Chapter 115: Yo, Long Time No See
Nagoya Outskirts.
Natsuya was the first to arrive at the rendezvous point—a derelict sake brewery.
The facility was hollowed out, with several sections of the structure crumbling
into ruin.
Moonlight spilled through the jagged holes in the roof, casting stark, pale
patches across dust-covered oak barrels and rusted machinery. It looked as
skeletal as the cobwebs clinging to the rafters. In recent years, the economy of
the Far East hadn't been particularly vibrant, leaving many small-scale
breweries like this one abandoned to the elements.
A normal person wouldn't set foot in a place like this at this hour. Such
locations were usually magnets for ill omens, roaming bandits, or worse.
"Seriously, couldn't we pick a meeting spot that doesn't smell like a tomb?"
"CAW! THE KAKUSHI SAID THERE'S A DEMON IN THE CITY! WE CAN'T STARTLE THE SNAKE,
CAW!"
"Nagoya is a massive city. What are the odds we'd just trip over it?"
"THE DEMON IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE AN ACCOMPLICE, CAW! VIGILANCE IS MANDATORY!"
Natsuya leaned against a massive, empty fermentation tank. While trading casual
banter with Shiro, he used the moonlight to scan the case files provided by the
Kakushi.
To be honest, the intel for this mission was fragmented and eerie. It didn't fit
the usual patterns. Among the victims, several bodies had been recovered
perfectly intact—not a single scratch, bruise, or mark of struggle. Even after
the families consented to autopsies, the doctors found no internal damage. It
was as if their brains had simply shut down mid-sentence.
Furthermore, several Tsuchinoe (Rank 5) Slayers sent to investigate had
vanished. When the Kakushi searched their last known locations during the day,
they found zero signs of combat. Instead, they found a bizarre density of
footprints—as if a large crowd had gathered peacefully and then dispersed.
Does the demon have human helpers? Or is it a psychological Blood Demon Art?
Natsuya pondered the data for a while but couldn't reach a conclusion. He
shrugged. Whatever. I'll just check the stat panel once the Boss spawns. Most
Blood Demon Arts have their mechanics written right in the skill name anyway.
As Natsuya was thinking, a minute disturbance in the air made him look up.
Footsteps. Someone was trying to be quiet—so quiet that even a Kasugai Crow
hadn't noticed the approach. But for the Natsuya of today, even specialized
stealth couldn't fully eliminate the friction of a body moving through the
atmosphere.
The sound of the wind. Height: Approx. 190cm. Weight: Around 90kg. Trained in
Ninjutsu-style concealment.
Wait... Breathing Style detection?
Natsuya straightened up, his gaze fixing on the shadows near the entrance. The
"wind" was loud in his ears now.
Who is it?
A few seconds later, a tall figure materialized from the gloom. It was a Demon
Slayer—and a face Natsuya knew well.
"Ho? You detected my approach with such flashy precision?"
The boisterous, arrogant voice echoed through the brewery. It was the man
dressed in modified shinobi gear, carrying his signature giant, chain-linked
dual blades on his back. He gave his jeweled headpiece a flick, letting the
ornaments chime before flashing a grin.
"Then again, as a warrior acknowledged by the God of Flashiness himself, such
sharp senses are only to be expected."
"It's been a while, Kokonoe."
It was the "Flashy Guy" he'd briefly crossed paths with during his Tokyo
training. He looked leaner and more "honed" than before. His aura was
significantly more condensed, though the smug confidence in his eyes remained
exactly the same.
[Uzui Tengen (Power Level: 219)]
- Thunder Breathing: LV.3
- Sound Breathing: LV.3
Compared to their last meeting, Uzui's Power Level had taken a massive jump.
Both of his Breathing Styles were now stabilized at the Total Concentration
level, and his custom Sound Breathing was knocking on the door of LV.4.
Clearly, he took my advice to heart, Natsuya thought.
"Yo, long time no see, Tengen."
Natsuya raised a hand in greeting.
The ninja strode over, huffing with faux-indignation. "Since we last parted, I
have undergone an incredibly flashy training regimen! My mastery of Sound is...
well, let's just say I've caught up to you!"
Meeting Natsuya on a mission was a genuine highlight for Uzui. However, with his
pride being what it was, he couldn't stand the idea of being second-best. He
immediately began flexing his new stats.
Natsuya nodded. He's roughly at Master Kazami's level now. Somewhere between a
high-rank Kinoe and a candidate for the Hashira. Definitely stronger than the
'me' from two months ago.
Seeing Natsuya acknowledge him, Uzui's nose tilted even higher.
To be honest, when he first accepted this mission, he hadn't been 100%
confident. He was facing a potential Twelve Kizuki. Even with six months of
bitter grinding across the country, the Moons were still "Legends" he had only
heard about in rumors. He didn't know their ceiling.
But seeing Natsuya here, his anxiety evaporated. If we team up, even a Moon is
just more loot for the pile.
"After the mission, let's grab dinner," Uzui suggested.
"Why?" Natsuya asked. "So you can have your three wives call you away and
dine-and-dash on me again?"
Uzui: "..."
His face crumpled. That "Check-Skipper" reputation had followed him back to
Yokohama. The shop owner and the regulars had roasted him for weeks about it.
Seeing the ninja go mute, Natsuya glanced at his new hairstyle and delivered a
follow-up crit. "Also, what's with the head-wrap this time? Your taste has
actually gotten worse."
Uzui instinctively touched his hair, which was meticulously wrapped in white
bandages—a new "tactical" look he'd spent days perfecting. Is it... is it ugly?
He fell into a brief existential crisis.
The corner of Natsuya's mouth twitched into a tiny, mischievous smirk.
Just then, both men whipped their heads around toward another part of the
brewery. A set of footsteps—significantly more audible than Uzui's had been—was
approaching.
"A third member for this raid?" Uzui wondered.
"Who knows? Maybe the Kakushi realized the Lower Moons are actually dangerous
and decided to stack the party."
Natsuya looked at the Flashy Guy. "Of course, if you want, you can just sit back
and watch. I don't mind soloing the XP bag."
"XP bag? You mean the demon? No way. Lord Uzui wants to see just how flashy
these Moons really are."
As they spoke, the final Slayer entered the clearing.
Great. Another familiar face.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon, Sabito."
Natsuya gave a casual wave.
"Senior Kokonoe?"
The pink-haired boy's voice was tinged with surprise. He removed his fox mask,
revealing a handsome, travel-worn face. He had just finished two back-to-back
missions and hadn't had a chance to rest before rushing here, but his aura was
much more stable than before. The life of a field agent had tempered him well.
Uzui looked between the two. "You know this kid?"
"Yeah. During my starting levels... he was my 'Senior Brother', I guess."
Senior Brother? Uzui looked at the boy. He seemed young, and while his presence
was solid, he didn't exactly scream "High-Tier Unit."
How could this kid be Natsuya's Senior? Is he hiding his Power Level? Uzui
squinted suspiciously.
Sabito let out a bitter laugh and waved his hands frantically. "Senior, please
stop joking. Whether it was Water Breathing or any other training... you were
the one carrying me and Giyu the whole time."
Since becoming official members, Sabito and Giyu had split up to handle their
own sectors. Sabito had been resting near Nagoya when the emergency signal went
out.
Unlike Uzui, Sabito felt his stomach tighten when he saw Natsuya. The stronger
he got, the more he realized the true scale of the gap between him and the
Senior he admired.
If even Senior Natsuya was deployed for this... just how strong is this Moon? Am
I just going to be a liability in this party?
He looked at Uzui. The mark on his hand said Kinoe (Rank 1). Sabito could feel
the raw, aggressive power radiating from the tall man. The tension in his heart
tightened another notch.
I have to at least pull my own weight, the boy thought, his hand tightening into
a fist.
Noticing Sabito's nerves, Natsuya introduced his companion. "This is Uzui
Tengen. As you can see, he's a ninja."
Sabito: "?" Nin... Ninja? Not a Kendo master?
Uzui's reaction only confused Sabito more. The tall man struck a dramatic pose,
his massive biceps bulging as he drew two flashy arcs in the air with his hands.
"I am no mere shinobi!" Uzui declared, his voice ringing with theatrical power.
"Listen well, Fox-boy! I am a GOD!"
"The God of Flashiness! The Sovereign of Festivals and Melody!"
Sabito: "..."
Great. He's an incomprehensible weirdo just like Senior Natsuya. This mission
might actually be a success after all.
☆☆☆
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