Chapter 48: Pitstop

BEEP

A sound was emitted from Shu's holopad, notifying him of a message. The sleepy man could be seen laying down on a rock structure beside the ocean. It had already been a few days since his departure from Jarheim. He'd already said his goodbyes to the friends he'd made. For some reason he had a feeling that he'd see them again. Maybe even the others he met in the beast kingdom.

His mission had already been debriefed with princess Sophia. He only wanted to rest his eyes for a while before making his return to headquarters. The young samurai checked his holopad, which rested beside him. The message was from Aiden, the red eyed commander.

'Rendezvous with Stark and Rin. Assist with their mission if need be. The coordinates are…'

Shu heaved a sigh of disappointment. He wanted to relax after his mission! How were they still doing theirs? It had already been a few weeks!

And so, the lazy swordmaster put away his holopad and grabbed his improved katana. He gazed at the crashing waves for a while longer, mentally preparing for another journey. The mana breather expanded across his mouth and nose. Taking a step, he vanished.

DING

…

…

…

He found himself in the vast wilderness. Currently, the sleepy man was near the border of Valsir. The coordinates he received brought him here. It was known as The Badlands to the common people. Such a place was dangerous for the weak. Magic beasts could jump out at any time, and the environment was full of poisonous fauna.

The sound of crunching leaves and branches resounded as Shu made his way through. With the flowing sleeves of his dark gray haori and black hakama, he truly resembled a wandering ronin. His appearance didn't mesh well with his surroundings. His uniform was torn, so he'd changed his clothes.

A good amount of time passed as he searched. Eventually, he came across a plethora of corpses. Shu analyzed the bodies for clues. There were massive holes in their chests, while others were cut in half. Moisture covered the bodies of those slashed.

'Water. Maybe Rin's ice melted. These large holes…Stark is punching through people.' He concluded.

There was a trail of bodies that went on for miles. These corpses were dressed in rags and animal pelts. Natives of this area. He decided to follow the trail, as this was the most obvious lead.

The surroundings were silent, save for his footsteps. It was unknown how long he walked before arriving at what seemed like the entrance to a village. He could already hear the sounds of battle further in. Before he could take a step, the winds picked up. An eerie voice traveled along with the harsh gusts.

"SSSSword Demonnnn. Your actionssss have NOT gone unnoticed."

"...Who are you?" He called out with a frown.

"You already know the anssssswer…you've been searching for usss, have you not?"

"Althana. Are you going to keep hiding like rats?" Shu growled. The rage was building up within him.

"You will not find ussss. We'll find you…Be warned. Messssing with ussss will cosssst you your life."

Hearing these words, he grimaced. His eyes shined with a luminescent radiance as he searched for the source of the voice. An unbearable itch to kill had clouded his senses.

"...Hurry up and find me then. I want to kill every single one of you." He spoke calmly. His cold expression said otherwise.

"Kekekekekeke!" The eerie voice cackled, almost sounding like coughs.

That laugh was the last thing Shu heard as the wind died down. He then continued forward. The trail of bodies grew even larger. Men, women, and children could be found lying in their own blood. Ice covered the surroundings, along with craters.

"They're slaughtering this village?" He muttered.

Multiple scenes from his past barreled into his mind. His bad mood had gotten even worse. Was that really their mission? This battalion…it really is dark.

The young samurai approached the middle of the village, where the sounds of battle were coming from. He could already see orange mana and ice flying everywhere. Before he reached his team, he found a young boy hiding on one of the rooftops. There was no fear in his eyes, only fury.

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"I'll avenge them. These bastards in black…I'll slaughter them!" The kid promised himself quietly.

The boy gnashed his teeth while peeping at the fight from his vantage point. Shu couldn't help but sigh. This situation was very similar to his. Ignoring the similarities, he appeared behind the kid.

"...Do you want revenge?" Shu's distorted voice rang out. The boy jumped in surprise, which turned into anger upon seeing him.

"You…you're with them." He realized.

"We're not too different, you and I. Blaming your weakness is the only thing you can do."

"What do YOU know? I'm nothing like you!" He roared.

"Your circumstances are unfortunate. It has left you with no chance of survival…May you find peace in the afterlife." The sleepy man chanted.

In an instant, he was beside the boy. His katana pierced through the heart. Tears streamed down the kid's face as the light left his eyes. He was dead. Shu waved the blood off his blade and turned to the fight.

Rin and Stark were utilizing their teamwork as they attacked a single man. He was old and seemed to be the leader of the village. His limbs would stretch and contort in order to dodge the deadly blows. He was like an elastic rubber band.

"Haha! Slippery bastard. Who would've thought you'd last this long?" Stark exclaimed.

His massive fist whizzed past the man's body, obliterating everything in that direction. The snow demon turned into particles of snow, reappearing behind the elder. Her odachi cleaved toward his neck.

The stretchy man was unable to dodge this time, his arms poised to defend. One of his limbs fell to the ground. The wound on his shoulder froze up, and ice began to spread across his body. It was only a matter of time now. His death was coming.

"Is this…how it ends? My entire village in ruins. My people murdered. My-"

BAM

Stark's powerful fist slammed into his head, sending the old man to the floor. Blood seeped out of his brain. It drenched the ground.

"Shut up. Stop acting like you're the good guy." The hulking man exclaimed.

Rin approached the fallen man and raised her massive katana. A scar was left in the ground as his body was cut in half. The blood and gore froze over, his entire body shattering into ice crystals. He was dead.

"Mission complete." She muttered quietly.

"Damn. Finally! This shit took forever…I need a drink." Stark complained.

"...It seems my help was unneeded." Shu called out.

Both fighters quickly turned to the source. They were still battle ready. Upon seeing the lazy swordmaster, Rin immediately dashed over. Before she could leap onto him, he raised his hand which prompted her to stop. The yokai only gazed at his face. She could see his dark expression, and didn't know what was wrong.

"Don't mess up my clothes, you're covered in blood." Shu commented.

"What a nasty look you have on your face. Was this scene too much for you?" Stark mocked.

"...I know what I signed up for. Why would I be mad at you? I'm just disappointed in myself."

"Feeling sympathy for these disgusting bugs? I'd advise against it." The large man continued.

"...Why?" The young samurai asked. Rin spoke up.

"Shu…Multiple reports have been sent to the Golden Circle. Travelers go missing in this area at an incredible rate. These people…they're cannibals."

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