With forty ninja at his command, Muji lead the attack on Hukama’s forces in the harbor. But unlike before, he did not stage quick, sudden ambushes that lead to fierce fighting and quick retreats.

With an outstretched hand, he commanded his stealth warriors—fifty in total—to press ahead and to silently remove enemy sentries.

The lead ninja before him bowed quickly, and ran to carry out his task. The black-clad warriors darted away and were quickly unseen.

The Masked Demon nodded to himself, his small army at his back. While Daimyō Sakuraichi kept Hukama’s forces occupied in the west, Muji had lead fifteen hundred men to the harbor.

It would all come down to the abilities of his ninja, now, as Hukama surely had his own stealth warriors to counter theirs—though his forces outnumbered Muji’s as a whole, the legendary general Hukama had spread himself out thin, and would now be fighting on multiple fronts, not to mention the number of warriors he needed to occupy the swearers and his patrols within the surrounding countryside and the city gates.

Arrogance will be your downfall. We will prevail.

“Sojiro,” Muji called.

His captain stepped up behind him. “Hai.”

“Hukama’s forces will be arrayed in a line when battling Sakuraichi’s army in the harbor.. We will cut through them in a concentrated attack on their right flank, removing them from the water’s edge.”

“Is that wise?” Sojiro asked. “Our men will have no way of retreat.”

“My plan.” Muji said. “Once our forces in the north realize Hukama’s army is being attack on their flank, they will engage the enemy, and we will destroy them. I leave no way of retreat for our men. We cut through the enemy, or we perish on this day.”

“As you command, Muji-sama!”

The Masked Demon was not afraid of death. But something inside him regretted the assurance of victory or death.

Haruna…

Sometime later, a scout from his contingent of ninja returned to relay information. The warrior bowed. “It was as you thought it would be, my lord. Hukama’s forces are spread thin, and though they are evenly matched with Daimyō Sakuraichi’s forces in the north, they will not hold when flanked. They are currently encamped, as the fighting has ceased.”

Muji nodded. “Good work.”

He turned to Sojiro. “We move!”