"The upcoming battle concerns the future of humanity. The Vampires are prepared to launch a general offensive against us, so we cannot sit and wait for death..."
Guren was boosting morale on a high platform, a common occurrence before a battle. His four teammates stood behind him.
The Imperial Demon Army soldiers below were also excited, all thinking about driving the Vampires out of Japan to have a peaceful life.
These soldiers were all members of the Moon Demon Company, and every single one was an elite within the Imperial Demon Army.
Yuichiro and the others were late at this point and were trying to sneak into the formation.
But how could Guren, standing on the high platform, not notice?
"Hey, what are you doing? You're quite late."
Shinoa Hiragi felt a bit embarrassed about being caught late and laughed it off.
"Oh, Lieutenant Colonel, actually I just noticed that among those who arrived late, we could be considered 'president-level'..."
Guren scolded her mercilessly.
"Shut up! Brat! Anyone who doesn't follow military discipline can get the hell back Inside the walls! This isn't a game!"
It was the first time the members of the Shinoa Squad had seen Guren so angry, and for a moment, they didn't know what to do.
Although everyone had expressed their stance in the car just now, Yuichiro didn't want everyone to be punished because of his responsibility.
"Lieutenant Colonel, it's my responsibility for being late; it has nothing to do with the others! I was the one who insisted on taking a detour!"
His companions stared blankly at Yuichiro's reliable back and wanted to speak, but they were interrupted by Yuichiro's hand gesture behind his back.
Guren continued to ask.
"Then do you want to get the hell back?"
"No, please let me go to the battlefield!"
Guren was satisfied with Yuichiro's reaction and gave a laugh.
"Fine, join the ranks! But your punishment will still come later."
Next, Guren continued his speech.
"...This mission comes with great danger, and many comrades may be sacrificed. The comrades here are family, which means we may lose many family members. But this operation is of great significance. Therefore, we must not only return alive but return in triumph!"
The members of the Moon Demon Company responded excitedly, shouting to show their determination!
After the speech, everyone dispersed to prepare. Yuichiro was called into an abandoned building. As he left, he said there was no need for the others to be punished with him for such a small matter, as he was used to being lectured.
But not long after Yuichiro went inside, his screams echoed from within the building.
Shinoa Hiragi didn't think twice and rushed in immediately, with the other teammates following close behind.
When Shinoa Hiragi reached the second floor, she saw Yuichiro suspended by a rope in the smoke, with a barbecue grill set up below. The flames inside burned so much that Yuichiro struggled continuously in the air.
Without a word, Shinoa Hiragi immediately summoned shikama doji and cut the rope with one swing of the scythe.
In the next moment, Yuichiro and the barbecue grill disappeared. Then the smoke cleared, and the Guren Squad and Yuichiro stood before her.
"What kind of joke is this, Lieutenant Colonel?"
Guren had one hand in his pocket, looking incredibly arrogant.
"This is your punishment, Shinoa. Letting Yu come alone could have led to his sacrifice. I wanted to teach you that."
Shinoa's expression showed she didn't quite agree as she put away shikama doji.
"I see, but even without doing this..."
Guren interrupted.
"You still don't understand. Until now, only Mahiru was important to you, so you haven't fully experienced the pain of losing someone important. Now it's different; you have companions. Your jokes could cost your family their lives! Now, let me test if you are qualified for the battlefield! The battle starts in ten seconds. Ten..."
"Wait, so sudden?!"
Mitsuba was a bit surprised, then quickly dragged Shihō Kimizuki and Yoichi away. They had to hide and discuss first. Shinoa Hiragi followed.
Yuichiro still stood where he was.
"Don't bully Shinoa; she's very good."
Guren gripped the hilt of his sword and smiled.
"You're so kind. Then defeat us for the sake of your dear superior, Shinoa Hiragi."
Yuichiro wanted to say something in response, but before he could open his mouth, he heard onikiri's voice in his heart.
"Stop talking so much nonsense. I've been annoyed with him for a long time. I'm going to beat him until he cries! Go meet up with your little girlfriend and the others first!"
"What? onikiri, don't talk nonsense!"
Yuichiro's face turned red at a visible speed.
onikiri didn't waste any more words, took control of the body, and immediately drew the sword with a Circular Cut. After forcing Guren and the others back, he ran toward the gap, then gave a thumbs down and disappeared into the building in the blink of an eye.
Guren's mouth twitched. This kid has been acting a bit strange lately!
"All units, the battle begins!"
Shinoa Squad met up and began to arrange tactics.
Since Shinya was absent, the Guren Squad lacked long-range attacks. Thus, Yoichi was responsible for keeping an eye on Goshi Norito to prevent everyone from falling into illusions, while also preventing Yukimi Shigure's sneak attacks. Then, Jujo Mika would be handled by Shinoa Hiragi and Mitsuba. Guren would be handled by Yuichiro and Shihō Kimizuki. As for Sayuri, she was a support, but her abilities weren't weak either, so they had to be careful.
"It's starting, brats."
Guren's voice came, and the battle officially began.
Shinoa Hiragi's tactical arrangement wasn't actually a big problem; it's just that the gap in raw strength between them and the Guren Squad was too large, and their coordination was also terrible. They were blasted out of the building by Guren in just a few rounds.
No one used Demon Transformation; after all, it was just a drill. Demon Transformation puts a burden on both the mind and body. Guren had even only used Cursed Gear once.
But did onikiri care about that? Power kept flowing into Yuichiro's body while simultaneously suppressing the appearance of demon markings.
This truly shocked Guren. How was Yuichiro getting stronger and stronger as he fought?
The battle here also attracted nearby members of the Moon Demon Company, who found it unbelievable that Yuichiro could stall Guren by himself.
Yuichiro didn't just rely on onikiri's power; his combat skills had also genuinely improved. It seemed Yuichiro already understood that sometimes brains are just as important as power.
Guren became more and more surprised as he fought. What did he see?! Yuichiro was using feints and even secretly using Curse Talismans to set traps!
Guren felt a strange sense of relief, like seeing a child grow up.
However, although Guren was tied down here, his other teammates were still beating the Shinoa Squad back step by step.
In the end, the other members of the Shinoa Squad were about to be defeated, but Yuichiro was still hopping around in front of Guren. This made Guren feel a bit embarrassed, so he put away his playful thoughts, used his Cursed Gear, and then took down Yuichiro.
Without a doubt, the Shinoa Squad lost, but they earned the respect of the other Moon Demon Company members.
Yuichiro was a bit depressed. He had also been researching Cursed Gear these days, but he had missed too much at school before, so learning it was a bit difficult. He currently couldn't activate Cursed Gear in battle.
Guren sheathed his sword, very pleasantly surprised by this battle.
"Lieutenant Colonel, I have something to say!"
Guren looked to the side and saw a young man with a tall posture and a long spear on his back standing there with his teammates. This was the leader of a squad that was also quite powerful within the Moon Demon Company.
"Narumi? Go ahead."
Narumi Makoto stepped forward, glanced at the waiting Yuichiro, and said solemnly to Guren.
"I don't agree with taking these rookies to the battlefield. Their coordination is too poor. Only having individual strength won't let them survive long on the battlefield!"
At first, Narumi only thought these brats in this squad were messing around, but after watching the battle, he felt these brats were all very capable, but they weren't suitable for the battlefield yet.
The corner of Guren's mouth curled up as he pointed at Narumi.
"Good! Then you will lead these rookies! Don't let me down."
Narumi was dumbfounded and wanted to say something, but Guren didn't give him the chance.
"Alright, the fun is over. Everyone, let's head out!"
With a complicated expression, Narumi helplessly shook Yuichiro's outstretched hand, accepting Guren's order.
You will get 30 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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