Chapter 78: I Want Something with a Real Kick
Morning light completely dispersed the gloom hanging over the town.
With Mukago's death, the spores lurking within the patients' bodies withered
rapidly, gradually flushed out by their immune and circulatory systems. Even
those who hadn't received Shinobu's inhibitor were no longer in mortal danger.
While the more severe cases would need a few weeks to recover, the lethal threat
had been neutralized across all six towns.
Currently, the Kakushi and medical staff from the Butterfly Mansion were
conducting the final rounds of cleanup and documentation.
Natsuya and his group, however, had already returned to Yokohama.
In the training yard of the Igarashi estate, Natsuya leaned against a tree,
staring down at the newly updated rank inscribed on the back of his hand.
[HEI] (Rank 3)
Almost the moment they stepped back into the mansion after the Lower Moon
mission, the crow had brought news of his promotion. In just two or three
months, he had jumped five ranks total—from Kanoe to Tsuchinoe, and now all the
way to Hei. In the strictly meritocratic and notoriously slow promotion system
of the Corps, such a vertical climb was unheard of.
"Think it's too fast?"
Igarashi's voice drifted from the side. He had changed out of his battle-worn
haori into a plain silk kimono, his gaze behind his glasses as gentle as ever.
"Soloing a Lower Moon while ensuring the safety of your unit... that level of
merit deserves the rank of Hei."
Natsuya rubbed the mark on his hand but didn't say anything.
He didn't actually care about the title. He was busy checking the "Quest
Rewards" issued by the Ubuyashiki family. Between his previous savings and the
massive bounty from a Kizuki kill...
Am I actually rich enough to buy a mansion in Tokyo now? I wonder how many 'Gold
Coins' dropped from that Boss.
Igarashi, naturally, couldn't read Natsuya's spreadsheet-brain. He assumed the
boy was just feeling the weight of his new responsibilities as they prepared to
part ways.
In Igarashi's eyes, Natsuya had cleared his "Final Exam" perfectly. He had
proven he could defeat a Lower Moon. Even if Natsuya had backup and Shinobu
provided the hard-counter serum, Igarashi knew Natsuya hadn't even shown his
full hand.
In an era where the Corps was desperate for high-tier combatants, Natsuya
already had the specs of a Hashira. It was only a matter of time before he
officially took a seat.
"It is time for you to head to the Rengoku estate," Igarashi said. "I only hope
Lord Shinjuro is in a better state of mind than the last time I heard from him."
He looked at Natsuya, noting the boy's growing "Collection" of gear. Kazami's
pack, Urokodaki's mask, the Mt. Sagiri friendship knots, Matsuyama's hammer, and
Nikaido's wine gourd.
Igarashi smiled. Since every previous master had given him a souvenir, he
wouldn't let the tradition end with him.
"Natsuya. Before you depart, is there anything you want? Consider it a reward
for clearing your Final Exam."
"As long as it's within my power and doesn't break Corps regulations, it's
yours."
He paused and added a joke: "Besides a new Nichirin Sword, of course. You'd have
to go to the smiths for that, and I think you're already carrying enough steel
to open a shop."
Carrying four swords and a hammer while dual-wielding? Yeah, the encumbrance is
getting real, Natsuya thought.
He snapped out of his daze.
Oh?! A choice of reward? Is Igarashi basically a quest-giving Shenron?
Thinking about Igarashi's Western education and business connections, Natsuya's
eyes lit up. He rubbed his chin, a somewhat greedy, "gamer-trade" smile
appearing on his face.
"Uzen-senpai... tell me... do you have anything... with a real kick?"
"Hmm?" The Hashira blinked, not quite understanding the modern slang. "A
'kick'?"
"I mean—" Natsuya gestured, trying to describe it in Taisho-era terms.
"Something besides a sword. Something high-impact, loud, preferably an import
from the West. A rare piece of 'Iron Fire'?"
"A musket? Or perhaps a pistol?"
If it were a rural Slayer or a simple farmer, they wouldn't have understood. But
Igarashi was different. He pushed his glasses up and looked at Natsuya
thoughtfully for a few seconds.
"Follow me."
He led the boy to his study, fumbled with a hidden latch on his bookshelf, and
opened a secret compartment. He pulled out an exquisite wooden box and handed it
to Natsuya.
Inside was a sleek, blue-black metallic object that gleamed under the lamp.
It was a semi-automatic handgun. Next to it were two rows of polished brass
cartridges.
"It's a... Colt something," Igarashi admitted. "I don't know much about them,
but I'm told it's the latest model from the New World. I traded a bankrupt
Western merchant for it in Yokohama last year. Ammo is limited; I only have
what's in the box."
Natsuya picked it up. The weight was satisfyingly heavy. To him, it was
a 200-year-old antique, but for a gamer, the "Pony" logo on the grip was an
iconic marker. He'd used this in a dozen different shooters.
My Senior actually has a Colt M1903 Pocket Hammerless?!
What a high-tier quest reward!
He expertly ejected the magazine, checked the chamber, and racked the slide. The
action was as smooth as silk, perfectly maintained.
Igarashi watched him with surprise. How does my Junior know his way around a
Western firearm so well?
"It seems you recognize the tool," the Hashira noted. "Remember, it isn't a
Nichirin weapon. It won't 'kill' a demon permanently. But as a projectile
weapon, it can create openings you wouldn't get with a blade."
"Don't rely on it too much. Breathing and Logic are your true weapons."
Natsuya nodded absently. Yeah, yeah, Senior is right—the M1903 is definitely too
low-caliber for Upper Moons. I'm gonna need something like Johnny Silverhand's
Malorian 3516 for that tier.
Seeing Natsuya already dry-firing at the wall with a look of pure addiction,
Igarashi sighed.
"You... just get to Tokyo with Lady Kocho already. Give my regards to Lord
Rengoku when you see him." He hesitated for a second. "If possible... well,
you'll understand when you see him."
What's with the cryptic dialogue tree now? Natsuya wondered.
The atmosphere on the train to Tokyo was much more relaxed.
Shinobu sat across from Natsuya, her medical tome open, nibbling on some
konpeito (sugar candy) from her bento. She glanced at the landscape blurring
past the window, then at the boy opposite her, who was clearly in "AFK Mode"
again.
She couldn't focus on her book. She snapped it shut. "Hey. Big Dummy—I mean, Mr.
Kokonoe."
"Huh? Are we still on the train?" Natsuya snapped back to reality, looking at
her with genuine confusion. "Oh. It's you."
Shinobu: [?] We boarded together! We found this seat together! What do you mean
'Oh, it's you'?!
The girl suppressed her irritation.
"Listen, Mr. Kokonoe. During the fight with the Lower Moon... you weren't using
your full strength, were you?"
She knew he had only used Thunder Breathing during that fight. She hadn't seen
the "living encyclopedia" of styles everyone else talked about.
Natsuya nodded naturally.
"If you really have mastered all those styles..." Shinobu began, her voice
dropping a bit in volume. "Tell me... what is your assessment of my Insect
Breathing?"
☆☆☆
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