Female Swordsman Training Dojo

As he spoke, he raised the katana in his hand, its sharp, cold gleam particularly glaring in the dim twilight. The Yakuza, relentlessly targeted by the guerrillas, were no longer so disciplined; items they wouldn't normally openly display were now being taken out. Only in this way did they feel truly safe.

"What do you want! Don't forget the Bracers are patrolling nearby!"

Nako Tachibana threatened them with a show of bravado, but the Yakuza clearly didn't care about the threat from a seamstress at all, and even became more resentful because she mentioned the Bracers.

Scarface Yakuza snorted and brandished the IOU in his hand: "Guerrilla? So what if the guerrillas come? This IOU is genuine! We're legally and legitimately collecting our debt! Don't even mention the guerrillas, even if that damned Hiraharu came, he couldn't save you!"

Having said all that, he stopped pretending and reached out to grab Tachibana Nako's incredibly impressive chest. But his hand was only halfway there when a wooden sword suddenly swung out from behind Tachibana Nako and smashed into his hand.

He wouldn't have been hit otherwise, but he happened to hear a loud clap of thunder. In that instant, he froze.

"Oh dear, I was just about to go home for dinner." Qingxin slowly walked out. "Who was it that said 'Even if Ping Qingxin came, he couldn't save her' just now?"

The Yakuza turned around as if they had seen a ghost, watching Harunobu, carrying a dagger, slowly approach them, and retreated in unison. But they had only taken two steps when they were forced to stop because of an attack from behind.

Yuzu gripped her wooden sword, glaring menacingly at the Yakuza, and she actually looked quite formidable... though only somewhat so.

Harunobu gave her an encouraging, bright smile—what if he managed to fool her?—but when he turned to look at the Yakuza, his expression quickly turned cold.

"Are you going to do it yourselves, or do I have to?" Qingxin said coldly. "Seriously, who gave you the courage to swagger out like this? Liang Jingru before she was even born?"

Scarface Yakuza still had some courage. He managed to control his stiff body, ignored the powerless wooden sword behind him, raised the IOU in his hand, and said humbly, "Master Ping, we're not doing anything wrong. We're just legally collecting a debt!"

"When did usury become legal?" When it comes to debt collection, the first thing that comes to mind for Qingxin is, of course, the usury that all the Yakuza love to use. The "nine out, thirteen back" method is just their most basic operation. They even have a conscience if they calculate the interest to double every day.

A hint of smugness flashed across Scarface Yakuza's face, but he immediately reverted to a humble expression: "No, Master Ping, this is not usury; the interest rate is only 1% per year."

Qingxin extended his hand, but Scarface Yakuza took a half step back, then held up the IOU again: "Master Ping, please don't make things difficult for us lowly minions. Besides, your eyesight is definitely good enough to see, isn't it?"

Harunobu could indeed see it clearly. He was very close to the loan agreement, and it was exactly as Scarface Yakuza had said: the principal was 1,000 yen, with an additional 1% interest after one year. This could hardly be considered usury.

However, Harunobu really saw it very clearly.

So he smiled with relief: "I thought I'd have to find some other excuse to kill you guys, but I didn't expect you to be so confident—carbon paper works really well, doesn't it?"

Scarface Yakuza's face changed, but it became less swift than Harunobu's blade.

The four henchmen of Yakuza who were blocking Harunobu's way hadn't even realized what was happening before they'd already lost their hands or feet. But cutting them down...

Chapter 134

Ultimately wasting a little bit of Qingxin's time, in that instant, Scarface Yakuza punched himself in the chest.

A crisp sound of breaking wood rang out as a pill was smashed into Scarface Yakuza's chest, causing his body to contort.

Oh wow.

Harunobu watched as the scarred Yakuza began to transform and cheerfully called out into the store, "Hey, Mrs. Tachibana, Yuzu, go call your neighbors to come out and watch the show!"

The author says:

Author's note: Carbon paper isn't actually that useful.

I don't think most people would find the "married woman" character a classic archetype offensive, right? There are so many people making suggestive remarks on this site.

Ask for a ticket~

Chapter 129: The Enhanced Second Stage

I never expected a Yakuza to transform in such a bustling neighborhood, even though it's nighttime and there's hardly anyone around. The dim light also greatly reduces visibility, making it seem like the perfect place to transform.

But because it's nighttime, the residents in the neighborhood are all staying home. If we can get them out and let them see with their own eyes what these Yakuza looked like after they died and turned back into human form, then even if so many witnesses don't completely prove them guilty, they should at least be of some use, right?

With that in mind, Harunobu calmly looked at Scar Yakuza, who was still transforming.

Scarface Yakuza, who was originally 1.6 meters tall, swelled into a muscular giant of 1.8 meters, tearing his clothes. But what lay beneath the clothes was not flesh and skin, but fine, jet-black scales that completely covered his entire body, even eventually creeping up onto his face.

His hands and feet were twisted into the shape of sharp beast claws, with dark green reflections shimmering on the nails, clearly not clean claws.

Finally, there was a pair of spiraling horns that grew from his forehead, pointing straight up to the sky.

This appearance instantly awakened Harunobu's memories. The Suzuki Doichi he killed in his debut battle, who was also the son of the leader of the Demon Dragon Society, seemed to look like this after his transformation? No, not as refined as this one.

Moreover, Harunobu could clearly sense the resentment, fear, and murderous intent that Scarface Yakuza was casting at him. In other words, Scarface Yakuza had not lost his mind.

He's much better than Michiichi Suzuki, but it's pointless.

If Suzuki Doichi had been able to maintain his sanity back then, it might have been very troublesome for Harunobu, who might have had to fight desperately with his Fire and Thunder God technique. But for Harunobu now, it makes no difference whether a demon of this strength is sanity or not; he'll just annihilate it instantly anyway.

Now we just have to wait for the witnesses to be in place...

Roar! !

A loud roar interrupted Qingxin's thoughts. The demonized scarred Yakuza had completely transformed. He excitedly raised his hands, and a surging fog appeared, covering the surroundings.

With a wild, smug grin spreading across his face, Scarface Yakuza inwardly chuckled triumphantly: "Taihara Harunobu is indeed conceited. I am not one of those small fry, but a true demonic dragon who has mastered magic!"

"You want to find someone to witness my return to human form? In this demonic mist, everyone except me can only see half a room (about 1.9 meters wide)! Let alone those mortals, even Ping Qingxin would be completely blind!"

"No, it might even turn into a blind person with open eyes!"

Having completed his transformation and unleashed his magic, Scarface Yakuza was now brimming with confidence. And he had reason to be confident: the demonic mist. Besides obstructing vision, it also had the ability to slowly erode the human body, increasing stamina consumption, and simultaneously help the caster conceal their form and silence their voice.

So, after successfully casting the spell, Scar Yakuza, who originally planned to transform and run away, suddenly felt confident enough to fight Harunobu—he could always run away if things got really bad.

Anyway, with the demonic fog blocking the way, Ping Qingxin is just blind and deaf.

The smug-looking Scarface Yakuza stealthily approached Hiraharunobu from behind, his sharp claws silently rising and aimed at Nobunobu's chest. No matter how skilled Hiraharunobu was with his sword, he was still just a mortal; even if his heart were ripped out, he would still die!

The increasingly excited Scarface Yakuza suppressed the urge to laugh out loud, clenching his right arm tightly. The muscles beneath the scales contracted like springs, even making a cracking sound. However, these sounds were absorbed by the mist, and even Hiraharunobu, who was practically right next to him, couldn't hear a single sound.

Looking at Hiraharu Shin, who was still standing there casually with his sword in hand, looking calm and collected, a clear trace of jealousy flashed across the face of the scarred Yakuza, which was now covered in scales.

go to hell!

The spring, compressed to its limit, was released, and the violent force propelled Scarface Yakuza's right hand toward Harunobu's chest. The air along the way howled violently, but even this howl was swallowed by the mist. So, despite its fierce attack, it ultimately arrived behind Harunobu silently.

Seeing his fingernails about to touch Harunobu's haori, Scarface Yakuza's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. Then... *splat*.

Scarface Yakuza's right hand fell to the ground.

Before anyone knew it, Harunobu had turned around and swung his Asabu.

Water Breathing - Eleventh Form - Water Lily!

It's a unique technique created by the most popular character in the original work, but rather than a technique, it's more like a state of being. It's like the often-mentioned state of being in harmony with nature, or like a clear mirror and still water, though it hasn't reached that level yet.

As for the specific effects, to put it dramatically, it's like having an enemy within three feet of your sword. To put it more realistically, it means a significant increase in focus, reaction speed, and attack speed, allowing you to accurately detect enemy attacks and respond with high-speed slashes.

Even with his demonic transformation, Scarface Yakuza's attacks didn't surpass what Harunobu could handle using his eleventh form. Even without the demonic mist obscuring half of Harunobu's vision, he still wouldn't succeed.

In fact, if Harunobu hadn't wanted to test the practical effects of Water Breathing, Scar Yakuza wouldn't have been able to get close for so long.

However, while Harunobu was unharmed, the residents who had been disturbed by Tachibana Nako and her daughter were left helpless, gazing at the endless fog with nothing to do.

Harunobu regretfully shook off the green blood on Asada and said hopelessly, "Do you want to surrender? You don't have to do anything. Just change into this form in front of some people again, okay?"

"Or you can cancel this fog now, and I'll let you die a quick death."

The sincere inquiry vanished into the fog, leaving no trace.

Harunobu shook his head regretfully, sheathed the Asaka, and his once gentle breathing became turbulent again, like rolling thunder. Scarface Yakuza, who was frantically fleeing, felt a pang of anxiety; driven by his survival instinct, his speed increased even further.

Unfortunately, it's still too slow.

The howling thunder came from behind, and the lightning-fast longswords sliced ​​through Scarface Yakuza's hands and feet one after another, turning him into a human stump.

Thunder Breathing - First Form - Thunder Flash - 20-hit combo!

Even now, Qingxin felt a little tired after such a long burst of energy. But the moment he stepped firmly on the ground, he immediately looked at the scarred Yakuza on the ground.

"Tsk..."

With a disappointed click of his tongue, Harunobu wasn't surprised to find that Scarface Yakuza was dead. It was a true suicide, just like every time he had tried to capture the demonized Yakuza alive during this period. Once they realized they couldn't win or escape, these demonized Yakuza would commit suicide without hesitation, even if they were cut into human stumps.

This was definitely not because these Yakuza were loyal; those Yakuza who hadn't transformed were far more eager to betray their former comrades. They even talked about their demon transformation—but none of what they said could be verified, and in the end, it was all taken as false accusations.

Getting back to the main point, since these demonized Yakuza committed suicide not out of loyalty, it was most likely due to the actions of these Yakuza members.

Chapter 135

What is the source of the Kuza's demonic transformation ability, and what safeguards have been taken for them, such as the legendary spell that causes instant death upon mentioning a keyword?

Harunobu watched as the corpse of Scarface Yakuza gradually shrank back, and sighed regretfully.

But before he could finish his sigh, it turned into a gasp of surprise. Because even after Scarface Yakuza's corpse reverted to its original form, it continued to change. His body was melting rapidly, like a block of ice placed near a fireplace!

In no time, while the fog was still thick, his body had completely turned into a puddle of pus, flowing into the nearby sewer.

Harunobu noted down the changes that occurred during the process, planning to ask the mysterious shrine maiden later if she had any clues. As for now... watching the mist gradually dissipate due to the death of the spellcaster, Harunobu prepared to go home.

Just then, two figures, one large and one small, appeared at one end of the mist: "Master Ping! Please wait a moment!"

Chapter 130: The Resolve of the Tachibana Mother and Daughter

Harunobu recognized Tachibana Nako's voice and stopped. Soon after, Tachibana Nako, holding her daughter's hand, ran up to Harunobu. She was clearly in a hurry, and didn't even notice that her breasts, which had been excessively ravaged and were now open from the strenuous exercise, were now exposed.

She really is one...two sizes bigger than Sachiko?

Qingxin, a veteran of countless battles, glanced at Ding Zhen, but his gaze still couldn't overcome Lord Niu's second law, being firmly drawn to the massive object.

Fortunately, thanks to his earnest reminder, Tachibana Nako, having regained her balance, finally realized her indecent state and quickly tightened the fabric around her neck. Harunobu then looked up: "Mrs. Tachibana, is there anything I can do for you?"

Once the topic turned to business, Tachibana Nako forgot her shyness and asked somewhat anxiously, "Master Taira, what happened to that monster just now...?"

So they were worried the monster would escape.

Qingxin thought it over with understanding, and then carefully replied, "Don't worry, that guy is already dead, his body has turned into pus over there."

"Ah..." Tachibana Nako gasped softly, following Harunobu's finger to look at the puddle of pus that the scarred Yakuza had turned into, but her expression was not very happy.

"So, it really is just a monster..."

Hearing Tachibana Nako's soft mutterings to herself, Harunobu narrowed his eyes slightly: "Mrs. Tachibana, have you ever seen a human turn into a yokai before?"

"Huh?" Tachibana Nako was startled at first, not expecting Harunobu to have such good hearing, but she quickly realized what was going on and her eyes lit up. "Could it be that, Master Taira, you also..."

“This isn’t the first time. There are quite a few Yakuza in the Dragon Society who can turn into monsters, but they turn back into humans after they die,” Harunobu said. “I asked you to help me call people earlier so that I could find more witnesses. Unfortunately, this guy not only knows magic, but he didn’t even leave a corpse behind after he died.”

After hearing Harunobu's words, Tachibana Nako looked at the puddle of pus again, her expression becoming very complicated. Harunobu waited a moment before saying, "So, Mrs. Tachibana, have you seen something similar before?"

The fog had mostly dissipated by now, and Harunobu could see that when he said those words, Tachibana Nako instinctively tightened her grip on Tachibana Yuzu's small hand. She gripped it so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and Tachibana Yuzu even cried out slightly in pain.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu." Releasing her grip, Tachibana Nako tenderly patted her daughter's head. Only after receiving confirmation that her daughter was alright did she turn to Harunobu.

"I'm sorry, Master Ping, you must have found this amusing."

"It seems like a very complicated story," Harunobu said, arms crossed. "Is it related to your husband?"

When the Yakuza came to block the door, only Tachibana Nako and her mother showed up, but the male head of the household was nowhere to be seen. Considering Tachibana Nako's distraught appearance earlier, thinking it was just an ordinary yokai, it's highly likely that the male head of the Tachibana family has been killed by some other being who can also transform from a human into a yokai?

However, after listening to what Tachibana Nako had to say, Harunobu realized that his guess was a bit too conservative.

Nako Tachibana's husband was indeed dead, and the murderer was a guest he had invited to their home. However, upon seeing Nako, the guest suddenly became enraged, transforming into a monster and killing her husband. What's puzzling is that the murderer left immediately after killing Nako's husband. According to Nako, it seemed rather hasty.

But the key point is not the killer's motive, but his appearance. He is not simply "a guy who can transform from a human into a monster", but "a guy whose transformed form is exactly the same as Scar Yakuza's monster form".

Thinking back to Suzuki Doichi and the other demonized Yakuza he had encountered before, it's clear that this demonization is quite different from others. Just like Suzuki Doichi's pathetic defense, and this scarred Yakuza's magic.

Perhaps this is the true demonic transformation, while the other Yakuza are merely inferior imitations. At this moment, Harunobu thought of that erratic member of the Demon Dragon Society who had transformed during the True Sword Trial Tournament.

Although everyone considered him a terminal patient of Tokoyo Disease, Harunobu is now certain that he is a failed product of the Demon Dragon Society who failed to achieve demon transformation.

Harunobu shook his head, paused his deep breath to cool down his burning head, and turned to look at Tachibana Nako, who was also calming down: "So, Mrs. Tachibana, what do you plan to do next? Seek revenge against the Demon Dragon Society?"

Although there is no conclusive evidence yet to prove that the Demon Dragon Society was responsible, both Harunobu and Tachibana Nako have already identified the Demon Dragon Society as the culprit. This is because, at present, only the Demon Dragon Society possesses the ability to transform into a demon, not to mention that Harunobu has only ever seen such a creature covered in scales and with horns on its forehead among members of the Demon Dragon Society.

He had never even heard of such a monster, and other transformed Yakuza were not only not as complete, but also showed some resemblance to their original form.

Even if the Dragon Clan is in decline now, it's still no match for a seamstress with a six-year-old daughter. If Harunobu doesn't come, Scarface Yakuza wouldn't even need his underlings to deal with the mother and daughter, let alone transform.

Even so, he would immediately be confronted by the Bracers.

Nako Tachibana was well aware of this, so she bowed very respectfully to Harunobu, a perfect ninety degrees... or perhaps more, because the heavy watermelon was pierced by Newton's second law, hanging like a bell, or like a huge drop of water perpendicular to the ground, causing Nako Tachibana's waist to sink even lower.

"Please accept me as your disciple!"

The sudden request was somewhat unexpected for Harunobu. He had thought that Tachibana Nako intended to ask him to find her husband's killer, but it turned out she wanted to become his apprentice... Hadn't he refused before?

Harunobu asked directly.

Nako Tachibana answered directly: "Before, I thought I had just unfortunately encountered a monster, and even if I wanted to take revenge, I had no way to find it. But now that I know the enemy is right next to me, I can no longer just endure it like before."