The moment Sora unsheathed his Soul equipment, Ursula was exposed to an intense and overpowering pressure.

The feeling was more intense than having lead placed on both shoulders. It was as though an invisible colossal hammer had shattered her entire body. The impact was tremendous.

Her head crushed, her body compressed, her own blood splattered and painted the barrier red. Such a scene even flashed before her eyes.

“Gah…!”

A groan involuntarily escaped her lips.

Just standing near Sora, her skin felt scalded as if exposed to a roaring fire, and her heart pounded rapidly. Sweat oozed from her forehead and quickly formed into droplets that slid down her cheeks.

She was clearly aware that she was being oppressed.

Even the atmosphere seemed to tremble with a sound. The thunderous rumble, similar to distant thunder, seemed as if the demon realm itself was afraid of Sora, and Ursula looked at her classmate in astonishment.

――To this extent?

She thought she had understood that Sora, after being expelled from the Mitsurugi family, had returned with great power. She had heard stories, conversed with him, and was convinced that he was a different person from five years ago, especially in combat.

However, Ursula was forcibly made to realize that her understanding and conviction were incredibly shallow.

Was the figure standing in her sight truly that Mitsurugi Sora? More so, was he even human? Such doubts even crossed her mind.

His power was that immense. It could even be called abnormal.

As a standard-bearer of the First Flag, Ursula had fought on many battlefields alongside the flag leader Dialt Berch and Vice-commander Kumon Shukuya.

Though they were considered the peak of the Mitsurugi family’s strength and often referred to as the perfect duo, Ursula had never felt this oppressed by those two.

A primal, freezing fear emanated from her very core. Like a prey before its natural predator, or a devotee before a god, her body became rigid and unmoving.

Unbeknownst to her, the figure of Sora before her was beginning to transform. From a human clad in black robes to a mythical creature adorned with black scales…

“Ursula!”

“Wha!?”

Startled by a strong voice calling her name from the side, Ursula snapped back to reality.

Glancing hurriedly in the direction of the voice, Claira Berch was staring at Ursula with a serious look on her face. The tension in her face was likely due to her enduring the pressure of Sora’s Kei, just like Ursula.

If there was a difference between Ursula and her, it was that no shadow of awe could be seen in Claira’s expression.

“Keep yourself together. Lord Sora’s Kei is heavy. It will knock your consciousness out.”

“…Hmm, yes, thank you. Honestly, I was almost overwhelmed.”

After replying to Claira, Ursula looked back at Sora.

Naturally, standing there was the human Sora. The grotesque transformation she glimpsed just now must have been a hallucination caused by her fear.

Thinking thus, Ursula whispered to Claira.

“You were quite calm, weren’t you, Claira?”

“I wouldn’t say calm. But I’m more accustomed to Lord Sora’s power than you.”

After all, she had fought with him in life-or-death duels. She was also semi-forced to practice with him afterward; she had no choice but to get used to it, whether she wanted to or not.

However, Sora’s current power is one or two sizes greater than when Claira fought him before, so the word “accustomed” might be a bit misleading.

Claira was also surprised, just like Ursula. But unlike Ursula, Claira, who knew the previous Sora, understood that no matter how much his power grew, the core of him hadn’t changed. At least, that’s how Claira felt.

Therefore, she might be surprised at the magnitude of his power, but she doesn’t fear it.

Why would she need to fear the gentle dragon who, possessing the power to devour everything, ate her despair when she was his enemy?

Now, the only emotion Claira held toward Sora was gratitude.

As they were discussing this, movement could be seen in the enemy camp far away. The Kijin must have noticed Sora’s presence.

To add, there was also an uproar inside the Mitsurugi family’s fortress. A massive Kei, surpassing even the two great barriers, had appeared nearby. Even the skilled warriors of the leading unit must have been unable to maintain their composure.

――Ideally, they should have explained the situation to the Mitsurugi family since they were about to attack the enemy camp. There was a possibility that the Kijin, misunderstanding Sora’s attack as that of the Mitsurugi family, would attack the fortress all at once.

However, Sora didn’t do that. He accepted Ursula as a companion at the Mitsurugi family’s request. He said that there was no reason for him to be further restrained by them.

While his words were probably true, Claira thought that one of the reasons for this decision was herself.

Now that Dialt is in capital city, the one who holds complete authority over the fortress is Shukuya of the Kumon family. The head of the Kumon house is known for his gentle and sincere personality, and he hasn’t shown any malice or hostility towards Sora—however, Claira had once crossed swords with Shukuya when she tried to escape the island.

There’s no reason for Shukuya to feel any goodwill towards Claira, and by extension, towards Sora, who appeared with her. Sora concluded as much, planning to act by outwitting the Mitsurugi house. He surely took this course of action, considering the possibility of facing disadvantages later on because of this.

From Claira’s perspective, her actions might once again cause trouble for Sora. She wishes she could apologize right away, but she knows that if she did, Sora would probably laugh it off. She doesn’t want to add any more burden to him, who is already worried about his younger sibling.

She can vividly imagine Sora’s voice and expression saying, “What are you misunderstanding?” This thought brings an unintentional smile to Claira’s face.

Noticing this, Ursula looks at her with a mixture of surprise and confusion, prompting Claira to quickly regain her composure.

Then, it happened.

“Let’s go.”

With just those words, Sora dashed towards the enemy lines. His high-speed movement was so fast it was almost imperceptible. Within the blink of an eye, he had covered a significant distance.

Claira realized she would be left behind if she didn’t act quickly. Hurriedly, she called out to her Anima.

“Come forth, Kusanagi!”

Belatedly manifesting her Soul Equipment, Claira leaps from the ramparts, gracefully landing on the ground. She then takes off, chasing after Sora who is already ahead of her, feeling Ursula’s presence right behind her.

By considering Sora’s intentions, Claira surmised that, with his current prowess, he could easily dive into enemy lines without stopping, wielding his Soul Equipment and taking down any enemy soldier in his path.

However, Sora had mentioned his primary objective was to capture the Kijin leader and negotiate with the enemy king. With that in mind, he would likely avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

The best approach would be to engage in a one-on-one battle with the enemy leader.

If the enemy leader underestimates them, given they’re only a party of three, then this is a distinct possibility. Conversely, they might be taken lightly, deemed insignificant, and just ordered to be annihilated by the leader’s soldiers.

Regardless, what Claira should focus on is to closely observe Sora’s movements and keep up with him. She reminded herself of this.

Just then, within Claira’s line of sight, Sora halted.

He was in a position overlooking the enemy camp. As she had thought, he did not intend to recklessly attack the enemies. With that in mind, Claira stopped as well, observing the enemy just like Sora.

—In that instant, she felt her entire body go on high alert.

At the end of her gaze stood a single Kijin. He was enormous. A towering figure who seemed to reach the clouds, adorned in black, lustrous Eastern armor, was staring intently at them.

The tallest human Claira knew was Gozu Shima, but this Kijin appeared even larger.

His large and thick limbs were reminiscent of a bear, his rugged shoulders like boulders, and his thick neck brought to mind the trunk of a great tree. His muscular body seemed almost ready to burst out of his armor, and his very presence exerted an overpowering intimidation.

Because he wore a face-guard—a piece of armor that protected the face and neck—his appearance and expression were hidden. However, that fact did not hinder Claira from recognizing the true prowess of this Kijin.

She realized that she was facing a formidable and fearsome opponent.

Then, the opponent slowly opened his mouth. His voice was deep, heavy, and yet strangely clear, causing Claira’s ears to tremble.

“I am Doga, the brother of King Azuma of Nakayama. Speak your names, humans who bear the bracelets of our brethren.”