Bear School Astartes

Lann had already encountered quite a few members of the Lonely Shadow Group. These ninjas, due to their unique training methods, looked mostly the same once they donned their uniforms.

But Chongzang the Snake was different.

The lands of Iwami indeed nurtured people well, as this was yet another competitor standing over two and a half meters tall.

His body was bulky, but beneath the fat lay solid and powerful muscles. When this person crouched down, Lann could even see the muscle fibers bursting on his calves.

Moreover, unlike the foolish 'Tang Family face' of the Gen Gen Tairou Soldiers, this bandit leader appeared fierce and shrewd.

A wine gourd hung by his waist, and he wielded a massive tachi, as wide as a palm, with one hand.

When Lann arrived nearby and shot ammunition with his arm brace to save the Wolf, the Demon Hunter could see Nogami Genji, already decapitated, lying at Chongzang the Snake's feet.

This old warrior had tried his best and slaughtered all the attendants around the bandit leader.

The violence of the Iwami-style swordsman was evident from the scattered bodies of the bandits.

However, Chongzang the Snake only bore a narrow slash on his upper arm, showcasing Nogami Genji's efforts.

He was indeed old now.

The chief, flung by impact, after buffering against Chongzang the Snake's abdomen, was unscathed and nimbly flipped onto the meat-mountain-like shoulder.

His eyes guardedly watched the direction from which the projectile came.

Lann emerged from behind the artificial mound of the small lake, standing together with the Wolf, who was readjusting his stance.

"Which one can you handle?"

The Demon Hunter asked the ninja sideways.

He could see that the Wolf's left hand was still not very usable. The shoulder of this hand had a sword wound, and the arm had been hit directly by the Lonely Shadow Group's leg technique.

Being able to stealthily make it to the inner residence and exchange a few bouts with these two was already making Lann marvel at the pharmacology of Iwami.

But even though he was injured, Lann was very reluctant to face the chief and Chongzang the Snake alone.

If separated, Lann could handle each of them normally, but together, complementing each other... it was too disgusting.

The Lady's ninja showed a cold expression, squeezing two words through his teeth: "Chongzang."

"Sounds good."

Lann nodded, expressing his agreement.

Chongzang had great strength, but when the Wolf faced him, he still retained a speed and flexibility advantage, making the fight feasible. However, if faced with the equally ninja and still fresh chief, that would be a complete suppression.

Having reached a consensus, the Wolf did not pause at all, and directly charged towards the two of them!

"So you're choosing your opponents already, huh..." The chief, standing on the shoulders of Chongzang the Snake, twitched the corner of his mouth beneath the helmet as he felt underestimated.

Chongzang the Snake drank from his wine gourd, stroked his beard, "You guys really dare to speak big!"

He swung a super long and wide wild tachi, slicing parallel to the ground with a terrifying whoosh!

Due to Chongzang the Snake's extraordinary height, he always leaned forward while swinging his sword, encompassing even short fellows within his attack range.

This made him appear like a massive boar lunging forward.

Meanwhile, the chief leapt from Chongzang the Snake's shoulders, pressing down from above towards the Wolf's head.

If the Wolf wanted to jump to evade the low sweeping attack, he'd have to take a kick to the head.

Who would be so kind to duel you one-on-one on the battlefield?

Once I take care of this countryside ninja, you...!

While in mid-air, the chief felt again that sensation of being aimed at by some powerful weapon.

He immediately retracted his move, the once-splayed body curling into a ball mid-air.

With a "bang," an invisible shockwave blasted him further away.

[Alder's Rune]!

What is this? Fist technique? Ninjutsu?

The chief pondered his experience and memory mid-air, although he had never seen such a release method from Lann, he had heard of it, so he was not panicked to the point of disarray.

Lann withdrew his left hand from the Magic Seal and rushed directly towards the chief flung away.

The Wolf had already leaped to evade the low sweeping attack of Chongzang the Snake from the start.

A ninja is all-in when it comes to their profession.

Since he trusted Lann to handle the chief, he would focus entirely on dealing with Chongzang the Snake during the battle.

The Lady of the Lake's Sword in Lann's hand swung towards the still airborne chief.

Among the seventeen adopted sons of the Lonely Shadow Group, he deserved the title of [Spearfoot], using core strength to forcibly adjust his posture in mid-air.

Then, accurately kicked Lann's sword face!

With an eye-catching burst of sparks, he landed stably.

Once recontacting a surface that allowed him to exert force, the ninja's mobility was fully demonstrated.

The chief's eyes sharpened, the ninja sword in his right hand was held horizontally at his side, his feet pushing off hard.

With a "bang," even the starting action alone spattered fragments of stone from the cobblestone ground of the inner residence!

With extreme speed, the ninja didn't even need to exert force with his arms to swing his sword, just placing it horizontally could let his running body directly slice through enemies unable to react.

This method of slaughter was frighteningly fast for most ordinary people.

However, though Lann's agility couldn't match a ninja's, his dynamic vision was a match.

Aron Dite danced lightly in his hand, blocking every assault from the ninja.

Suddenly, not far from the two, Chongzang the Snake spat out his mouthful of strong wine amid the sparks of their clashing swords, igniting a vast cloud of fire.

The blazing cloud understandably drew everyone's attention present.

The chief used this opportunity to launch a seemingly indistinguishable from before surprise assault slash.

Yet, when the blade passed through, Lann parried it as usual, only to find there was no force behind it at all.

Not even a spark sprang from the friction between the blades.

Locking eyes with the catlike ones and those behind the faceplate, Lann saw mischief in that gaze.

This round's real attack wasn't the sword!

The ninja sword tricked Lann's Lady of the Lake's Sword upwards, leaving his abdomen and lower vital organs exposed and unguarded!

Following the ninja sword, the leg comparable to a spear, followed up swiftly like a human-formed long sword, kicking towards Lann's waist!

From seeing how it could make a half-palm deep pit on the cobblestone path with just a toe point, even Lann's heavy armor wouldn't prevent kidney rupture from such a hit!

But with full confidence, the chief noticed there wasn't a trace of panic in the strange eyes of his opponent from being caught in the trick.

Moreover, the long sword originally tricked upwards, not only abandoned the defensive position, but even turned the wrist preparing for a downward slash.

Does he think he can't die from this kick?!

The chief had great confidence in his [Spearfoot], even a fully armored samurai general would die if hit.

He's just an unknown foreign warrior, how could he possibly...

"Pa!"

Golden chaos magic shards exploded at the point of contact between the toe and side waist.

The chief felt that he had kicked solidly, but the opponent... had no reaction to the impact force at all.

The long sword in his hand had been raised to its highest point, and the next moment, joint rotation, center of gravity down, the long sword hacked fiercely!

The sword with golden shimmers slashed through like a hot knife through butter, directly from the hip of the still not retracted leg of the Lonely Shadow Group, slicing down.

A whole long, powerful leg, spilling blood as it flew mid-air.

"Aaah!!!"

The chief screamed, but the long sword Lann cut down was already positioned appropriately.

Suddenly losing the weight of one leg, the ninja couldn't control his balance, tilting and falling directly.

And Lann's sword edge was already poised before his neck.

No effort was even needed from Lann, the weight of the chief alone split half of his neck open with the sword blade.

The Demon Hunter nonchalantly flicked the blood off his hand.

When engaging skillful, meticulous opponents in close combat, the initial advantage of [Quen Rune] is always significant.

Do you understand the Bear School's combat style?