VERSATILE: ALTERNATE WORLD

It's clear that the enemy before us is not in the mood for any negotiation or anything similar to that. The three of us are getting our weapons ready but we didn't engage in it just yet. We don't know what it will do and what it can do so we are cautious about it. Besides, I can't see any kind of information from this guy. It was like he glitched out from this place and is currently a bug but knowing that this is not a real game, this enemy is a real deal and we have to ensure whether this guy is more dangerous than he seemed to be.

"Should we go and engage against this guy?" Queen Tori asked ready to send out more of her shikigami.

"Don't. We wait until he strikes first. Unless this guy is ready to attack, we won't initiate our first strike."

The guy continues to just stand there with his menacing stature we don't really know whether to attack it first or continue to wait for it to attack. However, before we run out of patience, it seems the guy has run out of patience first and decided to attack.

"Finally, you decided to make your move!" Queen Tanya parried the katana and when he also swings the second one to strike Queen Tanya, she just made a slight adjustment to her scythe and that allowed her to block the attack before he can succeed.

While he is busy with Queen Tanya, I encased half of his body in ice before I swing my sword to him. He realized that he is ganged on and he blocked the incoming attack with the second sword he used and used his first sword to destroy the ice encasing his feet and escaped. However, Queen Tanya didn't just let him retreat.

"Did you think retreating works?! Think again!" Queen Tanya chases him, then swings her scythe as quickly as possible but the guy was also quick on his feet as he immediately ducks away from the scythe the moment he ducked, he also received a blast from Queen Tori's mystic arts, blasting him with bladed cherry blossoms as they pierced his body and he started bleeding the moment he tanked the attack.

But that seems to be not doing anything as the guy just stood up once again and flicks the cherry blossom petals off of his body and assumed a battle stance again. I didn't want to waste more time and so I decided to get serious and start clashing his sword with my sword.

PENG PENG PENG

Our attacks are barely able to be seen properly by the naked eye as I continue to engage in a sword fight with him. And to be honest, he is like a real player capable of doing attacks like that that even normal bosses can't even do as they usually have a chance to be killed with their weak points. As for this guy, he almost doesn't have one. And I doubt even using my gun will work here. If he can easily parry and block off my sword attacks then slicing bullets would be even easier for this guy as well.

Then, Queen Tanya decided to join in the fight and the sound of the blades started ringing.

His reflexes are good as every time I tried to use a chance to attack his blindspot whenever Queen Tanya attacks him, he immediately blocks it off with his other katana before deflecting it off and then proceeds to attack which I would block it with my weapon again. It's pretty much a stalemate and the fact he was even able to stop Queen Tanya's scythe while defending against my lightning-speed attacks was incredible in its own merit.

But then, the shikigami of Queen Tori appeared out of nowhere, attached itself to the samurai man, and starts to ignite. That's when I realized what it was.

"Retreat!"

As we jumped back, the shikigami that just ignited exploded alongside the samurai man. The explosion was strong enough for him to fall down on his knees with only the katana keeping him from falling down completely.

"Did we get him?" Queen Tori frowned.

"If he is still breathing and has not fallen down to the ground, he ain't dead yet," I then pulled out my Pain Delivery and released one shot of bullet to him and he immediately sliced it up using the other katana he was not using for support.

"Tch. You are right," Queen Tanya then proceeds to attack the samurai once again but before she can slice it again, it suddenly disappears. It also happens that the sun has set and the dark sky blankets the whole surroundings. It was like it just disappeared from existence.

"What? Where did he go?!" Queen Tanya frowned as she pulled out her scythe off the ground and looked all over the place trying to find the man but she can't find him.

"No more hostiles in the vicinity. Not even traces or signs of him all over the place. It was like he straight up vanished."

Everyone frowned and all that was left after the battle is the ruined shrine grounds that were caused by our fight with the strange samurai.

"Don't worry about the damage, Bladeheart-kun. I can testify to what happened here and will report it to the people so that they also be alerted if that same guy appeared once more. If it wasn't us who that samurai met today, they would be dead by now," Ran made our feelings lighter after that. We thought we would be held accountable for the damages done.

"Still, that was not an ordinary samurai. I have seen countless of samurai before but they have not done things like that in the past and even if they are that capable, they don't have that much of inhuman speed that rivals both of you. I can say I would likely agree that you two have those abilities normally due to how in your nature to fight enemies most of the time and Queen Tanya being a battle maniac and capable of fighting enemies easily at that speed due to her experience, but that guy? Is just downright insane. I don't think a normal samurai can ever do that kind of thing easily unless they train for their whole life."

"Aren't samurai no longer present during this time now?" Queen Tori asked.

"Not necessarily. They are still there but they are now either farmers or businessmen, some of them are even trainers of soldiers as well since they have more experience and discipline they can command someone with it but if you are talking about a samurai similar to that guy you guys fought just now, then no. Most of them have already left that life," Ran explained.

We turned to look at the soldiers who witnessed everything and they all shook their heads. It seems they don't have any idea what was that all about either.

"Anyways, we should head back to the inn. It's getting late and it would be troublesome if more of the soldiers came and would start causing more riots. I think I have enough trouble to handle for today, I guess," Ran shrugs.

"Yeah, I agree. Not finishing off that bastard makes me a bit tired. I guess it should be the perfect time to dip into the hot spring," Queen Tanya stretches out.

Honestly, I feel the same but I feel like someone is still watching us but I don't think there is anyone else other than us here on the shrine right now so I don't think I have any idea where am I getting that feeling. Perhaps the feeling of being watched by the Goddess of Life? Nah, I don't think that was it, however, I should find a chance to remove that kind of feature on me soon but for now, I have to talk to these soldiers first.

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"Your excellency, I came to report." one of the soldiers that seem to be a commander appeared bowing down in front of a man that is currently separated with a folding screen to separate him and the one speaking to him."

"Report."

"We detected 5 soldiers were freed from the effects of the possession. We don't know what was the cause but we were suddenly cut off from its connection and controlling them is no longer possible as they seemed to also have removed their armor as well which prevents us from returning them back to their possessed state."

"Hmph, guess there are some people out there that are still capable of resisting the effects of the spell but don't bother. They are only 5 people and what can they do with only 5 people? I doubt they even know I am the one who did it," the shogun was nonchalant in his answer.

"I suggest that we should increase their possession level. That way, removing it by will and force will not be taken mildly then."