Why did it feel like he'd lost a hundred million?!
"..."
Forget it. He should wash up and sleep. He was leaving tomorrow for a mission that would last half a month. To be honest, he didn't really want to go. If they weren't paying so much, he definitely wouldn't be going.
Wasn't training every day much better?
The next day.
The sun had yet to rise, and the sky was faintly white. A refreshing cool breeze brushed against Natsu Hiraku's handsome face.
It was 4:30 in the morning. Natsu Hiraku had gotten up an hour earlier than usual specifically to avoid running into them. After all, they would be apart for half a month. It was always a little sad.
After leaving Jujutsu High, the faint white light fell on his face. He tapped out a string of numbers on his phone screen with his index finger, then made the call.
Mitsuchi Ichitaki had given him this number yesterday. Although calling someone this early and interrupting their sleep was a little immoral, he was already awake. Surely that secretary would understand him.
Understand that it was already time to get up and that sleeping was a waste of such wonderful youth.
"Beep... beep... beep..."
A familiar ringtone sounded beside her ear. Sasada, who was sleeping soundly in bed, subconsciously assumed it was her boss calling. Still half-asleep, she answered and asked, "Boss, what is it?"
"Sorry, I'm not your boss. I'm the bodyguard your boss hired. My name is Natsu Hiraku."
"Natsu... Hiraku?"
Sasada was confused for a moment before recalling what her boss had told her yesterday:
"A bodyguard named Natsu Hiraku will come looking for you tomorrow. Take him to Miss Mitsuchi."
"Mr. Natsu Hiraku, where are you now? I'll come pick you up right away."
"Sorry for the trouble. Calling you so early and waking you up is already embarrassing enough. Just give me Mitsuchi Mi's address. I can head over myself."
"Okay."
Sasada hung up and checked the time, only to find that it wasn't even five yet...
"..."
Was this guy cursed or something?
He called at 4:41.
Were bodyguards these days really this dedicated?
Though speechless, she still sent him the address by text, then made another call.
"A bodyguard named Natsu Hiraku will be heading over shortly. If possible, test his fighting ability. Miss Mitsuchi doesn't need trash for bodyguards. I'll explain it to the boss. That's it, I'm going back to sleep."
An hour later.
After running all the way there, Natsu Hiraku checked the address on the map, then looked at the villa in front of him. Once he confirmed he had the right place, he walked toward the two security guards standing at the entrance.
"My name is Natsu Hiraku. I'm the bodyguard here to protect Mitsuchi Mi."
"Natsu Hiraku?"
The two exchanged a glance, then looked at his thin frame and laughed. "You're the new personal bodyguard? You don't look stronger than either of us. If someone tried to assassinate Miss Mitsuchi, how would you protect her? With that tiny body?"
"You don't need to worry about my strength. I'm definitely stronger than the two of you combined."
The instant Natsu Hiraku finished speaking, the guard on the left threw a punch with lightning speed. It was obvious he was trained. His movements were clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, targeting Natsu Hiraku's abdomen.
Smack—
A crisp sound echoed through the quiet morning. The guard who had attacked Natsu Hiraku was now lying on the ground, bewilderment in his eyes. He had only felt pain in his leg before a powerful force flipped him straight onto the ground.
The guard beside him had seen everything. This kid, who looked like he wasn't even an adult yet, had terrifying reflexes. While dodging, he had kicked a nearly 150-pound adult straight to the ground. What kind of monstrous strength was that?
"Do you still want to test me?"
Natsu Hiraku stared directly at the guard who remained standing. After all, that guy had looked like he was ready to attack too. Honestly, bullying ordinary people like this gave him no sense of accomplishment. Even if his body wasn't as strong as theirs, he could still reinforce it with cursed energy.
Besides...
There was something unusual about this house. He had sensed it from the start. There were some filthy things inside, and they weren't weak.
It seemed they had never hired a sorcerer to remove the curses, allowing those negative emotions to form fairly powerful Cursed Spirits.
"N-No need. Your strength has already passed the test. Please come in, Mr. Natsu Hiraku."
The sensible guard left to help lift up his groaning companion and moved aside to clear the way.
"Alright. I may have hit him a little hard, but an ice pack for a while should be enough."
"Y-Yes, understood."
The guard watched Natsu Hiraku walk inside, swallowing nervously as he added him to the list of people not to provoke.
At number ten, no less.
And where had this monster come from?
Why was he so strong when he hadn't even fully grown yet?
"Ah, right."
Natsu Hiraku seemed to remember something and turned to look at the guard by the gate. "Since we're both protectors, how about training together tomorrow?"
How could I live peacefully without stealing some fighting techniques? I'm going to squeeze even their underwear out of them. Otherwise, they can forget about having a good time for the next half month!
"O-Okay. Of course. It would be my honor."
The guard agreed repeatedly. He also wanted to know what had made an underage kid this strong!
If he could learn even a little, he could take down the captain and become captain himself!
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
After saying that, Natsu Hiraku continued walking inside. Although the villa was huge, its security level was absolutely high. There was a guard posted every ten meters.
Forget assassins—even whether a mosquito could get in depended on whether the sky was dark enough.
Did this place really need him for protection?
"You must be Mr. Natsu Hiraku. You're much younger than I expected, but beating those two at the entrance qualifies you."
A hearty voice came from one side. The newcomer was 185 centimeters tall and wore a black T-shirt and shorts. The muscles on his arms alone were thicker than Natsu Hiraku's thighs, making for an overwhelming sight at close range.
The calluses on his hands and the scars on his arms made it obvious at a glance that he was the strongest among these guards. He had earned his current position with his fists.
He's strong. Without cursed energy, he could beat me senseless. We're not even on the same level.
Natsu Hiraku gave that objective assessment and guessed that the man might have been a mercenary before.
After all, the calluses and the knife wound on his shoulder were enough to prove that he was not someone to underestimate. If Natsu Hiraku could steal all of his martial arts skills, his close-range combat ability would definitely rise by three levels.
"Hello. It may be abrupt to say this right after arriving, but could we spar?"
"Oh?"
Ido Shuichi looked at this fearless youngster with interest. Remembering that Natsu Hiraku had defeated the two guards at the gate, he thought the boy might have some skill.
After loosening up, he said, "Are you serious? Anyone with eyes can see the gap between us. If I accidentally hurt you and break a bone or something, I'm not taking responsibility."
"Of course. Accidental injuries are normal during sparring. Shall we begin now?"
"Hahaha! You've got guts!"
Ido Shuichi looked at Murata Shoichi beside him. "Call the brothers over to watch. This kid has more guts than those cowards. None of them dare challenge me, but he does!"
Seeing all those muscles on you, Boss, who would dare step up...
Murata Shoichi looked sympathetically at the newcomer. There were plenty of arrogant people in the world, but he should at least look at the difference in their builds!
Hopefully, you can walk out alive...
"What's going on? The boss is fighting that new brat?"
"Yeah. First time I've seen someone this arrogant here. He challenged the boss as soon as he arrived. The last guy who did that has grass three meters high on his grave."
"I heard he took down those two gate guards by himself. He can't be that weak if he won a one-on-two."
"Wen Xiao and Liushui? Those two are weak. I could take both of them too."
The crowd murmured among themselves. Natsu Hiraku had already assumed his stance, setting the backpack on his back down on the ground.
Inside was a brand-new Cursed Tool longsword. The previous one had already been sharpened, so he could only use it when sparring with Maki.
"Kid, I admire your courage. Ten seconds. If you can last ten seconds against me, this round counts as your win! The difference in size is too great, so I won't bully you."
Ido Shuichi glanced at the blue backpack on the ground and asked curiously, "What's in there?"
"A sword."
Natsu Hiraku did not brush the question aside. Sorcerers were allowed to carry Cursed Tools when they went out.
"Interesting."
Ido Shuichi slowly crouched, the muscles in his legs bulging as he said excitedly, "Then... let's begin!"
"Alright."
Natsu Hiraku took a deep breath and clenched both fists. This time, he did not intend to reinforce his body with cursed energy. He wanted to see just how strong the taijutsu of someone other than Maki Zenin could be!
Murata Shoichi held a stopwatch in his hand and shouted:
"Start!"
Whoosh—!
Ido Shuichi burst forward like a humanoid tank, crossing the five-meter distance in an instant. His fist, as large as a sandbag, shot out violently.
So fast!
Watching the approaching fist, Natsu Hiraku crossed his arms in front of his chest. With just one strike, he could feel the vast difference between them.
It felt like his arm bones were about to break.
No, I can't take this!
Scarlet cursed energy instantly wrapped around his entire body before dispersing. In less than a breath, he was sent flying by that tremendous force.
Boom!!
Natsu Hiraku flew backward five meters and crashed into a tree. The violent noise woke Mitsuchi Mi from her sleep.
Looking at the cheers outside the window, she was confused. The mornings were usually so quiet. Why was everyone cheering today?
Wearing red pajamas, she slowly got up and looked through the glass at the situation in the courtyard. The guards who normally stood watch had all gathered together, while Captain Ido held his arms high as if he were delighted.
What happened?
Is that... Natsu Hiraku?
Mitsuchi Mi's pupils contracted as she looked at Natsu Hiraku, whose clothes were covered in dust. He was walking toward the captain, his hands raised in a fighting stance as though he intended to continue.
"Hiss, that still hurts."
Natsu Hiraku shook his hands and said, "It's not over yet. Only two seconds have passed. There are still eight seconds left."
He withstood it?
Murata Shoichi's stopwatch had stopped at exactly two seconds. He had pressed stop the moment Natsu Hiraku hit the tree. With that skinny body, taking one punch should have broken his arm bones, and hitting the tree should have knocked him out. This didn't make sense!
"Your... hands are fine?"
Ido Shuichi scratched his head, seemingly unable to understand the situation either. Those arms were too thin. He could tell Natsu Hiraku had trained, but only trained a little. Could his bones be different from ordinary people's?
"Of course they are. What, do you want me to get an X-ray for you?"
Natsu Hiraku shook his hands, clenched his fists, and continued, "Stop wasting time. There are still eight seconds. If I win, I have one extra condition: teach me all your martial arts."
"Hmph!"
Ido Shuichi snorted, took his stance, and sneered. "So you've been after my skills all along. No wonder you had the guts to challenge me. Fine. If you can really survive these eight seconds, why wouldn't I teach you? You little lunatic."
Before you continue