Boom!
Arrows shredded through the clone, tearing it apart like paper.
Shhk!
But substitution only carried him so far. The instant Yō reappeared, a stray arrow buried itself deep into his arm.
"Die!"
Veins bulged on his forehead. There was no time to even register pain—his chakra was stretched razor-thin just holding so many enemies frozen.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel rang, cold light flashed. Each note of that deadly rhythm meant another man falling under Natsume Yō's blade. Two seconds. That's all it took—seven bandits, leader included, sprawled lifeless in their own blood.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Yō staggered, pale, gasping, bracing himself on his thigh. His first real kills. The stench of blood pressed down on him, acidic in his throat, taunting him to vomit. But he refused. If he dropped his guard for even a second, an ambush would mean instant death.
Inside the compound, detonations thundered, shockwaves rippling through the ground. That fight wasn't his. Not yet. He crouched at the exit, a coiled viper waiting for prey to step into striking distance.
Shhk!
Each time his blade found another throat, nausea clawed higher. His body trembled, bile rising—but Yō gritted his teeth. Not until the mission was done.
Fifteen minutes later, silence. No more enemies came. He buried the corpses quickly, leaving behind only scarred earth.
Blegh!
The moment it was over, his body revolted. He dropped to his knees and vomited until there was nothing left.
"…First time. Won't be the last." Yō wiped his mouth, forcing the words into his heart.
叮!Congratulations, Host! Mission complete: Bandit extermination.Rewards: +18 Gold, +3 EXP, New Skill: Water Release – Water Formation Wall (C-Rank). Claim now?
"What?" Yō blinked. He expected a handful of coins, maybe scraps of EXP—but a water-style jutsu? That meant… his chakra nature was water.
Great, but right now fixing this arm comes first.
He shook his heavy head and opened the system shop.
"Redeem: Holy Healing Potion."
Twenty gold drained away. A golden vial appeared in his hand. He uncorked it without hesitation and downed it in one gulp.
The taste was horrid, bitter enough to twist his face. If there were any way around it, he'd never drink system potions—the flavor was like punishment. But the results? Nothing short of divine.
"'Good medicine tastes bitter'… tch, guess the ancients didn't lie."
Warmth surged from his core, rushing through every limb. His wounds tingled, heat pooling at the injured arm until pain ebbed into comfort. Strength trickled back into his body.
Breathing easier, Yō slumped against a shadowed wall, cloaked himself in silence, and waited for Gryphon's squad to finish the war raging inside.