P.S= #35: Ichika Natsu Is Here

The air hung heavy with exhaustion as Yamato, panting heavily, around him, the grateful villagers emerged, expressing their thanks for the slayers' assistance. A weary smile graced Yamato's face as he listened to their gratitude.

"No need to thank us we just did what we had to do," Kiyomizu humbly responded to the villagers' expressions of thanks.

"We are so grateful for your help. How can we show you our gratitude?" inquired one of the villagers, their appreciation evident.

As Yamato rose with the support of Kiyomizu, he waved off the notion of repayment. "Thank you, but we are good. No need to stress or worry," he reassured them.

The man who had aided Cory and his wife stepped forward, insisting, "Come on inside. I have something to give you," as his wife echoed the sentiment.

"We said we didn't want anything," Yamato remarked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"It's not money or something that you can hold," the lady clarified.

"Huh? What is it?" Kiyomizu inquired with curiosity.

"Knowledge," the lady declared, revealing an intangible gift that intrigued the slayers.

As they stepped off, Naima made her entrance into the village, calling out to Yamato and Kiyomizu. The trio exchanged glances, searching for any sign of Elliott, Ava, or Cory.

"Naima, where's Elliott and Ava?" Kiyomizu asked, concern etching his features.

"I haven't seen them," Naima responded, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

"How about Cory?" Naima inquired, her tone laced with worry.

"He's heading to fight the main leader. Knowing him, he must have reached already," Yamato informed, his mind on the ongoing battle.

"Shall we go in?" the lady invited, redirecting their attention to her home.

"Okay," they replied in unison, following her inside.

Seated around a table, the lady prepared to share her unique gift. Yamato, curious yet cautious, questioned, "What is this knowledge you want to give us?"

"Knowledge?" Naima echoed, her interest piqued.

"Yes, my wife's magic drive lets her see the future of the people she meets," the man explained, setting the stage for an extraordinary revelation.

"That's so cool!" Yamato exclaimed, marveling at the magical abilities.

"I know, right?" Kiyomizu chimed in, equally fascinated.

The lady activated her magic drive, golden tattoos weaving across her body. "Since all of you are here, I will do it to the crew itself, so I can't tell you what will happen to you guys individually."

Closing her eyes, she shared an unsettling vision. "I see death."

"Death?" Naima questioned, the word lingering in the air.

"Yes, one of you will die by fire. I also see betrayal—someone close to Cory will betray him," the lady revealed, casting a shadow over the room.

"Who will betray him?" Naima pressed, the revelation shaking their camaraderie.

"One of you, a member of the Phoenix Slayers," the lady disclosed, leaving the group in stunned silence.

Just then, Yamato's phone rang with urgency, breaking the tension. He answered, and a voice echoed through the room, ["Yamato!!!"] Indi's voice reverberated.

"That's creator to you," Yamato responded, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

["Thank God that I finally got to you guys. Put it on speaker now,"] Indi urgently commanded.

"Okay." Yamato took the phone from his ears, placing it on the table and activating the speaker.

["Are you guys hearing me?"] Indi's voice echoed through the room.

"Yeah, but not really. Go on," Kiyomizu responded.

"What's wrong?" Naima inquired.

["Are all of you guys together?"] Indi questioned.

"No, Cory, Ava, and Elliott aren't with us. Why?" Yamato replied.

["You guys have to hurry and find them and then get to the war train now,"] Indi urged.

"Huh? Why? What's wrong?" Naima pressed for more details.

["There are more than a dozen war trains getting ready to land on the island,"] Indi revealed.

"Wait, what?" Yamato's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Could it be IGS (Independent Govern Slayers)? IGS wouldn't have this many ships, right?" Kiyomizu pondered.

"Right. In fact, it's not impossible; only Heavenly Generals or Elders can have this many, but small at the same time amount of war trains," Naima explained to Kiyomizu.

Indi continued, ["There's someone on the head of the war train that's in front. It's a man."]

"What does he look like?" Naima inquired.

["He has no hair but a short mustache, a scar on the left side of his neck that goes up to his left eye. He's wearing a white and black kimono with geta sandals, a white haori, and he has a sword in his right hand. He looks like he's in his 90s,"] Indi described.

"Huh? No," Naima replied with shock.

"What's wrong, Naima? Who is that man?" Yamato asked.

"That's Elder Ichika Natsu," Naima revealed.

"An elder? Why is he here?" Kiyomizu expressed his surprise.

"He's said to be 185 years old," the lady added her insight.

"I guess he's here for the Ayakashi, but if he sees us, he's not going to let us go so easily," Naima speculated.

"Indi, get the ship out of there and come to the village. We will board the ship," Naima instructed.

["Don't worry; the ship is invisible,"] Indi reassured.

"Invisible?" Kiyomizu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I added something like that to the ship for situations like this, and I also added some weapons," Yamato explained.

"What about Cory, Elliott, and Ava?" Kiyomizu inquired.

"We will just have to hope that they reach here before he gets here and that Cory beats this Ayakashi so the snow can go away, and Indi can find us," Naima concluded.

"Let's hope and pray those three get here before he shows up," Yamato said, the gravity of the situation sinking in.

[Ichika]

Ichika, a figure of formidable presence, stood stoically on his wartrain, the wind whipping at his clothes. Beside him emerged Zara, [the Commandant for The Slayer System, a high-ranking authority] by his side.

"Are we going into their territory?" Zara inquired, her voice resonating with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Of course not. I don't have time for that," Ichika replied with a decisive tone. In a swift motion, he drew his sword, the resonant SHING! echoing through the air. Coating it in his Haku, he raised the blade towards the heavens.

Toowish!!! he slashes downwards, a powerful FWOOOOSH! accompanying the movement. The strike cleaved through Gwenthy's territory, severing it in half with a resounding KRRRK!!, deactivating the magical boundaries.

With a fluid motion, Ichika sheathed his sword he opens his eyes there was no pupil in them. "I sense seven people with strong Haku. One of them is the Ayakashi, but don't worry. I will kill all seven of them," he declared, his words carrying a quiet but undeniable assurance.