Chapter 66: Ashura, One Against Seven
The sky hung like a funeral shroud over a land scarred into a checkerboard of death. Pillars of smoke from countless pyres clawed at the heavens, and the earth was stained with rivers of blood.
Whoosh—
Amidst the howling north wind, the young man with the colossal greatsword, Bankotsu, stabbed the blade of his Banryu into the ground. He let out a long, satisfied breath, steam pluming in the frigid air.
"Finally finished."
"That was almost too easy, Big Brother," the effeminate Jakotsu purred, sheathing his serpentine whip-sword and licking his lips. "With just this many, it wasn't even enough for a proper warm-up."
"Ga!" Ginkotsu, a hulking figure of iron and mechanisms, let out a grating, mechanical sound of agreement.
"Heehee... what did that big shot say again?" The diminutive Mukotsu materialized from a bank of toxic mist, a terrifyingly vacant smile plastered on his face. "I think he wanted us to kill everyone here?"
In the distance, perched on a hillside, Hikaru's eyes narrowed. His enhanced demonic hearing caught every word with chilling clarity.
Kill everyone?
"That's right," Bankotsu confirmed, casually wiping a smear of blood from Banryu's blade. "The 'noble's' order was exactly that. Not just this army, but we're to deal with the territory of that Suda Shigenobu, the one who hired us in the first place."
Suda Shigenobu. The name registered instantly. That was the lord Hikaru had personally executed just a few days ago. It seemed this mercenary band had been on that lord's payroll before being bought out by a higher bidder.
"What a pity," Renkotsu remarked from the side, a hint of regret on his face, which was oddly framed by the robes of a monk. "We arrived a step too late. That Suda Shigenobu is already dead."
"Supposedly, it was done by a guy named 'Kobe Hikaru'," he added.
"Who?" Jakotsu asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I don't know," Renkotsu admitted with a shake of his head. "I only heard he's a demon following a priestess; sounds like some Miko's shikigami. They say he cut off Suda Shigenobu's head in a single strike and even hung it at the city gate for all to see. The people in the city are going wild with rumors, calling him some 'Ghost God descended upon the world'."
Bankotsu sneered. "Ghost God? Interesting. When I get the chance, I'd like to meet this fellow."
Hikaru remained silent, a statue of grey against the grim landscape. He simply listened, his demonic senses bridging the distance as the seven mercenaries chatted and laughed amidst the field of corpses they had created.
"By the way, Big Brother," Jakotsu suddenly piped up, "there's a village over there that worships a toad. It's quite interesting. It's not part of our mission, but since we've got time to kill, should we make a special trip to take care of that place too?"
Hikaru's expression tightened. A village that worships a toad. That was—
"Oh?" Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "An interesting village? How so?"
"Well," Jakotsu began, a smile spreading across his face. It was a smile that might have seemed pure and innocent in any other setting, but on this blood-soaked battlefield, it was rendered utterly hideous. "Those villagers are really interesting. They seem to be worshipping a demon."
"What demon?"
"It seems to be... the Ghost God, Kobe Hikaru? Probably the same so-called Ghost God who killed Suda Shigenobu."
Silence.
On the hillside, two figures froze. Hikaru's hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword. Beside him, Kikyo's bowstring began to hum with a faint, dangerous vibration.
That village. It was, without a doubt, Shimura—the very village they had just saved, the people they had promised to protect.
"Ghost God?" Bankotsu roared with laughter. "That's quite a resounding name. Fine, then! Let's go have a look. We'll see if that so-called Ghost God comes to save them."
Hikaru turned his gaze to Kikyo. His expression was a mask of calm, but a murderous intent had begun to surface in his crimson eyes.
"Let's go," he said, his voice a low growl.
He had to intervene. While the slaughter of that village technically had nothing to do with him—he was no saint, and he couldn't predict every ripple in the chaos of war—he had made a promise. He had already done his part by freeing them from their oppressive lord; the subsequent tides of conflict were beyond the control of a single demon. But since he had stumbled upon this… he was bound to act.
, a cold certainty settled in his gut. The arrival of this group was connected to him. To Kikyo. And, with an even higher probability, to the Shikon Jewel.
Kikyo offered no words of protest. She simply fell into step behind him, a silent shadow of white and red.
The two figures descended from the hillside. One step, two steps. Their pace wasn't fast, but it was heavy with purpose.
"Hmm?" Jakotsu was the first to notice them. He turned his head, his gaze sweeping toward the slope. "Big Brother, someone's coming."
Bankotsu turned as well. His eyes fell upon two figures, one in grey, one in white and red. The one in grey had a long blade strapped to his back, his pale hair fluttering in the wind. The one in white and red held a longbow, her black hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders.
"A priestess?" Bankotsu's eyes narrowed. "And a… demon? This combination looks familiar."
He could feel it—a dense, potent Yao Qi radiating from the man in grey. He was no human.
"Whatever," Bankotsu's lips curled into a predatory grin. "They're just here to die, right?"
He hefted Banryu, resting the colossal blade on his shoulder. The other six mercenaries shifted, falling into their battle stances. Jakotsu's whip-sword began to writhe, and the mechanisms within Ginkotsu's body whirred to life. A toxic fog began to seep from Mukotsu's robes, while sparks of fire flickered at the corners of Renkotsu's mouth. Suikotsu donned his iron claws, and the giant Kyokotsu swung his spiked morning star in a lazy, brutal arc.
The Band of Seven. All seven of them, arrayed against two people.
"Who are you?" Bankotsu demanded.
There was no answer. Kikyo halted her advance, but Hikaru continued walking forward alone.
One step, two steps, three steps. He finally stopped, a mere ten yards from Bankotsu.
"Just now," he spoke, his voice so calm it was unnerving. "You said you were going to slaughter a village?"
"Oh?" Bankotsu arched an eyebrow. "And why are you asking? Do you have some connection to that place?"
Hikaru didn't answer with words. He answered by drawing his blade.
The light of the sword flashed like a bolt of white silk. The moment Muramasa left its scabbard, a bloodthirsty killing intent saturated the air, so thick it was almost tangible.
"I said," Hikaru's voice was a soft, deadly whisper, "that village is under my protection."
He looked up, his crimson demon eyes piercingly bright in the fading light. "Anyone who wants to touch them—I will kill."
Bankotsu was stunned for a half-second. Then he threw his head back and laughed, a loud, booming sound that echoed across the field of death.
"Hahahaha! As expected! The priestess and the demon—you really are that 'Ghost God, Kobe Hikaru'! I thought you looked familiar! What a coincidence!"
He lowered Banryu from his shoulder, the tip of the massive sword aimed squarely at Hikaru.
"I was looking for a chance to meet you, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourself right to my doorstep." His smile turned ferocious. "Now then—let me see just how much weight you, this 'Ghost God', actually carry!"
The words had barely left his mouth before Bankotsu moved. Banryu swung out, dragging a gale of blood-scented wind with it. The two-yard-long greatsword was as light as a feather in his hands as it carved a deadly path straight for Hikaru's vitals.
Hikaru did not dodge. He met it head-on.
Blade and sword clashed.
CLANG—!
The shriek of tortured metal split the air as sparks erupted in a brilliant shower. Hikaru's body remained rooted to the spot, tilting only slightly under the force of the blow. Bankotsu's strength was monstrous; though human, he possessed power that surpassed that of ordinary demons. There were no tricks, no feints—only raw, overwhelming force.
It was strength sufficient to rival a demon of the sixth transformation. But that was all it was. In terms of pure physical might, Hikaru didn't completely overpower him, but Hikaru had more than just strength.
"Hmm?" Bankotsu's expression shifted. "You can actually take a hit like that? Interesting."
He swung his sword again, faster and more viciously this time. Banryu cut a black arc through the air, moving like a bolt of dark lightning.
This time, Hikaru sidestepped. The edge of the greatsword grazed his shoulder as, in the same fluid motion, Muramasa slashed toward Bankotsu's waist with blinding speed.
CLANG!
Bankotsu blocked the strike with the hilt of Banryu. The metallic ring echoed as strength met strength in a perfect stalemate. Their faces were inches apart.
"Not bad," Bankotsu grinned. "You're a lot tougher than those fodder soldiers."
Hikaru didn't speak. He simply raised his left hand. From his open palm, a pristine white bone spike erupted.
"!"
Bankotsu's pupils constricted. He threw himself back instinctively, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. The bone spike raked across his face, leaving a shallow, bleeding trail.
He wiped the blood with his hand, glanced at it, then looked up at Hikaru with a newfound seriousness.
"So, you're a tough customer." He bellowed, "Brothers—attack together!"
The Band of Seven's siege unfolded in an instant. Jakotsu's snake-like sword lashed forward; Ginkotsu's mechanical body fired a volley of hidden weapons; Mukotsu's poisonous fog billowed outwards; and Renkotsu spat a torrent of flames from his mouth.
Killing intent converged on him from all directions.
"Kikyo," Hikaru's voice was steady. "Stand back."
He didn't look back, his grip tightening on Muramasa. "I'm enough on my own."
Kikyo paused, then silently retreated ten paces without argument. She nocked an arrow, her longbow held ready to provide support at a moment's notice. She knew Hikaru's strength and his current state. The men before her, though heinous, were still human—not the type of spiritual aberration she specialized in purifying.
"Ha! On your own?" Bankotsu laughed derisively. "What do you think our Band of Seven is? Trash?"
The corner of Hikaru's mouth curled into a faint, cold smile.
In the next second, over a dozen bone spikes burst from his back, blooming like a grotesque white flower.
Clink-clink-clink!
The volley of hidden weapons was effortlessly deflected by the sudden shield of bone.
"What!?" A note of surprise leaked from Ginkotsu's mechanical voice.
But Hikaru was already moving.
[Ghost Step] activated. His figure blurred, becoming a phantom that reappeared instantly in front of Mukotsu.
"You—"
Before the poison master could finish his word, Muramasa slashed down. The blade-light fell like a bolt of white silk, cleaving him in two from his left shoulder to his right waist.
"Hmm?" Hikaru frowned.
There was no blood on the blade. Instead, Mukotsu's bisected body began to ooze a viscous green poison that sizzled and corroded the edge of his sword.
"Hehe... want to kill me?" Mukotsu's upper half was somehow still able to speak, a gurgling laugh escaping his lips. "My body is made entirely of poison. If you touch me—"
He didn't get to finish. In that instant, Hikaru saw through the man's true nature. His short, fat appearance was an illusion; the bulk beneath his clothes was nothing but a collection of writhing poison sacs. It was an eerie and difficult power to counter.
But before Mukotsu could gloat, Hikaru's left hand shot out and seized his head. Five bone spikes erupted from his palm, piercing straight through the poison master's skull. No matter how many poison sacs he had, this strike ensured he was well and truly dead.
One down.
"So noisy," Hikaru muttered, tossing the corpse aside with a flick of his wrist.
[Bloodthirsty Immortality] activated. Though Mukotsu's body was a vessel of venom, he still possessed blood. It flowed into Hikaru's body through the bone spikes, rapidly converting into nutrients to heal his minor wounds. The poison that came with it was a triviality to the constitution of an Oni Samurai.
"Mukotsu—!" Bankotsu roared, swinging Banryu in a furious arc that whipped up a black gale.
Hikaru still didn't dodge. He met the attack head-on. Muramasa clashed with Banryu, sending another shower of sparks into the air. They were locked in a stalemate, evenly matched in strength.
But—
"Is that all?"
Five more bone spikes erupted from Hikaru's right forearm like a set of sharpened blades. Before Bankotsu could react, they swept across his chest, carving five bloody gashes so deep they exposed the bone beneath.
"Damn it!" Bankotsu staggered back just as Kyokotsu, the giant, swung his morning star from behind. They coordinated perfectly, launching a pincer attack.
But Hikaru merely smiled.
A thicket of bone spikes burst from his back, intercepting Kyokotsu's morning star with a deafening crunch.
"Even from his back..." Kyokotsu stared, stunned.
Hikaru gave him no time to recover. He pivoted, slashing Muramasa in one fluid motion.
A flash of blade-light.
Kyokotsu's massive head went flying, and blood gushed from his neck like a fountain.
Another one down.
[Bloodthirsty Immortality] activated once more. The fresh blood seemed to come alive, seeping through Hikaru's skin and into his body, instantly replenishing his slightly depleted stamina.
"Damn it!" On the other side, Renkotsu unleashed a violent torrent of flame, engulfing Hikaru in a raging sea of fire.
But as the flames dissipated... Hikaru stood in the same spot, his entire body now encased in a layer of pristine white bone armor. Wisps of flame still licked at the bone, but it was clear he was completely unscathed within.
[Bone Soul Transformation], fully active.
"It's your turn," he said, his gaze locking onto Renkotsu.
Bone spikes erupted from the soles of his feet, catapulting him forward. His speed was now more than double what it was before.
Renkotsu scrambled to dodge but knew he wouldn't make it. In the next second, Jakotsu's serpentine sword whipped in to block Hikaru's path.
"Don't even think—"
Jakotsu didn't finish. Hikaru's left hand shot out and grabbed the Jakotsutō. Five bone spikes erupted from his palm, pinning the writhing blade directly to the ground and slamming Jakotsu, who was still holding it, down with it.
"Let go!" Jakotsu shrieked, trying to pull his sword free, but the bone spikes seemed fused to the metal; it wouldn't budge.
With his right hand free, Hikaru brought Muramasa slashing down toward Renkotsu.
"Ginkotsu, save me!" Renkotsu screamed.
The steel-bodied Ginkotsu charged over, using his own body to block the strike.
CLANG!
Muramasa struck Ginkotsu's torso, leaving only a shallow gash on the reinforced metal.
"Humph, my body is—"
Before Ginkotsu's mechanical voice could finish its boast, Hikaru's knee slammed into his chest. A thick bone spike erupted from the point of impact, piercing straight through Ginkotsu's torso from front to back.
"Gah!" Ginkotsu let out a final, garbled sound as the mechanisms in his chest began to smoke and spark violently.
"Not good!" Bankotsu's face drained of color. "Ginkotsu is going to explode!"
Hikaru sensed it too. He released his hold and kicked off the dying mercenary, retreating at full speed.
The next second—
BOOM!
A massive explosion ripped through the center of the battlefield. Ginkotsu's monolithic, steel-forged body disintegrated from within. Amidst the sky-filling shrapnel, a burst of crimson fire bloomed like a deadly flower. Flames shot into the sky, and the shockwave sent the surrounding corpses tumbling through the air.
Hikaru was knocked back a dozen steps, and fine cracks appeared on his bone armor. But [Bloodthirsty Immortality] was still active, and the fresh blood from his last two kills was already mending the damage.
The dust and smoke quickly dissipated, leaving only four figures on the battlefield: Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, and Renkotsu, who lay on the ground, most of his left shoulder blown away and bleeding profusely.
"Retreat—" Bankotsu gritted out through clenched teeth.
He knew they couldn't win. Mukotsu was dead. Kyokotsu was dead. Ginkotsu had self-destructed. The remaining members were no match for this Oni Samurai. The demon's strength wasn't overwhelmingly greater than his own, and his speed wasn't an absolute advantage, yet he seemed to have no weaknesses. And those ever-changing bones made him impossible to defend against.
"Thinking of running?" Hikaru held Muramasa at the ready, instinctively preparing to give chase.
But just then, Ginkotsu's scattered fragments began to detonate in a chain reaction—a secondary explosion!
The blasts were smaller than the first, but far more numerous. Clusters of fire and shrapnel bloomed across the field, and the rising black smoke forced Hikaru to halt his pursuit and fall back, barely evading the deadly barrage.
By the time the explosions ceased and the smoke began to clear, Bankotsu and the other two had vanished.
Hikaru stopped, his senses spreading out. The black smoke settled, but a thick aura of resentment still permeated the air—the lingering hatred of those who had died at the hands of the Band of Seven.
"Forget it."
He gave up the pursuit. Ginkotsu's secondary explosion had been unexpected, and the three survivors had fled with desperate speed. He wouldn't catch them now, and he would lose his only chance for interrogation. Besides, Hikaru was keenly aware that Bankotsu's Banryu had potential. It was a fine blade, one that could grow into a powerful demon weapon if it was fed enough blood and hatred. Leaving Bankotsu alive to 'cultivate'it might lead to a greater'harvest' down the line.
In any case, he had already left his mark—a trace of his blood on Bankotsu's wound. Using that blood as a beacon, he could monitor and even influence the man's actions, preventing him from causing wanton evil. He could even set a restriction, limiting him to killing only the wicked to nourish his blade. With that safeguard in place, he feared no accidents.
Hikaru walked over to the groaning Renkotsu. The man wasn't dead yet; though heavily injured, he was still breathing.
"Now," Hikaru crouched down, pressing the tip of Muramasa against Renkotsu's throat. "Speak. Why are you here, and who sent you?"
Renkotsu looked into those cold, crimson eyes, and his entire body trembled. "I... I'll talk... I'll tell you everything..." His will to survive was absolute. "Don't kill me... please don't kill me..."
Hikaru didn't speak. He simply applied a bit more pressure, and the tip of the blade made a shallow cut on the man's neck. Blood welled up.
"Speak. Quickly."
"It's... it's from Kyoto..." Renkotsu's voice was a shaking wreck. "A noble... hired us... Told us to take advantage of the war between the Hojo and Imagawa clans to cause slaughter in this area... to create resentment..."
"Why?" Hikaru's voice was ice.
"We... we don't know... That noble didn't say..." Renkotsu swallowed hard. "But our boss said that guy might not be human, but a demon—an incredibly powerful Great Demon!"
Hikaru's eyes narrowed. A demon from Kyoto. Creating resentment in advance. It was impossible not to connect this to himself—or rather, to the artifact in Kikyo's possession.
"The Shikon Jewel," he uttered the words aloud.
The jewel's existence had been exposed. It was inevitable that it would attract the covetous eyes of demons from all corners of the land, especially before they had demonstrated enough power to prove they could protect it.
Renkotsu's body shook even more violently. Though they hadn't been certain, the Band of Seven had their own intelligence network, and they had guessed as much.
Hikaru stood up. He had learned what he needed to know.
"Anything else to say?" he asked.
Renkotsu opened his mouth, desperate to bargain for his life.
But Hikaru was no longer listening.
Muramasa slashed down, clean and decisive. [Bloodthirsty Immortality] activated one last time. Renkotsu's blood was absorbed, and the last of the cracks in Hikaru's bone armor sealed shut.
He sheathed his blade and turned to walk toward Kikyo. The priestess stood not far away, her expression calm as she watched him approach.
"Let's go," Hikaru said. "Back to Kaede Village."
If a demon from Kyoto was after the Shikon Jewel, then the village Kikyo called home was in grave danger.
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