"What's this guy's game?" Ian asked, eyeing Shimotsuki Yasuie.
"I said I wanted to take him with me, but wanting him to leave with me is a whole different thing," Ian mused. It was clear that this guy must have a plan of his own.
"I have a feeling there's a conspiracy here," Black Maria murmured.
"Then we should just kill him, right?" Jack suggested.
The surrounding warriors instantly shifted, their expressions darkening as they tightened their grips on their weapons and edged closer to Shimotsuki Yasuie.
"Don't even think about it!" they warned.
"Stop!" Shimotsuki Yasuie commanded loudly, halting the advancing warriors. He turned to Ian and said solemnly, "If you're worried about me, just bind me. It's better than staying here and waiting to be of no use."
"That's the spirit!" Yamato interjected urgently. "Just take him with you, Ian! Let's leave quickly!"
Ian wasn't fazed by the urgency. He glanced at Black Maria and said, "Maria."
"I'm on it," Black Maria replied.
Transforming into her Human-Beast (Orc) Form, Black Maria let spider silk shoot from the lower half of her body, wrapping Shimotsuki Yasuie tightly in layers of silk, resembling a bundled rice dumpling.
"Lord Yasuie!" the samurai cried out in distress, their fists clenched tightly in anger.
"Forget about me!" Shimotsuki Yasuie shouted. "Go and put out the fire! Don't let it spread!"
Flames were spreading from the top of the castle tower, illuminating the night sky like a massive torch. If left unchecked, the fire would soon reduce the entire castle to ashes and spread down the mountain, consuming the dense forest and eventually engulfing the towns below.
"Alright, let's go," Ian said to encourage the samurai. In the next moment, he transformed into a massive golden dragon once again, lifting the bound Shimotsuki Yasuie in his left hand.
The spider silk was unnecessary; the disparity in strength between them was so great that even without it, Shimotsuki Yasuie wouldn't be able to escape Ian's grasp.
Ian clutched Shimotsuki Yasuie in one hand and Momonosuke in the other. He lowered his wings and addressed his companions.
"Let's go defeat Kozuki Oden!"
Yamato, brimming with excitement, used Ian's wings for leverage and jumped directly onto his back.
Jack and Black Maria, more pragmatic, used the lowered wings as a staircase to board swiftly.
With a sudden flurry, Ian's broad wings vibrated, sending a gust of wind that scattered sand and rocks in the courtyard. Ignoring the samurai's desperate gazes, Ian soared into the sky, heading back in the direction he had come from without a backward glance.
The warriors of the Shimotsuki family could only grit their teeth and watch helplessly as he departed, their thoughts clouded with uncertainty about the future.
"Father! Save me!" Momonosuke's cries pierced the quiet night sky.
Held tightly in Ian's right hand, Momonosuke Kozuki squeezed his eyes shut, his tears almost exhausted.
"Momonosuke! Pull yourself together!" Yasuie, holding onto Ian's other hand, shouted with frustration, "You're the son of the invincible Kozuki Oden! How can you show such weakness in front of the enemy!"
"But it hurts so much!!" Momonosuke, writhing in pain from Ian's grip, couldn't control his emotions. His face was a blur of tears as he sobbed, "Father! I want my father!"
Yasuie gritted his teeth, frustrated by what he perceived as Momonosuke's weakness. The contrast with Kaido's daughter was stark, especially given their similar ages.
"Momonosuke, what about your mother and sister?" Yasuie asked, his tone softening as he shifted focus.
"Father! Mother doesn't want me anymore! She ran away with Hiyori! Wooooo! Father, Mother doesn't want me anymore!" Momonosuke's cries grew louder, his despair evident.
Yasuie was somewhat troubled by Momonosuke's cries, though he felt a sense of relief in his hearts.
Lady Toki and Hiyori were fine.
It was difficult for Yasuie to imagine the circumstances under which Lady Toki had made her choice.
At that moment, the golden dragon holding them both let out an irritated snort. "If you keep crying, I'll crush you."
Kozuki Momonosuke immediately fell silent.
Shimotsuki Yasuie watched Kozuki Momonosuke huddling like a frightened quail and felt a surge of anger. Oden, how do you raise your children?
Of course, Ian had no idea about Yasuie's mental state; he was just relieved that Momonosuke had finally quieted down.
Originally, Ian had been too lazy to deal with Momonosuke, but his constant crying was grating. Was this the mark of Kozuki Oden's son? His endurance was impressive, wailing all the way.
"Speed up, Ian! Hurry up!"
Yamato had climbed onto Ian's head again, excitedly tapping the sapphire on his forehead.
"I'm going as fast as I can," Ian replied calmly. "Besides, we don't even know where the battlefield is. If you push too hard and we miss it, don't blame me."
The chances of hitting the exact location were slim. They were flying straight back, but Kozuki Oden and his crew were headed toward the port, which meant they had to take a detour.
Ian was a bit concerned.
Even though Kozuki Oden had his quirks, his abilities were top-notch. He was a formidable opponent that Kaido would remember even twenty years later.
Even Kaido was unsure of victory.
What if Kaido lost now due to this unforeseen change?
Yamato had no clue about Ian's worries.
At that moment, the little girl was completely immersed in her excitement about finally facing the villain she had been anticipating for years. "Hehe, it's finally here! Evil Kozuki Oden, prepare for the righteous judgment of Yamato-sama!"
Despite the situation, they were technically the antagonists.
Ian didn't respond and continued flying forward in silence.
"But are we really okay going this way?"
Black Maria spoke softly, likely because she had recently joined their group and was always careful around Ian and the others. She dared not speak too loudly, "Lord Kaido clearly instructed us not to go."
"It's fine!" Yamato replied confidently, turning back with a smile. "Dad loves me the most! And we're here to help him!"
Where did this confidence to help come from? Ian couldn't help but wonder.
He wasn't sure if it would hurt them or not, but once it was over, Kaido would surely make them regret it deeply.
"I'm looking forward to it!" Jack, standing next to Yamato, said with a gleam in his eyes. "The battle between Boss Kaido and Kozuki Oden, how exciting will it be!"
It might not be as thrilling as expected, given that Kaido won rather unceremoniously in the original story, even though he didn't intend to.
What's even more intriguing is that after more than twenty years, Kaido still regrets not having a fair fight with Oden. Now, despite having the chance to fight again, he didn't take it and instead executed Oden directly. Ian found Kaido's actions quite perplexing.
Ian flapped his wings leisurely. It wasn't long before the coastline came into view.
Just a short distance ahead was the sea, leading to Onigashima.
However, what Ian didn't know was that a few hours after they departed, a woman emerged from the lower part of the Oden Castle tower that had barely been saved by the samurai's desperate efforts. She was still holding a sleeping girl in her arms.
"Lady Toki!" the samurai who hadn't yet left exclaimed in surprise.
Contrary to Ian's expectations, a woman had returned to the battlefield. Toki, holding her daughter, solemnly addressed the samurai, "I need to ask you for one thing."
Back in time, Ian and his group had re-entered the Udon Region.
Just passing through the edge of this area would lead them to the inland sea and then to Onishima.
A thunderous roar suddenly echoed from the distance to their left.
Ian instinctively turned his head.
The sound seemed to be coming from far away.
Yamato jumped up, his round face showing an expression of surprise. "Look!"
Ian followed his gaze.
No way! Is that possible?
In the distance between the mountains, flames surged into the sky, thunderstorm rains poured down, and the wind howled through the mountains and jungle.
Pitch-black, crescent-shaped waves sliced through the dark clouds.
The commotion was so intense that even Ian's group could see and hear it clearly!
"Kaido-sensei, do you really want us to get involved?"
"This could be dangerous!"
"Your signal is so strong; it's impossible to ignore. I might have to circle around the outskirts of Hakumai Region just to avoid it!"
"Ian! We need to go!"
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