The Legend's Behind the Mask "Swordsman's Era"

Chapter 3: Shira Swordsman and Dark Violet Shira Swordswoman Battle

Kiroshuku stands menacingly as the unknown swordswoman tosses an unknown person's head to the side. She comes to a halt and takes a menacing stance. She smiles at him while pointing her blade menacingly.

"We meet again, I cut his head off, want to know why? Master Kiroshuku? It's so sad that every student you have died left and right," she said menacingly as she saw him furious.

"I'm not running this time!" he said solemnly, pointing his blade down. He suddenly realized it was the same swordswoman who had blown up earlier.

"Can she provide clones on her own? Unbelievable! The Gakures are known to be the only ones who can do it because their bloodlines are unimaginable, from being a normal kid to becoming a legend, or even above it... But there are only a couple of Gakure's left on this world and they need to be protected," Kiroshuku thought as he stepped on his right foot and vanished.

He appeared behind her and was about to swing down her blade when a massive violet barrier wall appeared in front of him, blocking his blade. It caused his blade to deflect and fly back at him.

"You still haven't learned! You're still trying to flee because of a burden! Is it because of that child?" she asked calmly as he noticed her staring at him. He notices her and turns to her right as he notices the massive walled barrier ahead of him.

He was about to step on the ground when she vanished, leaving only the barrier. The ground on which Kiroshuku is standing suddenly grumbles and crumbles.

He jumped as he looked down and saw that it had created a massive hole that he was standing on a second ago. He looked around, and the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman had vanished.

"She's a great foe! What is she here for? For me...? She said burden in me, so she must be after Fudo Toka!" he exclaimed as he looked down and saw a massive vine emerge from the hole and rise towards him. He was fifty feet above the ground. 

He glanced to his left, and in a split second, he sensed the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman's presence zooming in.

"Tsk! I can't save everyone, but I have to save her!" he yelled angrily as he swung his blade down towards the vine. His blade slices right through the giant vine that rises from the ground.

He flew to his right after stepping on it with his left foot. He took another look and then heard an explosion. His eyes widen as he looks straight and notices four clones of the Violet swordswoman glancing in front of him.

They were about to swing their blade down toward him when he took a stance in the middle of the air and swung his blade sideways. Suddenly, his blade turns light green, and there is wind circling it.

As soon as he swings his blade sideways, the wind rushes towards them, knocking them to the ground. He continued to fall as he saw Fudo Toka being carried by the unknown swordsman, who was accompanied by a messenger swordsman.

"Where the hell is she?!?" he yelled angrily, looking left, right, and down. He sees two-story houses collapse and civilians fleeing everywhere, and then he sees an unknown violet swordswoman land on a three-story house and completely destroy it.

"That's her! Don't come near her! If you're my enemy, fight me! You scum!" he yelled angrily as he drew his sheath from his left waist with his left hand and took a stance in the air.

He hurls his sword's sheath at the Violet Dark Shira. The unknown turns around and sees the sheath approaching her when, out of nowhere, Kiroshuku appears behind the sheath with her blade pointed at her.

As soon as he steps onto the ground, he stabs her. He looked up and grabbed his sheath with his left hand, his eyes widening as he noticed his pointed blade being blocked by her blade.

"She blocks it?" he thought furiously as he pushed his blade against her blade, attempting to pierce through it. She holds her blade out in front of her, blocking Kiroshuku's attack.

"I forgot to say my name! My name is Sunako! Better just run again, Kiroshuku!" she yelled angrily as she pushed her blade forward, pushing Kiroshuku behind. Their blade suddenly explodes, causing them to fly back.

Kiroshuku collided with a wall and sat. Sunako, the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman, flew back and slammed into a wall, where she was pierced through the wall. She slammed to the ground and landed on a path. She quickly rose to her feet and cast a glance into the distance.

Kiroshuku notices her blade stabbed to the ground in front of him and slowly rises. She notices him spit out blood and looks around, confused as to what happened.

"He's gone fragile, and I'm sorry to say that this place will be his grave, and the leak information will not be passed," she said, looking to her right and feeling the wind blowing around her left and right. 

Kiroshuku appeared on her left side, his blade on her neck. She slowly turned to her left, feeling a blade lodged in her left neck.

"Tsk...! It's as hard as freaking metal! How can I even pierce or cut something like this?!" he thought as he looked to his left and saw Sunako furiously swinging down her blade when he quickly jumped backward.

Kiroshuku dodged her attack, and it landed on the ground. He notices the force on her blade all of a sudden. It reaches the ground and creates a force that breaks the ground, and an attack is directed at him. It was a newly energized sword created by her own power.

When he put his blade in front of him, a great force collided with it, causing him to fly back with great force. He survives after being pushed back and flying back. He looks up and sees Sunako take a serious stance and stand her ground.

"If that attack hits me, I'm dead! Just who is she? She's more powerful than I thought. She made a force by just one swing down of her blade in her right hand, and... Her neck is thinner than my blade, but that's just my normal swing blade I have tricks up my sleeve left," he thought as he pointed down his blade and was about to attack when a fog appeared in the area where they were standing.

He looked around and noticed an unknown village swordsman had arrived. Six swordsmen are walking behind him. He can hear their footsteps approaching and see them draw their swords.

""Who said you'd fight alone, Master Kiroshuku?" a voice from behind him asks, as he slowly turns around and his eyes widen. Suddenly, the fog recedes behind him, and six unknown swordsmen appear.

"Rimuru...?" he exclaimed, startled, as he notices a swordsman standing menacingly with the other five behind him. On the inside, he wears a white coat and a white kimono and wields a white glowing sword. He's also got a plain white mask on his face. And is dressed in white boots.

"You stand in front of me and before me, you're always ahead of me," the unknown swordsman named Rimuru said. He is standing while holding his white glowing sword in his right hand.

"It's fancy not seeing your coat and mask, huh?" he asked as he started walking. He approached Kiroshuku, who was surprised and stood up straight.

"We were ambushed," Kiroshuku replied calmly as he turned around and returned his gaze to Sunako the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman.

"I see, that's why we have to take care of it, the civilians got to safety, and there were 5 Dark Swordsmen infiltrated the north wind and 3 unknowns like her infiltrated the village, she's the fourth one here I believe," Rimuru said as he stood to Kiroshuku's right. They both stand menacingly as the fog lifts and the light of the sun shines on them.

Kiroshuku's eyes widened once more as he looked around. He notices an unknown swordsman and swordswoman standing on top of a roof and on a giant tree, both of which are looking at Sunako. As she approaches Kiroshuku, she notices everyone and senses a total of 21 unknown swordsmen and swordswomen surrounding her. She came to a halt, looked around, and placed her left hand on her left waist, her sword in her right hand, blade pointed down on the ground.

"Well? Did you think you'd turned the tables? I know you're not serious about our fight, Kiroshuku Hakure, so I'll take you to a fight alone the next time we meet," she said as she suddenly stepped on her left foot and vanished in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the ground they're standing on grumbled and broke apart. The unknown 21 swordsmen and swordswomen jumped, and the area they were standing on fell to the ground.

"The ground area falls because of just stepping? She's powerful and not yet serious! Kiroshuku, let's get back to the capital and report to the heads!" Rimuru exclaimed as he hovered in mid-air, Kiroshuku on his left side. When he sees Kiroshuku, they both vanish. 

In the north wind village's capital. Two swordsmen approached the heads room's front door. The heads were alarmed when the shadow bodyguard swordsmen sensed their approach.

Rimuru flung open the door, and Kiroshuku was the first to enter. Rimuru quickly followed behind him. He stands and closes the door with his left hand.

"I heard that there was a current evacuation in the land, what has happened? Are the civilians safe? We deployed 10 swordsmans on patrol around the village and the masters take care of the 5 Dark Swordsmen, I didn't know that there are masters that arrive in the village like you Kiroshuku," Warui Rou said solemnly as he looked at him in the eyes. 

"A lot has happened; sorcerers are repairing the damage, and workers have been dispatched to rebuild the areas that have been destroyed," Rimuru said as he slowly reached for and removed his mask with his right hand. He straps it to his upper left shoulder.

"Hmm? Kiroshuku, are you aware that the other masters have arrived? We need answers, we heard that the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman encountered you and fought her, tell me what happened," Warui said, asking him to tell him what happened.

"My house was destroyed, first we saw the giant fierce wind in the distance and I noticed Sunako, one of the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman that infiltrated the village, she said her name to me and said he will kill me and will not let you leak the information you have, let's just say we got ambushed, I saved my girl," Kiroshuku said quietly as the heads exchanged glances.

"Then those dangerous creatures or monsters are here because the masters are here! If the masters where then the civilians live will be in danger, why? Because they can send a full-scale attack in our village and our lives will be in danger!" the other unknown heads exclaimed furiously as he stared at Kiroshuku.

"Are you saying you underestimate the power of a master? Masters aren't interested in the word Shira because Shira's are for other godly levels like the Gakure's!" Kiroshuku snarled as he stepped his left foot and made a massive crack in the ground.

"We hid, and we didn't expect the other masters to be here as well. It's a coincidence! That's why they're here! I don't think the Burrakus knows that every master is here in this village since there was a man named Hishikari Gakure is one of the greatest men alive in the current Era. He can communicate with other Shiras using only his mind, and he has said that he also has his son and wife in here. He has also said to other Shiras like me that... A portal opened in the woods outside this village, and the other Shiras were alarmed that the small village near the north wind would be destroyed," Kiroshuku said solemnly, surprising the heads.

"Then Shira quickly moved and guarded the village in the shadows, and then it happened, hundreds of Burrakus with dark Burraku sorcerer in the area attacked the village, but Shira took care of it," Rimuru said as he lowered his head.

"One more?" Warui inquired, seeing Rimuru slowly raise his head and look him in the eyes as his masked fell off on his left top shoulder. But there was a tiny thread that ran from the mask to his shoulder. It dangles.

"Violet Dark Shira arrived with incredible power and annihilated the village with just one blow of its blade, we don't have time to kill the unknown, the village is destroyed but at least we manage to protect the people... The tornado was from your student. He takes care of the unknown and in the end, he failed to kill it and was heavily wounded and now getting healed, it was your student Kiroshuku," Rimuru said as he looked to his left and saw Kiroshuku

"I haven't seen any of my students in a while, I'm not even sure if they're still alive... First and foremost, I just want a peaceful life with my family and on my father's side, but everything didn't come true, they got killed," Kiroshuku said as he raised his head and looked up. He sighs as the room they were in falls silent.

"We've gathered an army, and we're going to deploy them outside the village to protect the walls just in case," Warui Rou said, nodding as Rimuru and Kiroshuku looked at him.

They both turn around and proceed to the door. Rimuru is the one who opens the door again, and Kiroshuku is the one who walks out first. They were both dead serious as they walked out of the North Wind's head office room. Rimuru walked with Kiroshuku on his left side, closing the door behind him with his left hand.

"Dark Mobs and Burraku's seemed to be different... The Burrakus attacked the village rather than the Dark Mobs attacking the village, which seemed strange," Rimuru said as they both came to a halt and talked. Kiroshuku turned to his left and looked at Rimuru, who reached for his mask with his right hand on his top left side.

"They're completely different... We, masters, suffered because of them, Dark Mobs can be powerful or killed in an instant, It can possibly wipe out the first army if every nation head is not careful enough with their defense," Kiroshuku replied solemnly and resumed his walk.

"Other Shira's said that some of them are lurking around the destroyed village, we got those civilians in this village to safety, and why are you in such a hurry?" he asked, seeing Kiroshuku already far away. He sighs as he notices him turn around.

"I'll be back," he says, and then he's gone. Rimuru keeps walking while thinking. He looks down at the ground, remembering a man who fought the Violet Dark Shira Swordswoman which is Sunako.

"That unknown swordsman lost his hand and got to safety, I wonder where he is," Rimuru said as he faded away as the wind blew inside the hallway he was walking down.

In the north wind village's safe haven. Fudo Toka was sitting in a corner with an unknown swordsman who was missing his left hand. She was in the corner of a room in an underground facility, hugging her teddy bear. She looks to her right and notices an unknown swordsman leaning against a wall. He had already been treated by a village healer sorcerer.

She noticed him with his eyes closed and looking up when she looked at him. He is holding his sword in front of him. He slowly turns to his left and notices that he is missing his left hand. He looked up again and noticed Fudo Toka staring at him.

"Two hours have passed, the civilians are already on their way back home, we're probably the only ones left, are you okay staying here until Master Kiroshuku arrives?" the unknown swordsman asks calmly as he notices Fudo Toka nod and smile.

"He's on his way... I can feel him... All I want is a nice peaceful home... I hope those evils die," she said as she closed her eyes and looked down.

She is startled to hear a footstep outside the door. They're both in a large room that can hold a thousand people. Fudo Toka cast a glance in the distance and noticed the door slowly opening.

She gets up and walks towards the door, which is slowly opening. The unknown swordsman slowly rises as he observes the door and notices something odd.

Kiroshuku bursts through the door, wearing his coat and holding his broken mask in his left hand. Kiroshuku notices Fudo Toka approaching him. He enters the room and kneels as Fudo Toka reaches out and tightly embraces him.

The unknown swordsman approaches them quietly, smiling. In his kimono, he could hear Fudo Toka crying. Kiroshuku slowly stands up after she stops hugging him and wipes away her tears.

"Master Kiroshuku, the civilians survived, what happened?" he inquires as he approaches them both. Kiroshuku smiled and turned toward him.

"It's been a long time... Since we met... Tukiri," he said, refusing to answer the unknown swordsman's question. Tukiri's eyes suddenly widened as he smiled at him.

"You really are my master! I thought you weren't here! I'm sorry master, you've changed a lot!" Tukiri exclaimed, surprised and happy, as he slowly re-sheath his sword with one hand.

"The unknown got away... As always, she got outnumbered, but we'll talk about that later, come on we'll eat, and Fudo Toka, we'll stay for now in my friend's house since our house got destroyed, my friend is a messenger swordsman thank him, and Tukiri w-" Kiroshuku said as he slowly turned around and was abruptly interrupted when he noticed Tukiri had vanished. He was happy before, but now he's sad. Fudo Toka turns around and sees no one.

"Let's go, Fudo; he must have something more important to do," Kiroshuku said as he lowered his head and began to walk.

They've made it to the surface. As she looked up, Fudo Toka jumped and jumped in the dirt she stepped on. The sun is still visible in the sky. She notices that they are on top of a hill and are now descending. They both started walking down the path when they noticed two unknown familiar swordsmen walking up the hill.

He looks around and comes to a halt. He sighs and moves his gaze to Fudo Toka. She was happily playing with her teddy bear when Kiroshuku suddenly carries her with both hands like a baby. They walk down to the unknown swordsmen, who are wearing hats, and wearing sun earrings.

They both come to a halt, as does Kiroshuku. Kiroshuku notices that both of them are wearing masks and turns to face each other. There was a sun-patterned color in front of their mask.

"We've come from the west to greet one of our fellow masters," an unknown swordsman said as Kiroshuku looked them both in the eyes.

"What brings you both here? I didn't think we'd meet again, assassins, or assassin swordsmanship," Kiroshuku said, hearing them both giggled.

"We've come here to say new information about the enemies, the Shira's have been wondering why the other Dark Swordsmen are withdrawing their troops in the lands of the shadows into an unknown dimension they don't have access to, it was a planetary dimension," the unknown swordsman said solemnly to the person on the right side in front of Kiroshuku.

"Withdraw?... This is bad! We need to make sure that every village in every nation is safe! If they withdraw their troops, they are planning a full-scale attack on a specific village! Find the dimensional Shira swordsmen and alarm them!" Kiroshuku said solemnly as the two unknown swordsmen exchanged glances.

"We did that, and we knew and predicted and sometimes were one step ahead, but not this time. The Shira's had been adventuring the other regions, and all of them were on their way to the south, to annihilate the undeads because special swordsmen were the only ones dealing with them. The Shira's of the south said we're on the move, but no information has been sent to other nations, so the heads sent Shira's in their village to provide safety for the others," the unknown swordsman said to the left, standing up straight and serious.

"We have doubts about launching a full-scale attack, Kiroshuku, because the Dark Mobs and Dark Swordsmen have grown weak! Overpower Shira's have been slaying them nonstop for the past couple of years, there's no way they'd launch a full-scale attack!" the unknown swordsman in his right said. Kiroshuku looked up and noticed the wind moving in an unusual direction.

"Exactly, you have doubts, that's why we need to make sure they don't do it, the Violet Dark Shira Swordsmens are back, isn't that a sign to you? There are more unknowns out there that might be more powerful than us... Like the dimension that I've infiltrated," Kiroshuku said in a lowered voice, sighing.

"You've infiltrated a dimension?" Fudo Toka asked, her eyes widening and shocked as she looked at him and the two unknown swordsmen standing nearby.

"Yes... And I encounter dangerous Mobs stronger than me even though I'm at my peak level, but they're just on a different level... I manage to escape in that dimension because I kept running and my God wind speed and got important information about that dimension," he responds, looking at Fudo Toka and the unknown swordsmans.

"What's with the dimension? What is it like? We thought you'd be dead after entering that dimension! We saw you go in that portal, you followed a Dark Swordsmen and killed it in that dimension, it's just like luck how you came back here alive," the swordsman said, surprised.

"It's a fortress beyond your comprehension, there were other colors inside that fortress and statues that I saw and has white glowing eyes and particles moving around it eye like a god, but I don't see anyone inside that dimension that has that kind of eye when I saw that statue my whole body froze for a second and made me realize that my body wasn't at full peak but can full peak at any time I want," Kiroshuku said solemnly as he slowly kneels

"You both send this type of message to heads or Hishikari Gakure so that every Shira knows it and they should be alarmed that a full-scale attack could happen to any nation whenever those monsters want," Kiroshuku said, seeing the two swordsmen in front of him nod and bow. They suddenly stand up straight and vanish in the blink of an eye.