Female Swordsman Training Dojo

The kappa I killed before counts as one, but I need at least two every year, so I'm still one short.

It's already mid-November, and Harunobu only has a month and a half left to complete the remaining quota. Otherwise, no matter how skilled he is in swordsmanship or how much money he has, his samurai status will still be revoked by the government.

So when Harunobu heard Tanaka Yu suddenly say there was news of a monster, she was not nervous at all, but rather very happy. She rushed to the gate and, as soon as the gate opened, she couldn't wait to say to Tanaka Yu, "Uncle Tanaka, where is the monster? I'm leaving right now!"

Tanaka Yu looked at Harunobu with some surprise, then waved his hand: "Don't worry, I don't know where that monster is hiding now either, I just came to let you know."

"I see..." Harunobu sighed in disappointment and invited Tanaka Yu into the house. "Thank you, Uncle Tanaka. Would you like some tea?"

"Never mind that, I still have to go on duty." Tanaka Yu declined Harunobu's invitation. He was a man who had also experienced his youth. Harunobu and the disheveled clothes of Hirako behind him were too obvious.

However, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he explained the official intelligence to Harunobu in the simplest possible way: "The monsters initially appeared in unliberated villages outside the town, killing and injuring many people, but..."

Tanaka Yu shook his head, skipping over this part: "In short, judging from the situation at the scene, this monster is probably a 'sword hunter'. As for the specific type, I'm not sure, but it's definitely an ordinary-level monster. Only this kind of monster would be so reckless as to cause such a ruckus in this city."

Harunobu also became cautious upon hearing this. The name "Sword Hunter" was legendary among samurai, even more so than hearing about demons or dragons.

Because "sword hunting" doesn't refer to a specific monster like a kappa or a tsuchigumo, but rather to a general term for monsters that "actively hunt samurai." Just like the original meaning of "sword hunting," it originally referred to the act of "challenging passing samurai and seizing the sword of the defeated."

However, the monster doesn't want the sword, but the flesh and blood of the defeated. It doesn't only attack samurai, but also kills ordinary people.

More importantly, any monster that is called a sword hunter must have a record of killing a samurai.

"How was that determined?"

“The monster was carrying a sword, and the inscription was seen and memorized by the survivors,” Tanaka Yu explained. “It is said to be from the Bizen Osafune.”

Ordinary yokai rarely use weapons, unless they are special, such as sword hunters. Of course, there are also elite-level or higher yokai, but those are not something Seishin can handle.

"I understand, thank you." Harunobu bowed slightly to Tanaka Yu, who nodded. "That's settled then. I'll let you know if there's any more information later. You can also go find it yourself—but safety first. You still have time, so don't rush."

"Yes, I know."

Harunobu controlled his emotions. Of course, he wouldn't rush to his death. Just like Tanaka Yu said, he still had some time. Besides, he didn't know where the sword hunter was yet, so he definitely needed to gather information first.

...Let's go find the kitten tomorrow.

Watching Tanaka Yu's figure disappear down the slope, Harunobu closed the gate and returned to the living area with Hirako. Although the good atmosphere from before had disappeared, the two of them were still in harmony and completed the cooking in tacit agreement.

The next day, Qingxin got up very early. Today was not a day off, so the female college students would definitely not come in the morning. It was a good time to get things done.

Yawning, Harunobu followed the aroma downstairs and, unsurprisingly, saw Hirako taking off her apron and a sumptuous breakfast spread on the table.

"Thank you."

"no!"

Harunobu prepared to eat without ceremony, reaching for the white steamed buns, but was immediately slapped away by Hirako and sent off to wash up.

After a wonderful breakfast, Harunobu set off to find the kitten, watched by Hirako... Hmm?

Qingxin paused for a moment, then remembered something: "Didn't that brat say last time that she was almost out of toiletries... Let's just consider it a souvenir and go buy some more."

Turning into a roadside general store, the small room was crammed full of odds and ends. An old lady with reading glasses on her face glanced at Harunobu at the sound of the wind chimes and asked, "Oh, Director Ping, is it still the same stuff?"

"Yes, are they all kept in the usual place?"

"Yes."

During their familiar conversation, Harunobu had already selected what he wanted: several bars of green soap, supposedly herbal soap, which did indeed have a faint medicinal scent; about ten toothbrushes and matching tooth powder, which smelled minty; an equal number of towels printed with cat heads; and finally, a bag of cheap candy. That was it.

"The price is still the same?"

"Yes, it's still five yen."

Haruno took out his wallet to pay, then took the paper bag from the old lady, packed his things, said goodbye to the old lady, and turned to head to the tram stop.

After a bumpy ride, Harunobu got off the train in Yoshiwara. Instead of going to the Kazemonya, he turned into an abandoned two-story building with practiced ease—this was the cat's house, her real lair.

Although the room provided by the Wind and Rumor House was nice, it was still someone else's territory, and it wasn't safe or relaxing enough for the cat, especially when she needed to discuss business with Harunobu. So when Harunobu came over again to ask for information, the cat, who had been prepared to be forgotten, was speechless.

Finally, I told him about this place.

then……

"Brother Qingxin is here!"

"Brother Qingxin~ What's good to eat today?"

"Brother Qingxin, please take me as your disciple! My breasts are bigger than Sister Cat's!"

As Harunobu entered the room on the first floor, the boy in charge of guarding the door raised his voice, startling everyone in the room. The children, who were eating breakfast, unusually put down their bowls and rushed towards Harunobu.

Because Harunobu always brings gifts when he comes over, and he doesn't discriminate at all, he has become a big star in the cat house. He has even managed to get the "kittens," who are no more than twelve or thirteen years old, to call him "brother."

"I bought candy today." With a sweet, childlike voice and sparkling starry eyes, Harunobu took out the candy and began distributing it. "And new soap and towels... Oh, little kitty."

The kitten came down from the second floor. Even in the cat house, she still covered her pretty face completely. As soon as she appeared, the children who had been circling around Qingxin immediately stopped and made way for her.

"You're going to spoil them rotten," the kitten sighed. "If they're washed too clean, they won't get any food."

The cats in the cat house usually have legitimate jobs, such as begging, picking up trash, or hauling waste. Eta can only do these kinds of jobs, and the wages are quite low. That's why they work part-time as information brokers. Being too clean would seriously interfere with their efficiency in gathering information on the side.

Because that would be too unusual.

"Then you can just get it dirty when you go out to work." Qingxin handed the paper bag to the kitten. "It's more comfortable to be clean at home, and it can also prevent illness."

The kitten rolled her eyes. She was getting more and more casual with Qingxin these days: "Come on up—you guys, hurry up and eat."

"Yes~" the children drawled, "Sister Kitten, you must treat Brother Qingxin well~!"

The kitten's eyebrows shot up, and the children scattered immediately. Qingxin grabbed the kitten's shoulder and said, "Alright, alright, let's get down to business."

The kitten glared angrily at the brat who had said her breasts were bigger than hers, and went upstairs with Qingxin.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Sword Hunt?

On the second floor, tatami mats of various colors and neatly stacked quilts, blankets, and even fabrics covered with patches were the children's sleeping areas. Except for the female group leader, Xiao Mao, who had a separate room, all the children slept directly here. Only in this way could they maintain a sufficient body temperature in this season that was gradually turning into winter.

"I'm serious, you spoil them too much. They're not as cute as they seem right now. In fact, no one likes even the cutest creature if it smells like poop." The kitten sat down cross-legged and scratched her little belly.

Qingxin sat down opposite her and said, "I know you're not cute at all, you money-grubbing brat, but doesn't this solidify your position as the female team leader? Besides, they're all just kids."

The kitten pursed its lips, too lazy to persuade this rich fool anymore... Let's recalculate the allocation later and see if we can save some more.

While other thoughts were swirling in her mind, the kitten got down to business: "So, what's the important matter? A monster?"

“That’s right, haven’t you received the news yet? A sword hunter has appeared…” Harunobu recounted the intelligence provided by Tanaka Yu with some surprise, and Kyoko gradually became serious as she listened.

"This is the first time it's happened in an unliberated tribe?" The kitten rubbed her little belly. "I've never heard of such a thing before, unless it's in another area."

"No, it's in Asakusa, in Higashi-Asakusa, that's what the police said."

"Tsk..." The kitten made a loud clicking sound. "I know, I'll go check with them. I won't charge you this time, or rather, I'll pay you an information fee—but I won't pay, you know. I'm a greedy little brat."

"Yes, yes." Harunobu tossed a candy over. "Also, even if you confirm it, don't follow them. This is a sword hunt, not an ordinary yokai. You just need to confirm their general area of ​​activity. Safety first."

"I know, you're such a kind soul." The kitten popped the candy into her mouth, and the sweet taste spread instantly, making her squint her eyes happily.

flaw!

Haruno reached out and placed his hand on the kitten's fluffy fur, skillfully rubbing it. For the sake of the candy and the big business, the kitten resisted.

That's right, it's just to give this perverted samurai face...

"Ah! Little Cat Sister is so cunning—"

"She actually used her hair to seduce Qingxin-gege! No wonder she's the team leader!"

"Brother Qingxin, my hair feels so much better now~"

The kitten suddenly opened its eyes and glared at the little ones by the door: "Sakura! Shutaro! Twins! Did you meet your targets for today!?"

"Wow! Little Cat Sister is going to kill someone!"

The three "cadres" who were second only to the kitten in the cat house fled at the mere sight of him, while Harunobu continued to rub the kitten's head with a serious expression: "As expected of the team leader, you are truly majestic."

The kitten slapped away Qingxin's clutches: "When are you going to stop touching me?!"

Harunobu regretfully withdrew his hand: "Really, touching it won't hurt me... Oh well, I'll go patrol the streets too, maybe I'll run into him."

"Yeah, I've gone to assign tasks to those little bastards... I'll send the results to your gym if I get any."

"Please, team leader~"

Qingxin went downstairs and used his strong willpower to break free from Qingxin-gege's spell, and began his patrol. A few minutes later, the cat houses also poured out. These kittens, who had just been sweetly calling Qingxin-gege, showed humble and ingratiating expressions and quietly blended into the street corners and alleys to begin their day's work.

Time flew by, and a week passed quickly.

As Harunobu walked down the street, the faint night light was swallowed up by the lights of Yoshiwara in the distance. The sounds of waves and laughter carried by the night wind had become indistinguishable fragmented noises by the time they reached Harunobu's ears, which made him somewhat irritated.

A week has passed, and even the disciples of the Hosho Dojo haven't come to the Aozora Dojo to deliver their heads for several days, but Harunobu still hasn't found any trace of the sword hunter. Neither the police nor the cats have found any bodies that are probably the victims of the sword hunter during this week, but they still haven't been able to find any trace of it.

"But it should be soon."

Harunobu thought that the scope had at least narrowed down from the entire Asakusa area to the vicinity of Yoshiwara—the suspected new victims all died near Yoshiwara—but Yoshiwara was clearly located in Shitaya Ward.

Walking forward under the moonlight, Harunobu planned to end his patrol for the day. However, since he was already near Yoshiwara, he decided to check on Neko and the others and exchange information.

Leaning on his sword, he strolled leisurely toward the real cat house, but as he got closer, Harunobu suddenly paused. Why was there the sound of swords clashing in the silent night?

Could it be a sword hunt?

The source is...from the cat house area?

A bad feeling rose in Qingxin's heart, and he immediately used all his strength to activate Thunder Breathing. With a loud breathing sound, he shot towards the location of the cat house. When he arrived at the location where he could see the cat house, the scene that came into view made his alarm bells go off.

A figure stood in front of the cat house, clad in ancient armor that looked as if it had been unearthed from a battlefield in the Warring States period. Blood dripped from the katana in his hand, soaking the thin figure lying at his feet. In front of him, an angry kitten held a sharpened iron rod, aiming it at his face.

Seeing this, Harunobu launched an attack without hesitation.

"Super speed!"

Thunder rumbled in the dark sky. Harunobu swiftly covered the remaining distance in a straight line, his katana piercing the target's neck. Bright red blood spurted into the air, knocking the head, which had been pinned down by the oversized helmet, to the side. The tall figure swayed and fell to the ground.

Qingxin was stunned. He had prepared for a tough battle and even used the powerful move of Divine Speed, which would hurt himself before he could attack, but the enemy had fallen.

And judging by the feel, this guy's armor isn't iron at all, it's wood!

His physical strength doesn't seem like that of a yokai; he's even weaker than a kappa... Is this guy not a sword hunter?

Why did he run out dressed like that? And why did he attack the cat house?

Covered in blood, Harunobu pondered these questions, but he quickly put them aside and rushed to the twins' side, who lay in a pool of blood, with the kitten. The large loli who always belittled the kitten and teased him in a clumsy way had her eyes half-closed, her face pale, her tattered clothes soaked in blood, and a hideous wound that stretched from the left side of her neck to her chest.

"Hey! Twins! Don't sleep! This is the team leader's order!" The cat's iron rod had been thrown away somewhere, and his empty hands were stained red with blood. His attempts to stop the bleeding were still in vain. "You haven't seduced this perverted samurai yet!"

"Haha... Team leader..." Gemini's eyes trembled slightly, as if she wanted to open them but lacked the strength, and in the end she gave up.

"Please don't make things difficult for me, team leader..."

The faint sound was swallowed by the deafening thunder, and the dark night sky shed soft tears. Harunobu's voice pierced through the rain: "Little cat, how do I get to the nearest shrine?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Highly Effective Spells

In the pitch-black night, the rain poured down, and pedestrians who were out at night hurriedly took shelter in various places. Merchants in Yoshiwara were all smiles, and even the incessant thunder did not seem annoying.

But isn't the thunder getting closer?

After listening intently for a moment, the curious city dweller curled his lip: It really was just an illusion.

Turning around, they retreated back into the warmth of their beds or into a seductive embrace, unnoticed by the strange figure speeding through the night.

—The figure of Harunobu, carrying twins in his arms and a kitten on his back, swiftly cutting through the rain.

Fortunately, Yoshiwara is one of the top three most popular tourist areas in Tokyo, and there are many shrines nearby. With the help of the local guide, Harunobu arrived at his destination—the Yoshiwara branch of Amaterasu no Mikoto—in just a few minutes.

Unlike ordinary people, the priests and shrine maidens in the shrine sensed Harunobu's arrival as he stormed into the torii gate and stepped onto the stone steps, and released his messengers—or shikigami.

Then they saw the twins, barely alive, in Harunobu's arms, and immediately understood and made preparations.

When Harunobu rushed past the shrine and saw the shrine maiden coming out, the shrine maiden, who was already prepared, released a healing spell without waiting for Harunobu to speak.

Visibly, the twins' wounds stopped bleeding and even showed signs of healing—this witch is incredibly strong to be able to cast a spell of this level so easily.

Harunobu breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to express his gratitude. However, with the ringing of a bell, more priests and shrine maidens emerged from various places in an orderly fashion. With the sound of the Kagura bell and the waving of the gohei, they approached with peculiar steps, as if they were performing a collective dance.

The torrential rain couldn't stop them; their soaked costumes only added to the allure of their dance—especially those of the shapely shrine maidens.

This unusual situation aroused Harunobu's vigilance. Although magic is wonderful, it is not widespread. In addition to being difficult to learn and master, it also has the problem of consumption. No spellcaster would abuse magic power. And he hadn't even asked for help yet. It's impossible that everyone in this shrine is a benevolent person.

But he soon noticed the changes in the twins in his arms. As the priests and priestesses approached, the twins' wounds were healing rapidly, and even their pale faces regained some color.

Inari Shrine doesn't do that.