Masaki Taisho's speech had an effect on not only the wolf wardens, but on the Aoshima samurai present. The fire in their hearts were rekindled, they roared and charged after the wolf wardens.
It was a battle to be written about in the history books of Aoshima. Less than a hundred samurai going against almost two hundred intermediate tier beasts.
Masaki Taisho charged at the beasts with a borrowed katana. He moved first and fast, with a dash the limbs of a sarugami flew in the air and it's head dropped. As he cut them down he spotted the sarugami with his warhammer, facing off an Aoshima samurai. The battle was at a stand still. As the sarugami brought the hammer down at the samurai, it felt a great force slam into it from the side, sending it tumbling across the muddy ground. It screeched in frustration as it arose. It's eyes locked onto Masaki, and with a screech it charged at him.
When the beast was a few feet away Masaki tucked his knees, and with a grunt leaped off the ground with such force that it sent mud flying everywhere. While still in the air, he spun round, avoiding a swing of the beast's weapon. He landed hard, his knees buckled and he grimaced. The sarugami swung the hammer at him from the side but he fought through the pain and caught it with his other hand, he lifted his foot and kicked the the sarugami's knee backwards causing the beast to let go of the weapon as it screamed in pain. Masaki ripped the warhammer from the beast and whacked the beast across the head delivering a fatal blow. He placed the katana in its sheath then gripped the warhammer with both hands, with a smile on his face he charged at the nearest sarugami.
Wasuren led Kiyoshi and the remaining seven samurai against the horde of beasts before them. They fought well together and had each other's backs. Although they were tired from the previous battle they still put their best foot forward and faced the enemy. When they were getting overwhelmed Wasuren would unleash his flames and burn down the sarugami that would get close to them.
"You're conserving your flames." Kiyoshi stated as he cut down a sarugami. "I understand you're drained but surely you have more in the tank."
"There was a presence in the forest, it's not here right now, but I can't get rid of this ominous feeling in my heart." Wasuren replied.
The samurai started off with a bang, eliminating multiple intermediate tier sarugami. But as time went on, they struggled. Not only were they were tired from the previous battle, the amount of sarugami was too much to handle. They tried their best to push back but were slowly getting overwhelmed.
"Tadayori Taisho, shall we retreat?" One of the Aoshima samurai asked in desperation.
Tadayori swung his katana at an incoming veast, blocking its attack, using the momentum, he pushed off the sarugami and launched a fierce kick to the ribs of the sarugami sending it flying into several of its kind.
"If we abandon our duty as samurai, who will protect Aoshima?" Tadayori replied. The samurai although disheartened still continued to fight.
"Men! Rally round me, there's only about a hundred left, we can overcome this." Tadayori yelled.
"You keep staring at the forest Ren." Kiyoshi stated. "What are you looking out for?"
"That's the problem," Wasuren stated as he cut down the beast in front of him. "I don't know."
Masaki ran towards them. "Come on let's join the Aoshima samurai, we should be able to end this within the ho-"
His sentence was cut short as a feeling of dread washed over him. Even the sarugami seemed to halt as an ominous feeling came upon them.
Both man and beast alike turned towards the forest entrance as a gigantic figure emerged from it. It bite the face of a monkey like any other sarugami, but it was significantly taller, it stood almost 9 feet tall with the muscle density and size of a gorilla.
It's fur was deep brown and it's chest was exposed, except for what looked to be a chainmail skirt, split at the sides for easy mobility. In it's hand was a blood stand metal staff as tal as himself and as thick as a human thigh.
Its eyes seemed to scan the battlefield and within its line of sight were the Aoshima samurai. They had formed a small circle, about fifty of them left. The beast lifted the staff up like a spear, aimed at the gathered samurai.
Tadayori realizing what was about to happen, yelled at his men. "SCATTER!!"
The beast hurled the staff at the samurai just as they dispersed. They were not all lucky. Two samurai were hit in the chest and slammed into the ground by the staff leaving a four feet deep crater, with the width several times the size of the humans in it.
Tadayori's eyes were widened in shock. The shockwave and debris from the attack had knocked him over, but he managed to stand up in time. He looked to the crater and saw two of his men crushed to minced meat. His heart rate increased, his breathing became erratic. "Not again, not again." He muttered.
"Move Tadayori!" He was still in shock by what just occurred and barely heard the words of his men. He turned his gaze to the sky only to see the feet of the advanced sarugami above him. He tried to move but it was too late. "Is this how I die?"
As the beast descended he felt something knock him out of the way as he was tackled to the ground away from the descent or the beast. The sarugami landed causing dirt and mud to fly everywhere.
"Get your ass up Tadayori the fight isn't over." Tadayori looked up to see a bloodied white haired young man in front of him.
The sarugami walked up to his staff, it lifted it up and slammed it to the ground. It looked towards the lesser sarugami with a deep frown. "Fight you fools!" It said with a deep growl. Almost immediately, the intermediate sarugami resumed their attack on the samurai.
The advanced tier sarugami looked at Wasuren. "I saw you." The voice of the beast sounded as if a deep growl, "you caused my brother's death. I will kill you."
Wasuren tightened his grip on his katana as flames danced around him. "You will try."