I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

clang!

Mars explodes.

The overwhelming force, like shockwaves, surged towards Qingdeng wave after wave.

The Kamaitachi is not only fast, but also incredibly strong!

If he were at his peak, taking down the Kamaitachi's attacks would be a piece of cake.

However... there is no such thing as "if" in this world.

Unable to withstand the attack from the Kamaitachi, Qing Deng's Ghost-Slaying Sword was deflected, leaving his body wide open!

Kamaitachi readjusted his sword, ready to deliver the fatal blow to the now vulnerable Aoto, when Kinoshita Mai's reinforcements arrived just in time, still delivering a fierce kick, this time targeting Kamaitachi's lower back.

If he ignored Kinoshita Mai's attack, his waist would probably be broken... Helpless, Kamaitachi had no choice but to stop his attack on Aoto.

However, Kamaitachi did not let Aoto off the hook so easily.

Although he did not slash at Qing Deng with his sword, he took the opportunity to kick out, aiming his foot at Qing Deng's chest while simultaneously turning the blade to slash at Kinoshita Mai's leg, which was kicking towards him.

Qingdeng hurriedly pulled his left arm in front of him, and his arm and foot crossed, producing a loud sound of bones and flesh colliding.

Unable to deflect the immense force, Qingdeng flew backward several steps at low altitude, his back making intimate contact with the trunk of a large tree.

Leaves fluttered down, landing on Qingdeng, who was sliding down the tree trunk and falling to the ground...

After kicking Aoto away, Kamaitachi was finally able to focus on dealing with Kinoshita Mai.

At this moment, Kamaitachi keenly noticed that Kinoshita Mai kept sneaking glances at Aoto, who was lying under the tree roots, and saw a worry in her beautiful eyes that she couldn't hide.

"What? Are you very concerned about that person's situation?"

Kamaitachi continued its taunting.

Ignoring Kamaitachi's taunts, Kinoshita Mai glared angrily at Kamaitachi before focusing her attention and engaging in a fierce battle with him.

Kinoshita Mai's martial arts skills are indeed impressive. Facing a formidable enemy like Kamaitachi, she used her fists and feet against swords and knives, yet she did not suffer a swift defeat.

However, "not losing quickly" is the limit that Kinoshita Mai can currently achieve.

Even though he had tried his best, his fists and feet couldn't even touch a single hem of the Kamaitachi's clothes.

At this moment, Kamaitachi deliberately created an opening, and Kinoshita Mai, who was caught off guard, made a mistake, causing a slight flaw to appear in her previously meticulous stance.

At this moment, the Kamaitachi demonstrated an extremely keen "seizing of the opportunity".

The instant Kinoshita Mai made a mistake, he pivoted on his left foot, spun around, and delivered a vicious spinning kick to her.

Kinoshita Mai quickly crossed her arms in an "X" shape and placed them in front of her.

Bang!

Following Qing Deng's kick, the space was once again disturbed by the loud sound of flesh and bone clashing.

But the instant the weasel's kick made contact with her arms, Kinoshita Mai used a special technique to neutralize most of the force of the kick.

Even so, the remaining power still made Kinoshita Mai very uncomfortable.

Under the influence of the reaction force, Kinoshita Mai staggered back several steps before finally stopping.

As luck would have it, Kinoshita Mai, who had been forced to retreat rapidly by the Kamaitachi's kick, ended up next to Aoto, who was still leaning against the tree trunk and lying on his back.

—So strong…

Kinoshita Mai rubbed her swollen arms while staring at the Kamaitachi opposite her with a complex expression filled with frustration, resentment, and melancholy.

At this moment, Kamaitachi still wore that mocking and sarcastic smile on his face.

He was like a hunter toying with his prey, not in a hurry to immediately wield the knife on the prey under his control.

As he gracefully walked towards Aoto and Kinoshita Mai, he twirled his sword.

"How are you? Do you still have the strength to stand up? Do you still have the ability to fight again?"

Kamaitachi is in a great mood now that the battle is much easier than he expected.

—Those two... especially the man, must be feeling desperate right now.

Kamaitachi smugly sighed to himself.

—After finally defeating that Kamino, I thought I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but then suddenly someone appeared who was far stronger than Kamino.

—Hmph, if it were me, I'd feel hopeless too.

Driven by a sense of smug satisfaction that he felt he had the upper hand and could easily toy with his two prey, he was now very eager to see what kind of expression Qing Deng had on his face.

Unfortunately... Qingdeng's face was currently obscured by the shadows of the trees, making it impossible to see his features, let alone his expression.

--what to do……?

Kinoshita Mai bit her lower lip lightly, glancing sideways at Aoto beside her.

—It seems that Tachibana-kun is no longer able to fight.

—I alone have no way to defeat this guy…

The only option left is to escape...

If I'm determined to run away, this guy shouldn't be able to catch me.

—But Tachibana-kun…

Kinoshita Mai glanced sideways again, her gaze sweeping over Aoto's battered and exhausted body.

Given Qing Deng's current physical condition, he definitely can't escape the clutches of Kamaitachi... In other words, the only way for Qing Deng to successfully escape from here is to try to hold off Kamaitachi.

Should he run away himself, or should he block the Kamaitachi for Qingdeng and buy Qingdeng time to escape?

Such an option... is not even a question that Kinoshita Mai needs to think about.

There was almost no hesitation.

In less than a moment, Kinoshita Mai made up her mind.

“...Tachibana-kun”.

Kinoshita Mai lowered her center of gravity slightly and spoke softly in a voice only she and Aoto could hear:

Do you still have the strength to run?

"This person is too strong. Right now, we are no match for him at all."

"If you still have the strength to run, then get out of here quickly."

"I'll buy you some time."

When she said the words "buy you time," a resolute light flashed in Kinoshita Mai's eyes.

This shy girl, who wouldn't even dare to speak loudly to strangers, continued speaking firmly, each word distinct and resounding:

"Although I can't beat this guy, I can hold him off for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

At this point, Kinoshita Mai paused.

"...Don't worry about my safety."

Kinoshita Mai turned her head slightly, revealing a smile to Aoto that seemed completely out of place in the somber and subtly melancholic atmosphere of the space.

Her smile conveyed the comforting message, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I'll run away once you've run far enough away."

“You know my speed. Running away in a town full of houses is one of my strengths. If I want to run, this guy will never catch me.”

The strong-willed girl seemed to want to say something more.

But a strange sound interrupted her—

……

"...Haha, hahaha..."

……

"Tachibana-kun...?"

Kinoshita Mai stared in astonishment at Aoto, who suddenly let out a low laugh.

Kamaitachi stopped in his tracks, his mocking smile froze slightly, and he cast a questioning glance at Aoto, who was still lying on the ground.

Under the gaze of two pairs of eyes, each carrying a different emotion... Qing Deng slowly stood up.

He propped himself up with his left hand, slowly raising his upper body, while simultaneously sweeping away all the leaves that had fallen on him with his right hand.

The clear moonlight shone on Qingdeng's face as he sat up and emerged from the darkness of the trees.

At this moment, Kamaitachi, who had been eagerly anticipating seeing what kind of expression Aoto had, finally got his wish.

He could see what Qing Deng's expression was like now.

In that instant, the mocking smile on the Kamaitachi's face faded at a visible speed, and its eyes slowly widened in shock.

Qing Deng... did not show the despair he had expected.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that there wasn't a trace of negative emotion on his face.

He showed neither despair, nor resentment, nor frustration...

He even... laughed.

Qing Deng's lips curled slightly upward, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The smile looked like he had encountered something that made him very satisfied.

"Hahaha……"

After propping himself up and sitting up, Qingdeng chuckled a few more times, then raised his hand to rub the back of his head, which had accidentally bumped into a tree trunk when he was kicked away by the Kamaitachi.

—That last move was really impressive.

—I can probably only use such a swift change of tactics when I am in perfect physical condition and when my two talents, "Lone Courage" and "Concentration," are fully activated.

—How did this guy manage to change the knife from being held above his waist to being held horizontally at his waist so quickly?

—It seems that it's not just about the muscle strength of the arms and fingers...it also involves many subtle techniques.

—What a formidable guy.