As they ascended the hill, Kasaki's heart raced at the sight of Misuki’s men, standing poised and armed at the summit. Above them, majestic green and red dragons soared through the sky, their formidable presence casting a shadow of dread over the battlefield.
“They seem brimming with energy,” observed the master, his voice tinged with a hint of concern as he surveyed the enemy forces. “Prepare yourselves for anything. Misuki has bestowed upon his men near-limitless power. Their life bars must be at full capacity, making them formidable adversaries. It won’t be easy to take down even one of them. Focus only on delivering lethal blows, and let’s see how they respond."
The tension in the air was palpable as the samurais steeled themselves for the impending clash, their eyes fixed on the enemy ranks with a mixture of determination and apprehension. They knew that the battle ahead would test not only their strength and skill, but also their resolve to overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them.
"Master, what about the dragons?" Kasaki asked, his gaze fixed on the distant shapes of the winged beasts soaring above the hill.
"We can create dragons, too. Except you, Mikamoto," the master replied, his voice steady and authoritative. "Using magic can debilitate you even more. Limit yourself to hand-to-hand combat."
Mikamoto nodded solemnly.
"This is gonna be difficult," Kishira remarked to Kasaki, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the enemy position. "They're uphill. They have the advantage."
Kasaki's brow furrowed in concentration as he scanned the terrain for any signs of a tactical advantage. "Well, there has to be a way around," he declared, his voice tinged with determination.
Kishira's hand came to rest on Kasaki's arm, her touch sending a jolt of electricity through him. "Promise me you won't leave me alone," she said, her tone urgent.
Kasaki felt a rush of emotions, but he masked them with a nod of assurance. "I promise," he replied firmly, his eyes meeting hers with resolve.
Meanwhile, Mikamoto took off running, his comrades Nagai and Sisuke following closely behind. The master remained rooted to the spot, his gaze unwavering as he observed the unfolding scene.
"So everyone here must know how to turn themselves into a flying creature, I suppose," the master declared, his voice ringing out with authority. "The time is now! Turn yourselves into dragons, hawks, even doves, for God’s sake. There is no way we can win this being downhill. Fly and unleash havoc upon our enemies!"
With a surge of determination, the samurais began to transform, their bodies morphing into formidable winged creatures as they took to the skies, ready to engage the enemy with all the ferocity they could muster.
While most of the samurai turned into dragons, Kasaki wasn’t convinced. He saw that Mikamoto was heading into battle in his human form, so he wanted to stay human too. He just needed to fly, and that he could do it with a flying conjure, there was no necessity to turn into a dragon.
"Kasaki, what are you doing?" Kishira's voice rang out urgently, her eyes wide with concern as she watched the unfolding chaos. "We must transform, take flight, anything to gain the upper hand now!"
Kasaki's brow furrowed in deep contemplation, torn between his desire to wield his sword and the necessity of adapting to the aerial battlefield. "I won't become a dragon," he declared firmly, his tone resolute yet tinged with uncertainty. "I want to use my sword."
A flicker of frustration crossed Kishira's features, but she quickly composed herself, her gaze locking onto Kasaki's. "Then what are you turning yourself into?" she pressed, her voice edged with urgency.
In response, Kasaki closed his eyes, channeling his inner strength and focus. Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy enveloped him, and out of nowhere, two massive, obsidian-black wings unfurled from his back with a thunderous beat. The air crackled with anticipation as the wings lifted Kasaki into the sky, the rush of wind whipping through his hair as he ascended.
Kishira watched in awe, her eyes widening in amazement at the sight before her. "Incredible," she breathed, her voice barely audible over the tumultuous din of battle. "He's become a creature of the air, a warrior with wings."
With a newfound sense of determination, Kasaki soared higher into the sky, his sword gleaming in the sunlight as he prepared to unleash his formidable skills upon the enemy below. The battlefield stretched out before him, a swirling maelstrom of chaos and conflict, but Kasaki was undaunted, ready to meet whatever challenges lay ahead with courage and resolve.
Mikamoto, Nagai, and Sisuke led the charge, their forms morphing seamlessly into mighty dragons as they soared uphill, their wings slicing through the air with fierce determination. Kasaki and Mikamoto remained the lone warriors in their human guise, their resolve unyielding amidst the chaos of battle.
Mikamoto, fueled by the raw power of magic, effortlessly defied gravity itself, propelling himself forward with a mere flick of his wrist. The strain on his energy reserves was palpable, the cost of maintaining his aerial prowess evident in the dwindling #BG coins that powered his abilities. Despite the temptation to transform into a gargantuan dragon, Mikamoto knew such a feat would drain his reserves to the brink of exhaustion.
Beside him, Kishira shimmered into existence as a vibrant pink dragon, her form pulsating with raw energy and determination. Even the master, a formidable presence in his own right, was forced to adopt the guise of a towering grey dragon, his crimson eyes ablaze with righteous fury.
As the opposing forces clashed, Misuki's men remained steadfast in their position, their sinister dragons swooping down upon the battlefield with ferocious intent. Mikamoto, his sword gleaming with deadly purpose, dispatched three of the winged beasts with swift, decisive strikes. Meanwhile, Sisuke and Nagai unleashed torrents of igniting flames, engulfing their draconic foes in searing infernos that left naught but ash in their wake.
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High above the fray, Kasaki soared, his keen eyes scanning the battlefield below for any sign of danger. Though his gaze lingered on Kishira, a silent promise echoing in his mind, he remained vigilant, his senses attuned to the slightest shift in the tides of battle.
Then, beyond the crest of the hill, a chilling realization dawned upon Kasaki as he beheld the shadowy figures lurking in the distance. Five hundred archers, their bows drawn taut, poised to rain death upon the unsuspecting warriors below. With a surge of adrenaline, Kasaki knew that the true battle had only just begun.
“Mikamoto!” Kasaki's voice echoed over the battlefield, a desperate plea drowned out by the chaos of combat. “They have archers behind the hill. Watch out!” But Mikamoto, lost in the frenzy of battle, remained oblivious, his focus consumed by the surge of adrenaline and the intoxicating rush of regaining his life points with each kill.
Realization dawned on Kasaki as he surveyed the unfolding danger. "They're going to rain arrows down on them," he thought frantically, his mind racing to grasp the perilous situation. "Even if they strike their own dragons, it won't matter. Those creatures are manifestations of pure Jutsu energy. Killing them will only weaken the spellcaster momentarily, but with an endless supply of #BG, they'll recover swiftly. But what can I do?"
Meanwhile, the master valiantly battled against five formidable dragons single-handedly, each clash a testament to his indomitable spirit. Kishira, undeterred by her injuries, pressed forward with unwavering resolve, crimson blood staining her skin. "That wound on her neck... it's serious," Kasaki observed with concern, his thoughts racing as he grappled with the gravity of the situation.
Suddenly, a flash of movement drew his attention as an enemy soldier lunged forward, sword aimed directly at Kasaki's neck. Reacting instinctively, Kasaki countered the attack, the clash of steel ringing out amidst the turmoil of battle.
“So we have a rebel here?” The enemy soldier's voice dripped with malice as he stepped forward, his towering figure casting a sinister shadow over Kasaki. His eyes, cold and calculating, bore into Kasaki's with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. He seemed like a specter of darkness, a harbinger of chaos unleashed upon the world.
Kasaki squared his shoulders, refusing to back down in the face of such menace. "What?" he challenged, his voice steady despite the tremor of apprehension that coursed through him.
The soldier's lips curled into a menacing smirk, revealing a glimpse of the cruel nature that lurked beneath his handsome facade. "You didn’t turn into a dragon like the others," he taunted, his words laced with contempt. "It can mean two things. You can think by yourself, or you’re just a coward and wanted to avoid battle."
Kasaki felt the weight of the soldier's gaze bearing down on him, the pressure of judgment palpable in the air. He couldn't help but notice the intricate network of scars that marred the soldier's face, a testament to the brutality of his past. Despite the disfigurement, there was an undeniable allure to his features, a dangerous magnetism that drew the eye even amidst the horror.
"I’m not a coward," Kasaki retorted, his voice firm with resolve. "You are. Hiding archers behind the hill, and sending Jutsu dragons as bait. It doesn’t seem too brave to me."
"It wasn’t my idea, kid," the enemy soldier sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "But it’s the same. We’re here to finish you. And the boss said if we do it on this very first battle, he’ll give us land, and will make us lord of our own piece of land. And every civilian within its limits will be our slaves. I cannot wait to kill all the men, and take all the women. Maybe he’ll assign me your hometown. Maybe I’ll be the father of your nephew."
Kasaki recoiled in disgust, his confusion mingling with revulsion at the soldier's depraved words. "Shut up. What’s wrong with you?" he retorted, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The soldier laughed awkwardly, the sound grating on Kasaki's nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Suddenly, with a predatory lunge, he launched a biting attack, his teeth aiming for Kasaki's flesh.
Kasaki's instincts kicked in, but not quickly enough to evade the assault entirely. He managed to block the soldier's teeth with his forearms, feeling the searing pain as the soldier's bite pierced his skin. With a swift punch to the stomach, Kasaki forced the soldier back, the intensity of the encounter leaving him reeling.
As they locked eyes, Kasaki's anger and confusion boiled beneath the surface, mingling with a grim acceptance of his fate. The soldier, meanwhile, licked his lips, tasting Kasaki's blood with sickening satisfaction. Suddenly, as if materializing out of thin air, a translucent life bar materialized before Kasaki, hovering in the air like a spectral omen. With each passing moment, it pulsated ominously, a visual representation of his diminishing vitality. As Kasaki watched, a fraction of his #BG points dwindled away, disappearing into the ether like grains of sand slipping through an hourglass.
"So this is it, then. I’m under the spell now," Kasaki thought, a sense of resignation settling over him like a heavy shroud.
"How do you feel?" the soldier inquired, his tone dripping with sadistic amusement.
"I'm ready for you," Kasaki declared, his grin a daring challenge. "Your time is up, and I need those life points back."
"I doubt it," the man named Kriken taunted, his voice trailing off as he vanished with remarkable speed, leaving Kasaki in pursuit. "Catch me if you can."
As they soared through the air at breakneck speed, Kriken's words echoed back to Kasaki. "I'm no ordinary opponent," Kriken called over his shoulder. "I'm an infector, tasked with ensnaring as many of you as possible in Misuki's spell. It's pointless to chase me. I'm more brimming with #BG than anyone else here. You won't stand a chance."
As Kasaki closed in on Kriken, the chaos of the battle raged below them. Dragons clashed in a frenzy of fire and fury, their roars echoing through the tumultuous sky. With a grim determination, Kasaki watched as Kriken extended his hand, his fingers transforming into razor-sharp claws that gleamed in the sunlight. In a swift motion, he lashed out, slashing the skin of a nearby pink dragon.
As Kasaki soared past, he caught sight of Kishira below. She hadn't managed to kill any dragon yet, so she remained free from the spell's grasp—until Kriken's attack found its mark. With a quick glance, Kasaki saw her life bar materialize, revealing just a scant few #BG points. It was a close call, and Kishira was teetering on the brink of death.
In that moment, Kasaki knew what he had to do. "I can't let him infect our entire army," he resolved, his determination fueling his pursuit as he closed in on his elusive target.
As Kasaki trailed the infector from a distance, he transformed into a dragon, albeit a sleeker and swifter one compared to the others. With a burst of speed, he closed the gap, racing towards the scene where Tinoue was locked in combat with a massive blue dragon. Just as the infector poised to strike, Kasaki unleashed a torrent of flames, engulfing him in a fiery inferno. The sudden attack caught the infector off guard, his eyes widening in astonishment as he spun around to face his unexpected assailant.
"Ah, back for more, huh?" Kriken sneered as he faced Kasaki. But before he could extinguish the flames, Kasaki transformed back into his human form and lunged forward with a fierce onslaught, driving his sword relentlessly into Kriken's chest.
"I warned you, your time has come," Kasaki declared, his voice laced with determination, as Kriken lay motionless, blood seeping from his wounds.
"What's your name, warrior?" Kriken managed to utter.
"Kasaki. And I'm here to put an end to your tyrant king's reign of terror," Kasaki responded firmly.
"Kasaki... I'll remember that," Kriken muttered weakly.
With a swift motion, Kasaki withdrew his sword from Kriken's chest, causing him to collapse lifelessly to the ground. Almost instantly, Kasaki witnessed a surge of power as his #BG points soared, filling the life bar to its brim. Feeling invigorated, he turned his attention to his wounded comrade, Kishira, determined to save her from the brink of death.