Type-Moon, the Heroic Spirit I Summoned is Myself

You accepted the commission of the young child, feeling a slight thrill as if you sensed the impending events. The sword at your side, Onikiri, transmitted a joyful emotion to you.

However, your decision left most of the villagers feeling regretful, as they believed your action was almost equivalent to courting death.

Just as you were about to head up the mountain, the young girl unexpectedly mustered her courage and decided to follow you, leading the way.

At first, you found it troublesome and wanted to refuse her, but ultimately her determination to find her father moved you, and you decided to take her along.

You searched for a long time on the back mountain, until the sun began to set and the evening glow filled the sky, but still, you couldn't find the girl's father.

In your heart, you understood that the girl's father had likely met with misfortune, yet you said nothing and continued searching alongside her. Despite her deep reluctance, the girl surprisingly remained composed and decided to lead you back down the mountain.

Just as you were about to descend, however, your sword Onikiri began to tremble slightly, warning you of danger.

At the same time, your sharp intuition—the ability to sense danger (Mind's Eye: False)—allowed you to instinctively draw your blade and cut the hair of the female ghost that was approaching from behind.

As you turned around, bathed in the sunset's glow, you finally saw the true form of the female ghost.

"Hmm."

With the Book of Heroic Spirit Development in hand, Lucian blinked slightly, watching as the scene of the initial appearance of the ghost unfolded before him, triggered by his thoughts.

To his surprise, the ghost in red was unexpectedly beautiful.

Seeing that her first attack failed to harm you, the ghost let out an extremely piercing scream and retreated. Your options were...

A: Chase the girl, 

B: Take the girl down the mountain, 

C: Interfere personally.

Lucian hesitated for a moment.

This hesitation was not out of fear; rather, he felt it was inappropriate to take such a young child into danger.

However, after some contemplation, Lucian ultimately chose to pursue the ghost.

He was confident in his ability to protect the girl!

You hurriedly chased after the ghost and unexpectedly found that she seemed to fear you.

"Afraid of me?"

Lucian tilted his head instinctively, but quickly realized,

"It's Onikiri she's afraid of."

Your deduction was correct. As you chased the ghost and felt the aura emanating from her, Onikiri underwent a startling transformation!

The flames that were merely engraved on the blade at first now seemed to ignite, flickering and guiding you as you pursued the ghost.

With Onikiri's assistance, you finally cornered the ghost in a secluded graveyard. You noticed that this place appeared to be her lair, littered with many torn men's clothes, even some worn by wandering samurai.

Realizing she was trapped, the ghost attempted to use her seductive charms to entice you, but suddenly, the flames of Onikiri erupted, dispelling her ghostly allure...

Lucian's fingers traced the text.

Through the projection, he not only saw the purifying flames enveloping Onikiri but also sensed its disdainful emotion... After all, if even the ghostly deity Shikigami couldn't handle it, what courage did this mere female ghost possess?

With her greatest reliance rendered useless, while she was stunned, you seized the moment and unleashed the pinnacle of your current martial arts—Instantaneous Strike!

Under the night sky, amidst the graves, dressed in black samurai attire, Lucian swung Onikiri at the ghost, who was momentarily dazed, her eyes widening in shock.

In that fleeting moment, cold light scattered everywhere.

With your strike, traces of fierce flames remained in its wake.

The ghost didn't even get a chance to scream before she was cleaved in half.

Not only that, but after being severed by Onikiri, residual flames ignited on her corpse, incinerating her completely!

---

"Why do I feel oddly light-hearted?"

Holding the Book of Heroic Spirit Development and witnessing it all, Lucian couldn't help but whisper to himself.

Light-hearted? 

Indeed, there was a sense of it. 

But it was also natural since Lucian, despite being only thirteen, was a master swordsman, endowed with the principles of swordsmanship.

Not to mention that his sword was a sacred blade specifically forged to slay demons.

After Lucian dispatched the ghost, the girl, who had been hiding behind a large tree, rushed out.

Without waiting for Lucian to say anything, he noticed the girl hastily running towards a pile of clothing... No, it wasn't clothing.

Taking a couple of steps closer, Lucian could see more clearly by the moonlight that the heap on the ground was not clothing at all but rather desiccated corpses.

Corpses drained of their life essence by the ghost, turning them into mummies.

Lucian understood why the girl had been so agitated.

At that moment, the girl's frantic search finally came to a halt, frozen in place.

Clearly, she had found the loved one she had been desperately seeking, but now did not wish to find... In fact, she had anticipated his death.

After all, he had been missing for three days.

Time passed, and you and the girl returned to the village under the night sky. At first, the villagers feared you were the spirits of the dead returned, until they confirmed that the ghost was indeed slain.

Then, as the entire village rejoiced at the news, you came to the young girl's home.

Yet to your surprise, you found her sitting blankly on the ground, staring upward at the house, alongside an elderly woman hanging lifelessly from the beams...

Lucian was stunned.

His fingers lingered over the text, absorbing the memories conveyed by the projection.

For a moment, even he felt somewhat at a loss for what to do.

The old woman's death was unexpected, yet upon reflection, it made sense; they had returned too late, and nearly everyone believed they should be dead.

The following day, you left the small village. This was your first experience killing a demon, and while the process was easy, it left a profoundly deep impression on your heart.

For a long time afterward, you could not forget the girl's eyes... those were the eyes of someone devoid of life.

The tale of you slaying the ghost spread quickly, your reputation as a brilliant thirteen-year-old swordsman was too resounding, making it easy for your family to find you again, leading you to meet the old swordsman once more.

Initially, you thought he had come to reprimand you, but to your surprise, he marveled at the path you had chosen.

"Onikiri, the sacred blade known for slaying demons, is renowned not only among humans but among demons as well."

With his gray hair and vigorous spirit, the old swordsman spoke to Lucian.

"And it has been passed down since the Heian period, having surely slain countless demon souls! Its every appearance incites the wrath of demons, and to this day, many former wielders have perished at the hands of the very monsters they sought to subdue."

"Ultimately, wielding this blade has gradually evolved into a curse, which is precisely why it is enshrined in our family shrine, remaining unsheathed for over a hundred years."

"When the clan entrusted this sword to you, they thought it was safe, having deemed demon sightings rare, yet they never anticipated that even in this modern age, the blade still bore its curse..."

He had come to inquire whether you would return the sword or return to your clan.

Your options were...

A: Return Onikiri, 

B: Return to the clan, 

C: Exterminate all demons, 

D: Interfere personally.

"So there's a new secret..." Lucian suddenly understood; the destruction of his family in the first simulation was not coincidental but inevitable.

He also began to comprehend what the true intentions of the one named Shizuo were.

Gathering spirits and demons to march towards Edo likely wasn't solely for the purpose of destroying the eastern capital; it was also to restore the era of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

Returning to his senses, Lucian decisively chose to exterminate all demons!

The reason was simple: he could not forget the last glance of that young girl, and an end to the matter with Shizuo was naturally required. 

Moreover, after this incident and after hearing so much from the old swordsman, a sudden realization surged within Lucian.

He felt as though he had finally grasped the thread of what he sought!

You made your choice, but evidently, the old swordsman before you was not pleased with your decision. He believed you were too young to take such risks and that you could continue to grow for a few more years. Thus, he prepared to take you back to the clan.

Reading this memory from the projection and witnessing the scene of the old swordsman standing before himself again, Lucian couldn't help but smile.

You said nothing in response because the communication among swordsmen has never been verbal; it's always conveyed through the sword in hand. Back then, you had won him over with your sword; today, you would do so again!

You swung your sword, demonstrating your principle to the old swordsman, and in that instant, the sword you wielded proved your fame was not undeserved.

The old swordsman was defeated, leading you to embark on a path of slaying demons and ghosts.

You ventured down a road that was entirely different from your past life, seeking ways to defeat the ultimate evil of this world!

Lucian's simulation of the Heroic Spirit was undeniably clear in its purpose.

Not only was it to leave behind the corresponding legendary deeds to fulfill the Heroic Spirit's inscription, but also to exact revenge on the true body of Shizuo from the first simulation!

Lucian, at thirteen, was a swordsman in this projection, exhibiting boundless potential, but only he understood deep down that time was simply not enough!

Because regarding the timeline of the events from the first simulation, he had only five years left!

And in those five years, not only was it unlikely he could become the sword saint who hadn't appeared for hundreds of years, but even achieving the status of the great swordsman Lucian would be difficult... In the closing moments of the first simulation, he had faced the embodiment of the world's evil transformed into a monstrous presence.

This was also the reason Lucian chose to wander these lands again.

Last time, he sought sword intent.

This time, he was searching for his own way.

Initially, Lucian had felt somewhat lost, unsure of his direction.

But through the recent incident with the demon and the awakening of Onikiri, as well as the words of the old swordsman, Lucian suddenly realized.

While the mysteries of this world had diminished, even the era he inhabited had the Holy Grail War and exists like the Clock Tower.

Thus, it's impossible that there isn't a power in this land capable of slaying the true form of Shizuo!

You swung your Onikiri, slaying the demons and ghosts you encountered along your path while absorbing the mysterious legends around you, seeking the power you needed.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. You traveled to many places and made some gains, but nothing that you truly required.

The stories of your demon and ghost slayings grew, and you faced an increasing number of demon pursuers; however, during this late shogunate era, as the youngest swordsman wielding Onikiri, you always found a way to turn danger into safety despite encountering some challenges.

After three years, you stumbled upon legends about a spear from the heavens sealing a black great serpent. Thus, you ventured into the deep mountains.

While searching in the mountains, you found a dilapidated shrine. While probing for information about the heavenly spear in the shrine, Onikiri suddenly shook violently against your waist, desperately alerting you.

Moreover, you even sensed a hint of fear through its transmitted emotions!

And just as you were taken aback by this, a figure suddenly appeared before you in the ruinous shrine, quietly gazing at you...

---

In the dead of night,

Outside the dilapidated shrine in the deep mountains.

Bathed in faint moonlight, a beautiful woman with the head of a serpent was slithering her enormous body, tasting the air to catch the scent of the man named Watanabe Lucian, slowly creeping into the shrine.

She was looking for him.

He was the current master of Onikiri, the enemy of all demons, thus, he must die.

Most importantly, he was the youngest genius swordsman of this era, and such a perfectly cultivated tender body would be utterly delectable.

In this age of dwindling magic, such a body was undoubtedly the most potent elixir for any demon.

What's more, that esteemed individual had already issued orders.

The being born from the resentments and fears of this chaotic era had commanded all demons to behead this man and bring back the sword that slays demons.