Thirty-Sixth Tensei: The Last Light

"Mad Tea Party!"

Alice rushed out from Otakemaru's blind spots at incredible speeds as he charged at us. Before he could even turn his head, Alice slashed away at his back her attacks leaving no marks on his body.

"Was that supposed to be an attack?!" Otakemaru sneered as he turned around to grab Alice.

"Alice, step down!"

Nimue charged at Otakemaru from the other side drawing his attention back to her as Alice retreated. Nimue swung her sword at full strength. In a clash of light, Nimue's eyes only widened when she realized that Otakemaru had caught her sword with nothing more than his hand.

"My skin can survive the most powerful Noble Phantasms from the strongest of Archers." Otakemaru gloated as he punched Nimue in the face and pulled the sword from her hand, "Your Noble Phantasm may be enough to finish off Akuji but it wouldn't even wake me up!"

Otakemaru kicked Nimue in the stomach, sending her tumbling back as he tossed away her sword.

"Ah...AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Kintoki charged at Otakemaru next, striking him with his axe and lightning over and over again. Otakemaru simply stood there and watched, unfazed as Kintoki's attacks merely bounced off of him.

"Pathetic." Otakemaru sighed, "You don't even have any heart in your attacks. Whatever Akuji said to you must have truly struck you to the core."

Kintoki flinched at Otakemaru's words, giving him more than enough time to strike Kintoki in the torso and send him flying back.

"Agilao!"

My fire spell crashed into Otakemaru only for him to shrug it off as well.

"Magecraft? My skin alone is akin to an EX rank Magic Resistance. It's only a physical defense but there is no possibility that a Master can ever damage-"

"Hamaon!"

Otakemaru braced himself as I blasted him with light magecraft. He scowled at me as he recovered from the attack.

"Light. As onis we have a natural weakness to light. But I have long surpassed such a weakness. If you want to live then you must pierce this skin! My Noble Phantasm!"

Otakemaru charged at me only for Alice to get in his way. She slashed at him but he simply stepped back and out of her range. He launched a punch in retaliation but Alice ducked under his attack and grabbed his arm. She pull him close and kicked the side of his knee, twisting his body back and pulling his torso forward. She quickly attacked, striking Otakemaru's chin from the side with the palm of her hand, twisting his head horizontally but he remained unperturbed. Alice gritted her teeth in frustration and roared as she forced the arm that she had caught to bend back at the elbow until his fist was pointing at his own head. With all her strength, Alice pulled back at his elbow and forced his own fist to collide with his face.

"Nice, Alice!" Nimue cried.

Alice quickly retreated as Otakemaru knelt there.

"Tch. You're inventive, I'll give you that." Otakemaru grimaced as he rubbed the spot that he had punched, "But not even my own body can harm me. You on the other hand..."

Otakemaru charged at Alice. Alice quickly brought her arms forward in defense but Otakemaru reached above with his leg and slammed down, stomping Alice to the ground from above.

"You seem fragile." Otakemaru sneered.

"Alice!" Nimue cried as she rushed in to save her.

Nimue attacked over and over again but all her attacks simply deflected off of Otakemaru's arms until he simply pushed her sword to the side and landed a straight punch to her chest. Nimue reeled back from the blow but she grabbed Otakemaru's arm and raised her sword. Bringing it down with all her might, she tried to cut off his arm but her sword just bounced off his flesh again.

"Pointless."

Otakemaru grabbed Nimue by the throat and lifter her up as he choked up.

"You were the one that killed Akuji weren't you?"

"Bufula!"

My ice spell hit and froze Otakemaru in his place but he simply shattered it with nothing more than a shrug. He tossed Nimue to the side and walked towards me.

"Heh. I'll kill their Master first. Once you're gone, I'll be sure to make them suffer."

I threw spell after spell at the oni to no avail. Even my light spells didn't so much as make him flinch. As he drew closer and my spells became more dangerous to use, I drew my sword which only made Otakemaru sneer at me.

"You really think that dinky little thing can hurt me?" Otakemaru asked, "My skin resists the swords of Saber Servants and you think your little toothpick can make a difference?"

"Zanma."

Otakemaru looked down as I did my best to lift him with my wind spell.

"What-"

I swung my sword low, sweeping one of his legs off the ground, and sending him off balance. Letting my wind spell to slowly lift him off the ground.

"Agilao!"

Throwing a fire spell, the winds became an inferno that lifted Otakemaru even higher.

"Bufula! Zionga!"

Setting up a spire of ice below, I fired a bolt of lightning from above, striking Otakemaru and smashing him down onto the ice. I jumped into the air and stabbed my sword as deep as I could into his chest.

"Hamaon!"

Pushing as much light magecraft as I could through my sword, I blasted him with as much magic as I had. As the dust settled, I found that my sword had failed to pierce his skin at all. Rather, for all my spells, Otakemaru simply laid there, unharmed and staring at me with pitying eyes.

"You done?" Otakemaru smirked as he kicked me in the stomach, dislodging me from him.

"Master!"

Otakemaru turned as Nimue and Alice attacked him at once, easily blocking their attack with a single arm. Pushing myself up, I ran at Otakemaru and tried to jab at his eyes. Otakemaru simply grabbed the tip of my sword, stopping it immediately.

"Master. Alice. Together!"

Together we withdrew our weapons and began to attack Otakemaru in rapid sequence and from as many different angles as we could. No matter how we attacked him, how much power we put into it and how many times we attack, Otakemaru put only the most minimal efforts in blocking whatever attacks he felt like, letting our attacks bounce off his skin.

"Tetrakarn."

Otakemaru formed an immediate barrier around him as all three of us swung at him. The instant we hit, all of us were sent flying back until we crashed through a various houses.

"You're all persistent. But."

Otakemaru turned and grabbed Kintoki's axe as he tried to attack him from behind.

"You all never learn."

Pulling Kintoki's axe down, Otakemaru grabbed Kintoki by the neck and headbutted him, crushing his nose.

"Kintoki..." Nimue winced as she pulled herself up.

"I never get tired of watching idiots trying to hit through my skin. But I have other things to do today. So..."

Before Otakemaru could attack, a small branch smashed against his leg, snapping it in half.

"Let him go, you monster!"

"Astri?!" Nimue cried.

Astri smacked Otakemaru over and over again with her broken branch, doing nothing more than draw the oni's attention.

"A child?"

"Don't you dare touch her." Kintoki choked as he did his best to reach around Otakemaru's arm.

"Hmm..."

Otakemaru grabbed Kintoki by the hair and smashed him in the stomach over his knee. As Kintoki crumpled to the ground, Otakemaru turned to look at Astri who stumbled back in fear.

"Well...don't you look delicious." Otakemaru licked his lips as he knelt down to look Astri in the eyes.

"Go away..." Astri gulped.

"Now now...I'm not a scary man." Otakemaru grinned, "Now, why don't you come closer?"

"No!" Atri cried.

"Come now, I won't hurt you. I'm an oni. Onis don't tell lies."

Otakemaru reached out towards Astri only for an arrow to knocked his arm away with a dull plink.

"Oh?" Otakemaru frowned as he turned to look at Tomoe Gozen, "Got something you want to say then, Archer of Sanctuary?"

"I will not take part in this fight." Tomoe stated, "But I will not stand by and let a child be harmed!"

"Is that so?" Otakemaru sighed as he turned towards her, "Then, are you making an enemy of me?"

"...I...will not take yours or Kintoki's side...but I will not allow you to harm a child."

"You're not picking a side but you're getting in my way?" Otakemaru growled.

"Are you willing to make me your enemy?" Tomoe asked.

"Are you willing to fail as a missionary from Sanctuary?"

"..."

"...Heh. Whatever." Otakemaru sighed as he turned away from Astri, "I've heard my fair share of bad things from Sanctuary."

"..." Tomoe lowered her bow.

"Now then." Otakemaru said as he kicked Kintoki in the face, "Where were we?"

"Aaaahhh!"

Otakemaru tured around as Astri hit him with her branch again.

"Little girl, no!" Tomoe cried.

"I...I will never forgive you!" Astri cried as she swatted Otakemaru over and over again with her branch, "You...you hurt my mother! I hate you! I hate all onis!"

"Oh?" Otakemaru sneered.

"Otakemaru!" Tomoe called, readying her bow.

"Are you going to really stop me from defending myself?" Otakemaru replied jeeringly, "You heard this little girl. She hates all onis."

"Gh..."

"Tell me then little girl." Otakemaru said, kneeling down and grabbing Astri by the head and holding her still, "What are you going to do about it?"

"I...I'll kill you!" Astri roared, "I'll kill all of you!"

"Astri..." Nimue gasped.

"Haha...hahahahahaha!" Otakemaru burst out into laughter, "Good! Very good! I like you! Then what if, one day, onis and humans began living with each other?"

"I'll kill them!" Astri yelled, "I'll never stop hating you! I'll never stop hating onis!"

"Good...good." Otakemaru grinned, "Then..."

Otakemaru let go of Astri and flicked her in the forehead with enough force to send her tumbling across the ground.

"Otake-"

"I'll let you live then." Otakemaru sneered as he glanced at Tomoe, "You just stay there and watch as I finish off these people."

"Don't..." Astri sniffed as she head her head, "Don't..."

"You should be happy." Otakemaru chuckled, "Just sit there and you won't die. You're a good girl right? Oh. And don't forget to thank that nice lady for saving you. She's also an oni though."

Astri's eyes widened as she turned to look at Tomoe who avoided her gaze.

"Aren't you glad?" Otakemaru said as he looked down at Kintoki, "You found a friend."

"You...bastard..." Kintoki said as he dragged himself up.

"Kyouya..." Nimue said as she stepped up to Kintoki, "No, Master...please...give me as much mana as you can."

→You got it.

"Alice, please take Kintoki away for a bit."

"Okay."

"Hey, wait..." Kintoki cried as Alice lifted him up and jumped away.

"Now then..."

"What?" Otakemaru raised an eyebrow, "You want to give it a try?"

"...You ruined the lives of dozens of humans and traumatized a mother and child."

"So what? Will you never forgive me as well?"

"...I will not...but I will not stop you for revenge."

Nimue's dress became water once more and began to spread out.

"I will judge you."

"Judge?" Otakemaru shrugged, "Another excuse?"

"...Yes." Nimue whispered, "But after this...no more."

The water rose up and surrounded the two of them in a large liquid sphere.

"What's this?" Otake blinked.

"Judgment." Nimue said as she raised her sword that was shimmering with light, "Excalibur...Specular Nova!"

Nimue swung her sword and unleashed a great burst of light, reflecting all around their watery prison, accumulating over and over again until the intensity of the light evaporated the water and what was left was akin to a sun that soon collapsed into a brief explosion and Nimue was thrown across the ground.