"But I can't keep dwelling on this. My luck can't be that bad. Yeah, there's no way I'll run into a demon! I'm the Lucky Sovereign!"
He steadied himself, set his bundle on the ground, opened the box, and took out a rice ball.
He was about to eat when he spotted someone standing outside the temple.
The figure stood in the pouring rain, seemingly oblivious to it.
The moment Tetsu no Sosuke looked at him, he jerked his head up!
Scarlet eyes, gray skin, savage fangs, veins bulging on his forehead—and a forked tongue flicking out like a snake's!
"What the hell!"
Tetsu no Sosuke's face changed. A demon!
What else could look like that?
Talk about tempting fate. He had just been bragging about his luck, and heaven had handed him this!
Run!
The instant he made up his mind, he froze and cursed. "Damn it!"
He had been so focused on getting out of the rain that he hadn't thought about where he was standing. Now he was tucked into an inner corner of the temple, with walls on both sides and nowhere to run.
There had been a window right beside him, but for some reason, someone had bricked it up.
That left two ways out. One was a window some distance away. If he moved fast enough, he could jump through it before the demon reached him.
The other was the doorway where the demon stood.
There was no question. He had to take the window.
Abandoning the rice ball on the ground, he snatched up the Heavenly Crafting Hammer and charged for the window.
At almost the same instant, the demon moved too.
He was heading for the same window. Tetsu no Sosuke seemed a little faster, but the demon was closer to it.
They charged straight toward each other and met head-on.
Seeing that a collision was inevitable, the demon laughed in triumph. "You think you can run—agh!"
Thud! Man and demon slammed into each other. The demon flew off his feet and tumbled out the window, his taunt cut short.
Tetsu no Sosuke felt as though he had run into a slab of iron. He had sent the demon flying, but he staggered backward and landed hard on his backside.
Snap! The Sword Case's strap broke.
His expression tightened. He scrambled up and turned to grab the Sword Case, but a rush of air sounded behind him. The demon was coming back.
His face darkened. There was no time. Gripping the Heavenly Crafting Hammer, he spun and swung it with all his might!
"Take this, you bastard!!!"
The hammer swept through the air. The demon's furious face loomed right before him, but he didn't even glance at the blow coming his way.
It was only an ordinary human's attack. Nothing to worry about.
Before you continue