[Vol.2] Chapter 31 Part 2: Friend or Foe?

A tense air filled the dimly lit forest, as Yamazaki Kudo and his band of bandits stood at the ready, their brown dirty kimonos flapping in the evening breeze. The unmistakable gleam of their katanas reflecting the fading light only heightened the sense of imminent danger.

"Kazuki Gin?" Yamazaki called out, his voice a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the man standing before him, attempting to discern if he had heard of that man name before.

"I'm only here for her, not trying to cause problems." Kazuki said, his own gaze never wavering from Yamazaki's face.

Yamazaki's grip on his sword tightened and he stroked his long black beard thoughtfully, a puzzled expression painting his weathered features. "Your name... it sounds familiar," he muttered, clearly trying to remember where he had heard it before. "But I'm not sure..."

"Does it matter? How about we release the elderly lady!," Kazuki demanded, his tone cold and assertive. He was well aware of the bandits' intentions, but he refused to give them any sign of weakness.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, shadows stretched across the forest floor and darkness enveloped the scene. The tension in the air intensified. One of Yamazaki's subordinates suddenly stepped forward, a wild look in his eyes.

"Yamazaki Kudo," he called out, "I think this might be Kazuki, the man that assassinated the Shogun!" He pulled a tattered poster from his pocket, holding it up for all to see. The others squinted at the image, unconvinced. "He looks too old in this poster."

Yamazaki snatched the bounty poster from the subordinate's hand and looked between it and Kazuki, his expression more calculating than ever. In the midst of this evaluation, the woman they held captive struggled against her captor, pleading for release. "Let go of me!" she cried.

"Shut your mouth!" one of the bandits barked, striking her across the face. Kazuki's blood boiled at the sight, and he could no longer contain his rage.

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"Let her go, or I will kill you all without hesitation," he roared, his voice laced with menace. His bloodlust was palpable, causing the bandits to feel an increasing unease. The grip on the woman's arm slackened, and she dropped to the ground, trembling in fear.

"Interesting," Yamazaki mused as sweat dripped down his forehead, his eyes still fixed on Kazuki. "If you truly are Kazuki, the infamous assassin, then you would fetch a price of 50,000 gold pieces. That's enough to set us for life, and we would never need to steal again." His eyes glittered with greed as he weighed the possibility, tightening his hold on his katana.

Kazuki knew that if he wanted any chance of saving the woman and escaping with his life, he would need to make a bold move.

"Perhaps he shaved to look younger," another bandit chimed in, his voice a mix of uncertainty and excitement. This provoked a series of murmurs among the group, their eyes darting back and forth between Kazuki and the bounty poster.

"Could be, could be," mused Yamazaki, stroking his beard as he narrowed his gaze on Kazuki's face.

The bandits were growing more restless by the second, allowing Kazuki to take advantage of their distraction. His hardened eyes subtly signaled to the woman on the ground, urging her to move stealthily leftward.

The woman glanced at him for a moment before understanding his intention. With trembling limbs, she slowly began inching her way toward safety, her breath shallow and quiet as she tried not to draw attention to herself.

Kazuki's heart raced as he watched her from the corner of his eye, knowing that if she were caught, it would be disastrous.

Yet, just as the woman was about to slip past the last of the bandits, Yamazaki Kudo's sharp eyes caught the movement. "You fools!" he roared, pointing at the escaping woman. "She's trying to get away! After her!"

The bandits, spurred on by their leader's command, immediately abandoned their debate over Kazuki's identity, and charged after the fleeing woman. Their heavy footfalls thundered through the darkening forest, their greed and lust for gold driving them onward like hungry wolves.

Kazuki gritted his teeth in frustration and charged behind them, berating himself for his inability to provide greater assistance to the woman. Her distressed gasps, growing fainter with distance, only fueled his resolve to rescue her. His ability to teleport, a skill he had honed to use up to four times at full strength during his training, was prevented by his present weakness and hunger, a fact that left him swearing in frustration.

His eyes blazed with a fire more potent than ever before, the anger inside him poised to devour all that stood in its way. As the veil of night descended around them, Kazuki Gin braced himself for a confrontation he knew he couldn't conquer in his current state.