It charged.

Boar were typically aggressive, but she hadn't made any sudden movements. It had only threatened for a brief moment before throwing its bulky body towards her.

Maybe it was just that frightened, or maybe it was hungry. It wasn't like boars only ate plants.

Youmu leaned forward, both hands on Roukanken's hilt.

It hadn't run from an unknown threat, and that was what was important. A beast so eager to attack people wasn't safe to allow to rampage. And the blood on its tusks told a story, too.

It wasn't as if Youmu was a particular expert on animals, but she'd hunted a few times for Yuyuko-sama and knew at least enough to do that.

Her legs tensed.

She couldn't move as fast as usual, not with the damage done to her phantom half. But she could certainly move faster then the boar.

The half-phantom sprang forward, a rush of air following her motion, a cloud of dust leaping from the spot she once occupied.

First, the tusks.

Roukanken sliced the air as Youmu moved, meeting no resistance whatsoever.

The boar's tusks sailed through the air, the razor-sharp points hurtling upwards before hitting the ground moments later.

As the boar responded, still trying to toss its head and impale her, Youmu's eyes narrowed and she stepped to the side.

Roukanken glittered as she raised it over her head, the long-bladed katana shimmering as the boar began to thunder past.

And then she brought it down, lunging forward at the same time.

The beast's thick hide would doubtlessly have saved it from all manner of assault by the local hunters. But the youkai-forged edge cut through it and the dense muscle beneath like it didn't even exist.

A shower of blood followed her path as she passed beneath the boar's throat.

Had she come from above, Youmu was confident she could have beheaded the beast. But the deep cut from below was more than enough in this case.

Youmu came to a halt.

Roukanken's edge wasn't even stained.

[@PKMNB0Y]