Battle 577

==Summary==
The Shinpaku Alliance and the Yomi of the unarmed division are turning the tide at the disciples' battlefield, defeating many of the soldier reinforcements and forcing the Yomi of the Hachiō Executioner Blade on the defensive.  Hyōgo recognizes that they have lost the advantage and declares that he'll be taking charge.  Takeda prepares to charge in but senses something is different and pulls back.  Boris and Tirawit comment that the enemy's auras have changed and it seems their tactics are more akin to cooperation rather than attacking individually; now that they're following Hyōgo's commands their movements are more organized.
Chikage states that the armed division is better accustomed to group combat than they are and with Hyōgo's leadership would be effective in combat despite their personalities clashing.  Tanimoto notes that the enemy has formed a strong formation, placing the armored warriors (Rin's and Marmaduke's disciples) at the front while having the ranged fighters (Mildred's and Raki's disciples) at the back.  While Siegfried comments on the difficulty of breaking through Berserker charges toward the enemy group. 
Berserker jumps in the enemy formation with a flurry of kicks but is met by the Hachiō disciples' scythe, naginata, jumonji yari.  He manages to flip himself mid-air and holds the pole arms in place with his feet while grabbing the axe of Marmaduke's disciple.  Mildred's disciple shoots an arrow at Berserker's head and Hyōgo stabs him in the abdomen but Berserker manages to catch the arrow with his teeth and Hyōgo's kodachi with his hands.  Berserker manages to jump away from the formation unharmed but comments that the opponent is tough.
Mildred's disciple shoots an arrow at Ukita (who is guarding a downed Kisara) but Chikage manages to catch the arrow before it hits him.  She suddenly senses a menacing aura approaching them and Tanimoto notes that there are two master-class fighters heading towards them.  Ethan wonders if they are enemies or allies and the fighters are revealed to be from weapon masters from Yami: Chin Sougaku (crescent moon spade) and Ortal Sin (jamadhar). 
Ortal Sin comments that although he dislikes it they have been ordered to kill on sight as Chin Sougaku charges towards the disciples and uses his spade to dig graves for each of them.  Tanimoto observes that there is too much of a difference in skill as Rachel accepts their consequences and prepares to fight to the death.  However Takeda encourages them to keep fighting as the Katsujinken masters are still fighting and the disciples rally together to fight.  Chikage tells Ukita to stay close as she will protect him as payment for treating her to dessert and as Takeda tells the fighters that they need to work together, another voice answers that they will also join the fight.
Ryūto appears and breaks through the enemy formation with his seikūken, scattering their front line as well as the female kodachi disciple.  Renka also jumps in and knocks away Mildred's disciple with her technique.  Kōan Shokatsu and Genson Ryū, Renka's fellow disciples, also arrive and attack the enemy reinforcements.  Hyōgo tells Sigmarigen and Edeltraft's disciple to fill in the gaps in their formation as they prepare to strike back. 
A soldier charges towards Ukita but Kisara wakes up and defeats him before Chikage can reach the opponent.  It is revealed that Shigure also gave Kisara a chain vest along with her arm guards, as she is a close-range fighter.  Kisara aims a kick at Ukita in embarrassment as she is not wearing anything underneath the chain vest, but Chikage deflects the kick scolds Kisara as Ukita has been protecting her while she was unconscious.  Kisara promises to return the debt to Ukita as she and Chikage fight off the approaching soldiers. 
Chin Sougaku smiles and says that he will need to make more graves as the two masters head towards the disciples.  Ryūto observes the situation and calls them to go into formation: he, Tanimoto, and Berserker will fight against Chin Sougaku, Boris and Tirawit forms the vanguard while the Stanley siblings surround them for support, Lugh and Chikage will stay in the center to guard the wounded, and Renka and the rest of the Shinpaku alliance will fight against Ortal Sin. 
Chin Sougaku mocks the disciples for thinking three "children" can stand against a master.  Ryūto retorts by asking the master if he has ever seen a technique like his, as Ryūto takes off his glasses and activates Seidō Gōitsu.  As the three disciples begin their fight against Chin Sougaku, Ryūto encourages Kenichi to stay alive.
==Characters==
*Shōgo Kitsukawa
*Kaname Kugatachi
*Natsu Tanimoto
*Yūma Chiaki
*Asuka Akatsuki
*Ikki Takeda
*Hibiki Kugenin
*Ethan Stanley
*Chikage Kushinada
*Tirawit Kokin
*Boris Ivanov
*Rachel Stanley
*Raki's Disciple
*Hyōgo Itō
*Marmaduke's Disciple
*Mildred's Disciple
*Edeltraft's Disciple
*Sigmaringen
*Rin's Disciple
*Yui Sayama
*Kōzō Ukita
*Kisara Nanjō
*Sōgaku Chin
*Ortal Sin
*Ryūto Asamiya
*Kōan Shokatsu
*Genson Ryū
*Renka Ma
==Battles==
*Shinpaku Alliace and Yomi of OSNF vs. Yomi of Hachiō Executioner Blade and Yami Danzan Unit
*Ryūto Asamiya, Shōgo Kitsukawa, and Natsu Tanimoto vs. Chin Sougaku
*Shinpaku Alliance vs. Ortal Sin
==Navigation==
Category:Chapters