Volume 8 Chapter 4 Part 4 (2/2)

It was a technique combining high-speed movement and illusions, by using the skills Ground Shrink and Mirage Dance. The round pill allowed Kai to move at a speed easily surpa.s.sing the average Chosen One.

This combination, which Schnee often uses too, served to enhance all of Kai's techniques, also taking advantage of his boosted physical abilities.

However-.

”A ninja should never attack from the front, come on.”

Before s.h.i.+n's Moonless, it was all meaningless.

No matter how deftly Kai hid within the illusions, s.h.i.+n's eyes could see through them. Attacking him from the front was a poor strategy, no matter how boosted Kai was by the round pill.

In the blink of an eye, s.h.i.+n closed in on one of Kai's copies: it was the real one.

Even if wide-eyed in surprise, Kai tried to dodge with all his might. Maybe because of his long experience in battle, his body moved before he could think.

Thanks to this, the air-rending slash performed by Moonless stopped at slicing the ninja's left arm off.

”I alone am no match, I see. -Attack!!”

After Kai's order, the demon foxes, frozen still because of s.h.i.+n's killing intent, started moving. They targeted s.h.i.+n with fangs and claws, taking advantage of their large bodies.

They had already understood, from watching the exchange between Kai and s.h.i.+n, that magic would not work.

”You're in the way.”

The White tail and Red Tails claws were approaching s.h.i.+n from both the left and right side. s.h.i.+n responded indifferently by swinging Moonless.

Two silver flashes run through the air. As they disappeared, the HP of two demon foxes reached zero.

Their heads and front legs fell to the ground seconds later.

Katana-type martial skill Beast Hunt.

Thanks to the skill's increased damage against animal-type monsters such as the demon foxes, two units fell with ridiculous ease.

s.h.i.+n lightly swung Moonless, still not stained with a single drop of blood, and spoke.

”I will cut down everything. Give up.”

In the s.p.a.ce of one single breath, s.h.i.+n slayed the White Tail approaching from behind. He then took the killing intent he had been focusing on his surroundings to intimidate the monsters and released it to the fullest, without limiting it.

His opponent being s.h.i.+fted from humans to monsters, his intent also s.h.i.+fted from defeating to killing.

Differently from a bandit or ruffian, in s.h.i.+n's eyes Kai was acting with a clear objective.

He seemed to have been influenced by something, but as also displayed by a.n.a.lyze, he was not under complete manipulation.

He did not know what the reason was, but s.h.i.+n felt that for both Kai and Juugo, deep down their own will was behind their actions. After his conversation with Kai, s.h.i.+n's supposition turned into certainty.

If their will desired war and killing though, for s.h.i.+n there was no other choice.

Excluding the monster's involvement, a commotion like this would have happened sooner or later.

For the present Hinomoto, their position was that of heretics. Their ways and thoughts would never be understood.

Even if in a contorted form, their love for their country was at the heart of it all.

That too was a way of thinking. But no matter what their reasons were, s.h.i.+n would not accept Juugo and Kai's way of doing things.

And thus, he cuts.

The killing intent emanating from his body, as chilling as a deathly cold breeze, spoke to those facing s.h.i.+n, telling them to prepare to die.

”After a life spent in the darkness, for my last opponent to be someone of such mightI am thankful.”

A smile widening on his lips, Kai leapt and ran through s.h.i.+n's killing intent.

Normally he could have closed the distance in an instant. However Kai's body, although boosted by the round pill, could not keep up with his mind.

s.h.i.+n was looking in Kai's direction, but did not move a step.

He held Moonless straight in front, its tip pointed forward, quietly staring at Kai. There were no openings in his stance.

”Gwah”

As he was running towards s.h.i.+n, Kai's legs creaked. His long battle experience told him that something was wrong with his bones. Then, as if provoked by that, his legs and arms produced strange noises.

”I see the recoil has come.”

s.h.i.+n said while looking at Kai.

After looking at Kai's status display, s.h.i.+n had guessed what the pill Kai swallowed had to be.

s.h.i.+n's decision of cutting down Kai was out of compa.s.sion: having him destroy himself would have been too pitiful of an ending.

”It's been awhile since I last saw someone use a forbidden drug.”

”But even if I did, look at me now.”

What s.h.i.+n called forbidden drug was actually an item with the official name of ”Miracle Drug of Blinking Life”.

Using it would instantly raise all stats by several stages, but in exchange HP would decrease at a fixed rate, the player dying after a few minutes.

In addition, recovering lost HP or reviving right after dying was not possible: as penalty for dying, the player would also be forcefully transported to their hometown.

In the game, it was an item used only in battles between players.

Even if one defeated a boss using it, the system would prevent any EXP or loot gain, so the players that just enjoyed adventuring did not even know of its existence.

”This is the end.”

Kai's HP was already close to zero. Even in such a state, the techniques he unleashed were not weakened in the least.

The ninja blade's attacks continued. Kai's katana, painted black to be used in stealth missions, was met by s.h.i.+n's Moonless.

The platinum and gleaming black weapons crossed paths. s.h.i.+n and Kai stopped moving, their backs to each other.

”Impressive” After this one last word, Kai fell. The katana he still held in his right hand had its blade cut in half.

”can't say this feels right.”

When s.h.i.+n turned around, Kai had already drawn his last breath.

Looking at his somehow pleased-looking expression, s.h.i.+n scratched his head, perplexed.

Possibly finding an opening in his now relaxed guard, s.h.i.+n was attacked by a ma.s.s of flame and ice. However, it was enough to attract his attention. The attack was canceled by his magic resistance.

”So it's not like he was in command, huh. You should at least know that laying a hand on me or Fuji would be the end of you though.”

As he finished talking, at s.h.i.+n's feet lied the corpses of 1 Red Tail and 1 Blue Tail. His opponents were now only monsters, so he swung his sword without the slightest hesitation.

s.h.i.+n directed his perception towards Fuji and noticed a dot of light moving rapidly around the demon foxes. It was Munechika.

As the small dot came closer, the big ones would disappear. The speed at which they were annihilated was overwhelming: the 8-headed Orochi did not even move from the peak.

”There are still plenty of them; guess I'll lend a hand.”

s.h.i.+n started hunting down the demon foxes from the direction opposite to the dot he thought to be Munechika.

After less than an hour, most of the demon foxes that had gathered on Fuji had been exterminated.

As s.h.i.+n took down the last unit, the sparkle of platinum armor appeared before him.

”So it was you, s.h.i.+n.”

What appeared was the katana and person carrying the name of One of the Five Supreme Blades Mikazuki Munechika. As she was battling, she was wearing her helmet, but not her flowing black hair nor her armor were stained by enemy blood.

”I see you did not have trouble either.”

”Monsters of that level are nothing to me. Curious to see you appear at the same time as the monsters' a.s.sault though. Do you know something?”

”I don't know much in detail, but I'll tell you all I can.”

s.h.i.+n briefly explained about Juugo, Kai, Tamamo and the plan they had put into action.

After he finished talking, Munechika thought for a while, holding her fingers to her lips, then she looked towards the peak of Fuji.

”The demon foxes' goal for attacking was probably what we are protecting on top of the mountain. Not only the demon foxes, but many of Hinomoto's monsters with a certain degree of intellect came to attack Fuji.”

”Is there something of much importance there? I did think it was strange that the mountain's master Kagutsuchi wasn't there, butno, I do not mean to pry. You don't need to answer.”

”Heh, I know that. I suppose I could tell you. Because your partner, the Element Tail, probably noticed already.”

”Eh? You knew Yuzuha was an Element Tail?”.

s.h.i.+n was also surprised that Yuzuha apparently knew the reason behind Kagutsuchi's absence, but Munechika's knowledge of Yuzuha's species was even more astonis.h.i.+ng to him.

”The energy of the Ley lines has a peculiar aura. I heard from Kagutsuchi that Element Tails have the ability of influencing Ley lines, as well.”

Judging from Munechika's words, it didn't look like Kagutsuchi had been slain.

Just like Yuzuha, it was apparently possible to communicate with it. During the game the battle would always start without any actual conversation, so s.h.i.+n found it a bit surprising.

”Well, this is not the time to stand around chatting. Go to your partner. And one more thing, you haven't forgotten the promise to return to me, have you? I cannot claim to be patient, I will wait for only 10 years at most.”

”I will go now then. Rest a.s.sured, I have no intention of making you wait that long.”

s.h.i.+n replied thinking that for an impatient person, that was a pretty long time span.

Strictly speaking, Munechika was like a spirit hosted within a sword, so there was no concept of lifespan for her, or so s.h.i.+n reflected.

”I am looking forward to it then.”

s.h.i.+n thanked Munechika, who told him the direction Yuzuha was in, and headed off.