ENTER THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN (3)

Asakusa stands, ready to face Mujima. They both dash at each other, utilizing Chi Stride, a technique which uses chi to speed one's body up in bursts, and clashes their weapons, creating a shockwave. The two jump back and Mujima smiles.

"So you were a cultivator as well! That makes things easier haha!"

"You had best not underestimate me, it will be your downfall."

Asakusa rushes Mujima and slashes at him, cutting him in the arm, then jumps up, spinning downward with two slashes. Mujima puts his axe up and blocks the attack which disperses as a result. Suddenly, they both feel a surge in chi to the right of their fight and when both look in that direction, they see a goldish light followed by bandits falling to their knees and Kibe walking out of the Smoke with Horns protruding from his forehead.

"It seems that a monster is growing."

"My subordinates are useless! He is one kid!"

"I got tired of them! Now you're next!"

Kibe slashes at Mujima, who blocks the attack effortlessly and pushes him back. Asakusa jumps over Kibe and slashes at Mujima but the attack misses when the latter chi strides behind Kibe.

"You seem to be an easy pick kid! Now buzz off!"

Before Kibe could react, Mujima slashes him with the giant axe, sending him into a tent on the other side of the camp. He then kicks Asakusa in the stomach and smashes him into the ground with his fist, cracking the ground beneath.

"Come on boys! Surely that wasn't the best you both could do?!"

In the rubble, Kibe gets up, with blood all over.

"Asakusa! You didn't tell me that he was this strong!"

Asakusa rises from the rubble, using his katana as a crutch.

"I refuse to lose to someone who has my sister. I do not care how strong he is."

"How about we just gang up on him?"

"If it is to get my sister, I will set aside my pride. Try not to slow me down!"

They both attack from a distance to start, with Kibe shooting a beam of light from his mouth and Asakusa, channeling some chi into his sword and slashes. Mujima spins his axe blocking both attacks, but losing perception on his opponents. The moment the chance arrives, Kibe and Asakusa dash at him and slash at his blind spot. They both then switch positions and attack in a similar order, but quickly get blocked. Mujima then exerts his Chi outwardly, blowing both attackers away. He then begins to laugh in a hearty manner.

"This has been interesting! You boys are promising, so promising in fact that you both must die here!"

The two gather themselves together and begin to have a conversation.

"We are not getting anywhere!"

"Kibe, this might be too much for you but I need you to hold him off for a bit."

"Alone?!"

"...."

"...Fine then. I hope it works out."

Kibe gets into a fighting stance and faces off alone.

(I am not supposed to be combat based but I have to make this work. Here's hoping I have enough Chi for this.)

"Alright! Here I go! Upgraded Creation! Fusion!"

Kibe fuses his spatial ring and his longsword. He never pushed himself before and decided to do so in this instance. By forcing his mana pools open through sheer willpower, Kibe gained his affinity as well as a new pool of mana. He then fuses the affinity into the longsword, which glows brightly, and rushes at Mujima.

With the first slash, Kibe slashes at Mujima's legs, making him lose balance. After, he jumps and charges some Mana into the longsword and slashes at the torso, splitting it. Without losing momentum, Kibe slashes once more at Mujima's arm but the latter grabs the blade with his hands.

"Don't you think that's enough kid? It's time you stopped kidding yourself."

Mujima then snaps Kibe's longsword and begins to counterattack. He punches Kibe in the stomach launching him into the air then smashes him into the ground with his axe, knocking him out. Mujima then turns to Asakusa but stumbles, falling to his knees.

"Damn brat. I underestimated him."

"For that, you die here. Thank you for the help Kibe, now get some rest while I finish up."

Asakusa's blades begin to vibrate at an intense speed. He then gets into a stance, with one blade pointed in front of him and the other angled over his head.

"Goodbye Mujima, I hope that you find peace in death."

"Wha-

"Musashi Niten Ichi-Ryu Style: Swallow's Convergence!"

In two crossing slashes, Asakusa cuts Mujima in half horizontally, taking off the tops of all surrounding tents in the area. The buildings collapse and Asakusa falls unconscious.

"It seems this body has not yet adjusted to my fighting style… How cruel of a world this is."

A day passes and Kibe wakes up in a bed, with the smell of strawberries in the air. Upon further inspection, he realizes that he is in a room and when he gets up, he sees a girl sitting in a chair, asleep, laying her head on the bed.

"Hello?! Where am I?!"

The girl, startled by Kibe's loud speaking, falls off the chair. She then steps away from the bed, distancing herself.

"You were hurt… and after you saved me… I wanted to keep you alive…"

"Eh? Speak up!"

"Can you quiet down? It's still early in the morning."

Asakusa walks in, holding his katana in the sheath.

"Oh, it's you. So I assume you brought me to your house after I got knocked out?"

"Actually, I woke up here as well."

"Then who-"

"Um… I did… You were both heavily injured and after Lord Kibe saved me, I had to drag you both back."

"Wait… when did I save you? I don't even know who you are."

"That is my sister, Akane Yota."

Akane explains the aftermath of the fight to Asakusa and Kibe. When Asakusa took the whole place down with his attack, he also took down the main tent where all the slaves were being held. They all thought they would die until Kibe blew the debris away before it fell. His eyes were glowing gold and he had an aura. He cut all cages, saving Akane in the process while clearing a way to Asakusa who had collapsed. He then fell unconscious after talking to himself.

"Huh, I don't remember saving anyone though… Strange. Anyways! Thanks for saving me Akane, I owe ya one!"

Akane blushes running out of the room. Asakusa, seeing this, stares at Kibe intently then facepalms.

"Anyways, after a fight, you should cultivate. I have the perfect thing."

"Oh?"

Asakusa pulls out an incense jar and begins to burn it, then gets into a meditative position, with his katana in his lap.

"Oh! Sweet! Let's do this!

Kibe soon follows and gets into a meditative position. Before cultivating, Kibe suddenly remembers something that his father once told him.

"The Kemono family has its own special way of cultivating. We do it by activating our bodily augmentations and drawing the power into them. That way, we can train both cultivation and beastification simultaneously."

Kibe activates his right dragon arm and begins to meditate.

(I should start being serious about this.)

Utilizing the incense, they both breakthrough at the same time to the second and third levels respectively.

"Well then, that works like a charm!"

"Indeed."

Kibe then looks at Asakusa

"So, are you gonna start explaining now? You said after the fight. Although, I have my suspicions."

"Alright. You are eager so I shall oblige. Though I am called Asakusa Yota, that is not the name that resonates with me. I have been reincarnated into this world as the best swordsman of my world. My true name is Musashi Miyamoto."

[END OF CHAPTER 6]