"But I know what I'm doing!!" I shouted.
I had already anticipated a delay in my defense, so the next mont, I unleashed flas from my entire body. I grab the scythe that pierces my shoulder to keep it from escaping. However, it is in vain. The weasel swung its scythe and cut off its own blade, just like a lizard shedding its tail. The weasel then twisted their body and tried to put so distance between us.
"I'm returning it back to you! It hurts!?" I yelled.
I forcefully pulled out one of the blades stuck in my shoulder and threw it at the weasel. However, the weasel, who was propelled into the air by my attack, kicked the blades with its sickle, and booranged at my head. When it cut through half of my face, I turned my head away from it, and it was thrown off course. Although it cut through my scalp and shaved off a part of my skull, fortunately, it did not damage my brain. And the wound closes quickly. I've been through this many tis before, but I guess I'm starting to quit being human, huh?
"Hah... Hah… Even with this, I still can't seem to break through!!" I thought to myself.
I land on the ground and click my tongue while catching my breath. I pull out the blade that is still stuck in my body and toss it aside, lting like candy when it cos into contact with the flas. I have managed to take down four of the weasel's scythes so far... Well, not really worth it... but considering my physical strength, is it still a good fight?
While I was thinking about this, sothing cos up behind . I instinctively prepare to defend myself, but my sense of sll and presence tells what it is, and I let my guard down. It slides in right beside , blowing away the dirt beneath my feet. Imdiately after, the sll of blood hits my nose.
"...! Iruka, you've been beaten up pretty bad, haven't you?" I said to the half-beast, half-human covered in bite marks and cuts all over her body. Despite Iruka being partly youkai, her injuries were far from light. If it was human, they would have lost consciousness due to excessive bleeding.
"Haha, I guess we both agree. You seem to be having a tough ti of it too, right? huh?" Iruka responded with a chuckle. The black wolf on the edge of my vision growled lightly.
'Grrrrr...!!'
"......"
I shift my gaze slightly at the roar. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a black wolf, whose massive body seed like it could say sothing like, "Shut up, kid!!" had scars all over its body, but the number and depth seed to be less than half of Iruka's.
"Anyway, don't complain. They are calamity youkai. I an, my arm is made of a great youkai. I should be grateful for fighting well," Iruka declared arrogantly. I cower my shoulders in response. It was her choice to ignore my advice and join the fight, after all. Well, I couldn't say that, considering that I was also saved by her.
"Rouya, it seems that you have been beaten up a lot, too. It's a shaful story that two calamity youkai can't kill two humans," Kamaitachi lanted and I I sneered in response.
"Hey, hey, we're not really classified as humans, are we?" I asked.
"Of course, but you can't join us in such a half-hearted and disgusting state. I don't want to cause any misunderstanding in society," Kamaitachi replied with a look of disgust on their face. This guy cower their arms and shoulders in a deliberate and exaggerated manner. Their acting was so fake that their ears drooped down. And this chat was a pointless chat, transparent acting, and a way to buy ti...
"This guy is more relaxed than before. Did they anticipate that I would run out of gas before the reinforcents arrived?" I thought to myself
At first, their attitude was ambiguous, whether they were looking for an opportunity to escape or trying to buy ti. However, it seed that their stance had recently beco clearer, leaning more towards the latter. It was unlikely that no reinforcents would co at all, but it seed difficult to expect them to arrive soon.
"Ggh...? D*mn it! Is it ti, soon?" I exclaid, clutching my chest in pain.
Intense pain, like my heart had burst, ran through my chest. No, I think it really burst. It must have been unable to keep up with my body's movents. And it made vomit from the shock, though I seed to regenerate with the rupture. It was not just red, but a dark red.
"Haa, haa... Ugh!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
"D*mn, hey! Can you really keep going with a body like that?" Iruka asked skeptically.
She rushes toward , glaring at Rouya who was about to take advantage of the opportunity. I stumble and almost fall to my knees, but she grabs my shoulders from behind and holds up. And then...
"'I'm fine,' I want to say that but it seems not. However, we have to decide the match soon," I said to be strong.
After a few monts of silence, I release Iruka's hold on . It was then that the weasel sneered at and mocked my attitude.
"Well, well, well, looks like we've got ourselves an overconfident one. You still haven't learned your lesson, have you? Do you think you can win the match with such a pitiful condition? ...And I've been thinking about it since a while ago. Don't you dare make fun of others, you stupid monkey!"
The last insult was delivered in a beastly tone, and Kamaitachi growled like an animal. Their tail, raised like a scorpion's threat display, swelled and seed to split into three scythe-like blades, which looked like the talons of a bird. I try to brace myself for the transformation.
"Huh...?"
But in an instant, my stance faltered. My right leg had been sliced apart. This was just like what happened with Kibihagi...!!
'Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!'
I lost my balance, and the next thing I heard was the roar of a wolf. It was behind , and it was the presence of death. It was a killing intent.
For a brief mont, I twist my head to see it. There was no movent, no sound, just a wolf closing the distance without warning. His cold eyes looked down on , and silver threads of saliva stretched between his sharp upper and lower fangs.
I quickly let out a burst of fla from my body, attempting to strike back with 'tsukyaku (annihilation)'. But even when swallowed up by those pale flas, the wolf remained unscathed, his gaze insulting and sneering at ... and his jaws closing in. Like when Kibihagi's body was torn in half.
But I laughed and declared, "I never fell. I was just acting."
To lure this guy in, I taunted the 'Okuri-ōkami' mockingly. (Note: Okuri-okami => a ghostly wolf or dog-like creature who haunts dark mountain passes, or roads through forests)
* * *
Just as so exorcists have their own unique abilities, there are so youkai that have abilities that are activated under specific conditions. And among them, there are also so that are conceptualized, so that are powerful in exchange for strict conditions, so that cannot be countered depending on the compatibility, and so that cannot be dealt with without specific counterasures.
There is a folklore of the 'Okuri-ōkami'. The details vary depending on the region, but it is said that the wolf silently chases after a person walking in the woods, and when the person falls because he or she is afraid to fight, or when their back is kicked and they fall over, the wolf attacks the person and devours him or her.
On the other hand, the wolf can only eat soone who has fallen over, and if soone declares that they are just 'taking a break' or 'sitting down,' regardless of the truth, the wolf can only watch with its tail between its legs.
"Co on, take a bite!" I said as I hit the wolf in the nose with all my might after I found out who he really was and being forced to stop moving because of his powers. The wolf, screaming "Woof!" and turned his head back. The wolf had been aware of having his legs cut off. Therefore, the wound on his leg had already been cauterized by the flas inside it.
It was only just before that I realized the trick. Iruka, who had been confronting the wolf, whispered to the wolf's identity as she supported as I stumbled. I recognized it in the lore I had been researching to find out the power of the youkai wolf in front of , and I predicted it in the actual fight. In the fight, it was clear that my opponent was trying to make fall.
Perhaps, the monster wolf's unique ability, his true nature is the acquisition of the right of life and death of the opponent, which is triggered when the opponent falls. He closes the distance unconditionally and instantly, and bites his opponent to death when his opponent's attack is ineffective. This is the content of his power. And a power that, once the legend and counterasures are known, can be easily dealt with - a literal first strike capability.
"Rouya, retreat!!" a shout cos from behind and at the sa ti, an impact, a blast of wind, ca at . My back is cut deeply, and I turn around, vomiting blood. At the sa ti, I use all the remaining strength I have to produce flas.
When I turn around, I see the Kamaitachi approaching . Perhaps my reaction was too quick, but they looked astonished.
"You're caught, you beast!!" I thought to myself.
Unfortunately, I was already aiming for this guy to begin with. I an, it's hard to control my power, and if it hits the wolves with the fire, it might engulf Iruka behind him. On the other hand, if it's this weasel...
"Even so, you've thought of a good idea, haven't you...!!?" I said.
It was both sarcasm and honest praise.
In a sense, it was rational for Kamaitachi to work together with the Okuri-okami. Among Kamaitachi's abilities were things like "cutting without causing pain" and "knocking down opponents with gusts of wind." Kamaitachi set up the conditions and Okuri-okami used his power to kill the opponent instantly.
This was sothing that the normally self-centered and cannibalistic youkai wouldn't do. It was only possible because they were mbers of the Youkai Salvation who could reveal each other's powers. Anyway, enough talk! Ti to die!
"Ggh!" Kamaitachi, in their haste to save their wolf friend, unleashed a wind attack, but it was ineffective. The wind they had just released was like a drop in the ocean and in response, I let out a fire with all my strength to stop them. When they realized that the gust of wind would not be effective, they forced their body to twist and used their tail as a shield. But they was engulfed by the flas.
"Grrr!! Don't underestimate !" It's not a direct hit, but Kamaitachi was slightly seared. The tail of the weasel was burned and more than a third of their body was charred. Moreover, the pale flas that had seared into their body did not disappear, but continued to burn them. Still on fire, the blade of their right arm is lifted. So this guy tries to make die too, huh?
"But you won't be able to kill now!!" I thought to myself.
On the other hand, Iruka then sees the wolf retreating. Iruka tries to close in. I plan to join her if I can stop the weasel. But my body is already shattered, still I was sure I could... hold out until then.
That is, until this mont. Until I heard that voice.
"Iruka...!?"
The sudden sound that rang out made and Iruka, who was also called, open our eyes in astonishnt. At about the sa ti, we both look in the direction of the voice. And we see her. The one who called Iruka. The girl who shouldn't be here.
The shrine maiden dressed in clothes.
"This is bad...!?"
In an instant of dumbfoundedness, suspicion, agitation, confusion, and pushing all of them aside, I imdiately realized that youkai would not fail to take advantage of this situation. I turned my gaze to the weasel and our gazes t. The monster who understood our situation and grinned wickedly.
The scythe is swung.
"Get away from thereeeee!!"
I scread like a beast on impulse. However, such a scream was aningless to the sheltered girl who had no experience in fighting. If anything, it was counterproductive and only scared the opponent. The invisible wind blade approached the defenseless girl, and then...
Blood spattered.
"Agh...!?"
A small scream rose. I held my breath. I was astonished by that sight. And so was the maiden.
"Iru... ka?"
Hotoya Tamaki muttered her na in a trembling voice. She saw a half-human, half-wolf Ezo with her belly ripped open and her guts overflowing.
It was the image of her friend who had fallen in her place...
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