Adventure of Miyamoto Mifune 1

The tavern falls still except for the crackle of the hearth. The Mercer Captain keeps the daughter in front of him, while his other hand rests near the wax-sealed bundle at his belt.

The tavern owner flinches behind the bar, hands shaking. The daughter strains against the captain's grip, eyes wide toward Mifune.

Mifune stands with his hand on his katana. The temple crest on the captain's cloak makes the hunt plain, this is no village quarrel, it is the temple reaching for its runaway blade.

The mercenaries at the back table shift as one, closing their ranks. The captain tightens his hold and nudges the girl forward, using her fear as a shield while he watches Mifune for the first move.

Miyamoto Mifune drives his boot into the heavy table leg. It scrapes hard, but the weight and angle rob the kick of force.

The table jerks sideways instead of launching, spilling tankards and plates across the dirt floor. The mercenaries break their neat line only enough to avoid the clatter.

The Mercer Captain yanks the Tavern Daughter back against him, using the stumble as cover. His grip stays locked, and the wax-sealed bundle at his belt knocks against his hip.

One mercenary kicks a bench into the path between them, turning the gap into a barrier instead of a break.

The Tavern Owner starts over the bar, then freezes when a blade flashes in the mercenaries’ hands. The room tightens again, all exits and edges.

Miyamoto Mifune’s hand snaps to his hilt, and steel whispers free in one clean stroke. The blade clears the scabbard and levels toward the captain’s chest.

The tavern goes still around the drawn sword. The daughter strains in the captain’s arm, eyes fixed on the bright line of metal.

A mercenary shifts behind the bench barrier, blade half-raised, but the captain’s stare stays locked on Mifune’s tip. His wax-sealed bundle bumps once against his belt.

Mifune’s sword does not waver, and the first true tremor runs through the line of men. The captain tightens his grip, waiting for the next move.

Mifune steps in and cuts once. The captain’s grip loosens at the wrong moment, and the room hears the result before it sees it.

The Mercer Captain staggers back into the bench, his hold gone slack, his blade hand failing him. The daughter tears free and stumbles away from his side.

A mercenary behind the barrier flinches and lowers his weapon a fraction, staring at the captain instead of Mifune.

The tavern owner thrusts himself from behind the bar, reaching for his child as the captain’s wax-sealed bundle drops hard against the floorboards.

The captain sinks to one knee, staring at Mifune with shocked, fading fury. The surviving mercenaries freeze, and the whole tavern waits to see whether they break or lunge.