Female Swordsman Training Dojo

However, even though Hirayukiko and the others had done some basic hemostasis for the yokai along the way, she was already on the verge of death. Even with Harunobu right in front of her, she showed no signs of consciousness.

"What's next?" Harunobu looked at Tachibana Yuzu, who picked up the only candle that hadn't gone out and gently blew on the flickering flame.

Darkness descends.

But in an instant, a ghostly blue light appeared in the darkness, like a will-o'-the-wisp. Although it also lasted only a moment, not only Harunobu's eyesight was sharp, but Hirai Sachiko and Koneko also spotted the location of the light. It was on Tachibana Yuzu's head.

And in that instant, the kitten felt as if Yuzu's figure had multiplied into several overlapping people. But before she could look closely, the eerie blue flame had vanished, replaced by a ring of candles that had spontaneously combusted. The bright light illuminated the surroundings, as well as the pale-faced Yuzu and the rosy-cheeked monster within the ring.

"It's really tough... Teacher's College, this is definitely a favor." Tachibana Yuzu patted her flat chest and put down the extinguished candle in her hand. "And, Little Cat Sister, do you recognize this face inside? She seems to recognize you."

Hearing what Ju Zi said, the kitten half-squatted down and looked at the monster's face, then its two eyebrows furrowed into a V-shape.

"Hanako-nee? Is that Hanako-nee? Didn't you say you found a new job?"

"Hira... Haru..." Hanako murmured, a glimmer of light suddenly appearing in her lifeless eyes.

Chapter 174

,"kitten?"

"It's me, Kitty." Kitty took a step forward anxiously, but worried that entering the circle would disrupt the strange ritual, so she could only stomp her foot in frustration. "Hanako-nee! What happened to you?"

Hanako could only slowly repeat the names of Hiraharu and the kitten; her consciousness had been almost completely destroyed, and she was only able to be like this thanks to Tachibana Yuzu's help.

"Calm down, little cat."

Qingxin pressed down on the kitten's head, the warmth of his large hand seeping into her body through her hair. The familiar feeling calmed her down, and she stopped stomping her feet in frustration.

"Is Hanako your friend?"

“She’s also an Eta, she used to be a courtesan in Yoshiwara,” Koneko said, her voice low and clearly upset. “But even as a courtesan, Eta faced discrimination. Not only were there few customers, but they were mostly scoundrels that even the Yakuza wouldn’t serve, or poor bastards. They paid little and would even try to renege on their debts.”

"I was only... ten years old back then, right? The cat house didn't even exist yet. These prostitutes helped me grow up. Although, if I had to say, I also helped them deal with a lot of jerks, like getting back the money they owed along with compensation."

"After that, I established a cat house. As they got older, even lowering the prices didn't bring in many customers, so they ended up doing odd jobs. We looked after each other for a while, and they even provided me with some information. Later, they told me they had found a great new job and were leaving Asakusa..."

The kitten's voice was full of regret, because now it was clear that the job wasn't really a good one.

“This isn’t your fault, little cat.” Harunoshi rubbed the little cat’s head and half-squatted down. “You’ve done very well. An organization that can turn people into this kind of thing is not something you could have handled back then.”

The kitten's lips pressed into a thin line, her bright eyes filled with tears, and her little nose twitched. Finally, she nestled into Qingxin's arms. A soft sob escaped her lips as Qingxin embraced the sixteen-year-old girl, gently patting her back, which had recently become noticeably stronger.

In the dark room, only the kitten's sobs and Hanako's repeated murmurs could be heard for a moment.

A few minutes later, the kitten, having vented its anger, got up from Qingxin's arms and looked at Tachibana Yuzu with its red-rimmed eyes: "Yuzu, what should we do next?"

Since Tachibana Yuzu almost foresaw this ritual, she must have a way to solve Hanako's inability to speak normally and transmit information.

Oranges and pomelos do exist.

“However, this method is a little dangerous.” Tachibana Yuzu put her hands behind her back like a little adult. “I can let Shifan and Cat Sister communicate directly with her consciousness, but that means you will have to face her current chaotic and unbearable inner world. If something goes wrong... she won’t die, but her soul may be injured.”

Harunobu stepped forward without hesitation: "Then I'll do it."

The kitten, however, surprisingly retorted to Harunobu: "No, let me do it! Hanako-nee is my friend and my benefactor."

During their argument, Yukiko Taira also spoke up: "Why only the teacher and the kitten? Can't others be included?"

"Because Hanako is now very wary of anyone other than Shihan and Nyanko-nee. If anyone other than them tries to communicate with her, she might attack them, and that could really be fatal."

Meanwhile, the argument over there came to a conclusion. Although Harunobu was very reluctant, the kitten was truly stubborn this time.

"Looks like teachers can't handle women after all," Yuzu said with a grin, then picked up a extinguished candle before Harunobu could retaliate. "Little Cat Sister, light this, then close your eyes..."

The kitten did as instructed, then everything went black before her eyes. When she regained consciousness, Hanako's face appeared before her. She looked around and found herself in a luxurious room, surrounded by many familiar faces besides Hanako. They were all Eta from the Yoshiwara area.

Sister Hanako, Sister Haruko, Sister Sakurako...

She looked at those familiar faces one by one, watching the menacing Yakuza burst in and commit violence, while she could only float in the air like a ghost, just watching. But as her anger grew, this scene suddenly sped up, and time quickly flowed to the moment Hanako was taken away.

The kitten watched as Haruko stood up to offer a smile but was pushed away; watched Hanako be sent to the experimental bed, transforming from a gaunt, emaciated person into a radiant monster; watched her wail until she lost consciousness and was sent into a pile of corpses.

Finally, he was successfully revived after consuming human blood and fled towards Asakusa, hoping to find Asakusa's nemesis and avenge his companions and himself.

And... I also want to see Ping Xiaomao.

The illusion collapsed, and the kitten was once again in the living room of the Richun Dormitory.

"How are you? Are you alright?" Qingxin asked with concern, supporting the kitten.

"It's alright." The kitten put down the candle in its hand, looked at Hanako, whose light had once again faded, and asked with difficulty, "Is there any hope for Hanako-nee?"

Yuzu shrugged: "There's no hope in this state. It's a miracle that her consciousness has lasted this long. Even if her body is healed, she'll just become a new monster, devoid of any intelligence, driven only by her yokai instincts."

"She doesn't even have the potential to evolve intelligence; she's not a true monster, just like..."

Juyou pouted and stopped talking.

The kitten lowered its head and calmly asked, "So if she dies, will she turn back into a human like Yakuza of the Dragon Society?"

"Probably, or maybe like the one the teachers killed in front of my house, he'll be completely reduced to ashes."

"That's fine too." The kitten slowly drew the katana from her waist. Harunobu and Hirako exchanged a glance and patted her head together.

puff.

The sharp blade pierced her heart. Hanako struggled to lift her head, baring her fangs at the kitten, her frenzied state even more terrifying than the demonized Yakuza. The kitten, expressionless, pressed down harder, its eyes fixed on Hanako's face.

Finally, Hanako stopped struggling.

Her body slowly began to change, gradually transforming from pale but smooth and beautiful into thin and sallow, eventually becoming the smiling older sister in the kitten's memory.

"Thanks……"

A very faint murmur rose in the air, and the kitten suddenly looked up, catching sight of a faint figure above the candlelight, as if it had melted into the air. The figure vanished in an instant, disappearing along with the shadow.

All that remained were two lines of tears sliding down the kitten's face.

The author says:

Author's note: Nothing much to say today, just feeling the work routine (lol), so please vote!

Chapter 164: Nue

In the living room, now bathed in normal light, Harunobu held the kitten, gently stroking her long hair. Hanako's body had already been collected by Kinoshita Asaharu and her men, and preparations were underway to bury her at Asakusa Inari Shrine.

The kitten also took this time to organize what it had seen into a concise intelligence report. In short, the Demon Dragon Society was secretly conducting human experiments on people from the lower classes, such as Edo, beggars, and others.

Moreover, these were human experiments that turned humans into monsters, and the number of people who have sacrificed their lives so far may have reached hundreds or even thousands. This does not include those within the Demon Dragon Society who voluntarily underwent the transformation; the demon-transforming drug was likely one of the results of these experiments.

Harunobu, a man of justice, could not stand idly by in such a situation, especially since it was the work of the Demon Dragon Society. If they didn't take action quickly, were they going to wait until they actually developed some kind of powerful weapon?

Haruno intended to set off to resolve the matter immediately, but Kitten suggested that she first scout out the situation and determine the specific circumstances before deciding what to do.

"Teacher, you're busy enough already—night patrols, swordsmanship instruction, your own practice, and you're even restless in your sleep." Kitten pouted at Harunobu. "In short, Teacher, don't try to do everything yourself."

Chapter 175

"The people are taken care of, and I'm your partner!"

Since Hanako's escape has already been exposed, if the people in the Demon Dragon Society are still thinking straight, they would choose a strategic relocation instead of stubbornly holding onto this potentially exposed stronghold. After all, they only need to move the important data, equipment, and personnel; the villa itself doesn't matter.

"So, Teacher's College, let me go." Little Cat had completely returned to normal, except for her eyes still being a little red. "If those people have all left, then I won't be in any trouble. If they haven't left, I won't do anything reckless. At most, I'll see if I can gather some intelligence."

Harunobu was reluctant to agree; the matter was still too dangerous. But upon reflection, Kyoko was right. She wasn't a caged bird; in fact, intelligence gathering for the Aozorakan was entirely handled by the Nekoya side, and in some matters, Kyoko handled them even better than he did.

And this matter is indeed very important. Not in terms of Harunobu's importance, but in terms of the kitten's importance. There are still quite a few courtesans there who once cared for the kitten.

Furthermore, with the cat's current strength, even if she couldn't defeat some ordinary Yakuza due to their numbers, escaping would be quite easy. The explosive power of Thunder Breathing goes without saying, not to mention the cat's [Eye of Insight] gives her keen intuition, making her untouchable even in real danger.

So, seeing the kitten's expectant eyes, Harunobu finally took off the prayer beads from his wrist and hung them on the kitten's hand: "Okay, but remember, your safety is the top priority. If anything happens, don't hesitate to run."

"That's not something a swordsman should say. Isn't it said that scars on a swordsman's back are a disgrace?" the kitten said with a smile, trying its best to liven up the atmosphere.

Qingxin was indeed influenced by her, and pinched her little cheek: "Then just don't leave any scars on your back, right? Remember to run fast."

"What? Have a little confidence in your disciple? Those Yakuza are no match for me!" The kitten looked arrogant, which melted Qingxin's heart.

But now that the decision has been made, the work should begin.

Harunobu picked up his Asauchi and reverse-blade sword, and Kyoko also equipped her famous sword, Chidori-maru. Together they walked out of the gate of Aozora-kan. The twins pushed a bicycle over, and the clear sound of the bell echoed in the night sky.

"Brother Qingxin! Sister Xiaomao!" The well-developed little guy waved his hand, handed over Xiaomao's vehicle to her, and then relayed a message to Qingxin, "Yuzu-chan said she's waiting for you at the association. What's up?"

"Thank you." Qingxin ruffled the big-breasted little girl's hair. "But it's late, you should go to sleep."

"Yes~"

Watching the twins return to the building, Harunobu ruffled the kitten's hair again: "Do you get jealous of the twins? You little jealous cat."

"Who's jealous!" the kitten pouted. "Besides, no matter how mature Yuzu looks, that child is only six years old, so don't do anything rash."

"Everyone says I'm not interested in young girls, except for that one idiot who offered himself up."

"Long-winded!"

The kitten blushed and started pedaling her bicycle towards the tram stop—it wouldn't go directly to the villa area, but it was still much better than riding all the way to Katsushika County. Unfortunately, the kitten couldn't drive... or rather, the Aozora-kan didn't drive, nor did they have a car.

Qingxin did have memories of driving one in his past life, but it was an automatic.

It seems I'll have to make up for this when I get the chance.

Harunobu thought to himself as he walked toward the Bracer Guild.

……

Late at night, the kitten pushed its bicycle through the last grove of trees and finally saw the villa area. It could clearly see Yakuza patrolling among the luxurious houses. It could even faintly hear strange sounds coming from inside, including painful howls and excited laughter.

It was a truly unexpected bonus; she hadn't expected this at all.

The kitten thought for a moment and slowly backed away. She really wanted to charge in and rescue them, but she wasn't stupid. Aside from not being able to see how many enemies were inside, nor knowing their equipment and strength, rushing in would likely result in her being riddled with bullets. Just going in like that could easily provoke the enemies into desperate measures; killing those materials was enough for the kitten to maintain her rationality.

Anyway, it's not too far from here to Asakusa, only about eight or nine kilometers. If I ride my bike back at full speed, it should only take a little over an hour. Then I'll bring Shihan, Sachiko-nee, and Amu over and wipe them all out.

But just as the kitten slowly retreated, a chill suddenly swept over her. In an instant, the kitten drew the Chidori Maru from her waist and slashed behind her. Beneath the booming thunder was a quietly illuminating mind's eye; even though the attack came from behind, the kitten accurately seized the opening and struck the weakest point with her blade.

The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out, followed by the sound of bones breaking and the sound of footsteps retreating rapidly.

The kitten finished its remnant of the heart, maintained its mid-stance, and sized up the man in front of it.

Her fiery red hair was pressed down by a simple black yukata, and her eyes, long and narrow like a bird's, were visible beneath her bangs. Blood was flowing continuously from the severed cut of her right hand.

"A monster?" the kitten said calmly, "or a half-demon from the Dragon Society?"

Nue looked at her severed right hand and examined the kitten with amusement: "How interesting. You're just an ordinary human, how did you sense me?"

“Your footsteps are too loud,” Little Cat Hu said. She hadn’t heard any footsteps at all, but there was no need to tell the truth to the enemy.

"How could that be..." Nue seemed to realize something halfway through her sentence, and scratched her head with her good left hand. "Are you the kind of person with exceptionally good hearing? Then I'm really lucky."

As he spoke, black mist surged from the cut on his right hand, solidifying into the shape of an arm segment. At the same time, a katana with the same surging black mist also appeared.

"Then, let's begin the second battle, swordsman."

Chapter 165: You Have Swordsmanship, I Have Magic (3k)

The chaotic night wind blew through the mountains and forests, and the new leaves of early spring rustled.

The kitten adjusted its breathing, held Chidori-maru to the side of its face, and assumed a thrusting stance.

"Is this the style of the Heisei-gan? Are you a swordsman of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school?" Nue brandished her katana like a mischievous child holding a real sword for the first time. "But the flow of your thoughts doesn't seem quite right."

"Who knows? You can... guess."

The moment the word "but" left her lips, the kitten had already entered the state of Thunder Breathing once more, her power and speed surging forth, which she used to power Laurent's Mind's Eye Blade's Sky-Piercing Slash. She moved like a phantom lightning bolt, hurtling towards the distant Nue.

As the word "ah" landed, the kitten had already appeared in front of Nue, and Chidori-maru thrust straight towards the man's chest and abdomen—unfortunately, the height difference prevented the kitten from piercing his throat and heart. However, it made no difference, because this time Chidori-maru failed to penetrate flesh again, and was instead stopped by the black mist katana.

A dull sound, like striking thick leather, rang out. The kitten struggled forward and downward, but could not break through the defense of the katana.

"Oh my, that's fast! And that thunderous voice... are you from the Azure Sky Pavilion?" Nue stared intently at the kitten, a chilling smile spreading across her pale face. "Great! I was just about to test your skills~ Come on, let's fight!"

As he spoke, he slapped the kitten's face with his free left hand. A sharp sense of danger made the kitten quickly pull back and avoid the slap that suddenly grew longer halfway through its motion.

"It should be silent, so this must be intuition?"

Nue looked at the kitten with increasing delight. The organization was always "eagerly seeking" such gifted individuals. If she could bring one back...

And it just so happens that they're from the Aozorakan. Suzuki Ippei and the Demon Dragon Society have been driven to distraction by them. If he could bring one along...