Kuguruma Natsunishi had originally intended to observe the fighting style of a shinobi for a while longer. He hadn't expected the other party to strike a pose for a decisive finishing blow so quickly, intending to end the battle.
If it were a common mob, he might have let it go. But this was an elite monster with a Blood Demon Art; the experience reward would be at least 200 or more. One head was worth several months of his bitter cultivation.
Kuguruma Natsunishi's gamer soul was stirred. Action preceded thought.
In the spark of time before Tengen's dual blades could swing out, Kuguruma Natsunishi drew his Nichirin Sword.
[Total Concentration!]
[Thunder Breathing: First Form—Thunderclap and Flash!]
He held almost nothing back. Kuguruma Natsunishi's figure suddenly transformed into a surge of ultimate lightning, traversing the dense forest with crackling streaks of azure electric sparks. It was the manifestation of absolute speed, concentrating all power into a single point and a single line.
Launched later, yet arriving first!
The lightning pierced the demon's neck a step ahead. The hideous expression on the demon's face froze as its head flew high into the air...
"Wait, why is there another Demon Slayer swordsman? Where's my brother? Give me some cover!" Amidst its confusion, the demon began to disintegrate.
[Proficiency +289]
[Thunder Breathing] LV.3 (909/2000)
The soles of his shoes ground harshly against the earth as Kuguruma Natsunishi's figure came to a halt just before a large tree. Facing the massive experience gain, a trace of quite satisfied satisfaction appeared on Kuguruma Natsunishi's face.
Uzui Tengen: (´･_･)?
Tengen loosened his grip on his dual blades. His expression of solemnity and vigilance turned into one of bewilderment. The sudden, lightning-fast strike from the onlooker had made him think the spectator swordsman was about to defect from the Demon Slayer Corps. After all, who actively lunges in to interfere when the outcome is decided and the battle is nearly over?
Usually, that was done to save the losing side or to launch a sneak attack. But even though Tengen had his guard up, the other guy had just decapitated the demon.
What was the point of that?
The shinobi naturally couldn't understand Kuguruma Natsunishi's "gamer logic."
He sheathed one of his swords and tilted his head to look Kuguruma Natsunishi over. "Hoh? You weren't trying to save the demon, but... racing to kill it? You, is your hatred for it really that deep?"
"Did you absolutely have to be the one to land the killing blow to satisfy your grudge?"
In Tengen's view, this almost obsessive "kill-stealing" behavior could only mean the boy had a blood feud with this particular demon.
Kuguruma Natsunishi couldn't exactly explain himself. He simply followed the other's lead and muttered vaguely, "Yeah, something like that."
The shinobi scrutinized the young swordsman before him. Uzui said, "Though it wasn't flashy enough, your skills aren't bad."
"I am the God of Shinobi, Uzui Tengen. And you?"
The God of Shinobi? And I'm Senju Hashirama.
Looking at this overaged victim of "eighth-grader syndrome," Kuguruma Natsunishi frowned. He thought of a certain manga where a ninja could summon whatever he wanted with a clap of his hands. At seventeen or eighteen, he should be more mature...
"I am a Special Jōnin from the Hidden Leaf Village, Kuguruma Natsunishi."
Uzui: ...
That was definitely made up. He had never heard of such a ninja village in the Far East. Given the other's solid strength, Uzui chose to ignore the nonsense. Though he was a rather confident and arrogant man, he had to admit that the speed and power of Kuguruma Natsunishi's strike just now were far beyond his own.
He acknowledged the strength. However, that Thunder Breathing somehow felt strangely familiar. He had seen a few swordsmen in the Corps who used Thunder Breathing, but none gave him the sense of familiarity this boy did.
Wait?! Could it be that this boy...
"Kuguruma, did you learn your Thunder Breathing from that old woman?!"
Old woman? Which old woman?
Suddenly, the image of a certain wheat-skinned, eyepatch-wearing, sharp-tongued female swordsman came to mind. Kuguruma Natsunishi frowned and asked tentatively, "Are you talking about that crazy woman, Nikaido?"
As if they had tapped into the same frequency, Uzui suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha, crazy woman? Hahaha! She truly is a mad wench! Your description is truly flashy."
"I was wondering why that wine gourd of yours looked so familiar."
Kuguruma Natsunishi: ?
What was flashy about that? And he didn't think Nikaido was particularly old either. At most, she was thirty-five or thirty-six. Outside of the game, she would be a woman with lingering charm. Not to mention her exotic, Japanese-European mixed features and her tight, toned physique from long-term training. In most movies, if she wasn't the female lead, she'd at least be a high-tier beauty or a martial arts star.
"She's just crazy; I didn't say she was old, okay?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi looked at the Mizunoto-ranked swordsman nearby and the dazed civilian NPCs. With a serious tone full of a will to survive, he said, "And it's not madness; it's a straightforward personality."
He hoped that crazy woman wouldn't come and chop him up one day. No, even if she did come looking for trouble, she'd probably chop down the unfilial disciple Uzui first.
"She's already thirty-six. How is that not old?" Uzui gave him a look that asked, "Kid, is there something wrong with your tastes?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi then realized the era of the game's setting. In this time, the average lifespan was likely less than fifty. To Uzui, someone in their thirties probably did count as elderly.
"It's alright, Junior Brother. I, the God of Flashiness, will not report this to the Cultivator."
How did he go from the God of Shinobi to the God of Flashiness? Had this grown man's brain malfunctioned after being suppressed for too long? Kuguruma Natsunishi suddenly felt that compared to Uzui Tengen, even Tomioka Giyu and Nikaido Mei were easy to communicate with.
"It's not about whether you report it... also, I am not your Junior Brother."
Uzui wore an "I understand" expression. You're just afraid that if Lady Nikaido gets angry, you'll be dragged into it. As your senior brother from the same sect, I understand.
Kuguruma Natsunishi: ≖_≖
"Why do I feel like you're thinking about something weird?"
The two of them walked together, chatting as they reached the Mizunoto swordsman who was leaning against a tree trunk. Unlike Kuguruma Natsunishi and the others, the wounded Mizunoto-rank swordsman had no strength left for casual conversation after such a high-intensity battle. It was a struggle just to remain conscious while slumped there.
Seeing Kuguruma Natsunishi approach, Mitsujiro raised his blurred eyes. Were these two seniors who came to support him going to say something? Breathing was so difficult; he just wanted to sleep...
"Open femur fracture, tension pneumothorax, and numerous open traumas..."
"You did your best. For an AI teammate, you were quite good."
Is he talking about me? My injuries are actually that serious... it seems this is as far as I go...
Mitsujiro turned his head to look at the woodcutters and their families who had yet to recover from their terror. Among them was a young girl, currently weeping. But this time, he seemed to have successfully protected everyone. Though he felt some regret... it seemed okay.
Breathing became harder and harder. The Mizunoto swordsman felt his eyelids grow heavy. Then, he felt a warm palm press against his chest. It was the senior who came to help... was he saying goodbye?
Eh? Why is he grabbing my neck and pressing on my wound?!
"I'm quite strong; bear with it for a moment."
Crack.
With the help of [Medical Skills LV.2], Kuguruma Natsunishi began to skillfully reset his bones.
Pain, pain, pain, pain!
A moment later, Mitsujiro—whose soul had nearly left his body from the pain—was wrapped in bandages and lying under the tree. Fortunately, he could breathe normally now...
Beside them, Uzui Tengen watched silently as Kuguruma Natsunishi brought this swordsman, whose life had been hanging by a thread, back from the brink of death. Although the man was still very weak, he was no longer in that critical state where he might die at any second.
Did this Junior Brother of his also have a decent grasp of medicine?
"Junior Brother Kuguruma, you must have practiced this technique for a long time, right?" As a shinobi, Uzui knew the basics of emergency first aid. But compared to Kuguruma Natsunishi's display just now, there was a vast difference—roughly the gap between an apprentice and a master.
"What technique?" Kuguruma Natsunishi was stunned for a moment before realizing Uzui was referring to his treatment of the swordsman. Oh, he meant the medical skills.
In reality, Kuguruma Natsunishi did know a bit of medicine, though his level was about that of short videos and university first-aid workshops. But the game didn't care about that. After using a medical skill, he simply chose a treatment plan on the system panel and clicked away at mini-games. After a round of "matching games," the other's injuries would turn into positive effects within the range of his skill.
As for how long he practiced? Kuguruma Natsunishi thought for a moment and said, "About ten days or so?" He had mostly grinded levels during his time at Mount Sagiri. He thanked the many creatures of nature for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of medicine.
Uzui Tengen: (´･_･)?
"Are you sure the unit is 'days' and not 'years'?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi didn't pay any further attention to Uzui. Instead, he beckoned the group of rescued NPCs. He had them line up so he could perform emergency treatment on each of them one by one.
Don't stand in the way, you oversized child. I'm busy grinding experience.
(Uzui Tengen · Shinobi)