Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Harunobu watched the priests and shrine maidens, who were increasingly resembling dancers, with a sense of awe and wonder, wondering if all the priests of Amaterasu no Mikoto were really such kind and benevolent people.

He hasn't even said what he's here for yet!

However, he soon understood why.

"This is 365 yen, 43.6 sen. Since you are a samurai, I can round it down for you."

The first person to appear in Harunobu's sight was the shrine maiden who had used magic to save the twins' lives. She reached out her hand to Harunobu. In the pouring rain, she was the only one who remained completely dry, as if the rain had completely bypassed her.

Harunobu understood now. So this was a way to generate revenue, not to help a philanthropist but to help a businessman. He was asking for the money that Hirako could save up in two years without eating or drinking!

But compared to a life, this amount of money is nothing.

"I don't have that much on me right now, can you send it over later?" Qingxin wasn't a big spender; she only carried the necessary amount of money, like the reward for the kitten, and at most a little extra cash for backup.

The shrine maiden nodded and readily withdrew her hand: "Then let's go inside and rest for a bit. This will be included in the treatment fee."

So, if you don't pay for treatment, you even have to pay to rest at the shrine? Is this the shrine of Ame-no-Mikoto or the shrine of Ebisu?

Harunoshiki complained inwardly as she pulled the kitten along and followed the shrine maiden into the worship hall. Before she could even observe what was inside, several paper figures brought out towels and clean clothes. As soon as Harunoshiki reached out to take them, the shrine maiden in front of her said without turning her head, "Towels are ten sen, clothes are one yen. Thank you for your patronage."

walk slowly.

Harunobu tossed the towel onto the kitten's head, and while the money-grubber's eyes were covered, he grabbed two sets of clothes: "By the way, how about giving me a mask? And this kid shouldn't be charged extra, right?"

The shrine maiden, who was carrying a cup of hot tea, nodded: "Okay, and this will also be included in the treatment fee."

While drying her hair, Harunobu picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip: "My lady, is this really not the shrine of Ebisu?"

“No.” The priestess knelt down, placing the tray at her feet. “Should I change the child’s clothes?”

"I'll take care of it," the kitten immediately said. Now that the twins were safe, her greedy nature immediately took over, fearing that the witch in front of her would try to extort money from her again.

The shrine maiden nodded indifferently, and immediately paper figures came over to lead the way for Harunobu and the others. One of them even brought over a whiteboard mask.

A dozen minutes later, Harunobu, dressed in a classic "water-drying" outfit, and Kitten, wearing a shrine maiden outfit and a white mask, returned to the shrine maiden.

The twins, also dressed in shrine maiden outfits, lay in Harunobu's arms—there was no way around it; a kitten just wasn't suited to holding twins who were about the same age as her.

"My lady, when will this child wake up?"

"This child was attacked by a monster, and her injuries are too severe. Although she has been treated with magic, her spirit still needs to recover. It would be best if she stayed here a while longer; the shrine's pure energy can help her recover." The shrine maiden's explanation was somewhat cryptic, but the general meaning was easy to understand: the problem wasn't serious, but the exertion was too great, and she needed to rest more.

"That's good..." The kitten breathed a sigh of relief, then casually added, "Anyway, the rain has stopped. Why don't you go back first, Samurai? I'll take care of the twins."

However, Qingxin refused without hesitation: "No, I'll stay here. You still need to take care of things back home."

Suddenly attacked by a being suspected to be a monster, and even "sacrificing" a companion, even if Harunobu later dealt with the creature, the shock of such a terrible event would probably frighten the little ones. After all, they were just a group of children who made a living by gossiping on the streets, not the truly vicious Yakuza.

Now, as the group leader, the cat should go back to reassure everyone and report the good news. Moreover, Harunobu isn't sure what these "spellcaster" masters think of Eta, so leaving the cat and the twins here is a bit dangerous.

Finally, the body of the murderer disguised as a monster was still lying outside the cat house. Fortunately, the area was deserted to begin with, and with the recent downpour, any trace of it had probably been washed away.

Through eye contact, the kitten understood what Haruno meant. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll pay for the treatment..."

“No, this is workers’ compensation.” Harunobu interrupted the kitten. “If it weren’t for me entrusting you with this, how could this child have been injured by the sword hunter?”

The kitten paused slightly for a moment, then quickly understood what Harunosuki meant; the entire trip was so short that it was impossible to tell.

"I understand, sir."

The kitten stood up and left the shrine.

Chapter 40: The Demon Blade

Gentle sunlight streamed through the wooden windowpanes, falling on the thick bedding and slowly creeping up the smooth, rosy little face above. Harunobu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, was awakened by the corner of his eye. He looked down at the unfortunate little guy, who had just opened his eyes and was staring blankly at Harunobu, as if he were still trapped in a dream and had not yet woken up.

"Qingxin...brother?"

A somewhat dry voice sounded intermittently, and the unfocused eyes slowly brightened, the tone filled with disbelief.

"Yes, your beloved Harunobu-nii~" Harunobu rubbed the twins' heads, and the hair that the shrine maiden had neatly combed was instantly turned into a bird's nest by him, attracting the indifferent gaze of the shrine maiden who had also been watching over them all night.

Harunobu withdrew his hand sheepishly: "My lady, she should be alright now, right?"

The shrine maiden placed her hand between the twins' eyes, and a shimmering light appeared for a few seconds. Then she nodded and said, "They're alright now. Please send the remaining treatment fee within two days, Director Ping."

After saying this, the kneeling priestess stood up and left the room.

It wasn't until the shrine maiden left that Harunobu belatedly realized, "What was that shrine maiden's name again?"

"Forget it, it's not important."

Then, Haruno reached out her devilish claws towards the twins, pinching the brat's face: "Remember not to get close to strangers next time you see them. Kitten should have taught you that, right?"

Gemini let Haruno pinch her cheeks and obediently nodded. Although she was suddenly attacked and had no time to escape, this was not the time to voice her dissenting opinions.

On the contrary, she enjoyed Harunobu's attitude at this moment. It was a kind of care she had never received in her thirteen years as an orphan... Although the cat leader also took care of everyone, she looked similar to everyone else and her personality was not that type, so she really couldn't provide this kind of feeling.

Unfortunately, Harunobu had no intention of tormenting the patient. Although the patient had fully recovered, he quickly withdrew his claws. The twins sighed regretfully, "Um, Harunobu-nii, where's the team leader?"

"I've gone home. The other little ones need someone to look after them too." Qingxin crossed her arms. "What about you? Is there anything else?"

"No." The twins looked at Harunobu's completely genuine expression, pursed their lips, and said, "Um... Harunobu-nii, there's something I want to tell you?"

"Hmm? What is it? If it's just nonsense, then forget it. I'm not interested in a little girl like you, and the kitten isn't here either."

The twins shook their heads, instinctively shrinking deeper into the covers, leaving only their eyes showing: "Actually, actually we were..."

"Ah, this." Harunobu shrugged, interrupting the twins, "You guys are all pretending to like me a lot just to trick me into bringing you more things, right?"

"Huh?" The twins were completely stunned.

"The kitten told me the first time, but I was going to bring those things to the kitten anyway. Bringing some for you won't cost much, and it'll let you put on a show for me. I think it's a good deal."

"Eh?!"

"Especially you and Sakurako, you're so cute. And Shutaro too. That guy actually hates me, this samurai, but he always pretends to like me. It's really funny."

"..." The twins' eyes were dead.

But my heart was filled with warmth.

Eta, who specializes in gathering intelligence, wouldn't be fooled by such a simple lie... Besides, even if Harunobu was telling the truth, he had paid real money, only to receive empty words in return. It's hardly a fair deal.

Just as the team leader said, although he's a weirdo, he's a good person, and not the kind of stupid, clueless pushover.

Recalling the flash of lightning she saw while lying in a pool of blood, and the head that had been lifted up by a fountain of blood, the twins looked at Harunobu and mustered their courage to ask, "Brother Harunobu, can I be your disciple?"

“Of course,” Harunobu readily agreed. “The tuition is ten yen a month.”

Upon hearing the second half of Harunobu's reply, Gemini outwardly appeared unhappy, but inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She was so foolish to almost repay kindness with enmity. If people found out that her brother Qingxin had taken in an eccentric like her as a disciple, the reputation of Qingkongguan, which was already being criticized by mainstream society, would probably plummet even further.

This is not okay.

Gemini, cheer up!

"But if you can convince the kitten to become my apprentice, I can waive your tuition fees."

As soon as Qingxin said those words, Gemini, who had just mentally prepared herself, was speechless again, and even a little heartbroken—Little cat, is the team leader really that good?

She's not even as tall as me, and her breasts aren't as big as mine either!

Brother Qingxin, don't you like big breasts?

Harunobu was completely unaware of the twins' change... or rather, he noticed the twins' mournful gaze, but having been looked at like that by them so often, he figured it was just the girl pulling that act again.

"Alright, since everything's alright, let's go back first. That little cat didn't even send someone to report." Qingxin picked up the twins from under the covers and held them in her arms. The warmth of the blankets instantly shattered the little one's eloquent words, leaving her clinging tightly to Qingxin's chest to avoid having her blushing face seen.

However, her rosy ears still caught Harunobu's eye, but since the perverted samurai hadn't gone so far as to lay a hand on the little girl, he couldn't say anything.

The two left the shrine in silence and returned to the cat house a few blocks away.

The cat house was quiet, with no one in sight except for a few gazes coming from inside. As Harunobu approached, the door opened, and Shutaro looked at Harunobu with a complicated expression before silently making way for him.

Where's the kitten?

"The team leader is upstairs, as is the body," Shutaro replied, his eyes fixed on the twins in Harunobu's arms, his expression growing increasingly complicated.

Harunobu put the twins down, patted their heads, and went upstairs.

Ignoring the commotion downstairs, Harunobu found the kitten, who pointed to something in front of him. Harunobu looked in that direction and then silently sat down as well.

He saw a head, a head he had personally severed, and a head that he remembered very well—Arima Ichiro's head.

He was the leader of the disciples from the Baosheng Dojo who came to challenge the Qingkong Dojo for the first time. Although he was only a middle-level disciple who had received the certificate of no outside transmission, he was actually close to the advanced level.

But this guy hasn't come back since he was humiliated by Harunobu the first time. Now it seems, has he been secretly doing this kind of "human-slaying" thing all along? Actually, there's no sword hunting, he's just causing trouble?

"And this...this is a demon sword."

The kitten pushed an unsheathed katana in front of Harunobu, who first looked at the inscription on the blade: Spider Cutter.

Of course, this wouldn't be the legendary sword that Minamoto no Yorimitsu used to slay the Tsuchigumo, but it was most likely a real cursed sword, Harunobu's intuition warned him.

“Sakura picked it up while cleaning up the scene. She said that when she was holding it, it felt like something was talking to her.” Kitten looked at the katana with some apprehension. “And when I asked her to hand it over, she actually tried to resist me. Luckily, that girl is timid enough.”

Harunobu thought for a moment, then reached out and grasped the handle of the spider-cutting knife.

With a bang, it was as if a fire suddenly exploded in his mind, and his nose was filled with the smell of blood. An impulse to kill surged into his heart.

"That's right, that's it! Go and kill! Go and destroy! Pay homage to me with your blood! I will grant you invincible power—"

A seductive voice whispered softly, seeping into Harunobu's subconscious under the guise of bloodlust, and then his subconscious responded: "1111, can you give me the Breath of the Sun, brother?"

"???"

Chapter 41: Kitten Get? Daze!

Before the remaining demonic soul inside the spider blade could speak again, Harunobu loosened his grip on the hilt, closed his eyes, and regulated his agitated state. It must be said that this demonic sword was indeed capable of arousing desire and bewitching people's hearts. Unfortunately, its fighting style relied too heavily on the old path. It claimed to provide invincible power, but it couldn't even produce the Breath of the Sun. It was truly trash, not even as good as a system sword.

Meeting the kitten's concerned gaze, Qingxin revealed a smug smile: "Don't worry, I'm fine. This level of temptation can't tempt me."

"So, it really is a demon sword?" The kitten changed the subject, neither admitting that she cared about Qingxin nor denying it.

Harunobu was used to the brat's arrogance and picked up the conversation: "Yes, and it looks like a new sword. The remnant soul inside is quite spirited. Also, its body is very new. The inscription only has the name, not the swordsmith's name, and there's no record of its manufacture. It's definitely an illegal product..."

Harunobu launched into a long-winded explanation of the knowledge about demon swords. As a samurai and a swordsman, he had always wanted a powerful demon sword, preferably a modern improvement of the legendary sword Dojigiri.

But that's just wishful thinking. His previous strength and wealth weren't enough to wield a demon sword, and even now, his strength might be considered barely up to par. As for his wealth... well, let's put it this way: if this demon sword in front of him were a legitimate product from the Onmyōryō or a shrine, it would start at 8,000 yen, and that's just the lowest price.

Even if illegal items are heavily discounted, they will never be less than six thousand yen. After all, to forge a decent demon sword, you need the soul and corpse of a demon of at least elite level, a skilled blacksmith, a spellcaster who is at least competent, and rare auxiliary materials...

So, where did Arima Ichiro get this kind of thing from?

It's not that Harunobu looks down on him... well, Harunobu does look down on him. Not to mention that this guy hasn't even obtained the Okuden certificate from the Hosho Dojo yet, even if he takes over the position of instructor at the Hosho Dojo, he won't be able to afford or find a demon sword of this caliber for several years.

There must be a huge problem behind this. At the very least, there must be an organization that can forge or buy illegal demon swords and can throw them away without a care, even if they fall into the hands of someone like Arima Ichiro.

It's also possible that Arima Ichiro was deliberately chosen as a test subject to test the strength and ability of the demon sword. Is it possible that the true owner of the demon sword has always been nearby?

No, that's unlikely. If that were the case, they would have had plenty of time and opportunity last night to retrieve the demon sword, or even kill everyone at the Nekoya to silence them. But the Nekoya had no problems last night. So even if such an organization exists, they probably wouldn't care about a demon sword or Arima Ichiro.

Harunobu pondered for a moment, came to the most likely conclusion, and then made a decision: "I'll take this knife and destroy it, just to be on the safe side. As for this guy's body, you should have a way to deal with it, right?"

Although it was a question, Harunobu's tone was very certain, and the cat did not deny it. Instead, it picked up a rag from the side, wrapped Arima Ichiro's head up, and threw it outside the room.

Shutaro carried the severed head, while the other kids carried Arima Ichiro's corpse. They disappeared at the end of the second floor. Soon, a faint smell of blood entered Harunobu's nose, but even faster was another pungent, putrid odor that overwhelmed the bloody smell.

Qingxin was shocked: "You have a septic tank here?"

“Dung is very valuable, samurai-sama.” The cat proudly puffed out its seemingly endless chest. “But this really surprises me. I thought you would just drag this guy’s corpse back to report it to the police. Legally speaking, attacking Eta is a crime.”

"You said it yourself, it's the law, and besides, this guy is using a cursed sword." Harunobu curled his lips. He wanted Arima Ichiro to die again on a societal level, but unfortunately, it was difficult. Even disregarding the possible involvement of the cursed sword, the Hosho Dojo would definitely not agree. And although Harunobu was powerful in martial arts, when it came to connections... it would be better to just bury this guy.

"It's so gratifying that you finally understand what compromise means." The kitten looked pleased, like a wife seeing her child finally understand, a stark contrast to her appearance and figure.

Harunobu put his hands in his pockets, displeased: "Is this how you treat your savior?"

The kitten could tell that Qingxin was feigning dissatisfaction, but that didn't stop her from taking the opportunity to back down, especially since she had originally intended to express her sincere gratitude.

So she immediately gave Harunobu a very proper dogeko (a deep bow in apology): "This time, I am truly grateful for your selfless assistance, Samurai-sama! From now on..."

At this point, the kitten suddenly felt something was amiss, but Qingxin had already slapped his thigh and jumped up: "Fine! I order you to immediately become my personal disciple and learn swordsmanship from me!"

?

No, do you have some serious illness?

The kitten looked at Qingxin with a head full of question marks. The original expression of gratitude was stuck in her throat, and she engaged in a fierce battle with the surging urge to complain, successfully choking herself.

After a while, she finally got her lines right, and looked at Harunobu with an "I give up" look: "I really don't understand you. Fine, fine, since you're not worried about Eta's influence, then don't blame me for taking advantage of you..."