Sss!
The rising flames split in two like a parted surface of water. Ryu's pupils contracted, and he threw himself backward.
Using his core strength, he flipped once and landed steadily. The tree branch he had been perched on fell silently, its severed surface perfectly smooth.
Sword pressure? This is trickier than I thought.
A dark figure, trailing hot wind, broke through the barrier of flames. It took two great strides, charging like a wild boar to crush Ryu!
In that instant, Ryu's concentration became absolute. The [Demon Brain] flashed with images, presenting the outcome as if predicting the future.
—A downward diagonal slash!
He dropped into a low side lunge. His well-trained body was far more flexible than an ordinary person's, his movements as natural and swift as a gymnast's. In almost the same breath, a sharp gust of wind pressure swept over him from above.
He had successfully evaded a blow that would have sliced him in half diagonally at the waist!
At the same time, the cold, dark muzzle of his rifle was once again aimed at the Sukuna Demon's head—
BANG!
A shot at what was practically point-blank range gave the demon no time to react. Unfortunately, he hadn't had time to perfect his aim; it only hit the throat, blasting away half its neck. Muscle and sinew tore apart, exposing the ghastly white bone beneath.
Even so, the Sukuna Demon remained standing!
As the two-and-a-half-meter-long crimson blade swept toward him, Ryu didn't hesitate. He decisively abandoned the cumbersome sniper rifle, rolling away to the Sukuna Demon's left and creating distance from a diagonal rear angle.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the forest—
The hair on the back of the Sukuna Demon's head was blown aside, revealing a hideous demonic face. It opened its cavernous mouth, and a pillar of white-hot flame shot straight toward Ryu!
Ryu barely managed to dodge sideways, but the aftershock still grazed him, and one side of his clothes instantly caught fire.
Completely unfazed, he ripped off his outer jacket and shirt with a single powerful tug, and with a flick of his wrist, balled them up and threw them forward.
The face on the back of the Sukuna Demon's head saw it clearly. It turned and swung its sword, slicing the bundle in two—
BOOM!
An explosion of fire, like a dragon's breath, instantly engulfed it!
—[Scorched Earth Grenade]
The moment he'd ripped off his clothes, Ryu had conceptualized the fabric as a pouch. He opened a twenty-centimeter tear into his storage space, let whatever fell into the cloth bundle, and threw it all forward.
It looked like he'd hit the jackpot—it happened to be a high-powered grenade!
Hah... hah... hah...
With a moment to catch his breath, his heart began to pound. The various emotions suppressed by the [Demon Brain] came flooding back, causing Ryu's hands to tremble faintly.
The impact of a true life-and-death battle was undoubtedly the most intense. Even though he had repeated simulated battles in SAO many times, he still felt a thrill welling up from the depths of his soul!
...Excitement?
Shouldn't it be fear or nervousness?
Ryu's gaze hardened. He straightened his body, taking a stance to face the Sukuna Demon, a faint, almost imperceptible curve playing on his lips.
At this moment, he was incredibly glad he had chosen the stable effects of [Demon Brain] and [Demon Back] over the highly random [Hanma Blood]. The latter was like a random loot box, while the former were guaranteed SSRs. No wonder the first two were more expensive!
The [Demon Back] was a given; without the all-around enhancement it provided, he would have struggled to keep up with the Sukuna Demon's speed and reflexes. But the [Demon Brain], aside from enabling visualization and prediction, had a hidden effect: it switched him to a "warrior's mindset"!
Ordinary people fear pain and injury. Conditioned by morality and law, they subconsciously hold back against humanoid beings.
But the [Demon Brain] first expels this "civilized man" from the mind, leaving behind a "barbarian" who prefers to speak with violence, has no psychological barriers to harming others, and has returned to the battlefield and the jungle!
This undoubtedly shored up Ryu's shortcomings in actual combat, ensuring he wouldn't choke under life-or-death pressure.
This level was just right. If it had been the [Hanma Blood]... he would probably be developing into a deranged battle junkie.
"Hahahaha! Subarashii!"
The Sukuna Demon let out a wild laugh as the wounds on his body regenerated at a visible rate. The marks from the lightning and fire were fading more slowly, but it was clearly just a matter of time.
An idea struck Ryu, and he asked, "When you were using the wild boar as a host, you couldn't ignore bullets and explosions, could you?"
"Heh heh, trying to trick me into talking? Fine, I don't mind~"
The Sukuna Demon laughed with its grating, discordant voice, "A human body is naturally a better fit for me than a common beast's. Besides, this one was a priest with a certain amount of spiritual power. Though his own abilities were meager, the same tool in different hands produces different results.
Don't judge me by my current appearance. I was once the strongest of samurai, and after death, I was even enshrined as a guardian deity!
...The title of [demonic god] was something I acquired much later."
It seems this guy has quite a story, Ryu thought, completely uninterested.
"It was only after I took over this priest's body and read his memories that I learned human weaponry had advanced to such a degree in just a few hundred years. But I still don't quite understand where you're pulling your weapons from."
"..."
"Not willing to say anything, are you? Such an overly cautious fellow."
The Sukuna Demon sneered, "But even if you don't tell me, I understand. Occasionally, individuals with special abilities appear among humans. Just like... Hmph!
To think that an outstanding samurai who can hold his own against me for so long still exists in this era!
Or could it be... that man is inside of you?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"That detestable Nishikida Kagetatsu!
He lived as a recluse on this mountain until he was old, and even in death, he continues to seal me!
But in the end, he's only human. I can accumulate power over the ages, while he is the exact opposite. He no longer has the strength to come out and stop me—unless he finds an exceptional vessel."
The Sukuna Demon stared intently at Ryu, scrutinizing him. Even from its perspective as a relic of a bygone era, Ryu's physique was outstanding. His vibrant life force was almost comparable to that of the heroes of legend.
"Hmph~ That man's fighting style wasn't so flashy. Besides, he didn't know how to use teppo (rifles), and a dead man has no way to learn new skills.
However, you do carry his scent... Hey, kid, who are you? Don't tell me you're a descendant of Kagetatsu?"
Ryu's gaze was cold as he scanned the Sukuna Demon up and down, his expression unchanging.
In response to the enemy's question, he simply shook his head slightly. "My name is Kuse Ryu. I'm 17 years old. I live in a private estate in Chiyoda, Tokyo. I'm a high school student.
Though I have considerable family assets to my name, I focus my energy on managing my own company. I strictly follow my daily schedule, I don't smoke or do drugs, and I only drink socially. I refuse women who are gold diggers.
I make sure to be in bed by 11 PM and get six or nine hours of sleep, always a multiple of three. I sleep soundly until morning, never carrying fatigue or stress into the next day. Even my maids say I'm very self-disciplined."
"How tedious. I have no interest in your trivial matters!"
The Sukuna Demon sharpened its unfinished demon sword against the bone spur on its wrist, sending a shower of sparks flying.
"Aren't you going to pull out your teppo again? Just be prepared. At this distance, you'll only get one shot!"
"There is only one thing I wish to say:
For the past several years, I have done my best to avoid dangerous situations. Even when problems arose, I solved them using the resources at my disposal and pre-prepared plans.
I hate being unprepared... because unexpected situations always arise.
However, if I must take up a weapon and fight myself—"
Ryu linked his left thumb and index finger to form a circle, then pressed the palm of his right hand against it—
As he pulled his hands apart, a "sword" appeared in his grasp. It was silver-gray all over, with a guard reinforced by composite materials and a surface covered in a honeycomb pattern of dark red lines.
"...I simply won't lose."
Zing!
Crimson electricity crackled, and an ominous halo illuminated Ryu's bare upper body.
And then the Sukuna Demon witnessed a shocking sight:
As the young man's words faded, the skin on his body that had been burned by the flames regenerated at a speed no less than that of a demonic god!
"What are you so surprised about? Haven't you noticed yet?"
Ryu raised the glowing blade defensively before him and smiled. "This is 'Round Two'!"
________________________________________
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