The setting sun bled across the sky like fire, dyeing the clouds in a vivid orange-red hue.
Teppei and the two members of the Shrimp Squad hurried to the area between Nazuchi Beach and Tatarasuna.
The scene before them left them utterly stunned. The Shogunate army had been almost completely annihilated—shattered corpses scattered everywhere. Some were hanging from tree branches, others drifted lifelessly in the sea, the stench of blood thick in the air.
Thousands of bodies had dyed the waters crimson, and the waves lapped again and again at the blood-streaked shoreline.
Under the fiery glow of sunset, everything looked eerily surreal.
Shattered fragments of armor lay strewn across the pools of blood, their metal glinting coldly in the fading light.
Flags that once symbolized the Shogunate's glory and courage now lay desecrated in the mud, sullied by dirt and gore. The air itself was steeped in the scent of death.
Teppei, once part of the logistics corps, had only heard of war's brutality through tales from other resistance fighters—but this was the first time he had witnessed such carnage with his own eyes.
His stomach churned violently, waves of nausea rising.
Yet he forced himself to stay composed, continuing to survey the scene around him.
The sheer savagery of this battle defied all expectations. It was hard to imagine how hopeless the Shogunate troops must have felt at the time.
One of his companions nudged Teppei's arm with his elbow and asked uncertainly, "Teppei, was this massacre really caused by that new guy?"
Teppei stared blankly at the sea of corpses, his voice dazed. "I guess… unless the Watatsumi Omikami showed up in person."
The others exchanged stunned glances, and one gasped, "One man… took down an entire force of three thousand? That's terrifying…"
Their gazes swept over the fallen Shogunate soldiers, a deep sense of awe welling in their chests.
Another looked around and asked, "By the way, where is that newcomer now?"
The group searched the area, but Shao Yun was nowhere in sight.
Teppei took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and shouted loudly.
"Shao Yun, where are you?! General Gorou sent me to find you!"
His voice echoed over the desolate battlefield. After several seconds, a distant voice called back.
"I'm looting the enemy's supplies! Hurry over and help me look!"
The voice was faint due to the distance, but Teppei managed to make out the words "hurry over."
He frowned, wondering if Shao Yun really expected them to clean up the battlefield.
How could one person handle this much carnage alone?
Teppei cleared his throat and called out again, "Shao Yun! Maybe we should report back to General Gorou first, then return with a proper cleanup crew?"
But the only response was Shao Yun's low, urgent shout.
"Hurry and help!"
This time, the message came through clearly.
Teppei scratched his head, uneasy.
Just the four of them wouldn't be nearly enough to manage this battlefield.
So, he turned to the two Shrimp Squad members and said, "You two go back and report the situation to General Gorou. I'll stay here and help Mr. Shao Yun."
The two men nodded in unison. "Understood."
They turned and dashed back toward Nazuchi Beach, leaving Teppei alone.
He looked down at the corpses and pressed his hands together, murmuring, "Forgive me—if I step on you, I truly didn't mean it…"
Then, stepping gingerly between the bodies, he made his way toward the direction of Shao Yun's voice.
The trail of corpses stretched far and wide, with no end in sight.
Teppei noticed that many of the soldiers near the front had died on their backs—those farther along had collapsed face-down. None of the corpses were intact. Every one bore horrific injuries.
The deeper he ventured, the more intense his fear became.
When he reached the rear of the enemy's formation, he was startled to find Shogunate corpses hanging from tree branches for some inexplicable reason.
Flocks of crows crowded the ground, pecking voraciously at the corpses, devouring them with enthusiasm.
Teppei gasped in horror as he saw one crow gouge out a dead soldier's eye.
The sudden cry startled the birds. They burst upward in waves, screeching hoarsely as they took to the sky.
Teppei looked up. Countless crows circled above, their guttural calls sending chills down his spine.
Feathers occasionally fluttered down like a black rain, falling slowly onto the blood-drenched earth.
Though it was still broad daylight, Teppei felt a cold shiver creep up his spine, like someone was breathing gently on the back of his neck.
He trembled slightly, then quickened his pace.
Suddenly, he spotted Boadicea standing quietly in the distance. That meant Shao Yun was nearby.
Teppei called out desperately, "Shao Yun! Where are you? I'm here!"
His voice rang through the air—tinged with urgency and desperation. Being alone in a place like this was unbearable.
At that moment, Shao Yun was bent over, calmly rummaging through the corpses for anything of value. His face showed no panic—just quiet, detached focus.
Compared to Teppei's tense anxiety, Shao Yun looked utterly composed. After all, he'd done this in his mind more times than he could count.
"These Shogunate troops are pitifully poor. Nothing but letters. Not a coin to their name." he muttered in disappointment.
Just as he was engrossed in his search, he heard Teppei's voice.
He looked up, spotted Teppei, and stood. Waving, he shouted, "Teppei, perfect timing! Come over—give me a hand!"
Teppei ran toward him like he'd seen salvation.
Panting, he reached Shao Yun and took in the sight of his blood-soaked hands—instinctively drawing a sharp breath. A wave of discomfort washed over him, but he swallowed hard.
Looking around at the corpses strewn everywhere, he hesitated. "Mr. Shao Yun… the two of us can't possibly move all these bodies…"
Shao Yun casually nudged one with his boot and replied nonchalantly, "Didn't I tell you? We're here to loot, not haul bodies."
He pointed up at the crows circling overhead. "Besides, they'll help us. We just leave the bodies to them."
Teppei froze.
He'd heard of looting before—some resistance fighters admitted to finding valuables on dead Shogunate soldiers during battlefield cleanups. Some handed things in. Others… didn't.
So, he wasn't exactly shocked.
But hearing Shao Yun casually mention leaving the corpses to the crows?
Was he implying… those birds would devour everything? That wasn't just grotesque—it was dangerous. Exposed corpses could spread disease.
Teppei quickly tried to dissuade him. "Mr. Shao Yun, you may not know this, but if we leave all these bodies untreated, it could cause a serious epidemic."
Shao Yun nodded. "I know. That's why I let a few soldiers go—to spread the word. Whatever the crows can't eat, the next wave of Shogunate soldiers will have to clean up."
Then he pointed to a patch of untouched bodies ahead. "Teppei, go check over there—those ones haven't been searched yet."
"Anything you find, it's your choice—turn it in or keep it."
Teppei swallowed hard. Deep down, he hated the idea of looting corpses.
He quickly shook his head. "No thank you, Mr. Shao Yun. I'll just keep an eye on the area for you."
With that, he grabbed his weapon and climbed onto a nearby rock, scanning the surroundings warily.
Shao Yun smiled and nodded, then went back to sifting through the dead.
…
Meanwhile, back at Nazuchi Beach, the eerie silence from Tatarasuna left Gorou increasingly uneasy.
Was Shao Yun defeated? Or… did he actually destroy the entire Shogunate force?
The two conflicting thoughts gnawed at him like ants on a hot pan.
Just then, the two Shrimp Squad scouts came running back, out of breath.
Seeing them, Gorou rushed forward and asked anxiously, "What happened up ahead?"
One of them took a deep breath and replied excitedly, "General Gorou! The Shogunate army has been completely wiped out!"
Gorou was stunned. He grabbed the soldier's shoulder and said in disbelief, "What? Say that again!"
The scout nodded fervently. "They're all dead! Between Tatarasuna and Nazuchi Beach—the corpses are piled so high they've blocked the road!"
Gorou's eyes widened in shock. "Is this for real?!"
The second scout confirmed, nodding rapidly. "Absolutely! General, I've never seen so many corpses. You can't even see where they end!"
Upon hearing the unbelievable news, the resistance camp erupted.
Cheers and cries of victory filled the air. The soldiers' morale skyrocketed.
They waved their weapons and shouted at the top of their lungs, faces glowing with pride and excitement.
Even though they hadn't fought this battle themselves—Shao Yun was one of them. By extension, this was their victory.
Gorou rubbed his temples. So, Shao Yun really did it. One man… against three thousand!
He had thought Shao Yun was joking. But apparently, he had spoken the truth.
Despite the shock, a part of him was genuinely relieved. If he'd been forced to lead five hundred against three thousand… he'd had little confidence.
One of the scouts spoke again. "General Gorou, Mr. Teppei asked us to inform you. He's helping the newcomer clean up the battlefield. What do you think?"
Gorou nodded and raised his voice.
"Soldiers—listen up!"
The cheering resistance members quieted down.
Gorou cleared his throat. "Three hundred will remain here as planned, in case the Shogunate tries anything. The remaining two hundred—come with me to check the situation!"
Orders given, the units quickly organized themselves.
Gorou led two hundred resistance fighters, following the Shrimp Squad scouts toward the border between Tatarasuna and Nazuchi Beach.