Transformed into the leader of an esoteric sect in Japan

"And what about you guys?" Kurosawa Shizuki hadn't expected these delinquents to be so loyal.

"It's just a good beating! What goes around comes around. We can't let your life be ruined here, boss..." Kanda Hiroshi's face showed signs of weariness.

"Have you finished exchanging pleasantries?" Yamauchi swaggered to the front, carrying his large wooden sword, a mocking smile on his face. "Shall we begin?"

"Wait!" Kanda Hiroshi shouted, walking towards Yamauchi. "Yamauchi, you outnumbered us and even tried to ambush us. What kind of hero are you?"

"Oh? So what do you plan to do?" Yamauchi looked at Kanda Hiroshi, who had forced himself to step forward, with the eyes of someone looking at an insect. "You want a righteous one-on-one with me?"

“That’s right, king against king, but you’re not going to fight me,” Kanda Hiroshi glared fiercely at Yamauchi, but Kurosawa Shizuki noticed his legs were trembling, “but our big sister…”

Before he could finish speaking, Kanda Hiroshi was struck hard in the abdomen by Yamauchi's wooden sword. His body bent like a lobster and was sent flying nearly ten meters backward in an exaggerated manner before crashing into the wall.

“I’m not here for a one-on-one fight,” Yamauchi laughed disdainfully. “I’m just here to crush all of you mountain-high fry. I don’t care what means I use as long as I can achieve my goal.”

"Ugh—" Kanda Hiroshi managed to raise his hands to block the attack before being hit, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

"Big Sister...run away...cough, cough, cough, damn it..." Kanda Hiroshi coughed up mouthfuls of blood, gave his "last words" in the direction of Kurosawa Shizuki, then his head lolled to the side and he collapsed.

"It's all over..."

"Kanda has been killed, and Mizushima-san has been captured! What do we do?!"

"With only the eldest sister left, there's no way she can win."

Kanda Hiroshi seemed to have a lot of prestige among the remaining delinquents. Kanda Hiroshi didn't even get past Yamauchi in one round. Kurosawa Shizuki was not surprised to find that they had completely lost their will to fight when they were surrounded by the enemy. Their legs were trembling and their faces were full of fear and cowardice. If Yamauchi had applied a little more pressure, they would probably have knelt down and begged for mercy on the spot.

The only reason the delinquents haven't collapsed yet is because Kurosawa Shizuki is still here, and the way some of the delinquents look at her is like a drowning person clutching at a last straw.

It seems that the original owner really had a lot of prestige in front of these guys. Even in this disadvantageous situation, they still had a certain amount of confidence in him.

In the end, can I only rely on myself? Kurosawa Shizuki sighed softly and walked forward. From the very beginning, she could not have any hope for this group of delinquents whose fighting power was only 5.

“Woman, those cowards don’t even have the courage to throw a punch anymore, you’re the only one left,” Yamauchi looked at Kurosawa Shizuki with interest. His beast-like gaze roamed over her body, making Kurosawa Shizuki feel very uncomfortable. “Why aren’t you afraid at all? What are you going to do next? Are you still going to let us go?”

“I’ll give you a chance. Abandon Mizushima and become my girlfriend. Also, tell me everything you know, and I might let you go…” Yamauchi’s gaze seemed to want to strip Kurosawa naked.

"What should I do?" Kurosawa Shizuki stood with her hands hanging down, her body in the most natural standing posture. Her dark blue eyes were clear and ethereal. She tilted her head and revealed a mocking smile.

She slowly raised her willow-like left arm, her fair fingers outstretched, almost transparent and glossy, with a faint breeze passing through them.

The next instant, she lightly touched the ground with the toes of her right foot and charged towards Yamauchi Yuki like lightning.

In the blink of an eye, he was already only a few steps away from the mountain, his left hand with its five fingers together, gleaming coldly like a knife.

With a smile, Kurosawa Shizuki appeared in front of the retreating Yamauchi Yuki, her soft, boneless left hand casually sweeping towards Yamauchi.

The outstretched fingers, so gentle as if caressing a lover's cheek, sent a chill down Yamanouchi's spine.

Emptiness Blade Style: Asagao, a technique for sudden assassination!

Yamauchi Yuki's pupils contracted slightly, and his face showed a look of horror, but he had no intention of confronting Kurosawa Shizuki head-on. He quickly retreated.

Yamauchi lowered his center of gravity, and the first thrust grazed the top of his head. At such a short distance, he couldn't even swing his sword to retaliate.

However, it wasn't over yet. Kurosawa Shizuki, who had seized the initiative, continued her offensive, slashing down with her right hand.

In a state of utter disarray, Yamanouchi rolled backward to dodge Kurosawa Shizuki's second downward strike.

Kurosawa Shizuki used her waist to drive her left leg, turned her body, and used her leg as a knife to slash upwards again!

Slender, delicate calves, smooth and lustrous like white jade, below which the sailor-skirted girl's skirt flutters, and her shimmering safety shorts are visible!

Phantom Blade Style: Plum Blossom, a foot-sword thrusting strike!

This attack went straight for the most vulnerable spot in the mountain, and the mountain, with no way to avoid it, could not escape even if it tried to back off.

His left hand snapped his fingers seemingly casually, revealing the secret words of the Walking Technique!

Kurosawa Shizuki felt thunder exploding in her ears, and a constant buzzing in her ears. Amidst the thunderous chanting of incantations, Yamauchi appeared to multiply from one to three in her vision! The three Yamauchi simultaneously grinned and swung their swords at her. This secret technique actually had the effect of creating illusions?

The next moment, through her intuition in the form of the Hollow Blade Style, Kurosawa Shizuki immediately confirmed the location of Yamauchi's main body; the other two were indeed illusions that crumbled upon contact. However, her intended fatal strike was ultimately delayed by a fraction, and the rhythm of her foot-blade attack was slightly disrupted by that thunderous roar!

"Thump—" A dull collision sounded as the sturdy wooden sword blocked Kurosawa Shizuki's attack. The other two phantoms vanished at the same time, and Yamanouchi's feet slammed into the ground, sliding back more than ten steps before coming to a stop.

Looking at Kurosawa Shizuki with extreme apprehension, Yamauchi's face grew increasingly grim. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and his left hand, gripping the wooden sword, trembled uncontrollably. "What kind of fighting technique is this? I've never heard of a martial art that uses the body like a blade."

Kurosawa Shizuki didn't bother with Yamauchi at all. She frowned slightly. Once facing an enemy who had truly mastered martial arts skills, the power of the Phantom Blade Style was not as immediate as it had been against the two ghouls that acted entirely on instinct.

Having mastered the Green Swordsmanship skill at the Proficiency level, Yamauchi could easily predict and react to her beginner-level Phantom Blade style attacks. Combined with his constant disruption of her attack rhythm through his movements and words, Phantom Blade style alone would be very difficult to use in a prolonged battle.

Kurosawa Shizuki thought that even if her final foot strike couldn't hurt Yamauchi, it would at least break Yamauchi's wooden sword. However, Yamauchi's wooden sword seemed to be no ordinary object either. It blocked Kurosawa Shizuki's foot strike, which could easily cleave a human body, but left no mark at all.

"Why did you back down?" Kurosawa Shizuki sneered. "Shouldn't you be very confident in your swordsmanship? The leader of Kita High School, actually forced back by a weak woman like me? Is that all?"

Kurosawa Shizuki still really wanted to continue fighting with Yamauchi. They had only exchanged a few moves, and her proficiency in the Phantom Blade style was increasing by five points at a time. Perhaps it was because Yamauchi was a master of the Shinto style? Fighting monsters of a higher level might make it easier to get experience bonuses.

Furthermore, if she continues to exchange a few more blows and manages to find even the slightest opening, Kurosawa Shizuki can unleash her dark essence and take down Yamauchi unexpectedly without attracting the attention of others.

"Heh, do you think I'll fall for your provocation so easily?" Yamauchi had no intention of confronting Kurosawa Shizuki head-on. He sheathed his wooden sword and continued to distance himself from Kurosawa Shizuki, displaying a caution that was completely incongruous with his rugged appearance. "I won't recklessly fight an enemy I don't know at all, especially when I have an absolute advantage."

He seemed surprisingly perceptive, realizing that Kurosawa Shizuki had a very dangerous backup plan, and he wouldn't give Kurosawa Shizuki the chance.

Raising his wooden sword high, he pointed it directly at Kurosawa Shizuki: "Brothers, take them down! Whoever knocks that woman down first, I'll give you a month's supply of 'medicine'!"

The thugs from Yamauchi's side, who had initially shown expressions of shock and hesitation due to the fierce fight between Kurosawa Shizuki and Yamauchi, suddenly had a morbid desire burning in their eyes upon hearing the word "medicine."

"Boss, you're being really generous this time? That's a month's worth of medicine!"

"If I could get that much medicine, my confession to Aoko would definitely be accepted."

"As long as we defeat that skinny woman... she's nothing special, just a woman!"

They charged at Kurosawa Shizuki from all directions, as if they had been injected with adrenaline, brandishing all sorts of sticks, knives, bottles, and bricks...

Mizushima's men, whose morale had long since plummeted, didn't even have the will to resist. They collapsed at the first charge, kneeling and begging for mercy with their bare hands. They lost all fighting spirit and were easily overwhelmed by the enemy's tidal wave of attacks. They were all beaten until their heads were swollen and their minds were dazed.

Only Kurosawa Shizuki, expressionless, remained, facing forty or fifty thugs from the mountains alone.

I just thought these guys were loyal, but they're all spineless cowards who will give in a second!

"Tsk." Behind Kurosawa Shizuki, the shadow twisted again. This time, it was clearly not a problem that could be solved with just a beginner-level Phantom Blade style. Fortunately, at least her nominal "teammates" had been taken down, so she could act freely.

P.S., I've changed the title. Whether it's corny or not, having the word "transformation" in it should at least make it easier and more direct for people who want to read about transformations to click in.

Section 34, Chapter Thirty-Four: You're the only one left.

Waiting to be surrounded would be a foolish move, so Kurosawa Shizuki decided to strike first and launch a surprise attack on the enemy.

Tap, tap, tap, from the direction of Yamauchi Yuki, came the sound of him stomping his feet on the ground. With the rhythm of his stomping, his fingers were snapping again and again.

What is he doing? Is he provoking me? No, Kurosawa Shizuki sensed a strange fluctuation spreading from the direction of the mountain with his snap of his fingers, enveloping almost everyone in the factory.

The same wave passed through her own body, causing her heart to beat faster, her blood to flow more quickly, her breathing to become heavier, and her head to feel congested. Strange afterimages began to appear before her eyes once again.

However, as Kurosawa Shizuki forced herself to enter the combat mindset of the Phantom Blade Style, and bit her tongue hard with her teeth, the sweet taste in her throat forcibly suppressed this strange impulse.

"Awaken, awake, awake... These are the words of Xingbu. Every heartbeat is a thunderclap, whether multiple or one, they share a common emotion. Now let us pay homage to the Heart of Thunder." Yamauchi snapped his fingers and chanted a strange incantation. Each snap sounded like thunder to the thugs.

Yamauchi is once again releasing the words of the secret technique he has mastered: the Walking Step!

In the blink of an eye, just like in a large disco, with each snap of Yamanouchi's fingers, the thugs began to tremble in rhythm with him, and with each tremor, Kurosawa Shizuki could feel the threat emanating from them growing stronger.

These thugs' bodies swelled up like inflating balloons, their muscles bulged with veins, their eyes were bloodshot, and their basic physiques increased by at least three to five points!

The enhanced thugs all had a dark red "Berserk" buff appear above their heads! Who knew that "Walking and Speaking" was actually a large-scale group buff?!

As Yamauchi continues to reinforce the thugs with his words of encouragement, more and more thugs are going berserk!

The thugs frantically surrounded Kurosawa Shizuki from all directions!

Tear her apart!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"My blood is boiling!"

"Heartbeat! It's about to start!"

"Shinji Kawamoto, reporting for duty!"

Kurosawa Shizuki charged toward Yamanouchi, but the hot-blooded thugs formed a human wall in front of her, trying to block her advance.

Kurosawa Shizuki knew she absolutely couldn't let Yamauchi continue to strengthen himself indefinitely. If all the thugs went into a berserk state, Kurosawa Shizuki would probably be unable to stop and would have no choice but to let the black matter go berserk and start a massacre.

He raised his hand and charged forward, stabbing the tallest thug in the chest. Although he consciously restrained his strength because he didn't want to kill, the force should still have easily knocked the thug unconscious.

Seemingly due to his berserk state, the burly thug roared, tensed his muscles, and forced himself to stand still. Instead, he raised his left hand and grabbed the wrist that Kurosawa Shizuki had stabbed into him.

Kurosawa Shizuki's hand was held by the burly man, who was laughing wildly and then opened his arms to pounce on her, trying to give her a quick and decisive hug.

Without further hesitation, Kurosawa Shizuki delivered another kick, aiming directly for his groin. She refused to believe that this area could be enhanced.

As expected, no one could withstand the "kick that could cut off a man's genitals." The burly man screamed in agony, clutching his groin as he fell backward.

Kurosawa Shizuki leaned heavily against the burly man, pressing down on him with all her might.

The burly man was used as a human bomb by Kurosawa Shizuki and was sent flying, knocking down several thugs who were surrounding him.

Kurosawa Shizuki broke through the first layer of human walls!

A gust of wind rushed past my ears, and a baseball bat slammed down on my head!

Kurosawa Shizuki dodged to the side, the baseball bat slammed to the ground, and she stepped on it.

He raised his hand and thrust again, this time aiming directly at the enemy's eyes. Another thug fell, clutching his eyes and screaming in pain.

However, a flash of cold light appeared behind them, and several daggers stabbed from different directions. The berserk thugs went all out, aiming straight for Kurosawa Shizuki's vitals.

Kurosawa Shizuki turned around, her hands dancing as she created afterimages, wrapping them around the blade!

Virtual Blade Style: Lady Flower! A technique to seize a sword and retaliate!

In the blink of an eye, his hands struck more than a dozen times with lightning speed, each strike landing precisely on the wrists of the enemies holding knives, causing their daggers to slip from their grasp.

Kurosawa Shizuki held daggers between her fingers and, without even looking, threw them directly into the mountains like throwing knives!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Yamauchi waved his wooden sword expressionlessly, deflecting all the daggers.

Thump, thump, thump, he's now using a wooden sword to tap the ground, and the rhythm of his walking and talking is getting faster and faster. Nearly half of the thugs have entered a berserk state!

They charged forward relentlessly, like a horde of zombies. Even though several thugs had already been knocked down once by Kurosawa Shizuki, they would still get up and continue fighting!

The fleeting opening was blocked again by several thugs. The thugs, now unarmed, roared and attacked Kurosawa Shizuki with their bare hands. There were at least five of them, and even Kurosawa Shizuki was no match for them.