Exit of Another Cave

Sasaki raised her Katana. Lifting it above her head. The tip of the sword is facing back and the blade raising up.

[Stance: Jodan-no-kamae]

[Careful, she's going aggressive.]

Sasaki moves forward, seemingly gliding as she aims at me with her katana.

[Kenjutsu Footwork: Okuriashi] (Shuffle Step)

She closed the gap. Striking from her head, she slams it down.

I slam my legs on the ground and rotate in the nick of the second. I saw that strains of hair were cut.

Not just that, even the area where she missed her cut seemed to get cut in pieces.

It's as if the air molecules were also cleaved into 2 parts.

I asked Ryong, "I need the Staff."

[Hold on, I'm trying to find it.]

[*Name of Weapon must be announced to bring it out*]

"What the hell is this? The notification appeared in my face like a text bubble."

[I Hath no idea. It might have gone sentient.]

"HUH HOW TO DO YOU___"

Snikt.

I blocked the Horizontal cut with my gloves, just barely surviving.

"..." Sasaki stared while trying to cut me without any hesitation.

Keep in mind, whenever I talk with Ryong, it all happens in my head. So now, am I going to get a new tenant in my head?

[*Please name the weapon*]

Without thinking too hard, I only remembered one thing when it comes to that weapon. It could land Combos after Combo If used right.

I yelled in my head: Combo-Maker.

My hand glowed up, just in time to block Stab from the katana.

[Sasaki Kaguya's POV]

A suspicious individual appears in front of me. Hiding his identity with a Mask.

Not only did he come in a restricted area.

He touched a lady's body part and without explanation, he dares to run.

Not on my watch.

I started slashing him fast. But he wasn't a pushover.

I landed quite a number of cuts at him, but he was able to block and parried some of it. Not to mention he was fast enough to dodge and slipped through some of them.

In that case, how about this?

Skill Activate: [Takatobi]

Delivers a Lethal Horizontal Cut, mimicking that of how a Hawk strike with it's talons.

It's a ranged attack that will increase its power and range the higher the mastery of swordsmanship.

Duration: 2s

Additional Effects: The more the attack lands, the higher the attack speed.

As I lay down my skill, I got in close to him and was about to take his head off.

But suddenly something glowed in the corner, I got distracted and.....

*Clank*

Something clashed.

Immediate, I retreat a few steps behind to have a closer look.

"A staff?"

That staff looks very familiar. But before I could examine it anymore, he starts drawing close instantly, slamming his weapon.

[Kenjutsu Technique: Uke genashi]

I took my katana to parry and redirect it. The staff now got stuck the ground with my leg putting strength on it to keep it from being lifted.

"You're mine."

I drew my blade, rotated my foot to unleash more power and aimed for his neck, ending this battle when_____

Boom-!!!

Something knocked me off. It knocked me so hard that I flew 5 meters away and smashed into a rock.

I got up, trying to shake off the blurriness due to the impact.

I'm not sure if it's because of the damage I sustained, but that beast in the mask is blinking and staring at me.

I picked up my sword and tries to hold it up to no avail. It looks like my legs gave out.

I now too weak to even stand, kneeled down accepting my defeat.

"Go ahead, get it over with," I said, accepting my death and giving my apologies to Inari-Sama that I could not be used to her.

And then I blacked out.

[Red's POV]

To be honest, that was really close.

If it wasn't for Combo-Maker's 3-Staff mode, I would have my gut spilling out at this moment.

"Ryong, help me keep my weapon."

[I'm afraid not. I don't have control of the power-up method I have for thou.]

[The flipping thing is doing everything on its own.]

Looks like Ryong finally grew on me to even say the word flipping.

[I can't get access to it at all. Oh, I got a notification. Red, she's telling thou to name her.]

Is my mind a group chat for y'all now?

"Whatever, name her Blue. Since my name is Red, She can be Blue."

[I'm still surprised thou's brother is not named Blue.]

"Nope. My parent loves money so much, they named the other one Gold and Jade."

[She appears to like the name thou gave her. Mine magic really is powerful hmm.]

[Oh. She's here to talk to you now.]

[*Dear Master, Blue is here to serve you. Now Clap for me*]

"Uhh..." as I questioned Ryong what the hell is going on.

[*Clap*]

I stopped arguing and do as I'm told.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

[*Thank you I will now return your weapon to the inventory. Goodbye.*]

Combo-Maker disappears and I'm left puzzled as hell.

I was about to turn and leave when suddenly, a group of snakes started to pour down from everywhere in walls of rock as they slither down.

While I walking away to escape, I caught a glance of that girl Sasaki, still knocked out from our battle earlier on.

I was seriously contemplating leaving her that, due to how dangerous it will be if she woke up and tries to cut me down again. However, Morality-wise, it was not the right thing to do.

Giving a big sigh, I grabbed the girl and her heavy-ass katana and skedaddle out of there.

It took quite a while due to the walls closing in and the fact that I had to run out of the exit.

I ran out using my first to swat off the snakes like flies and jumped out of the exit.

And just in time as well, the entire entrance of the cave we came from collapses.

Right now in front of me was a hill of forests all the way down.

With no choice, I start heading down the forest to see if there's anything I can do to treat the girl's wound. I did bonk her head pretty hard.

"Look's like he's taking care of my dear Kaguya. I never want her to give her life up for me like this. She's too precious for me" The anonymous figure cries while staring at the Footage.

"Well, my girl is going to be fine. She's a tough one."

Another anonymous figure replies.

As they were watching the live footage in excitement, suddenly one of them asked.

"But in your lifetime, have you ever seen a Mask like that."

"I have seen a lot of strange things over the millennium, but that mask is a first."

"Oh. Well, it may be made by a God from another region. We can only wait and see. Oh, there's Kazue beating those monsters up."