Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

However, the two exiled warriors had no such concerns. Seeing that someone was about to force their way into Farron Keep, they didn't hesitate. They picked up their exiled swords and giant clubs and charged forward aggressively.

The strategy worked. Zhi cheerfully waved to the hesitant soldiers, then turned and led the two exiles to a large tree far from the fortress entrance, yet still within their sight. Then, right before the dumbfounded soldiers' eyes, a thrilling one-against-two drama unfolded.

This time, Zhi was no joke. As soon as she entered the chosen battle location, she immediately assumed the Dragonfly Eight-Shot stance, opened her demonic eyes, and cautiously confronted the two exiled warriors.

Even if the people in front of them weren't real exiles, their combat skills had been well projected onto them by the Heartfire World. When fighting two against one, the worst thing to do is to hesitate. The more people there are, the more opportunities they have to attack. Therefore, the two of them should go side by side to maximize their numerical advantage.

How could Kaori let them have their way? What she had to do was to bring them into the rhythm of the Satsuma Jigen-ryu, precisely controlling each swing of her sword so that she faced only one enemy.

So Zhi took the initiative; she needed to build up an unstoppable momentum and ensure that she was always the attacker.

She slid, slid, and suddenly jumped, deliberately disrupting the rhythm of her two slid steps. Before the second slid step had even finished, she had already leaped up. At this moment, to increase the power of her attack, the dragonfly increased the height of its wing flapping, suddenly pulling up and then suddenly swooping down. The katana locked onto the exiled swordsman in front and slashed down relentlessly.

Before the blade even arrived, its chilling intent enveloped the two. The exile was shocked to realize that he had actually begun to retreat, and he didn't even have the confidence to raise his shield to block. He immediately rolled away to dodge.

Little did anyone know that the dragonfly's swooping down was merely a feint. Zhi's body landed, but the sword did not. Another exile wielding a giant club, not facing the sword's intent directly, was aiming his club at Zhi's landing point. Suddenly, the dragonfly lightly flapped its wings again. She stepped down, maintaining her upper stance, and suddenly moved in front of this guy before truly unleashing the Great Kesa Slash.

Realizing he could no longer escape the blade's attack, the exile went all out, not only continuing his assault but also adding more force to his staff, determined to fight the weaver to the death.

Zhi had anticipated this. The trajectory of the Great Kasaya Slash just happened to pass over the falling giant club. His demonic eyes flashed, and the blade, along with the huge heavy weapon, slashed a smooth, bloody gash across the exile's chest.

The broken club, now dissected, shimmered with light. The exile touched the knife wound that stretched from his shoulder to his waist in disbelief. Though not fatal, the blow had shattered his will to retaliate.

The Greatsword Exile rose from his tumble, dragging his greatsword along the ground to gather strength before unleashing a spinning slash at Zhi.

Once this move is unleashed, it can be followed by two wide-range sweeps. However, Zhi still neither dodges nor avoids. She raises her katana high above her shoulder, and the dragonfly flaps its wings and flies away again. She waits for the second prey to enter her restricted area before swooping down to claim the second victory.

Both swords were drawn. The katana was thin and sharp, exuding a chilling aura; the broadsword was thick and heavy, its whistling sound sharp and menacing. This was a duel of wills between swordsmen. In this clash, the blades were locked onto the enemy's vital points. If either sword was even 0.01 seconds slower, that person's death would be imminent.

Time seemed to slow down in an instant. The swordsmen in the midst of the duel reached the peak of their will. They did not look at where their swords would strike, but stared intently into each other's eyes, concentrating their sword intent into a single beam, aiming to wound the opponent's spirit before the swords fell.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light flashed from the demonic eyes, sending a chill down the exile's spine. He felt as if he had become a fish on a chopping board under those eyes, with all his internal organs and muscles clearly visible to her. She only needed to make a light cut with her knife to slice him into the most perfect sashimi.

The contest of wills had already yielded a result. Faced with the illusion of death, the exile was a beat too slow, and he would have no chance to turn the tide again, only to die tragically under the weaver's blade.

That's how it should be.

The katana slashed down in an arc, but as it cut into flesh, Zhi's momentum was halved, because a crossbow bolt glowing red was embedded in her shoulder.

The Ash Soldiers couldn't help but make their move. They watched helplessly as the force that could restrain the World Master was about to be cut down, which would inevitably tilt their power balance. So they disregarded the ambush of the Farron Guards and risked rushing out of the fortress entrance.

This sneak attack gave the exile a chance to catch his breath. He managed to turn sideways, avoiding a fatal wound, and rolled away from the dangerous ashes with an equally gruesome knife wound.

To everyone's surprise, the girl, whose sword intent was so sharp that it seemed capable of cutting down everything, remained unmoved. She ignored the crossbow bolts flying from behind her and raised her katana once more.

The exile was truly panicked this time. His mental wounds were far more severe than his physical ones. Even though he still held the greatsword in his hand, the severed will made him afraid to fight her when she finished weaving the sword.

He rolled over once more, and thus lost his chance to draw his sword.

The swords slashed down one after another, and the crossbow bolts struck again and again. The exiles became like rats crossing the street, barely surviving under the flashing blades. Meanwhile, Zhi stubbornly endured the crossbow bolts, letting them decorate him like a hedgehog.

The exile, now unarmed, could no longer bear to watch. He rushed up from behind Zhi, tackled her to the ground, and held her hand holding the knife tightly, preventing the weapon that had given them the illusion of death from being raised above their heads again.

The Ash Soldiers finally arrived. They had witnessed the entire battle, and Zhi's terrifying sword intent had also intimidated them. At this point, they no longer cared about ambushes. In order to reduce the number of death gods on the battlefield in the future, they were willing to risk everything and kill Zhi here, even if it meant total annihilation.

They weren't the only ones who witnessed the entire battle.

Beside the tree where the Weaver and the Exiles were fighting, there were some wooden crosses made by mad hunters. They should have been lying around haphazardly, but three of them stood upright as if they had just been erected. During the Weaver's fierce battle, these three crosses shook violently several times, and the Farran guards, disguised with tender white branches, could no longer bear it.

The first soldier rushed into the battlefield. Without hesitation, he launched a leaping attack at the fallen Zhi. However, while in mid-air, he saw a cross inserted between them. The black-haired captain tore off his disguise, drew his twin swords, and used his superb reflexes to the fullest. In the short time it took for the soldier to land, he swung his swords six times, turning the fallen soldier into a pile of minced meat.

The white-haired youth, having sharpened his knife, was the first to charge into the horde of soldiers. His cleaver slashed wildly, and his desperate fighting style was several times more reckless than before. Clearly, the sword intent he had been cultivating had inspired him, and coupled with the anger he had suppressed, he managed to suppress all the soldiers single-handedly at this moment.

The lightning spear was thrown through the gap between the two men. The golden spear was covered with blue arcs of electricity. The man who had ambushed them with the crossbow bolt had no time to react. He was pierced through the body and turned into a pile of charred remains by the electricity.

The ambush was a success far beyond expectations, and all of this was achieved through Zhi's unwavering determination and relentless swordsmanship.

However, the greatest contributor to the battle was in a sorry state. The Farron Guards were unable to attack the Exiles, so although they had decimated the Ash Soldiers, they were completely unable to relieve the current crisis.

The Greatsword Exile recovered. He abandoned his honor and, disregarding the fact that his companion was still holding him tightly, he dragged his greatsword and unleashed the spinning slash he had been unable to complete.

"Tch, even if a defeated opponent uses some underhanded tactics, what can they do to me?!"

The deep purple lizard pattern on her shoulder shone brightly. She heard the princess's call and would do everything in her power to return to the princess who had returned to this world. These guys in front of her were not, and were not enough, to block her way.

Golden flames rose as she stood up, carrying the exile on her back. Under the horrified gazes of the two, she resolutely raised her katana with her bound arms.

The dragonfly spreads its wings again, dragging its already captured prey, and pounces on the survivor.

The first katana, "Cloud Radiance," cleaved through the ashes, unleashing a brilliant dawn.

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Chapter Sixteen: The Road Under Replanning

The two ashes were about to leave, to leave the world they had been captured into when they fell into the shadow of the heartfire.

One of them threw the darkness and distortion back into her heart fire, while the other probably only had some sticky stuff flowing in her heart.

They eventually broke into the little girl's house. The heartbroken little girl had almost lost her will to live. The two Ashes knew what would happen if they didn't do this. So, even though their actions broke down her last defense, they still forcefully took her to the Otton Chapel, where a kind person was willing to take in people who had lived in fear during the "Night of the Hunt."

This is all they can do. In this cruel world, weakness has become a kind of original sin.

Back near Gilbert's mansion, they found the lantern that Junko Enoshima had mentioned. Ash Flame took Asahina's hand and poured his own flames into it.

As expected, this world loathes flames. Instead of being lit, the lantern emitted a clear, moon-like light. The next moment, they seemed to be thrown into the full moon, spinning around. The repulsive force squeezed out Xiaoyan's flames, making them flicker. Asahina, who had not ignited her inner fire, felt nothing and was instantly expelled from this world.

Her vision returned to normal, the lantern had disappeared, and what appeared before her was a familiar campfire. The warm flames baked the ashes of her journey home, and familiar words echoed in her ears.

"Welcome back, Lord Ash."

She let out a long breath, and the fire in her heart, which had been suppressed for so long, began to beat more freely. She smiled at the Fire Keeper who had always protected her heart.

"I'm back, Firefighter Sister."

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"I'm back, Firefighter Sister."

Asahina overheard Homura's conversation with her Fire Keeper and felt a sudden pang of sadness. She didn't feel at all like she was home, even though her Fire Keeper was watching her gently. She just felt out of place.

Because the people here who can speak loudly are all warriors, and she even cheated to pass the Trial of Ashes, perhaps from that moment on, courage left her far away.

She walked alone to the campfire, and just as she sat down, another figure darted out from the fire.

"My princess, welcome back—oh dear!"

It was that same spirited short-haired girl. Asahina remembered her as Akemi-san's companion. However, compared to the calm and rational Akemi-san, her companion was carefree and wanted to give her a big hug. But she obviously forgot that they couldn't touch each other in the shrine and fell heavily to the ground.

"I'm back, Zhi. It seems you're doing quite well here."

Xiaoyan squatted down beside the fallen Zhi, looking at her Oathgiver with a hint of helplessness. She hadn't seen her for a while, but she was still full of energy.

"Haha, how could I leisurely enjoy myself while my princess suffers in the abyss? Don't let my appearance fool you, I just rushed back from a battlefield myself!"

Indeed, in the Forest of Crucifixion, after sensing Xiaoyan's return through the lizard pattern on her shoulder, Zhi unleashed her power, wielding the first katana "Cloud Radiance" to kill two exiles in succession. Then, under the stunned gaze of the Farron guards, she cleared out the remaining Ash Soldiers one by one, without even saying goodbye, and hurriedly rushed towards the campfire at the entrance of the fortress.

Even after discovering that the campfire was still unusable, she almost drew her sword against the guards, leaving them speechless and forced to leave Weaver's Heartfire World. Weaver immediately returned to the sacrificial site, ignoring their final instructions.

"Really? It's still better than us. We went to a sticky world, got covered in blood, and barely managed to crawl back."

"Princess, are you missing any parts?... Uh, is this... an extra part?"

As soon as Xiaoyan saw Zhi's expression change from concern to blankness, she knew that the naughty child had started causing trouble again. She dragged the two familiars who were performing "Thousand-Hand Guanyin" off her body and stuffed them back into her shadow.

"As you can see, I haven't lost anything; in fact, I've adopted an extra brat."

"It's okay, it's okay, they're just naughty kids. I, as their parent, will show them what true naughtiness is."

"Oh, a parent?"

Seeing that Xiaoyan had drawn her longsword with an unfriendly expression, Zhi knew she had let something slip again. Her eyes darted around, hoping to find something to change the subject.

Then I saw Asahina sitting by the campfire with her legs crossed, her eyes peeking out from under her knees, watching the interaction between the two of them with envy.

"Cough cough cough! Xiaoyan, you've made a new friend, huh? Why don't you introduce him to me?"

Zhi kept giving Xiaoyan meaningful glances. Xiaoyan knew that this girl was starting to interrupt again, but given Asahina's situation, it was really not appropriate to put on such a heartwarming scene in front of her. So she sheathed her longsword and led Zhi to the campfire.

"Asahina, let me introduce you. This is my companion, Ryougi Ori."

"Yo, hello girl, I am Ryougi Ori, as you can see, I am ashes."

"Y-you...hello, I'm Mikuru Asahina. I'll be leaving the rest of the request to you two."

The petite girl hurriedly got up and bowed repeatedly to Zhi.

"A commission?"

"Yes, she's been invaded in the Intermittent World. Hopefully, we can help her drive the invaders away."

"Yes, because I am completely unable to pick up a weapon, I have no choice but to ask the other Ashes for help."

He bowed again, and Asahina trembled as he admitted his cowardice.

"Sigh...has it really come to the point where I have to admit I can't take up arms anymore?"

Zhi's gaze sharpened, as if trying to see through the petite girl's heart, causing the already flustered girl to tremble even more violently.

"Ahem... Anyway, I already promised her back in the abyss, so our itinerary is set."

"Well, I don't care. Wherever the princess goes, I will follow... This situation doesn't count. You fell into the abyss while I didn't, which was caused by force majeure."

"Then it's settled. Let's get ready and set off."

"Yes! Thank you both."

Seeing that Homura's companions had also accepted the request, Asahina bowed repeatedly with delight. Ori slightly stepped aside to avoid this overly formal greeting, frowning as she stared at Homura's blank pupils. Ori had noticed from the beginning that no matter how expressive the girl's face was, her eyes had long since lost their sparkle.

Looking towards Xiaoyan, Zhi noticed that she shook her head slightly, so he sighed and decided to get ready and set off together.

"Please wait a moment, everyone."

Another figure appeared by the campfire. The newcomer was also wearing the uniform of the Fran Guard, without a helmet. His bangs, parted in the middle, framed a fierce look. Despite being a man, he was not much taller than the girls present. The special device hanging from his waist reminded Xiaoyan and Zhi of the few times they had seen him before.

“I am the captain of the Farron Guard. I heard from my subordinates that a very strong new recruit went to Farron Fortress, but returned to the sacrificial site after breaking through the blockade of the Ash Soldiers.”

The man who called himself the captain stood with his hands behind his back, his fierce eyes sweeping over everyone present, finally fixing on Zhi, who was laughing heartily.

"If I'm not mistaken, this must be you, Miss. How about joining our Fran Guard?"

He spoke very directly and his tone was not kind, yet his imposing figure exuded an air of unquestionable authority.

"I'm sorry, Captain, we just took on a new job to help this girl drive away the dark spirits invading her intermittent world, so we don't have time to take on the duties of guarding Fran."

Zhi's answer was also very direct. With a cheerful smile, she looked directly into those fierce eyes and expressed her refusal without giving an inch.