Ren Kuroda finally stopped running because of the two girls.
The moment his gaze fell on the long sword at one girl's waist, his eyes lit up.
"Is that a Nichirin Blade you're carrying?"Ren asked seriously.
If the girl's answer had been no, he would have turned around and left without hesitation.
Rescuing someone in distress was admirable, but facing this many demons without a reliable way to kill them—even Ren could only ensure his own survival, not anyone else's.
The girl, already drowning in despair, didn't understand why he would ask such a question at a time like this. Still, she answered honestly.
"Of course it's a Nichirin Blade. Against demons, any other weapon is useless. Isn't that basic common sense?"
As the demons slowly closed in around them, terror crept across her face. The hand gripping her Nichirin Blade trembled uncontrollably.
"Rather than being torn apart and eaten by these things…"She clenched her teeth."I'd rather end it myself."
A look of grim resolve appeared in her eyes. The horrifying image of her companions being killed and devoured was still burned into her mind. She didn't want to die in such unbearable agony.
She raised the Nichirin Blade, positioning it against her own throat.
But at that very moment—
A hand reached out from beside her and stopped the blade cold.
"Such weak mental fortitude," Ren said calmly. "I honestly don't understand why you chose to come here in the first place."
He tightened his grip on her wrist, his voice steady.
"How about this—let's make a deal. I'll guarantee you pass the test alive. In exchange, you lend me that Nichirin Blade until the examination is over."
The one who stopped her from committing suicide was, naturally, Ren Kuroda.
He could have avoided this unnecessary negotiation entirely. If the girl had killed herself, her Nichirin Blade would have ended up in his hands anyway.
But the way Ren had grown up made it impossible for him to stand by and watch something like that happen in front of him. His expression remained firm, without the slightest wavering.
"Even if I lend you the sword, what difference will it make?" the girl said bitterly."There are only three of us, and more than ten demons in front of us. There's no way we can win."
She hesitated, then added,
"Besides, my Nichirin Blade is only suitable for Frost Breathing. Do you even use Frost Breathing?"
Her breathing style was derived from Water Breathing—specifically, Frost Breathing. She remembered her master telling her that very few people practiced their school.
"I don't need to know your so-called Frost Breathing," Ren replied flatly."As long as the sword can kill demons, that's enough."
He took the Nichirin Blade from her hand.
The moment his fingers closed around the hilt, his entire aura changed.
As a seasoned swordsman, Ren could immediately sense that this blade wasn't truly compatible with him. Its will resisted his grip, as if rejecting him outright.
But right now, compatibility didn't matter.
Ren didn't need the perfect sword—He only needed a weapon capable of killing demons.
"Brat, let's see you run now!"One of the demons sneered viciously."Weren't you darting around so happily earlier? Try running again!"
The happiest beings at that moment were undoubtedly the demons who had been chasing Ren.
When they first sensed him, although his aura felt somewhat similar to theirs, they still classified him as edible.
In this cursed place, having anything to eat was a blessing. The demons of Mount Fujikasane weren't picky.
Still, even among meals, Ren wasn't particularly appealing.
They had chased him across nearly half the mountain and still hadn't managed to catch the slippery brat.
The longer they failed, the more unwilling they became to give up.
Now they had finally cornered him—and there was an unexpected bonus.
Two delicate-skinned girls who looked far more delicious.
"These two girls are ours," growled one of the three demons that had been chasing the girls earlier."That brat is yours. Don't cross the line, or don't blame us for being rude."
They had assumed they would feast once they caught the girls. They never expected more than a dozen demons to suddenly appear, so they hurriedly declared ownership.
Unfortunately for them, the demons chasing Ren clearly had no intention of cooperating.
"Your prey?" another demon scoffed."Who do you think you are? When I was captured and dragged to this mountain, you were still playing in the mud."
"Get lost!""We've been chasing that brat for ages—he was ours to begin with. And now that we've seen those two girls, they're ours too!"
With so many demons present, even three humans wouldn't be enough to share a single leg. There was no way they were going to split the meal.
Relying on their superior numbers, the demons on Ren's side directly told the others to scram.
Just as tempers flared and the two groups looked ready to tear each other apart—
A dazzling arc of blade light sliced through the air.
The demon who had been the loudest—boasting about his seniority—felt a sudden chill at his neck.
The next instant, his vision spun violently.
For a fleeting moment, he even saw his own back.
"You don't need to argue anymore," Ren said coldly."Because all of you… are my prey."
With a single strike, he finished the demon.
Instead of retreating, Ren Kuroda revealed a sinister smile—and charged straight into the horde.
Hearing his arrogant declaration and seeing him attack head-on, the remaining demons exploded with rage.
In their eyes, Ren and the others were nothing more than livestock waiting to be divided.
Yet this so-called prey was not only fighting back—it was daring to speak so arrogantly.
How could they tolerate that?
"What right does that trash we chased have to act so high and mighty?!"
"I've eaten at least five arrogant brats just like him!"
Ren tightened his grip on the Nichirin Blade, watching the demon he had just decapitated crumble into ash.
A confident smile spread across his face.
"So this is a Nichirin Blade…""It really is a demon's natural enemy."
"If we'd had this from the beginning," he muttered,"this mission would've ended long ago."
As for the two girls—
Seeing Ren face more than a dozen ferocious demons without the slightest hint of fear—rushing forward with visible excitement instead—
They instinctively covered their eyes.
They didn't want to watch another companion be torn apart and devoured.
But after several seconds passed, no scream came from the boy.
Instead—
The screams echoed from the demons who had been shouting moments earlier.
Those shrill, agonized cries stirred overwhelming curiosity in the girls' hearts. Fearfully, they lowered their hands from their eyes.
What they saw next made their jaws nearly hit the ground…