The beast grunted as if to scoff. It quickly lifted its staff to intercept an attack from the side. A reverberating CLANG! was heard as Masaki Taisho's Warhammer struck the metal staff. Masaki released a grunt as the vibration shock his insides.
The beast looked to his attacker. "Ant." It raised the staff above its head, ready to bring it down on Masaki. But from the corner of its eye, it spotted Wasuren with his flaming katana ready to slash its torso. The advanced tier sarugami brought the staff down to block the attack. Wasuren struck the staff with a force that caused flames to engulf the body the beast yet there was no visible harm done.
The sarugami frowned. "Insect. Wait your turn." It said as it lifted its leg and kicked Wasuren across the battle field. Wasuren brought his sword in time to block the attack but was still sent flying. He landed a few feet away on his back. Several sarugami spotted him and ran towards him. He rose up from the floor feeling dizzy and coughing blood. As the beasts closed in, Kiyoshi who liked to have appeared out of nowhere, slammed his shoulder into the body of and incoming sarugami, then with a swift swing of his katana, both arms of the sarugami was sent flying. Another sarugami came from the side with a knife, but Kiyoshi pulled the now armless sarugami in front of the strike, causing it to get stabbed. Without hesitation, he thrust his katana through the neck of both beasts at the same time.
More sarugami were underway but the remaining wolf wardens arrived to deal with them. Kiyoshi walked up to Wasuren to help him up. "Fight the pain brother, we simply have to hold our own till the reinforcement gets here. Wasuren looked ahead to find Masaki engaged in battle with the advanced tier sarugami. Tadayori was a few feet away, he seemed to have recovered from his earlier shock and was doing his best to keep other beasts from interfering with the fight between Masaki and the advanced tier.
"Can you transform?" Wasuren asked Kiyoshi in a raspy voice.
"I could force it, but that would be incredibly dangerous." Kiyoshi replied. "Are you recovered enough Wasuren? If so we have to help Masaki."
Wasuren nodded in response and they dashed toward the advanced tier together, with the remaining Okami no Banshi behind them.
The advanced tier noticed Wasuren and Kiyoshi leading the other samurai toward him and scowled. "Hmph more ants."
When they were only a few feet away, the beast opened its mouth and released a blood curdling screech. The second they heard it they stopped in their tracks. Some of the Aoshima samurai had dropped been knocked out, not even the intermediate sarugami were spared of the attack. Some of the samurai had blood running down their nostrils and ears.
"That's much better." The advanced tier stated as it lifted its staff and walked towards the samurai around him. Wasuren, Kiyoshi, Masaki and Tadayori watched in horror as the beast raised the staff and swung it at the head of an Aoshima samurai. The samurai could do nothing as its head was crushed by the weight of the staff.
Tadayori opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out. He tried to fight the paralysis but his limbs were like molten lead, he was powerless. One by one the beast would kill them with a swing of its staff.
Masaki gripped his katana so hard that his nails were digging into his palms. He watched as the beast walked up to Tadayori and lifted its staff. A deep rage burned within Masaki's heart and with a gutteral scream, he forced his body against its will and ran in front of Tadayori. He lifted his warhammer in time to block the attack, but the force from the swing was so strong that it slammed Masaki into Tadayori and sent them both tumbling into several paralysef sarugami.
The advanced tier scanned the area where Masaki landed. "The bald one is troublesome. I shall kill him first."
Wasuren and Kiyoshi although paralyzed, heard what the beast said. Wasuren grunted and flames begun dancing around his body, he golden eyes glowed brighter and his sword has turned red from the heat. He looked to his left and saw that Kiyoshi had grown a few inches taller and his arms and back were larger, his face was covered in fur and he had saliva dripping down the corner of his mouth.
Wasuren put a foot forward and lunged at the advanced tier with all his strength. The beast felt them charging at him from the back. He turned round to find Wasuren's blade inches from his face. It brought the staff up to block the attack, but the sheer heat of Wasuren's blade was causing it to melt. The beast frowned as it pushed Wasuren off the staff with its superior strength, only to find Kiyoshi running at him at top speed.
Kiyoshi leaped and rammed into the beast's torso knocking it back a few paces. But the advanced tier lifted its free arm and with great force, it slammed its giant fist into Kiyoshi's back, Kiyoshi's grip weakened and he let go and was dropped to the ground like a log of wood.
The advanced tier lifted his staff above Kiyoshi and brought it down on his head. The staff slammed into the ground with such great force that it sent numerous debris flying, leaving a large crater in its wake.
The advanced tier lifted the staff and looked down hoping to see a minced Kiyoshi, but all it saw was a deep depression and a few feet away was a bloodied shirtless muddy Wasuren with a knocked out Kiyoshi in his arms.
"I told you to wait your turn." The advanced tier said as it placed the staff on its shoulder, "You want to die before them. I shall grant your wish. The sarugami tucked his knees and leaped into the air. Wasuren, threw Kiyoshi to a corner and rolled out of the way as the beast landed where he once was. The sarugami turned to him and swung his metal staff, Wasuren's eyes widened, he picked liked around and found a dead samurai's katana. He brought it up to block, but as the staff made contact with it, the katana shattered, and the staff slammed into Wasuren's chest. A deep crack was heard as Wasuren was sent tumbling into the mud.