I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A tall, burly man attempted to attack Sanako from behind.

It was as if Sanako had eyes in the back of her head; she didn't turn her head or move her body. The only moving object was the naginata in her hand.

The bottom of the knife handle swung flexibly like a fish tail, and the bottom of the handle swept across the strong man's wrist, causing the knife to fly into the air.

In the next instant, the naginata slashed through a half-circle, the base of the handle turning to face Sanako, while the blade spun behind him, swiftly severing the strongman's head.

Another person attacked.

One second he was shouting and yelling, the next he was completely silent.

It was as if his memory had been stripped away. Just a blink of an eye, Sanako was five steps in front of him, but in the blink of an eye, his vision was filled with the flying hem of her kendo uniform.

How did Sanako get close to him? How did she make her move? He had absolutely no recollection of it.

It wasn't until the world before him turned 180 degrees, with the ground above his head and the ceiling below his feet, that he belatedly realized what had happened—Sanako grabbed his shoulder and used jujitsu to subdue him to the ground, causing him to fall flat on his back with his neck on the ground.

Being so close to such a beautiful woman—for a moment, this person felt an inexplicable happiness.

This feeling of happiness came suddenly and disappeared just as quickly, so fleeting.

Just as he was feeling a surge of happiness, he lost consciousness completely due to a broken neck.

His consciousness, his sense of happiness, vanished forever into nothingness.

Did he die happily?

This is something that probably only he himself knows.

The naginata slashes out, thrusts straight in, smashes down, flicks upwards, spins, and dances.

Sanako's naginata technique has indeed reached a very high level.

Not only is it incredibly powerful, but each move is also quite aesthetically pleasing.

When she wields her naginata, it doesn't feel like she's fighting, but more like she's dancing, making people stop and watch involuntarily.

"Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire, immovable as a mountain, unfathomable as the shadows, and powerful as thunder"—this famous quote from Sun Tzu's Art of War perfectly describes Sanako's swordsmanship.

Wherever the blade passes, there is nothing but blood and death.

Among the Yakuza were many martial arts masters with exceptional skills or rich combat experience, but no matter how they attacked, they were always defeated by Zanako with faster, more accurate and more powerful moves.

The naginata was originally a heavy weapon born on the battlefield.

Its wide attack range and powerful strength make it an excellent weapon for "smashing noobs".

In terms of kill count alone... Sanako might be the person with the most kills among everyone present.

Sanako shouted, brandished her sword, and attacked.

The Yakuza screamed, collapsed, and died.

In terms of strength, Sanako is no match for top powerhouses like Rasetsu and Seido... but she is only no match for these monsters.

Even with a right shoulder injury, the dignified "Chiba Onikomachi" is not someone these nobodies can easily mess with.

Sanako and Souji's personalities are not so much completely different as to be worlds apart.

One is a graceful and elegant beauty from a high place, while the other is a sunny and cheerful girl next door.

But in this respect, they are very similar—when they pick up real weapons and throw themselves into a life-or-death battle, they put away their feminine gentleness and show an iron will and a ferocious fighting power like demons!

"Whirring whirring……"

Sanako raised her slender hand and gently wiped away the sweat hanging from her chin.

The relentless intensity of the battle made Sanako feel like her blood was about to boil. From head to knees, heat emanated from her entire body, and she was drenched in sweat. A few strands of her hair clung to her pretty face, which was flushed from the surging blood, and her lovely nose exhaled hot air, scorching her dry lips.

She took the opportunity to turn around and glance at the chief behind her.

After being entrusted with the important task of looking after Souji by Aoto, she moved Souji to the side of a wooden pillar so that she could rest against it. She then picked up her naginata and used her body as a wall to protect Souji, preventing any enemy from getting close to her.

Even without Qing Deng's orders, she would protect Souji to the death.

Souji is an old friend and acquaintance of hers—that alone is enough for the loyal and righteous Sanako to fight for Souji!

Sanako thought to herself: The Shimizu clan must have issued some kind of bounty, like a certain amount of money for taking a head.

For this reason, the Yakuza fought like ravenous wolves, vying to be the first and fearlessly risking their lives.

Seeing a "fat sheep" lying there unconscious and unable to fight, their eyes lit up and they charged forward one after another.

Fortunately, with Sanako in charge, Souji has remained safe and sound until now.

Zanako's formidable fighting prowess and the layers of corpses piled up at her feet finally extinguished the Yakuza's arrogance.

Suddenly, far fewer people dared to challenge Sanako.

After resting and regulating her breathing, Sanako held the naginata steady again.

But at that moment, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of that tall figure that was all too familiar to her.

"Tachibana-kun...!"

Seeing that Qing Deng, who had gone to slay the Nue, had returned safely, a faint look of joy flashed across Sanako's pretty face.

However... just a moment later, the joyful expression on her face suddenly froze.

Because she saw Qing Deng confronting a young man—a young man whose face she immediately felt a dull pain in her right shoulder after recognizing him!

"Rakshasa...?! How could this be...!"

Although she had only faced Rakshasa once, and that one encounter was very short, this brief clash had left a very deep impression on her... or rather, a psychological scar.

As if possessed, she instinctively wanted to go and support Qing Deng, but then she remembered that she still needed to protect the Chief and couldn't leave.

"Aaaaaaah! You filthy woman! Die!"

Suddenly, another blind enemy rushed straight towards her.

……

……

Luocha remained unmoved in the face of Qingdeng's challenge.

He swept his gaze across the room, casting a look of keen interest at Qingdeng.

"Ju Qingdeng, I thought you would bring more people with you."

"I had been leading my troops to lie in ambush nearby, waiting to see what would happen, just in case you had some other tricks up your sleeve."

"In the end, you really only brought this few men. I'm a little disappointed."

Rakshasa's tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng finally understood the full picture of Luosha's battle plan.

Let Shimizu Eiichi lead a force to launch the first attack.

As for Rakshasa himself, he led another force to ambush near the factory, serving as the general reserve force, and flexibly choosing the timing and method of entering the battlefield to provide support according to changes in the battle situation.

There is a main battle team responsible for the initial attack, and a reserve team responsible for providing support at any time... It's not a special, but it's a very reliable operational strategy.

"...If conditions permit, I can muster an army of at least a hundred men."

Qing Deng said in a deep voice.

"But...time isn't on our side."

Qingdeng's backer is the Tianzhang Academy.

With Tenshōin's connections and status, gathering a hundred or so skilled and loyal warriors would not be a difficult task.

However, summoning Centaurs takes time.

Even for a prestigious institution like the Tianzhang Academy, it would take at least two days to assemble a fighting force of over a hundred men.

What Qingdeng and his team lack most right now is time.

Aoto, Tenshōin, Sanako, Souji, the Nie sisters, the deceased Tachibana Takayuki and Onodera... They spent countless hours and effort to finally find the workshop that produces the Phantom Abode.

If the factory is not brought under control and evidence is not secured as soon as possible, the consequences will be dire.

In order to continue covering up the truth, the Rakshasa may dismantle the factory and destroy the evidence.

If that happens, Qingdeng and his team will have wasted all their previous efforts, and they will have to start all over again.

Therefore, Qingdeng and his team could not wait or delay.

Even knowing that manpower was slightly insufficient, we still had to go there as soon as we knew the location of the factory and give it our all.

"Ha, that makes sense. After all, you can't afford to drag it out or gamble on it."

As she spoke, Rakshasa glanced at Qingdeng a few more times.

"It seems Nue has been defeated... What a pity... It seems I'll have to put in some effort afterward to give Shuten-dōji an explanation."

As Rakshasa spoke, he spread his hands, making a gesture as if he had opened his arms wide.

"Ju Qing Deng, is this really okay for you?"

"Although the Nue failed to kill you, it did manage to injure you."

"Although you bandaged it and covered the wound with your hamstring, I could still tell at a glance that your right calf was injured. Even if the injury is not serious, it is impossible for it not to affect your movements."

"To fight me with your broken body... that's not a wise move."

Faced with the Rakshasa's mockery, Qingdeng responded with resounding words:

"You don't need to worry about that."

Upon hearing this, Rakshasa's lips curled into a wide smile, which became even more enigmatic.

"If that's the case... then let's fight!"

bass!

Rakshasa's right elbow snapped open like a broken bowstring, making a "snap" sound as it cut through the air.

Without a running start, he leaped over in one breath, using gravity to bring down the knife he had raised high above his head.

The speed of the cut was so fast that even the gleaming blade could only see a faint, misty light.

Qingdeng swung his knife from below, the tip of the blade grazing the ground.

In an instant, two silver lights flashed incessantly, sometimes striking each other in mid-air, sometimes entangled tightly.