Word count: 2,173
<—>
An entire month went by since his reincarnation and Fujino had to face the truth; his demon hunting had been quite uneventful lately. A whole week had gone by while he patrolled the forest and the nearby village, and not a single demon had crossed his path. It looks like he'll need to widen his search area.
On top of that, his training progress had also slowed down. There's only so much he can achieve with just Calisthenics. While he could push himself harder, he understood that eventually, he would need to invest in proper equipment to continue improving.
He still remembers the looks of confusion he got when he asked around for any training equipments. Oh, how he wished he could just stick his head in a hole at that moment.
On the bright side, battling tough foes does help boost his stats, but the downside is that he can't exactly ask a demon for assistance—cannibalism and all that. And there's no human—that he knows of—who can keep pace with him.
'Seems like I have to take matters into my own hands. If I were to make my own personal gym, I'll need either Steel or Iron. Then I can figure out how to make the necessary equipment… I'm not entirely sure how I'll manage that… but I'll figure it out… hopefully."
Fujino rubbed his tense neck muscles while soaking in the cold water. Since his home—he decided to make that campsite his permanent base—lacks the luxury of a shower, he has to make do with cleaning himself in a river bank.
As long as the water is clear, it should be relatively safe.
The key word here being relatively…
So one could imagine his shock when he heard the sound of splashing water behind him. He turned to see someone emerging from the water.
With pale skin, striking dark green eyes, and shoulder-length tousled hair that had greenish tips, she had an enchanting figure glistening with droplets.
From the faint glow of her eyes in the darkness, he realized she was a demon.
They were both in their birthday suits..
"…"
Fujino felt his mind go blank at the sight before him. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would find himself in this predicament; naked in a river at midnight with a woman beside him.
In his daze, he didn't notice as her arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace, their faces mere inches apart.
"Hey there, handsome~" the demon purred, her sultry voice revealing sharp fangs.
'...huh? d-did she just speak?'
And here came the shocking revelation for Fujino: demons weren't merely mindless creatures; they were, in fact, intelligent beings. This realization raised their threat level significantly.
He also began to wonder why some demons were intelligent while others resembled animals.
He had once asked an elderly villager about demons, and most of what she shared were just tales of how these malicious creatures would snatch people away at night, only to vanish without a trace.
"What's wrong? Are you scared? Don't worry, I won't bite~" she said with an innocent smile, Watching as he robotically opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
"N-n-no, I'm fine, umm—" The demon giggled at his flustered reaction, her fingers tracing over his biceps and chest.
"Wow, your muscles are really tight and strong, and quite impressive too! You must've worked hard for them," she said, her green eyes locking onto his with a mix of desire and intensity.
Fujino couldn't believe how he was stammering like a lovesick teenager, feeling his cheeks flush and noticing how warm her body felt against the chilly river water.
The demon casually draped her arms over his shoulders, her forehead resting against his. "You're nervous, and that's perfectly fine. I am too," she reassured him.
'Alright, This has gone on long enough,' he wasn't naive; he understood her intentions to charm him into a having a "fun time" before she would kill him.
He placed his hands on her neck, ignoring the softness of her skin. "Listen, I—"
But the words he intended to say evaporated as a warm sensation enveloped his lips. His eyes widened in shock as he realized the demon was kissing him, her hands gripping his neck tightly.
For the first time in a long time, Fujino was completely taken aback; he never imagined a simple shower could lead to this. And it was his very first kiss!
After what felt like an eternity—though it was only a couple of seconds—their lips finally separated, and the demon flashed a gentle smile.
"Well, that wasn't too bad! Oh! What's with that look? Was that your first kiss?" she chuckled as she noticed his frozen expression.
Leaning in closer to his ear, she whispered playfully, "Don't worry, we can do so much more, just the two of us~."
'It's amusing how gullible humans can be; they keep falling for the same tricks, and it never gets boring.' Her strategy was to attract young men with her allure, only to mercilessly slash their throats when the moment was right.
So far, her plan had been flawless.
Or so she thought.
Shame she hadn't anticipated the uppercut to her face or the elbow that sent her crashing into the water.
"Like hell I'd fall for your tricks, bitch" Fujino shouted, leaping back to put as much distance as he could between himself and the demon.
The demon rose from the water, and to his annoyance, she appeared completely unharmed.
"What's the matter? I thought you liked it? Or is it because I didn't use my tongue? I can fix that easily if you give me a chance~" she taunted, playfully sticking out her tongue as if she hadn't done anything wrong.
'Observe'
[ —> Love Demon
Name: Noa
Level: 25
Health: ?
Stamina: ?]
'Shit, she's tough,' Noa was definitely the strongest demon he had ever encountered.
'Status'
[Name: Fujino Yuki
Level: 9 (381/1800)
Race: ?
Health: 190 (+1.4/sec)
Stamina: 140 (+0.9/sec)
STR: 27
DUR: 23
END: 19
AGI: 14
INT: 6
CHA: 6
Attributes Points(AP): 2]
She was more than twice his level. The only reason he managed to defeat his first demon was sheer luck, and that one was no different than a wild animal.
"Uwah, that's no fun. No one has ever turned me down before," she pouted, but her expression quickly shifted to a grin. "But I do enjoy a good challenge now and then."
"…Your fucking crazy," was all Fujino could think to say.
"It's part of my charm, you know," she winked before leaping toward him.
<—>
"Hey, what's that over there?" a teenager exclaimed, pointing into the distance. On the opposite riverbank, two figures were moving around, water splashing around them.
"Where I don't see… oh" His friend followed the direction of his finger, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as he took in the scene.
"It looks like those two are… having a good time, I think?" He was honestly confused by what he was witnessing.
"I get that, but doesn't it seem a bit too… intense?" his friend asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I've heard that some couples enjoy being a bit… passionate. But I'm not sure why they'd choose a river for that."
"Wanna head over there and make sure they're okay?" The teen suddenly found himself yanked by his collar.
"No, we're leaving." His friend pulled him along, despite his attempts to break free.
'Kazuma, when are you going to stop being such a perv?' He shook his head, chuckling at his friend's antics.
<—>
[-5HP]
[-7HP]
[-10HP]
[-5HP]
'This is not going well,' From the moment the fight started, he found himself on the defensive, struggling to evade her attacks. His reflexes and reaction speed were barely quick enough to keep him from getting hit.
His STR was high enough to inflict minor injuries, any damage he caused healed almost instantly, which only added to his frustration.
His situation was further complicated by the wet sand and water, making it difficult to maintain a solid stance or form an effective counterattack. Every time he tried to escape the river, she was right there to block him.
Noa lunged at him with her claws in a cross motion, and Fujino barely managed to dodge, landing a punch to her solar plexus.
He aimed for her face, but she intercepted his strike, gripping his hand tightly and retaliating with a punch of her own. He managed to block it with his palm, but the force made him bones rattle.
[-1HP]
With a snarl, he tried to backhand her, but she seized his forearm, her claws digging into his skin. Fujino grimaced as blood flowed from the wound.
[-15HP]
[Health: 103/190 (+1/sec)]
[Stamina: 80/140 (+0.9/sec)]
Realizing that brute strength wouldn't secure him victory, he decided to turn her power against her. He pivoted and attempted to use her grip as leverage for a judo throw.
However, this turned out to be a mistake. She quickly released her hold and raked her claws down his back, leaving eight deep gashes from his shoulders to his hips.
[-40HP]
[Health: 64/190 (+0.5/sec)]
[Stamina: 75/140 (+0.9/sec)]
[Severe bleeding: -0.5 (HP/S)
Time limit: 1 min]
Fujino screamed, quickly scrambling to create as much distance as possible between himself and Noa. She seemed satisfied to simply watch him struggle.
"Wow, you're really tough! I always knew you were special," she exclaimed cheerfully, her voice bright like a child in a candy shop.
"Most humans would have been dead ages ago, yet here you are, still in one piece."
Fujino was just panting, the many cuts on his body starting to take their toll. At this rate, he was bound to wind up as demon meat.
"Why do you even eat humans?" he asked, already aware of the answer, hoping to stall for time.
"It's simple really, We need food, and humans are our only source of sustenance. Demons get stronger by consuming lots of humans, and we even unlock our blood demon art!"
He stared at her blankly, clueless about what blood demon art was, and honestly, he didn't want to find out.
"And of course, the healthier and stronger the human, the better the benefits we get from eating them," she added, licking the blood off her fingers for emphasis. "You taste pretty good too!"
Fujino blanched at that last comment. He was about to ask another question when she interrupted him. "Don't worry, I don't enjoy eating people while they're alive. They scream and beg, which is just annoying." Her smile turned predatory. "I'll just slit your throat, so just stand still and I'll make it quick"
'...I don't think I can win this one,' Fujino realized his limitations, especially when facing someone who was clearly superior. Cornered, he could only devise a plan.
And the cost of that plan? His dignity.
As she charged, he met her head-on, and when she wound up to strike, he simply wrapped his arms around her.
"Uh?" She was caught off guard, and before she could respond, he pressed his lips against hers, causing her arms to drop in surprise.
He quickly pulled back, seized her by the hips, and flung her further into the river, creating more distance between them.
He needed a moment to distract her so he could make his escape, and this was the only idea that came to mind.
As he dashed out of the river, he brushed aside the lingering feeling of her lips and the enchanting scent. Now, if he could manage to put his clothes on, he could--.
Suddenly, he heard splashing behind him. He turned to see her approaching him leisurely, completely unfazed by his actions.
"Aww, I had no idea you felt the same way! You should have told me!" She continued her leisurely walk toward him.
Seeing her in that state, a grimm expression settled on his face. "Why does this always happen to me? All I ever wanted was to live peacefully. Why do I always end up with the short end of the stick?"
He despised this situation; he loathed how fate seemed to deal him a bad hand time and again. He felt utterly powerless and resented that he couldn't even experience his second chance.
Now, all he could do was watch as his inevitable downfall approached...
He shut his eyes, surrendering completely and choosing not to face his fate, feeling like a coward.
"..."
"...?"
As silence enveloped the scene, he opened his eyes to find Noa standing much farther away, her face contorted in disgust, hands covering her nose.
"Eww, is that wisteria? So gross!"
"Huh?" Fujino turned to look at the wisteria tree behind him.
'Observe'
[Japanese Wisteria Tree
Rarity: common
A plant famous for its striking purple hue and serves as a great substitute for tea. Legends say its blossoms repel demons]
Hope flickered back to life in Fujino's eyes; perhaps he would survive another day after all. He quickly put on his clothes grabbed a branch from the tree, preparing to escape.
"That's not fair! We're barely halfway through the night and your leaving!" she exclaimed, sticking her tongue out playfully. "If you come over here, I'll give you a kiss with tongue this time."
Fujino didn't need any more convincing.
"Fuck off," he shot back, and with that, he dashed into the forest, leaving a sulking Noa behind.
'This is the first time someone has escaped me.' She watched his retreating form. While she could chase him, the wisteria he held would poison her if she did.
She had already experienced the effects of wisteria poisoning before and would rather avoid them at all costs.
Then, a genuine smile lit up her face. "Well, at least this was fun! I'm certain we'll cross paths again since I'll remember his scent."
Noa then left, looking for another prey to satisfy her appetite.
<—>
Taisho-era
Written as (藤野) the word Fujino means "wisteria field" the same plant that is synonymous for being one of the demon's weakness.
<—>
+2000 words
I had originally planned for this chapter to be 1500 words at max, but I got carried away. Something that I'm sure you lot will be happy about. And our poor boy Fujino can't catch a break now, can he?
Also, I changed them to "Taisho-era secrets." I realized how stupid the old name was when the events take place in that era instead of the modern one.
<—>
(4/11/2024) I did some editing to some of the scenes to add more depth and emotions to them. did some rewriting to some parts to make them more coherent.