Sword up, wind rises.
As Natsuo kept swinging his Nichirin Blade, the air around him began to churn with dark, inky gales.
The wind coiled like the roots of an ancient pine, clinging tightly to the cold arc of his slash.
Savage wind.
And an oppressive momentum that was everywhere at once.
A roar burst through the training ground, and in an instant, sand and stones whipped up and scattered.
Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Mountain Gust
He sank his whole body into the sword form. Natsuo moved as if he had thrown himself into a massive cyclone, his figure blurring.
The already sharp wind pressure solidified even further.
Crack.
When the huge wind blades swept across several wooden stakes in the field, the posts that had seemed sturdy enough were shredded into fragments.
Even the ground was carved into crisscrossing gouges.
Damn, why does this feel way stronger than when I was Level 1?
Natsuo clicked his tongue as he looked at the damage, then stopped.
So this was the difference between Beginner and Adept?
Higher damage, flashier effects, better response from his body, and even the system-assisted "fuzzy" slash path felt more forceful.
For a moment, Natsuo almost had the illusion that Final Selection was basically guaranteed.
Not bad at all.
Two days of grinding like his life depended on it, and he had earned it.
Without looking back, he headed for his room.
His remaining achievement points were not enough to raise his level again.
Better to sleep. Now.
Once your skill level goes up, topping off your condition and clearing Fatigue before heading out is common sense for any player.
And besides, the realism in this game was absurd.
Once the excitement wore off, Natsuo genuinely felt like he could drop on the spot and pass out.
As for spending extra time "adjusting" to his newly improved physique?
Natsuo's view was simple. If he earned the stat increase, why should he have to adapt to it manually?
It was not like he had unlocked a brand-new move that required combo practice and muscle memory.
…
While Natsuo slept so deeply he forgot what day it was, far away in a certain estate in Nara, Kansai.
A quiet Japanese corridor, sliding doors decorated with wisteria patterns, the soft calls of birds, and the crisp clack of a bamboo fountain striking stone.
Peaceful, solemn.
And carrying a faint, heavy sadness.
"Oyakata-sama… we are sorry to bring you this news. The Mountain Hashira, Fudo… he has fallen."
Several men in black uniforms, their faces covered, knelt on one knee.
They spoke to the young man before them with respect, their voices trembling.
He did not look like an arrogant noble.
Nor was he a young warlord with a warrior's topknot.
Instead, there was only gentleness.
A gentleness that made him seem small and frail.
Yet the swordsmen and intelligence agents showed not a trace of contempt.
Because he was Kagaya.
Kagaya-sama.
The ninety-seventh head of his family, and the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
A man with ability and resolve, and a fate shortened by a curse.
"This time… it was Fudo who left us."
After a brief silence came grief.
But the boy did not spill it out to burden the others.
"We have lost another member of our family… This pain, my family will repay with our destiny itself."
"Please… do not blame yourselves."
Seeing them still quiet, he endured the dull ache in his forehead, an ache born of sorrow and anger.
He straightened his back and continued, steady and calm.
"When you grieve for a fallen comrade and begin to see your own existence as a sin, that is exactly what Muzan wants."
"Fudo's sacrifice was not meaningless."
"It is a future he bought for us with his life. Proof that he fought until the end."
"So, I ask you."
"Lift your heads."
His voice was soft, yet full of strength.
For a heartbeat, it felt as if even the sorrow in the garden paused.
Only then did the men regain control and continue their report on the Corps' recent situation.
"All six Final Selection sites on Honshu are prepared…"
"This is a letter from Ms. Nikaido. She mentioned that the ninja you introduced before is a promising talent…"
"And at the Butterfly Estate, two children have shown exceptional potential…"
The long report was a heavy strain for Kagaya.
Because of the curse, even breathing, even lifting a hand, was a burden.
And he had only recently received the news of the Mountain Hashira's death.
Even so, he remained as gentle and attentive as ever, listening carefully to every word.
Another Hashira was gone.
The burden on Rengoku, Tobariin, and Igarashi grew heavier.
And Gyomei, that child, had only just become a Hashira…
I can only hope those children grow quickly.
How powerless I am, to place my hopes on children…
…
After parting with Kazami-sensei, Natsuo soon set out for Final Selection.
Hakone's Lake Ashi.
A few days ago, he probably would have taken the train.
Arrive early, use the extra time to train his Breathing Style proficiency.
Trains existed in the game. He had ridden them before.
Even if trains could not carry you outside the game's available regions, taking an antique like that was still far faster than relying on his own two legs.
But now, he had other ideas.
Huff… huff…
With his luggage on his back, Natsuo had been jogging down the road for three or four days.
And sure enough, several new skills had appeared under his life skills.
Swing Practice Level 1 (97/500)
Physical Training Level 1 (273/500)
Running Level 1 (160/500) NEW
Camping Level 1 (88/500) NEW
Cooking Level 1 (120/500) NEW
Fishing Level 0 (117/250) NEW
Remaining Achievement Points: 4
Level 0 does not give stats?
Natsuo thought.
It was not like eating and sleeping increased proficiency, but a lot of things could be judged by the system as life skills.
And over the last few days, he discovered that many activities did not count as only one skill.
For example, traveling.
While Running rose quickly, it also nudged Physical Training upward a little.
During breaks, he would do basic swing practice.
That also faintly boosted Wind Breathing proficiency.
And right now, his Wind Breathing proficiency had climbed to Level 2: 173/1000.
Kazami-sensei had called him a genius, but he still had no idea where he would rank among the candidates at Final Selection.
If it was called Final Selection, it was not like everyone would be a nobody.
Surely it would not be a crowd of faceless fodder.
If it came down to it…
He could spend all these achievement points.
Clear the quest first, then slowly stockpile points afterward.
He had originally planned to save them for a new Breathing Style…
After sunset.
While checking and calculating his skill gains, Natsuo chewed on a river fish he had grilled over the fire.
Maybe because he now had a Level 1 Cooking skill, the fish honestly tasted more tender than before.
Still, the fishy smell was a bit strong…
Huh?
Fishy?
Natsuo suddenly realized that faint metallic scent was not because his fish was undercooked.
It was blood.
A thin thread of it, drifting from the woods around him.
Oh?
So this was the first fight after the tutorial.
Instead of fear, Natsuo felt excitement as he scanned the darkness.
Soon, he spotted the anomaly.
In the deep forest beyond the reach of the campfire, a bright status panel floated in midair.
Bloodfang ???
Race: Demon
Power Level: 39 (Body: 28 Skill: 5 Mind: 6)
Threat Level: Low
So this was a demon, the kind his bargain-bin sensei talked about.
Without changing his expression, Natsuo rested his hand on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.
Then, as if he remembered something, he opened the system.
And quietly turned the interface brightness down.
It was pitch black out here. The UI really was blinding.
(End of Chapter)
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