"U~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~on !!"

One of the Wild Dogs is leading the way.

The four-legged demon beasts kick the earth and rush to eat the prey in front of them.

Nozomu, on the other hand, also strengthened himself and started running with both feet.

The rushing Wild Dog jumped and tried to bite Nozomu's throat, but Nozomu's katana was drawn out faster.

"Gahyu …………"

The katana that was drawn out deeply cuts through the throat of the Wild Dog that was about to bite, and a large amount of blood sprouted like a fountain, and it rained on Nozomu.

(14 remaining ...)

Nozomu's mind calmly counted that the opponent's strength has been reduced by 1/15.

Even though he was struck by the fire that blew up deep inside his chest, Nozomu's accumulated combat experience kept his reasoning intact and trying to see through his opponent's thoughts.

However, his eyes brilliantly shined with an unprecedented fighting spirit, and the urge that overflowed from the depths of his chest swept away the hesitation from using his power, and his remaining reason was directed to "how to slaughter the opponent".

Despite the death of their companions, the Wild Dogs calmly surround Nozomu and examine the situation. The other Wild Dogs are not upset, and it can be seen that they are a fairly well-commanded pack.

Looks like, the Wild Dog who jumped in earlier was just a scout, and the leader seems to have pushed only one head in order to measure the ability of the other party.

"Gau!"

"U~on!"

"Gu~o!"

This time, one from the front and two from diagonally behind, a total of three, attack Nozomu all at once from different directions.

Nozomu pulling his leg back half a step and swipes his katana while turning his body once, but the three calmly fly back and avoid it.

Then, another one appeared from the shadow of the one that attacked from diagonally behind and jumped using one that attacked earlier as a stepping stone. It tried to thrust its sharp canine into Nozomu's neck.

Nozomu quickly puts his sword between himself and his opponent, but that is a bad move.

Right now, Nozomu is surrounded by Wild Dogs, and if he catches the opponent's attack poorly, his movement would be stopped.

And when he stops, the Wild Dogs that were superior in numbers would flock to him, and he would be devoured. That is their aim.

Wild Dogs hunting in groups are familiar with how to kill opponents larger than themselves, which is the most efficient and least dangerous.

At first, the flock drives the opponent away and makes them tired. Doing so diminishes the opponent's way to counterattack. However, Nozomu went to confronts the Wild Dogs instead, so they couldn't use this method this time.

Nozomu did not escape, so they decided to send one of them first, stop Nozomu's movements, and crush him with the group all at once.

As the preceding one was hit by a counter-attack, the leader thought that it would work if the three of them distracted their opponent's awareness, and then another one attacked in the form of a surprise attack.

Actually, Nozomu was supposed to catch the attack of the Wild Dog and stop. However, the reality exceeded their expectations.

Certainly, the surprise attack was successful.

However, at the next moment, the attacking Wild Dog was bisected and thrown to the ground with the same momentum as when it attacked.

The strange thing is that Nozomu isn't even moving from his position where he was trying to catch the Wild Dog's attack, and he doesn't seem to have swung his katana.

If we think about it normally, when he received the opponent's attack, Nozomu and Wild Dog should have contended with each other, but that is not the case.

It's true that Nozomu didn't slash with his katana.

Nozomu's katana is shining faintly. It's proof that Nozomu was charging his Qi.

Actually, Nozomu was using a Qi technique.

Qi technique *Phantom -Clad-*

A Qi technique that dramatically increases the cutting power of a sword while keeping the phantom inside the blade, which is originally released as a flying slash.

It is a higher version of the Qi technique called "Matoi", and it is a technique that gives Qi to one's own armor and raises its ability. Although the name may change, it is a technique that is widely used on the continent.

However, the story changes when it comes to the "Phantom" level.

Originally, "Phantom" is a slash that easily cuts even rocks, and if we put it inside a blade, the blade will become a rare magic sword even if it is just an iron knife.

When he used "Phantom -Recurrence-" in the previous battle, he attached Qi to the blade, but it was only for a moment when he was about to shoot a slash, and he didn't leave it inside the blade.

This time, the highly compressed Qi is still attached to Nozomu's katana, but the fluctuation of the Qi gathered inside the blade can't be felt.

Nozomu defended from the wild dog's attack with this katana clad in Qi technique. The Wild Dog that has been rushing has gone to be cut off by itself in front of the blade that its cutting power had increased to the limit. 

The problem with this Qi technique is whether it is possible to compress that much Qi and whether it is possible to maintain the concentration.

Originally, Phantom is a Qi technique that requires extremely high Qi control and concentration.

It is a difficult technique, not something that even A-ranked and talented people can easily do, such as not only activating it but also maintaining it.

Furthermore, Nozomu is now on the battlefield where life and death intersect with a single sheet of paper, and it is difficult to keep calm in such a situation.

Nozomu's skill, which enables *Phantom -Clad-* in such a place, is not half-hearted.

However, this technique was originally Phantom with a high killing ability. This technique, which continues to clad the katana with phantom, is also very deadly, and Nozomu has never used this technique at school.

Also, no matter how much Nozomu has extraordinary control power, maintaining this technique is extremely mentally exhausting.

Nozomu rarely used this technique even on battlefields where he didn't know what would happen, because if he lost his concentration, he wouldn't be able to maintain his technique, and lack of concentration would lead to his own death on the battlefield.

But, it's different now. Nozomu, caught in his own blazing fury, couldn't think of any risk awaiting him later.

It was just a matter of giving up everything he had so that he could satiate his fury.

"U~o~ooon!"

The three beasts that were about to attack earlier, were in pursuit.

Nozomu rushes towards the one in front. He slashes his katana with "Phantom -Clad-" attached to it and cuts down the Wild Dog.

Nozomu quickly puts his attention into both of his feet. He stopped the momentum of his rush with the strength of his strengthened leg and activated the Instant Move.

He turns in the opposite direction and swings his katana to the other two behind, attacking one opponent then immediately attacking another.

Nozomu's sword swing accurately captures the throats of the two beasts that were about to leap, and cuts their necks deeply.

The two beasts whose throats were cut, collapsed while shedding a large amount of blood.

The blood that flowed out of the throat synchronized with their heartbeats and gushed intermittently. Their bodies were convulsing every time the blood gushed out.

Eventually, their convulsions began to subside and finally stopped moving completely.

(10 remaining ...)

In the meantime, Nozomu doesn't even mind about the opponents he killed. If he was minding too much about it, he would be bitten to death.

The Wild Dogs surrounding Nozomu has changed the way they fight, recognizing Nozomu as a difficult enemy because five of them were killed in quick succession.

They stop throwing themself upon their enemy. Keep their distance while surrounding Nozomu, and glared at him.

They realize that Nozomu, whom they perceive as their prey, is actually a formidable enemy.

So they are trying to bring it into endurance rather than short-term decisive battles.

Furthermore, each of them checking in turn and waits for their opponent to get tired.

No matter how strong a person is, when the fatigue continues to accumulate and never escapes, the movements will always become sloppy and creating a gap. Nozomu is alone after all. He can't keep holding on against the enemies that surround him forever.

That is the wisdom that the Wild Dogs have acquired while surviving in this forest.

A means to overcome their enemies stronger than themselves.

The Wild Dogs trying to kill their "enemy" using everything they have.

(If you don't kill your enemies, you'll be killed. If so, let's just kill them.)

At this place, that was the only thing that Nozomu and the demon beasts had in common.

The Wild Dogs that surrounded Nozomu sometimes approached and sometimes left, trying to exhaust him.

However, he understands the aim of the Wild Dogs. That is why Nozomu acts quickly.

(If the situation doesn't improve even after being delayed this much then, I need to change the situation by force.)

Nozomu thought so and forcibly plunges into the siege of the Wild Dogs surrounding him with Instant Move.

In the past, he was once defeated by them without a fight. Without Shino's help at that time, Nozomu would have been digested inside their stomachs.

However, the current Nozomu has acquired skills and experience that are incomparable to that time.

He just hit them all with his fury.

It was incomparably ugly and empty compared to the usual elegant sword technique he released.

***

Nozomu's POV

Swinging the katana while fury still swirls inside me. A katana attached with "Phantom -Clad-" cuts off one of the Wild Dogs whose withdrawal was delayed, and its body part is thrown to the ground while spilling its internal organs. With this, there are 9 beasts left ...

I didn't stop my movement and slashes one opponent then immediately slashed another who was nearby.

The Wild Dog that was about to be slashed tried to dodge, but it was unavoidable and one of its legs was cut off. With a wound like that, one would end up dying from heavy bleeding. This leaves 8 beasts left.

"" Gau~ !! ""

This time, two beasts leaped from behind. However, their appearance was completely visible to me.

While turning around, I struck an elbow strike into the nose of one beast, put the katana along the side of the other beast's body that leaped in, and slash it with the Phantom -Clad-.

The Wild Dog, whose shoulders and flanks were deeply cut, was thrown to the ground, and the one who got hit with elbow strike staggered because his sensitive nose was smashed.

After that, I slashed both of their necks and glared at the survivors. Six beasts remaining........

The Wild Dogs, which were reduced to less than half in a blink of an eye, were intimidated by my gaze and growled low.

I returned the katana to its scabbard and about to end it.

But, at that time...

"U~ooooooon !!"

Howls reverberated from the surroundings.

Looking at the source of the sound, new Wild Dogs appeared from the other side of the bush. The number is about 3.

Among them, there is a Wild Dog with an enormous body. Probably the leader of this pack.

The surviving Wild Dogs rush to their leader and glaring at me again. Looks like, they regained their morale by joining their leader.

Nine Wild Dogs, including the leader, confront me once again. Under the command of a powerful leader, their orderly line-ups are just like a cavalry unit trying to overrun the battlefield.

They were united by a powerful leader and became one large creature, not a collection of individuals anymore.

The moment the leader, who was the brain, tried to give a signal of assault ………… I slashed the leader's neck.

The Wild Dogs' time stopped for a moment.

They don't understand what happened.

It's reasonable.

The moment when they were about to leap all at once to kill their enemy in front of them under their leader's command. They noticed that their leader's neck had disappeared.

The Qi technique that I released was "Phantom".

The extremely compressed blade that flew at such a high speed instantly killed their leader and remained unnoticed by the Wild Dogs.

The blood sprouted from the leader's neck dyes the surviving Wild Dogs in bright red, making the blood odor that fills the surroundings even stronger. The smell of rusty iron piercing my nose fuels discomfort, but I don't mind it due to my fury, and I rushed towards the survivors while trampling on the corpses of the Wild Dogs that I had slaughtered earlier. 

***

Silence returns to the surrounding forest. Nozomu was standing in it.

The corpses of the Wild Dogs are scattered around him. No matter how much a person is accustomed to blood, it was a spectacle that made others' eyes squint.

None of the five corpses lying on the ground were intact. The neck, legs, and some parts are missing, and the missing parts are thrown out somewhere.

The blood and beast odors emitted by the blood and pieces of meat scattered around are terrible, and Nozomu's nasal nerves were already paralyzed.

The internal organs that were thrown out were still warm, and they were steaming by touching the chilly outside air.

“…………………….”

Nozomu is standing still, staring at a certain point in the forest covered with darkness. In his thoughts, he didn't think about the Wild Dogs who had already been slaughtered. An alarm is ringing inside Nozomu's head as something is approaching from the depths of the forest.

He hears a sizzling sound. The sound, which was initially heard in the distance, gradually became louder and closer, until the trees shook due to vibration.

Eventually, "it" emerges from the darkness.

A bronze-colored giant that is nearly three times as large as a person.

The legs that support the giant's body are thick, and they are rooted in the ground like a long-standing big tree.

Its waist is wrapped in some kind of beast skin, and its torso is covered with muscles just like steel armor.

Its arms are thicker than a child's torso, and it has an adult-sized club in its right hand.

And the most distinctive thing was the three eyes on its face.

Kyclopes.

A powerful demon beast classified as rank A. It was a giant with a danger that was incomparable to the previous pack of Wild Dogs.

"Goaaaaaaaaaaa !!!"

The roar of the giant shakes the atmosphere.

Probably it came because of the battle and the smell of blood.

“………….. Kuku”

When Nozomu sees the giant towering in front of him, he holds his katana and lift it up.

It's better for him to withdraw immediately. Confronting such a powerful demon beast poses a great risk to him, who is under Ability Suppression.

Also, this forest is the home of demon beasts, and even if he survived, there is a risk of encountering another demon beasts. Nozomu understood that avoiding fights were necessary to survive, as long as he truly thinks about his safety.

However, the current Nozomu is just looking for an outlet for his heart-breaking fury and is looking for a fight.

His usual rational judgment is gone, and his thoughts don't offer him the option of escaping, and he continues to search for a way to defeat the giant in front of him.

He was exhausted in the previous battle with the Wild Dogs. He couldn't hold his fury, and he was just delighted at the outlet that reappeared in front of him.

(……………… eld. ……………… me)

Something whispered from the depth of Nozomu's chest.

Furthermore, he was beginning to hear the pounding sound.

Usually, his strong vigilance pushed the fury and the voice back.

But his raging head couldn't resist it, and he was rather willing to accept it.