“Man, that was a rough experience…”
“Haha, but it was fun, wasn’t it?”
After acquiring new weapons at the blacksmith shop, the two engaged in a mock battle. The fight that was forcefully initiated by Genjuro and fueled by his excitement ended with Sei being overwhelmingly defeated.
“Even with my defensive skills, I couldn’t block a thing. That’s the problem with real-life cheaters…”
“My apologies. But you gained something from it, didn’t you?”
Following the mock battle, the master was impressed by how well the two fought and sold a new weapon to Sei at a discount. Moreover, he promised to craft armor using the leftover materials from Genjuro. So it wasn’t a total loss for Sei.
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Hey, you two!”
While there were benefits, Sei felt more aggrieved by the unfair treatment. Before he could continue his complaint, Seventh Armor who was oblivious to their situation approached them cheerfully. After landing on Genjuro’s shoulder, Seventh Armor started talking.
“Seems like you’ve settled things… What happened?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Seventh Armor was puzzled by Sei’s unmistakably grumpy demeanor but refrained from probing further, sensing that something had happened. Sei, for his part, remained silent, offering no explanation for his mood.
“Is that so. Now, about the matter at hand, it indeed concerned the baboon-related issues.”
“What were the specific agreements reached?”
“As expected, there was an agreement to cease fighting against each other until the baboons’ rampage was brought to an end. There was no alliance formed, nor was there a promise to fight together. The agreement was simply to avoid interfering with each other while fighting the baboons.”
“I see…”
It seemed the developments had largely followed Genjuro’s predictions. It was a temporary truce until the baboon issue was resolved, without any formal alliance or promise of joint combat. This distinction was important to remember.
“Also, the Great Tengu mentioned he would visit the dojo later. Jigoro has already gone ahead. Perhaps there’s something he’s concerned about?”
“Is that so? It would be rude to keep him waiting. We should make haste.”
With that, the three of them quickened their pace towards the dojo, where the Great Tengu was waiting.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Hmph! Shaaah!”
“Whoa! That was close!”
When the three of them arrived at the dojo, they found the Great Tengu and Jigoro engaged in battle. Jigoro’s relentless assault was skillfully dodged by the Great Tengu.
However, the gap between them appeared to have narrowed since Genjuro last observed them. The Great Tengu was dodging with less ease than before and seemed on the verge of being caught by Jigoro’s feints and punches.
“Ah! Disciple, time’s up!”
“Tch, you’ve arrived, huh? And here I am again, without landing a single blow…”
It seemed there was a time limit set for Jigoro’s challenge, which ended with the arrival of Genjuro and the others. Jigoro ceased his attacks reluctantly while the Great Tengu was visibly relieved. Perhaps he was thinking that if the other had arrived a bit later, Jigoro’s punches might have reached him.
“Did we arrive too soon?”
“Not at all. It’s my fault for not landing a hit sooner.”
Jigoro was fiercely stoic when it came to combat. He believed the outcome of a fight rested solely on his shoulders and never attributed defeat to external factors.
Genjuro greatly appreciated this non-compromising attitude of his. Though he would likely never admit it to the person directly.
As Genjuro surveyed the interior of the dojo, he noticed that, in addition to the Great Tengu, many other Tengu and Oni were sitting in seiza and waiting. Most of them were people that Genjuro knew and he had taught techniques to many of them as well. It seemed that he had gathered a group of martial enthusiasts.
“Phew… You’ve become too strong in such a short time, my disciple. That aside, it seems everyone I called has gathered.”
On the other hand, the Great Tengu calmed down, sat down on his seat, looked at the people he had gathered, and nodded repeatedly with satisfaction. Shortly thereafter, his expression turned serious. It seemed like he was about to address the main topic for which he had gathered them.
“The reason I’ve asked the key figures and reliable wanderers to gather is none other than the agreement made with the subordinates of that female fox. The general contents are known to all. However… there’s something that concerns me.”
“What concerns you, my lord? What might that be?”
The question came from a large Oni with a robust physique. He appeared to be quite old, judging by his white hair and the deep wrinkles on his face, but his razor-sharp eyes betrayed no signs of age.
He was one of the elder Oni, a general leading a band of warriors. Jigoro and the others heard that he was the second most powerful person after the Great Tengu and that his level was 100. Though they didn’t know his exact race, they knew that he was a born warrior who swore absolute loyalty to the Great Tengu.
“Umu… Start.”
“Ha. Please take a look at this footage.”
The Tengu, who seemed to be the secretary of the Great Tengu, pulled out a crystal ball similar to the one shown before from his bosom and activated it. The crystal ball displayed a scene of battle between baboons and the allied forces of Yokai, including Mujina, at the foot of the mountain.
“This footage was captured last night by our spies unit who happened upon it by chance.”
Genjuro and the others were unaware of the existence of an intelligence organization referred to as “spies”, but they were more impressed than surprised. Considering there were jobs such as scouts and assassins in the game, it made sense for such an organization to exist, and they quickly accepted this.
The battle depicted in the footage began with the yokai having the upper hand. Even though the number of baboons capable of using magic had increased, their power was significantly inferior compared to yokai who were naturally adept at magic. Since the frontline forces were evenly matched, it was natural that the side with superior support from the rear would have the advantage.
Just when it seemed the battle was about to be decided, a large baboon burst into the fray. This one was even larger than Saburo, whom Genjuro had defeated one-on-one, and he possessed four arms just like Isam. The Tengu paused the footage at the moment this creature appeared.
“This is the leader who has rallied the baboons. According to the results of the [Appraisal] this one is a level 94 Barbarian Baboon King.”
“Level 94, you say? For a baboon?”
“And a king, no less… Troublesome indeed…”
One of the Onis exclaimed in surprise, and the reactions from the others were similar. Although there were some exceptions, it takes a fair amount of skill and luck for NPCs who could die to reach a level of 90. Their astonishment was justified.
Moreover, the “King” name in the race meant that it was a monster that could enhance its subordinates. Among intelligent monsters, it was common knowledge to be wary of any being with the title of “King” not just among humans.
“Calm yourselves! This is not the end… Continue the footage.”
The attendees at the meeting were initially unsettled and murmuring amongst themselves, but the commotion was abruptly silenced by a stern rebuke from the Great Tengu. In the now tranquil dojo, the secretary Tengu resumed playing the footage.
The footage showed the Barbarian Baboon King wreaking havoc while leading to the complete disarray of the yokai allied forces. It seemed there was no one among them capable of subduing a “King” in the 90s level range. And they scattered, each fleeing in different directions in a state of panic.
After the yokai fled, the Barbarian Baboon King somehow became motionless, as if its strings had been cut. At the same time, the movements of the other baboons stopped. The way he just stood there silently without letting out a roar of victory was both strange and eerie.
“Kikikik! You managed to drive them off nicely! Well done, my puppet boy! You should be proud to have served master Shentu well! Kikikikik!”
What appeared was a sole monkey. Unlike the baboons that closely resembled Japanese macaques, this one had large eyes and a long tail, bearing a closer resemblance to squirrel monkeys or spider monkeys. Its head and neck were covered in white fur, while the rest of its body was cloaked in dark red hair. It was also carrying a drawstring bag around its neck.
However, this monkey was anything but cute; it looked too monstrous for that. That was mainly due to its malevolent facial expression. It had cloudy eyeballs that were too large for the size of its face, a mouth that was split down to its ears that revealed yellowed teeth, and a large hand attached to the tip of its long tail.
This monstrous monkey casually leaped onto the shoulder of the Barbarian Baboon King and began to nonchalantly pat its head as if such an act was completely normal. This disrespectful behavior towards a “King” would typically warrant punishment.
Yet, the Barbarian Baboon King did nothing in response. It didn’t show any reaction at all; no anger and no reprimand. Actually, the sight of it just standing there without reacting was strangely eerie.
“Tch, no fun without a reaction! The downside of a puppet… Let’s go back!”
The monkey monster looked to be bored and clicked its tongue before slapping the Barbarian Baboon King’s cheek hard with the hand at the end of its tail. Following this, the Baboon King began to move sluggishly, leading its baboon followers back into the depths of the forest. That’s where the holographic footage abruptly ended.
“…This is the intelligence gathered by the spies.”
“My lord… What does this mean? To my eyes, it looked like the monkey that appeared at the end was controlling the king and the herd…”
“That seems likely. And it’s highly likely that this monkey is the reason behind the baboons’ violent behavior. Moreover, there have been several reports regarding the name ‘Shentu’.”
At the Great Tengu’s words, some of the individuals gathered in the dojo nodded their heads in agreement. Not only Genjuro, but several others who had encountered baboons during patrols had heard them mention the name Shentu. Thus, integrating multiple pieces of information led them to believe that this monkey held a strategic position among the baboons.
However, it turned out to be not just a strategist but the mastermind who apparently controlled the “King” and its subordinates through some means. The method of control was unclear and so was the purpose behind inciting the baboons to wreak havoc in various places.
“I have no idea what that creature wants, but it’s certainly up to no good.”
“Do the yokai at the foot of the mountain know about this?”
“Well, it wouldn’t be surprising if they did. Perhaps it’s precisely because they knew that they proposed a truce to us. However, the most important point is that unless we defeat this monkey, the disturbances on this heavenly spirit island will not stop.”
When the Great Tengu spoke quietly, Seventh Armor and Sei felt as if the temperature in the dojo had risen. This was because almost all the participants, including Jigoro and Genjuro, could not hide their eagerness for battle and were smiling broadly.
Once the target to be defeated was clear, all that remained was to fight and win. That’s what they believed.
“It’s good to see everyone so spirited. But wait a moment longer. The yokai at the foot of the mountain will likely make their move soon. We will take that opportunity to march. And when we do, we must certainly defeat the yokai named Shentu!”
“””Oooh!!!”””
The Tengu and the Oni responded in unison. The day of their march was near, and it would surely be the day the baboons would meet their end. The resolve of the warriors, including Jigoro and Genjuro, exerted an overwhelming force that compelled Seventh Armor and Sei to thoroughly feel it.
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