108. Unknown Space

When the sun rose up Leo's manor woke up as well.

Amado and Ichiya washed up and got ready for their morning session with Leo. However even after waiting for half an hour they didn't see him.

"Hey Ichiya, was master ever late?"

Amado turned his head and asked.

Ichiya hesitated for a moment before walking further inside the manor. He knocked on Leo's door and found no one answering.

"Excuse me."

He pushed the door open ready for a punch in the face if he was intruding. However there was no one.

Frowning he checked the courtyard where his master always meditated and found it empty as well.

By now he was panicking, he checked the entire manor and couldn't find his master nor could he find the mistress.

"Amado!"

He quickly told Amado what happened. They checked the entire manor once again and concluded that their master and mistress were missing.

Leo and Shinobu's disappearance rattled the entire manor.

Ichiya send word to Ubuyashiki and Leo's friends.

Soon everyone gathered at Leo's manor.

They checked the manor for any clues. And Inosuke found where they went last night.

"His scent ends here. I can't sense where he went from this point, it's like he disappeared."

Everyone listened to his words and had different opinion.

Sabito pondered for a moment and said, "Do you remember Upper Moon Four?"

Rengoku asked, "You think this was a demon."

Sabito shook his head, "At his level, no demon could get close to him, without him knowing, even if it was someone with Upper Moon Four's peculiar ability."

"Then what happened to big brother?"

Tanjiro asked with worry. He was now a mature young man.

Makomo answered in place of Sabito, "I think what he means is, his disappearance is related an ability similar to Upper Moon Four's. However there is no single of battle."

"You should all know Leo's ability, even if all of us go at him at once he could still defeat us with one hand tied behind his back."

Sabito nodded, "Makomo is right."

Iguro sitting beside Kanroji with her hands in his arms spoke lightly. He didn't cover his face anymore since Lady Tamayo and Shinobu helped him treat his scars.

"His disappearance is mostly linked to himself."

Everyone went silent for a moment and couldn't find any other possibility.

Amado and Ichiya didn't dare speak in presence of these people. These men and women speaking casually were renowned masters and head of their own school of martial arts like their master.

Rengoku folded his arms and said, "If it's related to Leo himself then there is nothing to worry. He will return."

A fair hand pinched his waist when he said that.

Kanae glared at Rengoku. The latter foolishly smiled and said, "Dear, it's alright. Leo is a man! He will protect Shinobu with his life!"

She could only sigh to his words.

Looking at Amado and Ichiya she said, "Don't worry. There is no one in this world that could harm your master. Train diligently and wait. He will return."

Everyone left after coming to a conclusion that Leo was safe.

Amado and Ichiya send them off. Looking at their fading shadows Ichiya said resolutely.

"Amado, master is no longer here but we can't slack off. Let's give him a good surprise when he returns and make our school known throughout these lands!"

Amado nodded seriously.

...

When the terrible fluctuation hit them, Leo immediately pulled Shinobu into his embrace. His domain enclosed them like a shell.

He could only see darkness. He knew he was moving but their was no sense of direction.

A second later he saw a faint flicker in the void. It flashed past him with incredible speed.

What was that?

Shinobu who was in his arms looked around solemnly.

She knew they were safe only because of Leo's sword domain. Any unwanted fluctuations were cut off before it reached them.

Leo was sweating. Though these fluctuations looked simple, his mind was stretched to it's limits trying to maintain his domain.

Few more dots of lights flashed past them. Leo had no idea what they were but he had to do something otherwise they maybe trapped in this unending darkness forever.

When the next dot of light appeared in the distance he stretched out his hand to grab it. However it moved too fast and he missed.

Leo calmed his mind and got ready for the next one.

After who knows how long Leo saw another flicker in the darkness.

This time he put all into his domain and expanded it. Soon that flicker of light touched the edge of his domain.

Leo reacted in time and grabbed it.

As soon as he did the fluctuations around him merged with the light.

They were now encased in a golden ball of light and disappeared from the void.

...

Somewhere in a world.

A group of men were attacking a town. They killed their way through the town.

Men who refused to put down their weapons were hacked to death. Stores were robbed, grains and money were seized.

"Men! Take what you can and burn everything else."

A bare chested man yelled loudly. His sword was pierced through the back of a middle-aged man.

A young man looked at his father who had a sword through his chest. His hands were trembling from rage and fear.

He glared at the bare chested man and spat on his face.

The man didn't get angry. He grinned and wiped his face, "Yo! A fiery fella, ain't ya! Haha!"

The man pulled out his sword and pointed it to the young man, "Since you have the courage to spit at the face, you won't run away if I pull out your tongue, right?"

A savage grin was pasted on the man's face. His men laughed loudly when they saw this scene.

"Looks like Captain is gonna torment that kid."

"Hehe, who told him to act so bravely."

Haha!

The young man glared at the bare chested man. His legs were trembling but he refused to budge.

"Someday, someone will kill you! Ptui!"

The young man spat at the bare chested man once more.

The man wiped it away once more and grinned, "Lad, the one who could kill me hasn't been born yet!"

He kicked the young man's chest and placed his foot on his neck.

"Open wide."

The bare chested man forced open the young man's mouth and grabbed his tongue. He then took out a small knife reeking with blood.

"You know, I always use this knife to skin my enemies. Don't worry, after I take your tongue I will help you take off your skin."

The young man struggled but he was powerless in the hands of the bare chested man.

He watched in horror as the man placed the knife on his tongue.

The man grinned. He really enjoyed the horror others showed when he was about to torture them. He was about to slowly cut into the kid's tongue when a golden ball of light appeared right before him.

What the!?

The bare chested man backed away. He looked cautiously at the golden ball of light.

Soon the light faded and two people walked out. One man and a woman.

Leo looked around and found the place burning with dead bodies scattered on the ground and men fighting and looting everywhere.

"Where the hell is this?"