My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 555: Chapter 182: Mukiwa Arrives! The Swordsman and Female Ninja Join Forces!

...

The sudden appearance of the mysterious woman with unknown background made everyone instinctively step back, creating distance. Shinno also paused his attack on Aoto, staring with suspicion at the woman in red now standing by Aoto’s side.

Maintaining his stance with a sword in both hands, Aoto turned his head to look at the red-clad girl who slowly walked to his left side... His smile grew even more pronounced.

Before Aoto could say anything, the red-clad girl took a deep breath and shouted loudly:

”Mr. Tachibana! The major troops from the Magistrate’s Office and Arson and Theft Magistrate are coming soon! Oh, and the nearby Town Fire Extinguisher is on the way too!”

Listening to this loud shout from the girl in red, Aoto paused in astonishment, then couldn’t help but smile.

”Well, thank you... And thanks to you, Miss Kinoshita.”

This red-clad girl who had just dazzlingly appeared with a flying kick was Mukiwa.

Mukiwa didn’t respond to Aoto’s words of gratitude and praise... She nervously scanned Aoto from head to toe, who was drenched in blood.

”Mr. Tachibana, are you hurt?”

”No worries,” Aoto replied without hesitation, ”It’s just a few shallow wounds that barely bled.”

Mukiwa parted her enticing red lips, about to say something else to Aoto, when a shout from someone else cut her off.

”Why panic! Does the words of an unknown and petty woman shake you?”

Shinno raised his head and shouted so vigorously that several veins stood out on his neck.

Mukiwa’s loud declaration was no less than a thunderbolt to the members of the Anti-foreigner Group, including Shinno.

The major troops of the Magistrate’s Office and Arson and Theft Magistrate will arrive soon... The former is tolerable, but the latter is truly terrifying.

The name ”Arson and Theft Magistrate” is quite formidable.

Under the declining control of the Edo Shogunate, where samurais had generally become ineffectual, Arson and Theft Magistrate remain one of the few armed forces with significant combat power.

About the combat power of Arson and Theft Magistrate... No need to say much more, one point suffices — Unlike the Magistrate’s Office that only uses cold weapons, Arson and Theft Magistrate is equipped with plenty of bows and firearms. Their long-range firepower alone is beyond the Magistrate’s Office’s reach.

Such an armed force is coming... Many people are already showing clear signs of fear.

And this is precisely what Mukiwa was hoping to see.

The reason Mukiwa earlier shouted ”The Magistrate’s Office and Arson and Theft Magistrate are coming” so loudly was exactly for this effect — to crush the spirits of Shinno and others.

Aoto snickered in understanding Mukiwa’s intention just now.

This was none other than the crafty Cat Monk who has been troubling the South and North Governor’s Office of Edo to date, with a mischievous heart beneath a shy exterior.

From the current situation, Mukiwa has achieved her goal, and quite beautifully too.

Despite Shinno’s stern rebuke, some faces still showed signs of doubt and unease.

Aoto lowered his voice, speaking softly to Mukiwa in a volume only they could hear:

”Miss Kinoshita, are the people from the Magistrate’s Office and Arson and Theft Magistrate really coming soon?”

”Yes.” Mukiwa nodded lightly, ”I rushed to the North Guard Station as fast as I could and found Inagawa Hanjiro. After confirming that the government and Arson and Theft Magistrate are deploying forces to head to the settlement, I hurried over.”

At this, Mukiwa paused, then looked at Aoto reproachfully.

”Mr. Tachibana, you were too reckless, weren’t you? Facing so many people alone... Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

Upon hearing this, Aoto spoke his mind without thinking:

”Earlier didn’t matter, but now I’m not afraid of dying anymore.”

”Eh?”

Mukiwa blinked.

Her gaze conveyed the question: ”What do you mean ’not afraid of dying anymore’?”

Sensing Mukiwa’s questioning gaze, Aoto smiled calmly.

”Now that my reliable partner is here to help, no one’s sword will have the chance to touch me anymore.”

Looking straight at Aoto, Mukiwa’s expression turned from stunned to joyous, finally breaking into a smile so wide her eyes turned into crescents.

Mukiwa’s smile brought a warm, bright color to the battlefield filled with blood.

Unfortunately, this bright color did not last long.

”Don’t just stand there like fools! Charge with me! Kill the traitor Tachibana Aoto and this woman!”

Shinno swung his sword forcefully and Take the Lead with a new assault against the pair in front.

The surrounding crowd hesitated for a moment, then rushed towards Aoto and Mukiwa from all directions.

As for Mukiwa’s earlier words... Even Shinno knew in his heart: it’s very likely all true!

Even when he first saw Aoto appear, Shinno had already anticipated that the government might know about the disturbance at the settlement.

But considering morale, Shinno could only feign ignorance and loudly declare to his subordinates, ”That woman is just scaremongering.”

Shinno’s own mood did not waver due to Mukiwa’s earlier shout.

Regardless of whether the government’s forces were coming, his plan to ”kill Tachibana Aoto” wouldn’t be altered.