The first person to notice the man is the guardian of the Mitsurugi mansion, Monue.

　The man slowly ascended the long staircase connecting the Hiiragi Palace to the Mitsurugi Mansion, step by step, as if checking the feel of his feet.

　He was a large man who seemed to impale the clouds. He had layers of cloth wrapped around his head and a fearless smile on his mouth. The guards guarding the gate on either side of the gate are wary of the man who is slowly approaching while freely exposing his muscular physique.

　The role of guarding the mansion where the Sword Sage and his family reside cannot be a chore. The two gate guards are both flag officers of the first flag.

　The minimum requirement for joining the First Banner is to have mastered the inner secrets of the Itto Ryu style. In other words, these two men were mind-dressers.

　The two men were still feeling the pressure of the approaching man. You'll be able to see the mad heat in the man's eyes, the sharpness of his canine teeth from the corner of his lips, and the swirl of fighting spirit that emanates from his body.

　Of course, a patriarch of the Illusionary One-Day School would not be allowed to be frightened by an unknown opponent. It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.


''Stop!　I don't recognize you, but what business do you have here at the mansion?

What do you want?


　The man laughed loudly, dumbfounded, without stopping.


'Kukaka!　That was very carefree of you, traitors!　It's a foolish question, a great foolish question, to ask your opponent's business when the enemy is already approaching!　I have no use for anything other than to take your heads off!

'　And so it is with you.

You're late. You're late!


　A loud shout, and the man suddenly increases his speed. The stairs underneath the man's feet explode and the huge, bear-like body becomes a gale and attacks Monae.

　When I came to my senses, the man's fist was deeply gouging Monae's belly. This was no ordinary fist. Penetrating jin -- a technique of jin-striking, in which a fist loaded with plenty of jin strikes an opponent, sending jin into the enemy's body at that moment and causing it to explode. Even steel armor and strong jin defenses (shields) are useless in the face of this technique.

　Although the blue formation cloak of the Seirin Eight Banner was enchanted with powerful magical power, it still couldn't prevent the man's Penetrating Jade (Shinto Kei).


''Gubogu!''


　The next moment when he thought that a tremendous shock had penetrated his entire body, a huge amount of blood gushed out of Mon-pei's mouth. The powerful force crushed his internal organs and tore them apart. Among the bloodstains scattered across the stone pavement like vomit and vomit, there were clots of blood that appeared to be part of his internal organs.

　Needless to say, it was a fatal wound. When he fell on the blood he had spat out, Monue was already not of this world.

　Of course, the man didn't take it easy to check the death of his opponent. Right after he thrust his fist into the first one, he leapt towards the second one.

　It is a very good idea to be able to have a good idea of what to expect when you are in a position to do something. As it is, the body of Monue is lifted up with only the strength of his arms.


''Gui.........!


　As a demonstration of the man's tremendous physical strength, Monae's skull creaked with a creaking sound.

　He let out a cry of anguish as he desperately tried to escape from the restraints. But the weapon, which should have embodied the power of the Great Source of Being (anima), snaps back with a thud as soon as it hits the bare man's skin.


Warm, warm, warm, warm!　What a fragility!　What a slow learner!　Can't a mind-armored wielder even pull his blade out satisfactorily from an opponent he has declared to be an enemy?

Gawd.................

The same traitors, but they are nothing compared to those who were behind the gates. In other words, these guys are not so thick. As long as they're in your pocket, they can do whatever they want.


　When he said this, the man laughed vigorously, his belly shaking.


'Kukakaka!　This one revelation is more than enough to pay for my life!　I used to think that I could get as many traitors as possible to join me on the road, but with this, I'll be able to take the whole island with me!


　The man's right arm swells up in a raggedy way. The contracting muscles move like a wave, and all the power is focused on the fingertips to crush the skull.

　The grabbed Monue can no longer speak, and the suspended body hangs slack and powerless.

　If the man exerts himself just a little more force, Monoe's skull will crumble in a heap. And there is no reason for the man to hesitate to do so--


"Be the forerunner of the Huangshan Road with your friends and tell King Enra. From now on, a mountain of humans will come pouring in!


　With a loud laugh, the man tried to grip Monue's face, but just before he could, he let go of his hand and quickly jumped backwards.

　In the nick of time, a single flash of light caresses the space where the man's right arm had previously been.

　With a thud, the gate guard fell to the ground, but the man didn't give it a second glance and cast his gaze on the newly-emerged enemy.

　The young man, holding a golden sword curved like a sickle, opened his mouth, unmoved by the man's gaze.


'My name is Miken Laguna. "My name is Laguna the Sword," he said, "if you have a name, tell me your name, you fool. You must wear a name tag around your shorn neck.

Kukaka!　You've got a lively little boy on your hands. I wish I could tell you that these traitors have no names to bear, but as a mark of gratitude for having done so before, let me be the first to tell you. My name is Isagi, leader of the sixteen spears renown for valor under King Gien, King of Kazan!


　As soon as he said it, the man - Isagi removed the fabric wrapped around his head, revealing a pair of shiny black horns.

　A sharp gleam runs through Laguna's eyes as he sees it.


''Demon man. You are the ones who caused the commotion on the walls?

How true. Well, now I will ask you. Are you the man whose name is now Your sword?


　Open-mindedness. The tone of Isagi's voice, which could have been justified, suddenly took on a slippery sound.

　A fierce hatred and resentment is clinging to his tongue as oil, clinging to the words spat out of his mouth.

　The bloodshot eyes, which opened wide and were bloodshot from the aftermath of the rage, were dyed bright red like a demon's lamp.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.


It's not that simple. We are the guardians of the demon's gate and have inherited the blood and aspirations of the founder of the Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship. We are the natural enemies of the demons who have eradicated you under the banner of the Hoshin (Plating). The seventeenth sage, Miken Shikibu, is the breath of Laguna. You may tell King Enra in Hell, demon. You were avenged by your own legitimate son of the swordsman.


　As soon as Laguna told him his identity, an emotion other than hatred flashed in Isagi's eyes.

　The closest thing to a name for the emotion was jubilation. The big smile that would send the heavens reverberating through the air, the heron thanked the gods for his good fortune.


'Kukakakakakakakak!　Surprisingly, it was a fortuitous thing to meet a ringleader of those traitors right away!　This is what the great Chi You's leading us to!　My Lord Guillen, I will now have your single spear to skewer the descendants of the cowardly and vile traitor. Behold!


　The heron barked.

　It is not a good idea to have a good time.


''Shinsoo excitation--hunt the sun wheel, Shujiujiu father (Koho)!




◆ ◆ ◆




　The mansion was located in the center of Hiiragito, close to the Miken residence.

　The area was large and the mansion's construction was solid itself. The outer wall surrounding the mansion was also sturdy and was designed to function as a fortress to protect the Mikado Mansion in case the enemy attacked the Hiiragito.

　As can be seen from this one incident, the owner of the mansion was required to be the clan leader of the Miken family.

　In the past, this house was owned by the Skysheep family, a prominent family of Onigashima. However, the Skysheep family has been on the decline ever since the beginning of the modern era, and the Berch family has risen in its place.

　Along with this, ownership of the mansion had also passed from Sky Sheep to Belch. The old head of Sky Sheep had put up quite a fight against Gilmore's demands, but he was unable to resist Gilmore's eventual request for an order from the head of the family, the Mikensikibu.

　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. The dungeons were probably used to hold enemy soldiers prisoner. Or perhaps it is for when you capture a traitor who is trying to get through to the enemy.

　Either way, the dungeons certainly exist. And Gilmore made use of these dungeons even in times of peace. As a place to capture, punish and sometimes dispose of incompetents and traitors.



　--You can hear the sound of water droplets piercing the floor with a tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.

　That in itself was not unusual for those who spent time in this dungeon. But today, in addition to the sound of water, there was another sound.

　The ground has been shaking with thuds and thuds since the last minute. Strong vibrations that made me think that the dungeon itself was about to collapse.

　Crya Berch was trying his best to hold on to his fading consciousness as he surveyed his surroundings.

　Each of the dungeons in the Belch mansion is walled off, so it's impossible to tell if there are any other prisoners in there other than yourself. If he raised his voice, what awaited him was a punishing whip. This is no different for Cryer, Berch's adopted son and a full-fledged Seirin bannerman.

　If you want to, you can produce a heart outfit, but if you do, a wedge driven into your guts will bite through your guts and cause you severe pain. A small shiver ran through Cryer's body as he remembered the memories of his childhood.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're going to do with your money.

　I'm sure that even if my hands and feet had been free, I would not have thought of escaping. I am aware that I am a prisoner. Long ago ... since I was a child, I've been forced to understand.


...but what's all this shaking?


　At first I thought it was an earthquake, but it was too long for that. I thought it might have been a huge demon attacking, but what kind of demon is it that creates vibrations that seem to travel deep underground to the mansion located in the center of the Hiiragito?

　If it was an illusory species that appeared in Ishqa just recently, it would seem that it could cause this level of shaking - but when I thought that far, Kuria suddenly made a small groan.





　Clad in a shoddy kimono - to put it bluntly, clad only in rags - Cryer's neck, bare arms, and thighs were covered in layers of scars that looked as if they had been whipped. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on some of these wounds.

　-- If Klimt saw me in my current form, I would be in big trouble.

　Thinking about that in the corner of my hazy consciousness, I couldn't help but smile. I'm sure that from the side, it will only look like he's pulling a face, but I also think about something else.

　Maybe it was just an instinct to ease the pain that covered your entire body.

　At that moment, the ground shook again. The floor, the walls, and the ceiling creaked like a scream.

　Or maybe I'm going to end up here in the dirt, Cryer thought absentmindedly, when he heard a sound.

　He heard a sound. Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, and clomping on the floor with great force.

　As if checking each and every one of the prisons, the sound stopped every now and then, slowly but surely coming closer and closer to Cryer's prison - and then


You look terrible, man.


　The sight of Mitsurugi's figure appeared with a somewhat dumbfounded voice, and Crya Berch's red eyes widened into a full circle.