Chapter 3

Meeting at the Top of the Ice Mountain

In the morning, the samurai sent on the mission gathered. I looked at them; there were 20 samurai, their bodies covered with scars and wounds. They were people who had lost hope in life, realizing that they had been sent to their deaths under the pretext of fighting Yosuko. Among them was a samurai who looked like a noble young man, with yellow hair and blue eyes. "I was still in disguise, and this samurai looked at me with disdain. From my perspective, he was the high-ranking samurai sent on this mission. His name was Jin, and he was skilled with lightning."

"Since you'll be coming with me to fight Yosuko, I'll inform you about some details regarding him," Jin spoke after looking at everyone with disdain, continuing, "Yosuko lives on the Ice Mountain, which has long been known as a location for yokai. Not long ago, everyone thought he was dead, so a group was sent to confirm, but that group hasn't returned. This confirms that he's still alive."

"So, you're saying the Ice Mountain was filled with yokai? Is there a chance the yokai killed that group?" One of the samurai responded to Jin, sounding mocking.

Jin looked at him with anger, wanting to kill him, but he held himself back and said, "Actually, when Yosuko arrived in that area, there were no yokai left. He killed them all. The proof of that is the snow still on the mountain."

"And what does Yosuko's presence have to do with the snow on the mountain?" The samurai replied to Jin, still mocking.

Jin tried to control his anger and responded, "That snow was created by Yosuko. Yosuko can use the element of ice masterfully; he can even cover an entire continent in snow. Now, since you know the reason, stop asking questions." A terrifying aura with murderous intent emanated from Jin, making the samurai who had mocked him earlier tremble in fear.

Jin suppressed his aura and murderous intent, calming down again, and said, "Now, let's go."

The gate to the capital opened, and we exited. I looked at the citizens; they were looking at us with disgust, as if we were sent to our deaths. Among them were nobles who mocked us. From their gazes, it was clear they were saying, "How could such a weak group defeat a former commander?"

An hour later, we arrived at the Ice Mountain. A massive snowstorm was raging, and most of the samurai were trembling from the cold. The sound of the storm was deafening, making it difficult to see through the fierce blizzard. One of the samurai looked at me and smiled, saying, "You seem to be the weakest among us. Don't worry, just take shelter behind us during the fight." I pretended to be weak and said, "Okay, thanks."

Suddenly, the capital disappeared, and everyone was stunned. Fear appeared on their faces. Before us was a mountain made of yokai corpses, the place covered in blood, with frozen blood flowing. In front of the mountain were the shields of the samurai sent on this mission.

One of the samurai, the same person who mocked Jin earlier, spoke, his eyes not believing the sight before him, "How could a human do this? This isn't human—it's a monster."

Everyone heard a terrifying sound, followed by an explosion. "What's happening?" One of the samurai screamed, terrified. He couldn't even draw his sword before a shadow appeared before him, and suddenly, everyone was struck with fear as an old man, with a strong build, appeared laughing ominously. It was clear he was Yosuko. The person who screamed tried to draw his sword, but Yosuko pulled it from him and stabbed him, tearing his body apart.

Everyone was shocked. Yosuko was incredibly fast, despite his old age. The samurai drew their swords, and one of them, enraged and crying bitterly, charged toward Yosuko. The person Yosuko killed was his friend, someone he had been with for twenty years, killed before his eyes in less than a second. He screamed in agony, "Die, you bastard."

But not everything could be solved with rage. In his recklessness, Yosuko stabbed him with his friend's sword. Yosuko's presence was imposing, fitting that of a former commander. Jin rushed toward Yosuko, summoning lightning from his hands with determination, but Yosuko easily blocked the attack. Yosuko grabbed his hands and threw him to the ground with great force. Jin quickly regained his balance, and it turned out it was part of Jin's plan. All the samurai attacked Yosuko, but Jin stabbed them all with ice, causing them all to die, the snow turning red with their blood.

I looked at Jin and found him stunned, sweating in fear as if he had entered a battle with the wrong person. He surrounded Yosuko with lightning, but Yosuko appeared before him and punched him hard. Jin spat blood, releasing lightning from his body, but Yosuko blocked it. Yosuko looked at him and said, "I've met many reckless young men, but none like you." Jin glared at him angrily, still shocked by his defeat, and said, "Shut up, you bastard." He rushed toward Yosuko and used all his power, attacking with a devastating lightning strike. Lightning scattered everywhere, and Yosuko's energy trembled from his hands, causing a clash.

The place was covered in dust. I looked at them to find Jin unconscious, half of his body frozen. Yosuko looked at him, smiling, and said, "So, there's only you left."

He appeared before me and tried to kill me. I pretended to struggle against his attacks, and suddenly, he gathered snow around me. I smiled, and soon, my body was buried in the snow. Yosuko thought I was dead.

Yosuko was surprised and said, "Another group of weaklings. It seems the last one is the strongest among them, but his appearance made him seem the weakest. Anyway, I must be wasting my time with them. I need to leave now. They'll send another group." Yosuko decided to check the samurai's body to confirm his death, but was shocked to find that the body had disappeared.

I decided to reveal my true form. What Yosuko had been fighting was just an illusion of me. Yosuko looked at me and took a step back, shock visible on his face. He was stunned when he saw my weak, frail body turn into a strong, normal one, my hair turning silver, and my eyes becoming blood-red. A terrifying energy emerged, and the mountain began to shake.

Yosuko smiled and said, "It seems you were hiding your power. Before we continue our fight, what's your name?"

I looked at him and smiled coldly, saying, "Akayama." I drew my sword. Looking at Yosuko's strength, he was very skilled with his element, but he wasn't worth fighting with all my power.

Yosuko drew his sword, a large one, and a strong aura emanated from it. I smiled slyly. It seems I'll have a somewhat entertaining fight after all.

Yosuko's expression indicated he was thinking, "Show me what you have." Crystals of ice appeared. Yosuko tried to trap me with them, but I melted them with fire. Yosuko leaped forward, trying to strike me with his massive sword, which cut through the air. Yosuko moved at lightning speed, a flash of lightning splitting the sky. In that strike, our swords collided, and the mountain trembled beneath our feet, with energy sparks flying around us like flashes of fire. I managed to move quickly in front of Yosuko and kick him, making the place shake.

Yosuko's Perspective

This was strange, the person before me had no noticeable energy. He appeared as a hidden ruler in the form of a weak human. Every moment I collided with his sword, I felt his terrifying power, as if he could kill me, but he seemed to be testing me. I must find a flaw in him, or I'll die at his hands.

The Fight

Akayama released part of his power, shocking Yosuko with the energy that just erupted, causing a terrifying explosion that destroyed the mountain. With the explosion, snow began to fall. Yosuko, with his eyes wide in shock and seriousness on his face, said, "Who are you...? Are you a ruler...?"

Akayama smiled slyly and answered, "I can't deny it... yes."