Rakusei No Ken Chapter 2:Civil War Recap

E26:Arashi's First Battle

Arashi, now a young man in his twenties, stood at the edge of the Dunn Forest, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The air was thick with tension, the sounds of the enemy forces rustling through the trees just beyond sight. It was his first real battle—no more training, no more sparring in the safety of Mizuno. Today, the lives of his people rested on the edge of his blade.

Kyogyu, now also a skilled swordsman, stood beside him, his usual grin replaced by a serious expression. “I never thought we’d be in this position so soon.”

“Neither did I,” Arashi replied, his voice steady despite the nerves tightening in his chest. “But we’ve trained for this.”

“Training and fighting are two very different things, Arashi.” Kyogyu glanced toward the treeline. “Just don’t get yourself killed, alright?”

Arashi gave a small smirk. “You too.”

As they exchanged a final nod, the signal came from their commander, Hebi, who led the Mizu Army. “Move forward, but stay sharp,” Hebi said, his voice rough and commanding. “These aren’t ordinary men we’re facing. They’ve been corrupted by something dark.”

Arashi’s grip tightened on his sword as they advanced, the forest growing darker with each step. It wasn’t long before they encountered the enemy—ghoulish figures, twisted by dark magic, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

“They don’t even look human,” Kyogyu muttered.

“They aren’t anymore,” Arashi replied, stepping forward. “But we are.”

The first clash of steel rang through the air as the two sides met. Arashi moved with precision, his sword cutting through the air in swift, deadly arcs. Each enemy that fell under his blade reminded him of the weight of the battle—this wasn’t about victory for glory, but survival.

As the battle raged, Arashi found himself face to face with one of the enemy commanders, a tall figure with a menacing aura. His armor was dark and spiked, and his sword crackled with dark energy. Arashi could feel the power radiating from him—it was unlike anything he had faced before.

“So, you’re the famous Arashi,” the commander sneered, his voice deep and mocking. “Let’s see if your reputation is deserved.”

Arashi said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the man before him. They circled each other, the chaos of battle around them fading as they prepared to strike.

The commander moved first, his sword crashing down with a force that sent shockwaves through the ground. Arashi sidestepped just in time, countering with a swift strike of his own, but the commander blocked it easily, laughing darkly.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” the commander taunted.

Arashi remained calm, his mind racing as he analyzed his opponent’s movements. He could see that the commander relied on his strength and dark magic, but his speed left openings. With a deep breath, Arashi shifted his stance.

The next time the commander struck, Arashi dodged again, this time getting inside his guard and delivering a sharp strike to his side. The commander howled in pain, stumbling back, but quickly recovered, rage in his eyes.

“You’ll pay for that!” he growled, raising his sword high.

But Arashi was ready. In a fluid motion, he parried the blow and, using the momentum, delivered a powerful strike across the commander’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

The commander gasped for air, his eyes wide with shock as he looked up at Arashi. “How…?”

Arashi stood over him, his expression cold. “This is for Mizuno.”

With one final strike, the battle was over.

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As the enemy forces began to retreat, Arashi looked around the battlefield, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Many of his comrades had fallen, but they had won. Kyogyu walked up to him, a grin returning to his face despite the blood splattered across his armor.

“Looks like you lived to fight another day, after all.”

Arashi wiped his sword clean, his gaze distant. “We all did. But this is only the beginning.”