Female Swordsman Training Dojo

That is--

The pungent, fishy stench that made the magical artifacts used by Qingxin and his group to detect demonic energy on their bodies vibrate incessantly announced the identity of the newcomer.

What are firearms?

Monsters are the most profitable commodities!

boom!

The author says:

Author's Note: Third update complete! Please vote! It's probably better to release this all at once for better pacing, right? But now my draft progress is back to zero. Maybe I can add some more over the weekend~

Chapter 258: A Bystander's Perspective

Tsuruhara Shigeshige, 24 years old, is a samurai. Originally from Kyoto, he has taken over from his father, running the family's Tsuruhara Dojo and teaching the family's Tsuruhara Ittō-ryū style. However, he is not content with being just a small dojo owner, living off a dozen or so students who come and go. So, when news of the Tianlan Tournament reached Kyoto, he immediately signed up for the preliminary rounds in his hometown.

Right now, he's strolling around the streets of Tokyo.

To be precise, it was just wandering around outside Yoshiwara.

Because he didn't want to accept his father's arrangements when he was young, and was too busy after taking over as the head of the pleasure quarters, Tsuruhara Shigeshige was still single at the age of twenty-four. So after coming to Tokyo, he wanted to see just how good Yoshiwara, which was known as the best pleasure quarters in the world, really was.

However, once he reached the entrance of Yoshiwara, he hesitated to go in. He felt it was a waste to spend his first time on a courtesan, and with Tokyo's high cost of living, he probably wouldn't have enough money to find the best...

Just as he hesitated, a sudden burst of gunfire rang in his ears. He immediately became alert and looked sharply towards the source of the gunfire. After a moment's hesitation, he still gripped his knife and quickly rushed over.

Regardless, he was a samurai, and as a samurai, he should resist tyranny and be brave and fearless! Especially as the current head of the Tsuruhara family, he must not forget the family motto of "compassion in life and death"!

He unleashed the secret visualization technique of the Tsuruhara Itto-ryu style, and the martial god, the God of Growth, which he had been visualizing for fifteen years, was empowered by him, greatly enhancing his various physical attributes, including speed and his five senses.

So when he approached the black market where the gunfire had stopped, his nose quickly caught a whiff of something like beef pressed in an iron box and then simmered with horse urine.

He was very familiar with this smell, because it was the smell of the most powerful enemy he had ever encountered, the one who had almost killed him—it was the smell of the Fire Bull Monster!

Of course, this couldn't be the fire bull, because it had already died in Kyoto, its heart pierced by his own hand.

But there must be a fire bull monster here too!

In this bustling city center, in the heart of this country!

A heavy sense of mission rose in Tsuruhara Shigeshige's heart. Even though he had once killed a fire bull, he couldn't say he was absolutely certain of victory against this thick-skinned, fiery monster. But now there was no time to hesitate!

Based on his experience in Kyoto, it usually takes at least an hour from when a yokai appears until a samurai arrives. During that time, the yokai are completely free. He once spent an hour and a half getting to the scene of the fire bull's attack, and the hellish scene he witnessed is still unforgettable.

And that was just in a remote neighborhood in Kyoto, not in a bustling city center like this.

So now he has no choice but to go!

With the resolve to risk his life, Tsuruhara Shigeshige turned the last corner and arrived at the entrance of the alley. Before him lay a bloody scene. He didn't know why these people had knife wounds instead of being burned to a crisp, but he was certain it was the work of a yokai!

He looked up at the area where the demonic energy was most concentrated and clearly saw the fire bull galloping through the alley. It was slightly thinner than the one he had killed before, but the flames rising from its body were even more intense and furious.

Three women stood in the path of the charging fire bull. They looked completely terrified, standing there dumbfounded, some even raising their knives in a daze.

It probably got there from somewhere, since it looks like they've already defended this place against that fire bull, and the gunshots earlier were probably because of that. However, human strength can't compare to that of a yokai, let alone a fire bull, which is considered quite strong even among yokai.

There's no other way but to try inducing it—

Fujiwara Shigeshige drew his katana, raised it above his head, and charged towards the fire bull in a perfectly executed high stance. A faint phantom of a blue-faced giant god appeared behind him, making him even more focused and his breathing even more steady.

Just as he rushed through the middle of the alley, his momentum reaching its peak, he suddenly saw the tallest of the three women in front of him turn his head and look at him.

In an instant, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Because of that cold, indifferent gaze tinged with displeasure. It was like the perpetually unmelting icebergs of Hokkaido, or the deity atop Mount Fuji; the slightest hint of hostility was enough to make him instinctively draw his sword.

With just one look, he was so frightened that he assumed a defensive stance, even though he was already in peak condition.

No, he's just too nervous. How could a woman be that strong? Even if she were a mage, she couldn't possibly defeat him with a single glance. It must be that the fire bull has triggered some kind of psychological trauma in him. That's right, that's it.

Tsuruhara Shigeshige thought to himself, the moment just now was simply too bizarre, beyond his comprehension. But no matter how many excuses he tried to find in his mind, he still didn't dare to go any further.

Go any further and you will die.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to revert to his previous stance.

The fire bull is already approaching.

The bull's horns, burning with raging flames and sharper than swords and spears, were pointed directly at the woman standing at the front—the same woman who had glared at him earlier. Yes, the woman who glared at him in his hallucination.

The woman seemed not to have reacted yet; her head hadn't even fully turned back. Tsuruhara Shigeshige could already imagine the horrific scene of the woman being smashed through the chest by the fiery bull and sent flying...

The booming thunder interrupted Tsuruhara

Chapter 281

Mao Zhong nervously imagined what was going on, staring blankly at the source of the sound.

Then he saw Hirako lower her body, her cascading black hair being blown about by the strong wind brought up by the fire ox, like shooting stars streaking across the tip of the flames.

Then, the blade flashed.

After the thunder, came the final destruction brought down by the Thunder God.

Haruyuki, who had been sheathed at some unknown time, angrily burst out from a scabbard made of the same material, with four layers of light—red, blue, cyan, and yellow—illuminating one after another, eventually transforming into a silver-white light that pierced through the blood-red.

Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Fire and Thunder God!

The enormous, flaming bull's head, almost the size of Hirako herself, crashed to the ground. Its sharp horns futilely cut through the air, failing to even touch Hirako's shirt.

Tsuruhara Shigeshige stretched his neck, his mouth agape wide enough to fit his entire fist. His eyes were filled with bewilderment and confusion.

What happened? What just happened?

What about me, a huge fire bull monster? Wasn't I just charging aggressively towards this place?

Oh, found it.

No, how did you die?

Shigeshige Tsuruhara looked at the headless fire bull, then at the family heirloom sword in his hand, and felt like he might be dreaming.

It's all fake, fake! Tsuruhara Shigeshige, they're all lying to you! How could anyone possibly behead a monster like the Fire Bull? Even a knife isn't that big! This must be a dream!

The author says:

Author's Note: Most disciples still don't have the strength of Hirayukiko. If we disregard physical attributes, Hirayukiko is even stronger than Harunobu, after all, Susanoo-no-Mikoto (?。＿。｀)

Chapter 259: The Terrifying Tokyoites

Nobody cares about Shigeshige Tsuruhara.

The kitten sheathed its paws and complained coquettishly, "Sister Xing, didn't we agree that everyone would take one knife? Doesn't this mean you get all the credit again?"

"I didn't expect this child to be so sharp. I accidentally used too much force." Hirayukiko smiled as she finished the Blood Vibration, her left hand lightly touching the blade of Haruyukimaru, her smile becoming even gentler.

However, given her current appearance, half of her body was covered in blood, making that gentle smile seem somewhat terrifying. After all, such a large bull had been beheaded, and the blood splattering from its neck had directly stained the entire alley. She was also in the recovery phase after her attack, and didn't even have time to dodge.

"Hmm..." The kitten pursed its lips, looking thoughtful, and then said something strange, "So, if that's the case, does that mean you've broken your spell, Sister Xing?"

She was referring to Hirako's behavior of avoiding the enemy's blood even during battle in order to accommodate Harunobu's excessive possessiveness.

Hirako maintained her smile and reached out to tap the kitten's forehead: "Unfortunately, I already checked before I made the cut; this is a cow."

"..." The kitten shook its head. "I thought I could fool you, Sister Xing. Honestly, who's the one who's in it, you or me..."

She wanted to say "the eye of observation," but then remembered there were other people behind her, so she skipped it, since Hirako and the others would understand anyway.

Hirako smiled slightly, her gaze shifting to Harunobu on the other side. Meanwhile, Hosho Amu tapped the still-talking cat's head twice, gesturing towards the depths of the alley: "Isn't there still credit to be earned there?"

Those smugglers and black market dealers who released the fire oxen are still alive and kicking.

However, they were clearly not stupid. After Fire Bull left, they closed the door to the secret warehouse and escape passage. It was a heavy door made entirely of heavy stone slabs, which could only be opened and closed by a mechanism. Unless they used explosives, there was absolutely no way to open it.

But these lunatics were lightly armed and certainly didn't have any explosives. Although they might have some in the shops outside, searching and gathering them would take time, and they would have already escaped.

That's right, don't be afraid, run!

Hidden in the secret room, the dozen or so black market merchants decisively picked up their weapons and light packs, preparing to flee. Although each of them had a terrifying reputation for stopping children from crying at night, and each had taken at least a few hundred lives, they had no intention of resisting the monsters outside.

However, even if they wanted to run, it was too late.

A pebble struck the stone gate first. The kitten, retracting its short legs, proudly commanded, "That's it—"

Before she could finish speaking, Amu Hojo, who had already been gathering her strength, had already precisely thrust her dream message into the spot where the pebble would land. That spot was precisely where the greatest weakness and biggest flaw of the large stone slab of the stone gate lay.

No Outflow - Secret Technique - Fang Thrust! + Thunder Breathing!

The resilient and broad blade of the Dream Transmission pierced the stone slab with unwavering determination, and along with it, Hojo Amu's full-force impact and immense power poured into the slab.

So, just like the previous concrete bunker, this large stone slab was shattered.

The flying rubble knocked down and injured several black market merchants who were stunned by the scene. They didn't come to their senses until the thick smell of blood outside was blown in by the hot wind.

However, some react quickly, while others react slowly.

So, some people just knelt on the ground, while others never had to get up again.

Don't get me wrong, he just had his leg cut off.

After all, black market merchants who can smuggle monsters must know something. Speaking of which, when Shihan agreed to become a Gokenin (a member of the Gokenin clan), wasn't he told that he could buy monsters through smuggling to kill them?

And still...

Hojo Amu wiped the blood off her knife and looked at the kitten staring at her with a puzzled expression. The kitten pouted and reminded her, "Your father wouldn't be in contact with them, would he?"

"Probably not, but it doesn't matter if it does," Amu Hosho said casually. "He even helped provide information when we were cleaning up the black market that he was involved with."

"As expected of him."

As the kitten spoke, it turned and jumped into Qingxin's arms, flashing a big smile: "Teacher~"

"Yes, yes. I'll reward you when we get back." Qingxin patted her head, then familiarly rubbed her cat ears and face. "You're covered in blood and you still jumped on me, really..."

"Anyway, it's not like I'm the one washing it~" the kitten said smugly, even going so far as to rub against Qingxin's chest. As it rubbed against him, its face gradually turned red, revealing a lazy expression as cute as a real cat.

It looked as if it had just absorbed a large amount of Polygonum hydropiper.

Harunobu helplessly poked the girl's little belly, stopping her from bothering him. Then he hugged Hojo Amu with one arm, their foreheads gently touching, the warm atmosphere softening the earlier killing and warming their breaths.

"Cough cough cough..." Shiranui Ran coughed lightly, ignoring the air around her, interrupting the escalating tension. Although she hadn't originally planned to do anything, Harunobu, having released Hosho Amu, still cast a disgruntled glance at the fox-girl.

Shiranui Ran remained indifferent, and was even secretly pleased—let you show off your love all the time.

Of course, on the surface, he remained solemn and righteous: "There are outsiders here, you should all restrain yourselves."

So Harunobu and the other three quietly looked at Shiranui Ran, while Shiranui Ran and Tsuchimikado Haru, whose head was being pressed down by her, looked at Tsuruhara Shigeshige, who was standing blankly outside the door.

Seeing that the fox was unmoved by reason, Qingxin and the other three also shifted their attention.

Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Tsuruhara Shigeshige chuckled awkwardly and sheathed his sword, saying, "I just came to help."

“Yes, thank you.” Harunobu nodded politely. “However, as you can see, we don’t need any help, so…”

Tsuruhara Shigeshige understood Harunobu's meaning perfectly well, but looking at the pitiful people behind Harunobu, he couldn't help but say, "Well, although I don't know what they did wrong, vigilante justice is illegal."

Harunobu raised his eyebrows and then looked at the Royal Guard's ninja, the Special Operations Chief of the Special Higher Police, Lord Fire Demon of Shiranui.

Enter Lord Fire Demon

Chapter 282

He swiftly and skillfully pulled Harunobu's police notebook from his pocket. Harunobu, who was holding a kitten in his left arm and Amu Hosho in his right, was caught off guard.

Then, Miss Fox unfolded the police notebook towards Tsuruhara Shigeshige and said in a serious tone, "These people are suspected of serious crimes such as colluding with monsters, smuggling weapons, and treason. Please do not obstruct Section Chief Taira Harunobu from performing his duties!"

Shigeshige Tsuruhara swallowed hard. Even people from Kyoto knew about the infamous Special Higher Police (THD)... he meant, the notorious organization.

With his enhanced eyesight, he could easily see the police notebook that Shiranui Ran pulled out. It seemed to be genuine?

And the fire bull's carcass was still lying in the alley. He was so terrified he couldn't even think of something so simple.

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake." Tsuruhara Shigeshige immediately bowed his head and admitted his mistake, while Harunobu glanced at the fox lady who was "borrowing Haruno's power" and took back his documents.

"What is your name?" Qingxin asked calmly. "What happens here is a secret, please keep it confidential."

“My name is Tsuruhara Shigeshige, and I’m here to participate in the Tenran Trial. I’m from Kyoto, and this year…” Tsuruhara Shigeshige immediately spilled all his information like beans from a bamboo tube.

After all, he's a policeman, a samurai, and he kills monsters—how could he possibly be a bad guy?

However, this section chief doesn't seem very strong. And those ladies who just killed the monster, are they from some powerful family? The Taira clan... Where is there another powerful family like the Taira clan?