Most of the Japanese deities had gathered in Inari’s war room. Whenever something important was to happen to Kento Sanosuke, Inari would call them so they could immediately see their representative retainer in action.
Inari, of course, would be the only one that was able to speak with her retainer and any information or strategies any other deity came out with Inari would forget when she entered the Fantasia world.
At this point the Tryfing was truly only hers and Sanosuke’s fight.
“Unbelievable! Come on Kento show those pieces of shit what happens when you mess with our people!”
Inari was on the couch watching Kento’s feed. She had gotten really into and started screaming into the tv, like a diehard sports team fan cheering for their favorite team.
Really this was her true nature, while Inari wasn’t much of a fighter she loved battles and the thrill of victory. During the Great Rebellion she was on Earth watching the battles and supporting the angels and deities with her abilities.
She even repelled a few curses and demons and held her own against the traitor Amatsu-Mikaboshi (II), of the Nephilim.
Yes, she was a crazy battle lover and all of her royal lady like demeanor and manners left instantly when a heated battle started.
Susanoo was right next to her also getting fired up and cheering loudly.
“CRUSH THOSE FUCKERS!”
They shouted out in unison.
///
Sanosuke appeared on the deck, most of the foreigners had been moved or sold off to one of the two slaver boats. One of the sailors noticed Sanosuke return and the strange weapon attached to his hip.
“Oye, Sanosuky, where did yo—”
God’s light made it so that the sensation of killing another didn’t affect the retainers. Many of the retainers chosen throughout history had never killed or even thought about killing another human being.
It would be quite annoying for the deities if their retainers had fits of doubt and self-reflection of “oh god… I killed a man.” Sanosuke held the hilt of his sword and uttered the final words the two sailors in front of him would hear.
“Advent, Kogarasu-maru!!”
Sanosuke was in the air crouched up with his katana drawn out. A swirling black energy radiated from the blade of the katana. It looped in the air and went through the necks of the two sailors.
The black energy was the line of movement that Sanosuke made, the markings of the crow. Their heads dropped to the deck at the same moment Sano’s feet did. The sailors, slavers, and the foreigners all looked in shock at the “fifteen year old boy.”
Sanosuke placed the katana in front of him in a kendo position, his eyes furrowed and focused on his opposition. The captain slowly walked up with his hand on his scimitar.
“No wonder you knew how to take care of weapons well. You're making a grave decision. One that would screw us all up.”
The other enemies of his moved closer with their own weapons out. Some slavers stayed on the boat and drew arrows, ready to fire on the young boy.
“You screwed yourself the moment you decided to sell these people. Release them back and hand me your captain’s jacket. You don’t deserve to wear it.”
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The captain’s face turned sour. “You have no idea, do you not see the beast monster they control?”
“The only beast here…”
In a spilt second, Sanosuke ran, he ran low as the archers fired in retaliation. He dodged the arrows and parried two sailors and their swords, pushing one of them overboard and slicing at the chest of the other.
The black energy looked wild but calm racing behind all of Sanosuke’s strikes, showing an insane level of precision and control from the young man.
Another barrage of arrows came, but this time he used the body of the man he had just sliced to shield him and then ran once again. He and the captain were now face to face.
“…is me.”
The captain had no time to pull his scimitar out. Sano cleanly sliced the man’s right hand off and then crouched as low as he could go and sliced his left leg off. The captain wailed in unbearable pain as he stumbled and fell.
The black energy made a “V” shape from the two swings Sanosuke made.
Mid-fall, Sano pulled out the captain’s scimitar and threw it in the direction of one of the archers, killing him instantly. A sailor jumped behind Sano and proceeded to bring down his sword only for Sanosuke to quickly parry his sword backwards.
He quickly turned and swung his katana up, disarming the sailor and then sliced down, killing him.
The fear had finally started to settle into the men on the boats, and one of the slavers blew a horn. The octopus monster moved two of its tentacles underneath the ship and started to slowly pushed the ship Sanosuke was on out of the water.
The captain coughed out blood. “You idiot… you killed us all and the cargo as well. I hope yo—”
As the ship tilted in midair, many of the remained people and sailors either grabbed on to anything they could or tried their best to run under the ship. Sanosuke was the only one that was able to have some what perfect balance.
A sword slid down from one of the dead bodies and landed near Sanosuke, who grabbed it and then stabbed the captain into the front of the ship where his back was resting.
“So, you don’t fall,” Sanosuke said with a smile.
A third tentacle rose out of the water and darted to Sano, who swung the first katana of history and cut the tentacle from the middle, black energy radiating as he split the tentacle in two.
The monster wailed and cried, tilting the ship even more and causing Sanosuke to finally lose his balance. The monster fired another tentacle but Sanosuke was able to land on it and ran on top of the monster’s tentacle.
The monster was surprised and sent out two more tentacles, Sanosuke swung his sword as he ran, cutting the two tentacles over and over and over and over again, until he got close enough to throw his katana between the eyes of the beast.
The monster again cried out.
///
Inari jumped up and started to punch the air rapidly. She could no longer contain her excitement. She knew how strong Kento was and how much of his life he dedicated to being a retainer.
So, how could she not be beaming with excitement and joy. Inari loved this man like he was her own grandfather, and she was millions of years older than him!
An older, bald, and a bit rotund deity looked on in confusion and awe. “How is this man a master swordsman? He was just an old man in the human world, and he lived in the modern age! What wars did he fight —if any?”
Inari did her trademark ho-ho laugh as she sat back down on the couch. “Oh Hotei, you didn’t see his past like me and Damaris had. Only we know just how much he trained for this moment.”
Yes, Kento Sanosuke was told the story of the Tryfing since he could remember how to walk. He begged his family to get him a kendo stick and let him train in a dojo. But he only got the stick and a few books to learn.
He read those book three times back to back before even beginning to swing the stick. He trained the basics every day for at least one to two hours; he never missed a day not even during sickness or in moments of despair.
Then in the modern age, he was able to capitalize on his training with the help of the internet and tutorials.
If the man started his training at the age of eight then he had over seventy plus years of experience. Fighting shadow opponents in his head, mastering the basics, and strengthening his arms and legs.
His weapon mastery was so high because of all the years of his devoted training. His resolve was so high because of his never ending belief in himself, his faith and the Tryfing.
Kento’s soul was an ordinary soul that became extraordinary through decades of practice and persistence.
The title of the crazy old samurai, the one that people mocked and made fun of when they saw the old man outside swinging his sword and calling him pathetic, could never reach the heights of power Kento's soul had become over time.
Inari herself had said it when she first met Kento:
“This was an honorable man that never had the chance to show who he was to the world.”
And now, he was showing all of deity hood, all of the angels just who he was. Inari could not contain her joy any longer! Her face flushed red with excitement.
“LETS GOOOOOO KENTO!”
She roared at the top of her lungs, as she stood up once again unable to contain herself, punching the air furiously.
///
Sanosuke jumped and grabbed his katana hilt and ran up the octopus head. He dragged the sword with him, cutting the monster in half as he went all the way to the back of the monster head and then slid down. Into the ocean, the monster was split in half and slowly started to descend into the water. The ship that was in the air also fell back into the ocean and rocked side to side.
“Burial blade.”
Sanosuke whispered the name of the technique. A one slice kill, it wasn’t executed perfectly. He had to modify it to work against the octopus monster. But he still wanted to say the name.
The remaining sailors and slavers were left speechless, until screams were heard on the slavers ships. Sanosuke had swam to them and jumped out cutting, maiming, and killing the slavers.
He was soaked with water and blood and stood back on his ship looking at the remaining sailors that he chose to spare.
“I’ll let you lot live, I need people to help run the ship. So, you few are the lucky ones. Go and grab all the supplies and food from the two Noin ships and free every slave they have in their holds.”
He flickered his katana, trying his best to remove water and blood from it and then slid it back into its sheath. He went to the now dead captain and took his hat and coat, placing the two items on.
“Until we reach land I’m the captain of this ship, I won’t hesitate to kill any of you. No taking advantage of the foreigners or the now freed slaves.”
No one said anything.
“GOT IT!?!?”
Sanosuke yelled like a scolding grandfather; it reignited the fear in the remaining sailors’ eyes, and they all nodded in unison.
“Good now, get to work. Oh and take the golden teeth out of your old captain.”
The now newly named captain, Sanosuke turned to the freed slaves and smiled at them. He still had blood over his face, but the smile he gave them was so warm, it felt like the face a grandfather would give to their grandchildren.