I Like It Here

"The people here are indeed different from ordinary folks."

Yue blocked the other party's axe blade with his dagger. The powerful force almost sent his weapon flying, and his entire forearm went numb.

He thought to himself.

He could have easily dodged it… he just wanted to use the opportunity to test the opponent's skill.

After the first axe strike, the burly man revealed a row of yellow teeth. He clearly noticed the child struggling.

However, he was also quite surprised that the kid could block his attack.

Thinking this, he was about to swing his second axe, with no change in technique.

After all, in the burly man's eyes, the gap between them was too vast.

With a whoosh, this second, clearly more powerful and forceful, axe chop missed. Yue's small figure, with a turn of his ankle, seized the timing perfectly. As the burly man leaned forward from his chopping motion, Yue bent his knees and leaped, instantly vaulting past him.

Flying up with him was the cold glint of the dagger and… splashing blood.

A fatal blow.

The enemy's neck was cleanly severed, and blood gushed out.

Plop.

The body fell to the ground.

The burly man lay in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.

Yue had some blood splattered on his body and face. He didn't even bother to wipe it off, unconcerned, and continued forward.

The surrounding onlookers, who had been watching with amusement or schadenfreude, were stunned into silence by this scene.

Where did this kid come from?

So ruthless… he's not ordinary at all.

"Kenji's been taken down!"

"Whoa, whoa… no way, killed by a kid?"

The gazes from those nearby were a mixture of shock and curiosity, incredibly complex.

"So this is what killing feels like… I thought I'd feel repulsed or uneasy, but since I was mentally prepared and had done a lot of psychological groundwork beforehand, it seems… there's nothing special about it. Just a slight ripple in my heart, which will quickly subside." Yue gave a faint smile.

His gaze shifted from cold to somewhat fervent.

Because… this time, several people holding long sabers, who had initially been watching, also joined the fray.

After killing someone, they couldn't just let a kid like him leave.

The lawless zone had clear territorial divisions. Those who could survive here were basically organized into factions.

Lone wolves like Kenpachi, who disdained associating with trash, were very rare.

"You've got some skill, kid… daring to kill someone the moment you step onto my turf." A thin middle-aged man with a scar on his face raised the tip of his saber with one hand, pointing it at Yue's face. "You performed well. Become my subordinate."

"You're not worthy."

Yue sneered.

He could sense that the man before him, who resembled a samurai, was no ordinary fighter.

His gaze was incredibly sharp, clearly indicating someone with extensive combat experience.

Others only saw him instantly kill the burly man. This man should understand that the fatal factor was the latter's underestimation.

Without further words, in the next second, a soul-stirring saber gleam lunged towards him.

The angle and speed of the attack made Yue's pupils contract. He retreated in a hurry, but a few strands of his hair were still shaved off.

"This is different… not on the same level as the previous opponent. His saber… truly carries killing intent." A thought flashed through Yue's mind. Just as his back foot landed, another dark figure had already darted behind him, swinging a scythe-like sharp blade and cackling, "I'll chop off one of your legs first!"

Relying on his astonishing control over his lower body, Yue leaped instantly.

He dodged the attack.

However, he was facing more than one enemy.

It's hard to fight multiple opponents alone, let alone for a little brat like him to deal with several seasoned executioners.

While suspended in mid-air, another saber flash grazed his cheek.

The Scarred Man, who had attacked, had a slight change in expression.

He had chosen his moment to strike, intending to decapitate the kid. He hadn't expected that, while in mid-air, the kid could still twist his waist and arch backward, changing his body posture.

In the blink of an eye, Yue landed and sprang up again with his toes, moving at lightning speed.

He thrust his dagger towards the Scarred Man's throat.

After just a few exchanges, Yue had already judged that the most dangerous person to him was the Scarred Man.

The others were a notch below.

The Scarred Man narrowly dodged sideways, but his neck still received a gash.

"..."

The Scarred Man touched his wound, feeling the pain transmitted from his skin to his brain, and fell silent for a moment.

Then, he said coldly, "Kill him!"

He wasn't planning to drag this out any longer.

His companions, who had initially thought they wouldn't need to lift a finger, heard their leader's command and immediately joined the fray.

In an instant, Yue was completely surrounded and under attack.

A strange scene unfolded on the street: a group of thugs was actually attacking a little brat.

What was bizarre was that these burly adults seemed unable to subdue their target. The kid's movements were agile, his reactions incredibly quick. He occasionally used his dagger to parry their weapons, creating space for himself to move. He maximized the advantage of his small stature.

But even so, from the perspective of the battle, he was only buying time and hadn't gained any advantage.

There was no sign of a comeback.

"Sigh... why did I have to end up here..."

In the distance, an old man in tattered clothes, well past his prime, shook his head and sighed with a hint of regret.

Getting involved with these guys... was bound to end badly.

In his eyes, Yue was already dead.

After less than two or three minutes of struggling, Yue's clothes were constantly tearing, and wounds appeared.

He had underestimated the scoundrels in this lawless area... He had initially thought they were just minor pests with a little skill. Now, looking at them, it wasn't without reason that places like this could forge fighters like Kenpachi and some of the ruthless individuals in the First Gotei 13.

Their weapon usage and attack patterns, honed through years of brawling, had led them to develop experience and expertise.

They were difficult to defend against.

Most importantly, his combat experience, including the Taijutsu he learned at the Ninja Academy... lacked the preparedness for various combat scenarios.

And right now, he didn't have a variety of Ninja Tools to choose from, only a dagger that resembled a Kunai.

"Die!"

After a brief stalemate, someone kicked Yue in the abdomen.

Sending him flying.

The Scarred Man moved with his blade, his murderous face rapidly enlarging in Yue's vision.

However, facing this unavoidable fatal blow, Yue remained calm.

He flicked his wrist, throwing the dagger like a Kunai towards the Scarred Man's face, and then quickly formed hand seals with both hands.

The Scarred Man easily dodged the flying dagger and stabbed Yue through the stomach with his blade, the tip even embedding into the wooden planks of the house behind him, impaling Yue's corpse.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

The Scarred Man laughed heartily.

"Brat... I admit you've got some skill, but you shouldn't have shown off in front of me."

Looking at the corpse with its head bowed before him, the Scarred Man said menacingly, "This place... is the edge of hell in the Soul Society Outskirts."

Just as he finished speaking, the body on the wooden plank suddenly erupted in a puff of white smoke.

Everyone froze for a moment. When they looked again, they saw that what their leader's blade had pierced was actually a wooden stake.

Sealing Wood.

"What the hell is that?"

The Scarred Man's pupils dilated.

Substitution Technique!

Before anyone could react, Yue had already appeared behind the Scarred Man, grabbed the dagger he had thrown earlier, and moved in close.

"Watch out!"

Someone caught a glimpse of Yue out of the corner of their eye, but it was too late.

Yue leaped, landing on the Scarred Man's shoulders. Without hesitation, the dagger came down from above, plunging directly into the Scarred Man's skull.

Dead silence...

A battle that seemed decided was reversed.

The others felt a prickle of fear, their minds reeling.

They seemed unable to accept what had happened, as 'factors' they couldn't comprehend had appeared during the fight.

But Yue wouldn't miss such an opportunity. After taking down the enemy leader, he leaped again, closing in on the nearest opponent. The dagger in his hand transformed into a Shinigami's scythe, instantly piercing the other's chest. As the fatal dagger, stained with a large amount of blood, was pulled out, the young boy, both in expression and posture, now exuded an intense aura of aggression.

"Yaaah!"

Another person in front of him snapped back to reality and was about to attack again.

But in a daze, an unexpected attack came from behind. Someone swept his leg, knocking him to the ground, out of control.

As his body neared the ground, Yue's true form descended.

took his life.

Before dying, his face was blank with shock, because he saw who had ambushed him… a youth who looked exactly like the kid.

Twins?

When did they appear?

Hiding in the shadows the whole time…

This was his subconscious thought.

The genjutsu of the clones interacted with the main body, making it too confusing to tell which was which in a short amount of time.

Killing three opponents in a row, especially the death of Scarred Man, significantly reduced the fighting spirit of the remaining people. Coupled with Yue's overwhelming killing intent at the moment, and after wasting some effort with the clones created by chakra, he finally slaughtered everyone else.

"Hoo hoo hoo…"

After the battle, Yue swallowed, panting heavily.

The clones beside him dissipated into gas.

"A bit messy…"

He mocked himself inwardly.

Normal Shadow Clone Jutsu doesn't have a physical body. However, it can be used in conjunction with the main body's positional changes to confuse the target, affect their judgment, or launch feints, which is quite useful.

Although he appeared to be calm the entire time, he was actually a little panicked at the critical moment when Scarred Man almost killed him.

It was a jolt and a physiological reaction brought on by the proximity of death.

It was like when an enemy throws a punch, most people instinctively close their eyes.

"I must overcome this obstacle, allow my body and mind to accept and become familiar with this feeling… otherwise, I will be very passive."

Yue stood in place, lost in thought for a moment.

He was reviewing.

This was his first real fight, and his emotions were in turmoil.

He had merely suppressed them well.

He disliked this feeling intensely… he had to keep himself calm at all times, no matter the circumstances.

Only absolute calmness could allow the brain to make the optimal choice.

His clothes were disheveled, and his face was slightly weary… mainly due to the stimulation and tension from his first death match, which consumed a lot of physical and mental energy.

As his body and soul gradually adapted… the situation would improve.

He considered himself a bit messy… but the old man who had been watching from afar, witnessing the entire event, had his mouth agape, staring at him with terrified eyes.

The boy stood in the pool of blood from several corpses, his dagger still dripping with viscous blood… At this moment, the youth was by no means messy; he was a complete god of slaughter.

The old man's body trembled, and he immediately ran away fearfully.

In the lawless zone… 'death' was not personified; whether it was a samurai, a madman, or the weak and infirm, anyone could take your life.

But there was one kind of 'death' that was not limited by age, appearance, or type, and that was power!

Undisputed power.

Originating from your strength.

Yue raised his head, preparing to head deeper into the district to find a place to rest.

But as he looked up, his steps faltered.

He observed that everyone from the street corners to the ends of the street who had noticed the fight here had focused their gazes on him.

Their gazes varied… but they shared the same emotions: surprise, apprehension, and the respect Yue had earned through his own abilities.

"It seems… I am qualified to live here."

Yue calmly met every gaze, speaking clearly, word by word, "It's really good, I like the atmosphere here… and your eyes."

The response he received was silence.

And tacit agreement.