Chapter 18: Kael Just Wants to Power Up
The Jashinist followers, who had been so aggressive just moments before, were now in a state of panic. These cruel, bloodthirsty fanatics, when faced with a stronger opponent, began to retreat. Their arrogant squad leader... how was he just gone?
Kael paid them no mind. He unleashed his basic taijutsu, each swing of his kunai sending a head rolling and blood spurting. The sound of wind rushed past him from behind, but he used his hearing to pinpoint the attacks and dodge them. All his hard training at the academy was finally paying off. A minute on the battlefield was worth ten years of practice.
A few minutes later, with the help of the other students, all the Jashinist followers had been dealt with. Kael, covered in blood, turned his attention to the other battle raging a hundred meters away. That was the fight that would decide their fate.
"All of you, get back! Don't go near that battlefield! A fight between Chunin is not something you can interfere with!" Kael shouted, seeing the eager looks in the eyes of Murakami Rin and the others, who were pumped up from the recent fight.
The ground at his feet split open, and a grotesque, earthworm-like monster appeared, startling the students who had gathered around him. Kael quickly lay flat on the Earth Dragon's back, clinging tightly to its massive body. The next moment, the Earth Dragon dove back into the earth and vanished from sight.
Murakami Rin and the others stared at each other, speechless with amazement.
"Where is the captain going...?" a female student asked dazedly.
"I think... he's going to help Rino-sensei fight that Jashinist Chunin," another student answered uncertainly.
A complex mix of emotions washed over the students' faces. They had used all their strength just to deal with ordinary followers who didn't even have chakra, but their class monitor, Kael, was already taking on a Chunin. Only Rei and Murakami Rin stared at the deep hole in the ground, clenching their fists in frustration, hating their own uselessness.
Meanwhile, on the other battlefield, Inoshita Rino was being forced back, barely able to defend himself against the Jashinist Chunin.
SWISH!
A shuriken flew through the air, growing larger and larger in his vision. His face was pale, but he gritted his teeth, pushed off the ground, and leaped into the air, dodging the projectile. He landed solidly on a nearby tree trunk and used the rebound force to launch himself forward, straight at the Jashin-nin. He knew he couldn't retreat. He had to keep this man occupied to give his students a chance to escape.
"You're asking for it!" the black-robed, masked Jashinist roared. He swung his large scythe in a wide arc and brought it down on Inoshita.
CLANG!
The scythe slammed into Inoshita's kunai. The immense force sent him flying, his hand going numb as the kunai was knocked from his grasp.
BAM!
Inoshita's back hit the ground hard, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He clutched his chest, his vision blurring as he looked toward his students, a bitter expression on his pale face. The next moment, a dark shadow fell over him. The Jashinist was standing over him.
Thump!
The man landed softly. Inoshita's head lolled to the side, his hazy vision only catching the swirl of a black robe.
Is this the end...? he murmured, his lips barely moving.
"You guessed it, old man," the Jashinist Chunin sneered. He flicked his wrist, and the large scythe rose in a cold arc, then came slashing down toward Inoshita's head. It was a killing blow.
But just then, the ground beneath the Jashinist's feet erupted, a bucket-sized hole opening up. Dirt and debris flew everywhere, forcing him to squint. His legs were suddenly caught in a vice-like grip.
"It's you, you damn brat!" the Jashinist Chunin roared. He instantly tensed his core and strained with all his might, forcing his legs apart to keep from being swallowed whole. He raised his scythe and brought it down hard on the Earth Dragon.
CLANG!
The blow landed with the sound of metal on metal. A foot-long gash appeared on the Earth Dragon's gray-brown body, and rock-like, grayish-white fragments fell from the wound, quickly stained red by its blood. The injury caused the Earth Dragon's grip to weaken. The Jashinist's eyes lit up. He channeled all his strength into his legs and spun himself free, leaping several meters into the air.
A crazed look appeared in his eyes. "Brat, you almost got me! You've really pissed me off now! Die!!!" he screamed hoarsely.
He held the large scythe with both hands and brought it down on Kael, who was directly below him. Aided by the force of gravity, the attack was incredibly fast, far too fast for Kael to dodge.
But did he need to dodge? The answer was no.
Kael's lips were pressed into a thin line, his eyes wide as he stared at the rapidly approaching blade, seemingly unfazed by its cold glint. He looked calm, but inside, he was screaming.
One more time! Little Spike, you can do it!
SHICK! SHICK! SHICK! SHICK! SHICK!
The next moment, dozens of iron quills, gleaming with a faint silver light, shot out from behind the Jashinist Chunin and pierced his body. Caught completely off guard by Kael's relentless surprise attacks, the Chunin died without ever getting a chance to use a single ninjutsu.
"I just wanted to power up in peace. You guys were the ones who came looking for death. Don't blame me for this..." Kael muttered to himself, a wave of relief washing over him.
THUD!
The Jashinist Chunin's body fell to the ground.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Only then did Kael allow himself to gasp for breath, his face a mask of lingering shock. He glanced at the Ironclad Hedgehog, which was lying limply nearby, completely bare of quills. He felt a surge of triumph, mixed with relief.
"That was way too close."
He couldn't even dodge a Chunin's attack. His only option was to rely on his summons for surprise tactics, and every step was fraught with danger. He had waited for the moment the Chunin was about to kill Inoshita, when his guard was at its lowest, to have the Earth Dragon attack and immobilize him. That was the most crucial step. After the Ironclad Hedgehog's first attack had failed, Kael knew that if he couldn't pin the Chunin down, the "A Thousand Arrows" attack would be useless.
"I really owe it to Little Spike this time. He's fired off all his quills three times and is completely exhausted now. This world is too dangerous. When I watched the show, I thought Chunin were just cannon fodder, but fighting one is like... he was toying with me..." Kael muttered, a trace of fear in his eyes.
"I really need to lay low and focus on getting stronger. My current bag of tricks is starting to feel seriously inadequate..."