The New Disciples’ Skill Level

After making preparations to go to the demon realm, we were to gather in front of Wallside Hall. The new disciples who had returned to Doushu Hall prepared their weapons and the like and began walking toward Wallside Hall. At that moment, someone called out to us from behind.

“Seiran, did you change weapons?”

When we turned around, two female new disciples of our cohort were standing there. They were Meimei and Hongfa. Those two, who were the same age as Seiran, were supposed to have Senior Sister Mion, who was of the same cohort as Senior Brother Yulong, and Senior Sister Shunlin as their assistant instructors.

“I’m learning Phoenix Will Broadsword Art right now.”

When Seiran answered, Meimei tilted her head. Meimei was an intelligent-looking girl who seemed likely to grow into a beauty in the future. The other one, Hongfa, was a cute-looking girl. Since Meimei had recently had her birthday, both of them should have been fifteen, the same as Seiran.

“Why Phoenix Will Broadsword Art? Your assistant instructor is Senior Brother Yulong, right? I heard he’s good at the Heavy Resonance Sword.”

Seiran shrugged his shoulders.

“There are various circumstances behind that. Right now, I’m practicing Phoenix Will Broadsword Art together with Haoxuen.”

When Seiran said my name, Meimei’s gaze turned toward me.

“Well, whatever. Have you two ever fought yōma?”

I nodded.

“Of course, I have fought them. Just yesterday, I killed a Piercing Wolf. What about you, Meimei?”

Meimei and Hongfa looked at each other.

“Senior Sister Shunlin took us hunting. We fought a Fang Rabbit for the first time.”

“I see. That’s good, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean by good?”

“If this were your first time fighting a yōma, you would be extremely nervous. And Senior Brother Johnrin is going to be watching, you know.”

When they heard that, Meimei and Hongfa nodded.

“If it were my first time, I think I’d fail.”

Hongfa said that. She said the Fang Rabbit she fought for the first time had been scary. Hearing that, Seiran nodded vigorously.

“Right? Because of the name Fang Rabbit, I imagined a slightly bigger rabbit, but those things are vicious.”

When he was in front of Senior Brother Kou, Seiran made an effort to use polite language, but it seemed that when he was only with new disciples, his way of speaking became more casual.

I wondered what kind of weapons the two of them used, so I checked. Meimei’s weapon was a rapier, and Hongfa’s weapon was a warhammer.

“Meimei and Hongfa, what kind of martial arts are you learning?”

Hearing that question, Meimei lightly tapped her rapier.

“Peach Blossom Sword.”

It was a sword art that new disciples often learned, a swordsmanship style in which one fights with a one-handed sword while strengthening the body with qi. I had seen people practicing it in the training grounds.

“I’m learning Glazed Hammer Art.”

Hongfa told us. Since I had thought that if you fought with a warhammer, you would learn the Demonic Horn Warhammer Art, I tilted my head.

“So it’s not Demonic Horn Warhammer Art.”

“That one needs a special weapon. There shouldn’t be many Taoist practitioners learning it.”

I remembered Senior Brother Kou using the Lightning Thorn Hammer with a Thunder Bear claw built into it. I understood that preparing a weapon like that would be impossible for a new disciple.

When we arrived in front of Wallside Hall, Senior Brother Johnrin and the others were waiting there.

“Everyone’s gathered. We’re departing.”

Among the new disciples, about two of them looked nervous. They were boys named Rui and Toumi, and their assistant instructors were supposed to be friends of Senior Brother Yulong. Judging from those tense expressions, this might be their first time fighting yōma.

I thought I was glad that my assistant instructor had been Senior Brother Kou. While I was thinking that, we entered the demon realm and seemed to be heading toward a small hill to the east. Along the way there was a grassland, and many Fang Rabbits and Piercing Wolves lived there.

When we arrived at the grassland, Senior Brother Johnrin looked around.

“There’s a Fang Rabbit over there. Who will fight first?”

It seemed Senior Brother Johnrin had confirmed the position of the yōma with the Lone Awakening Eye. Seiran raised his hand.

“Very well. Your weapon is a broadsword? What martial art are you learning?”

“Phoenix Will Broadsword Art.”

When he heard that, Senior Brother Yulong made a face like it did not sit right with him. Senior Brother Johnrin did not notice it.

“That’s unusual. Fine, try fighting it.”

Seiran stepped forward holding his broadsword. Then the Fang Rabbit noticed him at once and started running. And after taking a running start, it leaped toward Seiran. Seiran sliced open the Fang Rabbit’s neck with the blade of his broadsword in an upward scooping slash.

“Oh, one strike? You seem to be training well.”

Senior Brother Johnrin praised him, which was rare.

“Who’s next?”

I judged that it would be better to get it over with early, so I raised my hand.

“Haoxuen, is it? Try it.”

After stepping forward, I began refining my qi. Even though I had only just begun training the moving art Girui Gong, my qi had already reached the Fourth Tier. It was probably because Senior Brother Kou’s way of teaching had been good.

That Fang Rabbit leaped at my neck. As I jumped sideways to dodge it, I raised my broadsword and brought it down on the Fang Rabbit’s neck. The Fang Rabbit’s head was severed from its body and rolled across the grassland. I jumped backward to avoid the spraying blood.

“Splendid. Did you learn that from Kou?”

“Yes.”

Senior Brother Johnrin nodded as if satisfied. After that, Meimei and Hongfa fought, and they somehow managed to kill their Fang Rabbits. However, they could not bring them down in a single blow like we did.

Hongfa, having killed her Fang Rabbit, came back.

“Huff, huff… How can you kill such a fast Fang Rabbit in one blow?”

Hongfa asked while breathing heavily through her shoulders.

“If you fight them many times, you get used to it. Hongfa, you’ll be able to kill one in a single blow too.”

Hearing that, Meimei shook her head as though she could not believe it.

“How many Fang Rabbits have you fought?”

How many had it been?

“I once killed seven in a single day. That was probably my best.”

“After killing that many, what do you do with them?”

“We take back the hides and meat, and salt the meat. Senior Brother Kou said it becomes winter food.”

“And the hides?”

“We sell them in town. It becomes a little spending money.”

After Hongfa, Yuhan, whose assistant instructor was Senior Brother Zurui, challenged a Fang Rabbit. He took a kick from the Fang Rabbit to the face and his face swelled up, but he somehow succeeded in killing it.

Senior Brother Zurui approached Yuhan after he returned.

“What are you doing? It’s because you were careless.”

Yuhan was scolded and his shoulders drooped. Yuhan probably had little experience fighting yōma. It was the result of Senior Brother Zurui, his assistant instructor, not properly fulfilling his role, so I felt sorry for him.

At the end, the two who seemed to have no experience fighting yōma were left. Would they be all right? When I fought for the first time, I won by fighting cautiously. Those two would probably be fine too if they fought carefully.