After finishing breakfast, courtesy of Miss Annette, we took some time to train before splitting up for our mission. The morning air was crisp, and the lingering warmth of the meal fueled our bodies as we ran through drills. When it was time to leave, Taka and I headed toward the forest, while Yushiro remained behind, rolling up his sleeves with a confident smirk.
"This old man will do just fine," he had said, waving us off before tackling the four floors of cleaning.
I was mildly concerned. Four floors were no joke. But knowing Yushiro, the bastard can solve anything if he wants to do it willingly.
The moment we entered the forest, the towering trees stretched above us, their thick canopy casting shifting patterns of light on the mossy ground. The scent of damp earth, wildflowers, and fresh leaves filled the air, a familiar embrace from our years of hunting back home. Birds called from the treetops, insects hummed in the underbrush, and somewhere in the distance, a beast let out a low growl.
Taka walked beside me, his hand resting on his katana's hilt. "So, what exactly are we hunting?"
"Anything that looks tasty," I replied casually.
Taka sighed, already resigned. We'd done this countless times before—find whatever looked edible, take it down, and bring it home. The forest back home had always been predictable. This one, however… something about it felt different.
After some time wandering deeper into the woods, we finally spotted our target—a deer.
Its light brown fur blended seamlessly with the tall grass, its body lean yet muscular. It grazed peacefully, ears flicking every so often. As we stepped closer, its head suddenly lifted, sharp eyes locking onto us.
Huh? It sensed us already?
"There's our meat!" I shouted, tightening my grip on my sword.
Taka's stance shifted slightly, his fingers curling around the hilt of his katana. We both lowered our center of gravity, muscles tensing as we prepared to strike.
Then the wind changed.
A violent gust whipped around us, rustling the leaves and bending the grass at unnatural angles. The air grew sharp, crackling with unseen energy. My instincts screamed at me—something was off.
The wind… it's gathering around the deer?
Before I could react, a force slammed into me like a battering ram.
The blast of air sent me flying backward.
"KENJI!" Taka's voice was laced with alarm.
I crashed into a tree, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Stars burst in my vision as I crumpled to the ground, coughing as I struggled to inhale.
Damn. That hurt.
"…I'm still good," I managed between wheezes.
Taka stared, his expression shifting between concern and disbelief. "Kenji… did that deer just blast you with wind?"
I pushed myself up, shaking the dizziness from my head. "Yeah. It's… different from the ones back home."
A serious understatement.
The deer's antlers began to glow, threads of wind spiraling toward their pointed tips. A second blast erupted, tearing up the ground as it barreled toward me.
Taka and I leaped in opposite directions, narrowly dodging the attack as chunks of earth and shredded grass rained down.
"The deer back home couldn't blast wind!" Taka shouted, taking cover behind a tree. "Is this really how they get ingredients for lunch?!"
"How should I know?! This damn meat doesn't want to be lunch!" I shouted back, pressing against the trunk as another blast tore through the space where I had just stood.
I exhaled sharply. "Alright, let's go."
"Sure!"
I let my Hashi flow, feeling the familiar surge of power course through my veins. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened. I drew my sword in one fluid motion, discarding the scabbard to the ground.
Taka and I exchanged a glance. A silent understanding.
I lunged first, dashing from behind the tree. As expected, the deer immediately locked onto me, releasing another blast. I weaved between the gusts, closing the distance in quick, unpredictable movements.
Taka followed behind, using me as cover.
This was one of our old tactics—we'd perfected it over years of hunting. The target always focused on the more immediate threat, giving the second attacker the perfect opening.
The deer quickly realized its wind blasts weren't stopping me. It hesitated.
Got you.
I tightened my grip, preparing to strike—
Then the deer charged.
Its antlers came down, impossibly fast.
I barely had time to react before it hooked me, lifting me clean off the ground. My stomach lurched as a powerful gust blasted me point-blank. The force sent me flying, my body slamming into another tree with a sickening crack.
For a brief second, I nearly blacked out.
"Way of Nature Technique: Heavenly Soaring Wave!"
Taka's voice rang through the air, followed by the sharp whistle of his katana slicing downward.
A direct hit.
Or so I thought.
The blade stopped short, meeting an invisible barrier.
Taka's eyes widened. "What the—"
The deer cried out, its voice an eerie mix of a natural call and something… unnatural.
The air shifted violently.
Taka barely had time to react before a sudden wind blast struck him mid-air.
"Shit—!"
He tumbled backward, smashing through branches before landing roughly on the forest floor. He coughed, shaking off the impact, before quickly moving to stand beside me.
The deer stood tall, eyes gleaming with intelligence. It stared down at us—not as prey looking at its predators, but as a ruler surveying lesser beings.
"Taka, you good?" I asked, wiping blood from my nose.
"Yeah," he muttered. "This deer is strong. It even blocked my attack."
"It also has strong enough attacks to send me flying, even after I released my hashi." I looked down at the blood on my fingers. That was surprising.
Taka turned to me, frowning. "Wait… how?"
Back home, once I learned how to use my hashi, the beasts in the forest barely scratched me.
Yet here I was, bleeding.
I glanced back at the deer, standing like a damn warlord, wind swirling around its antlers.
If this is what it means to be a Division Knight…
A slow grin spread across my face.
My heart pounded with exhilaration.
This is going to be fun.
I turned to Taka, eyes alight with excitement. "Taka, treat this as training. We're going to show this damn deer why we came here to be knights. No knight can allow themselves to be beaten by damn lunch."
Taka studied me for a moment, then sighed.
"…Sure."
The wind picked up again, spiraling violently around us.
The deer was done waiting.
I tightened my grip on my sword, rolling my shoulders.
I had taken down a bear with my bare fists before.
I'd be damned if I lost to a deer.
"Bring it!!"