I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 286 Each fights on its own
"Ok?"

"Ambushed and attacked as soon as we arrived?"

Yu, who was "cultivating" at the main branch of the Hanakain family in Adachi Ward, opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on? So many forces joined forces, yet they didn't expect to be preemptively struck by the other side?"

"I don't know either,"

Yura, holding her tablet and giving her report, looked completely bewildered. She was just a middle school student—well, soon to be entering high school. But she was still completely clueless about military strategy and tactics, so asking her to explain anything was asking too much.

Not to mention Yura, even Yu himself is not a master of 'strategy'.

In most cases, it's all about overwhelming strength!

"Tsk, really."

This time, it wasn't Yu's clone who acted as the 'BOSS'. After setting up the stage, Yu didn't bother with the rest. Unexpectedly, the joint forces were hit hard as soon as they arrived. Sure enough, the battlefield he set up before was too 'gentle'.

"Never mind, life and death are predestined. This time, the team is led by the 'Underworld' forces."

"Even if you die, you can continue to serve in the underworld."

No matter how you think about it, it doesn’t hurt!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Damn it, this is a huge loss!"

In the mist, Hattori Hanzo couldn't help but curse.

He was hiding in a parking lot, with more than a dozen clan ninjas dressed in black behind him: because modern weapons were ineffective against evil spirits, they all fought with cold weapons.

The plan was for the government, army, samurai, and Onmyoji forces to converge, storm 'Oni-Owari Castle,' take Oda Nobunaga's head, and end this extraordinary demonic scourge. But who could have imagined that they would be ambushed by long-range snipers the moment they landed!

"Mere ancient people."

No, Oda Nobunaga's army was famous for its 'arquebuses'.

Given that the scene before them was clearly 'unscientific,' it wasn't entirely incomprehensible that Oda's demon army could achieve sniper-like effects with muskets.

"Chief, there are snipers in other locations as well."

A clan 'Chunin' silently appeared behind Hattori Hanzo to report.

"Even the genin who went to scout ahead..."

Hattori Hanzo's face twitched, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Genin are clan members who have drunk a 'Level 3 Extraordinary Potion'; they're not considered particularly rare now, but they're still extraordinary beings!

Adding to the manpower lost during the previous surprise attack, this was definitely a crippling blow to the Hattori Hanzo family.

The government's task
Not a single time has been a good thing!

"Master, should we ask other teams for help?"

The black fog outside caused severe interference with electronic communications.

But they also carried high-powered communicators, which allowed them to barely make contact with other teams despite the interference; the only problem was, who could they ask for help from?
"No,"

Hattori Hanzo shook his head slightly.

He developed the ability to become invisible from his breathing technique, and with his wolf-level strength, he can run away even if he can't win a fight.

However, if the clan ninja behind him were to perish here, it would not only be a blow to the clan's strength, but also damage his reputation within the clan: if he couldn't even protect his subordinates, who would want to follow him?
As for seeking help—

The original plan was to meet up on the outskirts and combine our forces.

The government, army, samurai families, and Onmyoji forces all arrived separately; before they could even reunite, they were caught off guard.

So here's the problem: what about the other samurai families nearby? Should we ask them for help?

Because of the incident at the summit of Mount Fuji, Takagi Mikazu and Koga Takeo both suffered greatly at Hattori Hanzo's hands; if he were to ask for help from nearby areas now, he would be grateful if they didn't take advantage of his misfortune.

"We're not going anywhere; we'll stay here and hold our ground!"

Hattori Hanzo quickly issued an order: "It's not that our family isn't trying, it's just that we lack command and vision."
Tap tap tap,

Just as Hattori Hanzo was about to slack off, a series of footsteps approached.

At the entrance to the underground parking lot, a figure walked in through the mist.

'Get ready to act!'

He made a gesture to the ninjas behind him, and Hattori Hanzo's figure began to fade and disappear.

call,

The moment the figure stepped into the underground parking lot, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly rang out!
A barrage of kunai, shuriken, and other ninja tools rained down on the opponent like a storm!

Behind these whistling concealed weapons, another wave of concealed weapons was hidden silently;
Shadow Shuriken!

Just as these hidden weapons were drawing attention, the air behind the figure suddenly transformed into a blurry fan shape.

Those were the evidence left behind by the rapidly swung ninja sword as it sliced ​​through the air: Hattori Hanzo launched a surprise attack from behind, the ninja sword slashing towards the back of the figure's neck.

"it's me,"

The visitor spoke calmly.
Ding ding ding ding,

The next second, the kunai and shuriken that were shot at the figure, as well as those dull, silent projectiles, were all deflected!
Even Hattori Hanzo's ninja sword was swept away as if it had been struck in a raging torrent.

"Mr. Yagyu?"

The person who arrived was none other than Yagyu Onoda.
He was not old, just a young man in his twenties, but his aura of 'strength' made Hattori Hanzo subconsciously use honorifics.

"Follow me, let's get together first."

Without even raising his hand, Yagyu Onoda, surrounded by a layer of blue gale, turned around.

Surrounded by strong winds, he appeared hazy and indistinct, like looking at flowers through fog, making it difficult to discern his face and figure. No wonder he was ambushed by the Hattori family.

"Yes,"

He waved for the clan's ninjas to follow, and the group left the basement.

what?
Sniper?
Yagyu Onoda is not like them. He was already a Tiger-level before he went to Hokkaido for arduous training, and now his strength is even more terrifying. How could those evil spirit snipers hiding in the shadows still be alive?

But that doesn't mean he was invincible. The group hadn't gone far from the underground parking lot when they were forced to stop.

"It's so hot!"

"My heart feels like it's on fire!"

A young boy or girl warrior with long hair, wielding a long sword, was muttering to herself on the street.

If it's a man, he's described as graceful and handsome; if it's a woman, she's described as valiant and dashing—simply put, it's a warrior whose beauty is so striking that it's hard to tell if he's male or female, blocking everyone's path.

Moreover, unlike the ugly "moon headdress" of ordinary samurai, this person had long hair tied into a long ponytail, which made her look more charming and attractive.

Yes, at least many Hattori clan ninjas were staring wide-eyed.

"Ah~~!"

"My eyes—"

The next second, flames shot out of their eyes.

"You have no right to look at me!"

Despite being a stern and angry rebuke, the voice was clear and bright, and the person holding the long sword raised his weapon.

"Let everyone burn together."

"Everyone was burned to ashes, floating in the air, and then..."

brush,

He swung his katana horizontally.

Raging flames extended from his sword, forming a giant flaming blade tens of meters long, drawing out a massive firestorm that swept across the sky and engulfed the entire Hattori family within its blade's aura.

With one strike,

All the air in the entire street seemed to have been burned up in an instant, turning into a vacuum.

The surrounding air transformed into fierce, turbulent currents that surged forth, carrying billowing black mist—a true 'dark cloud looming over the city'! Hattori Hanzo felt a suffocating sense of powerlessness, as if the world before him had suddenly collapsed and was about to be completely burned and destroyed by a dazzling sea of ​​fire.

The opponent merely swung his weapon, yet unleashed a power akin to a vacuum collapse!

"...Landed on the water's surface!" Faced with this sweeping strike, Yagyu Onoda simply drew a sword from his waist and slashed forward vertically.

Tear————

A burst of azure light erupted from the longsword, forming a vacuum crescent that shot forward and cleaved the flame storm in two with a tearing sound.

"Mori Ranmaru?"

After the first move, Yagyu Onoda's expression turned serious.

What was before them was not a living person, but an evil spirit composed of a massive amount of 'spiritual power'.

Judging from his androgynous beauty and the way he set fires, it's not hard to guess his identity: Mori Ranmaru, Oda Nobunaga's most favored page, who was also the one who ultimately set fire to Oda Nobunaga's house and sent him to his death.

"shut up!"

The 'beauty' with flames billowing from her katana angrily rebuked...

"Only the Lord has the right to call me that!"

".Mori Nagasada,"

Yagyu Onoda readily complied and called out the other person's real name.

"Get out of the way, or die."

"Hahahaha~~ You're the ones who deserve to die!"

Despite knowing that the opponent was male and had an arrogant and bloodthirsty attitude, the Hattori clan's ninjas still couldn't muster any fighting spirit because of his beautiful face.

Of course, there's also the most important reason: the opponent is just too strong!
They went up there and immediately offered their services.
"To dare trespass into the Lord's territory is a crime deserving of death!"

Amidst the angry shouts, 'Mori Ranmaru', wielding a flaming longsword, pounced forward; the flames on the blade were devastating and fierce, his attack like a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, sharp and piercing; within a hundred meters, it easily melted gold and burned wood; the raging flames were so intense that they burned one's skin and caused one's internal organs to burn.

Clang,

Death is like the wind—

However, Yagyu Onoda was no weakling either. He drew another katana from his waist, and the two swords moved with unpredictable, elusive movements, as if they had transformed into all sorts of winds: the warm breeze of spring, the cool breeze of summer nights, the brisk wind of autumn mornings, and the cold wind of winter evenings.
The howling wind and swirling whirlwinds, all the winds in the world, entwined around his twin blades, cutting into the roaring sea of ​​fire with the fluidity of flowing water and drifting clouds.

"Always be with me!"

The wind fuels the fire, and the fire gains strength from the wind. Fire is supposed to be the element that counters wind, and this certainly seems to be the case on the battlefield at first glance.

During their fierce battle, raging flames spread out, extending for dozens or even hundreds of meters, forcing the Hattori family to retreat again and again; in other words, modern buildings are made of reinforced concrete, but in ancient times, this would have meant a city engulfed in flames and devastated for miles around!

However, in the core area of ​​the battle, the two sides were evenly matched.

The invisible flames were severed by the wind blades, and for a moment they turned into separate, independent groups that were difficult to merge back together.

"Excellent swordsmanship!"

During the fierce battle, the evil spirit named 'Mori Ranmaru' praised it.

“Even in our time, you were the lord of a city.”

"Your swordsmanship is also quite good: since you're acting honorably, why don't you sit down and have a talk?"

Faced with Yagyu Onoda's attempt to engage in verbal sparring, the androgynous "beauty" Mori Ranmaru chuckled.

"We're each serving our own masters, what's there to talk about?"

Communicating with swords and knives
It's a battle to determine who's superior and who's inferior, and even to decide life and death!
puff,

As he opened his mouth, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder; a charred wound now covered Yagyu Onoda's body.

Since that's the case, then let's go all out!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Enter!"

Another battlefield
The fully armored 'Demon General' waved forward.
A group of 'Oni Shigaru' (demon foot soldiers) wielding long spears, wearing helmets and bamboo armor, charged forward in formation.

The five-meter-long rifles in their hands pointed diagonally forward, while the rifles of their colleagues behind them extended from their shoulders, layer upon layer, making the entire formation resemble a steel hedgehog.

Faced with the rolling hail of spears, the members of the Guardian Spirit squad retreated again and again, their faces pale. The Guardian Spirits and possessed spirits behind them were stronger than ordinary 'Oni Foot Soldiers'. However, they dared not charge forward again in the face of the endless stream of spears.

The squad members who were strung together, not quite dead yet, and still convulsing, served as role models.

brush---

Bang!
Just then, a rope as long as a whip came whistling through the air.

The first row of 'Oni Shigaru' were whipped until their armor was dented and their battle hats flew wildly.

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

He told the others to run away quickly, but when Izuki, who was possessing Higashi Takami's body, turned around, he was shocked to find that his ropes were being held firmly by more than a dozen 'Demon Foot Soldiers'.

It's hard and has good strength.
When she tried to pull back the rope, she couldn't, causing Yi Yue's expression to change slightly.

These evil spirits before us are all at the Weak Wolf level!

They were no longer mere grunts she could slaughter at will.
"bow!"

The fully armored 'General' raised his hand again.

The archers at the rear of the column drew their bows and nocked their arrows, some soaring into the air from above, others pointing them diagonally into the sky.

? !
"Sister Yiyue, retreat quickly!"

"Tsk, I know—"

With a determined look, the short-haired junior high school girl swiftly brought down the knife.

puff,

With a chop to the neck, they severed the ropes that were holding them, and as a stinging expression appeared on their faces, the man and the spirit flew backward.

collapse! ! !
Amidst the dense twang of bowstrings, arrows rained down like a torrential downpour.

woo woo woo woo--

The girl swung the rope on her other wrist violently, creating a circular light screen that blocked the incoming arrows.

"Leave!"

Pfft

My shoulder suddenly went numb, as if I had been punched hard.

Hit by a bullet?
"You useless, worthless general, come and fight me one-on-one if you dare!"

The girl with the arrow in her shoulder raised her hand and gave the middle finger to the 'Demon General' opposite her, who was holding a matchlock gun with one hand. She made a universally recognized gesture. Her other hand was not idle either. The rope on her wrist flew out and wrapped around the building next to her, pulling and tugging.

He was sent flying backward, disappearing around the street corner in an arc.

Despite the provocation, it was a direct confrontation with this well-equipped and formidable "ghost army." Although Izumi was dead, she hadn't turned into those brain-dead evil spirits.

"Tsk, this battlefield is too dangerous!"

After sprinting hundreds of meters and circling several streets, Izuki pulled the 'bullet' out of her shoulder, and as it turned into a cloud of black mist, she made a comment.

"What happened to the plan to raid the 'ghost town' after we regrouped?"

Before they could even regroup with the other teams, they were caught completely off guard. The commander of this operation should face a military court!

"Who would have thought that these evil spirits would not only lie in ambush, but also feign weakness?"

At the same time, Higashi Hidemi, inside one of the bodies, sighed.

How long has this ghost town been around?
The other party seemed to have a premonition that they would come, so they were well-prepared.

"Let's rejoin the main force first. This crappy headset is supposed to be high-tech, costing hundreds of thousands, isn't it? Who's going to let it down at a time like this?!"

With a flick of his wrist, the rope on his wrist flew out like a snake, turned a corner, and sped off into the alleyway beside the street.

Then, dragging a figure along, he pulled it out—

"Cough cough cough, help me!"

?

The person with the rope around their neck was a stylishly dressed woman.

She looked quite disheveled, her long, wavy brown hair was a mess, one of the buttons on her chest was missing, two weapons were about to pop out, and her high heels were gone.

"I remember you are Ms. Yua?"

(End of this chapter)