Kamasses Valiant Struggle

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O wind, become my blade and shred my foes! Wind Cutter!

As the silver-haired young adventurer Kamasse chanted, transparent blades shot forth from his fingertips, soaring towards one of the circling massive Togdo birds overhead.

However.

Hogaaaaah!!

With a single cry from the Togdo, a semi-transparent membrane of air manifested, shielding it from Kamasses wind blades.

A defensive magic humans called Air Protect.

Togdo were tremendous avian beasts easily surpassing the size of ordinary vehicles.

Housed within their feathers were sturdy muscles granting them considerable weight.

The reason these massive creatures could freely soar through the skies was an innate understanding of wind magic the very ability allowing such low-intelligence Togdo to wield wind-attribute defensive spells.

Hogaah! Hogaaaaah!!

Though undamaged by the blades, the Togdo they struck became enraged by the unexpected retaliation from such a puny grounded creature, rushing down from above at tremendous speed while flinging drool wildly!

To be body-slammed by that gigantic mass at full force would pulverize Kamasse, even with his Body Strengthening magic active.

But Kamasse didnt panic.

Inhaling, then exhaling deeply.

Shifting his weight forward onto the balls of his feet, ready to move.

Never taking his intense glare off the charging Togdo.

It was all part of the plan.

The Wind Cutter was merely a provocation.

He never expected it to be effective from the outset.

This was the very moment Kamasse had been waiting for when the Togdo closed in on the ground.

O earth, become myriad pebbles and pierce my enemy! Mini Soil Bullets!

What Kamasse unleashed towards the incoming Togdo was an elementary earth magic modified to widespread scatter-shot.

Countless dirt clumps generated from the ground at Kamasses feet lifted and flew straight at the massive bird.

Unlike Emis Infinite Pebbles, these dirt clumps werent enhanced in any way just fragile clumps of earth.

Hardly potent enough to damage a Togdo, but of course Kamasse was well aware of that.

Hogaah!?

Kamasses dirt clumps flew squarely towards the Togdos face.

Though protected by its wind-attribute defenses, the Togdo reflexively closed its eyes, leaving an opening.

And that was the very opportunity Kamasse had intended to create.

Blaze, activate enchantment.

Bobobot!

As Kamasse uttered the activation code, scorching flames ignited along the blade he held horizontally to the ground.

Yes, Kamasses beloved sword Blaze was an enchanted magical weapon!

Sword Saint Style Radiant Severing Strike

Then, charging forward, Kamasse delivered a horizontal slash that struck the Togdo as they crossed paths.

Hogaaaaah!?

Flinching from the searing pain, the Togdo crashed to the ground in a tumbling impact.

Zugagagah!!

Its massive body bulldozed through the low shrubbery, shattering boulders that burst forth from the grassy patches as it rolled violently.

However, the Togdos sturdy frame, further reinforced by Body Strengthening, did not sustain fatal damage from that alone.

It immediately tried to rise and retaliate against Kamasse, yet

Hogaah!? Hogaah!?

Its efforts were in vain.

The cut Kamasse inflicted suddenly erupted with furious flames!

The power of Kamasses magic sword Blaze it held the simple yet terrifying ability to incinerate any foe it struck.

Those flames would ignite, fueled by the struck victims own magic power, spreading across their entire body.

They would not be extinguished until the targets magic was fully drained.

Hoga

And so the charred Togdo fell motionless.

Six such scorched Togdo corpses now littered the surrounding area.

Ordinarily, Kamasse would have already returned to town to call for help transporting the meat by now.

Tch.

But there was no joy on Kamasses face.

He clicked his tongue in vexation while glaring up at the overcast skies, where dozens of unscathed Togdo continued soaring leisurely.

(This has become quite the predicament.)

Kamasse inwardly cursed.

The request he had accepted that day was a Togdo Hunting quest.

Ever since his defeat by Emi, Kamasse had been focusing on extermination quests, diligently pushing himself through intense training.

All for the sake of becoming stronger.

Kamasse was once hailed as a genius, an exceptionally talented combatant after all.

Though he had only faced Emi once, that single encounter allowed him to grasp the overwhelming gap in their abilities.

And that ignited his obstinate competitive spirit.

Hence his daily routine since then had been constant training from morning till night.

Cultivating his fundamental physical and magic prowess, honing his techniques, sharpening his battle instincts.

Naturally, accepting the Togdo Hunting quest was part of that training regimen too.

The monetary reward was also an incentive, of course.

Togdo meat was a main dish essential to Yoshankas cuisine, and with the recent influx of outside visitors to town, the quest rewards had been increasing commensurately a tempting endeavor from both the training and financial perspectives.

It was in pursuit of that quest objective that Kamasse had ventured to the northern cliffs where the Togdo nested.

There he encountered the pair being assaulted by Togdo and came to their rescue, but

(Still, I never expected to face such an enormous flock.)

Ordinarily, Togdo were not creatures that flocked together.

Even if others of their kind were fighting nearby, individuals would remain indifferent by default.

Thats why Kamasse had planned to simply hunt one or two before returning to Yoshanka town.

But that plan was derailed by the presence of that red Togdo lurking at the back of the flock.

(To think, a special specimen would show up)

The red Togdo.

With a few past sighting reports, it was catalogued in the guilds monster encyclopedia as the Togdo Commander a special variant.

Its body was several times larger than a normal Togdo.

And it possessed the ability to rally and direct the otherwise uncoordinated members of its kind, maneuvering them like extensions of its own limbs.

Wherever a Togdo Commander appeared, the Togdo would aggressively expand their territory, resulting in the destruction of numerous villages and towns throughout history.

Hohohoggaaaaaah!!

The Togdo Commander let out an unpleasant screech.

In response, the Togdo that had been circling aimlessly formed up into disciplined aerial formations and began performing coordinated flight maneuvers.

It seemed their period of observation was over.

Kamasse wished he could have thinned their numbers further beforehand, but the mere six he had defeated were just a drop in the bucket.

And the enemy was an organized force of airborne monsters.

Escape seemed unlikely.

(Tch! Dont get disheartened now, Kamasse! Im the future special-rank adventurer! Im not meant to die in some place like this!!)

Kamasse readied his sword again, mustering his resolve.

All he could do was buy time and take down as many Togdo as possible in the meantime.

Before long, that pair he rescued should report the situation to the Adventurers Guild, and reinforcements would arrive.

Come at me, you damned birds!!

Hohohohoggaaaaaah!!

Kamasse and the Togdo Commanders cries rang out almost simultaneously.

Under the Commanders direction, numerous Togdo began diving attacks against Kamasse!

Hyah! Hah!

Weaving through their assaults with the Mini Soil Bullets obfuscation technique, Kamasse fluidly evaded blow after blow.

Every single Togdo boasted an immense physique.

Hence to avoid colliding with one another, their dives had to be spaced out individually making their attacks easily avoidable for a skilled combatant like Kamasse.

But their sheer numbers were overwhelming!

Dozens of Togdo relentlessly rushed him from every direction without pause!

Unlike before, he was granted no opportunity to counterattack!

Gradually, Kamasses stamina, mental focus, and concentration waned as fatigue set in, his movements growing sluggish.

Gh!!

And before he knew it, he stumbled over a stray rock, falling onto his backside.

Hogaaah!!

Naturally, the Togdo wouldnt wait for him to get back up.

Screeching triumphantly, they charged in for the kill.

For Kamasse, the flow of time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Faces of those he had encountered throughout his life flashed through his mind his boisterous father and gentle mother back in his port hometown, his crybaby little sister, all the people he had met on his travels, and that cursed child Emi.

(Dont screw with me! Dont screw with me dont screw with me DONT SCREW WITH ME!!)

But Kamasse forcefully brushed aside such recollections, gritting his teeth as he struggled back up, sword in hand!

The enchantment mechanism of the Blaze ignited, wreathing the blade in scorching flames!!

Daryaaaaaaaah!!

With an anguished roar, Kamasse leapt skyward!

Spinning vertically while holding his blazing magic sword overhead, he simultaneously avoided the incoming dives while lashing out to sever a Togdos wing in one fluid motion!

Hogaah!? Hogaah!?

Struck by the blade, the Togdo was immobilized as Blazes flames consumed it, fueled by the victims own magic power.

But it was just one.

He had only taken down a single Togdo.

Their attacks continued unabated.

Hogaaaaah!!

Gahh!!

A blind spot Togdo seized the opening as he landed, slamming into Kamasse and sending him crashing to the ground, coughing up blood.

Ughah

Though struggling to stand again, Kamasses body refused to muster any strength.

Managing only to prop up his upper body while trembling, his gaze fell upon the massive avian form diving straight towards him.

ShShit!

That immense body shrouded in ebon feathers.

The razor-sharp beak.

Those murky green eyes.

This was the avatar of death that would soon claim Kamasses soul.

Shiiiiiiit!!

He couldnt help but scream out.

(Damn it! Am I really going to die in some place like this!?)

Tears streamed down his face.

(It cant be! Damn it, such a pathetic endI absolutely wont accept it!!)

And yet despite that conviction, his body would not move.

(I dont want to die!!)

The despair of his own powerlessness.

The thirst to cling to life.

Such commonplace, dying regrets.

Those were the final thoughts that consumed the silver-haired young adventurer Kamasse Kaisetsu.

And so the once-genius Kamasse was fated to breathe his last in vain anguish.

Or so it should have been.

Dopan!!!

However, Kamasses life was spared.

Something fist-sized came hurtling in from his right side, deflecting the diving Togdos head away!

!?

As Kamasse lay on his back pressed against the ground, the Togdos decapitated body sailed overhead.

What in the world

Dopan! Dopan! Dopan!

That same impact sound rang out in rapid succession, drowning out Kamasses murmur.

Looking up, he saw several more Togdo losing their heads as they began plummeting earthward.

Hohohogah! Hogaah!!

With a panicked screech from the Togdo Commander, the flock temporarily broke off their offensive and resumed circling above once more.

Kasah, kasakasah.

Rustling through the knee-high withered autumn grass, someone approached Kamasses position.

Instinctively turning that way, Kamasses eyes flew wide.

It was a person he recognized well.

Younger and smaller than Kamasse himself, yet overwhelmingly stronger the black-haired, black-eyed cursed child, Emi.

Casually toying with a fist-sized rock in her palm, Emi slowly made her way over to Kamasse.

After confirming he was unharmed with a glance, she turned her back protectively towards him while facing the Togdo flock, taking a battle stance and releasing an Intimidation aura so potent that even Kamasse, to whom it wasnt directed, felt a suffocating bloodlust.

The Togdo instinctively fell silent, holding their breaths as the area was enveloped in an eerie stillness, the crashing sea winds sounding unnaturally amplified.

Yet Emi shouted in a voice that drowned out even those gale forces.

You damned birds!!

Intensifying her killing intent even further.

Allowing the deeply buried will within her heart to manifest.

Ferocious, sinister, formidable.

Laying bare the murderous depths of her soul, she gave voice to that darkness in simple words.

She issued her declaration!

Ill kill every last one of you!!