"Crackle—!"
Pale purple lightning left charred gashes across the beach.
Surrounded by the lightning at the very center was Teppei, clutching the AmenomaKageuchi.
He carried a bamboo basket on his back and stared nervously at the mimic plant monster before him; his tension was palpable.
Mainly, he had never fought such a creature before and didn't understand the trick to beating it. He was also starting to regret venturing into this place alone.
However, the wounded soldiers back at the camp needed Sweet Flowers, and since the camp was short-handed, he had no choice but to take the risk.
Taking a long, deep breath, Teppei raised his tachi and slashed toward the Electro Whopperflower. To his surprise, in a flash of electricity, the Whopperflower dove straight into the ground.
The surrounding Electro elements remained highly active. Teppei gradually backed away until he reached the massive skeletal remains of the Serpent God Orobashi. He pressed his back against the bone to prevent the Whopperflower from suddenly appearing behind him.
In truth, this move was somewhat unwise. There was a high probability that the Tatarigami's wrath was tied to these skeletal remains.
Sayu and Tatyana were unaffected because one was a Vision holder and the other was a modified Fatui Unit.
As for BaiLuo… the world should just be grateful if he wasn't terrorizing others; who would even dream of him being affected?
Holding his breath, Teppei mimicked Bai Luo's style. He sheathed his blade and assumed a drawing stance. He lowered his center of gravity significantly, bracing his rear foot against the serpent bone. His leaning body almost completely obscured the Amenoma Kageuchi in his hands.
"Zzzt… sizzle…"
Arcing electricity danced and suddenly exploded across the sand as the Electro Whopperflower resurfaced.
What greeted it was Teppei's strike.
Almost the exact instant the lightning burst, Teppei's rear foot kicked off the serpent bone with sudden force. The Amenoma Kageuchi slashed out at extreme speed. Under his blade, the Whopperflower was sliced cleanly into two sections.
"Huff… huff…"
After delivering that strike, Teppei's sword-hand trembled slightly. This was the absolute limit of what he could achieve. If Bai Luo were here, he would surely be surprised. This single strike already held the fledgling form of a God-speed Battoujutsu (Drawing Art).
If he could maintain this drawing speed and strike nine times in succession, he would officially master the Kuzu-ryūsen (Nine-headed Dragon Flash) and become a successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.
Sheathing the Amenoma Kageuchi, Teppei pulled out a small utility knife and began harvesting the Electro Whopperflower's remains.
The Elemental Nectar produced by these monsters was a rare material. Not only was it sweeter and more delicious than the nectar of ordinary flowers, but it could also be sold for a high price at the Adventurers' Guild in exchange for significant rewards.
Unfortunately, given the current relationship between Watatsumi Island and Narukami Island, the chances of selling it to the Guild were slim, but he could still bring it back for everyone to try as a treat.
However, he failed to realize just how dangerous it was to be leaning against the serpent bones.
"A business opportunity delivered right to my door…"
A Nobushi, already corrupted by the Tatarigami, stood atop the towering serpent bone. Looking down from his high vantage point at Teppei, who was focused on processing the Whopperflower, the outlaw drew his sword.
"Taste this blade!"
The Nobushi leapt down from the bone, swinging a blood-stained tachi toward Teppei. Teppei sensed the danger behind him, but caught off guard, he could only use his small harvesting knife to parry.
But how could a small knife stop a Nobushi's tachi? It only slightly dampened the momentum of the attack, and the tachi still slashed deeply into Teppei's shoulder.
"Sss—!"
Enduring the searing pain in his shoulder, Teppei used his free left hand to grab a handful of sand and flung it into the Nobushi's wide-open eyes.
"You bastard!"
The Nobushi's eyes were already blood-red from the influence of the Tatarigami; after Teppei's interference, they turned as red as JueyunPepper, looking quite terrifying.
As for Teppei, though he was sweating profusely from the pain of his wound, he did not panic. Instead, he pulled out a small glass bottle.
One should not underestimate this glass bottle. Before Bai Luo left, he had given Teppei several Sunsettias. To make the best use of these "weapons," Teppei had juiced them and mixed the liquid with lemons, peppers, onions, and other irritants to create several bottles of this concoction. When in a life-threatening situation, unleashing this would have miraculous effects.
Once, someone didn't believe the hype and insisted on trying it. The moment they pulled the cork, the fumes alone nearly blinded them, and they couldn't open their eyes for several days. From then on, many people were afraid to cross him.
Teppei closed his eyes and splashed the liquid toward the Nobushi…
"Aaaaagh!"
The Nobushi dropped his sword entirely, clutching his face and rolling around on the beach. Perhaps the pain was too much to bear, as he dove straight into the sea, burying his entire head in the water.
And then… there was no "then" for him. Even if the concentration of the curse in the nearby seawater was low, it wasn't something a physical body could just come into contact with so recklessly—let alone submerging one's face in it.
Before long, the Nobushi went silent, floating on the surface before being pulled away by the rising waves.
Only after recapping the bottle did Teppei resume breathing. Even so, the lingering scent in the air made his senses sting.
Fortunately, he had grown somewhat accustomed to these smells while making the stuff; otherwise, he might have followed in that Nobushi's footsteps.
He tried to lift his right arm, but a sharp pain shot from his shoulder. It looked like the hit was more than just a flesh wound; the bone might even be damaged. He applied some medicinal salve he carried, and his complexion improved slightly.
"I should head back early today."
Hoisting the processed Whopperflower over his left shoulder, Teppei decided to return to camp first. Being unable to hold a sword due to a shoulder injury was a minor issue, but if it hindered his ability to treat the others, many wounded soldiers might die due to lack of timely care during a major clash between the Shogunate and the Resistance.
He didn't want to see anyone else die in front of him.
However, as he stood up, he realized he had been silently surrounded by a group of Nobushi. It made sense… Nobushi usually roamed in packs. The one who attacked him earlier was likely just the vanguard.
He looked at the wound on his right shoulder, then at the Amenoma Kageuchi in his left hand. Teppei sighed and reached for the glass bottles in his coat once more. He knew that if he smashed these bottles, not only the Nobushi but he himself would likely be caught in the fallout.
But there was no time for hesitation.
I'm sorry, Mr. Himura.
I'm sorry, Mr. Iwakura.
Just as he was about to smash the bottles, he caught a glimpse of something flying over from the direction of the serpent bones.
"Go! Spinning Yellow Tanuki!"
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