Ch 44 Shikigami Conquest

As the new day arrived, the sun's fierce rays beat down upon a desolate, arid land where no trees dared to grow. In the midst of this barren landscape stood a young man, no older than thirteen, methodically warming up. Sweat glistened on his brow as he stretched his limbs, the heat only fueling his determination.

Ichiro extended his arm toward his shadow, fingers splaying as he reached into the darkness beneath him. With a fluid motion, he drew forth a sword from the inky blackness, its design both striking and unique. The weapon resembled a katana, yet its blade was broader and more curved, resembling a greatsword with a single, deadly edge.

"Alright, I'm done stretching up. Good thing Kyle has business to do, so I don't have to give any excuses," Ichiro muttered to himself, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. The solitude and secrecy of his location brought him a sense of exhilaration. Today, he would push himself further than ever before. "Alright then" ichiro then stood still. After a minute has passed ichiro then begun to chant

"From the depths of the storm and the heart of the tempest,

I call upon thee, Garuda, the Sky's Dread Sovereign!

Wings of thunder, eyes of fire, rend the heavens asunder!

Guardian of the sacred winds, terror of the heavens,

Descend upon this mortal plane with wrath unbound!

Rise, Garuda, devourer of serpents, scourge of the earth,

Answer my call and let chaos take flight!"

After Ichiro finished his chant, his shadow began to writhe and expand, dark tendrils spreading outwards across the barren land. From this growing darkness emerged a magnificent figure, a humanoid bird with an imposing presence. It had the head and feet of an eagle, sharp and fierce, while its wings spread wide, casting an awe-inspiring shadow over Ichiro.

From its neck down to its chest, along with its forearms, the creature was adorned with intricate gold decorations. These glimmering adornments bore various symbols and shapes, each one seeming to pulse with ancient power. The beast's eyes glowed with an intense, almost otherworldly light, further enhancing its regal demeanor.

The majestic creature landed softly in front of Ichiro, its wings folding gracefully at its sides. It radiated an aura of grandeur and authority, exuding an air of divine majesty that made Ichiro feel small in its presence.

"Hoh, it's quite beautiful and so majestic," Ichiro murmured, his eyes wide with awe. "It's emanating a regal aura, almost like a god looking down on a mere mortal."

Ichiro, captivated by Garuda's majestic form, took a step forward, eager to examine the magnificent creature up close. Just as he moved, a flash of white in his peripheral vision triggered his instincts, causing him to dodge swiftly.

"Woah, that was close," he exclaimed, regaining his balance.

Looking up, he spotted a white bird darting away. His eyes followed its flight path, leading him to an astonishing sight. Countless white birds hovered in the sky above, their presence creating a stark contrast against the clear blue expanse. The sight piqued Ichiro's interest, and he squinted, trying to make sense of this unexpected phenomenon.

"Where did they all come from?" he wondered aloud, scanning the skies. The birds moved with a strange synchronicity, almost as if they were being directed by an unseen force. His curiosity deepened, and he couldn't shake the feeling that their sudden appearance was no mere coincidence.

"Have those birds always been there?" Ichiro mused aloud, searching for answers to this new development.

"If they have been there, then they're just normal birds. But birds don't just attack humans, and no bird I know can fly that fast. So, that means..."

As if finding the answer, Ichiro glanced at Garuda standing majestically across the land.

"You summoned them, interesting," he concluded, a grin spreading across his face. The situation grew more intriguing by the moment.

Ichiro took a step forward, but another bird darted toward him. Before it could reach him, the bird split in half mid-flight, falling to the ground in two pieces. Ichiro, his sword now resting on his shoulder, watched the blood drip from its pointy edge.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, not taking his eyes off Garuda.

Garuda, realizing what had happened, let out a deafening scream, its eyes burning with fury. The majestic bird lunged at Ichiro with incredible speed. Ichiro barely had time to brace himself before Garuda was upon him.

"Oh, you're coming at me? Alright then," Ichiro muttered, a determined glint in his eyes.

As Garuda lunged forth, Ichiro readied himself and matched its charge. The two clashed, their weapons striking with a resounding clash. Despite his skill, Ichiro quickly realized that Garuda's sheer size and range gave it a significant advantage. Each of Garuda's strikes forced Ichiro to stay on the defensive, unable to get close enough to land a decisive blow.

'Wow, range-wise, I can't get close to Garuda. It's bigger than me, so our ranges are different. But...'

Ichiro swiftly backed off, planning to reassess his strategy. However, to his surprise, ichiro loss his balance as he saw one of his leg is missing. Before he could recover, Garuda's powerful wings sent him hurtling into the sky. Ichiro flailed, struggling to regain his balance. Garuda followed him, initiating an aerial battle.

'Damn, I can't fight like this. It's hard to find my center of gravity without solid ground to step on. On top of that, I can't summon my shikigami when I'm in the sky.'

Garuda continued his assault on ichiro, ripping bit's of flesh from ichiro's body, as Garuda saw ichiro's unresponsive body, Garuda concluded that Ichiro is dead, Garuda then ordered it's birds to tear up ichiro to pieces, the white birds then didn't waste time and quickly swarm ichiro, as the white birds swarm ichiro, Garuda then looked away thinking that the fight is finished but to it's surprised the white bird suddenly blown up, Garuda then looked back only to see a glimpse of the person that he thought is dead, passing through him, Garuda then started to fall down, Garuda tried to spread it's wings but to Garuda's surprised one of it's wings is missing and Garuda knows who the culprit is, Garuda tried to maneuver it's flight attempting to land safely but Garuda heard a voice above it, Which prompt Garuda to look up only to see ichiro smiling

"You really took you're damn time beating me up huh now it's my time to beat you up, here in the sky"

As ichiro fall, ichiro then close his eyes

'i never done this, and the anime or even the manga hasn't explain it well but gevin that a shikigami can be summoned in the shadows meaning I can summon my shikigami in any dark places so theoretically it is possible, alright here goes nothing'

"Griffin"

Garuda's eyes suddenly widen as ichiro's mouth grew black and black substance came out

'the fun has now begun'