Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Net Closes
The morning sun, still low in the eastern sky, cast long, deceptive shadows across Tonryuu City. The stage was set, the players in motion. General Ren, oblivious to the true machinations, watched with a satisfied smirk as the two large patrol units assembled in the barracks courtyard. He believed he was outmaneuvering the naive young Count, sending Alex's less experienced men on dangerous patrols while keeping his own hardened veterans close.
"Move out!" General Ren barked, his voice echoing with authority.
The two patrol groups, each a mix of Ren's 50 men and Alex's 350, marched out of the city gates. One unit, led by General Ren's trusted lieutenant, followed Erza. The other, under another of Ren's lieutenants, followed Akane. They moved with a practiced rhythm, heading towards the fief's northern and western borders respectively, ostensibly to scout for the phantom Zhao army.
Out in the sprawling countryside, the patrols proceeded. Erza and Akane maintained a professional demeanor, allowing Ren's lieutenants to take the lead in navigation and initial scouting. They observed the lieutenants' command styles, their interactions with their own men, and their subtle attempts to assert dominance over Alex's soldiers. The terrain was familiar to Erza and Akane, allowing them to subtly guide the patrols towards pre-determined, isolated locations.
After half a day's journey, having put significant distance between themselves and the city, Erza and Akane judged the time was right. Their patrol groups had reached the designated isolated clearings. They dropped their feigned subservience.
"Lieutenant," Erza said calmly, turning to Ren's officer, her hand subtly resting on the hilt of her poleaxe. "I believe we've scouted far enough in this direction. It's time to consolidate our findings."
Before the lieutenant could react, Erza moved. Her poleaxe was a blur, not striking to kill, but to disarm and disable. The lieutenant, though a seasoned soldier, was no match for Erza's raw power and knightly precision. He crumpled, disarmed and stunned, before he could even draw his blade. Simultaneously, Alex's seasoned Prefecture soldiers, who had been strategically placed within the patrol, moved with practiced efficiency. They swiftly surrounded Ren's remaining 49 men, weapons drawn, their faces grim.
"Lay down your arms!" Erza commanded, her voice ringing with undeniable authority. "General Ren is a traitor to Qin. You are now under the command of Count Alex!"
The 49 soldiers, shocked by their lieutenant's swift incapacitation and facing overwhelming numbers, hesitated for only a moment before dropping their weapons. Many had already been disillusioned by their general's dubious "training exercises" and raids, and their underlying loyalty to Qin was deeper.
Akane's encounter was equally swift and silent. Her target lieutenant, a more cautious man, was taken by surprise from behind. Akane, a shadow among shadows, disarmed him and subdued him with a precise strike to a pressure point, her movements fluid and deadly. Her contingent of Alex's soldiers immediately secured Ren's remaining 49 men.
With both lieutenants subdued and their 100 men secured, Erza and Akane wasted no time. They quickly explained the true situation to the captured soldiers, revealing Ho Kaku's capture and Ren's treachery. Many of Ren's men, already disillusioned by their general's dubious "training exercises" and raids, readily swore allegiance to Count Alex. The two patrol groups, now fully loyal to Alex, regrouped in a secluded, defensible location. They set up a temporary camp for the night, preparing to return to Tonryuu at early morning.
Meanwhile, back in the city, Tsunade began her critical task. As the soldiers within the barracks (Ren's remaining 300 and Alex's remaining 172) settled down for their midday meal, she, along with a few trusted, unaware kitchen staff, ensured the first dose of her potent, colorless, and odorless poison was precisely mixed into their lunch rations. The same process was repeated for dinner. The poison was designed to interact with itself, becoming active only after both doses were consumed, ensuring a delayed and widespread effect.
The barracks remained calm throughout the day and evening. Soldiers ate, conversed, and slept, entirely unaware of the insidious agents now circulating in their systems.