Chapter 58 Stampede
Fight that whole horde with just this many people!? Seriously, that’s impossible… I’m frozen, wondering what to do, when I hear a voice.
“Gojo! I know you’re strong. I’m counting on you—let’s keep the damage low. I’ll handle the biggest one. Take care of the rest!”
Wang’s aware of my power. Can’t just stand here and ignore a request like that…
“Got it. I’ll do my best.”
Wang smiles at my words and turns back toward the massive tiger approaching us. A sea of monsters rushes at us like a black wave. The “Suzaku” members look tense.
I step forward and take the lead.
“Hey! Rookie, you’re going too far out there!!”
The burly guy who just yelled at me shouts, but I don’t stop.
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“Gojo!?”
I believed in Gojo’s strength. If he gives it his all, maybe we can get through this crisis with minimal loss.
But he’s stepping forward alone.
No matter how strong Gojo is, charging that horde alone is suicide!! I was about to stop him when I saw something unbelievable.
“Wha—!?”
Over a thousand monsters are floating in midair.
What the hell!? What’s going on…?
To be precise, the monsters that had reached Gojo’s front line were all blasted backward in the same direction at once!
The ones blown back collided with the others coming toward us and were sent flying upward! This happened nearly a thousand times, creating a surreal scene.
I don’t get it… What’s happening…? Just as I’m confused, something suddenly falls from above.
The massive tiger that had been ahead a moment ago suddenly sat up, making a loud, grating sound.
The tiger glared at me, looking just as confused as I felt.
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When the monster appeared right in front of me, I froze time.
The world froze. The horde of monsters halted completely. Can't go using magic openly, not if I'm calling myself a monk...
I’m knocking monsters down one by one, kicking them aside—thanks to mastering Martial Arts and becoming the “Punch King,” I can feel exactly how to move my body, at what angle to strike, to deliver maximum power.
No idea how to fight or anything, but my body’s moving on its own... like it knows what to do.
I’m telling you, my punches and kicks—no need for that cursed steel armor—can knock out any mid-tier monster in one hit!
Zipping through the battlefield at breakneck speed, landing blow after blow on the monsters! After pounding a whole swarm of demons within sight, there it was—the massive tiger Wang had said to take down. Could kill it here, sure, but probably safe to leave it to Wang... still, better safe than sorry—gave it a full-power kick right to the chest!! Should’ve taken a serious chunk out of its stamina.
After one breath… I moved time.
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The Vermilion Bird unit stared, dumbfounded, as the horde of monsters ahead suddenly vanished.
No one had any idea what the hell had just happened, but the monsters moving along a different route? They were still everywhere!
Even if the numbers are down, there’s still a damn huge wave of monsters coming at us—get your guard up or we’re dead! Everyone snapped back to attention, facing the monsters rushing toward them.
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Monsters floating in the sky were crashing down one after another, slamming into the ground! All of them looked already dead.
"Is this... Gojo... who did this...?"
I couldn't wrap my head around it—but now wasn't the time to think! Right in front of me was a tiger monster that might be the "Leader."
I dropped to one knee, focused my mind, and channeled my energy! The energy surged all the way to the tip of my staff! Leaping forward to strike down the approaching monster, I drove the staff deep into the forehead of the tiger—already sluggish and slow!
"GAAARRRHHH!!!"
It let out a high-pitched scream, thrashing wildly! Clinging desperately to the staff stuck in its forehead, I kept myself from being thrown off, then concentrated my "qi" into my right hand! I didn’t miss the split second when the tiger’s movement slowed—slamming my palm down with all my strength onto the staff’s handle!!
The iron staff plunged even deeper into the tiger’s skull! The beast screamed, rolled over, and collapsed onto the ground!!
The tiger lay on its back, motionless now… ...no more movement at all…
"Got it… got it… finally…"
Lieutenant Liu ran over. The other monsters that had attacked seemed to have been taken down by the Vermilion Bird unit.
"Leader! Are you okay!?!"
"Ah, I'm fine! Check the unit—any injuries?"
Now, the real question: was this tiger the "Leader"? Then I noticed—Gojo was nearby.
"Gojo! Hey, can I talk to you for a sec? Come over here."
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Approaching the Leader, I saw the massive tiger lying on its back—perfectly pinned.
"Gojo, what do you think? Do you think this is the 'Leader'!?"
"Why are you asking me?"
Wang was staring at me dead serious.
“Hear that? The ‘Leader’ was defeated in Japan… heard it was magic users and the Self-Defense Force working together. You weren’t part of that operation, were you?”
The “Suzaku” members gathered nearby all blinked in shock, eyes locked on me.
“Maa… well… kinda, I guess…”
I didn’t correct him. It wasn’t true, but explaining it would’ve been a mess.
“Then you must be seeing the real ‘Leader’ right now. So? Is this tiger the ‘Leader’?”
“…No. I’ve seen something stronger. Way more intimidating.”
“…Huh. I figured as much…”
Wang looked disappointed—but he’d probably known in his gut this wasn’t the real deal.
“Hey, Gojo! You were part of the Self-Defense Force that took down the ‘Leader’?! That’s sick, man!!”
“Then you’re our senior! Sorry for earlier, dude!”
The big guy—Zhang and Li, the ones who’d been hassling me—apologized. Probably good people deep down… but damn, their faces are stone-cold.
“Wang! Two of our members are missing! Can’t find them since the last fight!”
Liu’s report snapped Wang to attention.
“Search them now! Get ready!”
The Suzaku crew started moving out. Just then—
The sky burst into seven colors.
A breathtaking, art-like glow—like an aurora—stole everyone’s breath.
“What the hell… is this…!?” Wang muttered, stunned.
From the center of the light, a shimmering beam descended slowly, gently. It was blue fire dancing in the air, drifting down like a bird, looking down at us with calm, effortless grace.
"Could this be why the monster was fleeing...?"
I know what to call this thing. I've seen it a hundred times in manga and anime! Most people would probably call it...
—Phoenix —