Samurai NOT

Chapter 24

Ei didn't know where the scream had come from; it was so loud it echoed everyone.

She looked around but found nothing. Without closing her eyes, she enhanced her hearing, trying to sense anyone, or anything, near them.

But it was hard. The scream had put fear into her heart.

Calm down... calm down, Eiko... don't let your fears dull your blade, she told herself, trying to control her breathing.

It worked. But as her awareness expanded, she felt nothing around them.

Then, when the silence covered the mountain, another screamed echoed.

Ei covered her ears, but it made no difference; the screech was so loud the girl could feel it reverberating inside her. She felt sick and almost lost her consciousness. Damn it... I can't... If I faint now, I might die...

Panting and grabbing her chest, the swordswoman managed to keep her consciousness.

There's no way... that was from... a human... but I don't... know any animal... that can scream... so loud...

But there was something the girl could tell; whatever being had screamed, it wasn't because of pain. That scream was full of rage.

The swordswoman tightened her grip around the handle of her sword. As her body stopped trembling, she looked around once again.

But, in the clearing, it was hard to determine where the scream had come from.

No...it's more like it's coming from the mountain itself...

Once again a heavy and eerie silence filled the clearing.

It was as if everything was still, cold, dead.

Then they heard footsteps coming to them from the top of the mountain.

Ei and Tadayoshi towards the sound, standing before the priest with their swords raised.

"Run!" a voice shouted. "Don't stop!"

Moments later, five people entered the clearing. They were looking back in the direction they had come from and didn't notice the people before them.

At once Ei knew they were soldiers from the fight that destroyed the village at the foot of the mountain. But their armors were too dirty and worn out, as if they had gone through tough situations without any maintenance.

Though it was faint and scratched, three soldiers had the same emblem on their armor; three swords intersecting in the middle. The other two had four yellow cherry blossom petals inside a circle. She had seen that symbol before.

So the soldiers did run to the mountain... and there's no way the villagers wouldn't notice them in their territory... they lied to us.

The soldiers froze when they looked forward and saw the three strangers before them. For a brief moment, the girl thought they could avoid the fight. But when the soldiers saw their swords, they drew their own weapons.

"We're not sacrifices for that monster!" one of them screamed and before Tadayoshi could say anything, they attacked.

Shit! They're so frightened they won't believe even if we say we don't wanna fight them!

"Ryuu, stay in the temple," her master said, and his friend nodded and obeyed.

The priest almost tripped when Ei took her bag and threw to him.

The soldiers ignored him, completely focused on the swordsman and his disciple, the people who carried weapons.

"Ei," the master whispered without looking at her.