Chapter 74: You Take the Kill
Are you serious? She's actually running?!
Natsuya, Shinobu—who hadn't even fully caught her breath yet—and Igarashi—who had just tightened his grip on his hilt—all stood frozen for a split second.
It wasn't that every demon was a hot-blooded warrior prepared to die for the cause. But in most cases, when a demon encountered a Slayer, they usually relied on their regenerative bodies and Blood Demon Arts to trade at least a few blows.
Of course, that was because demons were usually used to slaughtering civilians and low-to-mid-rank Slayers. They had the arrogance of a predator.
Mukago was the same. Or at least, she would have been, if she hadn't personally witnessed another Lower Moon being decapitated by a Hashira once.
In her eyes, those Slayers with the Golden Buttons were monsters even scarier than demons.
Even if this man with the glasses wasn't the same orange-haired swordsman from her nightmares, he was still a Hashira. Even if he were only 70% as strong as the other one, Mukago knew she wouldn't last three frames.
So, time to log out!
Monsters like this should be left to the Upper Moons!
In an instant, the courtyard was filled with a blinding screen of spores. The earth buckled and groaned as thick, thorny vines surged upward like a tidal wave.
Watching the demon's silhouette bolt into the distance, Igarashi shifted his weight, dropping into a low pursuit stance.
"After her."
He prepared to lead the chase, but Natsuya's voice cut through the air.
"Wait, Senior! That's a decoy!"
To a normal eye, the frantic, loud, and chaotic aura of the fleeing demon was undeniably the main body. But to Natsuya, it was a completely different story.
Floating above the fleeing shadow was a red label that clearly read: [VINE CLONE]. Its Power Level wasn't 300+ anymore; it was a measly 50.
Natsuya hacked through a stray vine and pulled Shinobu behind him, his eyes scanning the sanatorium grounds with surgical precision.
Through the gaps in the shifting vines, a tiny, inconspicuous shadow was silently creeping in the opposite direction. In Natsuya's HUD, the neon-red nameplate was as bright as a lighthouse.
[Mukago ???] (Power Level: 321)
"THERE!"
The moment Natsuya shouted, Igarashi's gaze followed his finger. The young Hashira adjusted his glasses and vanished from Natsuya's side in a blur.
The next second.
A streak of pale-blue sword-light, shaped like the wings of a predatory bird, tore through the sky. Accompanied by the roar of a mountain gale, the strike swept across the courtyard.
Spore clouds and steel-hard vines alike were sheared in half by the "Azure Bird" slash.
The strike didn't just clear the field—it neatly severed Mukago's real escape route.
Looking at the deep, jagged furrow carved into the stone at her feet, the demon's face went pale. Her expression shifted from panic to a desperate, cornered madness.
"I almost let you slip by, Miss Demon," Igarashi said, giving Natsuya a short nod. "Good eye, Kokonoe."
If Natsuya hadn't pinged the target, Igarashi might have actually fallen for the bait-and-switch.
"How could you possibly know?!" Mukago shrieked at Natsuya. "I was almost free!"
The "Sweet Maiden" act was gone. Mukago now radiated the pure, unfiltered malice of a Lower Moon.
"Fine! If you won't let me leave... then I'll take you all to hell with me!"
[Blood Demon Art: Strangling Garden of the Rotting Nest!]
She held nothing back. She funneled every drop of her demonic energy into her final technique.
The writhing vines suddenly went still. Then, from the cracks in the masonry and the soil beneath the floorboards, massive, purple-tinted vines—ten times thicker than before—erupted like geysers. They twisted and fused together, forming two gargantuan wooden palms that threatened to blot out the moon.
Her confidence returned as the scale of her spell grew.
"So what if you're fast?! You can't slash your way through this!"
"Even a Hashira will buckle under my Garden! If the impact doesn't crush you, the poison on these thorns will rot your soul!"
The massive hands began to close in from all sides, a crushing cage of thorns.
Faced with the terminal strike, Igarashi finally drew his blade fully from its scabbard. It was a beautiful Nichirin Sword, its steel shimmering with a watery, pale-blue light under the moon.
[Storm Breathing]
[Seventh Form: Piercing the Forest, Striking the Leaves]
A series of slashes, carrying the vibe of a crisp autumn breeze, rippled outward from his blade. The wind felt gentle, like a cool night breath, yet it held the damp chill of deep autumn and the rhythmic shhh-t of bamboo leaves rubbing together.
CRACK... SNAP...
The wooden palms, imbued with the strength to crush a building, began to erode the moment they came within meters of the trio.
Or rather, they were being dismantled.
The vines shattered and collapsed at the roots. The cut surfaces were as smooth as polished glass, as if they were nothing more than dry twigs bundled together.
Mukago's "Trump Card" ultimate was treated like a joke.
The demon stood in stunned silence. The backlash of having her Blood Demon Art destroyed was painful, but the realization of her impending death was worse.
Terrifying. Too terrifying!
That glasses-man is a monster!
I should have just kept running! Why did I think I could trade with a Pillar?!
I don't want to die!
Then, she noticed something impossible. The man was slowly sheathing his sword.
"Eh?"
He... isn't going to kill me?
Igarashi looked at Natsuya. "Kokonoe. You handle this one."
"Consider it the final exam of your recent training."
"Defeat a member of the Twelve Kizuki."
"After this... you'll be heading to your next station. I have little left to teach you."
Natsuya let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Ah? Senior... are you sure? This is your hunt, after all. It'd be rude of me to jump in."
While his mouth was being polite, his feet had already slid half a step forward.
Igarashi: "..."
I'm not blind. You drew your sword before I even finished my move. You've been staring at her like a starving man at a buffet since the fight started.
If he didn't know Natsuya's character, Igarashi would have thought his Junior was some kind of suspicious stalker.
Igarashi glanced at Natsuya's already-drawn blade and smiled. "Your sword is out, Kokonoe. Don't play coy with me."
Natsuya looked down at Master Kang in his hand and coughed awkwardly. "I was just... uh... preparing to cover for you. You know, protecting Lady Kocho. Safety first."
I am definitely not here to kill-steal.
"So you're saying you don't want the kill?"
Igarashi raised an eyebrow and turned to Shinobu. "In that case, Lady Kocho, would you like the honor of—"
"Wait!" Natsuya stepped in immediately. "Since Senior doesn't want to get his hands dirty, there's no need to trouble the lady."
"I, Kokonoe Natsuya, live to serve. It would be my pleasure."
Natsuya didn't decline a second time. He stepped forward, his Thunder Breathing automatically kicking into a high-rev state. His breathing became heavy and resonant. His Power Level, which usually sat around 200, began to climb steadily as his concentration peaked.
Mukago: "..."
(These people are passing me around like a dessert menu. DO THEY HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?!)
Veins popped on her forehead. I can't beat the Pillar, but I can definitely murder this brat!
Meanwhile, Igarashi spoke to Shinobu in a low, teacher-like tone.
"Lady Kocho, watch closely. This is a rare opportunity to observe a live battle with a Kizuki."
"Watch how Natsuya utilizes his Breathing rhythms and how he adapts to the demon's 'BS' mechanics. Observe the speed and power of a Moon-rank demon."
He paused, then added gently, "Lord Gyomei and your sister both mentioned that you are a child with great talent in your own right. This fight will be meaningful for your growth."
Shinobu nodded, her expression complex.
Lord Igarashi... actually thinks this 'Block of Wood' can solo a Lower Moon?
But wait... Lord Gyomei and Nee-san... they really believe in me?
A tiny spark of joy bloomed in the corner of Shinobu's heart. He acknowledged her. They all acknowledged her.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you