Chapter 9: The Arrival of the Ronin Samurai
At this moment, Yukiko had already set down the luggage and Ren's sword that she had been carrying on her back. She instead drew her own sword and held it firmly in both hands.
Ren and Yukiko had brought a total of two swords on this journey. Ren's sword was slightly more valuable and barely counted as a good blade, though in Wano Country such weapons were common and not particularly precious.
As for the sword in Yukiko's hands, it was an ordinary one.
Yukiko gripped the hilt with both hands, holding the blade upright in front of her. Ren could see her hands trembling faintly, her chest rising and falling unevenly, clearly a mixture of nervousness and fear.
Fear was nothing to be ashamed of. For someone facing a desperado for the first time, dread was only natural.
Ren's own calm came from confidence in his strength. To him, the approaching figure was no different from a stray dog by the roadside.
When he told her to fight, Yukiko immediately picked up her sword. That alone was enough to satisfy him.
Fear was acceptable, as long as it did not overwhelm her.
Since this was Yukiko's first true life-or-death battle, Ren had no strict expectations regarding victory or defeat.
So much so that his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
This girl had grown a little over the past six months.
What Ren meant was the extra bit of flesh on her body.
Six months ago, her chest had barely any curve at all. Now, it had filled out slightly. According to Yukiko herself, before she was bought, she had been flatter than a washboard.
At least a washboard had ridges.
This was mostly because she had not eaten properly before, and also because she had not yet reached a certain age. After being bought, she no longer starved, and her body gradually began to recover.
Even so, she was still far from well-developed.
Yukiko was only sixteen this year, with plenty of room to grow.
While Ren was thinking about buns and cherries, the bloodstained samurai had already arrived nearby.
Ren raised his head and examined the man's appearance.
The kimono had clearly not been washed for a long time. The bloodstains had turned black, and the fabric was riddled with torn holes, most likely left by sword strikes.
His face was covered in messy stubble and grime, but Ren could still judge that he was around thirty years old. Strangely, his hairline was receding, as if he had once worn a chonmage.
There were countless sword marks on his clothing and even more old wounds on his body. This showed that he had survived many battles after being stranded in this place.
Being able to live alone here was proof enough of his strength.
Ren judged that Yukiko was probably not his opponent and prepared to intervene at any moment.
"Interesting. People dressed like you two are truly rare in Kuri."
The man held his sword as his jackal-like eyes swept over Ren and Yukiko. When his gaze fell on Yukiko, it became openly vulgar.
"I'm really lucky. An overconfident rich young master, and a tender-skinned woman…"
He did not attack immediately. There was no one else around, and in his eyes, Ren and Yukiko were already prey with no escape.
His gaze never left Yukiko, and he kept swallowing saliva. Even before becoming a fugitive, he had never tasted such high-quality goods.
He never expected such fortune after fleeing here.
"Heh heh heh… today is truly my lucky day. Food, and a woman."
He raised his sword excitedly, the tip first pointing at Ren, then sweeping toward Yukiko.
"You mean, I'm food?"
Ren had not intended to speak again, but the remark stirred him. To say such words so casually meant this man had eaten people before.
"Food. Is there a problem?"
The man tilted his head and sneered, then shook it.
"Sorry, sorry. With a face like yours, even a man is valuable. If I hand you over to the bandits of Head Mountain, I should be able to exchange you for quite a bit of food."
Although he had eaten human flesh out of desperation, he still preferred proper food if given the chance.
In a place like this, women and food were equally valuable commodities. Even handsome men were in demand.
If he had not seen Yukiko first, he might have had ideas about Ren as well.
"Shut up!"
Yukiko could no longer restrain herself. The tension and fear in her heart were completely replaced by anger.
"To dare say such filthy words to Lord Ren, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
To insult Ren like this, the man deserved to die ten times over.
"Such brave words."
The man sneered and suddenly launched an ambush, lunging toward Yukiko as his blade slashed down viciously.
He had no intention of holding back. Even for a woman he fancied, she was nothing more than a disposable tool.
If he was lucky, he might use her for a few days. That was all.
In his mind, once she was tormented to death, she would become food as well.
So he struck without hesitation.
In this place, even a small wound could be fatal. There were no doctors, and illness often meant death.
Although the attack was sudden, Yukiko captured his movements clearly.
Her Observation Haki was stronger than her Armament Haki. During training, Orochi had not hesitated to throw stones at her while she was blindfolded.
She was not even allowed to use Armament Haki to defend.
The moment the man moved, Yukiko had already read his attack. She even drew her sword a step ahead of him.
Clang—
The two blades collided, sparks flying.
Yukiko gripped the hilt with both hands as the blade trembled slightly.
"Quick reflexes, aren't they?" the man laughed, a foul stench rushing out as he opened his mouth.
Yukiko frowned and clenched her teeth, holding her breath. It was not only because of his rancid breath, but also because the force behind his strike was immense.
This ronin did not seem to possess both types of Haki. However, that did not mean Yukiko's strength surpassed his.
Haki could enhance one's power, but some people were naturally strong. Having Haki did not automatically make someone superior to those without it.