Chapter 281: Wounded

The blood dripped from the end of his arm and fell against the floor like the tears of the sun. He held his blade steadily in the other hand, breathing heavily. A more monstrous sight it was difficult to find.

"Impossible…" Nobunaga breathed, taking a step back and almost falling down the hundreds of steps, completely overwhelmed by fear. "That man had fought hundreds of duels as a samurai before he turned his back on the emperor and trained as a ninja… They assured me, a thousand times over, that no man could defeat him. That even monks trembled before him. What is this?" He wailed, shaking his head violently. "Have I been deceived?"

"No, Nobunaga. It was you that deceived yourself," Gengyo stated, tying the stump of his arm in a lace to stem the flow of blood, showing no hint of the pain that he felt. "You knew from the start that standing against me was not an option. You fooled yourself and now you will pay the price."