As Akitora's chest broadened, his abs (abdominal muscles) could be seen evidently.
Here was I, thinking that Denki's power was out of control; Akitora's power was just an anomaly, as the sky was his only limit.
Thunder strikes began to descend from the sky in reaction to Akitora's new power level. It crashes into the battlefield, eliminating some of my men in the process.
Tssch! Hinata wasn't here to shield us with her defensive barrier so I quickly ordered my men to get together, and form a numerous row at my back.
***
All the soldiers that followed me into battle, were now standing behind me. At our front, all we could see was our opposition and heaps of lifeless bodies.
Behind our enemies, was a fog. And behind that fog was were the main battle was taking place. I couldn't imagine a general like me would be missing out on the main battle.
I couldn't involve myself in the main battle because, we still had a large number of enemy to deal with and besides, I was the only high ranked soldier here apart from Denki and Jack, who were already battling Akitora.
Who would supervise this troop, if I also were to join the battle.
"We'll have to round this up quickly. I don't like the way things are going." I heaved a sigh, as I closed my eyes.
"Don't spare anyone!" I ordered, as I charged towards the opposition with my men following.
_*_
A scornful facial expression could be seen on Akitora's face from miles away.
"Min ka tri døh fu ki no mi na". *Akitora chants a spell almost in a gibberish manner. His lips portrayed a lopsided smirk.
"What's he planning on doing?" Jack directs the question to himself, as it could be perceived as a rhetoric question.
"Denki has been trying to power up but to no avail. Tsk! At this rate...." Before he could process his thoughts and come up with a solution, he is interrupted by Akitora's loud shrill.
"Those who refuse to surrender shall surely die in the end!" The latter's voice reverberated, almost akin to the bellows of an angry bull.
"You keep talking aimlessly, hmph!" Jack muttered, as he stomped his right foot on the ground. And almost immediately, rocks began to rise from the floor wildly. And has luck would have it, Denki finally powers up after several struggles. Their aura rocked the atmosphere as they began to hit themselves ferociously from different angles.
Something was definitely strange about the rebels' fierce resolve. The outcome of the last battle was way different than this; as they were still battling with glints of hope in their eyes, even when the odds are against them.
Headless rebels hmmnnnn.....
"Never turn your back against your opponent!" A voice echoed from behind.
Without hesitating, I crouched swiftly and delivered a blind (no look) leg sweep sequentially. Afterwards, I stood up to gaze at the person who wanted to ambush me.
Lo and behold, it was a teenager that had the same stature as fushi.
"Please have mercy." He stuttered with trepidation.
I really wish I could've shown him mercy. But, this was a battlefield. I then closed my eyes disappointedly, as I walked upfront slowly.
"Gyyah!" He screamed in pain, as his blood gusted all over the place.
"You should be grateful, I killed you in the littlest way I could. I'm sorry." *I thought, nodding my head sympathetically.
Almost immediately, another loud cry was heard as the fog was now cleared by the force emanating from Jack's and Denki's fight. All we could see from here was their menacing aura, since they were a little out of sight.
"Everyone finish them all, and head for the mountain." I ordered, my voice booming like an atomic explosion.
"Yes sir!" They echoed in unison, as they charged alongside me ferociously.
"Not so fast!" A voice said, filtering out gradually. A silhouette then dashes towards my direction.
So quick! I am definitely sure he was a skilled one. But, I have no time to waste here.
"No time to waste?" He asked with a grin.
I was taken aback for a moment by his question. Could he read my mind?
"I'll just cut straight to the point, I can read your mind clearly." He announced blankly.
"Phyton's tail formation got it?" He ordered his men, or more like his companions; as his fixated gaze locked my eyes with his.
"The general's for me." He announced with a wider grin as he licked his lips like he was thirsty for blood or something like that.
He had a slender body build, his eyes were red in colour, alongside white hairs that were beaming radiantly.
I quickly made another hand sign to my men, telling them to wait a bit until I charge through the opposition's middle. Without hesitating, they sheathe their weapons but still keep their hands placed on it just in case.
I wasn't sure but out of a thousand, it seemed like only five hundred soldiers were still alive. Others were dead or brutalized to the core.
I just have to fight without reasoning, since I'm fighting with someone who uses his opponent movements to his advantage during a fight.
Before he could do anything stupid, I released a massive aura that sent the ground cracking.
"I'll show you the difference between a fighter and a captain." I muttered.
I currently had no weapons because the one with me, was currently out of ammo. And it wasn't like the one I always carried to war which could be reloaded using nulls or any form of energy.
Without further ado, he ordered his men to charge forward while he stood still.
My feet remained rooted to a spot, as I put my palms together, infusing innumerable amount of nulls to bring forth rocks and send them crashing into the opposition.
I quickly dashed towards the middle, aiming for the young man's head. In response, he picks up a katana swiftly, using it to parry the blast I sent toward his direction. Then starts swinging it at me from left to right. In response to his attacks, I dodged every of his slashes, then gripped the sword narrowly by the tip, before smashing it with a ferocious kick that shifts him backwards.
"Don't think this is all I can do." I boasted, alongside a gentle smile.
*_*
Several minutes passed, and it seemed like he could read of my moves. Since he was matching every of my move with different types of counter strikes. Neither I nor him had any damage but, I couldn't power up because, he could read every of my move. Except I chose to destroy everyone and everything, on this battlefield. So what was the use?
However, a light bulb with no source of illumination suddenly shimmered in my head.
"Wait! His main aim is to...."
"Hmph! How about we end it here?" I asked, edging closer to him.
"Hun hun he he he!" He chuckled. "So confident, I'll grant you the death befitting a general!" He charges towards me also, like a predator hunting down its prey.
Of a truth, I wasn't very sure of my plan but it was worth trying.
As he charged towards me, I shut my eyes, sending myself into a state of placid tranquil, before swerving my arms, and twisted my body to make a sharp turn. Which he blocks it successfully. Nevertheless, I could see a light scratch on his chin.
So I was right, he wasn't reading my mind. He was playing with my mind. It seems like he forces his opponents to attack him in the way he wants, by using attacks that forces you to move in a particular direction. Because anytime I had attacked first, he was pretty slower than usual (when he attacked).
I waited again, allowing him to charge towards me, and in the process of his attacks, I held his left wrist, lifting him off the ground slightly as I kicked his left ankle off balance, before landing a punch that weighs than ten bags of cement into the flesh that covers his rib cage.
After being knocked to the floor, he gets up slowly with blood streaming from his mouth and body.
"Damn you!" He was visibly fuming with anger, as he dusts his body repeatedly.
"Looks like you've found the secret of the technique out." He winced, while he walked towards me.
But then,
Another explosion was heard from Akitora's side again. There was really no time to waste. So I ran towards my opponent to finish him, while he on the other side was now walking sluggishly.
Slit!
D*mn! A penknife was sent running into my left shoulder. I wasn't sure but it seemed like it was poisoned.
"Humph! This is nothing" I thought, shrugging the slight pain that almost tickled as I looked at him with no mercy.
Although like I said, it was simply nothing.
"You're to strong for me, looks like you've figured out my technique. My name is Saito, saito....." He muttered, with his voice trailing off at the end as he faded into ashes slowly.
"There's no need for me to know your name." I mumbled with little sympathy.
He stabbed me in the shoulder successfully, albeit I inflicted the main damage by destroying his core with a ferocious hit amplified by nulled energy. Luckily enough, his lower ribcages was the location of his main core.
It looked like the opposition was now on the losing side as my men began to subdue them greatly.
Doof!!!
A massive explosion from up ahead, broke my state of reverie.
As I ran upfront, I saw denki falling off a cliff.
His cloths tattered, and his body half burnt.
I sped towards their direction without hesitating, with few of my men following a few kilometers behind.
As I got closer, a very familiar voice reverberated through the whole battlefield.
"NOT YET, NOT YET, N..NOT YET!" Were the words echoed repeatedly. Of course, it belonged to Akitora.
Jack was barely standing on his two legs as he was covered in blood but not as injured as Akitora and Denki. Akitora grinned like he had another plan in mind even with how messy he looked.
Judging from the look of things, he beat up Jack and Denki but since the number favoured them, they inflicted serious damage on him also.
As he knelt down with only a leg, panting simultaneously and trying to make his way back up to his feet, a very strange thing occurred.
It was like the atmosphere opened and in a split second, I saw a wide evil looking gate open its mouth with a large sword coming out of it. It sequentially stabs Akitora brutally in the chest from behind then, disappears into the thin air almost immediately.
Akitora fell from nothing below a great height, with a huge hole in his chest. Blood sprinkles drizzled everywhere, like it was the fresh morning dew. But as luck would speak, It was only witnessed by I and Jack, as Denki was fully unconscious, while my men were still fighting like valiant men.
Soon they fend the bandits off, and began to chase them as they ran for their dear lives. While some of them stood to observe the situation after the intense small scale battle.
"We did it!" Some of them said as they jumped for joy.
Truly we emerge victors but, that last discomforting scene sent chills down my spine. I could even see the perplexed face that was worn by Jack. Although, it wasn't obvious.
Was that brutal attack from Jack? Or if not... Who could it be?