250. VS Vanguard – Ninja God Shuri (Part 2)

“—When the Vanguard arrives, we’ll first use Shuram’s barrier to stall them.”

During one of our training sessions, Libera-san had said that. I sat up from the ground and listened to her words.

“We can predict where they’ll arrive to some extent. Shuram’s clones are already pre-positioned, and the barrier will go up the moment the Vanguard arrives. It should hold for maybe one or two hours. In the meantime, we finish combat preparations.”

“…What about the possibility of the barrier being broken? Or them slipping through it?”

“Of course there’s a possibility. Someone fast enough might escape outside before Shuram’s barrier fully deploys. Some might slip through, but those types aren’t usually very strong in direct combat, so the chances of them being chosen for the Vanguard are low. Probably two or three people can escape the barrier. In my estimation, it would be around Shuri, Glen, or Gashmash. Randall could escape too, but he’s the leader, so he’ll definitely stay on the spot.”

Shuri, Glen, and Gashmash, huh.

So that means we have to fight at least three of them immediately as soon as the Vanguard arrives.

“What kind of people are they?”

“Shuri is an assassin with the same ‘Ninja God’ power as you. Her speed is top-class even within the Vanguard. She’s a specialist in raids, surprise attacks, and scouting. In other words, I suppose you could call her your high-tier version.”

“……”

“Glen is a swordsman who manipulates fire, holding the epithet ‘Flame Emperor.’ He is top-class in terms of attack power. He specifically excels in wide-range annihilation. You must never try to challenge him with numbers. These two are Randall’s aides and are almost certainly selected as Vanguard members. Gashmash is… well, honestly, I think the possibility of him being chosen is low, but I’ll tell you his abilities and traits just in case. In a way, he’s a very troublesome guy. I wouldn’t pick him as a member, but I can’t rule out the possibility that Randall might put him in just to outwit me.”

Libera-san explained the abilities and traits of the third person.

“—It’s like a Rock-Paper-Scissors kind of ability, isn’t it…”

“Right? But keep it in the back of your mind. I’ll teach you the other member candidates too. …Eventually, we’ll use Shuram’s clones for training.”

“? …Clones?”

“Ah, just talking to myself. Don’t mind me— Now, let’s resume training.”

“Eh, let me rest a bit more— GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

…Was it a while after that that I was made to fight clones of myself created by the Sea King and clones of Vanguard candidates?

That was truly difficult.

Recalling the conversation with Libera-san, I stare at the enemy before me.

“—Clone Jutsu.”

“Here they come!”

“Wan!”

“Kyuu!”

“……! (Nod nod)”

Shuri, the Vanguard member who had split into over a hundred clones, closed in.

Furthermore, her clones activated ninja arts.

Just like before, they were of various types: Wind Style, Fire Style, and Lightning Style.

“Momo, Darkness Bullets! Kiki, prepare for constant reflection!”

“Wan!”

“Kyuu!”

Countless jet-black energy bullets were fired from Momo’s shadow.

The power was roughly equal to Arrogance’s slashes.

They neutralized the countless approaching clones and the ninja arts they had unleashed.

“—Sunset Territory.”

In that instant, Shuri activated Sunset Territory.

A “Ninja God” skill that forcibly converts the surroundings to night and drastically enhances skill effects.

(—She could use it after all.)

It makes sense. I can use it. There’s no reason she shouldn’t be able to.

However, the fact that skill power increases in Sunset Territory applies to us as well.

Since it’s her skill, there’s no Night Vision buff for my party members, but Momo and the others can move in the dark without issue anyway.

Her goal was likely simply to boost her own skills.

“Falling Rock: Explosion Style Jutsu.”

“Wha—”

At that moment, what appeared in the sky was a massive meteorite.

The giant, burning red meteorite approached at a staggering speed.

“Aka! Petrify!”

“~~~~Ts! (Nod nod)”

In an instant, Aka expanded his body dozens of times and petrified all at once.

The petrified Aka collided with the meteorite, slowing its movement for just a second.

But he couldn’t stop it completely. Therefore—

“Reflection!”

“Kyuu!”

In that instant, Kiki’s reflection activated.

It bounced the meteorite back toward Shuri exactly as it was.

“—Star Slicer Jutsu.”

But Shuri sliced the reflected meteorite in half with her ninja blade.

You’re kidding…?

How can a meteorite over ten meters in diameter be cut by such a thin blade?

(In the first place, what is that ninja art…?)

I don’t know the ninja art for the meteorite, nor the one that cut it.

Not only that, she is activating multiple ninja arts simultaneously.

I can use them in combination with skills, but simultaneous activation of multiple ninja arts is impossible for me.

“—Flicker Jutsu.”

“Ts— She vanished…”

A chill ran down my spine.

Reflexively leaping forward, Shuri was there.

She was swinging her ninja blade down, exactly at the position to decapitate me.

“Haa… haa…”

“For a failure, you certainly persist…”

She clicked her tongue.

I was forced to realize the difference in power, whether I liked it or not.

I’d talked big earlier, but even with Divine Power Release and the help of Momo and the others, she was still superior.

(Only about two minutes have passed since the battle started…)

I can’t pay too much attention to my surroundings, but since the Vanguard has arrived, the Sea King’s barrier should already be active.

There were two large presences that escaped outside the barrier, including her.

Probably the man named Glen that Libera-san mentioned.

(In that case, Libera-san should have finished giving minimal orders to the other allies and moved to her next action…)

Near the guy named Glen, there was also Schwarz’s presence.

If I can trust the joint struggle, a battle will undoubtedly break out over there too.

I’m concerned that I sensed Igarashi-san and Katsuragi’s presences as well, but I don’t have the luxury of checking right now.

Until everyone else’s preparations are finished, I have to keep this one pinned down here.

“Phew…”

But how…?

It’ll take another three minutes until Ichinose-san and Sora join up.

Can I last another three minutes against an opponent I’ve barely held off for two while going all out?

No, it’s impossible. I’ll die before then.

(She won’t… give me the opening to activate ‘Heroic Hymn’.)

The moment Heroic Hymn is activated, the body stiffens for an instant.

There’s no way she would miss that opening.

If I misjudge the timing, I’ll die for sure.

On the other hand, if I keep fighting as I am, I’ll be killed before reinforcements arrive.

(Even though I have ‘Low-tier Divine Eye’ active at all times…)

Even with these eyes that eliminate blind spots and see through every angle, I can’t fully capture her speed.

Even though I can “see” the timing she activates ninja arts and their effects, I can’t react in time.

Well, obviously. Our base power is different to begin with; she can win through simple brute force.

She doesn’t need to use tricks like we do.

“…If so, I guess there’s only that method left…”

I’ll use another trump card.

It’s a gamble, but it shouldn’t be one with bad odds.

I take a deep breath and ready Arrogance.

…Come to think of it, I’ve been letting Lightning Style flow through it the whole time.

I thought it was unusually quiet, but it turns out it was just too numb to speak.

Sorry, but stay numb for a bit longer.

“Gale Breakthrough!”

“Too slow!”

I close in on Shuri using Gale Breakthrough.

But as if mocking me, Shuri’s form vanishes.

“ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

In that instant, I gripped Arrogance and swung slashes in all directions.

It was a vortex of extra-large slashes imbued with Lightning Style.

It destroyed the surrounding buildings and kicked up a massive cloud of dust.

My vision was blocked by smoke, and Shuri’s presence vanished.

Within that—

“—Flicker Jutsu.”

“Gaha…”

Shuri’s ninja blade pierced my heart.

“It is over. For a monkey’s imitation of a human, you lasted quite a while.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

—About you.

In that instant, I let go of Arrogance and grabbed Shuri’s arms.

“Ts—!?”

“Thanks for letting your guard down. If you hadn’t been careless and had used clones, it would’ve been my loss.”

But I know because I’m using “Low-tier Divine Eye.”

She is the real one.

I grip her arms firmly.

“Arro… gance…”

As if responding to my voice, lightning erupted from Arrogance, which was thrust into the ground.

The imbued Lightning Style was still active.

At this distance, it can’t be dodged.

“Guh, you bastarddddddd!”

The pale lightning made her body go numb and scorched her.

Even so, she is a member of the Vanguard.

Even if she takes some damage, it won’t lead to a fatal wound.

But you can’t move your body, can you?

“Fire, Momo!”

“WAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!”

“Guh— GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

Momo’s Darkness Bullets detonated.

Pinned by her arms and unable to move due to the paralysis from the lightning, she took the attack directly.

“Gaha… Y-you peopleeeee! Explosion Style—”

“Lightning Style Jutsu!”

Before she could activate a ninja art, I increased the power of the electric shock further.

“Aga… ga…”

Forced by the increased power of the lightning strike, her ninja art was forcibly canceled.

Ah, my vision is flickering.

Blood is flowing, and I feel like I’m about to lose strength.

Not yet. Endure it.

Just a little more.

Keep her pinned to this spot for just a little longer.

“Let go…! Let go, you monkeyyyyyyy!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

I won’t let go.

As I put all my strength into it, blood overflowed from my pierced chest.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

“WAOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! WAOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!”

Momo fired Darkness Bullets again.

Direct hit, direct hit, direct hit.

After taking more than ten more attacks, each with power comparable to Sora’s condensed breath, she finally collapsed.

“Haa… haa… haa… Did I… do it…?”

The finishing blow… no, treating the wound comes first. I’ll actually die at this rate.

Honestly, it’s a miracle I’m still conscious with a blade stuck in my heart and this much bleeding.

After confirming she was unconscious, I pulled the blade from my heart.

And I immediately took that out of my Item Box.

—‘Healing Orb.’

A recovery item that can heal any wound, curse, or disease only once.

When I gripped it in my hand, the wound vanished completely along with a faint light.

“Truth-Seeking” and “Healing Orb.” The two trump cards I possessed.

Against the very first person, I had been forced to consume both.

“But with this—”

“With this—what?”

“Ts!?”

Glaringly, Shuri’s scorched eyes were looking at me.

You’re kidding? She’s awake already?

Having let my guard down thinking she wouldn’t wake up immediately from those wounds, I was a split second late in moving.

She crawled like a snake at a staggering speed and grabbed my ankle.

Looking closely, her arms were cracked in places, and intense light was leaking from the gaps.

“To think you would go this far… You are dangerous… you are dangerous! You will be an obstacle to us! You alone, I absolutely cannot allow to live!”

“Don’t tell me you—! Momo!”

“Wan!”

I immediately knew what she was trying to do.

I instantly spread a shadow to evacuate Momo and the others into it.

But I, whose foot was gripped by her, couldn’t move from the spot.

“Die, monkey.”

Almost simultaneously with Momo and the others being evacuated into the shadow—a tremendous explosion destroyed everything.

End of 250