It wasn't that Kuguruma Natsunishi completely disregarded the friendly NPCs.
Rather...
The youth arched an eyebrow, wearing a look of near-confusion.
"Hostages? Oh, you mean the two spots in the East Warehouse, the one at the West Pipe, and the corner of the attic..."
"Those civilian NPCs being guarded by your clones?"
The demon's laughter came to a screeching halt. It was beginning to have a very bad feeling.
"I cleared them out on my way here," Kuguruma Natsunishi said calmly, giving the demon on the ground a dismissive kick. "Since they were just clones, I didn't even get any experience points for killing them."
"I was actually a bit puzzled at the time—killing that many and not getting a single point."
"I thought you knew they'd been taken out. It seems your clone network is a bit subpar..."
He had assumed it worked like the Shadow Clone Jutsu, where information is transmitted back to the original body upon destruction. It turned out he had overthought it.
"No... impossible! There's definitely one more! The most hidden one is at—"
The demon continued to roar, exhausting its strength in a desperate attempt to sense and trigger its final trump card.
However, Kuguruma Natsunishi was no longer in the mood for its nonsense. He gripped Duanfeng firmly once more.
"You mean the one hidden under the water tower? Don't worry about it..."
The sharp blade pressed against the demon's neck. The silver-white light reflected off the demon's hideous face, capturing its despair and terror within the cold steel.
"I believe Persimmon-chan can handle it."
"Now, it's time to send you down."
The demon's eyes went blank: Wait, is it too late for a reconciliation?
A flash of blade-light followed, granting no further opportunities.
[Proficiency +411]
The progress for all four Breathing Styles jumped significantly. Among them, his primary focus, [Thunder Breathing], reached LV.4 (275/4000).
The texture feels a bit like cutting through an Oreo...
Ignoring the dying murmurs of the demon, Kuguruma Natsunishi turned his attention to the system panel before speaking to Dojima: "You can still move, right? Look after these people."
"I'm going to go check on Persimmon."
It should be Miss Sashiko...
Dojima pretended not to notice Kuguruma Natsunishi's slip of the tongue and bowed deeply. "Please go ahead, Tsuguko-sama."
Truthfully, he was still reeling from the scene he had just witnessed. The demon that had left him helpless had been exorcised just like that? And by being beaten to a pulp with bare fists?
Dojima fell into a state of self-doubt. If he had been a bit more flexible and hadn't been so obsessed with using his Nichirin Sword, could he have done the same?
He thought about it carefully...
Not a chance.
Meanwhile, beneath the western water tower.
[First Form: Water Surface Slash ]
The water-colored arc swung by Sashiko swept away the moonlight and illuminated the darkness. Although she couldn't land a killing blow, she managed to force back a squirming mass of flesh that was lunging at an unconscious swordsman.
Those were the remaining fragments of the demon's clones, surviving through its [Multiple Wills] ability. Their movements were erratic, and they seemed immune to her slashes.
"So persistent... Kuguruma Natsunishi-kun, Mr. Dojima, hurry up!"
Sweat beaded on the young swordswoman's forehead, and her breathing was becoming ragged. This was the second time she had encountered a demon that couldn't be killed by conventional decapitation. She had been fighting at full strength, maintaining her Breathing Style until now, and she had lost count of how many forms she had executed.
She was reaching her limit.
Just as a small demon ignored her slash and prepared to pounce on a civilian—
BOOM!!!
The dilapidated roof overhead suddenly exploded!
A figure descended like a meteor falling from the night sky. There was no dazzling blade-light, only the most primal display of power and speed. Falling from a great height, the added weight and kinetic energy slammed squarely into the demon clone lunging at Sashiko!
Splat~
With a sickening thud, the demon was reduced to a puddle of fluid that splattered under the massive impact.
Kuguruma Natsunishi had arrived.
Crow Sits on Airplane!
"Good work, Persimmon."
Kuguruma Natsunishi stood up, casually delivering a few slashes with his Nichirin Sword into the sludge on the ground. He wore a slightly nonchalant smile that instantly put Sashiko at ease.
Moonlight happened to spill through the hole he had smashed in the roof, faintly outlining the silhouette of his profile. In that moment, Sashiko felt as though her heart had been squeezed by an invisible hand. Her tense shoulders immediately relaxed.
A massive sense of relief after a brush with death, mixed with an indescribable emotion, surged into her heart, making the tips of her ears run hot.
Am I... blushing?
She nodded vigorously, her voice slightly choked. "I-I'm fine! Kuguruma Natsunishi-kun... thank you!"
Kuguruma Natsunishi nodded, wasting no time. He turned and flipped over the unconscious people on the ground one by one, deftly severing the flesh sprouts on their backs.
Perhaps because the demon's main body and clones had been destroyed, these sprouts had no desire to attack or resist. Once the Nichirin Sword touched them, they vanished into ash.
Soon, some of the civilians in better physical condition began to regain consciousness. Kuguruma Natsunishi's gaze swept past Sashiko and the crowd, finally stopping on a swordsman in the corner.
To his surprise, there was a familiar face. The man was giving him an awkward yet grateful smile.
[Kondo Mitsujirou (Energy Level: 38)] Water Breathing LV.2
He was the "Kanoe" rank swordsman who had been rescued at the lumber mill previously.
"..."
Kuguruma Natsunishi was silent for two seconds before walking over. This kid was just like last time—clutching his wounds and cowering in a corner, looking quite pitiful. One truly didn't know whether to call him unlucky or possessor of very strange fortune.
Noticing Kuguruma Natsunishi's gaze, Mitsujirou struggled to stand up.
"K-Kuguruma-senpai! I am terribly sorry! This time again... I've troubled you..."
The swordsman's face was written over with the shame of "dragging everyone down again."
Kuguruma Natsunishi waved his hand, signaling him not to be so formal. "That's enough. Sit down."
"If you're hurt, stay put."
"If you ask me, instead of apologizing to me, you'd be better off practicing more."
As the saying goes, the first time is strange, the second time is familiar. Kuguruma Natsunishi crouched down and began inspecting his injuries. Not only were there marks from the flesh sprout parasite, but his body was covered in new wounds. It was a case of new injuries arriving before the old scars had even healed.
Kuguruma Natsunishi didn't mince words.
"Your physical fitness and Water Breathing aren't even as good as two apprentices I know," he said directly. "You're a 'Kanoe' rank swordsman now; stop acting like a total rookie."
Kuguruma Natsunishi estimated that the talent of Giyu and Sabito had likely already surpassed this unlucky swordsman.
Hearing this, Mitsujirou looked a bit dejected. He really had been trying his best to train...
"Yes, Kuguruma-senpai."
Then, Mitsujirou realized that Kuguruma Natsunishi was already focused on giving him emergency treatment for his wounds. It was clear he hadn't really taken the half-hearted reply to heart.
I feel... even more depressed now.
Sashiko leaned in, looking at the focused Kuguruma Natsunishi.
"Kuguruma Natsunishi-kun talks like that, but he's actually a very gentle person," she whispered. She then offered Mitsujirou an encouraging smile. "Mitsujirou-kun, you've done very well."
"With so many injuries... you must have held on until the very last moment and never gave up on protecting everyone, right?"
Mitsujirou: (╥_╥)
What a kind girl. I'm moved to tears.
Meanwhile, after quickly treating Mitsujirou, Kuguruma Natsunishi got up to check on the other swordsmen and the shaken civilians. As experience points continuously flooded in, the youth's [Medicine] skill on the system panel flickered repeatedly.
It was a testament to his continuous accumulation and refinement in the medical field. Finally, it reached a brand-new realm.
[Medicine] LV.3
For a brief moment, Kuguruma Natsunishi felt as if the entire world had become more expansive. Although the two people beside him didn't know exactly what had happened, they could vaguely sense it...
The Senior's aura seemed to have become even more formidable.