"Woman, what a beauty!"
"Idiot, she's a monster! Run!"
"What's there to fear? It's not like our boss hasn't killed monsters before. A monster this beautiful would be so much fun to play with!"
"Go tell the boss! A beautiful monster in shrine maiden clothes is coming!"
The bandits, who had been busy looting and setting fires, watched as a beast-eared girl in shrine maiden clothes approached, carrying a strange katana.
They weren't afraid at all. If anything, they were excited.
Except for the bandit who went to report to their boss, the rest took up their weapons and approached the beautiful beast-eared girl.
This bandit gang numbered over a hundred. With a leader capable of killing monsters, they had looted village after village across the surrounding lands, even towns.
They did whatever they pleased. None of the local lords could do anything about them.
It wasn't that these bandits were stronger than the lords. They simply struck one place and moved on to another, leaving as soon as they'd robbed a village.
And because the gang was fairly powerful, the local lords had no way to wipe them out.
Besides... using up their troops to clear out bandits didn't serve the lords' interests.
"Get her! Grab her..."
Having followed their leader and seen him kill a "terrifying" and "powerful" monster with a single strike, the bandits had grown arrogant.
They figured monsters weren't all that powerful.
And with lust and desire clouding their minds, they charged straight at the beast-eared shrine maiden, weapons in hand.
"Know your place..."
Watching the bandits rush at her, trying to grab her, the beast-eared shrine maiden raised her katana with both hands, a bloodthirsty smile on her face.
"Cut!"
There was no sword energy, just a simple iaido slash!
The first bandit to charge was split in half from head to toe... neatly down the middle.
The bandit's blood splattered across the beast-eared shrine maiden's face. She didn't feel disgusted. Instead, her smile grew even more crazed.
Yes! Just like that... This is how it feels. I really am a pervert...
The beast-eared shrine maiden's eyes began to turn crimson. She licked the blood from her lips and charged at the remaining bandits.
She didn't use any sword energy, just simple swordsmanship.
Nothing like the complicated sword and blade techniques of the land of Shenzhou.
Most Eastern Island swordsmanship was much like what the samurai in Sekiro did... Draw! Sheathe!
Simple and direct.
Aiming to kill with a single strike, pursuing the utmost speed, without any flashy moves.
Slash! Chop! Thrust! Sweep!
"Monster..."
"She's a monster! Run!"
Watching the beast-eared shrine maiden slaughter them, the surviving bandits couldn't take it anymore. They turned and ran, even throwing away their weapons in their haste.
But the moment they turned to flee, the katana in the beast-eared shrine maiden's hand plunged into one of them.
"B-Big Sis, are... are you all right?"
Watching Yae Sakura's crazed expression, Higokumaru finally couldn't stop herself from worrying.
"..."
Yae Sakura turned to look at Higokumaru, startling her.
Yae Sakura's eyes... were crimson.
"Damn it, a Pseudo-Herrscher... Big Sis, you can't give in to the slaughter, or you'll become a Herrscher again. Wake up!"
Higokumaru hurriedly flew over to Yae Sakura and shook her.
"Higokumaru, what are you doing..."
At Higokumaru's touch, the crimson faded from Yae Sakura's eyes. She quickly pushed Higokumaru away.
"Big Sis, you're okay? Thank goodness!"
"What would be wrong with me? Honestly."
"Boss, that's her..."
Just then, the bandit who had gone to report returned with a man who looked like a samurai.
A scar about a foot long crossed the man's right eye, like a centipede. It made him look terrifying. He held a strange samurai sword, and near the top of its hilt... there seemed to be a strange eye.
"A demon blade..."
No wonder there was demonic energy. It was coming from that sword. It was a demon blade.
"A donkey monster? You killed them all?" The bandit leader looked at the corpses beside Yae Sakura, his expression darkening at once.
He gripped his katana, the veins bulging in his arm, and his eyes turned crimson.
"So what if I did?"
Stepping over the bandits' corpses, Yae Sakura walked slowly toward the leader, looking unconcerned.
It was just a demon blade with evil power.
"So what? I'm going to butcher you!"
The bandit leader gripped the demon blade with both hands and charged at her.
Since obtaining the demon blade, he had used it to kill countless monsters. Even the most terrifying monsters had fallen to a single strike.
And the monster in front of him looked almost human.
Surely she couldn't be as powerful as those monsters with their "terrifying" appearances?
"Boss, don't kill her right away! We've never seen such a beautiful monster before. You could cut off her arms. Whether you keep her for yourself or sell her to the nobles, she'd fetch a good price!"
The bandit behind him hurriedly called out to the charging leader.
The monsters they'd encountered before had all looked horrifying. This was the first time they'd come across such a beautiful one.
"..."
The bandit leader didn't answer, but he shifted his aim from Yae Sakura's head to her arms.
"Want to... cross swords?"
Looking at the bandit wielding the demon blade, Yae Sakura suddenly decided not to cut him down with a single strike.
Iaido!
As the bandit drew near, Yae Sakura, holding her blade in one hand, immediately slashed.
"Clang!"
But... the bandit, who had been attacking, instantly switched to blocking. The Void Blade struck the demon blade with a clang like hammering metal.
Her strike had failed. She immediately drew back her katana, adjusted her stance, and drew again!
"Clang, clang, clang..."
Every attack was blocked. And despite taking so many strikes from the Void Blade, the demon blade in the bandit's hand remained completely unharmed.
"Something's wrong! The demon blade is the real body..."
After a few exchanges, Yae Sakura finally realized something was off!
It looked as if the bandit was using the demon blade to fight, but in truth, the demon blade was controlling him.
No matter what move she made, the demon blade instantly shifted to block it. Otherwise... no human could possibly have reflexes like that.