In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

"Okita!" Samura shouted, his body parallel to the ground as he stood on the tree trunk.

“Coming!” Okita replied.

Their gazes simultaneously fell on Mama Bear's right arm, which wasn't caught by Miss Aron and was tearing at Miss Aron's head.

"New Feather Wheel - Wing One!"

"One step beyond the sound—two steps without gaps!"

Zuocun's body almost completely froze in mid-air, while Okita moved his feet and disappeared from the spot.

"He Liu—!"

"Unknown Thrust!!"

Zuocun plummeted from the sky, and Hehe slashed out with lightning speed at Xiong Mama's elbow.

Okita appeared not far from the mother bear, and then disappeared again.

The sword's target was also the mother bear's elbow.

Zheng—

"Roar!!!" the mother bear roared angrily.

However, it was to no avail.

The steel-hard bones may have provided some resistance, but...

Black blood sprayed out, and the bear's arm, thicker than a tree trunk, was severed and sent flying into the air.

Ryoma looked at Samura and Okita, and swallowed hard.

"That level of skill can't even be called swordsmanship..."

"Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo" A furious and painful roar came from the mouth of the giant black bear.

A powerful magical force emanated from within the mother bear's body, expanding forcefully.

"Roar—" Miss A-Long was hit directly at point-blank range, and involuntarily loosened her grip on her body, roaring in pain.

Mama Bear may have cultivated for much less time than Miss A-Long, but this place is a spiritual vein.

Moreover, Miss A-Long has been sealed away for many years and is unable to unleash her full power.

After forcing Miss Ah Long away, Mama Bear turned her head.

Zuo Cun, who had just leaped into the air and was still in mid-air, felt a chill run down his spine.

He has no way to change his location, while Mama Bear is—

He crashed headfirst into Zuocun.

"Pfft—" Zuo Cun was knocked away and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Samura!" Exhausted Okita shouted as he saw Samura being knocked away.

The mother bear seemed to have no more desire to deal with these people. She picked up her severed arm and fled up the mountain.

Okita used Shrinking Earth again to reach the side of the thrown Samura and barely caught him.

"Pfft, I'm fine, cough cough." Zuo Cun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his right hand, looking in the direction the bear mother had fled.

Miss Ah Long transformed back into human form and managed to stay upright by holding onto the tree.

Mama Bear unleashed her magic in a fit of rage and in a crude manner. Although it caused more damage to herself, Miss Arlong was right at point of contact and took the full brunt of the attack.

Feeling a dislocation in her internal organs, Miss A-Long clutched her stomach and squatted on the ground in discomfort. Ryoma rushed over and hugged Miss A-Long.

Because Okita had been using Shrinking Earth frequently, he was a little dazed. After catching Samura, Samura had to help Okita up.

Neither side gained any advantage in this battle.

"Zuocun, you..."

"Okita, are you alright?" Samura shakily picked up the scythe that had fallen to the side and put it back in its scabbard.

He felt that he had broken several ribs, dislocated his left arm, and his collarbone felt strange.

"I...I'm fine," Okita mumbled, still half asleep.

She's only thirteen years old, and she used the Shrinking Earth technique three times today; her mind simply can't take it.

Zuocun grabbed his left arm with his right hand and pushed hard.

"Uh--"

With a quick movement of his left hand, Zuocun hugged Okita tightly.

"Ugh?"

Ryoma, carrying Miss Ryoma on his back, nodded to Samura.

"Let's find a place to rest first."

"Whoa—" Just then, a chorus of hisses came from the horses.

It was a horse-drawn carriage.

A young man with burgundy hair got out of the car.

He looked at the four people, who had all been hurt to varying degrees, and smiled.

“You probably need help.”

"...How can I trust you?" Ryoma looked at the man with a solemn expression.

He was the only one who didn't participate in direct combat and was also the least injured.

Moreover, as the oldest member of the team besides Miss Ah Long, he needs to step up and take charge now that everyone else is injured.

“…I know why you’ve come here.” Matou Sawa sighed. “That’s my purpose too, so if you don’t mind, let me check this gentleman’s injuries first.”

He pointed to Zuo Cun, who looked to be the most seriously injured.

------------

Chapter 314 The Roar of the Monster

“My name is Matou Sawa, young man, and what is yours?” Matou Sawa had Samura take off his upper clothes and, together with his retainer Ishibashi Shozo, helped Samura with his treatment.

"...Zomura Anno, how will you treat me?"

“Anno… does resemble my ancestor’s name somewhat.” Suna frowned, looking at Zuocun’s chest. “As for how I can help you heal your injuries, I believe that since Zuocun has already seen a real yokai, his ability to accept it will be higher.”

"...Is it some kind of extraordinary ability?" Zuo Cun paused for a moment, then suddenly asked.

“You got it right. So, could you please ask Mr. Sahamura not to tell us you went?” Sawa placed her hands on the wound on Sahamura’s chest. “You fought that bear demon and even cut off one of her arms. Mr. Sahamura and that swordswoman are both very skilled warriors.”

"You flatter me, uh... ah!" Zuocun sat cross-legged in the carriage, Ishibashi Shozo held a candle, and Matou Sawa found the most serious wound, her hands emitting a fluorescent glow.

A warm sensation came from my chest, and a tingling sensation immediately came from the wound under my skin.

"This is... ah, um... what?" Zuocun did not sense any malice from Matou Sawa, so he did not move his body, but accepted Matou Sawa's manipulation.

Miss Okita's mind cleared a little when she heard the "hmm, ah" sounds coming from Samura inside the carriage.

Her face flushed slightly, and she asked anxiously, "Mr. Matou, what are you doing...!"

Ishibashi Sho opened the carriage door a crack: "Miss Swordsman? Mr. Matou is treating Mr. Samura."

"Ah, is that so..." Okita retreated dejectedly.

But it's unbelievable that Mr. Samura, who seemed so calm, would make such a sound...

Ryoma was lying on his knees: "Ah... Ryoma, Ryoma feels unwell in his stomach."

Ryoma forced a smile and rubbed Miss Ryoma's stomach: "I hope this will make you feel better."

......

“This is… just a little trick, Mr. Samura, please don’t take it to heart.” Matou Sawa felt a bit awkward and frowned.

Zuocun suffered the most severe injury, with not only several broken ribs but also damage to his lungs.

Even so, Zuocun never cried out in pain... He truly has a strong will.

Matou Sawa couldn't help but think of it.

"Are you an Onmyoji? Or something else?" Zuocun asked.

"...Just understand it this way, Samura-kun. I can heal your injuries, but I hope you won't discover my more secretive side," Matou Sawa said seriously, then smiled. "After all, we're now, to some extent, on the same side."

Samura looked into Matou Sawa's eyes, remained silent for two seconds, and then nodded.

"...How much do you know about Hoshiguma Yukina's situation?" Samura asked.

"That vengeful spirit? The name sounds quite nice." Matou Sawa moved her hand to another spot where the wound had partially healed. Medical magic wasn't omnipotent; the rest would have to be healed by Sawa himself. "To be honest, I don't know much about that vengeful spirit. It's just that the magistrate in the castle, who's on good terms with me, told me about it. There are two monsters entrenched in Kurokawa Mountain that have already slaughtered four or five hundred people, so I thought I'd come and take a look."

"...So the local authorities knew about this..." Zuocun frowned.

"Yes, they noticed the strange changes on Mount Kurokawa a long time ago, but they never told me. I only heard about it in recent years."

Zuo Cun sat cross-legged, his head lowered.

What are those scoundrels thinking...!

...No, I was being too idealistic.

The shogunate itself was incompetent; how could one expect its subordinates to do anything for the people?

“Let me tell you, Matou Sawa.” He raised his head and looked directly into Matou Sawa’s eyes. “The story of a girl named Hoshiguma Setsuna.”

......

"Mom, your arm—!" The demon Yukina looked at the bear mother who had transformed into human form, holding her severed left arm in her right hand instead of an axe, and tears streamed down her face.

"Xue Nai... those people are very strong." Not only did Mama Bear lose her arm, but she also suffered serious injuries in many other parts of her body.

The most noticeable injury was to the upper back of the shoulder, where the entire right scapula was torn apart and was covered in blood and gore. The biceps of the right arm were almost completely ripped off, and the ankle also suffered severe injuries.

"Mom! Mom! Cheer up!"

The bear mother collapsed weakly into the arms of the yokai Yukina.

The yokai Yukina's black hair danced wildly, obscuring half the sky, and tears of blood flowed from her eyes.