What Does a Super Weak Minor Lord in the Sengoku Era Aim For? - Chapter 26

I halted the army in front of Kizu Castle, observing the situation. If the defenders chose to barricade themselves inside, I planned to ignore the castle and focus on securing the surrounding area.

Just then, the castle gates swung open wide, and a single rider emerged.
Just one.

A messenger perhaps?

No, the figure carried a naginata tucked under their arm. A breastplate and a hachigane(forehead protector) adorned their body, and their long hair was tied back, swaying with each movement.

It’s a woman.
What is going on? I don’t understand the meaning…

The female warrior rode straight toward me. Neither of my allies on the side moved to stop her. They just watched in silence.
Looking up, I saw a large number of soldiers gathered at the castle gate, but they seemed to be observing rather than preparing for an attack.

“I am Yuriha, the first daughter of Kizu Juuemon. The one who hail from the depths of the mountains, Yamanaka Yuuzaburou, I challenge you! Let us fight with honor!”

What… she came to fight me???
Why…

Upon hearing her declaration, my bamboo spear unit split to the sides, clearing a space. Now, nothing now stood between me and the female warrior.

“So she appeared after all…”

“General, this is Kizu’s Tomoe Gozen welcoming you.”

“…Tomoe Gozen?”

“Oh? General, are you unfamiliar with Kizu’s Tomoe Gozen?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of her…”

“Ah, that’s right. The general came from deep in Suruga.”

“Lord Kizu Juuemon’s eldest daughter, Yuriha-hime, is an exceptional martial artist—rare for a family of merchants like the Kizu. With a naginata in hand, no one in the castle can match her. She is called ‘Kizu’s Tomoe Gozen.'”

“She insisted that she would only marry a man stronger than herself, and although she is quite beautiful, she has long passed the usual age for marriage…”

…I see. So she’s a wild princess…
And I’m supposed to deal with her? 

What a hassle…

“Then, Kiyooki, you deal with Tomoe Gozen.”

“I don’t believe this is my place to step in…”

Huh…? Kiyooki, who usually jumps at opportunities like this, is holding back now?

“Then, how about Tounai?”

“Tomoe Gozen wishes to face you, general. Accept your fate and fight her.”

Tounai too? I turned to Shinsuke, but he simply shook his head.

I guess I have no choice…
I stepped forward.

“General, just give her a spank and send her back.”

“Indeed, the warrior princess is beloved by the soldiers. If you were to injure her, every soldier in Kizu territory would turn into a desperate, vengeful fighter.”

“!!”

What the hell… One annoying thing after another… Geez…

“…Give me a bamboo spear.”

A soldier handed me a bamboo spear, and I cut it down to about one ken in length. That way, I wouldn’t seriously injure her.
Besides, a cross-shaped spear with a slightly heavy tip wouldn’t be effective against a naginata’s fast blade.

As I stepped forward, the soldiers around us moved, clearing a large space and forming a circle. They were setting up for a proper duel.

The warrior princess looked to be in her mid-twenties. Indeed, in this era, where most women married in their mid-teens, she was past the usual age.
Her slender frame was tall for a woman of this time, her straight nose sharp, and her wide, powerful eyes carried a strong will.

She definitely looked like quite a spirited woman.

“Here I come!”

The female warrior lowered her stance and slid forward before suddenly twisting to slash upward.

I dodged by shifting my body aside, but she immediately followed up with a low strike. I blocked it with my bamboo spear and tried to spin it for a counterattack, but she had already retreated, stepping out of range.

She’s fast… I see now, Kiyooki might lose against her.

“Ei! Yaa!”

With sharp cries, her naginata came at me from all directions.

I blocked every single strike.

Dodging with footwork alone wouldn’t be enough. But once I got used to her speed, her slashes didn’t seem that threatening.
The real danger was thrusts—especially one aimed at my face. That instinctive fear was something I couldn’t ignore.

“Yaa!”

Her naginata came straight for my throat. It was a fully commited thrust, perfectly timed with a step forward.

But this is just what I had been waiting for.

I hooked my bamboo spear onto the shaft of her naginata and stepped in. Normally, this would be the moment to drive my spear forward into my opponent’s throat. But even a blunted bamboo spear could be fatal.
At worst, she could die; at best, her throat would be crushed, leaving her unable to speak.

At the last moment, I adjusted—I turned my spear sideways and, using my forward momentum, crashed into her with my whole body.

The female warrior was now beneath me. Her flushed face was right in front of mine—her face is a bit too close.

When she fell backward from the impact, I instinctively put out my right arm to protect her head. 

She lay there with her arms raised, but she still hadn’t let go of her naginata. To prevent a counterattack, I pressed down on her wrist with my left hand.

In other words, we were practically embracing each other, locked in place with no way to move.

“How about it, female warrior? Do you surrender?”

“…I concede defeat. And please, call me Yuriha, not ‘female warrior’.”

Her breath was so close I could feel it on my face. Her already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.

“Alright, I’ll let go—but don’t struggle, okay?”

“Yes, Yuuzaburou-sama.”

…Huh. Does she know my name?

Now that I think about it, she did say my full name earlier during her challenge. Normally, people refer to me as “that guy” or “some Yamanaka fellow”. 

Hardly anyone actually knows my name…

“OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!”

As soon as I stood up, a massive cheer erupted.

I won. But this felt kind of embarrassing…

“Yamanaka-dono, you are the first man to defeat Yuriha! Please take care of her from now on.”

…Uh, who are you, old man? 

And why is the castle gate still wide open?
The castle gates were wide open, and the castle soldiers had come out unarmed, forming a circle to watch…

Guys, we’re in the middle of a battle here…

“General, that was truly impressive. However, you did just tackle a young maiden to the ground in front of everyone. You will have to take responsibility.”

Juzou, why do you sound so amused???

“WAHAHAHA! General! Kizu Juuemon-dono has publicly declared that whoever defeats Yuriha-sama shall become his son-in-law and inherit Kizu Castle. You have taken the castle without even laying siege to it!”

Jingorou looked absolutely delighted.

So I’m… her fiancé now?
The female warrior… Yuriha-hime… She was actually pretty cute… and she smelled nice…

But seriously—

What the hell is wrong with the Sengoku period? None of this makes any sense…