Ammunition Problems (Sora's Side Story)

A day has passed since Takina fell unconscious.

Although when examined by the doctors she appears to be fine, she still isn't waking up despite having slept for an entire day.

"-It might have been caused by brain damage from the electricity, or an impact from all the fighting. Regardless, if she doesn't wake up soon then it seems that there is nothing we can do to help her."

"I see..." Sora replied to the doctor.

"But fret not, young Lord. Lady Fujiwara is a strong woman, she might even be on par with some of the best in this country. It'd take more than this to kill her."

"Yeah... You're probably right. Thank you for your reassurance, doctor."

"It is my pleasure. Kenshin-sama personally ordered me to make sure she will be nursed back to health, I'll do my best to make sure his happens.

I'll be back here tomorrow morning.... And you should find something to eat, it isn't good for a developing boy like yourself."

"How did you-"

"One of the maids told me you have skipped your dinner last night."

"Ah... Mm. I will grab something to fill my stomach, sorry for worrying you."

"You better be. Now then I'll take my leave if you'll excuse me...."

The doctor packed up her equipment and left the room. Sora sat down next to the unconscious Takina, and held her hands in his own.

"...Its all my fault. If I had explained to you properly then... then you wouldn't have need to fight with Genji."

The sun from the window shone down on Takina's tattered face. Sweat could be visibly seen on her face and her damp clothes.

'She must be overheating... I'll change her to somewhere cooler.'

Sora closed the window to put away the sunlight, and tried to drag her body to the shade...

"Ah."

Her robe came off, revealing her body.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-...."

At first embarrassed, he later noticed that Takina's body was filled with scars of cut wounds and bruises, showing all of the previous injuries she took.

"This is..."

Amidst the bandages and bruises, he could tell apart the newer scars from the older ones.

Most of the scars are located on her arms, knees and thighs. When standing in a fighting stance, these parts are the closest to the enemy afterall, of course they'd be filled with scars.

With so many traces of injuries on her body, one would wonder just how much this person had fought in the past. Just what kind of history does she have, to end up with this many scars.

"...."

Taken aback by the sight of Takina's injuries, Sora quietly fixes her robe before dragging her to the shadow.

"Sigh... I really should get something to eat..."

As the boy leaves the room and enters the hallway, he could hear commotion from outside. The strategy room is located on the same floor afterall.

"Commander, we have an issue!"

Sora did not pay much mind to the soldier making all the noises and walked out heading towards the stairs. When passing by the strategy room, he overheard the meeting inside.

"-running low on bullets is one thing, but arrows as well?"

Kenshin's voice was heard from within. The person making the report continued-

"We've used them all during the last defense... It'd take more than a few days for the next supply reinforcement to arrive."

"I see... If this drags on then we will not be able to hold the city against the next attack."

"Kenshin-sama, it might be possible for us to send some men back to Niigata to hurry up the reinforcements."

"That is a good suggestion, but it'd take away a chunk of our fighting power... I'd prefer not to do that when we are on a stalemate with the Oda Clan."

"...." Sora stood by the entrance and eaves dropped the entire time. However, one of the soldiers inside exited the room and saw him.

"Oi, you shouldn't be listening to this brat."

"Uh, yeah... Sorry."

"Who are you talking to, soldier?"

"It's the young Lord, Kenshin-sama."

"Hmm. Let him be, he's not a spy."

"Hear that, kid? The Lord says that you can- Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Sora quickly left the scene without giving a care to the soldier. As Sora walked, his thoughts remained on the issue at hand...

'Ammunition huh...'

______________

All while Sora munched on a rice ball to replenish his energy, his mind kept on the problem he heard from the strategy room.

'It'd be difficult to speed up the delivery of bullets and arrows from Niigata.... Unless we could somehow steal it from the enemy?

No... That wouldn't be realistic. They'd rather burn down their supplies than let enemies have it.'

He kept on thinking, until he remembered something from a book that he used to read before at the library.

"Ah!"

'Bullets are one thing, but if it's arrows... then there may be a way to steal it from the enemies.'

After taking care of his food, the boy quickly rushed towards Kenshin's room.

'Knock knock.'

"Come in."

'Goo...' As Sora opens the sliding door and enters the room, a smell of incense filled the atmosphere.

The old man sat in the middle of the room, with his hand on his sword ready to draw and swing.

Upon seeing Sora, his shoulder relaxed.

"Eh?..."

"Ah, it's you huh? No one is allowed to visit me when I'm resting, so you had me suspicious."

"...How many times have you cut down an enemy like this?"

"Hmm, hard to say. Takina have probably cut down about 2 men like this... and I have lost count since the days I became a Lord."

"Your life is tough huh..."

"It is when you rose to the ranks through bloodshed like myself. Everybody wants my head, and so I have to be careful everywhere."

Kenshin put down his blade, and took the open book on the floor back to his hands.

"So, what brings you here today, boy?"

"I've happened upon the strategy room just now and overheard the situation..."

"I know, the guard caught you peeping right?"

"I wasn't peeping! Ahem... Anyway, I just so happen to have come up with a solution."

"Huh, from a kid like you? You certainly have the spirits, but I don't see how you have the qualifications to give military advice."

"I know, that's why I came to you, Kenshin-sama."

"Hahaha, I see! If you trust me to deliver your idea so much, then how could I reject it?

Well then, tell me all about your advice.... I'm all ears."

"You see-"

___________

On that day, under the orders of superiors, the soldiers from the Uesugi Clan made dummies out of straws and weed, and at night set them up around the city.

On top of walls, roofs, next to a corner, and even peeking out from windows... These dummies were placed randomly throughout the city in places where enemies are likely to show up.

The night passes by quickly to the next morning. As soldiers approched these dummies they noticed that most of them were either damaged badly or flat-out destroyed.

Arrows and occasionally repairable-bullets were found stuck to these damaged straw dummies.

At night, the enemy from a mistook the mannequins as enemies because of the dim light, and fired at them with their bows and guns. Most of these projectiles remained intact despite hitting their target, since the dummies are made of soft straws.

And thus, the soldiers 'harvested' all the free arrows and bullets from the enemy. The amount was enough to sustain their upcoming battles a bit.

_________

In the next morning back at the strategy room, generals and commanders gathered.

Sitting in the farthest table of it is Uesugi Kenshin, with Sora sitting next to him.

Hearing the report from the soldiers, everyone sighed a breath of relief.

"While your trick doesn't procure enough ammunition for us, it did provide a surprising amount of arrows and bullets for us." One of the commanders said.

"This amount could help us last at least for one more battle. Your idea was a great help, Kenshin-sama."

"I wasn't the one who came up with this idea. It was this boy."

"Huh?" (?x)

"Aha... I was just giving an idea that I had..."

"Though he may not look like it, this boy here is a smart kid. As you could see, it'd be helpful for each of us to take his advice seriously in the future even if he is merely a child."

"It is my pleasure..."

"Anyways, thanks for your help. In any future cases where you come up with some new ideas, do make sure to come and share them with me or any of the commanders inside this room."

"Thank you, my Lord. Well then, I shall take my leave now."

Sora exited the room.

"Sigh... Their stare after finding out was too intense for me..."

As his mind still wondered on about the topic, he subconsciously walked back towards Takina's room.

Opening the sliding door, he came to the sight of the doctor examining Takina, who's sitting up and helping with the doctor's job.

"!..." Sora was surprised to see that she had just woken up abruptly like that, and seemed like she had just taken a long sleep.

The golden shine of the morning sunlight illuminates the room, turning Takina's normally red hair into a crimson glow.

"I was wondering when you'd return, young Lord. Lady Fujiwara had woken up when you left earlier in the morning.

Don't worry, I've checked her body and it seems that she's just making up for all the sleep she lost."

"Well, I haven't slept for about two days... we were constantly being attacked on the way here after all.

Did I had you worried, my Lord?"

"I... I was just worried that you might leave me here all alone."

"Hmm, I see."

After the doctor left the room, Takina got up on her feet and crouched in front of Sora.

"Despite many roadblocks, I have came to retrieve you my Lord. Let us leave this place at once and head back to somewhere safe."

"Mm. I have expected as much from you, loyal Takina.

However, I have a suggestion to make. Would you kindly hear me out?"

"What is it my Lord?"

"I want to accept Genji-dono's offer to remove the Severance Blade from my body."

"What?..."

(Chapter End)