[Old Takahiro's PoV]
It's been 9 years since I came into this world as a soul and observe it. The technology in this world cannot be compared to my world; however, there is something special about it. The people are poor, yes; only the military class can support their family with a full meal every day. Nonetheless, everyone that I can see through the eyes of the boy is always dedicated to everything that they do from the moment sunrise until sunset.
The boy surprised me as well. The day after I started to teach the boy about the art of Chi, I thought he would have given up not long after he put himself under the pressure of the waterfall. But the boy persists, exercise after exercise. He is put under an immense amount of pain every day that a normal adult could not withstand for an hour. Aside from practicing Chi under my guidance, the boy stays up late at night studying everything possible that he could learn from the scholars and practicing archery with the warrior monks when he has time.
Day by day, I start to learn more about this boy, who carries the same name as me and maybe, a much stronger spirit than mine. Sometimes I look at the sky and ask the Gods: Why do you not let me rest in peace after my death but send me to the side of him? Now, at this moment, when there is an assassin that manages to sneak into the lines of the army and now attempting to harm the boy, I have a strange feeling that my answer to the prior question is about to be answered.
Slowly, I feel like my soul's fading away. But I still need to do something. I reach my hand out to the boy, who's frozen in shock seeing death's approaching him. The moment I touch his body, I feel strong transparency. The next second, I realize that I'm in the body of the boy. The sword's handle is going to reach my neck soon. Using Chi to push my concentration to the highest, the time flows start to slow down.
To dodge the attack of the assassins, I punch the horse hard, making it ride toward the front, narrowly escaping the assassins. My soul is in the body of the boy right now, which makes me quite nervous about where the soul of the boy is. However, the first thing I have to do is defeat this assassin. Drawing the bow, I look back and realize that the assassin is getting closer and closer. Some Samurais are rushing toward with location, but U doubt they will be in time.
[I do not know if you're watching, kid. But this is what you can do with Chi]
Chi is not simply a spiritual force, you can use it to strengthen your body or even, for experienced users, strengthen things around him. The energy that cannot see by bare eyes erupts from my body and surround the bow and its arrow.
- '' An arrow from a crippled boy cannot harm me. '' The assassins shout.
A smile appears on my face as I release the arrow. I wonder what would the assassin think if he knows that the arrow is not released by the strength of a crippled boy but by Akira Takahiro the Demon Lord, the most dangerous man in the streets of Tokyo. The arrow swiftly breaks the sword the assassin uses to block and dig deep into his left shoulder.
The assassin falls to the ground, and his eyes widen in shock as he doesn't believe that such strength could come from a 9-year-old child. Before the assassin can react anymore, two mounted Samurais have caught up and thrust their spears, both pierce the chest of the assassin and sentence him to death.
My arms suddenly ache terribly as if every bone in them was broken.
[ As I thought, even though being trained, this body is still of a 9-year-old, which can not withstand such power of Chi ]
Then, everything goes blank.
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Minoru Tatsuya is a genius, no one can disagree with that. When he was 11 years old, he defeated the old soldier that've been teaching him how to fight with a sword. Later on, he grows an interest for the art of the spears and decide to dedicate himself to practicing fighting with spears.
Day by day, in the training yard of the Minoru's family we can see the figure of the Minoru's family heir practicing with the spears until his hands bleed. Hundreds of spears are broken by the young boy and at the age of 17, his skills with spear reach a stage that he can even defeat his father, Minoru Yukio, known to be the strongest Samurai in Iceland in a single combat if spears are chosen as weapon.
Confidently, Minoru Tatsuya believes, there would be no one can fight equally to him in a single combat. However, when confronting the large bandit in front of him, his thoughts are challenged. Even though the bandit has a large body, he manages to dodge or block every of his thrust with his large ax.
The ashigarus easily overwhelm and kill the other bandits; however, the well-trained soldiers of the Akira clan are no match for the Ax-wielding bandit. Whenever someone gathers enough nerve to approach and try to help Tatsuya in the fight, they are killed brutally by the large bandit. Thus, the ashigarus have no choice but to surround the fighting between Tatsuya and the bandit, forming a spear wall.
As battle going on, Tatsuya's getting more and more tired. His thrusting movements become slower and slower. A smile appears on the bandit's face as he finds enough time between Tatsuya's thrusting to deliver a blow to the young warrior. Tatsuya uses his spear to block the strike. The force of the strike is so large that Tatsuya's horse's legs are broken and sent flying away.
- I'm Umber the Red of Westernville. Say your name, young warrior. In my culture it's impolite to kill someone in a duel without knowing their name.
Although covered in blood and barely standing, the fighting spirit still does not die down in the eyes of our young warrior. " I only have enough strength for another thrust''.
- '' The enemies are assaulting our young lord. '' Tatsuya hears one of the Ashigaru speaks and notices that there are some disruptions in the lines of the ashigarus, showing that his words are true.
-'' Luck is not on your side today, young warrior. I kill end your life now. '' The bandit speaks, raising his ax to the air, aiming for a last fatal strike. Tatsuya rises up and thrust his spear with all of his strength. At the same moment, a rain of arrows are loosed by the Akira archers, aiming at the bandit. Using a hand to block the arrows and use another hand continue to wield his ax, aiming at Tatsuya.
- '' Minoru Arts of Spear, Cobra. '' Tatsuya murmurs. His spear moves in a strange way: like the shape of a snake, the spear dodges the hand the bandit intends to scarifie blocking the arrows and spear and cut into his eye.
After he manages to deliver the thrust, Tatsuya releases his spear and jumps backward. However, the ax of the bandit still manages to deliver a deep cut on his bloody, making him fainted.
-'' Charge '' The Ashigaru charges forward with their spears creating impenetrable wall. Dozens of spears penetrate into the body of the giant. Behind the lines of the Akira soldiers, we can hear the cheering, stating that the ambushers have been all defeated.
Umber the Red can feel the pain of dozens of weapons penetrated into his body. He can sense his consciousness's starting to fade away. '' Gilbert's defeated? It cant be. He is the finest swordman I've ever known. If he died here we can't fulfill our master's wills. ''
-''ARGHH'' Umber the Red roars. He grabs a soldier and crushes the poor man's head like crushing a watermelon. Although he is full of wounds, his horse does not suffer any hurt. The large man charges out of the group of Ashigarus and rides toward his fallen friend's direction.
With his body covered in blood and his roar sounds like the thunder, he frightens the Akira soldiers that none of them dare to approach him. Taking out the spears that impaling his friend on the ground, Umber raises he up and rides outside of the battlefield.
Some of the Samurais aim their bows at Umber but none of them released the arrows. The figure of Umber's dread has dug deep into their mind and frighten even the most battle-hardened Samurai of the Akira Clan.
- '' Find a scout and give him the fastest horse that we have. The Daimyo needs to know about this matter; there is no way these men are normal bandits. Bring his highness to the best medic we have.'' The old Ido Kakeru speaks, signaling the end of a hard-won battle.