Murder! Murder!

"I'm definitely going to die here! Please, save me! Please, protect me! Aaaaah!"

Kirishima Bupai had been happily eating, but with Zenitsu clinging to him and wailing, he was left utterly exasperated.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let go!"

Kirishima Bupai frowned, lifting his leg and shaking it hard, trying to shake Zenitsu off.

But Zenitsu held on far too tightly, wrapped around his leg like an octopus. No matter how hard he shook, he couldn't shake him off.

Damn it, is this guy part octopus? Kirishima Bupai cursed inwardly, growing a little impatient.

He looked down at the chocolate in his hand, then at Zenitsu, who was stuck to his leg like a piece of sticky candy, and suddenly thought of an idea.

He unwrapped another piece of chocolate and waved it right under Zenitsu's nose.

The rich scent of chocolate immediately wafted into Zenitsu's nostrils.

Zenitsu's nose twitched, and his crying stopped at once. His stomach also let out a timely rumble.

He gazed longingly at the chocolate, his eyes shining with desire.

At that moment, he looked utterly pitiful, truly enough to tug at anyone's heartstrings.

Kirishima Bupai was almost speechless. This guy really knew how to act cute.

Clearing his throat, he said irritably, "Get down. If you want chocolate, get down."

Hearing this, Zenitsu swallowed, his gaze darting between the chocolate and the demons in the distance as a fierce struggle played out in his mind.

Although the chocolate looked delicious and smelled wonderful...

If I let go, this big shot will definitely stop looking after me. When those demons pounce on me, I'll definitely die!

No, I can't let go!

Zenitsu shook his head. Rather than letting go, he clung even tighter. "No! I'm not letting go! Unless you promise to protect me, I won't let go even if I die!"

Seeing him like this, Kirishima Bupai laughed in exasperation. "You're actually trying to bargain with me?"

He kicked at Zenitsu and said irritably, "Let go of me! You're a grown man, and you're this much of a coward. Aren't you ashamed?!"

"Let go already! Don't you know Thunder Breathing? They're just a few little demons. What are you afraid of?"

Hearing the words "Thunder Breathing," Zenitsu immediately grew frantic and protested aggrievedly, "I... I don't know Thunder Breathing!"

"I only know the First Form, and I'm not even good at it. I'm no match for those demons! There are so many of them. How could I possibly beat them?"

"I was forced to come!"

"My master forced me to come here for the selection. I never wanted to come!"

"All I want is to find somewhere to sleep in peace, marry a beautiful wife, and live out my life peacefully!"

The more Zenitsu spoke, the more worked up he became, and tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

Holding his forehead as he watched him, Kirishima Bupai began to feel a headache coming on.

He could see now that getting this guy to let go probably wouldn't be easy.

Just then, the demons in the distance drew closer and closer. They had caught the scent of living humans and let out excited snarls.

Kirishima Bupai looked at Zenitsu's expression of defiance unto death, then glanced at the approaching demons. A wicked smile suddenly curled his lips.

He abruptly stuffed the chocolate in his hand into his mouth and mumbled, "Fine, you're not letting go, huh? Then I'll deal with these nuisances first and take my time playing with you afterward."

Before he had finished speaking, he darted forward, charging toward the demons like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Several cold flashes swept past, accompanied by a few brief screams. The demons were instantly sliced to pieces, turning to ash that dispersed into the air.

[Ding! Killed one Common Demon. Gained 54 points. Current total points: 850.]

[Ding! Killed one Common Demon. Gained 54 points. Current total points: 904.]

Kirishima Bupai sheathed his blade and clapped his hands, as though he were merely dusting them off.

He turned around and looked with a faint, ambiguous smile at Zenitsu, who still clung desperately to his thigh. "All right, now no one's here to interrupt us."

His gaze made Zenitsu's skin crawl. Zenitsu instinctively shrank back his neck and held on even tighter. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

"Nothing much."

Kirishima Bupai bent down, leaned close to Zenitsu's ear, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"I just think dragging around dead weight like you is too much trouble. So why don't I..."

He deliberately drew out his words, his gaze turning "vicious." "...kill you, so you stop clinging to me."

"Aaaah!!!"

Scared out of his wits, Zenitsu screamed and abruptly let go, scrambling backward on his hands and feet as he tried to escape.

"Running?" Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow, feeling thoroughly playful. "You think you can get away?"

He drew his Nichirin Blade, its surface reflecting a cold gleam, and chased after Zenitsu. "Stop! Don't run! Let me try cutting you! Just once!"

"Aaaah! Help! Murder!" Zenitsu was so terrified that tears and snot streamed down his face as he scrambled madly through the woods, shouting incoherently.

"I don't want to die! I haven't even gotten married yet! Help!"

He stumbled as he ran, nearly tripping over tree roots several times. He looked so ridiculous, just like a chicken being chased by a weasel.

Kirishima Bupai followed behind him, deliberately slowing his pace.

As he snickered, he occasionally scraped his blade against the tree trunks beside him, making harsh scraping sounds that frightened Zenitsu into running even faster.

"Hey, run faster!" Kirishima Bupai teased deliberately. "Going that slowly, you'll make it easy for me to catch you!"

"Stop chasing me! I was wrong! I'll never dare cling to you again!" Zenitsu cried as he ran, his voice thick with tears. "Please spare my life! I'll kowtow to you!"

As he spoke, he actually turned back and bowed his head to Kirishima Bupai while running, and ended up not watching where he was going...

Thud!

With a dull thump, he ran headfirst into a large tree, instantly seeing stars and reeling in confusion.

Kirishima Bupai stopped and watched Zenitsu clutching his head and turning in circles on the ground, unable to hold back a snort of laughter.

This guy really is a clown!

Zenitsu raised his head groggily and saw Kirishima Bupai standing right in front of him.

When his gaze fell on the blade in Kirishima Bupai's hand, Zenitsu was instantly scared out of his mind and hurriedly crawled backward on his hands and feet.

"D-don't kill me..."

Kirishima Bupai put away his blade and crouched down. Looking at his cowardly state, he deliberately put on a stern face. "Now you're scared? Weren't you so good at clinging to me earlier?"

Swallowing in terror, Zenitsu hurriedly shook his head like a bobblehead. "N-no more clinging! I'll never cling to you again! I'll do whatever you tell me to. Please don't kill me..."

Just then, an angry shout suddenly rang out from the woods beside them. "Stop! You bastard, fighting to kill each other during the selection? That's going too far!"

Kirishima Bupai and Zenitsu both looked toward the voice and saw a tall boy step out from behind a tree.

The boy had short black hair, a fierce gaze, and several scars on his face.

He wore a tattered kimono and held a small, oddly shaped firearm, glaring viciously at Kirishima Bupai.