Chapter 7: Ordinary Swordsmen
As demons collapsed and dissolved beneath his blade, Kucha Natsumi calmly reviewed the game in his mind.
Honestly speaking, the visuals were excellent.
There wasn't a single reused enemy model.
Every demon he encountered had a unique appearance, multiple attack patterns, and even different dialogue logic.
In most games, only named bosses or elite enemies received that kind of treatment.
As for regular mobs?
Changing their color palette was already considered generous.
But the demons he'd met so far?
Elite monsters?
Impossible.
There was no way the three enemies encountered right after the tutorial—each dying in one or two exchanges—were story elites.
Setting aside the art direction, the gameplay itself felt… contradictory.
On one hand, the physics engine was realistic, combat felt responsive, and the assistance system greatly smoothed the experience.
On the other hand, the numerical balance was strange.
The demons had high stats and even percentage-based regeneration, meaning brute force alone wouldn't work.
Yet aside from charging, slashing, and roaring, they had no special mechanics whatsoever.
What kind of enemy—especially one with superior stats—had zero unique skills?
In any other game, this level of AI wouldn't even qualify for casual play.
And yet this was supposedly a hardcore action RPG.
It felt like a stats-grinding game wearing the skin of a high-difficulty title.
Just as Kucha was mentally complaining, a hesitant voice spoke from beside him.
"Um… excuse me…"
He turned.
[Yukizou Shiko | Level 25]
Water Breathing LV.1
Low level.
Basic Water Breathing.
Definitely a friendly unit.
The girl didn't notice his brief system scan and spoke nervously.
"Could I… travel with you for a while?"
"This place is much more dangerous than I imagined."
"If possible, it would be safer if two people watched each other's backs…"
She quickly added, flustered,
"It's definitely not because you're strong or anything!"
Sure it isn't.
"Oath" was the name she had chosen for herself when she decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps—a reminder of her resolve, and of the hatred she carried after demons slaughtered her family.
She had trained for over half a year.
She knew the basics of breathing techniques and half her sword forms.
Her body was far stronger than before.
She thought she was no longer afraid of demons—but reality proved otherwise.
"Sure," Kucha replied casually.
He even handed her half a rice ball, as if this were a picnic instead of the Final Selection.
She had braced herself for rejection.
"Huh?" Shiko froze, hands awkward. "Th-thank you so much!"
"Having a teammate draw attention isn't bad," Kucha said offhandedly. "My name's Kucha Natsumi. What's yours?"
Relieved, Shiko walked beside him.
"My name is Yukizou Shiko. I use Water Breathing. But compared to you, I'm far inferior. I saw you fight earlier—it was incredible! Wind Breathing, right? It was like a storm swallowing the demons whole…"
Once she relaxed, her words began spilling out.
"Draw your sword."
"Huh?"
"A combatant should look like one," Kucha said calmly. "Monsters can appear anytime."
He glanced at the blade at her waist.
"You react quickly, yet you keep your sword sheathed. Are you good at iaijutsu?"
Shiko blushed and hurriedly drew her sword.
They continued deeper into the forest.
Kucha suspected monster density was higher toward the center of the selection grounds.
Despite her timidity, Shiko proved steady when facing demons and didn't hesitate in battle.
They spoke little after that.
Aside from distant clashes echoing from other hills, only the rustle of branches accompanied them.
Whether because demons had been drawn elsewhere—or because they were moving together—no new enemies appeared for quite some time.
Instead—
Kacha.
Kucha chopped aside a branch blocking the path and glanced at his interface.
[Chopping LV.1 (1 / 500)]
Another life skill unlocked.
Achievement Points: 7
If not for his slightly low compatibility with Wind Breathing, he would have already reached Level 3.
But converting Achievement Points wasted nearly a third.
It still stung.
Maybe I should just splurge once…
Either way, learning other breathing techniques needed to happen sooner.
"Hey," Kucha asked suddenly, "how long did it take you to learn Water Breathing?"
Caught off guard, Shiko hesitated. "Almost a year. My trainer said my talent is… average."
"I think gifted swordsmen can do it in a few months."
Kucha nodded thoughtfully.
"Show me a Water Breathing form."
"Huh? Here?"
She glanced around uneasily at the moonlit forest.
"Isn't this… a bit unsafe?"
Still, she stepped into a small clearing and steadied herself.
She inhaled.
The nervousness faded.
A pale mist escaped her lips.
Water Breathing.
First Form: Water Surface Slash.
The blade traced a clean arc, mist clinging faintly to its edge.
Second Form: Waterwheel.
She leapt, spun, and unleashed a flowing circular strike.
Move after move.
Water Breathing—gentle, inclusive, endlessly flowing.
Compared to Wind Breathing, it lacked ferocity, but carried elegance and control.
The style itself was solid.
The swordsman… less so.
Her movements were slightly stiff. Transitions imperfect.
Kucha observed silently.
No system prompt appeared.
"Kucha-kun… that's all I know," Shiko said, slightly breathless. "Compared to you, I'm still a beginner."
"True," Kucha replied calmly. "But could you show it again?"
"I feel your breathing differs slightly from others."
Though puzzled, she complied.
This time, the system reacted.
[Observed: Water Breathing Technique]
[Partial comprehension obtained]
[Learning Progress +1]
[Water Breathing (Unmastered): 1 / 100]
As expected—learning progress.
A smile finally appeared on Kucha's face.
Shiko's cheeks reddened.
Just like when he trained with Kazami.
Observation plus repetition accumulated understanding.
At 100 points, the system would recognize basic mastery—LV.0 activation.
Only then could compatibility be tested.
In a good mood, Kucha's tone softened.
"Shiko, you actually have good potential. One more time?"
The praise made her blush even harder.
"K-Kucha-kun… I'm really not—"
Her words stopped abruptly.
Her pupils shrank.
A black shadow surged from behind Kucha.
"Watch out!"
She had barely begun to swing—
When the demon was already swallowed by the storm at Kucha's hand.
Wind Breathing — Land Form: Black Wind and Mist
[Wind Breathing LV.2: 401 / 1000 (+24)]
Kucha sheathed his blade calmly.
"It's fine. Continue."
Shiko stood frozen.
Watching from afar and witnessing it up close were entirely different experiences.
"…Amazing," she whispered.