Horitake clearly knew that relying solely on these kids was unreliable; the real force was himself.
Flashing to a rooftop, Horitake's spirit vision scanned, spotting seven or eight ominous red-black auras nearby—definitely the flesh orbs.
A bolt of lightning flashed as Horitake darted toward them.
Lifting a tattered basket, he found a red-black flesh orb beneath. Without hesitation, a lightning strike incinerated it at extreme heat, erasing the ominous aura completely—cleanly eliminated.
Flashing elsewhere, he found another orb in a pile of firewood. Another lightning strike resolved it.
Continuing his flickering search, he found one in a haystack, dispatched by lightning.
Next, in a chicken coop, a stable, an abandoned warehouse, a murky fishpond—every nook and cranny—Horitake found flesh orbs.
These kids sure knew how to hide them! Luckily, under Horitake's spirit vision, nothing could escape. He found and eliminated them all.
With purple arcs flashing, Horitake moved swiftly across Kusatsu County, averaging two to three seconds per orb—a remarkably fast pace.
Most of his searches targeted obscure, hard-to-find spots.
The kids likely couldn't recall where they'd hidden some orbs, so rather than let them struggle, Horitake handled the tough spots, letting them collect the easier ones.
But a question arose: wouldn't Horitake's flashing about disturb Kusatsu's sleeping residents? Fortunately, his enhanced lightning control minimized noise, though the light couldn't be hidden, ensuring minimal disturbance.
If someone, still awake, noticed a purple flash outside and grew curious, by the time they checked, Horitake had already moved on.
Another question: with so many scattered orbs, why not wake everyone in Kusatsu for a mass search? The Demon Slayer Corps wasn't government-sanctioned. High-profile actions could cause widespread panic, exposing demons and the Corps, potentially sparking social unrest.
That would make the government even less tolerant of the Corps, endangering its future.
Horitake's actions in Tomah Town had already pushed boundaries, but a small town's news was easier to contain.
Kusatsu, however, was a bustling town with a large, mobile population. Exposure here would be hard to control.
To avoid trouble, Horitake stuck to this tedious method.
Thankfully, his spirit vision was like satellite radar, and with his speed and efficiency, plus the kids' help, progress was swift.
As time ticked by, with three or four hours until dawn, Horitake had destroyed many orbs. The kids had collected some too.
Few remained.
Initially, Horitake found an orb every two or three seconds. Now, it took over ten seconds to find one, as the remaining orbs were fewer and more scattered.
Before, his spirit vision revealed multiple red-black auras in range; now, it was mostly clear.
Horitake kept his vision active, moving rapidly, scanning widely, occasionally finding one or two to destroy.
He mentally calculated the total orbs. The kids, young and limited in strength, carried baskets holding orbs roughly fist-sized. Estimating, there were about 500 in total.
Horitake had destroyed nearly 300 himself.
Sensing the timing, he flashed to a child, startling them, and asked, "How many collected?"
Shocked by the electrified Horitake, the child showed their basket—about a dozen orbs.
Not their fault; Horitake was too efficient. Some kids found their hiding spots already cleared by him.
Without blame, Horitake took the basket. "Keep searching! Find as many as you can!"
He flashed away, leaving the kid stunned.
You took my basket—how do I collect? Oh well, bare hands it is!
Horitake, with the basket, swiftly checked each child. Most had collected a dozen or so, some luckier ones up to twenty.
Collecting their orbs, he filled the first basket, then commandeered another to continue.
Visiting all the kids, he gathered two full baskets—over a hundred orbs.
Carrying them, Horitake dashed out of Kusatsu to a nearby mountain, far from the town. He dumped the orbs on the ground, a pile of over a hundred before him.
Drawing his blade, Horitake unleashed a wide-range technique: "Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Revised—Thunder Tiger Annihilation!"
A surge of purple lightning roared skyward, electrifying and awe-inspiring. As Horitake swung, two radiant thunder tigers charged, circling the pile of orbs.
The orbs stood no chance, obliterated by the thunder tigers.
The challenge was ensuring the plague didn't spread during annihilation, containing and destroying it entirely.
Even after the orbs were gone, the thunder tigers lingered, roaring, their lightning sterilizing the area.
Horitake, with spirit vision active, confirmed the red-black auras were gone—safe.
He dispersed the technique, exhaling slightly.
In Kusatsu, the kids, startled by distant thunder, looked toward the mountain, seeing purple lightning and hearing faint tiger roars.
They guessed it was Horitake's mass destruction.
Spurred by awe and fear, they redoubled their efforts, knowing their frail bodies couldn't withstand his lightning.
Horitake returned to Kusatsu, spirit vision active, moving like a minesweeper, scouring for stragglers.
He knew he couldn't catch them all in one go—there'd be stragglers still.
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