Saki and Rito sprint through the dirt path leading to Kanna. Around them are bugs from the forest going toward both Shigure and Kanna. They feel relieved that the bugs are avoiding the dirt path and their direction, but their presence won't be unnoticed soon. Ahead of them are the invading bugs of Kanna. From the looks of it, the bugs are invading the village from every direction of the forest facing it.
Between her breaths, Saki spoke up. "Kanna is under heavy pressure! Come on, faster!" She gestured Rito to hasten his feet, which he yelled back in irritation. "I'm going as fast as I can!" His word causes Saki to glance back. "That's as fast as you can?! Aren't you a man?!" Her voice filled with disbelief.
"I'm built for labor, not goddamn sport!" He yelled. Saki shook her head and focused ahead. As if the bugs heard their bickering, some of the bugs rushed in their direction. The two pull out their sword as they run. "Get out of the way!" Saki swings her sword at one of the bugs, sending it flying back to the side. "Hah...!" Rito also clears his path of the bugs rushing towards them.
"Come on, we can't stay here!" Saki runs up ahead as soon as her path is cleared, causing Rito to hurry up behind her. "Out of the way!" Saki yells as she swings her sword to throw away the bugs while Rito stays behind watching her use her sword. A few minutes later, they reached the invading bugs facing Kanna. The two stop to take their breather.
"Alright, let's do this... Hey!" Saki calls out to the bugs, making them turn around to face the source of the voice. Right there, Saki and Rito initiate a battle with four bugs from the rest of them. "Let's finish this quick!" She yells at Rito, who firmly nods at her. "Cleave the enemies apart!" Saki swings her sword in a wide arc, dealing damage to all of the bugs. 'Bug D takes 16 damage!' 'Bug C takes 15 damage!' 'Bug B takes 16 damage!' 'Bug A takes 15 damage!'
Rito's eyes widened, a look of surprise flashing across his face as he heard her cast a skill and witnessed her wide strike. "Did you just perform a skill?!" His words were full of disbelief, trying to deny what he just heard and saw. Saki just smirks at him. Rito grunts and focuses on the battle. "Hyah...!" He swings at Bug D, finishing it off. 'Bug D takes 18 damage!' 'Bug D has been defeated!' Saki felt a bit of annoyance and frowned then said. "Hey! We won't go anywhere if you keep hitting them one by one! Are you really going to kill all these bugs one by one?! Kanna will be destroyed before you can even clear them all out!"
Rito grunts and responds. "I'm trying here!" He yells out as he readies his sword to defend. "Not enough! Swing wide just like I did and hit all of them at once!" Saki yells back. "Easier said than done!" Rito yells back, gritting his teeth. Saki felt pride at hearing his words. As a villager, they have no access to the skills menu and can only attack normally. She rose to the village militia rank by fighting numerous slimes in the forest and unlocked her access to the skills menu, and even learned some new skills.
It was an encouragement, a boost to her spirit to fight even more. As they maintain watch over the bugs, Bug A lunges and attempts to bite Saki's arm. However, feeling a bit more spirited than ever, Saki remembers Abigail's words. She quickly mutters to herself. "Watch them lunge, step to the side, and swing at their lunging form!" She quickly steps to the side and immediately swings her sword. The blade sliced through the flesh of the bug in the air, causing it to fall to the ground behind them. 'Bug A attacks Saki!' 'But Saki steps to the side and slashes Bug A!' 'Bug A takes 14 damage!' 'Bug A has been defeated!'
The bug lies motionless as it falls to the ground. Rito stares at the dead bug, completely bewildered by her movement. "Hey! Focus!" Saki's yelling caused him to snap back towards the battle. Just as he turns around, Bug B lunges in an attempt to bite him. Rito holds his sword with two of his hands just like before and blocks the jaw of the bug, causing him to stumble backward and fight for the grip of the sword.
Saki focused on the last bug instead. "Strike true against the bodies of gel!" She executed the combo of slash and thrust against Bug C, finishing it off. 'Bug C takes 28 damage!' 'Bug C has been defeated!' She let out a sharp exhale and looked at Rito, who was watching her fight as he struggled with the bug in front of him. With a grunt, Saki swings her sword at the bug biting into his sword, killing it. 'Bug B has been defeated!' 'Saki's party won!' The battle ends with their victory.
Upon ending the battle, Saki noticed Rito not gaining any experience, but quickly brushed it off, secretly happy that he wouldn't be ranking up just like her. She quickly moves on to the next group of bugs lining up to enter Kanna. Four bugs face them and enter battle.
"Hey, come on! Swing your sword like I do!" Saki yells at Rito before executing her skill. "Cleave the enemies apart!" Her blade connects with the flesh of the bugs in one swing. 'Bug D takes 16 damage!' 'Bug C takes 16 damage!' 'Bug B takes 15 damage!' 'Bug A takes 16 damage!' Rito watched in awe as she dealt damage to all of the bugs in one singular strike. Then he saw her look at him. "Your turn! Swing your sword and hit all of them at once!" Saki urged him.
Feeling frustrated, Rito swings his sword wide. His strength was lacking, resulting in a feeble strike that barely managed to hit all four bugs, abruptly stopping his blade at the second bug. 'Bug D takes 8 damage!' 'Bug C takes 5 damage!' Rito grunts and steps back. Saki realizes again the differences in their strength, which adds another burst of energy within her. "Come on... If I weren't here, Kanna would be overwhelmed before you can even reach them" Her taunt made him grunt in anger but made no response.
Bug A lunges and attempts to bite Saki's arm, but she steps to the side and swiftly slashes in the air, hitting the lunging bug and sending it flying to the ground. 'Bug A takes 15 damage!' 'Bug A falls to the ground!' The bug was temporarily immobilized as it attempted to get itself together. Rito watches in awe once more. "How the hell are you so quick?!" He yells out, causing Saki to smirk as she listens to him from the side.
Bug B lunges and attempts to bite Saki's arm, but once again, she steps to the side and swiftly slashes the air, hitting Bug B and sending it to the same place as Bug A. 'Bug B takes 16 damage!' Having the battle split, Saki faced the two bugs behind them while Rito faced Bug C and D in the front.
Bug C lunges and bites into Rito's arm. 'Rito takes 17 damage!' A sharp cry of pain escapes his mouth as the bug crunches his skin before flying back to its spot. "Damn... Here!" Saki noticed his health dropping and threw some herbs his way. Rito caught the herbs and quickly shoved them into his mouth. 'Rito recovers 50 hp!' Saki yells once more. "You better not get used to it! We don't have infinite herbs!"
Rito grunts. "Yeah! I know!" He yelled back and focused on the two bugs. Saki was the first to move again, she executed her skill. "Cleave the enemies apart!" She swings her sword wide and hits the two bugs, finishing them. 'Bug A has been defeated!' 'Bug B has been defeated!' She quickly darts towards Rito, who is about to strike a finishing blow. "Hah...!" He swings his sword above the ground and hits Bug D's body, sending it down the ground with a thump as it loses its life. 'Bug D has been defeated!'
Before Bug C could attack him, Saki executed her combo of slash and thrust. "Slash true against the bodies of gel!" She yells as she strikes Bug C, ultimately killing it. 'Bug C has been defeated! 'Saki's party won!' It was another victory, but one of many. The last line of bugs is still standing in their way towards Kanna, and more are overwhelming the village.
They wasted no time and entered battle with the last bugs on the path. "Cleave the enemies apart!" Saki yells as she swings her sword wide. 'Critical Damage!' 'Bug D takes 24 damage!' 'Bug C takes 21 damage!' 'Bug B takes 23 damage!' 'Bug A takes 25 damage!' 'Bug A is confused!' 'Bug C is confused!' Saki bursts into triumphant laughter as she deals extra damage and the effect on one of the bugs.
"That felt so good!" She cheers, her expression full of joy and excitement. Rito watches her in wonder, not being able to say anything to describe his slight envy. He quickly shook off his thought and swung against one of the bugs that weren't confused. "Haah...!" He let out a strained yell, his emotion audible in his voice. His blade digs deep into Bug B, dealing 18 damage and taking its life away. 'Bug B has been defeated!'
Bug D lunges and attempts to bite Rito's arm, but he blocks its jaw with his sword. "Goddamn it! Stop biting into my sword like that!" He struggles to maintain his grip on his sword as the bug bites and wiggles itself to make him lose the sword. With the remaining bugs still confused, Saki moves instead. She swings her sword at Bug C with a yell, killing it immediately. 'Bug C has been defeated!' Its jaw loses its strength, and it falls to the ground. Rito quickly checked his sword's blade, which was battered with bites and scratches.
Saki scoffs as she focuses on the remaining bug. "You should have let it bite your arm then" She swings at Bug A, finishing it off. 'Bug A has been defeated!' It perished while being in a state of confusion. Rito did the same to Bug C, which was in a similar state. His sword buries deep into the bug's body. 'Bug C has been defeated!' 'Saki's party won!'
The path to the entrance of Kanna is finally cleared. With joy in her voice, Saki yells. "Alright! We're finally entering Kanna! Prepare yourself and get ready for more battles!" After that, the two entered Kanna and immediately assessed the situation.