The scale of the fight ahead was far bigger than the two of them expected.
Calling it a chaotic brawl would not be an exaggeration.
Seven or eight swordsmen were locked in combat with four man eating demons, each using their own Breathing Style.
Beside them, several human bodies already lay still, their warmth gone.
The demons' panels flickered into view.
Bluepuff ??? Power Level: 43 (Body 36, Skill 2, Will 5)
Crushweight ??? Power Level: 41 (Body 28, Skill 9, Will 4)
Hanging Blade ??? Power Level: 62 (Body 25, Skill 31, Will 6)
Rot ??? Power Level: 51 (Body 20, Skill 25, Will 6)
So these mobs could coordinate?
Or maybe he had already cleared out all the weaker ones, and what remained were the ones with real bite.
There were plenty of examinees, but their stats were not in their favor.
And these demons had known each other for who knows how many years, their teamwork and coordination clearly outclassing a group of swordsmen who had only met two days ago.
If Natsuo did not step in, these friendly NPCs getting wiped was only a matter of time.
"Hey, you over there! Run!"
One swordsman even found time to shout at Natsuo.
Natsuo glanced at him.
Rock Breathing, only Level 1, not even as good as the girl beside him.
After days of high intensity demon encounters with Natsuo, Seiko's Breathing Style had leveled up.
"Seiko, take the short one. Same as always."
Beat it up. He would take the finishing blow.
The girl nodded.
She became a blur, expressionless, rushing the shortest demon.
Seiko Power Level: 31, Water Breathing LV.2
Crushweight ??? Power Level: 41 (Body 28, Skill 9, Will 4)
The gap was not dramatic.
And because of Breathing Styles, swordsmen could draw out strength far beyond what their panels suggested.
Besides, these demons fought by throwing their bodies around.
No finesse. No technique.
Natsuo lifted his sword and looked at the battlefield.
Endless waves.
Bold, scorching fire.
Lightning fast bursts and rushdowns.
Wild, wide swinging wind.
Heavy, steady power that felt like a landslide.
They were all rough, early forms, but Natsuo still caught a glimpse of what the core Breathing Styles were like, and the intent behind them.
Yeah, the visuals were a little blinding though.
Natsuo quietly selected Disable Breathing Visual Effects.
In an instant, the fight stayed just as brutal. Steel cut the air, demons lunged, sparks flared.
But the flashy water, lightning, and flame effects were gone.
Much easier on the eyes.
Wind Breathing
First Form: Dust Whirlwind, Severing Slash
Sword light crossed the clearing as Natsuo slammed into the fight like a speeding truck.
"A newcomer"
A swordsman's heart surged, anger mixed with gratitude.
The intent was good, but against four strong demons, what difference would it make besides adding another corpse?
Then he saw it.
The blue demon's chest caved in as it flew backward, and two other demons were carved open with deep wounds.
And Natsuo did not stop.
The moment he broke into the fight, he flowed into the next form.
Eighth Form: First Gale Slash
A spinning strike, a huge, clean full rotation.
He forced the strongest one back, and in the same motion, he sent another demon's head flying when it hesitated for half a beat.
Only two moves.
One demon crippled, one demon executed.
So strong.
The swordsmen who had been sinking into despair felt their eyes light up again.
Natsuo savored the feel of that cut.
Level 3 Wind Breathing was nothing like Level 2.
Speed. Precision.
Both had jumped massively.
With his base stats raised, it was a true leap in quality.
If it had been yesterday, facing three high stat demons at once, he would have needed to pick them apart carefully.
Now?
He could handle it. He just had to push.
"Everyone, together! It's time to avenge the ones who just died!" a swordsman shouted, fired up.
What he got was not a demon's counterattack.
It was Natsuo's warning.
"Do not interfere. They're my prey."
The swordsman froze.
Huh?
You want to solo?
Sure, they all hated demons, but your grudge level is kind of intense.
Natsuo ignored their confusion, stared at the two living demons, and grinned.
"Perfect. I'll test my upgraded blade on you two."
"Demons don't feel pain anyway, right?"
Both demons and swordsmen shuddered.
Natsuo did not care. He raised his sword and charged.
"Don't look down on me!" Hanging Blade roared. Power Level 62, and it met Natsuo head on.
A few breaths later.
Proficiency +41
Proficiency +83
Proficiency +101
As Natsuo cut one demon's head off, Seiko's fight was also reaching its end.
She hacked the battered demon's limbs off.
Seiko did not behead it. She sheathed her Nichirin Blade and looked at the boy.
"You little bitch! If I hadn't slipped up, how could I lose to you! Come again if you've got the guts!"
The demon screamed while struggling to regrow its arms and legs.
Then it realized a shadow was covering it.
It looked up and saw Natsuo's face. Only then did it notice its comrades were all dead, panic finally flooding its eyes.
But before it could say anything.
Cold light swallowed it.
Nichirin steel.
If you're weak, train harder. Stop yapping.
So what if your stats were higher than Seiko's. Do you even understand the sacred multiplier of skill?
Proficiency +25
Wind Breathing LV.3 (263/2000)
With no demons left standing, the remaining swordsmen finally sagged.
They collapsed to the ground.
"We lived"
"After all that, we lived"
"That kid is insanely strong"
Seiko came closer and whispered into Natsuo's ear. "Now every swordsman in our group owes you a huge favor."
Her breath tickled, making his ear itch.
Natsuo turned to her. "What's that favor good for?"
Seiko gave him a look, then seriously rubbed her chin. "For you, Natsuo-kun, maybe you can ask them to teach you about other Breathing Styles."
Oh?
Natsuo's interest sparked.
He walked up to a slightly skinny swordsman and held out his hand.
"Natsuo. Nice to meet you."
"Huh?" The swordsman took it blankly, then got yanked to his feet. "I'm Shota. Um, thank you for saving us."
"If you want to repay me, once you've rested, show me a couple sets of Flame Breathing."
"Huh?!"
In Shota's mind, he added a new label to the boy.
Weirdo.
A strong, straightforward weirdo.
Before Shota could answer, Natsuo's gaze shifted past him.
"There's still one that slipped through."
Rustbite ??? Power Level: 49 (Body 25, Skill 19, Will 5) Blood Demon Art
In the shadow of a tree trunk, a lean, masked demon crouched in the corner, silently watching them.
Its presence was not strong, but it felt wrong.
It did not run after seeing its allies die.
It looked eager.
But its stats were weaker than the demon from earlier.
Almost the moment Natsuo spoke, Seiko moved.
Water Breathing
First Form: Water Surface Slash
No water effects now, but the cut was still sharp and clean, landing on the demon's left arm.
Got it.
That was what Seiko thought.
Then she felt something off in the feedback through her grip.
She looked down at her Nichirin Blade.
The edge that had been sharp was now only half there.
The break was coated in jagged, dark brown rust.
It snapped?
"Did you really think you'd landed that?" the demon hissed, its twisted grin full of sick excitement.
Seiko froze for a split second.
The demon swung its claws down.
Blood sprayed.
But what fell was not Seiko's head.
It was the demon's arm.
And the other half of Seiko's blade, spinning through the air.
Natsuo.
He arrived in time, cutting the demon's arm off.
But his own Nichirin Blade also broke the same way, eaten by sudden rust.
Natsuo raised an eyebrow.
This was not the blade's fault.
His Nichirin Blade was not fresh from the forge, but it was nowhere near rusty enough to snap.
If it was not the blade, then it was the demon.
"Oh? Figured it out?" the demon said, skin and bones, yet laughing like it owned the world.
"But so what?"
"I can regenerate endlessly."
"And you only get one sword."
Its severed arm was already sprouting flesh, regenerating at a visible pace.
While in Natsuo's hand
was only a broken blade.
(End of Chapter)
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