seeing that there was nothing to gain from the first floor, Ogata walked towards the second floor with Da Shi Tian.
Just when Ogata arrived at the stairs, he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye - there was a figure moving deep in the corridor to the left of the stairs.
Ogata quickly lowered his center of gravity, slowly raised the Daoshiten in his hand, and pointed the tip of the knife at the end of the corridor.
Deep in the corridor, figures kept shaking.
Finally - this figure appeared.
After seeing this figure clearly, a look of surprise appeared on Ogata's face uncontrollably.
"Kondo...?"
"God...Tengu-sama...finally caught up with you..."
Ogata's current appearance is as if he has seen a ghost.
The owner of this figure is none other than Kondo Uchizosuke.
After Kondo panted heavily and walked up to him, Ogata frowned and asked Kondo:
"How did you get here? And - how did you get in?"
"Hehe..." Kondo grinned a few times, "When Mr. Kotaro was drawing a route for you on that map just now, I took a sneak peek and secretly wrote down the destination."
"I have lived in Kyoto for a long time, so I know Kyoto quite well."
"As for how I got in... I just got in like this. I just climbed over the wall and walked in like a swagger."
——What is Amachi doing... She agreed to spy on me...
Just as Ogata was silently complaining about Atachi's dereliction of duty in his heart, Kondo, who had calmed his breathing, stood up straight, and then said sternly to Ogata:
"Lord Tengu, please accept me..."
"Okay, okay..." Ogata quickly raised his hand to stop Kondo, "I'm busy saving people right now... Just stay here and I'll talk to you later."
After saying that, Ogata ignored Kondo and strode towards the second floor of the small building with the Daeshakuten in his hand.
"Master, where are you going?"
"Go and save people, and - I'm not your master."
…
…
In a room on the third floor of the small building——
"so boring……"
Sitting in the corner of this room are four samurai holding swords.
"I really want to go to Shimabara..."
These four warriors were chatting boredly, and the topic unknowingly turned to an eternal topic among men no matter how the times develop: women.
"Me too...I've been in Kyoto for so long, and I haven't even played with a Kyoto woman."
There are not only these 4 samurai in this room, there are a total of 13 samurai in this fairly spacious room.
"I heard that women in Kyoto are very arrogant and look down on everyone except Kyoto."
In addition to these 13 warriors, there are two women in this room.
"I have also heard that women in Kyoto are very arrogant. Not only women in Kyoto are very arrogant, but men in Kyoto are also very arrogant. I heard that in the eyes of Kyoto people, the world is divided into 'Kyoto' and 'places outside Kyoto'
Two parts.”
The two women, one old and one young, were huddled in the corner of the room. They were both tied with thick hemp ropes. There were only two emotions on their faces: fear and anxiety.
"Tch...why can people in Kyoto be so arrogant..."
"Because Kyoto is the royal capital, Kyoto people have always felt that it is a great thing to live on the royal capital."
"It's ridiculous. What's the difference between Kyoto's soil and Edo's soil?"
"Oh... why do we have to stay here all the time, guarding these two ladies... It's just a matter of guarding these two ladies, we don't need to play with this mother and daughter... It's really annoying..."
"I've always been puzzled - is it necessary to send out so many people to guard these two ladies?"
"Don't be careless. I don't think the owner of the Metaphysics Museum will be indifferent to his kidnapped wife and daughter. The owner of the Metaphysics Museum has found out where his wife and daughter are being held and has called in experts to rescue them.
His wife and daughter—such a possibility is not impossible..."
Before the warrior finished speaking, the sliding paper door of the room was opened with a "swish".
A samurai wearing a light green haori and a short samurai stood behind the opened paper sliding door...
…
…
Opening the paper sliding door in front of him in one breath, Obeno saw that the room was full of people - 13 samurai armed with swords, and two women, an old man and a young man, who were tied up and huddled in the corner of the room.
With just one glance, Oubang recognized these two women as Inaba's wife and daughter.
Because the appearance of that young woman, who was probably only ten years old - especially the nose looked very much like Inaba.
Before Ogata could say a word, he felt a strong wind blowing towards his side.
Everyone in the room took action after seeing two strangers, Ogata and Kondo, break in.
The samurai closest to Ogata immediately drew his sword and struck at Ogata.
Ogata immediately acted like an instinctive reaction, ducking his body to avoid the knife that was hitting his head, and then waved the Daeshakuten in his right hand, aiming it from bottom to top in the direction of the slash just now.
The familiar feeling of the blade cutting into the breasts spread along the handle to Ogata's palm.
The feeling of cutting someone was strong, and Ogata knew without looking that he would definitely give the person who sneaked up on him a fatal blow.
But to be on the safe side, after cutting the man down, Ogata immediately pounced on him and stabbed him in the neck again.
The system sound of gaining experience points sounded in Ogata's mind.
As soon as Ogata dealt with this enemy, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of another person rushing toward him menacingly.
After glancing expressionlessly at the enemy charging towards him, Ogata slowly retracted the sword into the scabbard, lowered his body weight, and leaned forward.
Just as the two bodies were about to pass each other, the sword light popped out of Ogata's sheath and swept across the enemy's abdomen.
Wuwo Sword Style·Raikiri!
Under the influence of inertia, the enemy's body rushed forward a few steps and then slowly fell to the ground...