Chapter 6: Blood, Dust, and a New Blade

The world lurched, a dizzying mix of blinding light and crushing pressure. Your stomach churned, and for a terrifying second, you felt yourself stretching into nothingness. Then, as abruptly as it began, it stopped. The air hit you – dry, dusty, and smelling faintly of smoke and unwashed bodies. You stumbled, regaining your balance, your hand instinctively going to the hilt of your sword. Tsunade landed lightly beside you, already alert, while Olivia let out a soft groan as she touched down, dusting off her robes. Kaelen and his men materialized behind you, their weapons ready. You had prepared, making sure all necessary weapons and supplies were safely tucked into your inventory before the jump. This was it. The Kingdom world.

You found yourselves in the center of a small, seemingly neutral village square, crudely built wooden homes surrounding you. It was quiet, too quiet, save for the distant murmur of voices. Just as you took in the unfamiliar architecture, a commotion erupted from a nearby dwelling. A young, wild-eyed boy, no older than your early teens, burst out of a house, clutching a rough spear. His face was streaked with dirt and tears, and fear contorted his features. You tensed, ready for anything.

"Hyou! No!" the boy screamed. He knelt, tears streaming down his face, beside an boy sprawled on the ground, grievously wounded, blood soaking his simple tunic. Hyou looked barely alive. Shin, instantly flared, his eyes locking onto your group, he pointing at your group accusingly. "You! You did this, didn't you, you bastards!"

You held up your hands, taking a step forward. "Wait, boy! We didn't do this!"

Hyou coughed, a rattling sound in his chest. "No, Shin... they are... not the ones," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. He struggled to lift a trembling hand, pointing at you. "They... they could be helpers my lord mentioned."

You quickly picked up on the cue. "That's right," you affirmed, stepping closer. "We've come to help his Lord. Hyou serves him, and we're here to help him too."

Hyou's eyes, clouded with pain, found Shin's. He struggled, pulling a rolled-up map from within his tattered clothing. "Shin... take this and my sword. Go to... the location marked... on the map," he wheezed, pressing it into Shin's hand. "Remember our dream... you... you must become a Great General... under the Heavens..." His voice trailed off, his eyes losing their focus.

"Hyou! No! Don't you dare die!" Shin wailed, hot tears scalding his cheeks. "We promised! Our dream! You can't!"

Hyou's body went limp. He was gone. Shin's cries turned into a raw, primal scream, manic with rage and grief, echoing through the stunned village. He held his dead friend, rocking back and forth, consumed by a sorrow that tore at your own heart.

A grizzled old man, the Village Chief, stepped forward. "Boy!" he snapped, his voice surprisingly firm, cutting through Shin's anguish. "Don't you let Hyou's death be in vain! He died for your dream! He died to give you this! Hyou had this with him. You need to go to Kokuhi Village. Find the connection to Hyou's death there!"

A shriveled, ancient woman, Li Dan, shuffled forward, her voice raspy. "Don't listen to him, boy! Kokuhi Village is a place full of vicious murderers and thieves! You'll never survive!"

But Shin, his eyes now burning with cold fury, didn't seem to hear her. He stared at the map, then at the distant horizon. "Kokuhi Village," he muttered, his voice hoarse. He spun on his heel and, without another word, began to run in the direction Hyou had pointed, a tiny, grieving figure against the vast, indifferent landscape.

You turned back to Hyou's body. "I'll take care of him," you told the villagers, your voice firm. You quickly moved Hyou's body away from their view, then activated your inventory.

With Hyou secured, you quickly gathered your group. "Alright, everyone," you commanded, your voice low but clear. "We're following Shin. Our mission starts now. Kokuhi Village." Tsunade nodded, her face grim. Olivia adjusted her robes, a new seriousness in her gaze. Kaelen and his warriors, already disciplined, fell into formation.

The journey was swift, marked by the dust kicked up by your boots and the distant, unsettling sounds of a world at war. It wasn't long before you spotted Shin. He was a whirlwind of frantic, desperate swings, his crude sword fighting against two burly bandits. He was clearly outmatched. Just as you prepared to intervene, a new threat emerged from the dust: a full group of fifty more bandits, their raucous shouts echoing across the desolate fields.

"Get ready!" you barked, drawing your own blade. Kaelen's men, already forming a line, drew their weapons. "Tsunade, Olivia, stay sharp! Let them gain some experience, but make sure no one takes anything more than a minor injury!"

You, Kaelen, and his warriors plunged into the fray. The bandits, expecting an easy kill, were met with fierce resistance. Your blade sang through the air, carving arcs of steel, while Kaelen's men moved with practiced efficiency. Tsunade observed from a slight distance, her eyes like hawks, ready to intercede if any of your allies faced a critical threat. The clang of steel and the shouts of men filled the air. Bandit after bandit fell.

As the last bandit fell, leaving 52 bodies scattered across the dusty ground (the two Shin fought, plus the fifty new ones), a System notification flashed in your vision.

[YOU HAVE GAINED A LEVEL!]

[TSUNADE HAS GAINED A LEVEL!]

[KAELEN HAS GAINED A LEVEL!]

"Olivia, Kaelen! Take Shin and the warriors, push ahead! Get to that point on the map. We'll catch up after I finish up here!" You ordered, not waiting for an argument.

You quickly began collecting the fallen. Fifty bandit bodies, plus the two pirates you'd stored away from your previous adventures, filled your inventory. You found a relatively secluded spot. "Alright, System," you murmured, "it's time for some reinforcements." Using 50 of the bandit bodies as reagents, you initiated a mass summoning ritual. The air shimmered, thick with arcane energy.

The ritual was… messy. Ten figures materialized, crude warriors, better than normal humans, certainly, but nowhere near the refined strength of the pirate you'd summoned before. But then, the ritual faltered. Two of the bodies began to contort, the energy turning sickly green. Two Dreadspawn burst forth, their skin covered in glowing, malevolent runes, black fluid oozing from their forms.

"What in the-!" you began, but Tsunade was already moving. With a snarl, she unleashed a powerful, chakra-infused punch. The Dreadspawn exploded on impact, showering the immediate area in vile, black fluid. The explosion was unexpected, catching everyone off guard. Two of your newly summoned warriors, caught in the blast, died. Tsunade herself grunted, clutching her arm, a grimace on her face. "They explode," she stated, her voice tight, "Nasty little things." You quickly recovered two Dreadspawn's runed bones from the lingering magical residue.

"Are you alright, Tsunade?" you asked, with concern lacing your voice.

She waved a hand, "I'm fine, not critical. Just a scratch."

"Alright," you said, your voice firm, assessing your new, smaller group. "Tsunade, Olivia, and my men. Let's move. We have to catch up." The grim reality of this world was already setting in – survival here meant constant vigilance and rapid adaptation.

Meanwhile, back in the village, an assassin tracking Hyou arrived not long after Shin had left. He was a silent, grim figure. The Village Chief, remembering Hyou's instruction, shook his head when questioned. "I don't know who the boy was," he claimed, feigning ignorance. The assassin merely grunted, his keen eyes scanning the dusty ground. He spotted Shin's fresh footprints and began to follow them, moving with deadly precision.

Back with your group, the journey continued. You quickly made up ground, the faint sounds of battle reaching you. It wasn't long before you found Kaelen, Shin, and the others again. They were engaged in another desperate fight, this time against ten more bandits. Ten bodies already lay dead on the ground around them, testament to Kaelen's prowess. By the time your group reached the spot, only four bandits remained alive, and Kaelen and his men finished them off completely with ruthless efficiency.

[YOU HAVE GAINED A LEVEL!]

[TSUNADE HAS GAINED A LEVEL!]

[KAELEN HAS GAINED A LEVEL!]

"Good work," you commended them, already looking at the new corpses. "Shin, Push on, head for that hut Hyou marked. We'll be right behind you." As he nodded and continued forward, you began the grim task of collection. You now had 20 more bodies to work with. This time, you wanted something special. You didn't just need numbers; you needed quality.

You initiated another summoning ritual, focusing your will. From this batch, four more warriors materialized, bolstering your ranks. But you weren't done. This time, the ingredients were specific: you used 2 outlaw bodies, 2 warrior bodies, 1 pirate body, and crucially, one of the Dreadspawn's runed bones. The air crackled, a different kind of energy swirling. When the light faded, a lone figure stood before you. Lean, agile, with striking black hair and intense eyes, a wicked blade at her side.

Akame from Akame ga Kill.

You quickly appraised her. She radiated cold efficiency, a silent, deadly presence. You knew from the System's information that she was half as strong as Tsunade, making her a formidable addition to your growing force.

"Akame," you said, acknowledging her. She simply nodded, her gaze already fixed in the direction the others had gone.

"Let's move," you ordered. The path was clear now, leading directly to the hut where Shin had just entered. This was it. The real start of the mission.

Current Allies & Forces:

Alex (MC)

Tsunade

Olivia

Kaelen

Akame

Men (Total: 17)

Warrior following kaelen: 5

Warriors from 50 Bandit Summoning: 8 (10 summoned, 2 died)

Warriors from 20 Bandit Summoning: 4

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