Chapter 4: Bro, Aren't You Scared of Me?
Blood-Fang watched the boy from the darkness of the woods.
Young. Traveling alone. Rich, pulsing vitality.
The boy was a delicious piece of meat.
The demon, trembling with excitement, struggled to suppress its hunger as it pondered how to "prepare" its meal. Should it break the boy's limbs and swallow him whole while he was still fresh? Or should it let his fear ferment, savoring the mellow aroma of absolute despair?
To eat him fresh, or to eat him flavored with terror?
What a blissful dilemma... truly a difficult choice.
Chaos swirled in Blood-Fang's eyes as it couldn't help but lick its jagged fangs. As for the katana resting by the boy's side? It didn't give the weapon a second thought. Aside from sunlight and the high-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps, the resistance of a normal human was laughable.
In fact, those futile attempts at self-defense were like a spicy garnish to a good meal.
Looking at the boy's plain, travel-worn clothes, he clearly wasn't a Slayer. It was just after nightfall. In the middle of nowhere. No one would hear him scream.
It's been a while since I've had a treat like this. I wonder how many people I have to eat before I catch "That Lady's" eye again and catch a glimpse of her elegance...
Before Blood-Fang could make its decision, it noticed the boy suddenly look up and scan the area. Eventually, his gaze locked directly onto the demon's hiding spot.
Sharp senses. Now I'm even more excited.
Dropping the act, Blood-Fang stopped hiding. It stood up and walked toward the boy with a predatory swagger, finally stepping into the circle of firelight.
As the light hit its face, Blood-Fang split its mouth into a horrific grin, revealing rows of needle-like teeth that reached back to its ears. It was always more fun to play with the food before the first bite.
As expected, upon seeing the demon's monstrous, hulking frame, the boy immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Next comes the part where he turns and runs. Or maybe he'll scream to boost his courage and swing wildly at me.
Based on its years of experience, the demon had already predicted the boy's next move.
However, the boy's reaction was unlike anything Blood-Fang had ever seen. He simply stood up, dusted off his clothes, gripped his sword, and walked toward the demon with measured, leisurely steps.
There was no fear in his eyes. No panic. Instead, he gave Blood-Fang a look that made it feel strangely... uncomfortable.
It was a look of clinical observation. Curiosity.
Blood-Fang's muscles tensed. The killing intent and the scent of blood it had been suppressing began to leak out.
Ho? Not running? Approaching me instead?
What incredible courage. It makes me want to stuff your sexy, delicious body into my stomach right now!
"Little boy, aren't you afraid?" Blood-Fang asked, a rare gesture to its food. Surely, deep down, you're trembling?
Instead of answering, the boy asked a question of his own.
"So, you're a Demon?"
Natsuya drew his sword. The pale emerald blade shimmered with a cold light in the glow of the campfire.
Natsuya looked at the two-meter-tall humanoid. Its skin was iron-blue, its fangs jutted out, and its muscles were as thick as gnarled tree roots. A pair of crimson pupils burned in the night.
"Since you have a name, I guess you count as an Elite Mob, right?"
Without waiting for a response, the sharp Nichirin Sword slashed toward the demon's throat.
As expected, the moment Natsuya attacked, the demon labeled [Blood-Fang] entered its "Active State."
It was fast. The demon's right claw whipped out like a steel lash, slamming into the Nichirin Sword and parrying the blow with brute force.
High physical strength. Well, its stats are higher than mine, after all, Natsuya thought. I wonder if there's a hidden racial bonus in the math.
Natsuya didn't panic. Amidst the sparks of clashing steel, he used the force of the demon's parry to spin his body. The blade traced a freezing horizontal line, narrowly missing the demon's windpipe.
It should have been a hit. But the demon, relying on its superior physical stats, managed to force its body half a step back in a way that defied human physics.
Natsuya licked his lips, his excitement growing. As expected of a Body stat of 28. Ten points higher than mine.
Even with his clever use of momentum, that exchange had numbed his palms. The sword had nearly flown out of his hand.
More importantly... the AI was capable of reacting to his mix-ups and performing special evasive maneuvers in a split second.
This combat system...
"You're actually pretty interesting," Natsuya couldn't help but say.
Blood-Fang's brow furrowed. "Are you from the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Not officially. Not yet."
"Oh?" The murky fluid in Blood-Fang's eyes churned. "A samurai then? Perfect. It's been years since I've tasted the flesh of a swordsman."
Ah, so there's a trash-talk phase too.
Natsuya assumed a stance and took a deep, localized breath.
Searing air escaped through the gaps in his teeth. His sturdy chest pounded like a war drum.
Let's do this. Let me see if this game is about 'footsies and neutral' or 'stamina resource management'.
"Wind Breathing..."
Here it comes. The power coursing through his limbs from the breathing technique was condensed into a single point.
The force exploded from his feet into the earth, kicking up a ring of dust—
BOOM!
He transformed into a blur. The Nichirin Sword trailed a savage storm, hurtling toward the demon.
"First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
The demon didn't flinch. Grinning, it thrust its claws forward like spears into the heart of the storm.
The campfire was snuffed out instantly.
But the darkness didn't give Blood-Fang an advantage—because it was the one being snuffed out.
Blood-Fang, the man-eating demon.
The grin froze on its ashen face. The malice in its pupils was instantly replaced by a hollow blankness.
Its head detached from its neck... thud... and hit the dirt.
I... was decapitated?
How is this kid so strong?!
Its body flailed about like a headless cockroach, limbs twitching as its nerves fired their final, frantic signals. But there was no coming back from this.
After the initial shock and rage, a strange sensation flooded its fading mind—the feeling of a thick fog finally lifting. It was as if a mist that had occupied its brain for decades was clearing away.
No wonder...
No wonder the boy's gaze had felt so uncomfortable. The way he had looked at the demon from the start was exactly how a child looks at a toys for the first time: pure curiosity.
A toys? Wait... I remember something... my younger brother...
The head on the ground began to crack. Like yellow joss paper being burned during a funeral, it began to drift away into the air as ash.
Blood-Fang finally remembered its real name, along with the memories it had discarded. Being turned into a monster, wallowing in the act of eating humans...
But now, it didn't rush to speak with the ghosts of its past. It looked at the boy. The one who had granted it liberation.
"Boy... what is your name?"
"Natsuya. Kokonoe Natsuya."
"Truly... I met a terrifying brat..."
Natsuya seemed a bit distracted.
Of course he was distracted! He was actually a little annoyed.
Seriously, bro? We just finished the neutral game with some basic attacks, and I was ready to trade skills...
I used my Breathing Style and a Sword Form. Why were you still just using basic attacks?!
And you didn't even try to dodge? Even if your reach is long, it's not longer than a three-foot katana plus my arm!
A one-shot? Really?
The biggest takeaway Natsuya got from this fight was that fighting monsters in the dark with the UI up was a pain in the ass. The glare was annoying.
Anything else? Nothing.
It wasn't even as satisfying as hitting the practice dummies in the dojo to test his combos.
Is this it? Where's the balancing dev? Why is the scaling on this mob so bad?
He watched as the demon's status bar changed from a red [Blood-Fang ???] to a green [Blood-Fang (Ino Shin)].
The demon seemed to have a dying monologue ready. Vague, blurry images began to flicker in Natsuya's peripheral vision—the classic "tragic backstory" cutscene.
The first combat encounter was a letdown, and now I have to watch a cutscene?
Natsuya casually gave his name, then immediately hit [Skip Dialogue].
When the world, which had turned into a blur of fast-forwarded motion, finally slowed down, all that was left on the ground was a small pile of ash.
"What was he gonna say again?"
Natsuya scratched his head and checked the System Panel.
"Well, I knew it. Killing mobs grants XP."
[Wind Breathing LV.2]
[Adept]
[Proficiency: 221/1000 (+48)]
"Actually, bro, you weren't totally useless. I'll accept this final gift."