The mountain was filled with strange magic power residues. It seems the central point is near the mountaintop. It feels like the magic power is being transported by plants and animals that come from there.
'I sense it. My brother's presence is gradually getting stronger.'
Inside the cloth, the Youkai Sword trembled.
That's right; the battle is imminent now.
It seems that there won't be any issues until we enter the barrier. I sprinted up the mountain path.
Before long, the boundary line appeared amidst the trees.
There didn't seem to be any visible changes, but it was clear that this place was covered by a membrane of magic power.
I lightly inserted my hand, and I entered the membrane without any resistance.
"...This is."
'What's wrong? We need to hurry.'
I wanted to hurry as well, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy about the magic power clinging to my hand, as if I were grabbed by a grim reaper.
No, it's no use thinking about it now.
I shook off the unpleasant feeling and took out the Youkai Sword from the cloth.
"Let's go."
'Alright.'
We exchanged brief words and stepped into the barrier.
In an instant, the world lost its color, and the cold air pressed down like mud.
But that wasn't the most surprising thing.
Are you kidding me?
This space was filled with dense magic power.
Magic power is created when living beings absorb Aether from the natural world. Even inside the barrier, this much magic power flowing is abnormal.
This could be a more troublesome opponent than I had imagined.
I couldn't help but stop and observe my surroundings. Suddenly, the magic power flowed as if it had a will of its own, creating thickness in various places.
The effect became evident right away.
"This is..."
'What...? He's grown this powerful?'
Emerging from the thickness of magic power surrounding us were several samurai, like a scene out of a misplaced battle.
The youkai sword's brother could channeling magic power for this? Being able to pull off such a stunt is equivalent to the power of a titled demon.
"Is this your brother's magic? Manipulating spirits or recreating his own past?"
'I don't know the details. But from what I know, I didn't think he could perform such tricks.'
"So, his magic itself has evolved."
My worst fears were turning into certainty, and it was right there in front of us.
In any case, what we needed to do was clear.
'What do we do with this many? Should we break through a single point and head up?'
"What are you saying? In a way, this is perfect."
'What do you mean?'
While I was surprised by the magic, they didn't seem to have any particularly unique abilities.
I pushed out the guard with my thumb and cut the guard of the sword.
"We finally get a test dummy ready on their side. There's no reason not to ride this wave."
Did they notice that I had entered a combat stance, or was it just a coincidence? The samurai around us all began to rush.
The first one to close the distance was a swordsman coming from the right with his sword already drawn. He had already drawn his sword and was swinging it down from above. A monotonous move, but with the combination of momentum and power, it would be enough of a threat.
Unfortunately, it was too slow.
"Haa!"
I stepped in quickly as I turned, sinking my right foot and lowering my body. I pulled the sword out of its scabbard with my left hand, giving it speed like sliding the blade on the inside of the scabbard, and made a diagonal upward slash.
Before the opponent's blade could reach, my slash had already formed an arc and cut his throat.
It was a poor imitation of Iaido (Iai). After all, the weight, the feel of the swing, and everything is different from the bastard sword I usually use.
I wasn't wearing armor either, and it would take some time to get used to it.
While lightly shaking the sword, another warrior rushed in. I stepped back to avoid the enemy's attack and tried to counter, but this time, a spear came flying literally from the side, almost piercing me. I received it just in time and deflected it.
Are these guys working together? It feels like they're exploiting every opportunity I give them.
The warrior with the spear and the one who had charged in had positioned themselves in a straight line to block the opponent's choice of moves.
First, I must attack from the front.
I stepped in with all my strength and matched blades with the sideways swing. My physical abilities were superior. The moment our blades clashed and its sword separated, I kicked him in the knee, taking advantage of his stumble, and then I severed his head.
However, just as I had anticipated that moment, a spear came menacingly close to my chest from the fallen warrior's depth.
Of course, it had to be that way. If I can predict the timing, it makes it easier for me to respond as well.
I used the sword to deflect the spear to the outside and continued forward.
The opponent tried to retract the spear, but it was too slow. At that speed, I could reach it in time. Without giving the opponent a chance to counter, I continued the motion and swept through the torso.
Due to the poor sharpness of the youkai sword, I couldn't cut completely through, but I made a definite incision near the center of the abdomen.
After that, it was one-sided. The key to group combat is to keep moving your feet.
I mean, if I get caught by the opponent, I'll be ganged up on. I haven't activated any magic, so taking even one hit would be fatal.
Therefore, I kept moving my legs, positioning myself to avoid being surrounded by the enemy, and cutting them down one by one.
It didn't take long for all of them to turn into particles of light.
'What a formidable power.'
"It's not that impressive. They were probably just probing us."
If it ends like this, it'll be easy.
But seriously, this sword is rusted way too much. Its sharpness is so poor that it feels more like a club than a sword. I struggled to sheathe the blade in the somewhat tight scabbard.
As I did, a high-pitched cry, like a woman's scream, echoed through the quiet forest. It was a painful, heart-wrenching scream.
"What's that?"
It wasn't just any voice. It was a voice infused with magic power different from the one filling this space.
Someone was fighting. It wasn't Tsukiko's magic. It must be another member of the Anti-Demon Special Forces.
The direction was east from our location. I couldn't sense Tsukiko's magic power, so if she was here, she'd likely be near the mountaintop. She would definitely be on the front lines.
I didn't hesitate to make a decision. I came here to help Tsukiko, but I couldn't just abandon someone in front of me.
That scream was probably a last-ditch effort, a strike made with all her might. Even from a distance, it was clear.
Time was of the essence. I sprinted with all my might in the direction of the voice.
Running through the forest felt like a long-forgotten sensation. Nevertheless, I maintained my speed, being careful not to trip on tree roots.
And now, I quickly reached the battlefield.
The enemy was a warrior with a distinctive half-moon helmet holding a spear. On the other side were a boy and a girl. Judging from their outfit, they were probably Anti-Demon Special Force members.
Both of them were lying on the ground, and the situation was clear. The tip of the spear was now aimed at the boy.
This was bad; I had to intervene!
I couldn't afford to think about falling over at this point. I leaned forward as far as possible, almost falling to the ground, and swung my leg down like a pile driver. My entire body was enveloped in magic power, and it became scorching hot, like being engulfed in flames.
With a forceful step, my foot shattered the ground, pushing my body forward.
In the blink of an eye, I unsheathed my sword and closed in on the warrior with the half-moon helmet.
I made it in time.
I tried to cut it down with the same momentum, but the movement of the half-moon warrior exceeded my expectation.
As soon as it noticed my presence, it threw a thrust at me with frightening speed.
"!?"
If I dodged now, I wouldn't be able to handle the next attack.
So, I focused on the tip of the spear without hesitation, slamming my sword against it with all my strength. A heavy impact reverberated through both my arms, and I almost faltered. I gritted my teeth and deflected it.
With that done, I was in a better position to close the gap. Upon landing on the ground, I immediately stepped forward and swung my body around using that as a pivot. The spinning kick, fueled by centrifugal force, struck the warrior's abdomen with the force of an axe, sending it flying.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)