บท 113: #112 Mount Hakuba 1

*Bang!* The beast released another beam of energy targeting me but I easily maneuvered around it with my wings.

I already sheathed my sword and picked up numerous leaves in the air while dodging its attack. I started throwing those leaves imbued with my energy precisely into its shallow injuries on its limbs while throwing some towards its neck so it would be busy with protecting it instead of protecting its shallow injuries.

The tips of leaves were also set aflame so once they pierced through its injuries into its body, I would be capable of doing a new feat that I have learned just recently.

We continued fighting for a while and whenever it wanted to run away, I targeted its neck so I forced it to fight me if it didn't want to be caught off guard. After I filled its body with more than hundreds of leaves, its movements were getting sluggish.

[Energy: 747/1515]

My consumption of energy while using those wings together with imbuing those leaves with energy has gotten much lower and my overall control has also gotten much better.

"Truly...there is no better training than fighting an equally strong opponent. However, I guess this is already the end" I said aloud while looking down at the beast currently catching its breath.

I outstretched my right arm and beast instantly looked warily at me, watching my every movement. I actually wanted to try to tame it but this fucker has a too big ego and I guess I wouldn't be able to connect it with my system since I already have 3 beasts under my control and I highly doubt that this beast would categorize as 'Common beast'.

"You had your time to submit to me but I respect your choice so I will send you away with a technique I have never used on anyone before." I said with a smile and a red flame threads came out of my fingertips on my right hand and the threads were connected to its shallow injuries.

"*Roar!!* When the beast saw this, it instantly released weakened roar while trying to slap away those threads but its arm actually went through those threads without any resistance.

"Give up, I have set up everything, your defeat was inevitable since we met." I said with a cold tone while looking down at it with my black vertical pupils.

When it heard me, it looked up at me as if it understood my words just to see me floating in the air above it.

"And now for the grand finale!" I shouted with an amused smile and slightly curious about the result.

I poured even more energy into those threads that were connected to each leaf inside its body. I made them move around in its body with those threads and attack its important organs.

[Energy: 500/1515]

*SPLASH* *SPLASH* The beast just observed me with caution but before it knew, the blood spurted out of its mouth and all its injuries, making rain of blood, if I was under it, I would need to be careful not to get drowned in its blood. This shows just how big this beast was and how much of blood this beast had in it.

*BANG!!!* The beast has fallen down on the ground, creating another earth shake in the vicinity.

----

[+1000 XP to your current class for killing Death Tagool]

[+1 XP for using attacks related to your Blade Master class] x123

Class: Blade Master (Lv. 8; +15 Str, +15 Agi, +7 Const) 1172/1280 XP

[+100 DP for creative destruction of your opponent]

Special Class: Fire Incarnate (+30 Cha, +25 Int, +10 Const, +6 Str, +6 Agi) 67/200 DP

[The consumption of your energy is slightly lowered, only when related to techniques using flames. Your control over your flames is strengthening even further.]

----

What a devastated surroundings...

I thought while looking around myself. After taking a look at the damage caused by our battle, I landed on the ground and dispelled my wings.

Now...The question is how to take these materials with me. I can only store provisions...however, I could try to cheat around a bit.

I stood right next to its head and thought while looking at its dead body with a sly smile.

I took out bottles of water I had prepared for emergencies and emptied one bottle of water while filling it with the beast's blood afterward. I tried to store it into my system and it went inside without any problem so I started filling even more bottles with its blood since it is the blood of one of the strongest Danger Beasts so I believe that there is some kind of use for it.

As for its hide and scales...

I cut off a smaller piece of it and cleaned it off the blood and tried to store it inside the system and it went inside without any problem once again.

Hah, as I thought, as long as the system recognizes it as a food, there is no problem with it. As long as those materials are attached to its flesh, I will be able to store it which also means that I will have to spend a lot of time here since I can't store extremely large parts of it.

I thought with a smile before that smile disappeared and annoyed expression appeared on my face.

After I got enough of its blood, I started chopping it into small pieces, doing my best not to damage materials.

---While Akashi was busy with this task, Akame's group was already near the Mount Hakuba for a few days---

"Their defenses are tight, we won't be able to get in without raising a commotion" Green muttered with a complicated expression while the entire group was scouting the fortress set up on the Mount Hakuba.

"We still don't know if they are responsible for killing those spies." Gozuki reminded everyone with a serious expression while glaring at the fortress from the great distance.

"What do you suggest we do next, father?" Najasho asked with his stoic expression.

"You probably already know that, don't you, Najasho?" Gozuki asked with a smile.

When everyone heard him, they looked towards Najasho who closed his eyes with a composed expression.

"We should investigate nearby villages first and then we can worry about breaking into this fortress if we won't find any crucial information that is." Najasho said what was on his mind aloud and Gozuki just nodded with a proud smile.

"That's right. However, we can't lose much time, we will split into 2 groups and each group will cover one village. There are 2 villages that are nearest to Mount Hakuba. One is on the east side of the mountain and another one is on the west side. Once we will be done investigating, we will meet up in the town south of here." Gozuki explained with a serious expression while glaring at all of 'his' children.

'Splitting the group into 2 can lead to very fatal situations but we don't have much choice here...The question is how to form 2 groups. I still need to go back to the town to get information from our remaining spies so I can't go with them to those villages. Someone needs to keep an eye on Akame, Poney, and Tsukushi but mainly Akame.' Gozuki thought with a complicated expression while looking at the sky with his dull eyes.

"Alright, listen up kids." After a moment of silence in waiting for Gozuki to say instructions, he finally said aloud, gathering the attention of the entire group.

"Akame, Green, Gin, and Natala will go to the east side. Najasho, Poney, and Tsukushi will take the west side of the mountain. I will go straight into the town to get into contact with our remaining spies and to smoke out any potential dangers hiding out there. Once you are done investigating, meet me at the town, don't take any detours." Gozuki gave everyone instructions on their mission.

"Yes!" Everyone said with a determined expression and nodded their head.

'...Not fair, why there are only 3 of us? Not to mention I am together with chief which means that he will most likely only slack off while leaving everything to us instead of investigating together with me and Tsukushi.' An annoyed expression immediately appeared on Poney's expression when she heard the groups.

"Here you go, Najasho and Green. If you will run into any problem, use this gun to shoot at the sky. The other group should be able to notice a red-colored smoke in the sky after you shoot. But be careful how you use it, you might only draw even more enemies into your location so use it only when necessary." Gozuki said and handed out 2 guns.

Najasho and Green accepted them and nodded to acknowledge his words.

This just showed that both of them were leaders. Najasho due to him, being an overall leader of the entire group and Green due to his intelligence and cautiousness. But for Gozuki, he was also the one who could keep an eye on Akame, therefore he gave it to him. Not like Green knew that he was being used in this way by Gozuki.

"Alright, everyone, move out! Be careful and more than anything, try to be as much discreet as you can." Gozuki said and turned around towards the south, ready to travel to the town.

Both groups looked at each other and nodded with serious expressions on their faces before parting their ways.

'Gin and Natala are still new to the group so it would have been better to send them together with Najasho who is very capable but they have been brainwashed by Bill so they can help Green with keeping an eye on Akame. I am not that much concerned about Poney and Tsukushi since they haven't shown any signs of strange behavior so I left them together with Najasho. Both teams are also quite equal in power so everything is balanced.' Gozuki thought on his way towards the town.

'...Just don't die kids, it would have been troublesome, losing more members. There aren't any replacements.' Gozuki thought while looking back at the place where they parted ways.

Although his thoughts might sound cruel, in truth, he was actually just trying to convince himself that this is the only reason why he doesn't want them to die.