As Kurai and Kesshō followed the path up the mountain, the sounds of birds and other animals slowly became quieter and distant, stopping completely as they went further. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kurai, and by the movement of Kesshō’s ears it seemed clear that she noticed it too.

“Should I leave the fighting to you?” Kurai inquired, stopping suddenly.

Kesshō nodded and unsheathed her katana, having sensed the enemy as well. A man clad in a black leather armor with a demon mask strapped to his face stepped out onto the path, carrying a katana in his hand. An ominous black aura surrounded the person, and Kurai found his presence to be rather thin for a living human.

No doubt about it, that’s just a spirit warrior, Kurai thought.

The spirit warrior charged straight towards Kesshō and slashed at her, but Kesshō jumped into the air before it could. She raised her katana above her head, her eyes focused on the enemy, standing barely a step in front of her.

Yon no kata: Tsukiniji.

She brought her katana down, a crescent moon blade trailing behind it. The spirit warrior stepped backwards, barely dodging the attack as it passed a hairbreadth from his face, only thanks to Kesshō's short arms. Kesshō landed on the ground at the same time as her katana collided into it, the impact generating a shockwave, pushing the spirit warrior away and knocking him off his feet, the crescent moon blade dissipating into the ground in the process. As the spirit warrior attempted to get back up Kesshō dashed to him and kicked him back down. He looked up towards her as she pointed her katana at his neck.

“Rest," Kesshō mumbled.

With a swift horizontal slash Kesshō decapitated the spirit warrior, his body disintegrating within a moment, leaving no trace of his existence behind. Sheathing her katana Kesshō turned to Kurai with her normal cheerful expression. Walking to her Kurai patted her on the head before moving ahead as Kesshō followed close behind.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, not a full moon yet, but very close to one. A cold breeze blew over the path, causing the branches of the trees to flutter. No sound of birds or any other creature could be heard anymore, not even occasionally, the only sound that remained being made by the dirt moving under Kesshō’s feet as she walked slightly behind and to the left of Kurai.

Kurai started to suspect some sort of very strong monster housed itself around here. He found himself unable to sense any creatures or monsters in the vicinity, meaning they either abandoned the place or were slaughtered, which would solidify his suspicion of there being a much more powerful monster here.

Being able to conceal itself from my senses, Kurai thought, that thing has high levels of intelligence and concealment skills. And why are you trying so hard to attract enemies Kesshō? You can easily walk without making any sound yet you choose to make so much noise.

Kurai barely sensed something fly out of the trees straight towards his side, and by the time he did, more than enough for him to dodge it, Kesshō already reacted to the ambush. Quickly stepping ahead to his right she raised her sword in an upwards arc, slicing the spirit dagger before it reached Kurai. Withdrawing her katana Kesshō allowed it to hang loosely in her arms as she looked into the woods.

“How many are there?” Kurai questioned, not expecting an answer. More spirit warriors, I can’t sense them unless they get closer, and seems like they have figured that out.

Opening her mouth Kesshō inhaled deeply, a slight blue-pink glow visible in her neck. Opening her jaws she blasted her breath attack, igniting a large part of the forest and illuminating it. The flames spread quickly, without damaging any of the trees due to her being part phoenix. Realizing the danger from the flames six spirit warriors dashed out onto the path, though it seemed like there were many who failed to escape the flames.

Kesshō snarled at them and adjusted her grip on her katana. The spirit warriors raised their weapons and prepared to engage, four of them carrying a normal katana while the other two used a nodachi, similar to a katana but with a longer blade and handle. Kesshō dashed towards them without wasting any time. One of them slashed at her feet with a katana as soon as she reached close enough.

Hachi no kata: Tsuki no shūki.

Kesshō jumped up and performed a vertical slash, aiming at the head of the spirit warrior, but a nodachi blocked her attack. Pushing off the nodachi Kesshō landed on her feet behind the spirit warrior, bringing her body closer to the ground as she spun around and performed a circular slash, slashing the legs of two of the spirit warriors who failed to react in time. The other four attacked her, not wanting to let her prepare to attack again. Kesshō raised her katana close to her shoulder, drawing another breath.

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Go no kata: Tsuki no zure.

Kesshō performed a horizontal slash decapitating one of the injured spirit warriors that knelt in front of her and deflecting an attack to her side. Spinning on her feet she dodged a downwards slash and then performed an upwards slash at her attacker, slashing his torso and a part of his face. She then decapitated the other injured spirit warrior with a downwards diagonal slash, and then spun on her feet to dodge another attack, performing an upwards diagonal slash right after as she slashed off the arm of another spirit warrior.

Two dead, two injured, and two left, Kesshō listed in her mind.

The two which were unharmed slashed at her head in unison, but Kesshō ducked underneath the attack. Bringing her body closer to the ground she performed a horizontal slash as she spun on her feet, slashing the legs of both the spirit warriors by doing so. As the one in front of her fell she slowly raised her body, still turning, and performed a downwards diagonal slash to decapitate him as she took a step forward.

Since the battle seemed to have already been decided three of Kesshō’s phoenix tails stabbed the remaining spirit warriors through the heart to end them as Kesshō sheathed her katana. Instead of returning to Kurai, Kesshō stood right there as the bodies of all spirit warriors slowly disintegrated. her right hand still gripping the handle of her katana.

Kurai walked over to her in confusion, noticing her phoenix ears vibrating as she focused on something, along with the slight twitching of her wolf ears. After a moment Kesshō looked up towards a higher part of the path, barely visible above the trees. Kurai sensed something dropping down from above just as he turned, backing away on instinct. He instantly realized that Kesshō didn't intend on moving, instead she stood her ground, waiting for the enemy to fall.

A spirit warrior fell towards the ground, his sword prepared to slash Kesshō, but Kesshō spun sideways as she unsheathed her katana, just when he landed, slashing right through his katana's blade and decapitating him in an instant. A cloud of dust blew because of the spirit warrior’s landing, concealing what happened from Kurai.

Kesshō cleared out the dust with a strong gust from her four wings, spreading them wide as she glared upwards again. She raised her wings into the air before bringing them down with great force, launching herself upwards, straight towards the top.

Just why are you so reckless? Kurai grunted.

As Kesshō flew upwards a slight movement above caught her eye. She moved to the side as something fell down from right beside her, barely dodging the attack. As it fell past her it grabbed her tails that weren’t able to move aside in time, pulling her down along with it. Landing down it slammed her on the ground, blowing up a cloud of dust.

Kesshō rolled back to her feet as soon as her enemy loosened its grip on her tails, retracting them back under her coat as she concealed her wings again. As the dust settled she got a better look at it, a samurai in all black with red eyes glowing through a demon face mask that didn’t cover the lower part of his face, not that it mattered, afterall, spirit warriors possessed bodies the color of the darkest shadows.

That’s not the target, it’s simply a stronger version of the others she fought, not what summoned them, Kurai thought.

Kesshō growled at the spirit warrior, her phoenix tails slightly peaking out from under her coat, prepared to attack at any moment. The spirit warrior raised its katana in front of him and beckoned her to attack. Kesshō snarled at her tails as they moved forwards, making them instantly retreat back under her coat.

Just as Kesshō unsheathed her katana the spirit warrior charged at her, slashing at her waist. Kesshō ducked underneath the attack, slashing at the warrior’s feet but he jumped into the air before she could. Raising its katana into the air he brought it down as he landed. Kesshō raised her katana above her, deflecting his katana with a brief contact from her own, spinning sideways right after to move out of the way before slashing towards his neck.

The warrior bent his body to the side and dodged the attack, barely. With his one hand holding his katana he swung it towards Kesshō’s sword arm, aiming to slice it off. Kesshō barely dodged the attack by quickly raising her hands above her head as the katana passed in front of her face. Grasping the hilt of her katana with both hands she brought it down and slammed it on the ground, a moon blade trailing it before dissipating into the ground, sending the spirit warrior sliding a short distance away.

Regaining control of his movements he dashed back towards her and performed a diagonal slash at her chest. Stepping back Kesshō dodged the attack, raising her katana in an upwards arc to slice off the warrior’s arm. A 'clank' echoed through the area as her katana collided with his arm, failing to cut it.

“It will take more than that to slice off my arm,” The warrior chuckled, “and even more for my head.” He slashed diagonally at Kesshō’s waist, but she dodged the slash by jumping into the air and turning her body upside down.

Shichi no kata: Gesshoku kiru.

She brought her katana close to her head before slashing horizontally at the warrior’s neck. The katana sliced through with ease, forming a crescent moon blade behind it. Kesshō landed back on the ground as the warrior’s body disintegrated along with the crescent moon blade.

“You shouldn’t overestimate yourself,” Kesshō whispered, almost to herself.

“Let’s move ahead and complete this commission before daybreak." Kurai sighed, patting her on the head and gesturing her to follow.

They followed the path to the top, not encountering any other enemies for the rest of the way. They were close to the peak when Kurai sensed the presence of something strong at the top, and from Kesshō’s ears perking up he guessed she also sensed it. Whatever waited at the top seemed to have acknowledged them, now challenging them to a battle as it exerted its presence.

“Stay on your guard, things may get a little dangerous,” Kurai whispered to her.

Kesshō nodded and followed close behind him, her left hand resting on her katana and the tips of her phoenix tails slightly raised upwards and outside of her coat to react in an instant. Kurai made sure his quick-draw dagger also stayed ready for the worst before moving ahead, knowing the chances of him needing to do anything were low, but not wishing to be caught off guard.