A month ago...
[A/N: I'd like to say, thank you for voting on this fanfic. However, since I haven't reached 15k requirements, I doubt I can find this in top list. A friend, or rather, an acquaintance of mine told me that it will still be ranked regardless of word count... Though, I don't expect that we will reach 100 power stones, just knowing that you guys are voting even if this fanfic has yet to reach 15k words makes me happy. And no, I haven't dropped my DanMachi fanfic.]
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• Ryū's POV •
Sigh... Waking up early just to breathe in the fresh air of countryside is nice. However, there are some things that I needed that is hard to get from countryside.
Anyway, as I was looking around, I saw a small bakery that was about to close down due to being not so much popular. However, that's not the case...
There's a curse in that bakery. Base on the scent I got from it, it was hate of being poor, hatred towards wealthy people, probably. I'm just getting used to my nose smelling the curse instead of things like food or a scent of a person.
The scents of a curse is kinda weird, but all of them carry negative emotions.
I bought some bread in that bakery and talked to the owner.
"Sir, I'd like to have 5 breads."
"Here you go, lad." He handed the bread to me and then said, "You know, only few people buy breads in my shop. I was planning to close it down because apparently, this place has rumors going on about."
"Hm? What kind of rumors?" I asked.
"Rumors that the person before me died because of debt. The people says that the man hates being poor so he turned to loan sharks, but ended up being in debt and then committed suicide on this very building." He explained.
I nodded and said, "He must've hate being poor, and when he turned to loan sharks, instead of getting prosperous, his business wasn't that popular which made his business bankrupted and him being hunted by loan sharks."
"You sure know a lot for a kid like you, boy. Anyway, take care when going home and be sure that you're back before eleven." He said.
"Hm? Why so? Is there some kind of rumors as well?" I asked.
"Yes. Every night, people hear inhuman screams at an alley near here which is a shortcut to school. However, going through that alley will have you to pass by the cemetery. Even though there's already a tall wall to hide the cemetery, people, mostly students that passes through that shortcuts get chills in their spine."
Hm... There's surely a strong curse in there. I don't know how strong, but I need to make sure of its strength and prepare to exorcise it.
"I see... Are there any cases of people that are disappearing or dying and were found on that alley?" I asked in a serious voice.
"For a child like you to be asking these questions, you must want to be detective that badly to even solve cases at an early age. Anyway," he turned serious and spoke nonchalantly, "there was a girl who died there over a week ago. She was with a friend, but only the girl is dead. People close to the girl then started to blame the friend for the girl's death, saying that she is jealous of her beauty that's why she killed her. However, I don't think that girl would be able to kill. She's a kind girl, and she's not ugly, she's just average."
"That's some stupid reason..."
"Yes, it is."
"What's the name of the girl?"
"Yamamoto Satoko. That lass is a good girl, she always wears a smile on her face. Now, it was anything but smile and happy."
"I see." I raised the paper bag with bread on it a little and said, "Thanks for the bread!"
"I should be the one to thank you, though!"
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That night, I decided to go and exorcise the curse on that shop. I liked the taste of the bread the owner, very classic. Though, not as much delicious as the bread that I eat when my family members had yet to go into Tokyo. Those breads are probably from the new family business, huh?
Of course, when I left, I made sure that they are asleep. After all, Wasuke-jiji and Yūji-kun are both stubborn and will probably try to ask me questions why I would go out at night, and then I will probably be back an hour later, probably.
I jumped on a roof, and then ran fast but I kept my steps as quiet as possible I could. Even though I could have used the 9th form for this, I don't want to do such menial task of just going into a place with curse. Also, it makes splashing sound...
Also, I've learned how to use cursed energy now, which is not surprising because my focus is very high due to training Repetitive Action. And along with it and cursed energy, my punch should pack a punch by now. Even without Repetitive Action, I could already bend metal pipes and make them an angle of 45.
Anyway, I've arrived at the shop.
"Now, where is that curse?" I started sniffing the air to search for the curse.
As to why I can smell a curse, it must be because they are physical manifestation of negative emotions at something or some kind of person. Because if they aren't physical manifestation, then they can't be touched. Apparently, then can be touched, so then can be smelled as well.
"Oh, shoot... It's inside the shop..."
I tried to look around to find a way to get in. Luckily, a window in the top floor seems to be too old. When I pulled the window open, my nose caught a strong scent of the curse. I got in pretty easily, so I decided to go further.
When twisted the doorknob, it was not locked. If it is, I would have kicked it down since the extermination of a curse is more important than to worry about property damage.
I followed the scent and it led me to the room where breads are being baked. Then, that's when I heard the curse.
"Loan... Sharks... Poor... Hate..." It muttered in broken sentences.
It then saw me and tried to attack me. The curse has 3 arms and looked like dinosaur. I pulled out a coin as I dodged and tossed it out of the window after I opened it. And then, the curse followed the damn coin. It's 500 yen coin, by the way...
I followed it outside and saw that it ate the coin, and then turned to look at me like a hungry predator. Predator of money, that is...
Then, I threw a one yen at it. It became enraged... Maybe because he laughed at one yen? Because if he did, then that might be the reason why a curse was created here. After all, there's a saying that "he who laughs at one yen will weep at one yen" which is true since it is still useful when shopping in person.
An angry curse has arrived in front of me to punch me, but I sliced its arm instead, making it groan in pain.
I used my OP Nagamaki to slice off its arm. However, it regrew its arm a few seconds after being severed.
"Did I just get a normal weapon? No, that's not it. It sliced through the curse very easily despite being blunt." I muttered to myself as I dodged and slice some of its arms.
"It's because of how to use it properly. The better your control at cursed energy, the better its effects are. The more cursed energy you put in, the sharper and the deadlier it becomes."
Hearing that voice suddenly appear out of nowhere, my heart almost jumped out of my mouth.
"AAAHH! Please! Don't scare me like that, Silver-san." I spoke to the person who forged my weapon.
"It's Silver not Shiruba. Do it again! Si, il, ver."
"Shi, ru, ba."
"Silver."
"Silver." [A/N: Read as Shiruba because he's a Japanese and is having a hard time since it's been a while since he spoke English, lmao.]
"Nevermind. Now then, slice that curse with your blade. By the way, its name is Seidan." He told me.
I dodged the curse's attacks as I asked, "Did you just made a pun? You used Sendai to name the Nagamaki and called it Seidan, didn't you?"
"Well, it's not my problem that you ignored my instructions about Seidan. I told you to use cursed energy on it if you want it to be as effective as it can be, but you just outrightly ignored me."
"Ugh... Sorry!" Now, I sound like a certain redhead who died and the first 3 volumes are full of her sorry as well as the chibi version...
After dodging from its blows and managed to imbue my weapon now named Seidan, and slashed the curse.
After I sliced off its arms, I noticed that the curse doesn't regenerate. Or it might just because it's weak right now, Low Grade 4 at max.
I decided to quickly finish this fight as I still have another next mission to do, and I also need to get stronger. Stronger by base strength, so I can have multiplied power once I use Total Concentration Breathing.
'There's no need for Total Concentration Breathing on this one.'
❲Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide❳
With one swift movement, I sliced its body into pieces.
If I remember correctly, Tanjiro reached half the speed of Yūji in episode 24, but he was badly injured at that time and he just forced himself to move. So, it means that Tanjiro is faster than Yūji if he is fully recovered. And, all the Hashira are able to move at high speed that they seem to disappear in thin air.
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[A/N: Hashira that can use ❲Total Concentration, Constant❳ can decide if they want to use it fully or not. Even without Total Concentration, Tomioka Giyū is probably as fast as Itadori Yūji in terms of speed using ❲Total Concentration❳, not even Constant yet, and might be even faster considering how fast he sliced all spinning sharp threads of Rui with the use of normal Total Concentration in Episode 20. Yet, even Tomioka Giyū couldn't still reach the speed of Thunder Breathing's First Form right after Zen'itsu learned to use ❲Constant❳ without even using Godspeed. Also, the clothes they use are heavy as it was stated in Episode 5.]
［Demon (Oni) - the weakest are around 10 times the strength of a human with average strength. To be more exact, around a power level of 50 with the strongest being Muzan with 35k.］