After half an hour of riding, Genji arrived at his destination: a ruined fortress with sloppily patched walls. Bandits with red bandanas patrolled the inner walls as rambunctious laughter echoed through the night. Whether it was stupidity or confidence, these men showed no regard for the nightly monsters that their noises would attract.
Genji's presence thinned as he approached, using the shadows to his advantage. Within minutes, he'd infiltrated the walls and arrived behind the patrol. With a flick of the wrist, he severed the bandit's necks and dragged the bodies into a hidden corner. Then he silently entered the halls and resumed his silent killings.
Bruce cleaned up all the blood along the way, eliminating any odors that might alert the bandits. By the time the first body was discovered, they had already dealt with half the group. But by then, all the remote corners had been stuffed full, leaving no suitable hiding spots remaining.
Alarm bells and warning shots sounded in the building, startling everyone awake. Genji drew his saber and calmly revealed himself. The bandits recognized the danger and fired at him without another word. An afterimage burst under these attacks as Genji appeared behind the group.
The next second, blood geysers erupted from their chests, sending them into shock. As the crimson fluid soared through the air, it transformed into a rain of spikes that accelerated downward. Bodies dropped in rapid succession, further augmenting Bruce's offense.
The scene quickly grew quiet, leaving only a pair of ominous footsteps in the halls. These steps were both soft and deafening as they announced the presence of a reaper coming to claim their lives. The remaining bandits grew tense under this pressure and contemplated desertion.
Suddenly, the cursed energy in the air grew active as dozens of malevolent presences darted toward Genji. Cutting intent filled the halls, intercepting the speeding valkyries. Black smoke covered their shallow wounds, forming a misty cloak over their shredded clothes.
Genji burst forward and singlehandedly brandished his saber, finishing two opponents instantly. The valkyries forced through his cutting intent and pulled back their daggers. Genji's saber ignited with shadow flames as he stepped back from their strikes. Then with a single swing, he conjured a fiery wall to engulf his targets.
Blood spears burst up from behind them, skewering the necks and giving the vertebrae a forceful twist. The second wave arrived and clashed with Genji. His left hand manifested a black flintlock for three quick headshots. The curse within the bullets suppressed the energy in the valkyries, negating their healing and killing them.
Genji kicked the falling bodies toward the others, obstructing their path forward. The flintlock faded as Genji transitioned to a two-handed grip. Cutting intent and shadow flames swelled as he pulled back the saber like a baseball bat. Then a storm of cuts tore away at the valkyries, flaying them alive.
The cursed energy in their bodies tried to resist the damage, but this only prolonged the valkyries' suffering. In the end, the pain was too much for them and they all collapsed weakly. Bruce took this chance to end them and shred the corpses.
Genji felt a pulse from the energy prism, but his attention was too occupied by the gaze spying on him to check it right now. Genji shot down the remaining bandits and dashed for the source of this sensation. Seconds later, he arrived at a dissipating conglomeration of curse energy. The witch behind this hex spell had released it before Genji arrived.
'Hphm, more scheming bastards. Don't let me find you again or you won't get so lucky next time.'
Genji cleaned up the bandit remnants and set the fortress on fire. The wooden planks used to repair the walls turned to ash along with the corpses, while the original stone material only gained a cinder-like taint. Genji checked the prism and saw that all the energy had condensed into a single ink drop in the inner prism. The two layers acted like a filtration system, leaving only the purest product behind.
Genji held the prism up to the dim moonlight and admired the ink drop's glossy surface. It was like a refined drop of gasoline, only with the consistency of water. In terms of attractiveness, it could even rival Astros's beady eyes.
Genji put away the prism and began his return trip. The crack of dawn arrived and Genji soon spotted the caravan. The escorts were taken aback by his momentum but kept mostly to themselves.
As Genji settled on a wagon, the leader approached and tentatively asked, "Is everything solved?"
"What do you think?"
The leader parsed his lips but eventually turned around without any more questions.
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The journey lasted another day before they reached a rectangular fortress with a metal gate. Two-thirds of the walls were stained with black tar, the remains of dried monster blood. Just from the height of these stains, one could imagine how grueling the previous battles were.
Monsters had to pile on top of each other for meters to reach this point. Tar even reached the top in a few spots, accompanied by botches of dried blood.
There were elevated defense towers in the four corners, each flying large, navy blue, yet weathered flags. Many soldiers leaned against the top wall, their faces laced with exhaustion and their arms hanging from a makeshift cast. Beaten rifles lay beside them, full of scratches and empty cartridges.
A few better-off soldiers manned the lookout towers, doing their best to stave off their sleepiness. As the caravan neared, an escort went ahead and informed the people of their presence. After several shouts back and forth, the metal gates creaked upward under the soldiers' labored efforts.
The wagons entered and everyone worked to unload the supplies. Sacks full of grains and salt circulated into the kitchen; cloth and medicine went into the treatment rooms; and crates of ammunition were stacked wherever there was space. The caravan leader talked to the commander in charge and gestured at Genji. The man nodded and approached Genji after a few moments.
"I heard about your feats. You're not a witch hunter, are you?" he asked.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yes. The witch hunters may use strange means, but I've never seen anything like yours. It's almost supernatural."
"Maybe you just haven't seen enough."
"Alright, let's drop the small talk. I'll tell you upfront: I don't care who you are or how you got your badge. Just tell me, are you here to help?"
"Why else would I be here?"
"That's all I needed to hear. Grab a riffle. The siege will begin in a few hours and you will need all the means you can get." The commander pointed at their storage room and resumed his tasks.
Genji shrugged and picked up a weathered rifle. When he opened the chamber, he noticed silver circuits lining the interior. These weapons were more durable than their bronze counterparts and could handle silver cartridges without issue. In contrast, the bronze circuits would quickly wear down when used with higher-tier bullets.
Genji swung the strap over his shoulders and found a spot beneath the walls. Hours later, the cursed energy grew turbulent and the prism's refinement speed tripled. Swirls of black clouds formed overhead as the moonlight dimmed. The mouth of the valley burst with activity as swarms of naked creatures darted at the fortress. These monsters were hungry after a whole day of hiding and the soldiers were the only food source in sight.
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Genji sprung up from the ground and deftly scaled the walls. Gunshots sounded around him as he flipped onto the walkway. The front-most monsters fell under this discharge, but the ones behind them ignored this and ruthlessly trampled them. Genji joined the barrage, but the tide swept through the area without pause. Genji came to a decision, drew his daggers, and vaulted over the wall gaps.
"Bruce, we're going all out."
A thick stream of blood trailed behind him as he fell, forming a crimson cape from a distance. Genji kicked off the ground, appeared before the tide, and unleashed his widest attack. The strike swept the units off their feet, allowing Bruce to swiftly finish them. Crescent wave after crescent wave tore through the crowd, followed by swathes of shadow flames.
[Shroud of Terror] absorbed the remnant powers from the slain monsters, replenishing Genji's reserves and allowing him to be more liberal with his abilities. The soldiers recognized that Genji could handle this direction and appropriately shifted their support elsewhere.
The battle lasted until the verge of dawn, at which, the monsters retreated back into the valley. The soldiers slumped down against the wall, having survived another night.
The support staff passed out rations as Genji and Bruce trudged back to the walls. Behind him, a hill of bodies withered under the sunlight, releasing a foul odor and attracting vultures and other morning scavengers. A thick tar paste was all that remained from their blood, as Bruce had refined their little life essence.
The soldiers gave looks of respect and admiration his way, disregarding Bruce's near-demonic abilities. Given their situation, any power that could help them was a good power, regardless of the origins.
Bruce and Genji had single-handedly held off a cardinal direction by themselves, greatly relieving the pressure on the fort. Compared to before, the monsters didn't even reach a third of the wall's height. It was fair to say they had saved a decent amount of lives with this act.
"Sir Hunter, the kitchen is serving some warm gruel. You can have my portion if you want," one grateful soldier offered.
"Same here. I don't mind eating some dried rations if it means you can get a better meal," another said. The surrounding soldiers also concurred enthusiastically, afraid that Genji wouldn't accept their offerings.
Genji waved his hand and politely rejected them. "Thanks, but no need. I have my ways to maintain my nutrition." Then he sat down and ate some high-calorie foods. Although the battle wasn't dangerous, it had taken a strong toll on his stamina from its sheer duration. Bruce also yawned and munched on some jerky before reverting into sheath form to sleep.
As Genji rested, the commander approached and praised his powers. "That was excellent. A few more of those and we might actually shut down this danger zone."
"I won't be staying around for long," Genji replied. "I have other things I need to do."
"Shame then. I was getting my hopes up."
"Instead of relying on me, why don't you attack the valley? The monsters must be quite weak during the day. Killing them now would reduce the strain at night."
"You think we don't want to?" The commander asked with a wry smile. "We tried, but we never had the manpower to effectively clear them out. The monsters know this is their weakest moment and hide deeper than cicadas. If we overextend, then we won't have enough people for defense. And a small squad wouldn't make a big enough difference in the numbers. They would be better off resting and helping out when night falls."
Genji agreed with this point. Given their current circumstances, there was little the fortress could do to be proactive. "In that case, let's clear out as many as we can tonight. I want to leave by tomorrow if possible."
"Sure. How do you want us to cooperate with you?"
"I plan on holding down the exit and killing anything that comes out."
"I'm afraid I can't help you too much with that. The soldiers can't leave the walls or we'll risk being surrounded. You don't understand how big some tides can get. There have been times when the monsters climb over each other to scale the valley walls and swarm from every direction. The fortress at least gives us some buffer against that."
"I guess I'm alone then. Try not to die tonight."
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Later that day, Genji could be seen standing at the valley's entrance, poised to confront the incoming tide. The suns faded from view and the atmosphere burst with activity. The shuffling of feet over rocks echoed from within, growing louder with each passing moment. The ground shook and grew ever more unstable as a tide of creatures raced toward the exit.
Genji clenched his daggers and looked at Bruce, exchanging a knowing glance. It was time to massacre their hearts' content.
Moments later, the first creature burst into view, only to be instantly cut down. A wall of shadow flames locked down the area, yet the mindless monsters charged forward without regard. Powerful attacks few around like drops of rain, shredding anything in their path and adding to the wall of obstacles.
The energy prism worked overtime to clear the lingering curses, preventing it from empowering the surrounding existences. Genji's energy fluctuated up and down like an oscillation wave, never following a standard pattern. However, this constant output left openings between recovery times, allowing some creatures to slip by his defenses.
This tiny amount gradually grew as Genji's energy neared the bottom. Eventually, Genji switched to more conservative attacks and the tide gushed out. The fortress felt this change, but the rate was manageable compared to before. As the night passed, Genji noticed a small decrease in the monster's density. After two nights of massacre, the monster population had finally decreased.
In the end, the density had decreased to half its initial level. Genji considered the operation successful and dragged his tired body back to the fortress. By noon, he had left the area with 54 drops of refined curses.
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As Genji traveled through the night, he heard explosions and other sharp sounds in the distance. Bruce looked up at him, and Genji nodded, prompting the nightbane to burst into a sprint. [Jaguar] appeared in one hand while Genji retrieved the fortress rifle with the other.
Soon, they rode into a battle-torn town full of wreckage. Houses were knocked down, roads were riddled with potholes, and crushed produce was scattered everywhere. Fearful townspeople hid behind broken walls, praying they wouldn't be noticed. Their breaths hitched as Genji grew closer, betraying their positions.
Genji ignored this and rode toward the source of the commotion. Within seconds, he arrived at an open area where a man in a full leather ensemble was fighting a ring of floating, ghostly women.
These women were shrouded in black mist, had deathly pale skin reminiscent of the monsters, and eyes darker than ink. They wore the same clothes as the townspeople, but there were no traces of life. Someone had reanimated these corpses to do their bidding.
The man fighting against them wielded a submachine gun that riddled the corpses with bullets. However, the women flickered incessantly around him, buying time for the atmospheric curses to heal their wounds.
On the man's back was a cylindrical barrel approximately 1.8 meters long and 27 centimeters wide. It had a metallic handle on the back and six barrels in the front, five of which were filled with wooden stakes that flashed with golden circuits.
The weapon resembled a makeshift Gatling gun and exuded a powerful presence. A single shot from this impressive beast could down anything below 60 constitution points and severely injure those above. The only drawbacks were the rarity of the materials and the skills required to manufacture these custom projectiles.
The floating women lunged at the man, forcing him to dive aside. As he rolled onto his feet, he swapped to an automatic preloaded crossbow and nailed the closest target in the head. The neck snapped back and the black mist dissipated.
Genji joined the fight at this moment and also filled the skulls with silver. Upon emptying the chambers, he flicked the rifle to discharge the shells and dismounted. Genji tossed the gun to Bruce, appeared beside a grounded unit, and hacked through the chest. A hollow gasp sounded as the woman collapsed like a severed marionette.
The man glanced at Genji and flicked his wrist to swerve his submachine gun. The shots pushed back the women, allowing Genji to slice through three more. Bruce joined in then and skewered the rest from the inside out. Bodies fell from the skies as the man reloaded his crossbow.
"Who are you?" he demanded, pointing the weapon at Genji. "Are you an enemy or friend?"
"I should be a friend. An enemy wouldn't have helped you just now."
"Yes, you're right. Sorry, I was too tense," the man apologized, noticing the fortress rifle by Bruce. He lowered the crossbow, adjusted the bandana around his face, and flashed a metallic badge. "Witch Hunter Sivan. I've been tracking a dastardly witch recently. She's caused a lot of trouble around these parts."
"Sounds fun. Mind if I join?" Genji held up his own badge, causing Sivan to narrow his eyes. He didn't recognize the badge, nor did Genji meet the usual indicators for a witch hunter.
It was strange, almost as if someone had given him the badge - or he had plucked it from a fallen hunter. However, Sivan quickly dismissed these thoughts. It wasn't his business to delve into someone else's background. All he should care about were Genji's abilities and his alignment. "In that case, I'll be happy to have you."
"When do we leave?"
"Give me a few moments. I need to settle the villagers first. They've been hit the hardest since the witch resided here before her reveal."
Genji nodded and watched Sivan walk toward the frightened townspeople. After comforting them and leaving some instructions, he returned to Genji's side with a borrowed horse.
"Let's go. It might take a few days, but she won't get far. I left a nasty wound on her before she escaped."
"No need. I have an easier way," Genji said, dropping some remains he'd gathered onto his compass. The discolored flesh ignited and fizzled into ash, coating the top of the compass. The pointer spun rapidly for a few seconds before locking onto the desired target.