It was only after fully entering the territory of the Bowser Kingdom that Cyan and Nishi realized just how unreliable the Chancellor's map truly was. According to the marked route, they were supposed to pass through a quiet village. Instead, the duo found themselves staring at a heavily fortified prison camp swarming with guards. Not only were there standard Koopa Troopas and Goombas, but a brand-new variation patrol had been thrown into the mix—Buzzy Beetles.
The map didn't mention a prison camp anywhere out here... Was it built recently?
Cyan examined the map, turning it over several times. Sensing a patrol route heading their way, she channeled Hamon energy into her legs, scaling a thick trunk to stand on a high branch without making a single sound.
Nishi cautiously slipped past an approaching Goomba, tiptoeing toward the exact same tree. She nimbly scrambled up the trunk to join Cyan's side, whispering, "Maybe the scouts sent out by the Chancellor are actually locked up inside that prison."
Her background as a former bandit filled Nishi with a sudden, thrilling interest in the prospect of a prison break, a wave of adrenaline rushing through her veins.
"Unconfirmed. Not worth the risk."
Cyan rolled up the map. Glancing at the eager Nishi, she had no choice but to pour cold water on her enthusiasm. There were far too many enemies below, and they had zero confirmation that the missing residents from their hidden mission were inside. Moving blindly would only invite unnecessary trouble.
"Hmm... Master, what if we do it like this?" Nishi's eyes darted around mischievously as she leaned close to Cyan's ear, muttering her strategy.
"Mm... That works. I will draw away the guards near the compound, and you take that opportunity to check for the targets."
Cyan decided that Nishi's plan was viable enough to warrant a calculated risk. If things took a turn for the worse, they could simply flee. Cyan possessed absolute confidence in her own agility, and she was already calculating an escape route that involved slinging Nishi over her shoulder.
"Eh?! Wait, didn't we agree that I would be the one drawing away the enemies?!" Nishi puffed out her cheeks, staring at Cyan with her auburn eyes to voice her intense dissatisfaction.
"If you get caught, I will waste time rescuing you. You used to be a bandit—you are better at picking locks."
Leaving no room for further argument, Cyan dropped from the branch before Nishi could even process the transition, sprinting directly toward the prison camp.
Should I scream to get their attention?
Hey! This is way too sudden!
Nishi was completely thrown off by Cyan's lightning-fast execution. She just went straight to work without giving her a second to prepare.
Ugh! Seriously, I can't handle her sometimes!
"Intruder—!!!"
A Goomba spotted the charging silhouette and let out a piercing shriek.
Iaido!
A flash of silver sliced through the air, and the screaming Goomba's head parted from its shoulders. Cyan's blade rose and fell in seamless succession, liquidating four nearby Goombas with extreme precision. Sensing the perimeter forces mobilizing toward her position, she broke away toward the opposite flank of the prison, maintaining a calculated gap between herself and the pursuing Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles—close enough to keep their attention, but distant enough to prevent them from closing in.
Boom—!
The distinct thunder of a cannon echo cut through the clearing. In the distance, Cyan spotted a massive, black projectile with a molded face and bared teeth hurtling straight through the air.
A Bullet Bill!
Cyan recognized the sentient missile instantly, a heavy current of sword qi surging through her demonic blade.
Mugen Style: Gale Slash!
Faced with the incoming Bullet Bill, Cyan didn't yield a single inch. Instead, she accelerated, leaping into the air and twisting her entire frame into a spinning vortex of black and green. She spiraled right past the upper trajectory of the missile. The moment her boots touched the soil, she sheared her blade back into its scabbard.
Behind her, the Bullet Bill split cleanly down the center, clattering into the dirt in two hollow halves.
The presence of a Bullet Bill meant there was a Bill Blaster turret nearby. Unless the launcher was neutralized, it would continue to deploy an infinite barrage of projectiles.
I need to destroy that turret.
Boom—!
Just as Cyan was plotting her approach, the deep roar of the launcher resonated through the trees once more.
Hamon Overdrive!
Arks of golden electricity crackled across Cyan's legs as her velocity spiked violently, transforming her into a blur of black shadow that vanished from the sight lines of the pursuing Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles.
The turtles blinked at each other, standing completely dumbfounded in the clearing. At that kind of speed, it was impossible to track her.
The demonic blade cleared its scabbard repeatedly, the extreme friction throwing off crimson sparks against the wood. Cyan cut through the air, cleaving successive Bullet Bills into halves without slowing her momentum until she finally located the Bill Blaster.
The launcher was forged from solid, matte-black iron, stamped with a distinctive skull insignia.
"Cut."
Cyan lunged toward the iron chassis, drawing and sheathing her weapon in a single, fluid motion that unleashed three overlapping slashes in a fraction of a second. The Bill Blaster fractured into four clean chunks, completely neutralized.
Ah... wait. I forgot to keep them distracted.
Only after reducing the turret to scrap metal did Cyan recall that her primary objective was to stall the forces, not go on a structural demolition run.
Back at the prison compound, Nishi capitalized on Cyan drawing away the bulk of the garrison, slipping into the perimeter with ease until she reached the holding cells.
Inside, she spotted two familiar figures—Toad citizens.
"Hey! Are you guys from the Mushroom Kingdom?" The moment the words left her mouth, Nishi instantly regretted it.
"We're from the Mushroom Kingdom! Save us!"
Every single occupant across the entire block shouted out in unison, causing Nishi's face to drop.
Can you guys have a little backbone?!
Setting aside a random Koopa Troopa locked up for who-knows-what, she glanced at a nearby Goomba cell. While there were Goombas who remained loyal to the Mushroom Kingdom, there was a distinct difference—the ones in the Bowser Kingdom possessed sharp, prominent fangs, just like this one.
Nishi completely ignored their cries, stepping up to the cage holding the two genuine Toads. Examining the mechanical design of the padlock, she unscrewed the pommel of her dagger, pulling a thin piece of lockpicking wire from the hidden compartment. A mysterious, confident smirk spread across her face as she eyed the lock.
"Alright, little darling... sister's here~!"
She manipulated the wire inside the cylinder for a brief moment until a crisp click echoed through the corridor, and the heavy cell door swung outward.
"Heheh~! What an honest little lock, opening up so easily!"
Nishi carefully stowed her wire away, turning to the flabbergasted Toads. "Stop staring like idiots, move it! If we don't go now, we won't make it out!"
Nishi had no idea how long Cyan could hold the line, so she had to maximize efficiency and get them clear as quickly as possible.
"Oh-Oh!" The two Toads quickly scrambled out of the cell, falling into step right behind her.
As Nishi led the captives out of the rear exit, they ran directly into a heavy column of returning Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles, with Goombas closing the gap from the flanks.
"A prison break?"
"You're completely surrounded!"
"Surrender peacefully!"
"Or face execution!"
The Goombas grinned wickedly, trying to break the group's psychological resolve with verbal threats as they narrowed the circle.
"My apologies, that was my oversight."
Cyan dropped from the canopy above, landing directly in front of Nishi as her blade flashed forward, cutting down the encroaching Goombas.
"Master!" Nishi cried out in relief.
"Take them and run. I will cover the rear," Cyan said, flicking the crimson droplets off her steel.
"Got it!"
Nishi slung a Toad under each arm, rushing toward the weakest point in the enemy's defensive ring. Cyan stepped forward to intercept the converging Koopa Troopas and Buzzy Beetles, shifting her stance into the classic style of the Mugen One-Blade school.
"Your opponent is me."
Hamon Overdrive!
Mugen Style: Heaven Rend!
Cyan lunged toward the lead Koopa Troopa. With Hamon concentrated in her upper limbs, she drove her elbow straight into its snout, following up with a vicious rising slash that nearly cleaved its head in two, sending a geyser of blood into the air.
Right at that moment, a Buzzy Beetle tucked into its shell and came hurtling toward her like a spinning top!
Cyan kicked off the corpse of the Koopa Troopa, leaping backward to create distance from the spinning shell. The moment her boots touched the ground, she sprang upward onto the shell of the dead turtle. As the Buzzy Beetle redirected its trajectory toward her, she leapt again, deploying her flying cape. After a brief moment of suspension in mid-air, she dropped rapidly back to earth, unleashing a flurry of slashes.
Clang!
The demonic blade collided with the Buzzy Beetle's shell, throwing off a shower of bright sparks.
Incredibly hard.
Sensing the heavy vibrations traveling up her hilt, Cyan vaulted over the charging beetle to avoid the impact.
Master, be careful!
Nishi glanced back at Cyan, who was locked in a fierce engagement with the heavy infantry. Gritting her teeth, she delivered a series of sharp kicks, sending the approaching Goombas flying.
While she couldn't break a Koopa Troopa's defense, dealing with Goombas was well within her capabilities.
With her two Toad "accessories" securely in tow, Nishi successfully broke through the outer perimeter and vanished into the treeline.
Seeing that Nishi had cleared the area, Cyan delivered one final strike against the Buzzy Beetle—leaving nothing more than a faint white scratch on its reinforced carapace—before stepping back and turning on her heel to sprint away.
Her only purpose here was to buy enough time for the extraction. Now that Nishi was safe, it was time to withdraw.
Suddenly, two heavy, spinning iron hammers tore through the air from the distance, slamming violently into the dirt right in front of her path.
The Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, and Goombas immediately parted, creating a wide corridor. Two identical bipedal turtles stepped into the clearing. Their limbs protruding from their shells were packed with dense, sculpted muscle, and they wore heavy protective helmets. They were the elite twin shock-troopers of the Bowser Kingdom—the Hammer Bro. twins.
The Hammer Bros. glared at Cyan, their faces contorted with absolute fury. "Intruder! You actually dared to release the prisoners from our camp!"
"Sirs, she and another woman broke out the spies from the Mushroom Kingdom!" a Goomba reported, scurrying up to their side.
"Detestable! The Queen explicitly ordered us to keep a strict watch over those captives!"
"The damage is done! We have no choice but to capture her and present her to the Queen to atone for our failure!"
Cyan wasn't foolish enough to stand around waiting for the villains to finish their dramatic dialogue. While the Hammer Bros. were busy venting their frustration, she had already pivoted and vanished into the brush, operating at maximum velocity.
"Eh? Where did she go?!" The Hammer Bros. looked toward her position, only to realize she had completely disappeared from the area.
"That wretched coward ran away!"
"What a fraud! To tuck tail and run during a confrontation between real warriors!"
"I never expected the Mushroom Kingdom to rely on such spineless, shameless degenerates!"
"Despicable!"
"Contemptible!"
The Hammer Bro. twins stood in the clearing, taking turns shouting curses into the empty forest at the opponent who had so casually orchestrated a tactical retreat.