Volume 4 Chapter 25 Raikou And Gen Shuuyoku, Heading To Fight The Bandits Iii
"Don't mess with me! Guide-sama won't waste time on someone like you!!"
A young man jumped out.
He looked to be in his early twenties, holding a sword.
He was dressed in black clothes, the same as the suspicious person Tenhou had fought.
The bandits were probably getting ready to escape. Wearing black means they were likely waiting for night to blend into the darkness and run away.
But the forest was already surrounded by soldiers.
The soldiers shouted loudly, intimidating the bandits.
The bandits began to panic.
Some ran away blindly, some curled up holding their heads, and others begged for help from their black-clad companions. It was chaos.
"Shuu Kan! What should we do now..."
"Shut up."
The man called Shuu Kan swung his sword.
A bandit was slashed in the chest and fell down.
"Useless fools. Those who can't master martial arts should keep their mouths shut!"
"...I called Bakkai-dono."
Raikou asked Shuu Kan.
"I have no use for cowards. Can you bring out Bakkai-dono?"
"A coward, you say!? I'm a disciple of my master, ranked 4th──."
"Is Bakkai-dono deep in the forest?"
"──What!?"
"According to Master Gyoun, there should be a house and training ground in the center of the forest. Bakkai-dono is probably there."
Raikou started to walk.
"It seems Bakkai-dono has failed to train her disciples. We need to talk about that too."
"Failed to train us!?"
Shuu Kan, sword in hand, started to run.
"Then let me show you! 'Hidden Five Gods'──'Fallen Dragon Resurrection'!!"
"Is this all Bakkai-dono has for a disciple?"
The sound of swords clashing rang out.
"────What!?"
Immediately, Shuu Kan clutched his arm and crouched down.
Raikou had swiftly cut Shuu Kan's arm, rendering him unable to use his sword.
"N-No way. I, the 4th disciple──"
"You coward, pointing your sword at the weak. Your skills have no value at all."
Raikou looked at Shuu Kan with cold eyes.
"From your sword, I felt no respect for your opponent, nor any fear of possibly dying. All I sensed was arrogance. 'Five Divine Swordsmanship' does not grant power to such a person."
"...W-What are you all doing!?"
Shuu Kan shouted at the surrounding bandits.
"Surround her! No matter how strong she is, if we throw our lives away and attack──"
"Enough already!! You scum!!"
The angry voice echoed through the forest.
With that voice filled with 'ki' energy, Shuu Kan and the bandits froze in place.
"To throw away your subordinates... Do you have no sense of justice at all!? Weapons are meant to hurt people. Those who wield them must never forget the heart of justice and the heart of mercy. Haven't you been taught even that!?"
"......Ugh."
"Then Bakkai-dono is not qualified to be a guide!!"
Raikou glared at Shuu Kan and declared.
"When I look at you, it shows how lucky I am to have a master. I can confidently say that my disciple will never stray from the path."
"...What do you know about righteousness?"
Shuu Kan spat out.
"You're related to the killer of our fellow disciple!! My master became disabled because of that killer! And you act so high and mighty!!"
"Master Gyoun has always regretted hurting Bakkai-dono. That's why he gave up martial arts and learned medicine. He wanted to heal her body when they meet again someday."
"That's just hypocrisy!"
"Maybe so. But after giving up martial arts, Master Gyoun saved many lives with his medical skills. Those who learned medicine from him did the same. What have you done to criticize Master Gyoun?"
Raikou asked.
Shuu Kan didn't answer.
"I'm asking what you did with the martial arts you learned from Bakkai-dono?"
"My master... had no choice!!"
"...What?"
"My master has been searching for a technique to regain her freedom of movement. She took time to train her disciples to gather that information. And... she finally found it!!"
Shuu Kan declared loudly.
"My master has regained her freedom of movement! And those who received her teachings are now undergoing their final training!! Soon, you will all be killed!! My master is──my master is──."
"You talk too much, Shuu Kan."
A voice came.
Right after, a figure jumped out from the depths of the forest.
Raikou instinctively jumped back.
But the shadow was not aiming for Raikou.
The shadow approached Shuu Kan and stabbed him in the chest.
"────Wha, what!?"
Shuu Kan screamed and was blown away.
His face, slammed against the tree, lost all color.
It was as if all his strength had been taken away.
"To think a disciple of Gyoun would come to corner me. Our connection cannot be severed. Is this what they call Heaven's Fate?"
"...Are you... Bakkai-dono?"
"Yes, that's me. What about it?"
"You were supposed to have your limbs crushed by Master Gyoun. Why──."
She can tell she's standing and walking.
With a cane, she could manage that much.
But Bakkai jumped out from deep in the forest.
Her technique was 'Five Divine Steps' with the 'Storm of the Lurking Dragon King'──a variation of it.
With that momentum, she blew Shuu Kan away using the 'Byakko Tiger' technique.
That wasn't all. Blood had drained from Shuu Kan's body.
When Bakkai attacked him, she must have used some kind of technique.
What it was──
"──She must have taken in 'ki'."
It was Gen Shuuyoku who answered.
She appeared from between the trees and stood next to Raikou.
"I've seen a similar technique in the Bokou Tribe's village. It was a technique that gives 'Poison Ki' to others, causing them to go berserk. Bakkai's technique is similar."
"Yokumai? Why did you come out?"
"It was already obvious. She was looking at me."
Gen Shuuyoku shrugged.
"I can't let my senior disciple fight alone."
"I'm sorry for the trouble."
"More importantly, be careful. Bakkai might be a user of the 'Four Fiends Technique'."
"...the 'Four Fiends Technique'?"
"It's my assessment as an expert in 'ki'."
Gen Shuuyoku nodded.
"Bakkai consumes 'ki,' and Kai Shuujaku gives out 'Poison Ki'... their techniques have similarities. And considering that Bakkai, who should have a disabled body, is moving freely, it's clear that some strange technique is at work."
"Is that the 'Four Fiends Technique'?"
"Yes. We must not let Bakkai escape."
Bakkai is connected to the 'Golden Feather Syndicate.'
That was Raikou and Gen Shuuyoku's guess.
Kai Shuujaku, who uses the 'Four Fiends Technique,' belongs to an organization that preaches the doctrine that 'Aika Country will perish.'
If Bakkai is using a similar technique, she might also be linked to the same organization.
But that's not all.
It's also possible that the 'Hidden Five Gods' have been leaking information about Aika Country to the 'Golden Feather Syndicate.'
This was a situation that Raikou and Gen Shuuyoku could not ignore.
"Yokumai, keep an eye on Bakkai. I need information on what techniques she is using."
"I understand. But if it comes down to it, I will take action."
"I'm counting on you, Yokumai."
"Let's go, sister disciple."
Raikou and Gen Shuuyoku ready their swords.
Watching the two, Bakkai laughs dryly.
"Raikou... a disciple of Gyoun. I hear you are now a guest of the prince of Aika Country. I don't know the other one, but she is probably connected to Gyoun. That person tried to kill me, that cursed Gyoun..."
"It was you who attacked Master Gyoun first, Bakkai!!"
Raikou retorts.
"You attacked Master Gyoun while he was focused on guidance and received a counterattack. Am I wrong!?"
"Gyoun... didn't look at me."
Bakkai replies calmly.
"That person always looked far away. While mastering 'Five Divine Swordsmanship' and 'Five Divine Steps,' he acted like it was no big deal. He didn't understand my feelings of never being able to catch up to him. As long as that person is alive, my feeling of defeat will never disappear. Even if that person dies, the feeling of defeat won't go away. But... it's fine now."
With bloodshot eyes, Bakkai looked at Raikou and Gen Shuuyoku.
"If I can kill Gyoun's disciple, that's enough. My will will be passed on to the disciple who fully masters 'Four Fiends.' In that place where I was wounded, they should be conducting a complete transmission by now..."
"────What did you say!?"
"Wait, what did you just say!?"
──A disciple who has completely mastered the 'Four Fiends.'
──Right now, they are performing the complete inheritance.
──The place where Bakkai was injured.
This means that there is a disciple who has fully taken over the 'Four Fiends Technique.'
That person is at the location where Bakkai was defeated by Gyoun.
On top of the mountain, by the waterfall.
Tenhou and Touri should be heading there.
"You can't interfere. That place is protected by countless traps."
Bakkai grips her swords tightly and laughs.
Her skin is stained a strange reddish-brown, possibly from the influence of 'ki.'
With legs that should have been weak, Bakkai kicks off the ground and jumps up.
"Now, let's fight! Gyoun's disciples!!"
And then, the battle began.
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