Zenitsu made up his mind and rushed out. He abruptly activated Thunder Breathing, arcs of electricity flashing across his body as he drew his blade and slashed rapidly at the demon hanging upside down!
Hidden nearby, Horitake watched as Zenitsu chose the suspended demon as his first target, and he nodded in satisfaction.
Not bad. The kid's combat judgment is sound. He wasn't fooled by appearances and managed to identify the most suitable target to take out first.
The two demons were already growing impatient from the torment of the endless traps. Consequently, Zenitsu's sudden assault caught them completely off guard.
Added to the fact that users of Thunder Breathing possess blinding speed, these two ordinary, low-level demons truly didn't have time to react.
With electricity crackling around him, Zenitsu arrived in front of the upside-down demon in an instant.
Because the demon was suspended, he couldn't struggle free or react in time. All he could do was watch in despair as the Nichirin Sword in Zenitsu's hand transformed into a streak of white light that sliced through his neck!
The electrical arcs vanished, and Zenitsu's rapid charge came to a halt. He remained in his striking stance, standing firmly on the ground, feeling the sensation of the blade cutting through the demon's neck with a sense of disbelief.
Then, he turned to look.
The head of the demon he had targeted fell to the ground.
As the head tumbled, the demon's expression remained one of utter unwillingness—a resentment mixed with profound despair.
And just like that, before he could even utter his final words, the demon died, carrying his regret and hopelessness with him. The fallen head and the body still hanging from the tree began to crumble into ash.
Looking at his own hands, and then at the Nichirin Sword he held, Zenitsu was incredulous, yet a surge of excitement rose within him.
"I succeeded? I... I really killed a demon!?"
Hidden nearby, Horitake nodded, reasonably satisfied. The kid finally shows signs of stepping up.
However, the other demon, the one caught in the bear trap, witnessed Zenitsu's expression and demeanor.
Initially, facing such a sudden turn of events, the demon's first instinct had been to flee.
But observing Zenitsu's reaction, the demon realized something. This kid might have killed my partner, but he's a complete rookie!
And judging by his expression and his age, he seems like a cowardly rookie at that!
Then there's nothing to be afraid of!
Thus, the demon glared at Zenitsu and began to curse ferociously:
"Bastard! You dared to slay my companion! I won't forgive you!"
Zenitsu was jolted out of his daze by the voice. He hurriedly raised his Nichirin Sword with both hands, trembling as he faced the demon.
Seeing Zenitsu's trembling, the demon felt even more confident.
He extended a long tongue, licked his lips menacingly to display a perverse and ferocious demeanor, and then... Snap!
He broke his own leg!
That's right. Because he couldn't quickly pry open the bear trap, he simply chose to snap his own leg off!
Seeing the demon's bloody, severed leg, Zenitsu's knees turned to jelly on the spot.
When had he ever seen something like this?
To escape a trap, he didn't hesitate to mutilate himself!?
Just how terrifying, how vicious is this demon!?
Little did he know, this was exactly the demon's calculation. By performing such a brutal act, he intended to exert psychological pressure on Zenitsu and cause him to crumble.
Next, the demon performed another maneuver.
Laughing cruelly, he pulled his bloody, severed limb from the bear trap and pressed it back against the stump of his leg.
In a very short amount of time, the demon's flesh and blood began to knit together. The severed leg reattached itself rapidly, as if it had never been injured in the first place.
This shocking scene, as expected, placed immense psychological pressure on Zenitsu.
Zenitsu's character was naturally pessimistic and negative.
The demon's display of cruelty and brutality was a massive shock to him. The little bit of confidence he had gained from killing the first demon vanished almost instantly.
The demon laughed savagely and lunged at Zenitsu.
"Die!"
Zenitsu suffered a complete mental breakdown. Holding his sword, he turned around in a panic and fled, screaming in terror as he ran:
"Help me!!!"
Hidden nearby, Horitake watched this scene and slapped his hand against his forehead. The helplessness in his heart was immeasurable; he felt like tearing his hair out.
Zenitsu, this kid... he just can't handle praise. The moment you think highly of him, he reveals his true colors and cowards out like this!
Didn't you just kill a demon? This one isn't any stronger than the one you just killed! As long as you fight seriously, you can kill him!
But just because this demon acted a bit viciously, you were scared into running away!
Zenitsu fled in panic ahead, while the demon chased murderously behind.
Truly, Zenitsu's performance this time was utterly pathetic.
Horitake was fuming silently but continued to hide, refusing to appear or help.
I'm not going to step in. I want to see if you can turn around and kill this demon. If you can't... Hmph, you're in for it later!
Just as he was thinking this, Horitake suddenly sensed something in the distance. He looked toward the base of the mountain with a strange expression.
He realized who it was, and understanding dawned on him, leading to a peculiar look on his face as he muttered to himself:
"I didn't expect them to arrive at a time like this. They got here fast.
To arrive right when Zenitsu is acting like this... this is truly airing our dirty laundry in public.
Sigh... My face, and the Old Man's face, have been completely thrown away by Zenitsu!"
At the foot of Momoyama, Shinobu Kocho, along with a travel-worn Yae and her dog, Taro, had arrived. Looking up at the mountain before them, both girls smiled.
"Sister Shinobu, this should be the place, right?"
"Yes, I asked in town just now. This mountain is Momoyama. A swordsman named Kuwajima Jigoro lives in seclusion here. He should be Horitake's master."
Even though they had reached Momoyama, Yae suddenly felt a little nervous.
"Um... Sister Shinobu, it's already dark. Would it be inappropriate to visit at night? Maybe we should stay in the town for the night and go up the mountain to visit tomorrow morning?"
Yae's suggestion made sense, and Shinobu hesitated slightly.
"That is true. Visiting at night is indeed a bit improper. Perhaps we should..."
While they were hesitating, Shinobu and Yae heard a panicked, desperate cry coming from the mountain above:
"Help! Help me!"
Shinobu and Yae exchanged astonished glances. Without hesitation, the two girls immediately ran up the mountain, heading toward the source of the cry for help.
One could predict what the first meeting between Zenitsu and Yae would be like.
One could also predict that the first impression Zenitsu gave Yae would not be a very good one.
Indeed, as Shinobu and Yae chased the sound, they laid eyes on the disheveled Zenitsu, fleeing in a pathetic panic while being chased by a demon—a truly ridiculous sight.
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