bookbashuk Chapter 34 Zenitsu's Fear
Chapter 34 Zenitsu's Fear
After the tempering of her first demon-slaying experience, the hesitation in Mizuko's eyes completely disappeared, replaced by confidence.
Along the way, no evil spirit that encountered Midouzi could escape her blade.
Her movements became increasingly nimble, evolving from initially needing to concentrate on tracking the ghost's movements to later being able to precisely slash at the ghost's neck simply by relying on her keen senses.
During this time, she also saved several people who were participating in the selection process.
Are you alright?
Mizuko sheathed her Nichirin Blade and quickly stepped forward to stop the boy's bleeding.
The boy's arm was scratched by the evil spirit, and the wound couldn't stop bleeding.
"Th...thank you!"
The boy looked at the girl wearing a fox mask, his voice choked with emotion, and his eyes reddened.
The fear and despair I felt when facing the evil spirits just now have all turned into the relief of surviving a disaster.
"You're welcome. Your injuries are a bit severe, so rest here for a while. Don't worry, I've already killed all the ghosts here!"
As Midouzi spoke gently, she carefully bandaged the boy's wound.
"You're so strong! I wish I could be like you, so that my... my family wouldn't have died at the hands of demons!"
The boy admired Nezuko's strength, but also felt guilty for not being able to slay the demon.
Mi Douzi's hand, which was wrapping bandages, suddenly froze. The boy's words were like a needle, unexpectedly piercing the softest part of her heart.
The image of my mother and younger siblings lying in pools of blood instantly flooded my mind.
Those horrific scenes, even after so long, remain as vivid as if they happened yesterday.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the sob in her throat, looked up at the boy, and spoke with exceptional determination.
"Don't worry, we will definitely eliminate all the ghosts. No one will ever lose their family because of ghosts again."
The boy didn't answer; he just stared blankly at his bandaged wound.
"Oh, right," Midouzi suddenly remembered something and quickly asked.
"Have you ever seen a contestant who wore yellow clothes and had yellow hair? He was a bit timid and always looked scared."
"A blond-haired person?" The boy paused for a moment, thought carefully, and nodded.
"I think I've seen him before. When I first entered the mountains, I saw him huddled behind a tree, looking around fearfully, muttering someone's name. But he was too far away to hear clearly. He seemed to be heading east!" the boy recalled.
Midouzi immediately turned to look at the dense forest to the east, a hint of urgency flashing in her eyes.
She stood up, nodded slightly to the boy, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Thank you. You stay here and recover. I will exterminate all the ghosts in this forest and ensure that no one else dies because of them!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Mizuko gripped the Nichirin Blade at her waist, turned around, and dashed off in the east, her pink hem flashing through the forest.
The boy was left standing there, staring blankly at her departing figure, unable to recover for a long time.
"Niedouzi, where are you? This place is so scary!"
Zenitsu hugged his chest tightly, staggered unsteadily through the woods, his eyes wide open, looking around.
Even the slightest sound of the wind rustling through the grass could send shivers down his spine.
I was terrified that a menacing demon might suddenly leap out of the bushes.
His voice trembled violently, tears welled up in his eyes and were about to fall, but he still gritted his teeth and shouted into the depths of the woods in a low voice.
Zenitsu finally couldn't hold on any longer. He slowly squatted down under a big tree, wrapped his arms around his knees, buried his face in his arms, and choked back sobs as he murmured to himself.
"Grandpa, if I back down now, won't you be very disappointed...?"
You'd better stop now!
In his mind, the roar of his grandfather, Kuwashima Jigoro, suddenly resounded, filled with disappointment and anger.
"You are my disciple, Kuwashima Jigoro's disciple, the one who will inherit the title of the Sound Pillar in the future. How can you be so timid and hesitant!"
"But Grandpa..." Zenitsu argued inwardly, feeling wronged, his nose stinging with tears.
"It would be good enough if a senior brother could inherit the position. Can't you just let me stay by your side, chop wood, fetch water, and take care of you in your old age?"
"Pah!" The old man's curses grew even louder. "You brat, are you trying to curse me to die young because you think I've lived too long?"
"No, no!" Zenitsu hurriedly shook his head, burying his head even deeper. "I hope Grandpa lives to be a hundred years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!"
[Get out! Get out!] The voice in my mind suddenly rose, and Grandpa grabbed Zenitsu by the collar and walked towards Fujisakiyama.
Come on, let's go to Fujikasayama right now!
"No, Grandpa! I'll die! I'm really going to die!"
Zenitsu was so frightened that he couldn't hold back his tears and hugged his grandfather's leg tightly.
That only means your cultivation isn't sufficient!
The old man's voice turned cold, yet carried a hint of barely perceptible certainty.
Grandpa! You're trying to murder your own disciple!
【No.】
Just as Zenitsu was on the verge of collapse, Kuwashima Jigoro's voice suddenly became calm and gentle, like the warm sun in the mountains, slowly flowing into his panicked heart.
I believe in my disciple. Zenitsu, I believe in you. I have always believed in you.
After those words echoed in his mind, Zenitsu's eyes no longer showed fear, but gratitude.
However, before he could think any further, he heard a rustling sound from the bushes beside him.
Zenitsu stiffly turned his head to look.
There was a demon with its head twisted at a 180-degree angle around its neck.
It was lying in the grass, its bright green eyes staring intently at him, drool dripping from its mouth, making strange hoarse noises.
"ah--!!!"
A piercing scream, almost breaking the voice, echoed through the mountains and forests. Zenitsu was so frightened that his hair stood on end and the hairs on his body stood on end.
He sprang to his feet almost reflexively, scrambling and crawling as he ran wildly into the distance, shouting incoherently as he went.
"A ghost! Help! Its head can turn 180 degrees—!"
But before he could run very far, a disheveled demon suddenly appeared hanging upside down from a tree branch ahead.
The demon's long hair hung down to the ground, its pale face was facing Zenitsu, and its mouth stretched to its ears, revealing sharp fangs, blocking Zenitsu's only way of passing.
"Ah—!!! Hiccup—!"
A bloodcurdling scream that pierced the sky came to an abrupt end.
Zenitsu was so startled by the sudden shock that he choked, his eyes rolled back, his body went limp, and he fainted.
Two evil spirits slowly approached, and Zenitsu on the ground was powerless to resist.
Their eyes gleamed green, and they made excited hoarse sounds from their throats as they slowly opened their blood-red maws, ready to tear him to pieces.
At this critical moment, Zenitsu's fingertips twitched slightly.
The next second, a blinding white arc of electricity suddenly flashed across his body, and crackling currents instantly enveloped his entire body.
Before the two demons could react, Zenitsu's body vanished from the spot like a ghost.
The two evil spirits that pounced on each other collided violently with a dull thud, and both fell to the ground.
Staring blankly at the empty ground, its green eyes were filled with astonishment and anger.
When they looked to the distance, they saw that Zenitsu, who had just fainted from fright, was now in a position to draw his sword.
The two demons tilted their heads and looked at Zenitsu, because they noticed that Zenitsu's eyes were closed.
"call--"
As Zenitsu inhaled a sharp breath, the Nichirin Blade crackled with lightning from its scabbard, and white electricity began to surge from the scabbard and Zenitsu's legs.
"Thunder Breathing - First Form: Thunderclap Flash!"