Female Swordsman Training Dojo

However, after Yakumo Kurenai finished her reprimand, she didn't say anything more, since she herself had agreed to Nakajima Toshiko's actions. But she hadn't expected Taira Harunobu to have such a trick up his sleeve… Could that sly fox have been tricked by this scumbag instead?

With a slight frown, Yakumo Kurenai waved her hand: "Let's do things according to plan, and stop daydreaming."

"Yes, Lord Yakumo!"

Toshiko Nakajima breathed a huge sigh of relief and quickly grabbed her things to head out and organize the demonstration. This was to create an alibi, just in case.

After all, those three women were going to die soon, and as the last person they saw, she would definitely be investigated. But no matter how she was investigated, it would just be her usual routine of organizing marches and demonstrations. Would a good person like Taira no Shinichi really torture him?

Besides, she wasn't some nobody without connections; she wasn't someone who could be tortured at will.

Yakumo Kurenai quickly left Nakajima Toshiko's house, not to kill Saten Yoko and the others, but to walk back to an ordinary detached house—her real safe house—where she finally felt a little more relaxed.

Tokyo's defenses are no joke. The ninjas of Shiranui, the Onmyoji of the Onmyōryō, and those priests—even if she's confident she can conceal herself, nothing is safer than not taking action at all. Besides, given the strength of those three, she doesn't need to intervene.

Next, all we have to do is wait for the right opportunity.

The red fox yawned, its two suddenly protruding fox ears curling up on the bed.

Chapter 256

Two fluffy red tails wrapped around her straight, slender, and plump legs, so she no longer needed to cover herself with a blanket.

Before long, only the faintest breathing sounds and the occasional murmur of a sleep demon could be heard in the room: "Fire Demon..."

"Lord Fire Demon, is there anything I can help you with?"

Harunobu stood in front of the Ame-no-Tsurugi Shrine, looking at the golden fox leaning against the torii gate, and had a bad feeling.

Shiranui Ran straightened up, left the torii gate, and approached Harunobu: "Actually, it's nothing, I just wanted to ask you, if you were to assassinate the Emperor, what methods would you use?"

No, ladies?

Harunobu was shocked. "Girl, do you even need to listen to what you're saying? Aren't you the Imperial ninja? Why are you suddenly thinking about betraying the Emperor? And why are you asking me if you're going to betray the Emperor? I never showed any intention of killing Taisho—after all, he died young, and the war criminal was his son Hirohito."

So this probably isn't a trap, right? Could it be that Princess Misuru is planning to become a mourning daughter? Hmm… should he become a loyal retainer of the emperor? If only his sister becomes emperor, then her brother will be finished, right?

While Harunobu was brainstorming, Shiranui Ran walked over and waved in front of him: "Hey, wake up!"

Harunobu blinked, his racing thoughts calming down. He realized that even if Misuruhime truly wanted to launch a grand rebellion against her father, she wouldn't seek help from a samurai she wasn't very familiar with. Nor would she openly bring it up in the street.

It's most likely that the golden fox is playing another prank.

So he said normally, "Since you can come and go in and out of the Imperial Palace at will, why not just sneak over and stab him?"

Shiranui Ran curled her lip: "Tch, how boring—but I'm not kidding. If someone wanted to assassinate the Emperor, what method do you think they would choose?"

Having said that, Harunobu had clearly thought it through: "The Tongxin Society's goal is to assassinate the Emperor? Are you sure?"

“At the very least, they definitely wanted to assassinate the Emperor.” Before arriving, Shiranui Ran had already received orders from Misuru-hime, and she immediately told Harunobu about how Emperor Taisho had been drugged by Katsura Taro.

Qingxin could only say "6" in amazement: "But if it's the Tongxin Society, it must be magic, right? Like curses or black magic?"

Shiranui Ran shook her head: "Impossible. The Tongxin Society could not possibly break through the Imperial Palace's protective barrier and curse the Emperor—otherwise, why would they have had Katsura Taro drug the Emperor?"

"Then infiltration and assassination? Just like when you entered the Azure Sky Pavilion, I remember there were spells and abilities to circumvent barriers, right?"

"That's possible, especially after that red-haired slut goes by... But our Shiranui ninjas are on full alert, and outsiders can never break in."

"So, magic and melee combat are ineffective..." Harunobu rubbed his chin, unable to think of any way to assassinate the heavily guarded Emperor. This wasn't the era from his previous life; let alone the Dongfeng Express, even a fully-fledged air force didn't exist yet.

"Then there's nothing I can do."

With the mysterious shrine maiden's hut right in front of him, Harunobu chose to surrender.

Shiranui Ran shook her head helplessly. Although she hadn't held out much hope, it really was...

"Never mind, just remember this. Besides, I still feel like there's something off about Nakajima Toshiko. There are always some strange little details about her..."

That's for sure, since they were all meticulously crafted by Yakumo Red to distract Shiranui Ran and make her investigate Nakajima Toshiko, a target who could possibly be a problem.

It's fair to say that Shiranui Ran is now the modern-day Fire Demon, responsible for managing all affairs, and cannot easily act alone. If it were a Jonin like Ran, she would have already rushed over to investigate.

"Yes, yes." Harunobu walked into the shrine maiden's hut, where the door opened automatically. "Shrine maiden, has there been any result regarding what I told you before? That is, the matter where the magical artifacts couldn't detect any demonic energy even in front of the demons."

Chapter 235: The Cat Demon

"Is this right here?"

Saten Yoko looked at the somewhat dilapidated detached house in front of her and checked the house number next to it again to confirm that it was the same as the address given by Nakajima Toshiko.

Is this really where a company president lives? It's not even comparable to her hometown, let alone Aozora-kan. But considering her company was just shut down, it's not surprising she lives here.

Saten Yoko picked up a small hammer and knocked on the small bell at the door. The bronze bell, with its slightly green patina, shook and emitted a dull sound, which shook the door open.

A faint creaking sound emerged from beneath the tolling of the bell. Saten Yoko shivered and gripped the katana at her waist: "Something's not right. Stay alert."

Needless to say, Minamoto no Yuki Sakura and Fujiwara no Kaguya, though somewhat reckless and willful, were not stupid. They both put their minds on high alert and held onto their respective weapons.

The three of them certainly didn't intend to leave just like that.

Saten Yoko is already determined to solve this case; it's a mission assigned to her by the teacher's college, and she absolutely cannot fail! The chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) girl Fujiwara Kaguya is full of passion, while Minamoto Yuki Sakura is determined to protect both of them.

By the way, let's see if we can complete Qingxin's request.

Although that guy was promiscuous and always trying to poach her as his disciple, he genuinely cared about his disciple.

The genius swordswoman of the Natural Rishin-ryu school stroked the hilt of the famous sword at her waist, her attention completely focused, as if everything around her was open to her and at her disposal.

Saten Yoko, walking at the front, tilted her head in confusion. She felt as if something had been watching her, but it was only for a moment. Was it just a hallucination caused by being too nervous?

Calm down, Yezi.

Gripping the hilt of her sword, adjusting her breathing to prepare for the Thunderclap Flash attack, Saten Yoko passed through the doorway. The entryway was clean, with two pairs of wooden clogs placed below, their size and style suggesting a man's and a woman's.

It's the president and his wife.

Saten Yoko continued forward, her comfortable leather boots leaving a footprint on the clean wooden floor. The crisp sound of her footsteps echoed in the room, making the room seem unusually quiet, eerily so.

The three of them passed through the entryway and continued into the brightly lit living room, which also connected to the semi-open kitchen. The coffee table was set with tea and snacks that had clearly been touched, and the dining table was laden with steaming food and neatly arranged bowls and chopsticks—for three people.

The trio stopped simultaneously. Saten Yoko glanced at the things that blended perfectly with the environment and already had a hunch. The president and his wife were most likely dead, and killed by a demon. Although the magical artifact she used to detect demonic energy was completely unresponsive, her experience as a guerrilla fighter was no joke.

"The fact that they weren't wearing shoes means they didn't go out."

"The tidy room suggests that they didn't even have time to resist."

"These foods prove that we were discovered from the very beginning."

"Only magic can do these things, and only monsters have the will and ability to do so."

"Right? Someone there?"

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Regular clapping sounds came from a corner deep in the hall, and at the same time, a figure with a cat's head appeared.

"Oh, the boss said they were just a few ordinary swordsmen. I didn't expect there to be someone so perceptive, managing to spot me." The cat-headed man spoke words of praise, but his tone was full of contempt and mockery. "Although I deliberately revealed my presence first, you're quite good. Your face also fits my aesthetic standards. I'll eat you first then~"

After a lengthy introduction, the cat-headed woman walked to the center of the living room, the bright candlelight illuminating her entire body. She was about 1.5 meters tall, and her shapely figure indicated her gender. In the candlelight, her slender cat tail and the cat head on her neck were even more clearly visible, and their jet-black color made people feel a little uneasy.

"Cat demon..." Saten Yoko's gaze swept over them intently.

Chapter 257

That long, thin cat tail, there's definitely only one. That means it's not a cat demon.

"What? You like this too?" The cat demon blinked its dark yellow eyes, locking onto Yuan Xueying's face. "Oh, I like your face even more. What should I do... who should I kill first?"

"How about this, you two fight each other, and I'll kill whoever loses first."

As he spoke casually, the cat-headed man bent down and picked up a piece of daifuku from the coffee table, opening his cat mouth. His pink tongue revealed sharp barbs, and he easily tore the daifuku apart.

It's a complete monster.

Saten Yoko lowered her body and assumed the standard stance for Thunder Flash.

Although she hadn't expected to run into a monster here, she had already prepared herself for a fight when she took on this case. Furthermore, her teacher had provided her with a lot of equipment; while she wasn't certain she could kill this cat demon, which was at least elite-level, she could at least stall it until Minamoto Yuki and the others brought reinforcements.

We'll have to trouble the teachers' college again.

The cat demon was still eating daifuku. Seeing Saten Yoko's actions, she was not alert at all, but instead said happily, "That's right, that's right, the one who strikes first is more likely to live longer."

Hearing her say that, an ordinary team would likely suspect their comrades of plotting a sneak attack, and this suspicion would exacerbate the distrust within the team, potentially leading to a vicious cycle and the team falling apart. After all, they were dealing with an elite-level demon, a seasoned demon who appeared to have lived for a very long time and possessed a deep understanding of humans.

A sense of crisis can turn humans into monsters—the cat demon knows this all too well.

The cat demon licked its furry lips and was about to continue its verbal pressure when a thunderclap suddenly sounded in its ear.

Saten Yoko has already swung her katana without hesitation!

Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap Flash!

Seeing Saten Yoko rush out, Minamoto Yuki's eyes narrowed. It wasn't just because she had witnessed Thunder Breathing and was captivated by the exquisite swordsmanship, but also because of Saten Yoko's decisive and courageous strike, seizing the opportune moment.

Keep in mind that both she and Fujiwara Kaguya were behind her, especially since Fujiwara Kaguya was carrying a revolver. If she had any malicious intentions, an ordinary swordsman like her, who didn't even have the willpower to do anything, would have been killed without a second thought.

Not to mention, she was attacking an elite-level monster whose strength far surpassed her own.

Does this kind of person really need someone to help them with their psychological problems? Yuan Xueying felt that she probably couldn't do that herself, if her teammates were all strangers she had only known for less than half a month.

But it doesn't matter now, since Fujiwara Kaguya is one of us, and Saten Yoko is no match for her.

Perfect, let her see where Saten Yoko needs her guidance.

The lightning bolt approached the cat demon's neck. The cute cat face, still covered in daifuku crumbs, showed a look of astonishment. Helpless, the cat demon raised its right hand and waved it from left to right.

clang--

The author says:

Author's Note: Let's get started! Miss Yezi is about to get a power-up ( ) And it's the beginning of the month, please give me some votes~

Chapter 236: I Can't Do Anything

The blade clashed against the cat demon's seemingly frail arm, producing a clanging sound. The ordinary kimono was sliced ​​open by the sharp blade, revealing the fair skin beneath, and faint red marks slowly appeared, causing the cat demon to raise an eyebrow slightly: "Wow~"

Her tone and expression were incredibly irritating; Fujiwara Kaguya had already drawn her gun, but Minamoto Yukisakura held her shoulder. It would be better to let Saten Yoko continue to fuel her emotions now.

Taking advantage of the moment when Saten Yoko and the others were distracted, a soft cat tail lashed out at Saten Yoko's slender waist. The sharp sound of the tail cutting through the air even tore through the thunder, assaulting everyone's ears and instilling fear in them.

In that instant, Fujiwara Kaguya disregarded Minamoto Yuki's signal and raised her revolver, aiming it at the cat demon's head. But before she could pull the trigger, Saten Yoko had already lowered her left hand and drawn the scabbard from her waist.

Flying Sword Style: Draw Sword Slash!

Snap—Bang!

The soft and sensitive cat tail collided heavily with the scabbard. Amidst flying wood chips, the cat tail's lashing trajectory was deflected, grazing Saten Yoko's buttocks and making a loud bang in the air.

No, that sound was Saten Yoko's breathing.

With her right hand gripping the sword, Saten Yoko's beautiful eyes widened, and she roared out wind and thunder from her mouth and nose. Veins bulged on her fair arm as she swung the blade into several streaks of lightning.

Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rice Spirit!

"Varied--"

The cat demon uttered a half-syllable in surprise, completely unexpected that Saten Yoko could wield such a powerful attack while holding a sword with one hand. However, that was all; humans were still too weak.

The cat demon abruptly stopped its second, too-to-time tail whip, raised its hands with sharp claws extended, and actively met the chaotic slashes that ordinary people, and even ordinary demons, could not see clearly.

Then, she grabbed Saten Yoko's blade with her right hand.

"Well!"

The stinging sensation made the cat demon gasp, and bright red liquid flowed down, adding a bewitching red line to the thin blade.

This was somewhat unexpected for her. How could a mere mortal be able to harm her body with such ordinary iron? Come to think of it, this woman's speed and strength were also a bit unusual. Was she a Nen-ryu warrior?

The thought did not affect the cat demon's actions; her left hand had already reached Saten Yoko's heart, and she could even feel its vibrant heartbeat.

She couldn't help but lick her lips, imagining the delicious food that was about to be served—and then, a bright yellow light suddenly shone!

The current abbot of Senso-ji Temple personally crafted a protective ritual implement—the Kannon rosary.

As compensation for the abrupt recall of the students, the head craftsman of Toshogu Shrine provided Harunobu with a batch of folded magical artifacts. Now, every disciple of Aozorakan carries at least one when they go out. Although they are generally useless, and one could even say it's extremely wasteful. After all, street thugs or foreign Yakuza are no match for Aozorakan disciples, so why would they need this level of defense?

But Harunobu was always worried about a monster suddenly appearing out of nowhere, especially with the Tongxin Society as an enemy. And Saten Yoko, who was likely to face a monster, was already heavily armed; otherwise, she wouldn't have been confident she could hold her own against an elite-level monster.

The yellow light emitted by the Guanyin prayer beads not only blocked the cat demon's black cat heart-stealing attack, but also created a huge impact force, causing the cat demon to freeze for a moment. Its left hand was even pushed outward and raised high, completely exposing its vital points.

This is what is known as having the central door wide open.

"Drink ah ah ah!"