NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Tiger’s Strike
Echigo Province – The Mountain Pass, Year 9 of Tenbun (1540 AD)
The first attack came at dawn.
The snow-covered mountains of Echigo had long remained untouched by war.
But today—
The silence was shattered by the thunder of hooves.
The Takeda forces had arrived.
Not an army.Not an invasion.
But a precise, deliberate strike.
A message, written in blood and steel.
Takeda Harunobu was not here to negotiate.
He was here to reclaim what was his.
The Takeda vanguard moved with ruthless efficiency.
Twenty warriors, handpicked by Harunobu himself.
They were not just soldiers.
They were executioners.
And their mission was simple.
"Find him."
"Bring him back."
"Or kill him where he stands."
The boy who had defied the Tiger was no longer a runaway.
He was a traitor.
And the Takeda did not forgive betrayal.
The first arrow came without warning.
It struck the outer watchtower, embedding itself deep into the wood.
A signal.
A heartbeat later—
The battle began.
The Takeda warriors descended upon the pass, moving like wolves in the snow.
Steel clashed.Men shouted.Blood stained the frost-covered ground.
And at the center of it all—
The boy with silver hair drew his sword.
He did not hesitate.
He did not falter.
Because this time—
He was not running.
"You do not have to fight this battle."
Kenshin's words still echoed in his mind.
But he had already made his choice.
If the Takeda wanted to drag him back to Kai—
Then they would have to cut him down first.
The first warrior charged.
A Takeda veteran, blade gleaming with the first light of morning.
His strike was precise, merciless.
But before it could land—
The boy moved.
His sword cut through the air, sharp and swift—
And in the next instant, the man fell.
The snow beneath him turned red.
The battle raged on.
But in that moment—
The hunters realized the truth.
Their prey was no longer running.
And the boy they had come to capture—
Was ready to kill them all.
[Fated Death: Progressing.]The Takeda forces have launched their attack.You have taken your first life in defiance of the Tiger.The battle has only just begun.
And Takeda Harunobu is watching.
Soon, he will come himself.