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〖Ding! Hidden Mission triggered!〗
⤚———⤙
〖Hidden Mission: Eliminate the Fused Colony "Tenma"! Reward: 4,000 Reincarnation Points, Kabaneri Treasure Chest ×1〗
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{T/N: I personally named this Fused Colony. Since they had different names, and the term Black Smoke is something that ordinary people gave it and not the creature's official name, I'll keep giving names if several more come up. This Tenma (天馬) means Pegasus or Celestial Horse, which I took from the name Biba Amatori (天鳥 美馬).}
Reading the newly triggered quest, Ryuji realized the Reincarnation Points on offer in this world were in a completely different league — nearly three times what he'd seen from missions in Highschool of the Dead.
That made sense. The Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress world wasn't just deadlier — it was harsher by design. Ordinary Kabane were faster and more feral than zombies, and that was before you even mentioned Kabaneri, Wazatori, Fused Colonies, or the dreaded Nue.
After leaving Mumei and Horobi to watch over Ayame while she recovered, they headed somewhere farther out to grind levels. Ryuji, meanwhile, sprinted straight toward the fifty-meter giant: the Fused Colony.
First things first — he had to blow the mass apart and expose the Nue core inside.
As he ran, his palm slid to the hilt. The Dragon Talisman flared with heat, sword qi gathering along the blade's spine as he drew.
Chirp!
A lance of golden light stabbed into the Fused Colony's "heart."
Bang!BOOM!
The towering mass collapsed in an instant, its fused flesh tearing apart as Kabane corpses scattered like broken dolls.
〖 Ding! Energy Points +18,000! 〗
〖 Total Energy Points: 75,000! 〗
"Huh. Over seventy thousand already."
After checking the updated total, Ryuji swept his gaze across the Kabane strewn everywhere and decided to harvest a bit more before moving on.
Roar!
A deafening bellow rolled out from the shattered remains.
Ryuji looked up.
The Nue was climbing out — its body almost completely wrapped in jagged metal spikes, its face… eerily reminiscent of Ikoma's.
"Good heavens… I thought Ikoma was either killed by Biba, or locked up like the people in the Kōtetsujō." Ryuji's eyes narrowed, "I didn't expect him to end up as a Nue."
Staring at the blue orb embedded in "Ikoma's" chest — far larger than any human heart — Ryuji pieced it together. Biba must have pumped this poor, unlucky non-protagonist full of virus, then used some method to fuse the blue heart into his body.
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[ Mutated Nue ][ Ikoma ]
[ Strength: G+ ]
[ Intelligence: H- ]
[ Constitution: G+ ]
[ Spirit: H- ]
[ Power Assessment: G+ ]
[ Bloodline: Nue Bloodline ]
[ Skill: Repulsive Blue Flame, Iron Sand Rain… ]
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After reading the panel, Ryuji's expression grew heavier.
These stats were far above Biba's earlier state. If anything, Ikoma alone felt stronger than the "Black Smoke" Fused Colony from before.
Roar!
Ikoma — if it could still be called that — recognized the attacker. With another roar, it lowered its spiked arm and charged straight at Ryuji.
When it was still more than a hundred meters away, it swept its iron-spined hand forward mid-sprint.
A storm of fine, razor-sharp iron sand screamed through the air toward Ryuji.
Ryuji didn't even try to tank it. He slipped aside with a sharp sidestep, letting the barrage chew up the ground where he'd been.
Whoosh!
He answered with a downward slash, a crescent of sword aura racing toward Ikoma.
Ikoma didn't dodge. It raised its arm and took the hit head-on.
A deep gash opened across the metal-plated limb — only for fresh iron to crawl over it and seal the wound almost immediately.
"Tch. Annoying."
Distance-killing wasn't going to work cleanly. Ryuji abandoned the idea and surged forward instead, quietly funneling mana and Dragon Talisman power into the Shadowless Sword.
Roar!
Seeing Ryuji close the distance, Ikoma's blue flames erupted, wrapping around its body like a jet and boosting its speed even further.
A hundred meters vanished in less than three seconds.
Sizzle!
Some fragment of combat instinct remained in Ikoma. The moment its arm met the unseen blade, its horror spiked — the limb that had just blocked sword aura was cut open like warm butter.
Thud!
Pain meant nothing to it. As they passed each other, Ikoma twisted sharply and blasted a surge of Repulsive Blue Flame toward Ryuji's back.
Ryuji spun and raised his sword to intercept.
Thump! Thump thump!
The force drove him backward several steps, carving dents into the stone as he bled off the impact.
This was clearly stronger than Uryū's.
Out on the horizon, Kabane were already converging from hundreds of meters away, drawn by the roar and the shockwave. Ryuji's eyes chilled.
He couldn't afford to drag this out. If the swarm arrived and Ikoma fused with them again, the fight would become endless trouble.
Ryuji rushed in.
Ikoma roared and reached out with its remaining hand, blue flame swirling around its fingers as it tried to seize him.
The sign of the Noble Dragon on Ryuji's hand flickered. Mana surged through the Shadowless Sword, and he released another blade aura.
This time, Ikoma sensed the danger and dodged instinctively.
In the instant it shifted its weight to evade, Ryuji accelerated — snapping into the opening like a spearpoint.
Thud!
With all his strength, he cleaved downward, splitting Ikoma diagonally in two.
〖 Ding! Energy Points +1,000! 〗
As it fell, Ikoma's eyes seemed to regain a trace of clarity. There was no hatred in that gaze — only relief.
"Much worse technique than the previous Nue." Ryuji muttered, "Probably because it lacks combat experience."
In the original story, Mumei had at least trained him. But here, Mumei had been at Ryuji's side from the beginning — Ikoma never gained the experience he needed. Compared to Uryū, he was far easier to handle.
〖 Ding! Elementary Protagonist Fragments +2! 〗
Ryuji blinked, surprised. He hadn't expected a protagonist with luck cut off to still drop protagonist fragments.
He gave the corpse one last glance, then turned away. More Energy Points awaited.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
〖 Ding! Energy Points +50! 〗
〖 Total Energy Points: 150,000! 〗
"Huff… I can't keep going." Ryuji wiped sweat from his brow, "My stamina's almost done, and my mana isn't regenerating on its own anymore. I'll need several days to fully recover."
He stood atop a ruined building, surrounded by Kabane corpses.
After slaughtering hundreds, the dizziness of depleted mana clouded his mind, and his body felt like it was filled with lead. Still, it had been worth it — his system Energy Points had finally blown past one hundred thousand.
A gust of wind rolled over the rubble, and fatigue hit him like a wave. Stars burst in his vision as he swayed and began to fall backward —
— but he never hit the ground.
Instead, he sank into two soft, enormous "dough balls."
"Mmm… warm." His voice went slack with comfort, "Like falling back into my mother's embrace."
And these "dough balls" were absurdly huge, nearly swallowing his upper body.
Ryuji looked up and saw blue-soft curves wrapped in black cloth cradling him, and above them, a pair of red eyes staring down calmly.
"Thanks for the hard work, Hachi."
The Sumokhan named Hachi gave a quiet nod.
Ryuji inhaled the faint scent clinging to her, then rubbed his cheek against the softness, surprised by how sweet it felt. His eyelids grew heavier… and he drifted off in the Sumokhan's arms.
Nearly three meters tall, Hachi carried Ryuji as if he were a child. Even as his restless hands unconsciously kneaded at her "dough balls", she walked lightly across the ruins toward the matriarchs' position.
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"An unfamiliar ceiling…"
When Ryuji opened his eyes again, he found himself staring up at an ornate ceiling — strange, but unmistakably luxurious.
Creak!
"Ryu-kun, you're awake?!" Ayame pushed the door open while carrying a tray, surprise bright in her face as she saw him sitting up.
"Yeah." Ryuji glanced around the lavish room, puzzled, "Ayame, where are we?"
"This is the Shōgun's mansion." Ayame came to the bedside, set the tray on the table, and looked at him with clear anticipation, "After Sister Sumokhan brought you back asleep, we decided to find somewhere safe to rest. Mumei-chan said she wanted to see the Shōgun's mansion, so… we all came here." She nudged the tray forward, "I cooked this myself. Try it."
"Then I will." Ryuji picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of stir-fried pork, and nodded, "Mmm. Delicious — perfectly cooked."
"Hehehe…" Watching him enjoy it, Ayame's eyes curved into crescent moons, a sweet smile blooming across her face.
After he'd eaten his fill, Ryuji watched Ayame clear the dishes. With her bent over, the curve of her firm, round hips was impossible to ignore.
As the saying goes: once you're fed and warm… other thoughts come calling.
Ryuji rose and stepped in behind her, pressing close. Heat and softness met him immediately.
"Ayame… are you still confused after getting your revenge?"
"Eh?! Uh… that…" Ayame felt the hard, erect "handbag" pressed between her cheeks. Her face flushed, but his question still left her at a loss.
"Looks like you're still confused."
"I'm not — "
Before she could finish, Ryuji kissed her, cutting off her words. His hands slid forward as if holding the child's future in his grasp.
He peeled back the outer layer of "dough", revealing tender white flesh beneath. He kneaded and twisted it, occasionally giving it a firm pat to "knock out the air" — otherwise, good dough couldn't be shaped.
Those pats left vivid red handprints across the pale softness.
"Ryu-kun… I don't — "
"What? Still confused? Fine." His voice went low, "Then I'll start guiding you."
Ayame tried to struggle, but Ryuji kept her quiet with a silencing spell, continuing to taste her mouth as he kissed her.
He was sure she'd been drinking tea. A fresh, sweet fragrance lingered on her tongue, and he savored it with soft, appreciative sounds.
His hands moved to her waist. With a pull and tug, the long skirt slipped down, exposing her tender breasts to the cool air — only a shy, lace-trimmed pink panty remaining. When he reached lower, he found a light rain already falling in the valley, and he decided it needed to be "sealed" properly.
"Mmm…"
A helpless fullness spread through Ayame's body. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as her strength drained away, leaving her trembling and speechless.
Using the light rain in the valley as an excuse, Ryuji shoved his "baguette" in to block it — only for the stick to bump into a fluttering pink "butterfly" inside. It was an accident… but at least the rain was stopped.
Pitter-patter!
Ayame felt as if she were riding the Kōtetsujō down a mountain road, her body bouncing up and down with each jolt. The lingering fog in her heart was beaten away by the relentless "guidance", and her eyes even rolled back in bliss.
When Mumei and Horobi arrived, they could hear everything from the hallway — Ryuji "guiding" Ayame inside.
"Still feeling lost after getting revenge?"
Snap!
His words were followed by a sharp slap. Their keen ears also caught the crackle of something popping like firecrackers.
Crackling crackling…
"Um… no… not lost anymore… too fast…"
Ayame's broken voice drifted out, and both girls' cheeks flushed without them noticing.
Mumei, face burning, squeezed her legs together, "Um, Horobi… how about we wait a bit — hey? What are you doing…"
Before she finished, Horobi — also tense, also damp with impatience — pushed the door open and walked in.
"Lord Ryuji… I want to clear my head too…"
"Oh? Fine. Ayame will be done soon."
Then Mumei heard another series of sharp pops, followed by Ayame's high-pitched cry.
"Ah… the guidance feels so good… I… I'm not confused anymore…"
Afterward, Ayame lay back on the bed, eyes closed — tired but smiling, "Cream puffs" mixed with torrential "rain" spilled down the "mountainside", pooling across the sheets.
Mumei swallowed hard. She didn't want to step in… but her body carried her to the doorway anyway. Before she even saw the scene clearly, Horobi's sounds — sweet, strained, half-pained — drifted into her ears.
"Um… the guiding baguette is too big… it hurts a little…"
"It's fine, Horobi." Ryuji's tone was unhurried, "I'll guide you until you forget the pain."
When Mumei reached the doorway, she saw it: Ryuji pinning Horobi against the wall, Horobi facing away, while the "baguette" slowly disappeared from sight —
— only to reappear again and again, each time sprinkling sweet "dew" to nourish the "ground" beneath her.
When Mumei finally snapped back to herself, Horobi and Ayame were both slumped happily to the floor, eyes shut, while Ryuji approached her with the same baguette.
"Hozumi-chan." he said gently, gesturing with it as if presenting a tool, "Do you need some guidance?"
A long, narrow shadow stretched up Mumei's face from chin to brow. She stared at the baguette — now wet from two "massages" — and swallowed unconsciously.
Whether from fear or something else, her body shrank back on its own, pitiful, weak, and helpless.
"Y-you… don't come any closer!"
Ryuji didn't intend to let her escape. Ayame and Horobi had already been "guided" — how could Mumei be treated differently?
Slap! Slap!
The baguette swung twice, smacking Mumei across the cheek and leaving two wet marks on her delicate, fair skin.
"Voluntary intervention." he said evenly, "or forced intervention. Choose."
Humiliation burned through her. The slaps hadn't hurt, but the shame did.
Mumei drew a deep breath, then reached out with both hands and grabbed the baguette that seemed to be mocking her.
And then —
Slurp! Slurp!
At first she was indignant, face hot with embarrassment. But when she caught that familiar scent again, her eyes slowly went hazy. She sucked on it like a lollipop, rolling it with her tongue, occasionally tugging as if trying to draw out the "filling."
With diligent work of her neck and head, she felt the baguette twitch and tremble, close to surrender. Realizing what was coming, Mumei took a deep breath and thrust forward, pushing her head down until her stomach bulged.
Plop! Plop!
'Mmm… no wonder Kajika liked it so much.' She thought dazedly, 'It's even… a little sweet.'
Only then did Mumei finally understand why Kajika had loved it.
"Hozumi-chan, you've worked hard." Ryuji smiled, "As a reward… I'll help you clear your throat."
He lifted Mumei into his arms, and with a whoosh, the "blocked valley" was instantly cleared.
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $1, as well as smut chapters ($2) or spicy images ($5) or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)