Chapter 69: The Igarashi Family
Back in Yokohama, Natsuya had already realized that his Senior Brother's status was anything but ordinary.
He owned a mansion in the most affluent district of the city—an elegant, Western-style townhouse. Moreover, he possessed numerous businesses and properties throughout the town. In fact, Natsuya's "Barista Boot Camp" had taken place in one of Uzen's own high-end cafes. Day to day, Natsuya had been experiencing a level of refined, upper-class luxury he hadn't even seen in the real world outside the game.
(Except, of course, during the actual training sessions.)
Igarashi hadn't spoken much of his past before, and Natsuya hadn't been rude enough to pry. But now... Natsuya understood the vibe. Sometimes, people just needed to vent to a captive audience.
"My childhood was spent among ledgers, tea parties, and the various arts required to inherit a family empire," Igarashi began.
"My father wanted me to be a merchant capable of weathering any storm. But I... I only wanted to read interesting journals or travel overseas to learn new things. The world outside the window felt so much larger, and the Igarashi name didn't feel like a burden I had to carry."
The train lurched forward, and the small town began to vanish from the horizon. Igarashi's tone remained flat, but the weight of his words grew heavy.
"The change happened on a night trip back from a family vacation."
"We were ambushed by a demon. My older brother, my little sister, the guards, the carriage driver... everyone."
"They all died."
"I hid behind a stack of cargo crates and watched as that monster tore them apart... it didn't even seem hungry. It was just enjoying the act of slaughter."
Recalling that childhood nightmare, a shadow passed over the Storm Hashira's face. He took off his glasses and began wiping them, though there was no dust to be found.
"My father blocked the crate door with his own body. My mother clamped her hand over my mouth, terrified that a single sound would draw the monster's attention. I don't remember much of how it felt back then. I only remember the sound of claws through meat, a scent of blood thicker than a slaughterhouse, and... that monster's manic, ecstatic laughter."
The carriage was silent, save for the rhythmic clack-clack of the wheels against the rails. Shinobu had unknowingly put down her book, the heavy tome resting on her lap. Natsuya stopped chewing his snacks.
My Senior's backstory is pretty dark, Natsuya thought.
"The demon was eventually slain by a Slayer who arrived just in time. A silent man who used Wind Breathing. Before he left, he only said one thing..."
"Something like: 'Live. Then choose whether you want revenge or a peaceful life.' I don't remember the exact wording."
Natsuya: That sounds exactly like something the 'Cheap Master' would say.
Igarashi put his glasses back on. He looked at his hands—hands that could elegantly hold a coffee cup one moment and summon a hurricane to shred a demon the next. His expression grew cold.
"I survived. My parents passed away shortly after from their injuries and the trauma. I inherited the family business, and within three years, I purged the board of directors. I exiled the incompetent, stagnant traditionalists who held the top positions. I stabilized the company and grew it until it became a machine that could run without me."
"Then, I tracked down that swordsman. The one who became my Cultivator."
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over Shinobu and Natsuya, the gentle smile returning to his face.
"I chose to become a Slayer not just for revenge. I simply... could no longer tolerate that sense of powerlessness. I couldn't stand a world where pure 'Evil' exists—an evil that can descend randomly and unfairly on anyone. Wealth and status cannot escape that helplessness. The Igarashi fortune couldn't buy safety."
"Demons exist far beyond human logic and common sense. A human can spend their whole life trying to catch up and still fail. That is the boundary of our species. Our limit."
He touched the hilt of his Nichirin Sword. The pale blue tassel rippled slightly, as if in agreement.
"Only Breathing Styles... can break the boundary between human and demon. No... they allow us to surpass it."
The story ended.
Silence lingered in the carriage for a long time. Shinobu bowed slightly, her voice soft. "I am sorry for making you recall such painful memories."
"It's quite alright," Igarashi smiled, shaking his head. "It was just a momentary sentiment. Besides, that memory is the fuel that keeps me moving forward."
Beside them, Natsuya nodded. My Senior is definitely an educated man. He talks much fancier than the other NPCs.
After disembarking in Gunma Prefecture, the local Kakushi provided them with the latest mission intel. The situation was worse than they had anticipated.
The initial report only mentioned one missing Otsu-rank Slayer investigating a plague in the town. But in the last two days, the disease had spread to several neighboring villages.
Victims initially experienced intense itching and red swelling. This was followed by a fever and a violent cough. Within three to five days, the person would waste away rapidly, dying as if their very blood had been drained.
Shinobu adjusted the medical pack on her back. Her young face held a gravity that didn't match her age.
"The local doctors have diagnosed it as a virulent form of tuberculosis," she explained.
"But according to the Kakushi's reports, the transmission pattern doesn't follow medical logic. It's not spreading via droplets or air. Many people in close contact with the sick remain healthy, while strong, isolated strangers suddenly fall ill."
She paused, looking at Natsuya, who was scanning his surroundings. Nee-san says you have medical talent. Let's see what you've got, you skirt-chaser.
"Mr. Kokonoe, what is your assessment?"
Natsuya snapped out of his "HUD-scan" mode and answered casually, "You think someone is poisoning specific locations?"
Igarashi's brow furrowed. If it was deliberate poisoning, the scope of the investigation would be massive. Even a regular human could be the culprit.
Shinobu shook her head. "It's worse."
She pulled a sealed glass jar from her bag. At the bottom was a small amount of grayish-white powder. "This sample was taken from the lungs of the first victim. It isn't bacteria, and it's not any known toxin. Inside a host... it grows."
Igarashi pushed his glasses up. "A fungus?"
"No," Natsuya stated with absolute certainty. "It's a Blood Demon Art, right?"
Shinobu looked at Natsuya with surprise. His judgment matched hers exactly. It wasn't hard to guess it was demon-related, but for him to be so instant and definitive...
Maybe this block of wood actually has some skill?
Shinobu didn't know Natsuya's "Gamer Logic."
In a JRPG where you hunt monsters to level up, a "mysterious plague" and "unknown toxins" are neon signs pointing to a Boss fight. It was a scripted event.
But there was another reason Natsuya was so sure.
He had looked at the residue in the jar, and his [Medicine], [Pharmacy], and [Poison Crafting] skills—all at Level 2 or 3—had failed to trigger a description.
If my maxed-out 'Scientific' skills can't identify it, then it's a 'Supernatural' mechanic. And in this game, that means a Blood Demon Art.
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