Chapter 2

With every haunting whistle of cannon fire, with each devastating blow tearing down the ship's integrity, with several more gruesome deaths of their comrades, a handful of Ashigaru footmen cannot help but worry if they can still win this? Having the blood and remains of their fellows slapped onto them assure them further that they cannot.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lord Kurushima Michifusa's frustration is boiling into impatient rage, frightening his lieutenant. "It's only a handful of ships! Why haven't we boarded these remnant pests?!"

"Joseon's cannons have always been a nightmare, sir!" His subordinate frightfully cries out, flinching from the sharp debris torn off the ship. "They're tearing us apart! My Lord, we need to get out of here while we still can!"

Teeth brutally clench from the enraged Lord, and after a quick glance of his surroundings, his response is with a sharp shake of his head.

"We are caught in between the enemy and the next wave! WE NEED TO BOARD THEM NOW!" Keen eyes underserving of mere men catch wind of the enemy's flank being vulnerable. Such quarry cannot go unmolested. "Signal Lord Matashi! Board the scum's left flank at full speed! We'll change course and follow his lead!

The twitch in his retainer does not go suppressed and neither does his protest. "Sir, you just ordered our fleet to mov-"

"We don't have a choice! At this rate a head on assault is doomed to fail!"

"We'll be bloody target practice for them!"

"We are changing course! Signal Lord Matashi! NOW!"

A quiver of the lip goes unnoticed, thankfully for his retainer before bowing and carrying out his lord's will. That is before he is savagely severed in half by a round of iron and powder. It then ruptures further into the deck, letting timber and innards fly around.

His iron will command has garnered a tolerant result as Matashi closes in on the Joseon remnants. A twisted smile, eager for blood and retribution, curves as Michifusa can eyes his prize. The immovable castle that will soon be conquered.

And the man standing fearlessly among the enemy ranks, stoically glancing, motioning, and directly assisting in the defense, is the reason for this rough start. He is the reason his Lord Hideyoshi has failed to achieve his grand ambitions for a new empire.

And by the time Muchifusa steps aboard that wretched flagship, Yi will wish that's all he has thwarted.

"I will end you, Yi Sun-Sin..." Michifusa sinisterly growls. "For my brother... may he be at peace... I will kill you! And believe me, your death will be a slow one!"

"INCOMING!"

The forces of nature throw Michifusa forward, slamming to his chest, desperately gasping for much needed air. Ignoring the scars and dents of his ornate armor, Michifusa watches in complete disbelief as the bodies of his own vessel slam onto the deck, producing chilling snapping and squashing sounds, leaving many dead and several paralyzed, twitching and wide eyed in fear.

Michifusa sees that Joseon didn't fire on them as the smoke from their guns have mostly evaporated. But as he frantically turns to find the source, he's shock to see an ally ship festering with smoke from the salvaged cannons.

"What the devil are those idiots doing?! Can't they tell our ships from the enemy?!"

*

My eyes did not miss the enemy flagship coming under unprovoked fire from their flank.

Panic must be spreading through their ranks!

No matter, the perimeter must hold. An assault is suicidal even with our dismal numbers, but with our ammo supply dwindling among our ships, it may be our only option.

"My Lord! The enemy is closing on our left flank! It's Lord An Wi!"

The strange dialect of a key defector, Toshisuna, is quick to alert me with a finger aimed at an alarming maneuver. Against all odds and logic, the chilling grip in my chest tightens witnessing two decrypted husks of the Japanese board our vessel for the first time!

An Wi and his sailors have not lost heart and they smartly unleash a volley of arrows, sealing the fates of many of our foes. Though it was not long before their decimated boarding party rushes aboard.

"The men aboard that ship won't last long. Against Yari steel, they'll be slaughtered!"

No! Not while we still draw breath!

"Hard to port at full speed!" My order rings out. "Prepare a volley and cannon fire and finish off those ships!"

Stand fast, lads! You will not be abandoned! Immolated

*

The few who managed to board made quick work of several defenders through the shredding and piercing of their spears before all are thrown over.

"N-no… Not again!" One sailor whimper, his spear threatening to slip from his hand. "Not again!"

"Everyone, forward! Hurry! All aboard!" A desperate cry from an opulent armored samurai is enough to leave even An Wi speechless.

The first bloodthirsty boarder to run at him with his spear aimed for his gut petrifies him. Unlike Chicheolyang, An Wi knows that he will not be able to escape.

The stunned Magistrate could not even register, what can only be fate itself, his timely deliverance from his grizzly demise.

A defiant cry breaks out as a sharp-edge club breaks the head from the body before a strike to the skull crushes splatters blood across An Wi's terrified face.

We're all dead!

The sight of the dead boarder's crushed red-soaked head produces involuntary squirms and cries from An Wi.

His savior, that of a chiseled chin man with a rough scraggly beard with his armor seeing better days, though his weapon, much like his aura is begging for this brutal brawl.

"Don't be goin' all yellow now!" Song Hui-rip bright tone blends with disgust. "Get in the fight or take a swim!"

"You… You dare threaten me?! I will have your head for th- AH!"

A stray arquebus bullet snaps startling a fleeing An Wi, Song chuckles before turning back to join the fray with the defenders.

"Everyone, grow a spine and push 'em back!" Song howls. "If they take this ship, we're all be sleepin' with the fishes!!"

His colorful boasts harden their resolves and press onward to drive their foe into the sea.

With Song leading the defenders, the crew races to their broadside, jabbing and knocking the tattered boarders atop the crossing planks into the sea.

The few who did survive the dangerous crossing are rewarded by frenzied assault by Song and his club.

Though it's not long before his recklessness costs him a sharp stab to his chest. A red haze cloud's Song's vision before ferally bludgeoned his attacker. The brains and blood of the man taint the deck before the corpse is thrown overboard.

"Grr… that the best ya got?! C'MON!" Song's roars barely cut through the screams of chaos. "At least finish what you started, tourists!"

Unintimidated by trembling Yari spears, Song pounces upon the boarders, swinging and breaking their spears with his crimson stained club.

The small foothold is quickly overwhelmed and those who have yet boarded are wavering at such zeal and savagery.

*

"This doesn't make sense… None of this makes sense…"

Beads of cold sweat form on Matashi's temples. There is no question that his Ashigaru will take this vessel from Joseon. The skill of the Corean solider is vastly inferior to the skill and seasoning of the Japanese. But the defenders are fanatically holding on, throwing basically the water bucket at them, inspired by that berserker leading the counter charge.

Matashi grinds his teeth, frustrated and anxious by the duration of this raid. "Why won't they just die?!"

They have to take this ship now! Barking at Arquebus gunmen remaining on board, Matashi orders them to take aim at the men aboard the Joseon vessel, friend and foe be damned.

As he howls the command to fire, Matashi flinches from his helmet sparing him from an incoming arrow. However, his men, many of whom gunmen, do not share his fortune. The ominous buzzing of raining arrows savagely pins many to the deck of Matashi's ship, and those who survived frantically unleashed their single shot before running for cover.

Naturally, he turns towards the source and the sight of the Joseon Flagship, with the wretched Yi Sun-sin at the helm petrifies him.

Those who did not fled overboard plead for orders, but Matashi has none. As he continues murmuring words that no soul can gather.

"We can't beat him… He cannot be defeated…" His lips curve into a twisted grin before his unhinged chuckling soon erupts into maniacal cackling.

Amidst the carnage and the humiliating turn of events, Matashi is consumed by his own madness, powerless as the flagship lines up, ready to unleash hell.

*

"FIRE!"

The thunderous roar of cannons and the sharp whistling of our arrows ring out a mere second after my order.

Multiple eruptions fracture and mutilate the hull of the robbers' vessel before the climatic explosion sends debris and maimed men flying in all directions. But even as some of their grotesque remains soil our deck, their ship is now a burning splintering husk.

Meaning that Lord An Wi and his crew are saved. Still, even amidst his elated crew, their captain is nowhere to be seen.

Frustration furrows my brows, even though it's rash to assume he might have deserted his duty.

*

Song watches in complete awe as the splintered corpse of the enemy ship is swallowed by the strait. As what few boarders remaining are quickly finished off with archer support, Song watches as the Admiral looks upon them with a stoic steel gaze that sends a shiver even down his spine.

But he quickly recovers when a joyful cry reaches his ears.

"The ship is still ours! YEEEAAAH!"

More howls for victory follow with Song hastily joining in, though deep down, his ego is bruised on not being the one to do the honor of giving the first shout.

However, such bitterness is quickly overshadowed when his spirits are rejuvenated by the rescue of Admiral himself.

"Man… even against the impossible..." He mutters. "This guy's definitely the real deal."

But Yi is quick to rock him out of Song's dazed awe. "Where is Lord An Wi?"

Song scoffs, "Gettin' cozy in his quarters, Chief! Shame he missed out on all the fun!" He looks around knowing the Admiral will want to know who commands the vessel.

"What's your name, sailor?"

"It's Song! Commander of the Marine detachment aboard this ship!"

"Commander Song, you are now in command of the vessel! Form up with the flagship and hold this line!"

Song blinks, unsure if he heard Admiral Yi correctly. Did his commander just bless him to commandeer the ship?

His disbelief is easily snuffed out as he eagerly nods, knowing he can do better than his pitiful excuse of a boss. Wincing from the pain in his gut, Song shrugs it off as an annoyance before responding with a curt bow and defiantly limping towards his scattered crew.

"Alright funs over, kids! Load those damn guns now! More tourists are coming! LOAD 'EM!!"