Chapter 180 It's Just A Village

*Warthniq Kingdom*..

As the night descended upon the battlefield, Warthniq's soldiers hastily set up camp under the watchful eye of their leader, the Sword hero Shinya, and his party.

Tired from their long march, the soldiers settled into their tents, knowing that the next day they would face the daunting task of battling the powerful forces of the Witch's forest.

Despite the looming threat, there was a sense of calm among the soldiers, bolstered by their trust in their leader and their own fighting abilities.

The camp was alive with the sounds of whispered conversations and the occasional clatter of armor as soldiers moved about, making last-minute preparations for the

coming battle.

Shinya had wandered away from the camp, seeking a moment of solitude to collect his thoughts. As he lay on the boulder, his eyes traced the constellations above with a somber gaze, knowing that the battles to come would be difficult and deadly.

Abruptly, he was interrupted by the arrival of a Warthniq soldier. "Sir Hero," the soldier addressed him, "the enemy has established a strong defensive perimeter around the Witch's forest. Their forces consist mostly of abnormal monsters".

Shinya sat up, his expression turning serious as he processed the information. "Thank you for letting me know," he replied, his voice calm but firm. "We need to be prepared for anything they might throw at us. First thing after sunrise, I want you to gather the troops and make sure everyone is equipped with the necessary weapons and armor. We can't afford to let our guard down".

"Understood Hero." The soldier bowed before walking away.

Shinya immediately let out a sigh before resting his back on the rock, "Sato inugami." He suddenly called out, "I'd honestly rather not fight in the war… but you … I want you to see you down on the ground".

"That's a pretty nasty thing to say." Eri said as she walked into the conversation with two wooden cups of wine in her hands.

She sat down beside Shinya on the stone and handed him his own wine before she began drinking hers.

Shinya's voice was resolute as he spoke, "What do you think, Eri? Do you believe the enemy will retreat once they realize they're outnumbered?"

Eri took a sip of her wine, considering the question carefully before responding, "It's difficult to say for sure. However, given that it's just a small village, I believe they will likely retreat."

Shinya nodded in agreement before jumping off the boulder and gazing out into the horizon with a determined expression. "But if they don't," he continued, "I'll have no choice but to defeat them."

Eri watched as Shinya stood there, his gaze fixed on the distance, his determination palpable. She knew that he was an incredibly skilled swordsman and a natural leader, and she had no doubt that he would do everything in his power to secure a victory for his people.

Meanwhile,

Benihime stepped out of her tent, the cool night air causing her to shiver slightly. She made her way to the water basin, the sound of the trickling water soothing her ears. As she filled her cup, she glanced around the campsite and spotted Yuri, Divanchi, and Erza sitting outside, their gazes fixed on the dark, starry skies above.

She made her way over to them, curious as to what they were looking at. "What are you Guys up to?" she asked, taking a seat beside them.

Erzai gestured to the sky, "Just stargazing," she replied, her voice quiet and contemplative.

Divanchi nodded in agreement, "She's stargazing, I'm just patiently waiting for the war to end".

Benihime followed their gaze and took in the sight of the twinkling stars above. For a moment, she forgot about the looming war and allowed herself to be lost in the beauty of the night sky

"Will Sato not be joining us in our counter assault tomorrow?" Benihime asked before taking a seat beside them.

The place went quiet for a while before Erza responded, "No he won't be joining us… same as my father".

"I see." Benihime muttered, at that point she had gotten a good sense of the situation.

….

Sato's feet hit the ground with a heavy thud, sending a cloud of dust flying up around him. He stood there, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes locked onto Jira, who was approaching him with slow, measured steps.

Sato could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he prepared for the fight ahead. His mind raced, calculating his every move and analyzing Jira's every step.

The tension in the air was palpable as the two adversaries faced off, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Come on, are you really going to disappoint me?" Jira taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "Can't believe you actually became weaker."

Sato's mind raced as he struggled to find the strength to fight back. "It feels like I'm out of magic," he muttered to himself, his whole face covered in blood as he struggled to breathe.

"Well, are you going to say something?" Jira demanded, but Sato just stood there, looking at him without uttering a word.

Jira suddenly halted with a sigh, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Sato, before a powerful breeze blew, causing Sato to stumble backward.

"Take this seriously…" Jira raised his knee while pulling Sato close with his neck, "Or you are really going to die!".

Jira's knee struck Sato's stomach with a fierce impact, causing Sato's eyes to widen in agony as the pain rippled through his body.

He felt himself being flung away by the force of the attack, tumbling over and over again until he finally came to a stop. But before he could even catch his breath, Jira was already upon him, delivering a swift and brutal kick to his head that sent him flying yet again.

Sato's body slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, his head ringing and his vision swimming. He struggled to get back on his feet, but his limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. It felt like he was out of magic, drained of all his power and unable to fight back.

Jira stood over him with a cold and emotionless expression on his face. "Is that all you've got?" he sneered. "Pathetic."

Sato gritted his teeth and tried to stand up again, but his body refused to cooperate. He knew he was in deep trouble.