"So big."
That was his first thought as he stared at the kissaki gradually enlarging in his vision, before it struck him dead center in the face.
'Wait—'
The tip of the wooden blade hit without mercy, sending him spinning into pain. His nose nearly snapped, blood gushing out in a red stream as he dropped to the ground, a thin line of crimson splattering across the muddy ground.
'Ahhh.' He cried in pain.
"Takashi Ashikaga is striked!"
The loud voice of an old man rang out from the side, followed by a few murmurs in the background.
"As expected of the dandy ninth prince."
"He couldn't even block a simple strike. Sometimes I worry about the future of our Ashikaga Royal Clan."
"Our fate might turn out like the Fujiwara Royal Clan."
Hearing the murmurs around him, his mind spiraled into confusion. The pain was overwhelming, sharp and nerve-rending.
Cold wind brushed against his face, making his hair flutter.
The sound of water filling the bamboo tube, then tipping and spilling into the still pond below, echoed softly.
Then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The droplet froze mid-air. The murmuring crowd fell silent. Even the blood that had begun to drip from his nose now hung motionless in the air.
Colors drained from the world into shades of black and white.
"Huh?" His mind took a moment to comprehend. His eyes widened as he looked in front of him, a blue panel hovered right in front of him in all its glory, and right at the title, it was written:
"Yokai Slayer"
Takashi's pupils dilated as he took in his reality.
For a moment, he didn't want to believe it himself and even pinched his skin to see if he was daydreaming; however, his memories before he died were too clear and vivid, and the pain from his nose was still stinging.
Then he focused on the panel.
—
[Yokai Slayer]
Name: Takashi Ashikaga
Status: Side Character
Clan: Ashikaga
Realm: Failure
Class: None
Title: [Lazy], [Weakling]
Technique: [Dance of the Radiant Ring (Uninitiated)]
Spiritual Qi: 0 htz
Demonic Energy: 10
—
—
Condition: Injured
Health: 2(-1) [Lazy]
Strength (STR): 3(+1) [Weakling]
Constitution (CON) Con: 2
Dexterity (DEX): 3
—
…
[Lazy]:
Your body protests at the mere thought of movement.
Effect: Health -1
[Weakling]:
Pathetic... but not completely hopeless.
Effect: Strength +1
…
"An ordinary person has around 5 in every stat."
"What… what am I supposed to do?" His eyes widened in despair.
Even though he hadn't played the game, he pretty much knew all about it, especially from watching YouTube. This was an expensive game, of course he'd do his best to get his money's worth.
The game was set in Edo Japan, when samurai ruled the land and had become royalty.
The main character players controlled was the Seal Bearer of either the Ashikaga Clan or the Fujiwara Clan, those who had sealed away the Yokai Emperor.
The plot revolved around the Night of Pandemonia, when millions of yokai rose, and the Samurai King appeared, fighting against them.
The story was about the two fighting together with the Yokai Emperor to seal the Samurai King again but he hadn't even played it yet so he was unfamiliar with too many details.
He also faintly knew this guy, Takashi Ashikaga, a miser and an ordinary man with nothing to show for it, except his status as a prince of the Ashikaga Clan with a beautiful and gentle wife.
And he died on the Night of Pandemonia, when the Yokai Emperor rose.
That was pretty much all that was known about him.
Now, he had to play as this shitty character?
Takashi wanted to curse out loud.
"I was just average before, and now too, will I just live an ordinary and unfortunate life?" he tightened his fist.
At that moment, a surge of memories appeared in his mind. These were the memories of Takashi Ashikaga, no, his memories.
He had been reborn here, fulfilling this character's life all along, until now, when the memories of his previous self finally awakened.
Calming down and accepting his reality in this black-and-white world took him quite some time.
"Sigh."
Then he looked at the system.
When his eyes focused on the Demonic Energy, he was stunned for a moment.
"Demonic Energy is something that's gained from killing yokai and players can use it to upgrade their techniques."
He just didn't expect to already have such an unexpected boon.
However, Takashi didn't hesitate.
He looked at the only technique in his possession:
[Dance of the Radiant Ring (Uninitiated)]
The most basic katana technique of the Ashikaga Clan, one that all members were allowed to practice, but this trash hadn't even reached the first stage of it.
[Do you wish to spend 10 Demonic Energy to increase the stage of the technique?]
[Accept / Reject]
He pressed the Accept decisively.
[Dance of the Radiant Ring (Uninitiated)] -> [Dance of the Radiant Ring (First Stage)]
[Congratulations, you have upgraded from the Realm of Failure and surpassed Ordinary.]
[You have reached the Steel Edge Realm.]
[Realm: Steel Edge]
Numerous prompts filled his vision, his entire brain felt discombobulated from the sheer amount of information being transferred into his mind.
—
Condition: Healthy
Health: 12 (+10)
Strength (STR): 13 (+10)
Constitution (CON): 12 (+10)
Dexterity (DEX): 13 (+10)
—
At the same time, veins bulged across his body, and his skin constantly perspired from the overwhelming heat and pressure.
Ahhh—
He opened his mouth and roared toward the sky.
At that moment, the world returned from its black-and-white state, becoming colourful again.
The drop of water finally fell into the bamboo shoot and dropped into the pond, sending ripples across the surface.
The murmurs of people resounded once more.
Time resumed its course.
And with it came a strike of the katana, this time aimed directly at his heart.
Takashi almost instinctively knew that if he were hit in the chest, the pain would be nothing to scoff at.
His eyes, bloodshot from the pain, locked onto the tip of the wooden katana.
Even through the agony, his own wooden katana moved, instinctively.
And…