[Historical Novel] Waves of Serenity Final Chapter (2) "We should have waited"

Synopsis so far

16th century.
Iruka Kusuba, a boy of mixed foreign blood who inherited the "Kage-no-Ryu" swordsmanship, meets the beautiful Ming Chinese man, So Kei, and they vow to fight together to create a "land for those who live on the borders" in the South Seas.
So Kei, who has connections with the Hosokawa Keicho family in Japan and eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, acts to protect the enormous profits of the tally trade, but the opposing Ouchi clan sends assassins, and Iruka repeatedly engages in fierce battles with them.
After their second home, Gaja Island in the South Seas, is burned down by their former comrade Magotaro Nakabayashi, So Kei and his companions chase the Ouchi clan's Ming-bound ship toward the continental port city of Ningbo.
The mad monk of the Ouchi side, Kendo Sosetsu, attacks the banquet welcoming the tribute mission and burns down the town of Ningbo. Iruka, having joined forces with the Ming official Zhu Zijun and the warrior Yu Zhi-fu, manages to defeat the grotesque giant Kojiro Gentaro, and heads toward Shaoxing Prefecture in pursuit of So Kei, who has escaped Ningbo, but...
An unparalleled, magnificent historical epic finally reaches its finale!

Main Story

Two

The eastern sky was gradually turning white.
It looked as if light was spreading from behind the purple curtains.
They had been running all night.
In the middle of the marshland surrounded by many rivers, a long, horizontal city wall came into view.
"That is Shaoxing Prefecture."
Zhu Zijun pointed his finger, looking somewhat energized.
As they approached the city wall, something was clearly amiss. Several corpses were scattered at the feet of their horses, where darkness still lingered.
They were wearing breastplates with laced small plates and had their foreheads shaved. I knew they were all Japanese samurai.
On top of the city wall, Ming soldiers stood in a line, looking down at us without moving a muscle.
As the three riders approached, an old scholar-official appeared directly above the closed city gate.
He was lean and tough, with a thick black beard. Wearing a red official uniform and a tall cap, he looked truly imposing.
"Master Wang!"
Yu Zhi-fu exclaimed in a voice that sounded like a jump.
"Count Wang Yangming. As expected, he leaves no room for error."
Zhu Zijun let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Zhu Wan, Yu Dayou."
The old man called out to us in a clear, resounding voice. He was saying something in a firm tone of Chinese.
Yu Zhi-fu kept his eyes sparkling while bowing on his horse. Zhu Zijun repeated the exchange in a loud voice several times. After nodding to each other, the old man quickly disappeared to the other side of the wall.
"What happened?"
Iruka asked immediately.
"The lawless Japanese pirates were intercepted by the Shaoxing militia and mostly wiped out. However, the culprits, Kendo Sosetsu and So Kei, have not been found yet. They are now moving to search for them, and they want you to lend a hand."
"If they are here, are they outside the city walls?"
Iruka shielded his eyes from the bright morning sun and looked around.
"Yes. Everything depends on finding them."
Between the scattered swamps and lakes, and the web-like rivers and waterways, green forests were growing. It would be the perfect terrain for hiding.
"With this much space, it would be better to split into two groups. You, go north along the city wall. Zhi-fu and I will go around to the south side."
"What should I do if I find him?"
"Can you shoot a bow and arrow?"
"I've never hit a target, though."
Zhu Zijun took the small bow and quiver hanging from his saddle and handed them to me.
"That is what we call a whistling arrow; it makes a sound as loud as gunpowder."
"A kabura-ya?"
"Is that what you call it in Japan? If you find him, shoot it into the sky. Not just us, but all the soldiers in Shaoxing should gather there. I have a whistling arrow for Zhi-fu here. Conversely, if you hear the sound, hurry over to our side."
"Understood."
I nodded and accepted the bow and arrows.
"If it looks like you'll get stuck in the marsh, get off your horse and walk. Around here, that's much better."
Iruka began to advance alone through the unfamiliar land of Shaoxing.
When he entered the marsh between the forests, the horse immediately neighed in distress, sinking into the mud up to its knees and struggling to walk.
Iruka got off the saddle, attached only the bow bag and quiver to his waist, and let go of the horse that had been running until now. He then began to walk, following the parts of the ground that were somewhat dry.
Due to fatigue and excitement, he could feel almost nothing. But his movements were extremely sharp, and he felt as if he understood what he was doing to an excessive degree.
With such a mind, he thought desperately.
What is Sosetsu thinking right now?
He rampaged through Ningbo, turned the town and port into a sea of fire, and chased after So Kei while brutally murdering unrelated people in the villages along the way.
Of course, his primary goal must be the person he hates. Uncontrollable rage is driving that mad monk.
Even so, if he catches up to So Kei and captures him, what can he actually do?
Even if he kills him and gets his revenge, he has no next move.
Moreover, having been defeated by the Shaoxing soldiers and having lost almost all his companions, he has almost no chance of surviving himself.
He will likely be caught in the net of the great general Wang Yangming and, as Zhu Zijun intended, be thrown into a prison of extreme torture.
Even so, I think.
That man would try to escape no matter what. I can't help but feel that way.
The only way is to return to Ningbo. Then, set sail on the Ming-bound ship the Ouchi side arrived on and return to Japan. That is the only way.
That man would surely try to do that. He would struggle to survive until the very end.
If so, the place to hold is the road to Ningbo.
The road we were desperately following just a moment ago.
"Zhu Zijun, we shouldn't have searched aimlessly. We should have waited."
I spoke to myself and stopped.
That was when it happened.
From the deep darkness of the trees, a strange sound leaked out.
"Shaaaaaa."
Is that the sound of a snake threatening?
No, I remember that sound. A memory that sends chills down my spine.
"Sosetsu."
Has he already transformed into that strange figure I saw that night at the Ouchi mansion?
Along with fear, there was also the relief of finally having found him. After all, I had been searching desperately for the shadow of that man all night since last night.
There is no time to hesitate. With this strangely sharp perception, I have no choice but to strike down that other monster.
As I started walking toward the sound, the bow bag and quiver touched my thigh.
"That's right, I have to shoot the whistling arrow."
Iruka realized, but it wasn't certain that it was Sosetsu yet. First, I should see him with my own eyes, prepare to strike, and then notify Zhu Zijun and the others.
Thinking this, I stifled my footsteps and peered into the other side of the bushes.
A buttock like a mottled full moon was swaying up and down.

~ (3) To be continued in the final episode