"He's coming."
As soon as Hatsune's words fell, black hair spread across the ground like a tide, extending all the way to the outer edge of the defensive circle.
Some strands of hair attempted to sneak in from below, but as soon as they entered the defensive circle, they were enveloped by the cold air, turning white and retreating hastily.
Nae's face turned white with fear. She had always thought that having long, black, shiny hair was something every girl could be proud of. But now, seeing the hair moving like a living thing at her feet, she felt nothing but disgust and terror. Her scalp tingled, as if her own hair had come to life.
It moved!
Strands of hair slowly stood up from the ground like slender spears pointing at the three of them. Suddenly, the spears pulled back slightly, preparing for a brief moment, and in the next second, all the spears shot towards them rapidly.
Hatsune, leveraging the cold air to create a sensory field, could sense almost every attack from all directions. Removing the weights was to lighten his body and also to allow him to swing his sword more quickly. He had no strength left for an effective counterattack. Even at his peak, he knew he wasn't a match for the monster. The only thing he could do now was swing his sword desperately, waiting for the sun to rise.
"All three of you, get behind me. Watch out for attacks from the sides."
In just that instant of attack, the other two were already struggling to hold on, each sustaining injuries. The hair was incredibly tough, leaving bloody gashes wherever it touched.
Hearing Hatsune's voice, the three slowly moved behind him. Nae took the left side, and Akino took the right, standing back-to-back with Hatsune.
Yuka watched the three of them, her heart aching. They were fighting desperately while she could do nothing. Nae and Akino occasionally had to fend off attacks aimed at her.
Tears welled up in Yuka's eyes as she gave a faint smile and jumped down the hillside.
Akino noticed Yuka's movement too late. He turned his head, confused, as if asking why she did it. But in that brief moment of distraction, he was hit by strands of hair on his arm and leg, splattering blood.
Yuka simply smiled and shook her head. She knew what Akino was thinking. He stayed because of her, but now that she had forfeited voluntarily, Akino had no reason to give up.
But now, he couldn't give up. Her giving up was to make things easier for him; his giving up would be like betrayal, and she wouldn't allow that.
Yuka stood under the wisteria tree, holding onto the trunk and smiling at the three of them to encourage Akino.
Akino understood Yuka's intentions. Now that things had come to this, he could only focus on the fight. Everything else could wait until after dawn.
The hair's attacks grew fiercer and more aggressive, evolving from small-scale assaults to waves crashing towards them like a black tide.
Hatsune swung his Nichirin Sword desperately, his legs firmly planted. He no longer felt any pain, his hearing faded, and his vision blurred. All that remained in his mind was a single thought: keep swinging the sword.
The other two were in dire straits as well. With their energy depleting, their wounds increased. Only because Hatsune was blocking many attacks from the front could they barely hold on.
Especially Nae, who hadn't been severely injured in the previous battles. Her muscle density six times the normal gave her an edge over the others.
Wave after wave of attacks were repelled, but except for Hatsune, the others were reaching their limits. Their legs trembled, and their sword strikes became weak and uncoordinated.
Suddenly, all the hair retracted, rising in the middle of the clearing to form a black wave several meters high, like a giant beast with an open maw, intending to swallow them whole.
Nae, Akino, and Yuka stared wide-eyed, filled with despair.
Hatsune continued to swing his sword mechanically, despite no hair being around. The others found it strange but had no time to worry about it.
"Akino, Nae, stop fighting. Give up."
Yuka cried out, running towards the three. Before she could get close, the black wave surged down from above.
Hatsune kept swinging his sword while the others stared at the encroaching darkness, feeling powerless, unable even to lift their weapons.
Demon, what is a demon?
How could such a powerful demon exist in the world?
Just as the hair was about to touch Hatsune, a beam of light shone through the tree canopy, standing between them like a mediator stopping a war.
The hair hesitated, then quickly retracted to the shadow's feet, carrying it back into the darkness.
More beams of light filtered through the canopy, scattering light and dust, dancing like fairies.
It was finally over!
Nae and Akino collapsed to the ground, their Nichirin Swords falling beside them, hands trembling, utterly exhausted.
Nae stared at the light spots on the ground, tears of joy streaming down her face.
Yuka ran to Akino, hugging his leg and crying.
Hatsune kept swinging his sword mechanically, the blade cutting through the air with a buzzing sound.
"Hatsune, we've won. The monster has fled."
"Hatsune, stop swinging. Take a rest."
Nae called out twice, but Hatsune didn't respond.
Even with his cold demeanor, Hatsune wouldn't ignore them like this. And with the hair gone, why was he still swinging his sword?
Nae had a bad feeling.
Akino and Yuka noticed Hatsune's odd behavior too.
"Drip, drip."
Clear drops echoed before them. They saw a pool of blood at Hatsune's feet, the drops falling from his pants.
Nae felt a buzzing in her head, her vision darkening briefly. She quickly climbed up and went to Hatsune's side.
Akino took the other side.
Seeing Hatsune's state, they gasped.
Hatsune had lost consciousness, mechanically swinging his Nichirin Sword, his eyes wide open, staring ahead, his white haori soaked in blood.
Nae's tears flowed uncontrollably. She trembled, reaching out to touch Hatsune but unsure where to start.
"Ha... Hatsune, how are you? Don't scare me."
Nae was in a panic, not knowing what to do.
Akino took a deep breath, calming himself. He grabbed Hatsune's right arm, pulling the Nichirin Sword from his grip and laying him gently on the ground.
Hatsune's muscles had stiffened, and no one knew how he managed to swing his sword unconsciously. It was a testament to his mental and willpower strength.
Seeing Hatsune's state, Yuka was stunned. It took her a moment to react.
"Don't just stand there. Nae, check his heartbeat and breathing. Yuka, stop the bleeding."
Akino began massaging Hatsune's legs to relax his muscles.
"Got it."
Yuka tore strips from her clothes to press on Hatsune's wounds.
Nae wiped her tears, placing her fingers under Hatsune's nose. After a few seconds, she pressed her ear to his chest, tears streaming down again.
No breathing! No heartbeat!