"That's right. Congratulations — you survived!"
Aoi smiled and helped the bewildered Shimura to his feet. He couldn't let this man die now; without Shimura, he had no interest in challenging an entire country alone.
Even if he won, the effort would simply exhaust him to death...
Seeing that the battle was over, Noko and Shinki, who had been hiding in the distance, came running over excitedly like two frightened deer...
"Father!"
Noko threw herself straight into Shimura's arms. Shinki's eyes were filled with tears as he shared a long, emotional look with his father.
The family was reunited — truly a cause for celebration!
After a moment of tender reunion, Shimura wiped the tears from his face and nodded with the dignified air of a ruler.
"Young friend, you have not only saved my family, but you have saved the entire Land of Ono."
"Tell me... what is it you desire?" Shimura spoke with deep feeling.
"Whatever I possess, I will grant it to you. Be it gold, beautiful women, or even ninja techniques..."
Hearing this, Shinki lowered his head instinctively, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
Aoi shook his head with a smile. "There is no need. Your son has already made the payment on your behalf."
"Made the payment?"
Shimura froze for a moment. His mind flashed back to the bottle of water he had sent Noko to deliver earlier, and a wave of bitter-sweet emotion washed over him. Tears welled up in his eyes again.
"What a kind soul... people like you, who return a drop of kindness with a fountain of gratitude... are becoming rarer and rarer these days."
As a ruler, Shimura hadn't encountered such genuine sentiment in a very long time...
"Regardless, the Land of Ono will remember this kindness forever." Shimura patted Shinki firmly on the shoulder.
"My son, when you eventually inherit my position, you must remember this: ensure that the bond between the Land of Ono and the Aoi clan remains unbroken for all time!"
"Uh..."
Shinki stood with his mouth open, unable to utter a single word for a long while.
"Um... Mr. Shimura, I believe you've misunderstood something." Aoi scratched his head awkwardly, chuckling darkly. "The Land of Ono... belongs to me now."
"What?!"
Shimura's eyes bulged in shock. He stretched his neck out in disbelief, looking like a goose whose eggs had just been stolen, and forced a hollow laugh.
"Young Mr. Aoi... you truly have a wonderful sense of humor!"
"This is not humor." Aoi's expression turned cold, and he sneered. "If you want to know if it is true or not... why not ask your son?"
"My son?"
Shimura spun around sharply. Thud! Shinki fell to his knees, wailing in despair. "Father! I had no choice! I couldn't just stand by and watch you die!"
"YOU...!"
Shimura ground his teeth, his hand raised to strike — but in the end, he pulled it back. After all, it was his son's act of filial piety...
He turned back to face Aoi, forcing a wide, ingratiating smile. "Lord Aoi, the boy is young and doesn't understand the world. What he said..."
SHING!
The Kusanagi Blade slid from its sheath. Aoi smiled coldly amidst the glint of sharp steel. "In this world, no one has ever gotten away with defaulting on a debt owed to me."
Gulp...
Shimura swallowed hard and smiled nervously. "Lord Aoi, you jest. I have no intention of evading our agreement... I simply require a little time."
"Oh?"
"At the very least, I need time to smoothly transfer the authority of the Daimyo. Otherwise, the country's administration will collapse — that would be a terrible disaster."
Shimura wore a look of utmost sincerity. "Surely, Lord Aoi... you do not wish to take possession of a country that cannot function?"
Seeing this, Aoi couldn't help but scoff inwardly.
This is human nature for you!
Shimura might be smiling brilliantly now, but behind that mask, he probably wished he could tear Aoi limb from limb.
These kinds of people were truly cold-blooded and ruthless; within seconds, he had completely forgotten who it was that had actually saved his life!
And every word Shimura spoke was laced with a subtle threat...
__________________
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