Hot, humid air hung over the forest clearing. Inosuke lay sprawled on the ground like a dried-out salted fish, heat rising from his Boar Headgear and sweat soaking a large patch of earth beneath him.
"Ha... ha... this... Demon Mode... sure fucking burns fat!"
Inosuke wheezed like broken bellows. His whole body felt hollowed out, every limb weak and aching. Those ten-odd seconds of explosive power had practically burned through his life, but his physical capabilities really had shot up.
The Sapphire Star emptied a jug of icy water over Inosuke, sending up clouds of steam. From a distance, anyone who didn't know better might have thought she was steaming a suckling pig.
"That's why I said we should wait until you became a Hashira. I was worried Demon Mode would drain your kidneys dry..."
The Sapphire Star shook her head helplessly. Inosuke had actually done much better than she'd expected. Lasting ten-odd seconds put him ahead of some novice hunters, but it was still nowhere near enough for actual combat.
"B... bullshit!" Inosuke struggled to sit up.
"I... can still-" Before he could finish shouting, his back and legs gave out, and he flopped heavily onto the ground again. His fingers clawed uselessly at the dirt, his legs kicking in vain like a turtle that couldn't right itself.
"Oh, give it a rest. You'll be fine after a break. Demon Mode isn't some dark art. This is exactly why you Dual Blades users can't compare to us Long Sword users..." The Sapphire Star poured another jug of water over him to cool him down.
Inosuke really was carefree. The moment he recovered a little stamina, he insisted on practicing again, only to collapse immediately afterward. He repeated this several times.
The Sapphire Star and the Palico could only keep