Adapting was not easy, but after a week of living together with Groza in the house I had previously bought, she had started to grow closer to the Doll and became good friends with her. Sometimes Groza helped, sometimes Masami helped Groza. I no longer needed to worry about the distance between the two of them now.
A week felt extremely long thanks to my habit of spending time inside the Training Field. Not only to train, but also to rest and study. Compared to the other members, I had the highest intensity of Training Field usage.
So high that everyone was worried about my condition. They thought something had happened to the point that the History that appeared mostly contained information about me going back and forth using the Training Field.
In the end, I did all of that to handle problems that could occur during missions.
In the first mission, I ran out of magical energy just to gather Rosemary's body fragments. Fortunately, I was lucky enough that the situation was still within the realm I could control.
Luck does not come twice and I have no intention of gambling with fate.
***
[Mission Available!]
["Flower Pillar" is in danger! During her patrol, she'll encounter one of the Powerful Twelve Kizuki Demon! Although she can avoid being eaten, her fatal wound will kill her in the end.
Help your fellow comrade to rebel against death.
You will be sent after you're ready or when the 2-hour timer ends.]
It's time.
Two weeks since I started my training in the Training Field, the second mission finally appeared.
Unlike the two years I spent nonstop, I made a repeated schedule to touch some grass a day in the real world every month inside the Training Field.
With my Mind Alteration Spell, I can keep my mind refreshed with every moment in the day I leave the world.
Unlike before, I am already prepared. Through combat evaluation simulations against Miranda and her goons, I can fight for five days and five nights straight without rest.
That is still not enough. I hope I can fight nonstop for more than a week, but at least there has been progress in my training during those 14 months.
Today is Monday and the weather is starting to show a transition into becoming colder. Summer is over. It feels very long, but that is my fault for spending more time inside the Training Field than in my own world.
I even repeat the same words as two weeks ago without a reason because my perception of time is chaotic.
Compared to the worlds of the others, time in my world runs slower because of what I do.
During two weeks in the real world, the changes were not few in the worlds of all members. Yahiko's teacher, Sage Jiraiya, has left them because his mission in Amegakure is done. Ethan's daughter has started to learn to walk. Mei has joined Fire Moth, an organization that fights against the Honkai. As for Kanae, her life is already at the edge of a cliff.
My belongings are ready, I already have enough power to solo Muzan and his goons.
I intend to use the ready method when transferring and not wait for the timer to finish. Different from the first mission.
When the system has verified my readiness physically and mentally, I lose perception for a moment and when my perception of the world returns, I am no longer inside my apartment. Trees, bushes, and rocks. Those are what are in my sight now.
At that very moment, I send my Magic Sense in all directions, even to the sky above and underground, capturing every living being and also dead objects several kilometers from my position.
From the eyes, my surroundings are not clearly visible due to the darkness and the new moon hanging above the sky. If not for magic, I would automatically be blind.
I open the group chat panel.
["Ordinary Person": I am already in Kanae's world. @Flower Pillar, I will meet you, wait for me there.]
["Undying Father": I see.]
["Nerdy Raijin": Alright.]
["Flower Pillar": Thank you for your help!]
["Not-Ramen Topping": How can you go first, Kiriya-san?]
["Ordinary Person": I just said that I'm ready to system.]
["Not-Ramen Topping": I see! I will go too.]
Beside me, light appears and manifests Yahiko. I close the system panel.
"So it turns out it is already night here." Yahiko comments.
He has grown little bit taller compared to a few months since I last saw him. And now, he's more of a real warrior than just an apprentice.
I create a ball of light.
"Kiriya-san, where are we going?" Yahiko, who seems satisfied after looking around, asks me.
"I still have not found Kanae, but I found one of the lesser enemies, although very weak compared to the enemy that Kanae will fight for her life."
"I see … and since Kiriya-san mentioned an enemy, should we fight them?"
"Of course. We must know the danger the enemy possesses to fight them."
I lift Yahiko with a levitation spell and fly toward six o'clock, flying at high speed between the trees.
"KHakhakhakha!!! My prey comes by itself!!!"
That voice comes from the creature in front of us. A humanoid demon with short white horns on his forehead and long fangs like a beast.
"What the hell is that?" Yahiko said calmly.
"Oni, demon, same things, whatever you call it. They eat humans."
The demon approaches us in the air and raises his elongated claws.
"Their weakness is the sun and also swords made from special material, just like Kanae's sword."
I lock the demon as a target and confine him inside a cube-shaped barrier.
"Gah– what is this?! This will not be able to STOP ME!!"
I ignore him and continue explaining to Yahiko. "They can regenerate very quickly. If compared to Shinobi in your world, I am sure they can rival Chunin and the very strong ones can rival Jounin."
"That strong?"
"But of course, those as strong as Jounin are not that easy to find. They are direct subordinates of the Demon King, Muzan. Though, this is all just a rough theoretical estimate. The enemy who will kill Kanae is one of the twelve direct subordinates of the Demon King."
"Is this twelve demons the same thing that is mentioned in the mission?"
"Yes."
Yahiko got silent, his eyes looked confused at the demon who's panicking after I mention the name Muzan.
"What happen with him?" He pointed to the demon inside the barrier.
"Low-level demons, like him, cannot mention Muzan's name. Or more precisely do not dare. They are directly connected through a mental bond with Muzan. They cannot oppose him. In fact, all demons can die instantly with just a single touch from Muzan."
"All demons with one touch, does that include the twelve demons? Is this Muzan that strong?"
"As the first demon, he is the origin and source of all demons, of course Muzan can do anything to his descendants."
A Patient Zero if you want to call him.
"Oh, I see … then, if this demon can regenerate, how do we kill him? We don't really have sun right now or Kanae-san's weapons right? Is it fire?"
I shift my gaze from the orange-haired teenager toward the demon who is panicking and convulsing like a madman because of Muzan's name.
"What makes demons able to rival Jounins, and maybe Kage, is their super regeneration. They can still die if you cut their necks with the same kind of sword as Kanae's, but the Twelve Kizuki—demons under Muzan—can still live even if you cut them with that sword. For the twelve demons, you can leave the execution to me, while this demon, you can still kill it yourself."
"How?"
"Draw your sword."
Yahiko draws the katana sword at his waist, I coat his blade with a special attribute.
"Oh?! That's cool!!"
"I have given a kind of temporary effect to your sword. This is also a kind of test if this spell can kill them or not."
"Alright!"
Yahiko takes a stance in front of the demon and slash his sword, beheading that random demon in one swing. The demon slowly turns into ash and disappears.
The environment returns to silence as the demon dies. Yahiko sheaths his sword again.
Thanks to Yahiko, I know that my magic can also be used to kill demons. I don't need to use a Disintegration spell like Atomic just to kill them. I don't want to gamble my life with something uncertain after all.
"Yahiko, we will search for Kanae first and ensure her position and condition."
"Understood, Kiriya-san!"
However, before that, I must leave something for Mei and Ethan at our spawn point. We cannot possibly let friends get lost, can we?