The village of Buraun's militia was still marching onward, traversing through the forests consistently. They have been relatively quiet for the entire duration of their travels, with no impediments. From the view of one of the troops, everything was going placidly, almost as if a war were not actively taking place.
However, a set of purple tails could be seen swaying slowly in the trees up above.
'...Are they really marching during a war? Here I was hoping for them to get mixed up in all of the chaos…' A particular rogue warrior thought to himself, itching his blonde head with a bothersome expression.
Kono was, for the most part, extremely bored. The fox-like rogue was immensely patient, waiting for the perfect moment to swoop down and carry out his unspoken desire—but, unfortunately, Buraun was playing it unreasonably safe with their army.
It was relatively easy to perpetually mask his Aura Sense from the militia down below the fox-like rogue, but it was growing more tiring than what Kono originally believed.
'Looks like I'll just have to… introduce myself the hard way.' The blonde rogue concluded silently, standing tall and stretching his limbs on the branch he stood on.
Kono inhaled and spoke, "Showtime!"
*SHING!*
Sadly, the rogue was rudely interrupted mere seconds before he jumped.
"These are my kills, dumbass."
Kono's eyes shot wide open as he saw the glint of a steel blade below his chin, resting against his neck alarmingly. Throughout the length of the blade that was pressed against the fox-like rogue's neck, there were markings.
The blonde lifted his arms gradually as if to surrender. "Oh, come on! We can share, right?"
The man wielding the sword huffed, "Where's the fun in that?"
Kono sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I hate to break it to you, but unless you're some hotshot warrior, these guys will tear you apart."
The unidentified swordsman chuckled ominously, making the fox-like rogue raise an eyebrow in suspicion.
"And how, pray tell, would you manage to kill them if I have my sword to your thin scrag?" The swordsman queried devilishly, pressing the sword further into Kono's neck and piercing the skin.
The blonde weighed his options.
"...Like this!"
*WOOSH!*
Swiftly, Kono's purple tails launched at the swordsman, forcing him to leap away, narrowly escaping potentially fatal injuries. As the fox-like rogue did this, he had to recollect his equilibrium on a nearby tree limb, ensuring that he was still perfectly hidden from the army on the ground below.
XXX
"Everyone, freeze!" Haishi, the Chief of Buraun's military, ordered sternly, raising his hand instantly.
A few moments ago, the pony-tailed man swore he heard two individuals rambling from outside his group's range, only for the mysterious conversation to end abruptly and lead to the clear sound of leaves flapping intensely.
"Be guarded! Have your senses flared! We have two or more unidentified individuals close by!" The Chief hollered at the top of his lungs, unsheathing his sword without hesitation.
Kou stepped closer to the Chief. "Haishi? We haven't sensed anybody at all since we departed from the village!"
Haishi spared a glance at the female warrior beside him. "Don't think that we're the strongest out here, Kou—this is a war; we're no longer in our league anymore. Some warriors can easily conceal themselves from us!"
Every troop, including the two former instructors, Oshieru and Akushon, held onto their weapons firmly. As for the students, the mandatory weaponry that they were lent is all they are currently brandishing for the time being.
Oshieru was quick to look toward the students. "Don't let this freak you out… one wrong thought and you, or the whole group, can wind up dead."
Akogare shivered at the blue-haired male's words. "Not helping!"
XXX
Kono clenched his fists tightly, looking down at the army on the ground.
'Damnit! They heard us!'
The fox-like rogue analyzed the massive group of warriors, allowing for two more of his purple tails to materialize out of thin air, leaving him with a current count of four tails.
'They're going to be ready for an attack, so having more magic to back me up wouldn't hurt!' Kono thought silently as he felt himself grow stronger due to the additional two tails.
Suddenly, the rogue heard laughing.
"Don't tell me that you didn't want to kill them quickly!"
Turning around quickly, the fox-like rogue spotted the swordsman from before.
It was Gimu, a member of the Furusato Unit, grinning manically. Though he had a bandaged face, his visage was more than obvious: bloodlust. His cloak swung from his body loosely, his Souta sword at his side. His eyes were beady, and the malice that exuded from them was palpable.
"...You're one of those lunatics, huh? Damnit." Kono bit his tongue anxiously, narrowing his eyes.
"They're over there!"
Both Kono and Gimu's attention was diverted to Haishi's voice from far away, followed by the deafening sound of an explosion—*BOOM!*—and a bright light that flashed the entire forest.
The two rogues lunged away from the incoming beam of light that inevitably destroyed the spot where they once stood, spreading out once again.
"No point in hiding anymore, I suppose!" Kono roared, momentarily landing on a branch before pumping his legs and sending himself flying toward the army on the ground.
It was instantaneous.
"GRAGH!"
"ARGH!"
The fox-like rogue relentlessly slaughtered the troops as his purple tails impaled them one by one, striking them down with a nightmarish amount of ease. Kono was nigh impossible to touch as he dashed through the army to even the playing field.
"I waited all this time… for this!? I'm only using four tails!" The blonde rogue yelled as he stained the ground with blood, dodging every attack sent his way.
After a few more moments of Kono butchering the troops, he eventually locked eyes with a particular individual—one of the students. More specifically, Utsukushi.
Utsukushi's countenance morphed from fear to shock as she looked at Kono head-on, a glint of recognition in her eyes.
*SHING!*
Without warning, Kou swung her sword at the fox-like rogue, slicing the skin on Kono's cheek.
"Stay away!"
Kou was unforgiving as she swamped Kono with a barrage of attacks, prompting Kono to evade and maneuver around each swing of her sword and every kick or punch she delivered.
As Kono smelled his own blood on his cheek, his anger skyrocketed. "Damn you!"
The blonde rogue's purple tails were launched forward and restrained Kou's right arm, preventing her from advancing in her assault. Although her right arm was entangled by the tails, which burned her arm to the touch, her left arm was quite free, leading to the formation of a purple Genso-Kyu in her left palm and—*BOOM!*—discharging a potent beam of light at her adversary.
"Shit!"
*BOOM!*
In response, Kono also released a purple beam from his palm. The two beams collided blindingly, fighting for supremacy over each other. Every second, a shockwave would be expelled from the center of the two beams, creating a small crater in the ground surrounding both Kou and Kono.
"Stop being a pain in the ass!" Kono shouted over the booming sound of the beams.
"Stop killing my troops!" Kou retorted viciously.
Then a new voice pitched in: "Yeah, that's my job!"
Shifting her gaze behind her, Kou saw Gimu's sword blade sweep in her direction, leaving her defenseless since her arm was still held by Kono's multiple tails. The woman's life flashed before her eyes as the blade was inches away from striking her.
*CLING!*
Before Gimu's sword could cut Kou, another blade intercepted its path. Haishi shoved the bandaged swordsman a few feet back, increasing the distance between the two.
"I've heard about you," Haishi said harshly, clenching his jaw. "You're from the Furusato Unit: the fastest swordsman alive—allegedly."
Gimu frowned. "It isn't alleged, asshat! Come find out!"
"Haishi! A little help, please!?" Kou abruptly called out to the Chief.
The woman was still struggling with Kono, her purple Genso-Kyu still shining brilliantly in her left palm. As for the blonde rogue himself, he maintained his grip on Kou's right arm with his four tails and the magic flowing out of his hands to hold his opponent's beam.
Kono was going to have to increase his amount of tails if he wanted to live.
Haishi hesitated to look back at Kou, fearing the idea that Gimu would strike him down at the exact moment he would become distracted.
"Haishi, please!" Kou cried again.
The Chief was being pulled at the seams, unsure of how to proceed.
"Chief, go help her."
Haishi recognized the voice, the stress in his body being quelled. "Oshieru? He seems like quite the ordeal—you'll need help."
A second voice spoke up: "That's why I'm here."
It was Akushon, the other former instructor from Buraunmajikku.
"Beautiful. Hurry up, then." Haishi quickly spun on the balls of his feet, going to assist Kou.
As the pony-tailed man left, Gimu averted his gaze to Oshieru and Akushon, a sigh escaping his lips. "You villages take all the fun out of fighting… all the etiquettes and partnering!"
Oshieru hummed. "Then we'll fight as dirty as you like, rogue."
XXX
I needed to dedicate a chapter solely to Buraun's army, mainly due to wanting to progress their advancement in the novel and the fighting that I wish to execute rather swiftly. I have so much planned and I'm running out of time to write, so I need to organize the chapters accordingly in favor of timing and what would still be the way I have always wanted it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_