The Second Bodyguard || Re-written (Any x oc)

Chapter 35

"When you said 'we', this is not what I expected..." Azumi mumbled, staring at the large crowd before her that was hidden within the forest just outside of the village the Felglades were stationed at. At the forefront of the crowd were Daisuke and Katsuro, both armed and with proud grins on their faces. Behind them was a horde of, to put it bluntly, criminals. Men and women from all different backgrounds with varying appearances all stood there with weapons and a determined expression, although Azumi could see that they were all hesitant to follow the orders of such an innocent-looking female.

"You said we were destroying them once and for all, yes? These people are dedicated to the cause" Daisuke retorted, grinning and puffing out his chest with pride. To rack up this sort of crowd and drag them over to Fuga in a week was seriously impressive, and Azumi barely kept her awe off of her face.

"This is... I can't thank you enough..." Azumi mumbled in awe, gazing across the crowd of people that looked hesitant but willing, and that was enough for Azumi.

"Don't get sappy with us now. Introduce yourself and tell us the plan already," Katsuro chuckled, walking over and hitting Azumi over the back of the head a little too harshly. Daisuke cried in complaint once again, but Azumi was chuckling as well, unaffected by the hard hit to the back of the head.

"Excuse me, everyone! My name is Azumi and I am one of the 10 survivors from the previous battle!" Azumi called, the words instantly catching all of their attention. A male stepped forward and scoffed at her words, obviously about to voice the criticism fluttering through the crowd behind him.

"Someone like you can't possibly be one of the survivors! You look like you have no combat experience at all" He scowled, making Azumi sigh in slight disappointment. She should have expected this, especially from a group roused within one week for a battle. They didn't want to be led by someone like Azumi, and so she turned to Katsuro only to flinch at the furious expression on his face.

"Oi! Watch ya mouth! You all came here to follow my lead, but we all know that I'm no leader. I'm following Azumi's word, and if you're going to hesitate when we need your loyalty most, then you can just leave now!" He snapped, making the murmurings quiet down and disappear altogether. However, none of them moved from their positions, and all eyes were now on Azumi. The man who had questioned her resigned himself and stepped back into the crowd, becoming another face within hundreds. Azumi hummed in surprise, placing her hands on her hips, before nodding in confirmation.

For the next hour, Azumi debriefed them of the plan she had come up with within the week that Daisuke and Katsuro had given her. The plan was simple, and that involved the schedule that Azumi had managed to scrounge up through questionable means that she would never speak of. Namely, climbing through vents and witnessing scenes that would forever stain the back of her mind.

Today, just after midday, a small group of mercenaries would climb the hill with a crate on the back of a cart. Azumi would be there, waiting in the middle of the road, and ask for their leader. If they refused, she would beat them senseless and leave one, probably the one with the weakest mind, and send them back for their leader with her name as the bait. As the leader and a small group, if not the entire company, arrived, the group of misfits would ambush them. Although the plan was simple, Azumi had all sides of the plan covered and if anything went wrong, Azumi stressed the point that retreat did not mean weakness. With an explanation of the events of the previous battle, and how they always waited until the last moment to turn the tides, the criminals were willing to retreat if worse goes to worst. Although it was not said out loud, all of them had come to terms that Azumi was the bait, and if anything went wrong, she was the distraction that would enable their survival.

Daisuke and Katsuro had been furious, but with a few sugar-coated words from Azumi, all of them were complacent and heading towards their hiding places. Archers placed in the trees a couple of trees back from the road, short-range fighters in the very forefront behind the foliage and vegetation. Azumi on her lonesome. A chilly wind drifted through the valley-like area, sending her cloak fluttering and hair sprawling. She waited patiently, listening to the impatient shuffling of her new comrades and impatient whispers of the long-range fighters.