Ch.10- The Bounty hunter
The Mysterious Opponent Appears
The air around the Waterfall Shrine Path felt unnatural. The mist coiled between the frozen rocks, twisting unnaturally as if it had a will of its own. The distant sound of the frozen waterfall cracking echoed through the valley, sending chills down Blade Taizuka's spine.
Then, they saw him.
A lone figure sat on a boulder, his back turned toward them. His black cloak rippled slightly in the wind, his posture relaxed—almost bored.
His silver eyes gleamed as he turned, finally acknowledging them.
Then, he spoke—his voice laced with an eerie mockery.
"Hi," he said smoothly.
He rolled his neck, stretching as if waking from a nap. Then, with a smirk, he uttered words that sent a sharp chill through Blade's body.
"Time to Bye-Bye."
Blade's instincts flared.
Before anyone could react—the air shifted.
A crushing aura pressure exploded from the man's body, slamming into them like an invisible tidal wave.
The mist around them shuddered violently, twisting like a vortex, as though responding to his mere presence.
The very ground trembled beneath their feet.
---
The Overwhelming Aura
Blade gritted his teeth, his body nearly collapsing under the weight of the pressure. His hands clenched into fists as his breath came out in sharp, ragged gasps.
Kagami staggered, her knees nearly buckling as she clutched her ice katana, Kakori, struggling to hold herself upright.
Kibito's flames flickered, growing weaker, like a candle struggling against a storm. His usual confident stance wavered.
Suntaro growled, his lightning aura flickering around Raitaro, but his arms refused to move. His hands trembled on the hilt of his blade.
"What… is this pressure?!" Kagami gasped, her voice barely audible over the oppressive silence.
Suntaro clenched his jaw. "I—I want to draw my sword… but my body won't listen—!"
Blade felt it too. A suffocating force, unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"This isn't normal. This is something… far worse."
Then, before they could regain themselves, the man leaped from his rock—straight into their group.
---
The Bounty Hunter, Tasuguru
His movements were soundless, his landing impossibly smooth.
For the first time, they got a clear look at him.
He was young, barely older than them, but his presence felt like a seasoned warrior—a man who had walked through battlefields countless times.
A six-foot-long katana rested lazily on his shoulder, yet he held it with a casual ease, as if it weighed nothing.
A smirk curled on his lips.
"What happened?" he asked, his tone mocking.
He tilted his head, staring at them as though they were prey.
"Fight me…" He sighed dramatically, then grinned.
"Or are you scared?"
---
Blade's Anger Awakens
Blade's fists clenched.
Not from fear.
From rage.
"First Croitoshi… now this guy?! Why does the world keep throwing monsters at us?! Why do they keep mocking us?!"
His aura flared violently, his emotions spinning out of control.
Suntaro noticed the change. "Blade—wait, calm down—"
But Blade wasn't listening.
His breathing grew erratic, his vision trembling with fury.
Then—
A single tear slid down his cheek.
Kagami's eyes widened in shock. "Blade…?"
The moment her voice reached him, Blade's entire body tensed.
Then—
Suntaro moved first.
---
Suntaro Strikes First
Suntaro couldn't take it anymore.
With a snarl, he drew Raitaro, unleashing a powerful crackle of lightning.
"Roar, Raitaro! Zap Strike!"
His body vanished in a flash of electricity, reappearing in a blinding blur—
His blade slashing straight for Tasuguru's head.
But—
He missed.
Tasuguru sidestepped effortlessly, moving before Suntaro's blade even reached him.
Suntaro's sword slammed into the ground, the impact cracking the ice beneath them.
Tasuguru clicked his tongue.
"Fast," he admitted. Then, with a smirk—
"But predictable."
---
The Battle Begins
Kibito and Blade moved in sync, attacking from opposite sides.
Kibito's Makashi sword ignited with brilliant flames, while Blade activated the balanced energy of Kazeshin.
Tasuguru finally lifted his own katana, Gen Zan.
It was massive, yet he swung it with unnatural precision and ease.
Suntaro's eyes narrowed.
"That sword—how the hell do you carry it so easily?!"
Tasuguru grinned.
"I am Tasuguru," he said.
"The bounty hunter who kills for money."
Kibito's breath hitched. "Bounty hunter?"
Tasuguru tilted his head slightly. "That's right. And lucky for me… someone wants you all dead."
---
The Illusion of Clones
Before they could react—
Four identical clones of Tasuguru appeared out of nowhere.
Suntaro swore. "Illusions? No… they feel real!"
The four Tasugurus attacked simultaneously.
Blade barely blocked the first strike, but his arms shook violently from the force.
Kibito and Suntaro struggled, outnumbered two-to-one.
Tasuguru's laughter echoed through the mist.
"Your fragile attacks mean nothing to me."
---
Blade's Strategy
Blade's mind raced.
"This isn't normal illusion magic. This… is something else."
He closed his eyes, focusing on the balance of Kazeshin's Yin-Yang energy.
For a moment—silence.
Then—
Blade felt it.
The real Tasuguru was moving behind Kagami.
Blade's eyes snapped open.
"Behind you!"
Kagami spun, barely raising Kakori in time to block Tasuguru's attack.
The impact shattered the ice beneath her feet.
---
Breaking the Illusion
Blade lunged, slashing at the real Tasuguru with full force.
Their swords clashed, sparks flying.
Tasuguru's silver eyes gleamed.
"Oh?" he murmured.
Kagami summoned an Ice Barrier, attempting to trap him.
But Tasuguru shattered it instantly.
Kibito cursed. "He's too strong!"
Tasuguru stepped back toward the waterfall.
Then—he leaped straight into it.
---
The Lightning Trap
Suntaro's eyes blazed with fury.
"I won't let you escape!"
He raised Raitaro, its energy crackling wildly.
"Tera Volt Strike!"
The waterfall exploded in a storm of lightning, sending a shockwave through the air.
For a moment—silence.
Then, from within the mist—
Tasuguru emerged, untouched.
His smirk widened.
"Not bad," he said. "But I'm just getting started."
Blade's breath caught.
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
---
Tasuguru's aura flared once more, sending cracks through the ice beneath them.
His silver eyes locked onto Blade.
"You're not ready for this fight."
The mist around him darkened.
And then—he vanished.
To Be Continued…