After being chased from the village, Tuziku and Kutcher decided to sleep just outside of Ryōkōjū's home.
After noticing the duo sleeping outside his house despite being chased away, Ryōkōjū told Tuziku to follow him if he truly wished to prove his resolve.
...
After following Ryōkōjū for several minutes, they eventually wandered outside of the village.
Tuziku, however, suddenly stopped in his tracks as he frantically turned his head from side to side.
Kutcher stopped and glanced toward him.
"What's wrong, Tuziku...?"
"Tuziku...?"
Suddenly—
"Where are you taking us, Old man?!" Tuziku glared at him.
Ryōkōjū stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
"You young folks really are impatient, aren't you...?"
He held his hands behind his back.
"Well... I wanted to get a better view away from the village..."
"But this is far enough!"
"Far enough...?" Kutcher whispered.
Tuziku stepped forward.
"Hey, what are you talking about, Old man?!"
"Now, now..." Ryōkōjū grinned.
"Tuziku..."
He pointed toward a tall mountain.
"Just at the very top of that mountain, there is a chest that supposedly carries an ancient scroll and some treasure..."
"However..."
"There is a beast that resides on top of the mountain that'll attack anyone or anything that attempts to intrude its domain," Ryōkōjū explained.
He turned toward Tuziku and grinned.
"Boy..."
"Show me your resolve by retrieving that chest and bringing it back to me!"
He gently stroked his long grey beard.
"Do that and I'll maybe consider teaching you the Hakashi technique..."
Tuziku gazed at the palms of his hands.
Then—
He clenched his fists.
"So all I have to do is retrieve the chest, right?"
He glared at Ryōkōjū, his eyes burning with determination.
Kutcher stepped in his path.
"Hey, aren't you being a bit rash, Tuziku...?"
"And besides, didn't you hear the part about the ancient beast?!" Kutcher warned him.
Tuziku glared at him.
"Yeah!"
"I heard him..." he replied.
"Even so..."
He turned toward the mountain and drew a deep breath.
"I'm still gonna do it!"
This is just another obstacle in my way...
"I see..."
Kutcher stepped aside.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, boy...?" Ryōkōjū asked with a mischievous grin.
"Didn't you hear what I just said...?"
"I'm doing this!" Tuziku shouted.
His raging expression screamed determination.
Ryōkōjū chuckled.
"In that case..."
"I'll give you forty-eight hours!"
"Climb the mountain and retrieve the chest that is guarded by the ancient beast!" Ryōkōjū stroked his beard.
Tuziku clenched his fist as he faced the mountain.
Without another word, Tuziku stormed off in order to carry out this task that would prove his resolve.
The old man watched in silence as he departed.
Kutcher thought to himself,
Tuziku... I hope you know what you're doing...!
He gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Hey, Ryōkōjū!"
He began approaching Ryōkōjū.
"What kind of beast lives up there?" he asked.
Ryōkōjū chuckled as he continued stroking his beard.
"You're curious, huh...?"
"...Since before this village was founded..."
"...a powerful man-beast resided on top of the mountain..."
He placed his hands behind his back and turned toward the mountains.
"...For generations, my people have failed to defeat the beast and obtain the treasure chest."
"No one knows when or why it decided to dwell on the mountain."
"But one thing is certain..."
He glanced toward Kutcher.
"There isn't a single individual in the Shiriku region that can defeat that thing!" He wore a mischievous grin.
...
Kutcher's eyes widened as realization struck him.
"Then—"
"Does that mean..."
"...you sent Tuziku up there knowing that he'll fail and possibly die?!" Kutcher snapped.
Ryōkōjū smirked.
"Now, now..."
"I wouldn't put it like that..." he replied.
Kutcher clicked his teeth.
"I'm going after him!"
He bolted after Tuziku.
Just as he took off—
Ryōkōjū blocked his path.
"Hold on a second, kid!"
"Think about how Tuziku would feel if you intervened..." he explained.
Kutcher turned toward the mountain.
"...He willingly chose to do this in order to prove his resolve!" Ryōkōjū continued.
"And besides, if he somehow manages to retrieve that chest..."
"Not only will I teach him the Hakashi technique, but he'll be hailed as a legend amongst our people!"
Kutcher lowered his head as he clenched his fist passionately.
"Don't you have faith in your Captain...?" Ryōkōjū asked.
Kutcher remained silent.
"Let's go back to the house and have some breakfast," he said as he walked toward the village.
...
A few hours later...
Tuziku had finally reached the base of the mountain.
Upon seeing it up close, he instantly realized why Ryōkōjū gave him two days to finish this task.
As he tilted his head and squinted his eyes in an attempt to see the top—
It was nowhere in sight...
Impossible...!
I can't see the top of the mountain!
"Even getting to the top will be difficult..." he mumbled.
"...This thing is huge!"
It's at least 500 meters tall...!
He took his shoes off and tore a piece of his pants, wrapping it around the palms of his hands.
"I won't be stopped here!"
Then—
He began climbing.
As the sharp rocks of the giant, sloped mountain pierced his hands and feet, Tuziku could only grit his teeth and endure as he rapidly ascended to a higher altitude.
"Damn it all!!!" His voice echoed through the air.
After approximately three hours of nonstop climbing, Tuziku had finally reached the top.
His body automatically collapsed from exhaustion.
His hands and feet were completely bruised and blistered as blood dripped from his fingers.
The climb had been quite perilous.
As he lay on his back, gazing at the sky, footsteps began to approach him.
Thud! Thud!
Thud! Thud!
Tuziku immediately sat up to see who was closing in.
Suddenly, his jaw dropped as his eyes locked onto something.
His expression slowly began to scream fear.
What Tuziku saw was no beast, yet it was also most definitely no man.
It had the muscular body of a man from the torso to the head, and a horse's body from the waist to the feet.
The legendary half-man, half-beast creature.
What Tuziku came face-to-face with..."
"...was a living mythical Centaur!
CHAPTER 38 END