LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The First Battle as Myself
Echigo Province – Western Border, Year 9 of Tenbun (1540 AD)
The road to the western border was long.
The mountain winds carried the scent of frost and distant war.
The small detachment of Uesugi soldiers moved steadily through the rough terrain.
Their armor was worn but strong.
Their hands rested on the hilts of their swords, always prepared.
But among them—
The warrior who had once been a nameless blade walked in silence.
This was his first mission as himself.
Not as a tool.Not as someone else's shadow.
But as a warrior who had chosen to fight.
And today—
He would prove it.
"What do you think?"
The voice came from one of the Uesugi captains.
A man named Sakai Nobuhisa.
A seasoned warrior, older than most, with sharp watchful eyes.
He had been studying him since they left Kasugayama Castle.
Waiting. Testing.
Because though Kenshin had accepted him—
The soldiers of Echigo were not so quick to trust.
The warrior glanced ahead.
"The enemy is waiting for us."
Sakai raised an eyebrow.
"You're certain?"
The warrior nodded.
"The road is too quiet. Too clean."
"If they were just bandits, they would not bother hiding."
"Whoever is out there knows we're coming."
Sakai said nothing.
Then, after a moment—
He smiled.
"You have a good eye."
"Let's see if you have a good sword to match."
The attack came just before sunset.
Arrows whistled through the trees.
A warrior to his right cried out and fell, an arrow buried in his shoulder.
Then—
The enemy rushed forward.
Not bandits.
Mercenaries.
Hardened fighters, paid to destabilize Uesugi territory.
The battle erupted in an instant.
Steel clashed against steel.
The cries of warriors filled the cold air.
And in the chaos—
The warrior moved.
The first enemy came from the left.
Fast. Strong.
But not strong enough.
The warrior's blade cut through the air—
And in the next instant, his enemy fell.
No hesitation.No wasted movement.
Because now—
He was not just fighting to survive.
He was fighting because he had chosen to.
More enemies closed in.
He welcomed them.
Because for the first time—
He was not fighting for a master.
Not for orders.
Not for the will of another.
He was fighting as himself.
And his blade would carve a future that belonged to him alone.
[Fated Death: Erased.] You have engaged in your first battle as a warrior of Echigo. You are no longer fighting as a tool, but as your own person. Your actions in this battle will define your place among the Uesugi.
The war is only beginning.
And your name has yet to be written in history