Two's a Team
The sun was properly out when they had walked out of the Guild.
Yoriichi walked alongside Yunyun, the Arch-Wizard leading the Adventurer down main roads and commonly trodden paths.
While he had nothing in particular to say, the silence of the walk had seemed to worry the young lady. Yunyun had asked if it was alright for herself to speak, seeming to take his aloof disposition for some form of desire not to talk, or maybe as a sign she had done something wrong?
Once he had cleared up that she had done no wrong and told her she could speak freely, he found himself listening to whatever came to her mind at that moment, unfettered by the timid caution that she had been showing earlier.
The Arch-Wizard spoke of many things, some topics more mundane than others, from the apparent beauty of a floral arrangement they passed by in the market, to the time in her village where she had helped in a subjugation of 'potatoes' to earn some money for transit.
Whatever these, 'potatoes' were, they were apparently no larger than a closed fist yet could launch themselves with the force of a thrown rock, oftentimes aiming themselves for the upper chest or head themselves. From how she spoke of them, these 'potatoes' sounded like dangerous adversaries.
After her story of 'potatoes', the two of them had found themselves outside the safety of the town walls, perhaps no more than half a Ri from the aged stone barriers which protected the citizens from monsters and dangerous beast alike.
Speaking of…
The ground trembled every five seconds, as in the distance was a single pink mass hopping towards them.
"Yoriichi-san?" There was a nervous quiver in the voice of the young Arch-Wizard. "A-are you ready?"
"I am." His hand rested on the grip of the blade, his guard ready. "You wished to attack first?"
"Y-yes!" She shook her head as she turned back to the target. "Here I go."
The Arch-Wizard took a deep breath before readying a stance, her left foot planted firmly in the grass while her right foot was planted horizontally a bit behind her. Lifting her arm, it was fully outstretched as the palm of her hand was pointed directly to the toad.
With an exhale she straightened up now.
Something in the air changed, as he felt an odd sensation tickle his skin. Energies unseen seemingly began to divert towards Yunyun, the best way he could describe it would be much like how a skilled Breath User draws in the surrounding air to employ a technique.
Finally, energies stopped pooling as the energies manifested and yellow arcs crackling between her fingers.
"Lightning!"
A second after the proclamation of such a power, said energy was hurled at it's target with great speed, and upon impacting its face, the lightning entered the toad, causing it to spasm in place. Once done, the toad stood there for a moment before seemingly registering what had just occurred and collapsing forward.
While Yoriichi had seen many techniques employed by powerful demons in his previous life, he could feel his eyes widen slightly, as he was somewhat caught off guard by the sheer magnitude of power that humanity could wield in this world.
Perhaps if the Demon Slayers had this power available to them, then the Progenitor of Demons would be nothing more than a bedtime story for children.
But then again, if such power existed in his homeland, Kibutsuji would have certainly tried to claim it as his own, and taken many more lives than he already had.
Could he beat Muzan if he wielded such terrible power?
Did the Demon King have stronger magic than this?
That line of thought was one he did not wish to entertain, so he slashed it from his mind.
"Um… Yoriichi-san." He felt a tug at his sleeve. "Are you alright?"
"I am." He responded, realizing that he must've been lost in thought. "I was in awe of your spell."
"It was only intermediate magic, nothing special…"
"Nonsense." Yoriichi disagreed, gesturing to the toad. "Are all mages as talented as you?"
"E-Eh?" She seemed taken aback for a moment, a light blush appearing on her face as she bashfully looked away. "Crimson Demons are renowned for their advanced magic, but I still haven't learned a single advanced spell yet… I still have a long way to go."
Yoriichi stood there, expression unchanging.
He had seen dedication and work put in by the people who wished to be master of their craft, yet intuition told him that she would reach her goal sooner than she gave herself credit for.
"I see." The red swordsman calmly stated. "Then do your best."
"I will!" Looking back to him, he could see her eyes hum dimly alongside her smile. A few seconds later she looked back to the toad, and then back to him. "Um… do you want to continue our hunt?"
"One moment."
Approaching the toad, once within ten shaku, he entered the Transparent World, maroon eyes focused on the suddenly clear frames of the dead toad. While he could see a goat within, nothing else seemed amiss.
Another blink, and he was out of the see-through world.
"We should report these toads first." Yoriichi gestured to them. "Then we can continue."
"A-Aright!" She gave a nod. "That makes sense."
With a sigh of relief, the young lady turned towards the town, and began to walk, him following suit.
"Sorry for not letting get one of the toads." Yunyun fiddled with her hands. "I hope you're not upset…"
"It is alright." Yoriichi tried to ease the Arch-Wizards concerns. "There will be more toads right?"
"Right!" She gave a nod as she quickly composed herself, seeming to pep herself up. "Next toad we find, we'll take it down together!"
…
They had begun their search of the plains where he had done so the day prior, beginning their patrol from the east gate to the southern gate this time around. Early morning rapidly began mid-afternoon as the two of them had spent the last couple of hours patrolling the plains around the walls of Axel.
Yet the two of them came back empty handed for two reasons in particular.
First, was that he noticed that his previous day venture seemed to make the toads wary of the surrounding area. Perhaps the stench of death from those toads still lingered from his overzealous hunt?
Second was the matter of adventurer etiquette in regards to hunts. Whenever they did encounter toads, there were a few adventurers, presumably in a party already engaging the large beast in battle.
The veteran Demon Slayer had originally planned on intervening as he would if he had stumbled across other Demon Slayers: defeat the demon and apologize for his intrusion.
When he had stated his planned course of action, his younger companion, while not against the idea entirely, she explained why he couldn't just do that.
According to Yunyun, she had overheard in the guildhall that intervening with other peoples hunts was disrespectful and certain to catch the ire of the other members of the guild.
From the way she spoke, it seemed that she was worried that the other members of the guild would look at her poorly, so to both avoid potential conflict and to maintain Yunyun's reputation in pristine condition, he did not intercede.
Yet it did not stop the two of them from simply remaining within distance to intervene should the other adventurers prove themselves in need of assistance.
Not an entirely productive day, but an insightful one nevertheless.
"I'm sorry Yoriichi-san…" The chestnut-haired wizard apologized dispiritedly for the lack of the hunt. "We didn't get another toad today…"
While Yunyun didn't know why there was a sudden decrease in the toads, Yoriichi was certain as to why there was a rather noticeable decrease in giant toads.
"Do not apologize Yunyun-san." Yoriichi responded as they neared the gatehouse. "I had hunted toads the other day… perhaps I was overzealous in my duty."
"O-overzealous?" Yunyun looked up to him. "U-um… Yoriichi-san, if I may ask… how many toads did you slay?"
"My guild card had stated twenty when the receptionist checked."
"Tw-twenty!?" She exclaimed in amazement. "By yourself?"
He nodded in affirmative.
"That's amazing…"
It didn't take much longer for the two reached the gate, it seemed that they were in the middle of a shift change.
"Oh, you two are back." The first guard looked to the two of them. "Any more toads?"
"No Guard-san." Yunyun meekly stated as she shook her head. "After all that time…"
"Don't worry about it little miss, they'll be out and about again before you know it." The guard reassured the young Arch-Wizard. "Still, quite odd that there not out and about though…"
"It's because the swordsman I was telling you about earlier is here." The second guard casually stated. "Man with red hair and a tattoo on his face running around the walls slaying all the toads." When the first guard seemed clueless, he gestured to the man in red. "Your-chi is your name, right?"
"Yoriichi."
"Right, my apologies." The guard nodded, before continuing. "So brought a friend today?"
"We are currently in a party." Yoriichi gave a polite bow.
"Y-Yes!" Yunyun nervously agreed. "It's a temporary party."
"Sometimes that's how it is." He stated with a chuckle. "Since I haven't heard anything about a stream of toads coming into town, this mean no luck?"
"It seems they are sparse today." Yoriichi nodded his head in agreement.
"We saw some but… others were there already." Yunyun added.
"Ah, that's a shame." The second guard shook his head. "We'll, give it a day or two, the toads will be back."
"They always are!" The first guard chipped in.
"I see. Thank you for the information." Yoriichi gave a half-bow.
"No problem rookie." The second guard nodded before quickly perking up, as if he remembered something. "Before you go, thank you for making my shift a bit easier the other day, no toads meant peace and quiet." Soon both guards gestured them to the inside of the wall. "Now best not to keep you for any longer."
Yoriichi simply accepted the gratitude, and with the exit to this conversation provided, the two of them walked through the gatehouse proper and were now behind the safety of the towns walls.
As the two walked the younger of the two was walking at a slower pace.
Looking over his shoulder, he could see that she was nearly dragging her feet, and while he would not consider himself adept at reading emotions, the young lady wore her heart on her sleeve. It was clear that she was dreading something.
"Yunyun-san, are you alright?"
Startled, she made a small 'eep' before shaking her head.
"I-I am." She tried to hide the stammer to no success. "C-completely fine."
Yoriichi stopped walking and fully turned to her, causing her in turn to stop as well.
After a second of his gaze on her, she cracked as tears began to well in her eyes.
"We're going to get back to the guild, and because the quest wasn't completed you're going to leave my party!"
The words flowed out from her mouth like a roaring waterfall, the sadness heavy in each word. A few tears ran down her cheeks, and it only took a glance for him to recognize the sincerity of her woe.
"I will not."
"R-really?" Yunyun sadly asked, sounding unsure if he was being genuine.
"I agreed to party with you for a quest." Yoriichi stated calmly, hoping to allay her concerns. "Check the quest sheet again."
With haste, Yunyun patted the pockets within her cloak and pulled out the folded sheet.
"T-Three days to slay five toads."
"We still have two days to hunt toads." Yoriichi nodded. "Until then, I won't go back on my word."
"Let us return to the guild, as you need to collect the Eris for the first toad."
"R-right!" Putting the quest sheet away, she dried her eyes with her cloak, a dim glow being noticeable in the shade. "Lets go."
The two of them continued down the brick road, hoping the next days hunt would be better.
…
A new day dawned, and the two of them followed a similar routine as the previous.
Yunyun had met Yoriichi at the stable bright and early, where the two of them walked not to the eastern gate, but to the western gate this time, with the intention of patrolling towards the northern gate. With any luck, they would find at least a single toad.
"Alright." The young lady pointed in one direction. "You look that way, I'll look that way."
With a nod, he kept his head on a swivel, trying to find any tracks or signs that Giant Toads had been in this area.
It was quiet for a little bit, the only sounds being the wind in the breeze and the occasion bird singing its song.
Then Yunyun spoke.
"S-so Yoriichi-san…" Yunyun nervously began as the two of them walked in the lush fields. "You don't look like you're from around here."
"I'm not."
"S-so if you don't mind me asking… where are you from?" A second passed before Yunyun began to backtrack, speaking quickly. "Not that you have to tell me if you don't want to!"
Yoriichi considered it for a moment. While he was certain there was no harm in telling her where he was from, he wasn't certain how he could explain it without including the intervention of a Goddess and his divine mission. Especially since the Sun Goddess didn't seemed to be as revered as the Goddess of Fortune or the Goddess of Water.
"I hail from a faraway land called Nihon." He began, maroon eyes scanning the plains. "It is a mountainous land, with humid summers and long winters."
When she did not respond, he took it as an invitation to continue.
"There isn't much land to farm, but where we can we grow rice." Yoriichi recalled the vast patties that covered the land as far as the eye could see. "Seeing the sun reflect off the water as it rose was a beautiful."
"Growing rice?" Yunyun seemed to be awed by this fact. "The people of your land must be very brave and powerful then."
Yoriichi didn't understand the correlation between rice and apparent bravery and might, but perhaps there was an idiom in this land he was unaware of.
A lull fell between the two of them, the silence induced by his reminiscing of skies and land far different than this one, and lands surprisingly more peaceful than this, despite the ongoing many disputes between daimyos.
"Do you miss it?"
"Sometimes."
Yoriichi felt a pang in his heart as he recalled the rice patties in which he and Uta toiled in… perhaps it had not been the sunrise that had been beautiful.
With an exhale his eyes caught sight of a pink mass hopping. It was a pink toad by a tree line, no more than a Cho's length away from themselves, and likely half a Cho's length from the forest in question.
"A toad."
He heard Yunyun halt as she turned to look in the direction he was.
"You're right!" She tugged at his haori excitedly. "By the tree line!"
She began to run ahead, and he followed suit, matching his pace to hers so that he didn't outrun her.
While the two of them moved as fast as Yunyun could manage, they only got halfway before the Toad had hopped into the tree line.
"Oh…" Yunyun began to slow down as they got closer to the edge. "It's in the forest now…"
"Is that an issue?"
"Ah, eh… sort of?" Yunyun seemed nervous now. "I overheard the guild receptionist say that there was an increase in high level monsters in the area… mostly in the forest." She tapped the tips of her fingers together. "Some of them might be resistant to physical attacks so I don't know if your sword will be enough… unless it is enchanted?"
"My blade is made with scarlet ore and scarlet crimson iron sand." He drew the blade and presented the obsidian blade to Yunyun. "The iron it was made of absorbs sunlight throughout the year… will it be effective enough?"
"Scarlet ore? I've never heard of it." Yunyun looked over the blade, her gaze only passing over it for a moment, but it was clear that she had no idea what to make of it. "But if it absorbs sunlight… maybe?"
"I see." Yoriichi sheathed the blade. "I presume your magic be effective against them then?"
"As long as they aren't too powerful." Yunyun fiddled with one of her locks. "Intermediate magic will be enough."
The swordsman looked to the young Arch-Wizard, easily noticing the wariness of the two of them entering the forest. While it seemed that she didn't want to let the toad get away from them, she also seemed to be filled with apprehension at the prospect of entering the forest without proper cause.
"We don't have to enter the forest."
"Eh!?" Yunyun seemed taken aback for a moment, as she was likely expecting him to push further. "B-but the toad!"
"I am certain we will find toads elsewhere." Yoriichi turned back to the plains, scanning his horizons. "Let us—"
"We can get the toad!" Yunyun exclaimed, grabbing his sleeve. "I can handle it!"
With a quiver in her voice, she seemed to take a breath in, and then let one out, steeling herself to go in.
"Very well Yunyun-san." Yoriichi nodded, taking the first steps in. "Stay close."
"Y-yes!"
…
Yoriichi and Yunyun moved through the forest at a brisk pace.
While the terrain they traveled did not slow them down in any capacity, it seemed that despite their best efforts to expediate their trip were failing, as it seemed that the hop speed of the beast they hunted was faster than the cautious pace they took.
Sure the signs of the toad traveling through here were obvious, the crushed shrubbery and frog-prints in more muddy areas, yet it seemed that the toad proved more elusive than it's size would lead one to believe it to be.
Even the quakes that it made when it landed felt relatively nearby, yet somehow it eluded them at their current pace.
"Are Giant Toads often this difficult to catch?"
"I'm not sure Yoriichi-san." Yunyun answered honestly. "This is my first time hunting them…"
Yoriichi gave a nod, wondering if the forest changed its behavior.
The two of them continued to follow their query until he noticed something odd. He could no longer feel the vibrations in the ground and the forest was now eerily silent.
Immediately, he halted, his hand unconsciously moving to his blade, ready to draw.
"Eep!" The young lady bumped into his back. "Y-Yoriichi-san? Is something wrong?"
"Be on guard."
Slowly, the two of them proceeded, heads on swivels, eyes scanning around, from ground to the branches above.
The two of them continued to follow the toad tracks until they got to a small clearing, and within said clearing was a pile of bones. While Yunyun couldn't immediately tell, Yoriichi immediately knew what it was.
"The toad." Yorrichi halted, Yunyun following suit.
"E-eh?!" Shocked, the Crimson Demon could only stare wide eyed. "Are you sure?"
"I am." Yoriichi quickly replied, confident that this was their query. "Stripped to the bone."
"Oh no… Yoriichi-san look!" Yunyun tapped his arm and pointed up. "Those are green slimes!"
On the bark surface of four trees, there had to be over two dozen small strange green blobs, which were reminiscent of fresh dew drops upon leaves. They wiggled in place or moving about as a slug on stone, wherever they slithered on the bark underneath these creatures were simply dissolved and absorbed into the creature.
"We should leave!" Yunyun's concerned tone was quiet but quite clearly shaken as she pointed towards the branches above them. "We should really leave!"
If the presence of these slime was cause for concern for someone who could wield the elements like weapons, he was willing to heed her advice and retreat yet it seemed that the choice was out of their control, as a handful of them seemed to notice the two new presences, beginning moving together to form a ball around the size of two heads.
Once form, they began to slither towards them, the intention was quite clear: they were to be their next meal after the toad.
Recognizing the hostile intent, he exhaled and with a blink, he entered the Transparent World.
While these slimes had no internal organs or blood flow, they were still viscous liquids which still had some type of circulation of fluid, the see-through world allowing for him to more easily track what they would do next.
Seven of the fifteen mochi-like clumps coiled much like a snake, preparing to launch themselves.
While any normal swordsmen would either be overwhelmed by their numbers or if Yunyun's concerns were to be heeded, running away, then they would be nothing more but bones and dust.
Yet Yoriichi was not an ordinary swordsman left completely defenseless to the whim of hostile entities.
The user of the First Breath breathed, the familiar hiss of air being drawn into his body, moving forward as he prepared to utilize a defensive technique.
"Sun Breathing – Burning Bones, Summer Sun."
The radiant swordsman used the name Suyako had given the technique, drawing his blade from its sheathe with speed which would go unseen to the untrained eye. Phantasmal solar flames followed behind a single slash that moved in a spiraling motion, catching all seven of them within it, easily slicing through each of the gelatinous blobs that were in its attack arc, turning them into halves.
As they all fell to the ground, he could see the remaining eight slack their coils as they appeared to observe the situation as it unfolded.
Remaining on the defensive, he looked down at the ground, and could see them still, but it was quite clear that they were not defeated yet, as in his vision they were slowly moving to become whole again.
If these were creatures of bone and muscle, they would have been dealt with already, however it would be difficult to cut something with no defined shape nor a defined neck.
Not good.
Yoriichi hopped back, briefly looking behind him as he saw Yunyun, who was in the process of raising her hand up. He could see her heart beating faster and a light quiver in her muscles, possibly from fear, yet she was doing her best to push past it.
She needs more time.
It had been many decades since he had fought alongside an unmarked person. He had forgotten how much faster he was in the Transparent World than those outside it.
With a burst of speed, he diced away at the hostile blobs a few shaku in front of him, cutting these slimes first into fourths, and those fourths into fourths. As he did this he could hear them sizzle as meat does over an open flame.
It seemed that while they were unable to be truly killed by his blade, but he could still hinder them by slashing away at them, evaporating the areas which he cut.
Yet he could not wholly devote his time to the slimes on the ground, as they were not the only ones that were in the fight, two more slimes coiling up, readying to launch themselves into the fray.
Once more, he drew in as much air as he could towards him, the hiss from the shift in pressure unnatural to those unaccustomed, but the norm for him.
"Sun Breathing – Raging Sun."
Unleashing two horizontal arcs, he bisected both slimes when they entered his range, before they could even touch him, the sound of liquid evaporating filling his ears as his blade finished its movement.
Suddenly, he felt that odd feeling from the previous day as a shiver ran up his spine… along with a fair bit of heat pooling up.
Once more briefly checking behind him, he could see its source.
A torrent of flames beginning to circle towards the palm of her hand much like a whirlpool of water, where it quickly formed into a full sized ball of flames roughly half his size. The heat radiating off it was like a bonfire, yet he knew he needed to move from his spot, knowing that if he didn't, he would be certainly be immolated.
Hopping out of the way, this allowed for the user of Intermediate Magic the clearance to cast her spell.
"Fireball!"
With her proclamation of this destructive power, the ball of flame launched to the closest bunch of green slimes, and upon impact, the ground caught aflame, causing these amorphous green blobs to shrivel up and stop moving.
"Fireball!"
In a matter of seconds, another large ball of flames flew straight to a group of slimes, and were met with the same fate, evaporating a number of them completely.
"Fireball!"
With this last summoning of the elements, the last group was easily dealt with, the remaining slimes completely defeated and these trees rather crispy.
Yet Yoriichi did not lower his guard, as his maroon eyes sought to ensure that there was no more threat to them.
Moving up to one of the piles of goo, he poked the tip of his blade into it.
Once confirming that they were no longer a threat, he flicked off any ooze and returned his blade to its sheathe, as he exited the Transparent World.
Yoriichi turned to the Arch-Wizard. While she was still standing, she seemed to be standing there, eyes wide and it seemed she was trying to process what had just occurred.
"Are you alright?" Yoriichi asked as he moved to her.
"Yoriichi-san…" She spoke barely above a whisper, eyes still focused on the battlefield. "Your… your swordsmanship…"
The user of the First Breath realized what was going on.
"So cool!" Yunyun's crimson eyes landed on him now, glowing brightly. "And your blade! It turned it was black, but now its red!" She got closer to him, repeating her previous exclamation. "So cool!"
To emphasize, she gestured to the closest pile of slime, excitedly waving her arms around like she was holding a sword.
"Your sword went 'whoosh' and sliced up all those slimes in an instant! Amazing!"
"Please Yunyun-san. Your talents were vital to their defeat." The swordsman responded with humility, deflecting praise back to her. "Your Fireball disposed of them instantly, I only provided the opening to do so." He gave her an appreciative bow. "Your skill does your people proud."
She had an expression of surprise for a moment before she turned away, hiding her face as she fidgeted in place.
"Th-thank you Yoriichi-san." Yunyun spoke softly, though he could tell there was joy. There was a brief lull before the Arch-Wizard spoke once more. "Can we return to the town now?"
"We can, but may I ask why?"
"I put a lot of mana into those Fireballs, so I need to recover my mana." She seemed embarrassed by the admission. "I can't really continue today."
"I see then… we return to the guild then."
"Um… is it alright with you if we take a detour before we go to the guild?"
"It's fine." Yoriichi slowed his pace so that she could take lead. "Where to?"
"Back to the inn… I need to check up on Chomusuke."
"Chom-u-suke?"
"She's my friend's cat." Yunyun elaborated. "I left her alone in my room because I was going on a quest. I just want to make sure she's alright."
Yoriichi nodded, but began to think about the name.
It was clear that the people of his homeland had some influence on this realm, as for some reason this cat Yunyun was referring to had a name which was certainly not of this world.
To this, he mentally repeated the name to himself, feeling even less sure about whether or not he was pronouncing it correctly.
Yunyun began to walk, a hint of joy in her voice.
"You'll love her! She's so nice and calm and fluffy and doesn't run away from me and…"
Cats were free-spirited creatures that did what they pleased, caring not for what the rest of the world wished. They lived lives short but serene lives true to themselves.
The young Arch-Wizard continued to speak fondly of the cat as they continued through the town, leaving him to wonder how docile or wily this cat was to be.
…
The two of them reached the inn which was built directly across the stables he had been residing in.
Before entering the building, he was greeted by the smell of freshly cooked meals and the sounds of rowdy people.
As the two of them entered, he saw a mostly empty waiting room which had an elder man at the desk, and directly to the left was a stairwell which led to this building second floor. To the right was a doorway that led into the rest of the first floor which was where the source of sounds and scents he sensed from the outside.
"Can you wait here please?" Yunyun quietly asked the swordsman. "I'll be back in a moment."
Yoriichi nodded as she quickly moved towards the stairs and was soon out of sight, leaving him alone by the main hallway.
While he had stayed in few a Ryokans prior to his expulsion from the Corps and many Minshuku afterward during his life in his homeland, he wondered if the 'inns' here were of similar quality.
Walking up to the desk, he could see a black board with white writing on it, and a drawing of a tankard and bowl at the bottom. The writing read as follows:
The Rookies Roost
Room Accommodations: Singles: Bed with one desk and chair. Double: Two Beds with one desk and chair.
Single – 2500 Eris a Night ; Double – 5000 Eris a Night.
Long Term Arrangements – Discuss with management.
Food and Drink – To the right, Todays Special, Casters Stew.
Judging from the level of rowdiness coming from the communal dining area, this place lacked the code of etiquette one would see and expect in a Ryokan, yet he got the feeling that with the amount of business present, the rooms were likely better than a small village Minshuku.
Perhaps it was best to simply not equate things from this world the world he was born in.
"Sorry for the wait." The meek voice of the young Arch Wizard took him out of his thoughts. "We can go to the guild now."
Yoriichi was about to say something in the affirmative, however the small creature nestled up in Yunyun's arms caught his attention.
This cat was no more than seven sun in length and five sun in length, yet it could probably stretch itself to be the length of one shaku if it so desired to. Its pelt as dark as the feathers of a kasugai crow and its eyes were as golden as two freshly minted Kiritomoeban, adorned on its forehead was a crimson cross for all to see. Despite the strange cross rested squarely on its head and its lack of major features, he could see two strange wings beginning from the base of the neck, which appeared to look just like a bats wings.
This Kaibyo seemed to notice him, tilting its head in curiosity.
"T-this is Chomusuke." She presented the cat to him. "Chomusuke, this is Yoriichi-san."
As if to respond, the small critter greeted with a hearty mew.
Yoriichi mused as he slowly moved his hand to the cat, offering his palm to the small animal.
Sniffing his palm, the small cat gave a mewl that seemed amicable enough, even stretching out one paw and placing it on his opened palm.
"S-see, she's friendly!" Yunyun let out a breath she had not known she was holding in. "Chomusuke's so adorable!"
Before he could retract his arm, the little she-cat shifted and her second paw was on his hand, then the small cat was standing on his palm and a bit on his wrist, before finally moving up the length of his arm and onto his shoulder.
"Mrmrow." The strange cat vocalized as she rubbed her face to his, the familiar rumbling sound arising from her throat.
Yoriichi's eyes moved to their periphery, seeing the little cat move about his shoulder. He moved his index finger to rub Chomusuke's chin. "A polite and noble lady you are Chomusuke-kun."
With a mewl of apparent agreement, the small feline hopped onto his head, and he could feel her sitting down, making herself quite comfortable atop his hair.
Eyes looking up, he could barely see the whimsical feline's nose, and felt the rumbling of satisfaction with her newfound place of rest.
"Yoriichi-san…" He heard a squeak of delight as his maroon eyes met those of crimson, noticing her hands were cupped over her mouth, in awe and delight of the scene unfolding in front of her. "It took me many days for Chomusuke to warm up to me, but she warmed up to you instantly!" She moved closer, eyes beginning to brighten. "Amazing!"
Yoriichi said nothing in return as his eyes moved up once again.
This Kaibyo seemed to enjoy his presence, however he wondered how such a cat gets wings like a bat.
"Do many cats have wings?"
"Chomusuke is a Crimson Demon cat!" Yunyun looked to the left as she played with a lock of her hair. "T-they're very rare!"
"I see." Yoriichi saw that she seemed uncomfortable with speaking any further of the subject, so he decided to let it go. "Are you done here?"
She nervously nodded, the young Arch-Wizard taking the lead and began to make her way out, the swordsman with the feline atop his head.
"Now, we head to the guild?"
"A-ah yes!" The young lady seemed flustered for a moment, as if the display of affection the strange cat atop his head completely overridden any memory of their original destination. "If you don't mind Yoriichi-san… would you like to eat together again?"
With a simple nod in agreement, he could see a wide smile grow on her face now.
She took the lead exiting the inn, and he followed close behind.
However as he reached the doorway, she abruptly stopped right outside, causing him to bump into her.
Looking forward, he saw someone standing roughly fifteen shaku down the pathway, black robe waving in the wind, oversized hat on their head, and a staff with a blue orb within its crook in hand.
… …
Belzerg Bit: Changes to the Adventurer Card 1
In the void, there was a small section of it fashioned like a small dojo, and in it was the lithe frame of a familiar Goddess.
Here she was in a more rugged kimono and hamaka, less for lounging and more for physical exercise. Where she stood was in front of a humanoid practice target, practicing sword swings with a bokken. After a few moments of uninterrupted practice, her head perked up, realizing she was being observed.
"Oh! Glad to see you all again!" Lux waved in no particular direction. "I almost forgot that the author wanted me to do one of these." The dojo scene receding and being replaced with a more luxurious room, soon reaching into a nearby bowl full of fresh peaches. "Instead of a tale of the past, I'm here to explain a change to the world our intrepid hero lives in now!"
Attire changing into a more formal kimono and hamaka worthy of a Goddess, she soon grabbed one of the freshest peaches available, taking a bite.
"So good!" A wide smile appeared on her face, doing a small dance before continuing. "In the world of KonoSuba, the Adventurer Card has a bunch of important information, as explained by Luna in a previous chapter, but a clear glaring issue is the Attribute numbers, as they are vague at best but never actually talked about in detail." Taking a moment to chew, she continued to explain. "One of the biggest changes made was the decision to replace the numerical stats with letter tiers, to make things more streamlined for later."
Lux stood up, as a chalkboard manifested from the darkness, along with a pointer with a gloved hand, index finger pointing at said board.
"There are eight letter tiers, and six of those have minus-flat-plus letters." The finger pointer gestures to the letters 'S, A, B, C, D, and E'. "Each of these letter tiers have minus-flat-plus values to indicate how much investment has been put in that attribute, as some classes spec heavily into that."
To make the point, the classes of Crusader and Arch-Wizard appeared.
"Crusaders get great stat bonuses to Health, Strength, and Vitality, whereas Arch-Wizard would get great stat bonuses to Magic Power, and Intelligence."
"Tiers X and F do not have these tiers. If an attribute is 'X', then any skill that uses this attribute will be done with the skill of heroes. The opposite will occur with an attribute of 'F', as the lowest tier it means that skills that utilize this will almost always be done with the worst outcome in mind."
"For example, if we are to look at Kazuma-san's stats, he has average stats with exception to a slightly higher intelligence and exceptionally high luck stat…"
She wrote down the following:
Health: C / Strength: C / Vitality: C / Magic-Pow: C / Agility: C / Speed: C / Intelligence: B- / Luck: S-
"Or if we are to use the stat line from little Aqua-chan," Lux couldn't help but let out a chuckle, as she began to write on the board, "most of her stats are considered significantly above the average, with exception to her intelligence which is below average and her abysmal luck."
On the board, was written:
Health: A+ / Strength: A+ / Vitality: A+ / Magic-Pow: X / Agility: A+ / Speed: A+ / Intelligence: D / Luck: F
"Great stats, but as a Goddess in mortal form, they are capped." With a roll of the eyes she looked to the little doodle of Aqua. "Maybe instead of being a shut-in, half-witted dolt, who take her job seriously, you should've taken more… active hobbies." She let took a deep breath in, and let her frustrations recede. "Seeing that you're stuck among mortals, hopefully this… vacation teaches you a thing or two. I digress.
Taking another bite of the peach, she smiles once again.
"Next time, Yoriichi deals with misunderstandings, makes new friends, and perhaps faces a foe?"
Terms Used
Daimyo: High ranking feudal lords who wielded great influence and owned swaths of land. These lords were directly subordinate to the Shogun and the Emperor, and employed many samurai to protect their holdings.
Mochi: Japanese rice cake made of pounded rice grains with gel-like consistency.
Ryokan and Minshuku: Traditional forms of Japanese inns. Ryokans were typically found along Japans highways during antiquity that provided a fair bit of luxury to those that stay in them. Minshuku are akin to a bed and breakfast, usually found in small towns.
Kiritomoeban: A type of 16th century Japanese gold coin.
Kaibyo: Supernatural cats of Japanese folklore, literally means 'Strange Cat'
Quick search ups and simplifications of what these terms mean, if I got something wrong feel free to correct me and i'll fix it up
First things first, I wish to thank everyone who has favorited and followed this story. Over the past month, we just past 175 favorites and 200 follows!
Now for the story, Yoriichi and Yunyun as a party seems balanced… Chomusuke and a familiar and young girl who is renowned for her crazy antics… lets see how that goes!
Also, Yunyun's outfit is the more modest outfit, as Dust has not yet tried to trick Yunyun into believing a more revealing outfit would be to her benefit in making friends.
One thing that has been plaguing me is balancing encounters so that Yoriichi isn't immediately curb stomping them. Like Yoriichi is overpowered and he'll definitely curb stomp many foes, but if I only wanted to write a curb stomp battles, I'd just cop out with a SI or something like that.
Now to answer the reviews!
ShinySpiritomb (Guest): I wrote down a list of characters that he could run into first, and for a short bit, I couldn't decide, but I settled on Yunyun. While Kazuma, Aqua, Darkness, Chris, Megumin, and a whole host of other side characters are all present in Axel at this time, I figured that Yunyun would be the best choice because it allows him to learn more about the world/magic and for him to formally meet a non-over-the-top Crimson Demon, which is good prep for when he does meet one.
Elemental effects are something I'm thinking about although I have yet to see how I'll implement it.
EyePatch445: Yep, realized I forgot that, its been updated so thanks for the reminder.
THE TOWER OF PIMPS: While I'm not sure that Megumin would immediately assume he's a chunni, Kazuma would definitely be the kind of person to make that surface level assumption about someone due to the circumstantial evidence pointing to him being an avid fan of old time movies about samurai and the like.
Zappy Turtle: That is a similarity they share; however, circumstance is very different.
Krysvun: First thought that crossed my mind was removing Kazuma and put Yoriichi in his stead, but I figured what arbitrary rule states that in the isekai realm Aqua and Lux rule over cares about time.
Wicked.A: Yoriichi is from a time where they counted their birthday at the start of the year, regardless of what time of year they were born, so a child born on new years eve could be 2 years old on new years day. Since I don't have an exact birthday, its somewhat relevant to his age.
I do agree, Belida does seem weaker than a few of the Upper/Waxing Moons, but I suppose balancing will come later when these Demon King Generals become more relevant.
KenjiApex:
Review 1: Like I stated in an early reply, I wasn't sure who I wanted him to run into, I figured that Yunyun would be the best choice. And yep, people will begin to ask questions when Yoriichi is discovered to not have cheats. There are many things yet to be decided, but I do enjoy seeing predictions.
Review 2: Still undecided, but at the very least they'll be fast friends throughout the story. While Chris does seem like a good candidate to teach him a thing or two, Chris seems to strike me as a lone wolf when not with Darkness.
With the spells, I kind of got that vibe from the C3 review. If I decide to take that route with spells and breaths, they might not be that powerful.
Finally for the Succubus brothel: A secret for now, but probably a good source of humor.
Nehz XZX (Guest) [Did Fanfiction review just now allow you to post on C4?]
Reply to Answer to P1: Fair, I will admit that the way I worded it made it seem like I assumed they only worked in a handful of provinces. Rather I believe that Muzan relocates every couple of hundreds of years to some densely populated area, and the Demon Slayer Corps follows close behind. I personally up until Breaths are introduced to the DSC, they are mostly a reactionary force. Only during the Golden Age of Demon Slayers are they a proactive force which probably dealt with a majority of the demons outside of Muzans current location before being regressed back to reactionary after the end of said golden age. Around the time Yoriichi was born, Musashi province Castle Town Edo was yet to become the bustling metropolis that it would be one day, the area where Muzan would've likely been based might've been Sagami Castle Town Kamakura, which was on the decline during the Sengoku Era.
From his transformation in the Heian Era to the Sengoku period, Muzan creates demons begrudgingly, the only intent that one might be able to conquer the sun. At this time, Muzan only entrusts himself with finding the Blue Spider Lily, and after Yoriichi curb stomping him, he likely created the Twelve Demon Moons so that he would never again risk a fight against a breath wielder of that caliber and so that he could remain under the radar of the DSCs while twelve strongest demons were tasked with the Blue Spider Lily. I can see the 12DM traveling farther away from Muzans province of operations due and occasionally creating demons due to them having a greater amount of trust to do their job by Muzan, as hinted by Muzan to Akaza when he stated that he sent the ladder to the Mugen Train because he was in the area.
So for me, it makes sense that Muzan to personally remain close to where a known (probably written in the Doctors notes, but only vaguely) source of the BSL might have been whereas the members of the 12DM (Probably just Kokushibo, Akaza, and Hantengu, since the other 3 seemed content to do their own things and the Lower Six's job for those four-hundred odd years was likely getting stronger and rising the ranks, 113 of those years were spent getting bodied by Hashira) would go out and seek the Ubayashikis and the BSL.
For Yoriichi's cautiousness of magic: While it is likely that he would be able to overcome most low and medium level spell casters and their defenses, he would be out of his depth fighting high level magic casters due to its sheer destructive potential, area of effect and range.
If we are comparing it to fights that have happened in the anime and manga, I would say that the anime greatly overexaggerates the fights (which it does beautifully by the way), and I strongly believe that at most the fight against UM6 destroyed a city block, which is still pretty big but I think that the district overall was destroyed most likely due to do more how early 20th century infrastructure was built: to be as convenient as possible, safety precautions be damned. Also, while Giyu was able to deflect some of Akaza's techniques, he was definitely struggling to deflect the stronger techniques, but was still an impressive feat to mitigate the damage as much as he did.
So while Yoriichi hypothetically could deal with a majority of magic casters just fine, he'd need to take caution when dealing with those with high magic power reserves who can throw out powerful Intermediate or Advanced spells
For Yoriichi and dining: While dining culture wasn't big during the Sengoku Period (Best guess is Yoriichi was born in 1430s and died between 1515-1520 if we assume that the battle with UM6 is the Yoshiwara Fire of 1913) he's probably not frequented any type of dine-in establishment of his own time, either subsisting on small meals or not eating for days on end as its shown that he doesn't need to eat as much as the normal human being as he was able to run for three days and nights without stopping as a child, and he needed no food or water for ten days cradling his murdered wife and unborn child.
Still, during Yoriichi's time, two meals was what they ate (morning and evening) and I doubt that when he was living with Uta she'd let him run about without a meal in the morning or evening so I imagine he tries to keep to the dining habit whenever he can. Before killing the toads, he was mostly stuck with cheap dining as I noted with the broth and bread but now real food should be easily obtainable.
For Modern Descendants: The Reiwa Era (Post year 2019) ones? I feel that if they got reincarnated it is likely that they'd have that 'Hinokami' moment where they'd need to be on the brink of death to call upon that knowledge since they don't actually know the true purpose of the kaguras, probably the explanation to why they do them is like how Tanjiro was told that it was to 'ward off disasters'. And for the Demon Slayers that died before the end of the series, I feel that a majority of them probably died with little regrets aside from being unable to kill Kibutsuji personally.
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Thank you for the reviews! I love the discourse we have as it allows me to think about things that I probably wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Its so refreshing!