Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 398 A Cornered Beast's Struggle
There are two enemies that need to be killed.

[A magician who appears to be the one the Master mentioned.]

[One of them is a female swordsman who resembles Okita Souji.]

Having confirmed the enemy's identity, Okada Izo looked at the female swordsman wearing a cherry blossom-colored coat with her ahoge (cowlick) standing on end.

He drew his katana from his waist, preparing to swiftly kill the enemy in front of him.

His body was known as the "Man Slayer," and his swordsmanship was designed solely for killing.

It quickly 'awakened' like a sports car with its engine roaring at full throttle.

Sensing the boiling sensation in his body, Okada Izo couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile.

[Good, Master's training is effective.]

Then he gripped the katana and slashed forward with unrestrained abandon.

The feeling of "looking down on all the mountains" instantly burst forth from his body, intertwining with the sword energy to create a gleaming white sword light that illuminated the surrounding dim sky.

The moment the blade was swung, a surge of air, along with a sharp, all-piercing force, rushed towards the female swordsman.
-
The attack was launched in one fell swoop.

The entire space seemed to be swallowed up and severed by his murderous aura and 'intention,' repelling and destroying all existence except that of the man.

Kenneth, who was somewhat mentally unstable and paranoid, stood to the side.

Upon seeing the unusually 'familiar' 'intention' from the past few hours, his legs instinctively trembled and he was about to kneel down.

But then, as the human skin glowed, the person retreated like a puppet, attempting to break the barrier set up by Miss Aozaki that isolated the Master-Servant connection.

Aozaki Touko, wearing an orange trench coat, seemed to have been prepared for Okada Izo's attack.

The magic within her body flowed instantly, and she stomped her feet heavily.

Beneath the orange trench coat, her legs, adorned with interwoven magical patterns, were revealed as she activated [Enhancement Magic].

After creating two deep craters in the ground, it retreated at an astonishing speed.

After dodging the attack, the [Magic Bullet] conjured by the [Crystal Mayfly] in his hand was fired.

Kenneth, who was forced to break the barrier, stopped his operation and forced the [Moon Spirit Liquid] to adopt a turtling tactic.

After glancing at Aozaki Touko, who had already prepared to distance herself and open a second battlefield with Kenneth, Okada Izo ignored the two magicians' 'minor skirmish' of offense and defense.

Instead, he looked at the female swordsman and gave her a provocative look that was full of amusement.

He didn't go all out just now; instead, he chose a probing strike.

The slash wasn't aimed directly at the enemy's vital points, but rather at the female swordsman's side at extremely high speed.

This is the experience that Okada Izo, known as the "Man-Slayer," accumulated through his killings.

He doesn't need to go all out from the start.

Just observe how the opponent responds to this attack.

He can then use his ability to see through, learn, and imitate all sword techniques to understand his opponent's swordsmanship.

In turn, they can find the fatal flaw in the enemy's swordsmanship.

This lays the groundwork for the next strike that kills the opponent.

The battle will end once the opponent is killed.
-
Looking at the swordswoman standing there, seemingly pondering a solution...

Okada Izo chuckled inwardly.

[Interesting. Do you know me? You actually managed to tell that my strike was no ordinary one.]

[That's true, we need to think more carefully about how to deal with this attack.]

However, the time available to respond is limited.

Slightly relaxed, he took advantage of the free time and the gleaming white light from the drawn sword to open his eyes wide and survey his surroundings.

He had already sensed that something was wrong with the environment.

The sky was as dark as ever, yet it felt exceptionally pleasant.

But his intuition had already told him something.

That's false.

If this were the real world...

The air should be flowing, there should be some dust flying around, and there should be the feel of the wind.

But now, everything is eerily still.

It's like a meticulously painted scroll, rather than the real world.

Based on his previous behavior of cutting off contact with his Master in the hotel, he had already realized one fact.

He was inside a closed barrier.

Or rather, in a 'cage' that was trying to capture him.

The unreal feeling made him frown slightly, but he had no intention of stopping his attack.

Since he had set up such a 'cage,' he would use a knife to destroy it completely.

He was confident that he could get what he wanted by holding a knife to someone's neck.

[Forget about any barriers, and kill them all without exception, no matter who they are.]

Having learned swordsmanship from Master, I too possess such strength!

With his mind made up, his killing intent intensified instantly, spreading throughout the entire space.

Like a ferocious beast that has been bound by chains for a long time and is finally released.

[Let's finish this quickly, Master needs my help!]

With this thought in mind, he fixed his gaze on his opponent standing at the end of the street with the same intense focus a hyena uses when hunting its prey.

They observed how their opponents responded.

Seeing the female swordsman hesitate to move her feet as if she were about to exert force, he assumed she was trying to dodge his attack.

A rather contemptuous and strange thought also crossed my mind.

[Dodge? Didn't she notice?]

[Was Okita Souji, who was from my generation, really that bad at swordsmanship, aside from being a woman? A bit disappointing.]

Killing women is really boring.
-
Just as the blade was about to strike, his eyes narrowed slightly, like a wild beast observing its prey's final struggle.

Because the man noticed something unusual.

As the blade approached the female swordsman, she remained rooted to the spot despite her stance indicating she was about to unleash her power.

The other party still did not swing their knife.

Was the other party simply caught off guard, or were they overconfident in their superiority?

[Was she blocking my attack? Or was she using her Noble Phantasm?]

Or is it an attempt to meet the attack head-on with the same slash?

But whichever choice he made, he believed that after he had witnessed and learned his opponent's swordsmanship, this battle would ultimately have only one outcome.

The other person will be killed by him.

His smile deepened.

However, the next moment, he noticed that Cen Bai's blade was about to reach the female swordsman's body.

The moment is almost here: to tear the enemy's body apart and slay them to secure victory for yourself.

Okada Izo's smile froze.

The other party remained motionless and made no move.

Even someone with limited brain capacity would know something was wrong.

[Oh no! There's something wrong with the other party!]

Although the "Mind's Eye (False)" ability to sense danger was slow to activate, his intuition also told him that there was no threat.

But Okada Izo's instinct to kill told him something.

If we don't do something and stay put, we'll die!

He instinctively swung his katana around his body and slashed, then leaped backward.

In an instant, most of the heat in the entire space was about to be repelled by his "view of all mountains from a high vantage point" as he drew his sword.

The air began to crackle with a sickening sound.

Everything around him seemed to have been paused, slowing down. And only then, through the [Silence] bestowed upon him by his own Master.

He barely managed to catch a glimpse of the cherry-colored figure appearing before him.

He caught a glimpse of the cold, menacing longsword that was about to collide with his own as the opponent's thrust towards his chest slowed slightly.

And then I heard the female swordsman activate her [Noble Phantasm] [Nameless Triple Thrust], the last words of which were: "One step beyond sound, two steps without gap, three steps of absolute strike!"

At this moment, the enemy's warning signal, triggered by the [Mind's Eye (False)], finally appeared belatedly.

Looking at the two Okita Souji in his field of vision.

Okada Izo was terrified, and his hand holding the knife trembled slightly.

[What technique? Wasn't she just standing still?]

How exactly did she manage to deceive my senses?

【phantom?】

This feeling of doubt did not last long before it was replaced by another emotion.

The next moment, the female swordsman suddenly turned the [Kyushu Kiyomitsu] in her hand, and the blade immediately became upright.

The long sword, which had been thrusting horizontally like a spear, aiming to pierce the heart and lungs, transformed into a fierce slash that seemed to cut the sword in the man's hand in two.

It is precisely the [Natural Mind-Body Flow - No Sword].
-
Watching the female swordsman hastily change her moves and fail to unleash her full power.

Using the ability to "see through, learn, and imitate all sword techniques," he understood his opponent's sword techniques.

Knowing that this strike required charging up to unleash its full power, Okada Izo suddenly felt a nameless fire rise within him.

His messy hair suddenly stood on end as anger surged within him.

【You actually underestimated me! 】

How dare you use such a weak move in front of me at this time?

Already enraged, Okada Izo twisted his wrist, raising the long sword that had been circling his body to meet the female swordsman's blade.

Looking at the swordswoman who remained indifferent and continued to clash with his longsword without caring at all.

After nearly grinding his teeth to powder, Okada Izo shouted out a sentence to vent his emotions at the enemy he was about to kill for the first time in his life.

"How dare you look down on me, woman!"

He watched as the longsword clashed with the female swordsman's.

While Okada Izo was angry, his words also carried a hint of doubt.

"You, who have not mastered 'intention,' actually dare to collide with me, who has mastered 'intention'!"
"you"

Before Okada Izo could finish speaking, his words were 'blocked' as if his mouth had been suddenly stuffed with ninety-nine cold, raw loaves of black bread.
-
The force of the longsword that clashed with the female swordsman's was so strong that it almost made him drop the sword from his hand.

And the force that tore through his arm muscles, and the sensation that almost made him lose his balance.

Like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves as it swept through the street, it swiftly and decisively swept away the anger and doubt in his heart.

Then, an unprecedented horror was inserted in an exceptionally cruel way.

[Her swordsmanship is actually no less than mine!]

[And the hasty exertion of force was enough to completely suppress the power of my attached 'intention'.]

He took a step back and managed to maintain his balance.

Okada Izo watched as the female swordsman, who remained silent and charged towards him again like a persistent ailment, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

My heart tightened.

His fighting instincts and what he had already learned told him one thing.

Perhaps this battle is not so simple.

[I might die.]

But he did not show any cowardice; instead, he uttered words of encouragement.

"Natural Rishin-ryu, so you really are Okita Souji from the same era as me?"
"...People are still clamoring that you are a genius."

While speaking, Okada Izou silently activated his [Noble Phantasm], [The Sword of Finale].

With the blessing of the [Noble Phantasm], the various techniques and principles used by the opponent in wielding the sword were revealed.

At that moment, his mind surged violently into his brain like a river rushing into the sea.

Despite the discomfort, he relied on the 'perfect' [Master-level swordsmanship] that his Master had shown him, as well as his own talent.

He instantly understood the opponent's swordsmanship and the tricks he had used earlier.

[Was it just an illusion formed from murderous intent?]

Having 'copied' the [Natural Rishin-ryu] and the illusion of murderous intent, Okada Izo examined the boundary of the barrier and began to think of a solution based on his instinct to kill.

Should we use our strongest card, Heat Death, to decide the outcome against her?

After recalling how the other party had suppressed his stats, he immediately dismissed the idea.

No, there's a risk of making a mistake.

After vaguely recalling how the opponent had used the [Absolute Blade] to kill [Berserker Hijikata Toshizo].

Okada Izou realized what was happening instantly.

The opponent still has one powerful attack they haven't used.

[If we're in this kind of suppressed situation, even using [Heat Death] probably won't be enough to win.]

[I need some off-field 'help' from Master.]

He defiantly used the same swordsmanship as the swordswoman.

He exhausted a great deal of energy to quickly create three illusions of murderous intent.

Using this technique to slightly delay the enemy's attack and shift the battlefield, he roared at the swordswoman who was attacking again.

"But it seems that apart from brute force, my swordsmanship is still superior to yours!"

"I have learned your skills!"

Instead of advancing, Okada Izo retreated while speaking, assuming a charging stance towards the swordswoman.

And once again, he expended a huge amount of energy to condense an extremely realistic illusion of murderous intent on the way to the assault.

They launched a 'all-or-nothing' surprise attack.

At the same time, he uttered some rather impassioned words, proclaiming his victory and attempting to disrupt the opponent's judgment.

"I've found the flaw in your swordsmanship!"
"The next blow will kill you!"
-
Looking at the swordswoman who seemed to hesitate for a moment, becoming wary of his sudden attack.

Okada Izou couldn't help but smile as he deceived his body and told himself he was going to "suddenly attack".

As expected, she became wary after I revealed my Noble Phantasm, which allows me to mimic swordsmanship.

Although the illusions created by my swordsmanship won't fool her, she will definitely hesitate.

Before he could finish thinking, Okada Izou's knee twisted backward as he 'ambushed' him.

As the feet made contact with the ground, they emitted a screeching sound, much like brake pads that had worn out completely.

He then unleashed an unusual and illogical burst of power, taking advantage of his opponent's momentary hesitation to retreat rapidly.

He then awkwardly swung his long sword.

In an instant, as the sound of ice spreading through the air, the [Cold Silence] skill, which slowed down the enemy's movements, was used once again.

At this moment, he was less than three meters away from the edge of the barrier that seemed to be on the verge of breaking.

Once he leaves the barrier, he can resume telepathic communication with his Master.

And receive the blessing of at least five Command Seals from their Master.

This will be the key to offsetting the attribute gap between oneself and the opponent, and fully utilizing swordsmanship skills to turn defeat into victory!

Looking at the barrier so close at hand, Okada Izo's eyes already showed the dawn of victory.

The only response he received was a very bland remark from the female swordsman.

Unfortunately, someone has already used this trick on you!

The next moment, the female swordsman's azure symbol, "Moon in the Mirror," flashed.

The sky that Okada Izo hated most in his life appeared before his eyes.

(End of this chapter)