Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 187 Neighborhood Arc: Night of the Swordsman

With a whoosh, the Japanese sword flew like lightning, cutting through the air as it slashed straight at Wuming's neck!

However, at that same breathtaking moment, another equally astonishing scene was unfolding simultaneously.

Hijikata Masami's left arm was suddenly enveloped by a ball of dark fire, as if it was about to devour him!

Wuming's head was severed in an instant, like a lifeless meteor falling straight to the ground.

Meanwhile, Hijikata Masami moved with the grace of a ghost, deftly twirling the blade in his hand with fluid, effortless movements.

Her eyes were cold and resolute, as if she were engaged in a life-or-death struggle with her enemy.

"Hahaha, because you're taller than me, it seems like you have more openings than I do!"

The microphone pole, wreathed in flames, swept past Masami Hijikata's left side with a fierce and imposing aura, like a ferocious beast.

She was like a samurai, nameless, her Japanese sword called "Fallen God" was not even stained with a single drop of blood.

"Well, although I talk a lot, the feeling of being slashed is nothing compared to the pleasure of dueling with Rainbow Eyes."

"Plug the knife into the ground," Zhengmei said without any sense of vigilance.

She might be a genius with a sword. She has never done any training and just slashes with her sword all day long. But it is because of this purity that her skill with a sword is surprisingly high.

She can pinpoint the enemy's weaknesses in the blink of an eye, and combined with her nameless angel's electric shocks, she achieves an extreme level of enhancement, all because of—instinct!

Because she was a quasi-elf who had completely forgotten her past memories, it was precisely for this reason that her swordsmanship was so pure.

Normally, when a quasi-elf falls, they retain some memories they cared about in life, or some desires they longed for, but she did not.

Although everyone's pursuits are different, it is also the only way to connect the distant other side with this place.

The girl named Hijikata Masami did not pursue anything that was difficult.

Upon arriving at the neighboring border, all she knew was that she had to kill people to survive there.

So, she just chopped people up, it was that simple.

They were even too lazy to cultivate themselves, they just killed and continued to kill, without end.

"No need to eat, no need to sleep, no need to dress up, let alone entertain, because there is absolutely no need. Even so, it would be better to wield a sword!"

Gazing at the night sky, she shouted with a carefree, playful smile.

But then the voice behind him rang out again:

"So what? To speak your thoughts without reservation to the corpse behind you? That's quite humorous."

"Hey?"

Hijikata Masami turned her head sharply and saw that Wuming, whose head she had just severed, was holding his own head and then covering his severed neck like a hat.

The flames of regeneration rose up and, in the instant before the body even realized it was dying, completely healed the cuts on the head and body.

"You... you can even regenerate!"

Masami Hijikata frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but more so excitement.

She gripped the katana tightly again, the nameless angel's electric current leaping across the blade.

Wuming grinned.

"It's a pity that what I have in my hand is not a sharp weapon. How should I put it, if only Rion's Nameless Angel's staff were a little longer and a little sharper, it would be perfect."

As he spoke, the flames around him intensified, and the microphone pole in his hand began to crumble due to this surge of spiritual power.

"Haha, that's a real shame. Although I don't really want to kill someone who can't fight back... I really want to see you at your peak!"

Wuming gripped the microphone pole with both hands, which was about to collapse. Flames wrapped around the pole, making it sturdy again, but the light was even more dazzling than before.

"You think you can take me? Apart from that boy, everyone else has only seen the tip of the iceberg of my full power!"

Although he didn't know why he responded this way, Wuming still shouted and charged towards Hijikata Masami like an arrow released from a bow.

Hijikata Masami's eyes sharpened, and he pushed off with both feet to meet the attack.

The two clashed instantly, their blades and poles clashing fiercely, sword light and flames intertwining, producing a crackling sound.

With her instincts and superb swordsmanship, Seimei relentlessly searches for Wuming's weaknesses.

Wuming, on the other hand, used his regenerative abilities and the fireballs that constantly aided his attacks to deflect Zhengmei's attacks time and time again.

Suddenly, Wuming feinted, circled behind Zhengmei, and slammed down the pole in his hand, which was covered in scorching flames.

Zhengmei reacted extremely quickly, using the electric current to enhance her body's activity before retreating behind her.

Wuming's attack missed, but he was not discouraged. Taking advantage of the moment when Zhengmei retreated, flames erupted around him, turning into a wall of fire that trapped Zhengmei.

The temperature inside the fire wall rose rapidly, and Zhengmei felt as if her skin was about to be scorched.

However, the fighting spirit in her eyes grew even stronger. She took a deep breath, the air flowing through her body, and she actually managed to break through the wall of fire.

Just as she broke through the wall of fire, Wuming launched another attack, the microphone pole in his hand piercing into Mei's chest like the sharp teeth of a beast.

In the nick of time, Seimei instinctively shifted her body to the side, the pole grazing her clothes. Seimei seized the opportunity to swing her sword, using the Japanese sword that had cleaved through the building to slash at Wuming.

All that could be cut was the afterimage left by the flames.

"Hey, speaking of which, you're a fifth-level spirit, right? You're such a nuisance. Trying to cut you is like trying to cut fire; the blade will eventually become less sharp."

After crouching down to get a good look at the target's face, the girl's eyes became excited. If Rainbow Eyes was one of the few surviving companions in her battles...

That's the perfect friend who can satisfy her no matter how many battles she has, and she'll never get tired of it. Although I personally feel that it's a little different from the colored eye, it's really great.

Her eyes met those dark, empty eyes. Although they were different, Hijikata Masami could clearly sense that the man before her had definitely reached the pinnacle of his life.

The madness that inadvertently revealed during the battle, though not as pure as his own, could still be captivating in the midst of combat.

"Would you like to fight me?"

"It's hard to say I don't like it! Just thinking about you, me, and Rainbow Eyes fighting together makes every cell in my body tremble!"

“Talking about others while I’m fighting, miss, that seems a bit impolite.”

"Hmph, same to you. Your eyes are even more empty than I imagined, as if they only hold the image of someone else..."

"That's very rude of you!"

Just as the two were exchanging heated words, Wuming suddenly launched a fierce attack, and flames surged toward Zhengmei like a tidal wave.

Zhengmei swiftly swung his Japanese sword, unleashing sharp sword energy that shattered the flames.

But Wuming's attacks were relentless and fierce, and Zhengmei gradually found herself unable to cope.

Suddenly, Wuming flashed in front of Zhengmei and slammed the microphone stick, which was engulfed in flames, down on her.

Zhengmei was startled and tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The blow severely burned his abdomen, causing him to drop his sword and slam it heavily onto the floor behind him.

"Damn it, this is really unpleasant..."

"If you still lose while I'm wearing a skirt, that's your problem, it's none of my business."

"Cough...you're really strong..."

The girl crawled on her stomach, trying to get up, but Wuming resolutely walked up to her.

Just as Wuming was looking down at Hijikata Masami, he suddenly withdrew his attack stance and spoke:

"I won't kill you, I'll make a deal with you."

Zhengmei looked up, her eyes filled with surprise.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"You crave battle, I need your support. I believe we can benefit each other. Team up with me, and you can stay by Miss Rainbow Eyes' side. In the future, I will promise you a battle that will last until death."

Zhengmei's lips curled up, revealing a carefree smile:

"Interesting, but I feel..."

"You can't refuse, understand? I'm giving you only two choices: survival or destruction, understand?"

"Ugh, this is so troublesome, I don't like using my brain..."

“I understand, so I will promise you one more thing: you will meet more powerful people on your journey with me, and all you have to do is be my sword to cut them down.”

Zhengmei looked at Wuming's unwavering gaze. Although she felt unwilling, her desire to fight made her nod.

"Okay, I agree. But first, tell me who you want me to kill?"

Wuming's expression changed slightly, after all, the word he was about to utter was terrifying in the Tenth Domain.

Would you take the job as a "puppet master"?

Upon hearing the word "puppet master," Zhengmei's eyes lit up instantly, and she excitedly licked her lips.

"Puppet master? That sounds intriguing. I'll take it! When do we start?"

Wuming nodded in satisfaction as he observed Zhengmei's reaction.

"At the earliest tomorrow."

Is there any initiation ceremony?

"If I had to guess, I think I vaguely remember something from my past, like that..."

While pondering this, Wuming casually handed the Japanese sword back to Zhengmei.

"I remember I seemed to have made some kind of sworn brotherhood with someone, which was proof that I had opened my heart to someone. Since we are going to cooperate, let's try to treat each other with sincerity."

"Whatever, as long as I can kill people."

"Oh, that's fine. Let's form the sworn brotherhood later. By the way, does this town have any wine or anything like that?"

Zhengmei scratched her head.

"Alcohol? I'm not sure, but there should be some, right? Although I've never touched it because I don't need to eat, sleep, or dress up in this world, I should be able to find it here."

As she spoke, she stood up and dusted herself off.

The two found the alcohol at the convenience store and then returned to their apartment. Bathed in moonlight, they sat down on the floor and began a long talk that lasted all night.

"Speaking of which, what should I call you? Should I use a code name? Although I don't like hearing this kind of thing, after all, I'm just a ronin."

"Then I'll call you Third Brother from now on. After all, I intend to treat you with sincerity, and we're even planning to become sworn brothers later. What do you think?"

"Huh? Why am I the third brother? It's really annoying that there's someone else ahead of me besides you. Who is she? Can I kick her off the list?"

The moment the words left her lips, Zhengmei sensed an extremely dangerous killing intent. Wuming's eyes became particularly dangerous, as if telling her, "If you dare to try today, I'll make sure you die tomorrow."

"Alright, alright, since we've agreed to become sworn brothers, don't look so menacing. Although I wouldn't mind fighting a little longer, since we are, what kind of person is your second brother?"

"I can't remember."

"what?"

"These are memories from before she died. I really can't remember what she looked like. The only thing I remember is her name."

"That's a real shame. Okay, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's have some of this first, even if it's just for your so-called sense of ritual."

The refreshing yet slightly bitter beer goes down your throat, and the pleasure of the bubbles bursting on your tongue emerges.

"Wow, that's awesome!"

(By the way: Ming's drinking behavior was never very good; he was probably the type who would start talking nonsense after just a few sips.)

"It really is quite refreshing. If you had a glass of this after you'd just finished chopping someone up, it would be incredibly sweet!"

"That's true."

"Oh, oh, is that so? Speaking of which, you seem to be different from me. You have memories of your previous life, right? You're just taking them out to pass the time when you're bored."

"Okay, although I don't remember much, I seem to have some impression of your second brother. Let me tell you the story of how cute she is..."

The two drank heartily, though it was mostly Wuming who was rambling on and on, using various adjectives to describe a girl whose face he had forgotten.