Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

The air grew thicker as Shifu led the group through the winding tunnels of the sewer. His broad shoulders tensed with every echo, every soft footstep of the group as they followed in silence. Kirara, still a little unsure about the situation, kept glancing back at Kaede's last words. The weight of the decision to leave her behind didn't sit right with the young girl, but she kept moving, focusing on guiding the others to safety.

The damp, suffocating air of the tunnels eventually gave way to the starlit night sky as they reached the exit. The moonlight revealed the barren, war-torn landscape of Falmuth's outer limits, with destroyed buildings and crumbling infrastructure stretching across the horizon. A bitter wind picked up, sweeping across the group, but they moved quickly and quietly, keeping low as they passed through the final remnants of the city's outskirts.

"Keep moving," Shifu urged in a hushed voice, his sharp eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. The former prisoners, still recovering from their ordeal, were stumbling from exhaustion, but the sight of the open air spurred them onward.

Kirara remained close to Shifu, keeping a careful watch over the group. As they moved through the destroyed remnants of the outer city, she kept glancing at the virtual map on her wrist even as her mind kept returning to Kaede and the situation she had left behind. She'll be fine, right? Kirara couldn't help but think. The woman had always been stronger than she looked, but facing someone like Razen alone? Even Kirara had to admit it was a dangerous gamble.

As they neared the edge of the city, the silhouette of a heavily armored squad appeared on the horizon, cutting through the night like shadows in the dark. They were heavily armed, their movements methodical and precise, clearly a well-disciplined unit. Leading them was none other than Folgen, his towering figure cutting an imposing figure as he stood at the front, his cold gaze scanning the area.

Shifu's muscles tensed, noticing the figure immediately. Folgen, the infamous general of Falmuth's military, was not someone to be underestimated. His reputation preceded him, and yet, this confrontation was unavoidable.

"You think they'll notice us?" Kirara muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with unease.

"They have," Shifu replied sharply, his hand resting on his sword's hilt. "But we have no choice but to face them. Get the others moving."

As they approached the group, Kyoya appeared from the shadows behind Folgen, his ever-watchful eyes locking onto Shifu with curiosity. He stood tall, the edges of his uniform flowing behind him in the wind, his sharp features barely illuminated in the pale moonlight. Unlike the usual warriors of Falmuth, Kyoya had an aura of quiet power, his stance calm yet unyielding.

"General Folgen, I assume?" Shifu addressed, his voice steady and controlled, despite the mounting tension.

Folgen's gaze shifted from Shifu to the group of former prisoners, his eyes calculating and cold. "You've made quite the mess," he said with a hint of disdain. "This is a fool's errand, ogre. You think you can escape?"

"Ogre?" Shifu's voice was low, but it carried weight. "Sorry but you're mistaken. I have evolved into a kijin. One with a purpose."

Kyoya spoke up then, his voice smooth and measured. "What are you doing Kirara? I get how you feel, but running away seems pretty stupid. You'll have an entire nation after you. You're basically trading away a life of luxury for a life on the run. Can you even protect yourself?" His eyes flicked to Kirara briefly before returning to Shifu. "Or are you expecting monsters to protect you. Rather ironic, really."

Kirara, who had been watching this exchange with increasing irritation, crossed her arms. "Luxury, Kyoya? Like, are you dumb or something? There's no fucking internet here, where's the damn luxury? Besides, that curse really sucked, if you join us, I'll ask Kaede to remove it for you. She didn't tell me, but I know it's her, she's amazing like that."

Folgen's lips curled into a thin smirk. "Oh, is that how it happened? We wondered how you were able to rebel. The young lady must be pretty skilled to be able to undo the curse?"

Kirara froze when she realized she had said something she shouldn't have said.

Shifu's stance shifted slightly as he subtly readied himself for what was coming next. "I don't care what you think, general, but I advise you move."

The air around them seemed to hum with tension as Kyoya took a step forward, his gaze locked on the katana on Shifu's hip. "A swordsman huh? Then let's settle this with our swords."

"For your sake, boy, I suggest you stand down. I wouldn't want to cut down a sprout so early," Shifu responded, his voice unwavering. "Raise your sword against me and you will die."

For a moment, the two stared at one another, the silence stretched thin as the forces of Falmuth squared off against the ragged group of survivors. Kirara, feeling the growing strain in the atmosphere, could tell something was about to break.

"Take formation men," Folgen's voice rang out, his voice hard and commanding. "It's clear that you won't listen. We'll bring you to justice, for humanity's sake."

With a swift motion, he drew his weapon, his long sword gleaming in the dim light. The squad around him instantly fell into formation, their weapons raised in preparation. Kyoya's eyes narrowed, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready for the slightest provocation.

Kirara grit her teeth. 'The extraction point is so close, just around the corner, dammit!' She placed her hand on her utility belt feeling that she had two more flash pulse grenades.

"Kirara." Shifu's voice was loud as he called out to her. "Take the people and head to the extraction point. Acer is waiting for you there. I'll deal with these men and join you."

Kirara shook. "What?" She grabbed one of the grenades from her belt. "You want to fight them alone. Like, that's incredibly stupid."

The air suddenly changed as a purple aura suddenly enveloped Shifu, with his purple hair billowing as if on fire. "I am more than capable of handling these gentlemen."

Kirara found her breath caught in the scene. "O-Okay, like, whatever." She turned to the group behind her. "Alright let's go. Leave the boys to do boys stuff."

Folgen snarked a laugh. "I don't think so. Men make sure none of them escape while I deal with this nuisance."

This time, Kirara was the one laughing. "Men, attack the general. Fight until your last breath." She immediately turned, leading the people away, even as Folgen's eyes widened a fraction.

The chaos unfolded almost immediately. Folgen's soldiers hesitated for only a breath before succumbing to Kirara's command, their movements becoming mechanical and erratic. With a sudden, unified shout, they turned their weapons against their general, rushing at him with uncoordinated ferocity.

Folgen's smirk twisted into something darker. "Treachory." His voice cut through the clamor like a blade itself.

The first soldier, a wiry man with a short sword, lunged at Folgen with a clumsy swing. Folgen sidestepped with practiced ease, his long sword humming through the air as it cleaved cleanly through the man's chest. Blood sprayed in a wide arc, the lifeless body crumpling at his feet.

Another soldier, a younger recruit, barely out of his teens, charged at him with trembling hands. "I... I don't want to—!" His plea was cut short as Folgen thrust his blade through the boy's heart, the tip emerging from his back in a single, brutal motion.

"Such pitiful display." Folgen growled, yanking his blade free. For a moment, his eyes glowed with a cold, violet light, the telltale sign of his Unique Skill: [Spearhead] activating. The remaining soldiers froze mid-step, their weapons shaking in their hands as if waking from a nightmare.

"Snap out of it!" Folgen barked, his voice commanding and sharp. The glow in his eyes faded, and the soldiers staggered back, confusion and terror etched across their faces. "Or you'll meet the same fate as them."

The surviving men looked at the bodies of their comrades and then at Folgen, their faces pale. Still trembling, they nodded and fell back into formation, awaiting his orders.

"Chase them," Folgen snapped, pointing toward the fleeing Kirara. "Do not let a single one escape. Leave the ogre, or kijin, to me and Kyoya."

The soldiers hesitated, glancing between Folgen and Shifu, whose aura had grown even more menacing. "Move!" Folgen bellowed, and they obeyed, rushing toward Kirara's group with renewed determination.

---

Kirara led the survivors with as much speed as she could muster, practically dragging one of the older prisoners who had stumbled. "Keep going!" she shouted, her voice sharp. "We're almost there!" Her heart pounded in her chest, half from exertion, half from the nagging worry about Shifu facing both Kyoya and Folgen alone.

---

Back at the battlefield, Shifu's purple aura flickered and burned like wildfire, illuminating his sharp features and the deadly focus in his eyes. His katana gleamed in the faint light, ready to taste blood.

Kyoya stepped forward, drawing his one-handed sword with a deliberate, almost lazy motion. "A monster with a katana. You're either extremely confident or extremely stupid," he remarked, his tone amused.

Shifu smirked, his voice calm but edged with steel. "Rather cocky, aren't you boy. Draw your sword properly, or you won't have time to regret it."

Kyoya's smile didn't falter. "Fine, let's see how long you last."

Without warning, Kyoya dashed forward, his speed enhanced by [Mind Acceleration] his blade cutting through the air in a precise arc aimed at Shifu's neck.

Shifu stepped back just enough for the blade to miss him by a hair's breadth, his katana flashing upward to counter. Kyoya twisted his body unnaturally, dodging the strike with inhuman grace and retaliating with a low sweep aimed at Shifu's legs.

Shifu jumped back, his katana held steady, the tip pointed directly at Kyoya's chest. "Your form is good, but your sword lacks conviction."

Kyoya chuckled, his stance relaxing as if they weren't in a life-or-death battle. "Conviction, huh? Let's see if yours can keep up."

He charged again, this time with a series of rapid strikes, each one faster and more precise than the last. Shifu's katana moved like a dance, parrying every blow with calculated precision. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, the sound ringing out like a deadly symphony in the night.

---

Meanwhile, Folgen watched the duel with narrowed eyes, his hand resting on the hilt of his long sword. His soldiers had disappeared into the darkness, chasing Kirara's group, but he had no intention of leaving things to chance.

"Kyoya," he called out, his voice calm but firm. "Don't play with your food. Finish this."

Kyoya's grin widened as he sidestepped another slash from Shifu. "I'm just getting warmed up, General. Besides, this guy's actually pretty good."

Shifu's aura flared even brighter, the air around him growing heavier. "If you think this is a game, I'll be sure to end it quickly."

He shifted his stance, his katana glowing faintly with a purple hue. The next strike came faster than Kyoya expected, a horizontal slash that forced him to block with both hands. The impact sent a jolt up his arms, and for the first time, his smile faltered.

"You're strong," Kyoya admitted, his tone serious now. "But strength alone isn't enough to beat me."

Shifu didn't respond, his focus razor-sharp as he prepared for the next exchange. The battlefield seemed to hold its breath as the two warriors squared off, their auras clashing like storms in the night.

From the shadows, Folgen stepped forward, his long sword raised. "Let's see how you handle two opponents."

Shifu's eyes darted between the two, his grip tightening on his katana. "Two against one? I expected as much."

Kyoya laughed, his usual arrogance returning. "This is going to be fun." He vanished in a burst of speed, the world slowing down to a crawl as he moved unimpeded, a malicious grin graced his face as he raised his sword to slash at the monster.

'I wanna see the look on your face when I completely crush you!' His gaze remained moved to the ogre's face as he swung down his sword.

Kyoya felt his heart cease beating when he saw the ogre's eyes. After all, they were looking right at him, following his movements. "Wha..."

Shifu had a disappointed look on his face. "Is that it then? You're rather slow." He then took a step back in the slowed down world, dodging Kyoya's attack.

Missing his attack, Kyoya stumbles but quickly regains himself, before using his momentum to twist into a horizontal slash. 'What the hell? He can see me? No way!!'

Shifu took another step back, the blade missing him by a hair's breath.

Kyoya pulled his sword, before going for a thrust. "Who are you calling slow? My eyes can see in all directions, 300 times faster than normal. You're the one who's slow, you might as well be standing still."

Shifu sidestepped the attack, locking eyes with Kyoya as they passed each other. "No. Your eyes can't see anything. Not yet."

Kyoya's mind raced 300 times per second. 'Shit, this is bad. No choice then.' [Severer] the moment they passed each other, Kyoya swung his sword as he turned, sending tiny dummy swords at the ogre, each of them made entirely of spatial energy, ignoring distance to immediately tear through the ogre.

Seeing his attack reach the ogre in an instant, Kyoya knew he had won, and his grin reflected that. "Hahahaha! You lose. With my skills, not even that old lady, Hinata could challenge me, much less some random monster like you!"

KA-CLANG

When using [Mind Acceleration], Kyoya had noticed that sound was always muffled, and while he could still talk, and listen in slowed time, the sound was still dulled, which is why the sharp sound of steel hitting steel was surprising to hear in this slowed down world.

"What just..." He gazed at the ogre who was unharmed even after he was certain his attack had connected. "What did you do?!"

Shifu's eyes settled on Kyoya, and Kyoya felt a chill. "Oh? You didn't see it. Well that's interesting, to not see your own skill. That means you didn't see my attack either."

The ogre's voice was calm, but his words terrified Kyoya to his core. "Your what..?" Thin lines suddenly drew across his uniform, most of them in his arms, before erupting in purple flames. "AAAAARGH!!!" Kyoya screamed as the pain of being cut and burned registered at the same time, although his voice was muffled in slowed time.

This was the effect of Shifu's unique skill [Genesis], using the subskill [Divine Insight] he was able to completely analyse all of Kyoya's abilities, including his unique skill. And then using another subskill [Facsimile], was able to create an exact replica of those abilities, adjusting them to his own.

Using a version of unique skill [Severer] Shifu was able to see the spatial blades coming, parry them and then send back his own flame covered spatial blades. All in an instant.

"Consider this your penance." Through his pain, Kyoya heard the ogre's voice as clear as day. As he felt a sudden chill on his neck. His skill finally deactivated, and he collapsed to the floor, trembling, as the flames went out.

Folgen sighed, his long sword trembling as it held back Shifu's katana, the only reason, Kyoya's head was not rolling on the floor. "You'll terrorise the boy no longer."

All in all, the fight had lasted for few seconds and before Folgen could catch up, it was over, and he was barely able to save Kyoya's life. His eyes flitted over to Kyoya for an instant before returning back the ogre. 'This majinnis much stronger than I thought. Kyoya isn't very strong but is quite capable, if not for his disgraceful arrogance. Thinking he can beat Hinata with skill like his?'

He and the ogre leaped backwards, creating distance between the two, before circling eachother. 'I'll have to go all out it seems. Unfortunately I can't just let the boy die until he grows some more. His unique skill is bound to make me even stronger.'

Clenching his sword tightly, he took a deep breath. "Have at me, monster."

And thus, the newly evolved Kijin, Shifu, and the otherworlder, general Folgen clashed.