Chapter 84
Kusanagi’s Sword (5)
“Brother!! Why…!!”
The yakuza screamed, their bodies frozen in terror.
Kashiwa glanced over them with a flick of his eyes and clicked his tongue.
“To think you can’t even handle such a novice. It’s utterly shameful. You don’t even deserve to be called yakuza.”
“Are… are you abandoning us, Brother?!!”
“Abandoning? That’s ridiculous.”
Kashiwa’s eyes sharpened, his voice cold.
“You were nothing but stepping stones to me from the start. There’s no need for foolish talk about abandoning or sparing sacrifices to ascend in rank.”
“Ascend in rank… what are you talking about…?”
The yakuza, who knew nothing of players or “rank,” exchanged confused glances.
Ignoring them, Kashiwa sharpened his blade’s edge.
“You’ve had plenty of complaints, haven’t you? I’ll make it easy for you now.”
Swoosh—
A red aura spread along his blade, ready to cut everything in a single strike.
“…What are you doing?”
Konoha stepped forward to block him.
“You shouldn’t meddle in adult matters, kid.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“…What?”
“I don’t like seeing blood. Even so, I’m still a blooming young girl, after all.”
“Hmph, ridiculous. Weren’t they trying to kill you?”
Still, Konoha glared at Kashiwa, fists bristling with needles.
Sehyeon found it puzzling.
Even if she hated seeing blood, she had no reason to risk herself to protect them.
Come to think of it… she must be an Out Player too.
Cooperating with Chester, it was certain she was.
Of course, not all Out Players were the same. Most were lawless, barely scraping by.
Skilled ones like Phantom or Chester acted freely, but being outside the law also meant no legal protection.
Did she feel a sense of kinship with those abandoned by society and even by their “brother”?
She seemed too weak to be a proper informant.
Sehyeon had assumed she could at least fend for herself when gathering intelligence in Byulstar or dealing with yakuza.
…but still.
That kind of innocence… isn’t bad.
He remembered seeing Kang Jia for the first time, struggling against a desert scorpion boss yet shedding tears out of sympathy.
Sehyeon felt a desire to protect such purity.
…I’ve already lost that purity.
At the edge of annihilation, when Hailhwan slew all his comrades.
So.
“You’ve done enough.”
Sehyeon placed a hand on Konoha’s shoulder.
“I’ll take it from here.”
“…Onii?”
Kashiwa scoffed at that display.
“Do as you wish. No one will survive this place anyway.”
Thud—!
He stomped the ground, and the red aura erupted violently.
“For three years I’ve handled all the cleanup. Thanks to that, I was bestowed the rank’s power. I’ll show you its might.”
Kashiwa lowered his torso, drawing his blade fully.
Sehyeon felt a sense of déjà vu.
It was a stance he had seen in a previous life.
A technique used by a blind Japanese swordsman who had briefly cooperated with Hailhwan.
‘Bestowed the rank’s power,’ huh.
He used the same technique, but Kashiwa was not blind.
Then.
Swoosh—
Sehyeon slipped his hand into his backpack at his side.
“What are you doing now?”
“Nothing much… I think I can do what you’re doing.”
“Nonsense!”
Kashiwa drew his sword and slashed vertically.
[Battō]
Kwaaaah─!!
The red sword energy slammed down sharply.
“Your battō is still too crude.”
The battō he saw in his past life was different—smooth, focused, precise.
Sehyeon chuckled softly.
“Battō.”
From the subspace inside his backpack, he drew a great sword and swung it.
Pat─!
No dramatic energy, no ear-splitting sound.
In the calm, only a faint, eerie wind traced the swing.
A line of red sword energy appeared, then—
Chaaah───!!
The sword energy cut through Kashiwa, spilling blood from his abdomen.
“Ugh!!”
His eyes widened as he coughed blood, dropping to his knees.
He reached desperately for his sword, but—
Kwak─!
“Arrgh!!”
A floating sword fell, embedding itself in his hand.
Unprepared, Kashiwa screamed in agony, then lost consciousness.
“Ended rather anticlimactically. Looked strong though.”
“Well, he hadn’t practiced the technique much.”
Now the talk of being “bestowed the rank’s power” made sense—his skill was clearly unrefined.
The [Battō] technique required delicate mastery.
How did Sehyeon manage it?
Simple. He just got lucky—the timing, stance, and energy all aligned.
He had seen the perfected battō in a past life and felt the unfinished version now.
Sehyeon could manifest experiences into his unique mythic powers.
And he had the right weapon.
Without Kusanagi’s sword as a vessel, he couldn’t have executed it so cleanly.
He considered himself fortunate.
“That said… it’s impressive.”
“Huh?”
“Your ability, Onii. I only heard about it.”
Konoha looked at the floating swords, glinting in sunlight like jewels.
“And that backpack too. So many weapons came out of such a small space.”
“Oh, this?”
[Mere Marauder’s Cloak]
An artifact upgraded from the fragmented [Xerxes Jar] obtained from the scorpion boss.
Can’t carry a jar around forever.
It could be worn like a coat, used as a tent, or strapped into a backpack like now.
And the upgrade wasn’t just cosmetic.
The subspace capacity for weapons and materials was improved for practical use.
When it was a jar, it emphasized storage. Now, it emphasizes a weapon arsenal.
He could quickly draw the weapon he wanted without reorganizing.
Definitely more convenient, but…
Still only half-utilized.
Artifacts should amplify abilities, not just store every weapon.
And using the Black Comet as the main weapon is too exhausting.
Even holding it once after multiple enhancements left him drained. He needed better armament.
Time to study proper equipment.
He could brainstorm with Inha later.
“When I get my hands on him, maybe I’ll get more info.”
Konoha clicked her tongue, looking at the fallen Kashiwa.
Unlike the yakuza, interrogating a player would yield more intel.
But his abdominal wound made him unlikely to wake easily.
“Not a total loss.”
“Huh?”
“I know whose technique he was using.”
“Really?”
“Don’t know the name exactly, but a blind man with a black cloth over his eyes. Black robes, white outer gown. Ring a bell?”
The blind Japanese swordsman who briefly assisted Hailhwan.
Though his attire might differ now, the blindness was distinctive.
“Black robes with a white gown? That’s the symbol of a feudal lord. Being blind confirms it further.”
“Really?”
Fortunately, Konoha’s info network had him listed.
“Okinawa feudal lord, Miyazaki.”
“Okinawa, huh.”
“Interesting. So Okinawa was recruiting Tokyo’s yakuza, according to Onii.”
“Either they allied, or planted spies.”
“I think I can verify that.”
At that moment, a voice came from behind.
Tap tap—
Turning, they saw a man walking leisurely, followed by dozens of subordinates.
White robes reminiscent of judo uniforms, golden koi embroidered on the back—symbol of the feudal domain.
“That’s the feudal lord’s attire, right?”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Sehyeon’s eyes widened; Konoha was equally stunned.
Black robe hem swept the floor, white gown billowing over his shoulder.
Short hair, long scar on the left side of his face.
Exactly matching the blind swordsman’s outfit from Sehyeon’s memory.
The aura from him was formidable.
He’s a star-tier expert.
A power befitting a family heir.
“Wait, don’t be so cautious. I just want to talk.”
“…Surrounded like this?”
The white-robed followers exuded tremendous intimidation.
The man chuckled and turned to Konoha.
“You there, girl. You know who I am, right?”
“Shiroda Ken. New feudal lord of Osaka. Why here, leading the Platinum Corps himself?”
Platinum Corps.
Probably the white-robed group he brought.
“The Osaka feudal lord’s personal guard. Each one surpasses satellite-tier.”
That many satellite-tier fighters? Comparable to Rachel on the management team.
One of Japan’s four great clans—their influence was immense.
Konoha cautiously clenched her fists.
“And bringing them means… you intend to—”
Then.
Pat─!
Shiroda Ken vanished before their eyes.
Moments later, his voice came from right beside Sehyeon.
“Don’t be so wary. I didn’t bring you to capture you.”
“…!”
He sat casually on Kashiwa’s back, speaking nonchalantly.
“The one I was after was already taken care of—by you guys.”
Movement too fast to track. No premonition of ability use.
He definitely came to talk.
If he wanted, he could’ve easily subdued the two.
Sehyeon calmed his nerves and spoke.
“So, what do you want to say? To strangers like us?”
“Even if it’s our first meeting, it’s obvious what we want, right?”
If he’s a feudal lord, there’s only one thing he wants.
To claim Kusanagi’s sword and gain legitimacy to rule Japan.
It made sense he came to handle the yakuza investigating Kusanagi.
…But what does he want from us? He doesn’t know I have the sword yet.
No reason to spare outsiders otherwise.
“Let’s skip the small talk. Get to the point.”
Ken sprang up, licked his lips, and extended a hand to Sehyeon.
“I’d like your cooperation… Korean.”
