"Thud!"
With the sound of a fist striking flesh, Shota was sent flying several meters once again.
"Heh heh heh~"
The Hardening Demon's sinister laughter echoed through the night sky.
He did not pursue Shota, but stood where he was, seemingly convinced that Shota could no longer fight or pose any threat to him.
That was indeed the case. Shota lay on the ground, intense pain coursing through both hands.
He had shielded his face with his hands just now. Though he had avoided a fatal injury, his hands had been badly hurt.
He tried to push himself up with his hands, but the searing pain made it impossible.
The pain in his hands made Shota realize he could no longer fight, filling his heart with despair.
At that realization, Shota's fighting spirit gradually died out like a flame scattered by a fierce wind.
Exhausted, he abandoned his desire to keep fighting and struggled to roll over, lying on his back on the cold ground.
At that moment, he felt as though he were in a lonely, silent world.
He raised his head and gazed at the boundless night sky. A bright full moon hung high above, casting down gentle silver light as though draping a thin veil over the world.
Am I going to die?
Is this as far as I can go?
But... I still haven't avenged my little sister.
Shota's heart brimmed with resentment and anger.
He remembered the little sister he had lost, that gentle, kindhearted girl.
He had sworn to avenge her, but now it seemed that oath would remain buried in his heart forever.
I wish...
I wish I could eat Mom's wisteria cakes one more time...
Tears spilled from his eyes unbidden. He closed his eyes and let them slide down his cheeks.
Tap, tap, tap...
In the silent night, faint footsteps shattered the tranquil world in Shota's eyes.
The footsteps drew closer, and a figure slowly passed by Shota's side, swift and silent as a breeze.
Though the stranger's steps were unhurried, he moved extremely fast, and every step was exceptionally steady, as though honed through years of training.
The breeze he stirred brushed gently past, carrying the night's chill and the faint fragrance of vegetation, softly ruffling Shota's hair.
His hair stirred gently in the moonlight, soft as black silk.
Shota instinctively turned to look. Watery moonlight spilled softly over the stranger.
He was a man roughly a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, dressed in plain black clothes that seemed to blend into the night, with a bundle on his back.
In his hand was a heavy sword clearly a size larger than the Nichirin Blades ordinary people used. Its blade gleamed coldly, exuding a chilling aura, while another Nichirin Blade hung at his waist.
I'm saved!
The figure's appearance shone like dawn into Shota's despairing world, and a powerful hope slowly rose within him.
Who else could appear on Mount Fujikasane carrying a Nichirin Blade but someone taking part in the training alongside him?
He gritted his teeth, endured the pain in his body, and struggled to prop his upper body up on his elbows.
Though the movement made his wounds hurt even more, he did not shrink back. He raised his head and shouted to the stranger with all his strength:
"Watch out! This demon is extremely dangerous! He can use a Blood Demon Art to harden his skin. A Nichirin Blade can't cut through it!"
Teiichi had already been watching from the sidelines for quite a while and had a fairly good grasp of the demon's abilities. Still, upon hearing the warning, he turned back and smiled at Shota in thanks.
Then he continued walking toward the Hardening Demon, step by step.
The Hardening Demon stared at Teiichi as he approached from a distance, his expression growing increasingly grave.
He had indeed refrained from immediately finishing Shota off because he thought Shota could no longer fight, but when he had moved to end the battle, Teiichi had already stepped calmly out from behind a tree.
Now, facing Teiichi, the Hardening Demon felt unprecedented pressure.
Teiichi's calm, composed expression seemed to tell him that this man was nothing like Shota, whom he had so easily defeated.
But he did not want to abandon the prey he had worked so hard to catch tonight.
The Hardening Demon drew a deep breath, trying to intimidate Teiichi with words.
"Hey, brat!"
"You heard what that guy said, didn't you? A Nichirin Blade can't cut through my skin.
"It's not too late to leave. I won't kill you."
At the Hardening Demon's words, Shota looked anxious, terrified that Teiichi would turn around and leave. He wanted to say something but feared his words might have the opposite effect, leaving him visibly conflicted.
Ignoring Shota's expression as he lay on the ground, Teiichi merely smiled faintly at the Hardening Demon's threat and slowly said:
"Well, thank you very much! But it's already too late for you to leave."
"Damn you!"
Hearing Teiichi's scornful words, the white-haired demon flew into a humiliated rage, a savage fury burning in his heart.
When in doubt, charge in first. The Hardening Demon rushed at Teiichi.
Facing the swiftly charging Hardening Demon, Teiichi showed no trace of panic. He stood in place like a towering mountain, quietly awaiting his enemy's arrival.
When the Hardening Demon came within a certain distance, Teiichi finally moved.
He raised his right hand high, gripping the heavy training sword, and brought it crashing down toward the Hardening Demon's head without hesitation.
Seeing the heavy sword coming straight down at him, the Hardening Demon curled his lips into a disdainful smile.
I thought someone strong had shown up, but he's just another fool who doesn't know his limits. He's putting everything into a direct overhead strike. Doesn't he know a Nichirin Blade can't cut through my skin?
As he thought this, the Hardening Demon raised his right hand, preparing to block Teiichi's attack in the same way.
Meanwhile, he held his left fist ready at his waist, planning to slam it into this arrogant fellow the instant his right hand stopped the heavy sword.
"Clang!"
However, things did not unfold as the Hardening Demon had expected.
With a ringing clash like metal striking stone, the heavy training sword slammed into the Hardening Demon's arm.
An immense force surged from Teiichi's heavy sword, instantly shattering the Hardening Demon's confidence.
"Crack!"
A sharp snap of breaking bone rang out, and the Hardening Demon's face instantly turned deathly pale.
The bones in his right arm had broken. His right hand drooped limply, no longer able to support the heavy sword's weight.
His left hand hurriedly rose from his waist, trying to block the falling sword, but it was already futile.
The heavy sword continued its unstoppable descent, aimed straight at the Hardening Demon's skull.
Seeing this, the Hardening Demon could only strain to tilt his head aside. Yet the heavy sword still pressed down on his arms and slammed into his shoulder.
"Thud!"
A deafening crash echoed across the open battlefield. As though struck head-on by a heavy hammer, the Hardening Demon instantly lost his balance and was sent flying backward.
His body traced an arc through the air before crashing into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust.
"Ah... damn it!"
The Hardening Demon screamed in agony, his shrill, piercing cries echoing through the silent night sky and sending chills down the spine. His body trembled violently.
Teiichi gave the Hardening Demon no chance to catch his breath, swiftly closing in on his fallen enemy.
He raised the heavy training sword high, its tip gleaming coldly as though it would tear through the night. Without hesitation, he swung it down, smashing it toward the Hardening Demon's chest once again.
At the sight, the Hardening Demon screaming on the ground forgot his pain for an instant and instinctively raised both arms in front of his chest again.
Clang!
The heavy training sword slammed into the Hardening Demon's arms with a deafening metallic crash.
Then the heavy sword continued pressing downward, driving the Hardening Demon's arms down with tremendous force.
Crack!
"Aaahhh..."
Accompanied by an even louder clang and the snap of breaking bones, the Hardening Demon screamed.
Teiichi slowly straightened and planted the heavy training sword beside him, looking at the Hardening Demon on the ground.
The Hardening Demon's arms were now bent unnaturally, their bones clearly broken. His chest was visibly caved in as well, dented by the heavy training sword.
Shing~
Teiichi slowly drew the Nichirin Blade from behind his waist. He glanced down at the Hardening Demon, who was still screaming on the ground, and without pity, swiftly swept the blade across his neck.
"Shick~"
With a soft sound, the Hardening Demon's screams abruptly stopped.
Teiichi ended his life in that instant, and the world returned to silence once more.
Shota still lay on the ground, struggling to support his upper body on his elbows. His gaze remained fixed on the scene before him, the shock in his heart churning like a raging sea, unable to settle.
He stared blankly as the battle between Teiichi and the Hardening Demon ended, finding the sight utterly unbelievable.
This battle was completely different from what his teacher had taught him.
He could sense no application of technique, only pure strength overwhelming a demon, as though the enemy had been defeated in the most direct, most brutal way possible.
Shota began recalling his teacher's lessons, those past scenes flashing through his mind like a movie.
His teacher's kindly face appeared clearly before his eyes, and he felt as though he had returned to that classroom filled with wisdom and strength.
"Shota, you must remember."
His teacher's voice was gentle yet firm.
"Human bodies are far inferior to those of demons. They possess strength and regenerative abilities beyond those of ordinary people.
"When we're injured, if we don't receive treatment in time, even a tiny wound can cost us our lives."
"That's why we mustn't pit our strength against demons when we fight them."
His teacher continued,
"We can only rely on our skills to keep maneuvering in battle against demons, searching for openings and waiting for a chance to use our sword forms to decide the outcome."
Shota remembered looking at his teacher with determination in his eyes and nodding to show he understood.
Back to the present.