Chapter 48: Mission: Hunt [A Bizarre adventure begins]

Sakura gasped:

“An adventure? Why!?”

Gojin and Kenji scuffed.

Gojin said, rolling his eyes:

“Obviously a mission, and it’s likely to be a long one ’so it turned into an adventure.”

He turned back to Sensei, who was preparing to continue his speech.

The mission would indeed be a long journey, just as Gojin and Kenji had suspected. But what kind of bizarre adventure awaited them?

“Yes, it’s more of a mission. The three of you have the freedom to explore the world regarding finance—something you shouldn’t worry about too much. We’re restricted to dealing with Akumas in and around the mountains, including the neighboring villages. But what about those beyond the mountains and in other locations? That’s where you three come in; you have the best potential to handle this.”

Sensei paused, making his iron rod vanish as a sword appeared in his hand, resembling a dragon slayer’s blade.

It was a broadsword, its blade were polished to a mirror finish, reflecting light off it. Measuring about four feet long, it was razor-sharp and designed for powerful strikes. The weight of the blade felt substantial in Kenji’s hand. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather for a comfortable and secure grip, while the crossguard was elegantly curved.

“Kenji, I bestow this magnificent weapon to you. I trust you will handle it with care.”

Sakura chuckled, drawing their attention. She raised her hand innocently and said, “Nothing,” her expression was a mix of approval and mischief.

Her laughter stemmed from Sensei’s trust in Kenji to manage the blade well. After all, he had lost the Shadowfang she once entrusted to him but this was during a perilous encounter that severed his arm. Thankfully, Kurozai had reversed the danage. It was hard for her to have faith in him keeping weapons safe.

It’s wise to give people three chances before deeming them useless.

“So, we will stay in contact using message birds,” Sensei continued.

The message birds were capable of carrying messages across vast distances. They could move through forests and mountains, finding their way to specific individuals by sensing certain energy signatures. Once released, they would deliver messages swiftly, ensuring that communication remained intact, no matter how far apart they were.

Kenji and Gojin both admired the sword; their gazes were fixed on it. Their eyes and hands roamed around the blade.Sakura sighed, annoyed.

Sensei snapped his fingers twice to bring the two back to their senses. Attention!

“As I said, your long adventure will start now. You’d better come back with a lot of kills.”

Sensei escorted them outside his abode, where the second-years stood to bid them goodbye, along with Reikishi, who held a large coin bag filled with the currency used in the Heian era – Wado Kaichin, enough to last them for several months if spent wisely…..

After a short wave to the second-years, Reikishi, and Sensei, they approached the forest path to the mountains and beyond.

Sensei had also handed them a paper map to navigate every part of the world without getting lost.

Sakura was in charge of the money given, and Kenji was responsible for the map, while Gojin walked lazily ahead, hands behind his neck and head resting on them like a pillow as he whistled melodies.

Sakura asked with a confused look at Kenji and Gojin, swapping gazes every second between the two of them.

“This was so sudden, and you all just accepted the mission. Why?”

Well, she also accepted the mission, so why the complaint after getting on with it? More or less, she had kept quiet, and who would want to decline a long, amazing journey? No one! Although it was a bizarre one.

Kenji shrugged, replying:

” ’Cause it seems like an engaging one… what else? You’re also in on this; let’s just keep our heads straight on the journey.”

He concluded, staring back at the map and noticing that their stop for a rest after the mountains was quite far. Surely, it would be a night journey to get there by foot, horse, or caravan.

It would be late night before they would arrive there by foot—around 10 to 11 PM, to be exact! Hopefully, it would still be open by then, as the innkeepers would fear Akumas coming to feed on them at that time.

By horse, they could make it by around 5 PM, calculated by observing the position of the sun in the sky, a common method used in the ancient period to tell time and Gojin was armed with the knowledge of how to do so.

By caravan, since their combined weight would slow it down and the rocky surfaces might hinder the wheels, they would likely arrive by about 7 PM.

He alarmed them about this, leaving Sakura with a frightened expression.

Gojin, on the other hand, wasn’t intending to speed or teleport there; he decided to take the adventure as it is. Walking and experiencing the wild along with stops in different locations, hunting Akumas—the main point of the whole adventure.

“Come on, Gojin, just take us there. It’s an inn a few kilometers after the mountains; look at the map. You can surely just take us there in seconds.”

Sakura pleaded, absolutely awaiting a favorable answer, so did Kenji.

Instead, he replied with his own decision, short and heart- striking like a knife plunged into an already bleeding heart:

“It’s an adventure around the world—hunting and stopping by, so it’s all leg and nature’s way of transportation.”

He laughed evilly, making Sakura furious, and she instantly lunged at him with the aim to slam his back with a powerful blow but had forgotten about his barrier.

Her hands stopped a few meters away, a grin spreading across his face as he walked further. His walking speed increased, followed by a joking laughter.

She yelled his name in frustration.

“Gojin!!!”

He yelled back.

“Sakura! Walk with nature!”

She sighed, calming herself down, and the two—Kenji and she—walked faster to keep up with him so they could get past the mountains quicker.

As they approached the mountains, the landscape shifted dramatically. Tall peaks loomed ahead, their jagged silhouettes pierced the sky. The mountains were cloaked in a mix of deep greens and rocky greys, with patches of snow clinging to the highest summits.

A cool breeze swept through the valley, carrying the crisp scent of pine. The sound of rustling leaves and distant waterfalls filled the air.

It took exactly twenty-five minutes to reach the mountains.

Sakura scratched her head in thought about what to do next while Kenji traced the map with his fingers.

“So, do we climb the mountains or…?”

Kenji interjected with an assuring tone.

“Nope, there’s a cave that goes through the mountains, which will spit us out on the other side, and then we can continue. Gojin, any other—”

Turning to look where Gojin had been, they realized he wasn’t there anymore. As soon as Kenji had described the cave, it took Gojin less than a second—merely nanoseconds—to find it, nestled under unevenly large leaves and vines that stretched down like ropes, covering the cave’s opening.

“Oh, he is gone.”

Kenji and Sakura proceeded toward the cave’s location and entered it. Inside was just a dark cave with a few fireflies illuminating the way.

As they emerged, they found Gojin standing in awe at what lay before him. Upon seeing it, they were also struck with wonder, nearly dropping their jaws in amazement

…..

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