Chương 19: A Funeral For Legends.

A loud, ear-piercing scream echoed throughout the training grounds, but no one paid attention to it as they continued their morning workouts.

The training grounds had undergone significant changes since Tsubaki's arrival. The mortals were forced to build their own living quarters, training drills, and even an inn. They had to hunt and cook their own meals, as the old ladies were no longer present.

The most notable change, however, was in their training regimen. They now trained in close quarters in the morning, meditated in the scorching sun during the afternoon, and practiced with their weapons at dawn.

The source of the screams was Shinji. Exhausted, he was forced to continue his grueling task. Before, he had to chop down trees, plant a hundred seeds to replace each tree, gather heavy stones, prepare a fire, and now, punch the stones when they turned red. This was his own example of hell.

As Shinji continued to scream, everyone's attention shifted to the front door of the training grounds, which slowly opened to reveal a breathtaking woman with the world's biggest pair of breast.

She exhaled smoke from her cigarette, her cold gaze sweeping across the room. The cigarette incinerated into flames, and her icy voice commanded, "Who is responsible for that loud noise this early in the morning?"

All eyes turned to Shinji, who stood at the far end of the training grounds.

Tsubaki smiled, nothing rare, and walked calmly towards Shinji. Her bright kamishimo did not hinder her steady steps.

"If it isn't the Great Scholar who killed a person with one slap?"

Shinji's body trembled like seaweed, and no words escaped his lips. Tsubaki touched him lightly, and a scream escaped his mouth as if he had seen the king of hell himself.

Tsubaki furrowed her brows, a breath of fire escaping her thin lips.

"Do you think I'm a fool to fall for your stupid acting for the second time?"

A cold glint flashed in her eyes as her knuckles cracked.

"I wonder if you can still scream like that after I teach you how to never make a fool of me again."

Shinji's expression turned darker, and he cursed his luck inwardly, 'I shouldn't have pranked her these past few weeks. Now, she's all grown up.'

Shinji's thoughts were akin to those of a father watching his daughter mature, but in this case, the "daughter" was older and violent.

"Let me tell you something!" Shinji cried out repeatedly, but Tsubaki refused to listen, determined not to fall for his words again. Instead, she chose to drill some manners into his thick skull.

...

As the sun rose over the mountainous landscape, casting an orange glow, the Kushi Village military camp settled deep within the mountains came alive. Plum blossoms gently fell upon the group of male mortals dressed in black kimonos, who had gathered to pay their respects to two of the greatest warriors of all time: Muso Gonnosuke and Miyamoto Musashi.

Muso Gonnosuke, a skilled swordsman from a young age, like many men from Kushi Village, lay on a simple wooden pallet, his body wrapped in a traditional kimono. Despite the makeup, his face still seemed to reflect the pain he had endured after being hit by an otsuchi, his life slipping away due to lack of medical treatment.

His comrades, who had fought alongside him in countless battles, stood around him with bowed heads, their faces etched in tears, as the sound of his final words echoed in their minds – a haunting scream of agony.

Next to him lay his rival from Kurenai Village, Miyamoto Musashi, his body treated with equal reverence and respect. The poison that had taken his life had turned his skin a deep purple. Despite his rugged features and allegiance to the Kurenai Village, the mortals from Kushi Village had come to admire Miyamoto's exceptional skill and bravery.

They honored him for being the first person to defeat them 60 times while leading the opposing force.

Normally, beautiful women would have performed a traditional dance to bid farewell to the departed souls. Instead, the mortal men accompanied themselves with the somber sounds of sniffs, sobs, and shovels hitting the earth as they laid their comrades to rest.

The mountainous landscape was shrouded in grief, as if the very earth itself mourned the loss of Muso Gonnosuke and Miyamoto Musashi. The heavens wept alongside the warriors, and the rain masked their tears as they continued digging the graves.

Memories of Muso flooded their minds:

A child to the childless, a brother to the brotherless, a friend to the friendless, and a father to the fatherless. Most of all, he was their hero – a selfless leader who had inspired awe and devotion.

Never once had Muso complained about rescuing his people. When food was scarce, he would hunt to feed them, and if there was still not enough, he would rather go hungry himself than let his people suffer.

Despite being the leader with the most losses in Kushi Village's history, Muso's victories in their hearts were towering. As the old saying goes: "Even if my father wears ragged clothes, I will still love him. I would rather give him my clothes and go naked than watch him suffer."

Yet, the people of Kushi Village had failed to reciprocate Muso's selflessness when he needed it most. As he lay in pain, they could only watch, powerless due to their lack of medical knowledge.

As the warriors finished digging the graves, they gently laid the two brave warriors to rest. Taking one last glance at their lifeless bodies, they began covering them with a layer of soil and petals.

Though they would have liked to honor Muso with a traditional sake ceremony, they settled for prayers instead, finding solace in the rain, which brought a taste of the heavens' own sake.

A young, vibrant warrior with white hair stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with determination. Though he had only spent a month with Muso, he felt compelled to pay tribute.

Raising Muso's sharp blade into the air, he seemed to receive a response from the heavens themselves as thunder roared in the distance.

With the blade still aloft, the young warrior declared, "In the next two days, we will claim victory in the 2-battle-series!"

His voice echoed through the mountains, a battle cry that stirred the hearts of his comrades.