Chapter 66: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

A king is accustomed to standing above the masses. When gazing down from a lofty height becomes second nature, he develops a sense of self-satisfaction, believing himself the strongest in the world. At the same time, his vigilance wanes, and for those he deems weak enemies, he feels little threat.

This is the arrogance of a king—his fatal flaw.

Fengxian is just such a long-standing ruler, endowed with immense strength, wealth, and power. Even the elusive Nichirin, whom he cannot possess, he forcibly keeps shackled by his side.

So when confronted by challengers like Take Okakura, Gintoki, and the women of Hyakka, he finds them laughable.

The Night King, Fengxian, believes he will crush these insignificant ants one by one, chop their bodies up to feed the stray dogs by the roadside, and personally kill the child before Nichirin’s eyes. Such are the prices of rebellion against the Night King.

Yet the course of events deviates subtly from his expectations. Once the silver-haired samurai stands up, the scattered ants begin to unite.

They are not ants, but troublesome hornets! That silver-haired samurai is like a queen bee; even the woman he had just trampled beneath his feet is transformed by his presence.

Her strength…far greater than before. The heavy blows rival those of Fengxian, king of the Yato. Even with only her left hand, if her right were whole, perhaps she could match him.

And the silver-haired samurai, those swift, relentless strikes leave no room for response—he is a demon from the battlefield.

Then there are the Hyakka traitors. Ha! Their feeble kunai attacks are mere tickles, far too weak.

After all, he is a king forged on the Yato battlefield! How could he possibly lose to such foes?!

Take Okakura, gazing at Fengxian, is reminded of her fight with Kamui—another Yato, with monstrous regenerative powers. Even in this battle of attrition, his wounds heal before the eye.

The Yato truly are a race with built-in cheats.

But no matter what, defeat is not an option. If they lose, it is they who will die here. They cannot lose!

Take Okakura hefts her spiked club and swings it at Fengxian’s head. He hurriedly raises his umbrella to block the blow, and Gintoki, seizing the moment, strikes with his wooden sword. The fierce attack leaves Fengxian unable to counter.

“Damn samurai!” Fengxian shouts, kicking Gintoki aside.

“Old man, go to hell!” Take Okakura, taking advantage of his focus on Gintoki, swings her club, sending Fengxian flying.

Bang! Fengxian crashes into the opposite wall. Take Okakura rushes over and delivers a crushing blow to his chest.

“Woo~.” Kamui whistles, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

“Puh—!” Fengxian spits out a mouthful of blood from the blow.

Now’s the time! Kill him! Take Okakura raises her club high, aiming for Fengxian’s head.

With all her strength, she swings down, gritting her teeth.

Shlick! The sound of sharp blades piercing flesh rings out. Take Okakura looks up to see several kunai embedded in her left wrist and arm.

“Ugh…” The sudden, intense pain makes her unable to hold the heavy club, which slips from her grasp and falls, kicking up dust.

This old man! When did he have so many kunai hidden?

“Little girl, do you think you can kill me with just one hand? Hahaha, too naive!” Fengxian laughs wildly, kicking Take Okakura, who’s reaching for her weapon, sending her flying.

“Take!” Gintoki rushes to catch the airborne Take Okakura.

“Hmph, naïve! Far too naïve! Even if your feeble lights gather together, you cannot defeat me, the Night King!” Fengxian steps out from the swirling dust, his face twisted in a smug smile.

“You cannot illuminate this deep, dark night. Compared to the sun, you are still far too weak…”

“As long as you obey and remain bound by my chains, you will survive! Who would have thought the remnants once stamped out by the Heaven People would rekindle their flame!”

“It seems I must extinguish that spark, erase that…insignificant light!”

Gintoki rises slowly amid Fengxian’s taunts. He glances at Take Okakura, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

When Tsukuyo tries to act, he stops her, saying he’ll handle everything.

“So this is the samurai spirit? Truly admirable. You wish to sacrifice yourself, begging me to spare them? Useless. After dealing with you, it will be their turn,” Fengxian sneers.

“I won’t let you snuff it out again. Even the weakest light, when gathered, can illuminate the darkness. Even if the fire dies, as long as a single ember remains, it can be reignited.”

“And you…cannot extinguish my flame.” Gintoki smiles at Fengxian.

“Yes, old man…this guy possesses the most stubborn flame in the world, like a will-o’-the-wisp. Even if he dies, the fire will blaze anew,” Take Okakura struggles to stand, biting out the kunai embedded in her hand. Blood drips from her arm, tracing fine crimson lines on the floor.

“Oh? Even with your hand ruined, you still oppose me?” Fengxian mocks.

“What’s a ruined hand? I still have my feet. And if my feet are lost, I have my head, my mouth. My flame burns so hot, I can’t even lie down,” Take Okakura laughs.

“Truly a fire-breathing Godzilla… such a big flame,” Gintoki chuckles.

“That’s who we are. No matter how many times you blow it out, it’s no use—because it will never die… the sun follows me. So long as they live, no matter how many times you snuff it out, I can reignite it.”

At that moment, an enormous sound echoes above Yoshiwara. A blinding, intense light shines from behind Gintoki—a silver, warming radiance!

“You cannot hope to block this sunlight!” Gintoki stands bathed in the light, his figure dazzling and radiant.

Everyone is stunned. This is… sunlight! As the noise from the ceiling grows, the light expands, washing over everyone’s heads.

“This… this sunlight is…” Fengxian is frozen in shock.

The long-lost brilliance captivates everyone in Yoshiwara; it has been so long since they’ve seen it. The courtesans and Hyakka gaze upward, the harsh light illuminating their pale faces, making them feel for the first time that they are truly alive.

The sun bursts into sealed Yoshiwara with unstoppable force.

“The… the sun—!” The intense light wounds one above all—Fengxian. The king’s shell is stripped away by the sunlight. He screams, shielding his eyes with his arms, but blood seeps from cracked skin, and his eyes are so painfully assaulted by the light that he cannot open them.

Take Okakura stands dazed, staring at the sunlight. This light is… surely the result of Kagura, Shinpachi, and Seita’s efforts. Those children believed in them, they brought the sun to Yoshiwara. All that remains is to sever the fragile chains binding the sun!

Just as she is about to rush forward, she sees the silver-haired man move faster than she can, raising his wooden sword and sending the struggling Night King flying!

With his angry shout, the Night King falls heavily onto the eaves. Everyone is stunned—this is true victory at last…

Wait! There’s another bastard afraid of the sun! Take Okakura scans the area and spots Kamui, his back to her, shielding his head with a door panel, watching Fengxian get kicked away—completely defenseless.

A wicked, twisted grin spreads across Take Okakura’s lips. Well then, let’s finish off this bastard too!

“Kamui! You can die beneath the sun as well!” Take Okakura rushes behind Kamui and delivers a flying kick.

“Eh?” Kamui’s blue eyes widen in surprise—he hadn’t expected Take Okakura to ambush him now.

Boom! Kamui is sent flying, landing near Fengxian. The intense sunlight strikes his fair face, reddening it instantly.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect that Earth girl to pull such a move,” Kamui laughs softly.

But even he, if exposed to the sun too long, will game over. Kamui reaches for the umbrella at his waist, but at that moment, a shadow falls over him. He looks up to see Take Okakura’s smiling face—and his umbrella is pinned under her foot.

Kamui’s smile widens—this could be troublesome.

“Commander Kamui, I’ve always hated you the most. Always smiling, manipulating people, and spouting false words. I hate you, I really, really hate you,” Take Okakura says in an icy tone.

“Is that so? But I don’t hate you. In fact, I rather like you,” Kamui grins. He always likes strong prey.

“Well, that’s too bad. Kamui, die for me!” Take Okakura moves to kick Kamui’s face—she’s never liked the sight of him!

Kamui, you bastard, go straight to hell!

Author’s note: One update.