"Yes." Nakoruru nodded firmly. "A man claiming to be a resurrected child of God. He's brought endless disaster and Mizuki demons. All of Japan has fallen into panic. As nature's priestess, I must stop him."
"Then there's no problem." Cloud said. "My assignment's target is also him. Looks like we're headed the same way."
He looked at Nakoruru and extended his hand with a smile. "So then, beautiful priestess of nature, would you mind traveling with a visitor from another world to go defeat the Demon King together?"
In the sunlight, the man's smile was brilliant and reassuring—as if it could dispel all the world's shadows.
Nakoruru looked at his outstretched hand, then at his pajamas and flip-flops that looked utterly ridiculous in this environment, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The sadness and tension from the battle were instantly diluted.
She gently placed her slender, pale hand in Cloud's palm.
"My honor, powerful traveler from another world."
Two hands clasped together, marking a reunion across time and space, and heralding the official start of a new adventure.
[System Notification: "Dimensional Correction: Samurai Shodown Arc" Phase One Quest—Integration—Complete. Rating: S-Rank (Successfully established contact with key world figure in an extremely flashy and illogical manner). Reward: Gift pack x1.]
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A gift pack? Let's open it."
[Starter Gift Pack successfully opened! Congratulations, Host! You received: [Costume Illusion Card] x1, [Language Mastery (Ancient Japanese)], [Local Currency (Koban)] x100.]
"Costume Illusion Card? Nice, nice. Finally don't have to fight in pajamas." Cloud nodded with satisfaction. "As for Language Mastery... I could already understand everyone."
[System: Host was previously using real-time system translation. Now you truly master it. Power saving, understand?]
Cloud: "..."
Fine, you win.
He held Nakoruru's soft hand, feeling great. Starting with a harem member right off the bat—this luck was basically a godly opening hand.
He was already looking forward to just how many delicious "dishes" this "luxury buffet" in the Samurai Shodown world would serve.
...
With Nakoruru's guidance and the villagers' tearful gratitude, Cloud finally changed out of his attention-grabbing "performance art" pajamas.
He used the [Costume Illusion Card] to transform his outfit into a modified black martial arts uniform—simple and sharp, fitting both this era's aesthetics and combat needs. He finally looked like a "proper" warrior.
After settling the surviving villagers, the two set off for Shimabara, where Amakusa's castle lay.
Along the way, Nakoruru chattered away, telling Cloud about this world's various aspects—from nature's whispers to demonic evil, to legends of swordsmen throughout the land.
Cloud occasionally interjected with jokes, using internet memes and modern humor that left this otherworldly nature priestess sometimes confused, sometimes unable to suppress her laughter.
Hokkaido's landscape was magnificent and primal. Across the vast plains, reed beds swayed in the wind like a golden sea. Snow-capped mountains gleamed in the distance, sacred and majestic.
The two walked along the winding dirt road, Nakoruru's guardian hawk Mamahaha circling watchfully above. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene.
However, this peace was soon shattered by a rough, booming voice.
"Damn it! Where the hell am I?!"
The sound came from a fork in the road not far ahead, full of frustration and bewilderment.
Cloud and Nakoruru exchanged glances and walked toward the voice. There they found a red-haired man scratching his head in confusion before two identical-looking signposts, wearing an expression of existential crisis.
The man was tall and solidly built, wearing a worn but clean white training uniform. At his waist hung an impressively long katana in an ancient scabbard—clearly no ordinary weapon.
On his back hung a large sake gourd, swaying with his movements.
Most striking was his wild mane of red hair—like a burning flame, full of vitality.
"Isn't this the legendary ultimate direction-challenged person?" Cloud whispered to Nakoruru. "There are literally only two roads, and he's managed to get lost. This guy's talented. If he were in our world, Gaode Maps and Baidu Maps would have to release a special swordsman edition overnight, with Lin Zhiling's voice navigation."
Nakoruru stifled a laugh. She recognized this man.
"That's Lord Haohmaru," she said softly. "A very powerful swordsman, just... not great with directions."
"Haohmaru?" Cloud's eyebrow rose. Well well, running into a main character.
The male protagonist of the Samurai Shodown series—a pure martial artist who had dedicated his life to the way of the sword and fine sake.
Just then, Haohmaru noticed the approaching pair. He turned, his eyes sharp as an eagle's scanning over them.
When he saw Nakoruru, some surprise showed on his face. "Oh? Isn't this the little lady from Kamui Kotan? What are you doing here?"
"Lord Haohmaru, it's been a while." Nakoruru bowed politely.
Haohmaru nodded, then his gaze fell on Cloud.
Instantly, the casualness and frustration vanished from his face, replaced by extreme focus and gravity. His hand unconsciously moved to the hilt at his waist.
"This guy..." Haohmaru's mind churned with turbulent waves.
The black-clad man before him appeared to be standing casually, yet he seemed to contain an ocean of unfathomable depths.
His aura was restrained to the extreme, but even that one-ten-thousandth that occasionally leaked out made this battle-hardened swordsman's heart skip a beat.
It wasn't killing intent. It wasn't demonic energy. It was a "strength" so pure it was absolute.
Like a towering snow-capped mountain—you knew it was there, but could never estimate its height or weight.
A master! A top-tier master beyond anything he'd encountered before!
...
Get 20+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"