Zenitsu had been morally blackmailed—subjected to crushing moral pressure—by Horitake.
Although he realized he had been calculated by Horitake once his anger subsided, there was nothing he could do; words once spoken could not be taken back.
And so, as the sun set and night descended, no matter how reluctant he was, Zenitsu had no choice but to take his Nichirin Sword and head toward the town at the foot of the mountain.
Descending the mountain, Zenitsu still couldn't forget the smug, grinning expression on Horitake's face when he left.
The further down the mountain he went, the more panic rose in Zenitsu's heart.
Meeting Hantengu last night had been Zenitsu's first encounter with a demon.
Now he was about to face demons for the second time. And not just face them—he had to kill them. And not just one, but two!
What am I supposed to do!? Even if you drive a duck onto a perch, you don't force it this hard!
Zenitsu's mindset grew increasingly pessimistic. He felt that with his current strength, it was highly likely he wouldn't be able to beat two demons and would instead be eaten by them.
Thinking this, Zenitsu couldn't help but look up at the sky and cry out, wanting to weep but having no tears:
"Dammit! I haven't even held a pretty girl's hand yet, and now I have to do something this dangerous! If I just die like this, wouldn't it be a huge loss!?"
After shouting, Zenitsu couldn't help but look around nervously.
He was currently halfway down Momoyama, surrounded by dense, leafless peach trees.
He didn't know why, but usually, when he walked this path, even at night, he didn't feel much of anything.
But walking this path tonight, Zenitsu felt the surroundings were eerily gloomy. Those bare peach trees in the darkness looked like tree demons baring their fangs and claws.
Zenitsu's skin began to crawl, and he tentatively called out to the surroundings:
"B-Big Brother... you surely wouldn't bear to watch me die, right? You're definitely hiding nearby protecting me, right? If I'm in danger, you'll come out to save me, right?"
The darkness around him remained silent; no voice responded to Zenitsu's words.
However, in a spot completely unobserved by Zenitsu, Horitake was indeed hiding. Hearing Zenitsu's words, he mentally lamented that the kid was like mud that couldn't hold up a wall.
Horitake had already made up his mind. No matter how much Zenitsu begged, he would not appear to help. Unless Zenitsu was truly unable to defeat the two demons and was genuinely about to be killed, only then would Horitake step in to save him.
Since the hidden Horitake released no presence or sound, Zenitsu was left feeling very uncertain.
"N-No way... Big Brother wouldn't really ignore whether I live or die, right? Surely not."
Whether it was psychological comfort or self-encouragement, Zenitsu took a few hard breaths and continued walking toward the foot of Momoyama.
regardless, Zenitsu was kind-hearted by nature. Even if he couldn't win, he couldn't bear the thought of rivers of blood flowing through the town tonight. He wanted to help the townspeople as much as he could.
However, contrary to everyone's expectations, those two demons—Hantengu's subordinates—had not actually started their feast in the town yet.
Just as Zenitsu reached the foot of the mountain, he heard a string of loud curses coming from ahead.
Timid as ever, Zenitsu immediately hid behind a tree and peeked out to observe quietly.
In the darkness over there, the ones making the commotion were none other than the two demons!
Looking at their state, it seemed they intended to go up the mountain.
But the sheer number of traps at the foot of Momoyama had made these two demons suffer unspeakably. There was no telling how long they had been wandering at the base of the mountain or how many traps they had already triggered.
At this moment, both demons had fallen into traps again.
One demon was currently suspended upside down from a tree by a rope. Swinging like a pendulum, the demon swayed back and forth, wearing a look of utter despair.
The other demon was in a worse state; he had actually stepped into a bear trap. One of his legs was clamped bloody and mangled by the trap. He was currently crying out in pain, struggling to pry the jaws of the trap open.
While prying at the trap, the demon twitched in agony:
"That bastard old man up the mountain... setting so many traps... even using things like bear traps! This is simply too much!
Once I climb up there, I'm going to give that old man a very special reception!"
The demon hanging upside down from the tree complained with a look of resignation:
"Save it, stop talking out of anger.
Lord Hantengu went up Momoyama and hasn't made a sound for a whole day.
If you ask me, us going up the mountain is just offering our heads on a platter.
Since this path of traps is so difficult, why don't we just not go up Momoyama? Let's turn back, eat a few people in the town, and leave once we're full. Wouldn't that be better?"
The demon prying at the trap scolded the other one angrily:
"You disloyal wretch! If you want to leave, go by yourself!
Lord Hantengu showed us favor and recognized our worth. Now that Lord Hantengu is missing, as his subordinates, we naturally have to go up the mountain to check the situation!"
Hiding behind the tree, Zenitsu listened to this dialogue and roughly understood what was going on with these two demons.
Hidden on the other side, Horitake couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth twitch.
To think there are actually loyal ones among demons. That's rare.
Then, Horitake peeked out and glanced discreetly at where Zenitsu was hiding, thinking:
This is a golden opportunity, Zenitsu. If you don't take this chance to take them out now, it'll be hard to kill them once they escape the traps.
Horitake was very much looking forward to Zenitsu making a quick decision.
Zenitsu, all things considered, was a good kid.
Hiding behind the tree, he clarified the current situation and understood it in his heart.
Killing these two demons in the town would be too difficult. Killing them after they escaped the traps would be even harder. Now was undeniably a great opportunity!
Even if he couldn't kill both in one breath, he had to at least try to kill one of them!
Although his heart was incredibly tense and he was terrified, Zenitsu decided to act.
So, with two demons—one hanging upside down, one caught in a bear trap—which one should he kill first?
This was a test for Zenitsu.
The demon hanging upside down didn't have a scratch on him, while the demon caught in the bear trap had a bloody, mangled leg.
Logic dictated that one should "pick the softest persimmon to pinch"—meaning he should kill the demon caught in the bear trap first.
But Zenitsu had a different thought.
Zenitsu felt that even though the demon in the bear trap looked miserable with all that blood, demons were creatures with terrifying regenerative abilities. That injury might not mean much to him.
On the other hand, the demon hanging in the tree had no injuries, but he couldn't move freely. Being suspended meant he had no leverage, couldn't touch the ground, and certainly couldn't run away.
Therefore, the demon hanging upside down should be the easier one to kill.
He couldn't hesitate any longer.
If he hesitated any longer, both demons would break free from the traps!
Having made his decision, Zenitsu struggled to suppress the nervousness in his heart. Suddenly, he burst out from behind the tree:
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
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