The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

A short while later, a clap of thunder sounded. The rain poured down like water bursting from a dam.

The Imagawa army in the valley was in an uproar, scattering to seek shelter from the rain.

Dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbled, and what should have been a bright and sunny midday felt like the first light of dawn.

The hour of Wei (1-3 PM) had arrived, and Imagawa Yoshimoto's dream of going to Kyoto was destined to remain unfulfilled.

Nobunaga rode his horse through the army formation, shouting, "Don't make a sound until you reach Imagawa's camp! I only want Yoshimoto's head. Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be cut down. Don't covet those heads!"

He then returned to the front lines, raising his famous sword high.

"Pour it on!"

All of Oda's retainers urged each other to rush down the mountain, with Shinsuke rushing at the back.

He came here to raid, so why would someone who raids raids start a group?

"Shinsuke! Run faster! You weren't this slow when you were leading the horse! You're so tall and strong, yet you're such a coward!" Nobunaga cursed from behind.

Shin-chan was too lazy to listen to his manipulative tactics and continued to follow the group at a leisurely pace.

Soon the sounds of battle rang out, and the Imagawa army was thrown into chaos, not even knowing who their opponents were.

"What happened? Was it a sneak attack by local samurai?"

"It's a rebellion! It's a rebellion!"

"Oda's army is attacking! Where is Lord Okabe Motonobu? Wasn't he at the front? Was he defeated?"

Shinsuke quickened his pace, looking at the Imagawa army that had been hacked to pieces and were now sprawling on the ground. Fortunately, he had the memories of this life, so the sight of heads rolling around didn't make him want to vomit.

Everything is for the sake of the future!

He casually picked up a human head that had rolled in from who-knows-where.

"The enemy general Okabe Motonobu has been defeated by me!" The pronunciation was perfect; no wonder he was a Punishing: Gray Raven player in his previous life.

The soldiers of the Imagawa army were already in a panic, and when they saw the heads, they had no time to distinguish them, and many of them immediately fled.

Oda Nobunaga laughed heartily on horseback, pointing at Shinsuke and saying to the monkey, "Look at him, even a big guy can be so clever!"

A wail arose from the Imagawa camp, and Nobunaga's vanguard stormed from the mountain into Yoshimoto's tent in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

To avoid the rain, Yoshimoto set up the tent on a slightly higher hillside.

Shinsuke avoided battle all the way, and before he knew it, he had moved to the front. Because he had not been fighting, he had maintained his physical strength very well.

The short, stout man dressed in the robes of a court noble, with painted eyebrows, was clumsily putting on his armor amidst the chaos of battle. Oda's army had kicked down his tent, and his horse guards (Konoe) were already engaged in combat outside the tent; the scene was extremely chaotic due to the rain.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, true to his reputation as the "Number One Archer of the Tokaido," remained seated. He knew that running around would only lead to his death, so he decided to wait for reinforcements.

Shinsuke snatched a warhorse from the Imagawa clan and headed straight for Yoshimoto, only to find that someone was faster than him.

"Hattori, don't rush! Let me handle this!"

Koheita ignored him completely, charged into the tent with his spear, jumped off his horse, and thrust at Imagawa Yoshimoto, only to be parried by Yoshimoto's sword.

A single sword against a spear? It seems Yoshimoto is indeed quite skilled.

Xiaopingtai's marksmanship was solid; the first thrust was aimed at the brow, the second at the heart, the third at the brow, and the fourth at the heart...

Yoshimoto dodged a few times but then ran out of strength. He barely managed to find an opportunity and severed the head of Koheita's spear with a single stroke.

"Hattori! Let me do it!"

Shinsuke then rushed up behind Yoshimoto, jumped off his horse, and raised his katana high to test the power of "Ichi no Tachi".

It is said that this sword technique can accurately find the gaps in the armor and kill with a single blow!

"Take this!"

Caught off guard, Yi Yuan felt a sudden heat in most of his body, and his gaze drifted upwards.

Kodaira stared at Shinsuke in disbelief, as if to say, "You can cut people like that?"

Yoshimoto's hat was askew to one side, and the katana slashed from his left shoulder down to his lower right abdomen, almost splitting him in two.

Shinsuke hadn't anticipated the power of his strike at all, and even forgot to pick up the severed head. On the other hand, such a large "head" was indeed a bit difficult to pick up.

Koheita seemed to be a kind-hearted person, and quickly used his short sword to cut off Yoshimoto's head and handed it to Shinsuke.

This guy is really reliable and easy to get along with!

Shinsuke grabbed Yoshimoto's head and roared, "Imagawa Yoshimoto has been defeated! Why don't you surrender?"

Its sound was like a booming bell, and could be heard almost throughout the entire Tianlewa area, even by Nobunaga who had just come down from the mountain.

"As expected of a samurai from Owari!" he exclaimed, raising his fist in admiration, while urging Fujikichiro to run a few steps faster.

...Congratulations, host, for acquiring the skill [Dragonfly Eight Phases]. This is the dynamic opening move of the Satsuma Manifestation Style, a profound technique that abandons defense and unleashes full-force attack...

Before Shinsuke could even thoroughly examine his skills, he was instantly surrounded by enemies.

He forgot one thing: Yi Yuan's close entourage were almost all loyal to the death and had no intention of surrendering. Even if they wanted to escape, they would try to take back their lord's head.

I should have run outside and shouted!

He handed his katana to Koheita, and then took the longsword from Yoshimoto's hand. The sword was heavy yet light, and it was clear from the moment he held it that it was no ordinary weapon.

The hatamoto samurai of Imagawa surrounded them. They were wearing heavy armor. Shinsuke did not want to be surrounded, so he took Kodaira Taigo to his side.

Koheita wasn't stupid either. The two of them took turns covering each other and actually retreated to the side of the curtain. Whether it was out of nervousness or on purpose, he stepped on the curtain that had been kicked over and stumbled down the slope.

Now that the opportunity for great success has passed, he has chosen to cut his losses in time.

"Brother, you really know how to play!" The new assistant general hurled his severed head down the slope at Koheita. "Quickly take him to see the lord! I'll cover you!"

Several samurai saw Kodaira roll down the slope and were about to attack when, unexpectedly, the man threw his lord's head down the mountain.

"Aren't you going to steal the head?"

"asshole!"

"Give me your life!"

Shinsuke hurriedly shouted to the surrounding Oda soldiers, "Gentlemen, Yoshimoto is dead! We're about to tally the battle merits, and the heads of these hatamoto are a great achievement!"

Several brave foot soldiers actually came to help, brandishing their spears.

"kill!"

A samurai swung his sword, and Shinsuke raised his own to block, actually breaking the man's sword in two. He touched the blade and found it wasn't even chipped.

It truly is a renowned sword.

Seeing Shinsuke break the enemy's weapon with a single strike, the foot soldiers' morale soared, and they raised their bamboo spears and began stabbing wildly at the enemy. Although the few hatamoto samurai were armored, they couldn't withstand the onslaught and quickly lost their lives.

Koheita was already almost in front of Nobunaga!

Shinsuke led a horse and galloped down the mountain. In his previous life, his great achievements had been claimed by others several times, and in this life, no one could steal his credit.

Just as Koheita was kneeling down, about to offer his head, Shinsuke held a knife to his head.

"Imagawa Yoshimoto..." Koheita gasped, "He has been slain by my good brother Mori Shinsuke. This is his head! Mori was incredibly brave; with a single stroke, he cut that scoundrel Yoshimoto in two. Please inspect it, my lord!"

Fujikichiro quickly took the head and presented it to Nobunaga.

Nobunaga snorted smugly after looking at it, then noticed the sword at Shinsuke's waist.

"It's Soza Samonji," he said, without asking for anything. "A good sword should be paired with a good samurai. From today onwards, you are all Black-Clad Warriors. Monkey, give the order to clean up the battlefield and not pursue them."

The so-called Black-Clothed Warriors, like the Red-Clothed Warriors, were elite samurai selected by Nobunaga from the Mabu-shu. They mainly served as messengers for the main camp and front-line troops (hereafter referred to as messengers), and were also responsible for guarding the main camp and launching attacks.

Mori Shinsuke and Hattori Koheita were originally members of the Makai clan, but this promotion would not bring any improvement in their knowledge or salary; they would simply receive a black maternal robe to signify that they were confidants of their lord.

However, as members of the Mother Clothes Clan, they will be more likely to receive some rewards.

Xiaoping was too busy expressing his gratitude, while Shinsuke was reluctant to do so.

"Are you dissatisfied with my reward?! I even gave you the famous sword!"