Chapter 57: Breaking Through in the Midst of Slaughter
BOOM! BOOM!
The sudden explosions shattered the morning tranquility of Kyoto. The city's nightlife was vibrant, which meant many of its residents were groggy and tired in the early hours. Although the explosions were outside the city center, they were loud enough to startle Prince Hirohito awake.
He shot upright in bed. His personal guards were already positioned around him.
"What was that noise?!"
A man in a modified military uniform entered from outside and bowed. "Your Highness, the ninja on watch report that the train tracks outside the city have been destroyed. No suspects have been found yet."
Hirohito kneaded the bridge of his nose, trying to soothe a hangover. Kyoto was a city of pleasures, and the geishas were plentiful. He might not have been able to possess Muzan, but he wasn't one to hang himself up on a single tree. He could still indulge his passions.
He pushed the woman in his bed away and allowed his guards to dress him. He then walked outside and gazed toward the pillar of smoke rising in the distance. It was quite far from his residence, so he paid it no mind. The Meiji Restoration, for all its successes, still had its share of stubborn old fools who believed that these roaring trains had stolen their fields and their authority. As if destroying the tracks would let them turn back time.
Heh. Idiots.
Hirohito might indulge in carnal pleasures and be infatuated with Muzan's beauty, but at his core, he was a "progressive." He embraced more advanced, more powerful forces with open arms. Whether it was the innovations of the West or Muzan's "Blood Demon Arts," he wanted that power for himself!
"Your Highness, it seems someone from the Tsuchimikado family has arrived and requests an audience."
The Tsuchimikado. Another ancient and noble house. They were a renowned clan that had once dominated the court with their [Onmyōdō]. Unfortunately, that kind of magic, along with the ghouls and sorcery of the Heian period, had long since fallen into decline.
Hirohito had no desire to see them. He guessed they were just another group of has-beens looking for a piece of the new pie. But the current era belonged to the militarists. Only military strength mattered. Hirohito looked down on even the new industrialists who had risen with the Restoration; why would he waste his attention on these remnants of an old era?
He waved his hand, about to have them sent away, when suddenly, a small black object was thrown from a great distance. Hirohito watched as the object flew from somewhere beyond the courtyard walls, landed at the base of his four-story villa, and bounced a few times.
"Look out! An explosive!"
A figure instantly appeared behind Hirohito, grabbed him, and kicked off the ground, launching them both backward.
BOOM!
The destructive power of the high-explosive grenade was far beyond anything the firearms of this era could produce. A single grenade instantly demolished the exquisite wooden villa.
About two hundred meters away, outside the courtyard, a group of men stared in shock at Kaito, who had just thrown the grenade. The distance was so great that at first, they hadn't even realized he was targeting the Imperial Prince's villa. When the massive explosion erupted, all their faces changed.
The minister who had brought Kaito here turned pale. "Tsuchimikado, how dare you…!"
Thwack!
Kaito moved with lightning speed. His right hand, now healed, blurred. The minister's throat was instantly crushed, and he staggered backward and collapsed.
"BAKA! (Idiot!)"
Amidst the furious shouts of the other men, some raised their guns, others drew their swords. But Kaito stomped his foot down, and a terrifying force erupted from his body.
BOOM!
[Niko Style - Fire Kata - Raging Fire]!
The stone pavement instantly cracked, and a shower of sharp fragments shot out in all directions.
Slice! Slice! Slice!
"AGH!"
As if hit by a wave of shrapnel, the men's bodies were instantly covered in deep cuts, blood spraying everywhere. Kaito still couldn't focus his power to travel dozens of meters like Mercenary Tao, but by combining it with his own innately terrifying physique, he could unleash an instantaneous, explosive force that not only propelled him forward but also shredded any enemies nearby.
BANG!
Kaito's figure shot forward like a raging fire.
The guards at the villa's perimeter were still staring at the collapsed building. They heard the furious sound of his approach and turned, only to see a hand twisted to its absolute limit, spiraling toward them.
[Koei Style - Rakshasa's Palm]!
SQUELCH!
With Kaito's current strength, the blow was horrifying. The guard's sternum was instantly pulverized. Kaito could feel the man's organs and muscles contort under his palm and then violently erupt.
BOOM!
The guard's corpse was sent spinning through the air, crashing into several soldiers who were just climbing out of the rubble.
Kaito didn't stop for a second. He charged directly into the smoke. With a powerful step, his body as light as a crane, he kicked off a piece of the collapsed, three-meter-high rubble, instantly launching himself out of the smoke. He saw them: a few figures in the back, protecting Hirohito as they retreated.
The one dragging Hirohito was a ninja clad entirely in black. He was exceptionally alert. He heard the faint sound of Kaito's footstep and spun around, flinging his hand.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The sound of shuriken slicing through the air.
Kaito was in mid-air with nothing to push off of, but he twisted his waist, spinning several times and altering his trajectory to land on the ground.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The shuriken embedded themselves deep in the wooden rubble with considerable force. This one is a master.
The ninja didn't engage Kaito. After his one attack to stall the enemy, he immediately continued his retreat with Hirohito. He knew that since the Tsuchimikado clan had dared to cooperate with an assassin like this, the other "old guard" families in Kyoto could no longer be trusted. He had to get Prince Hirohito to her!
Behind him, two men in dark military uniforms stopped and drew the tachi at their waists. As personal bodyguards, they trusted their blades more than anything in close combat.
As Kaito landed from his spin, the force flowed through him smoothly. He used the rotation to completely dissipate the forward momentum of his [Raging Fire] technique, landing without a sound.
The two swordsmen saw this and frowned. "Be careful! He's an expert!"
Kaito's toes touched the ground, his heels not touching down. His knees were bent. His figure once again leaped high into the air, like a crane taking flight.
The two men were stunned. In a close-quarters sword fight, leaping into the air was a fatal mistake, as it left you with no way to maneuver. One of them immediately stepped forward, raising his sword high in both hands and letting out a powerful kiai. "HAAAA!"
This was the Jigen-ryū. A style that relied on terrifying power and spirit to completely ignore the opponent's technique.
My sword is only for cutting!
He brought his blade down in a swift, powerful slash, aiming for Kaito who was gracefully descending from the air. The sword howled through the air with terrifying force.
But Kaito's heart was now beating faster. His pupils dilated. He was in a state of pure ecstasy. He disliked boring, predictable fights. He constantly challenged himself in the midst of battle. Just like now. As a result of his few leaps, he suddenly felt he had grasped a piece of the essence of Mercenary Tao's movements. A martial artist was not a simple fighter. A martial artist could achieve things that ordinary people couldn't.
Kaito's breathing was a steady, rhythmic flow of Hamon.
In mid-air, seeing the magnificent, powerful sword slash coming at him, he suddenly twisted at his waist, flipped over, and stepped forward with his left foot.
Not a hair too fast, not a moment too slow.
He stepped directly onto the very tip of the Jigen-ryū swordsman's downward-swinging blade. His arms were spread wide, like a crane displaying its wings.
Ito Yuji's pupils contracted. He felt the weight on his sword and could hardly believe his eyes.
"How… is this possible…?"
How could a massive human stand, wings spread, on the tip of his own sword? How could a human being change their own weight?
[You have had an epiphany and your martial arts have progressed. Martial Arts Aptitude has been upgraded. Current: Lv3.]
[Martial Arts Aptitude Lv3 - Lift the heavy as if it were light. Your center of gravity is like mercury. You can now generate force smoothly and at will.]
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Guys We cross the 600 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 700 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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