Fate: Hero Simulator

[3rd POV]

The cursed blade Murasame, if it were mentioned a few years ago, was mostly used in scary stories to frighten children.

But now, countless wandering ronin and swordsmen talk about this blade because it is no longer a legend or a story but a real weapon.

They have seen it and have even been killed by it, and right now, the blade is...

"The Demon Blade Monk, Muku, there's no place left for you to run. Hand over Muramasa now."

The Demon Blade Monk, Muku.

Kyouya listened to the nickname these guys had given him.

"This time, I understand it now. Giving someone a nickname like that all the time is kind of awful."

It's not clear whether giving the other person a powerful nickname makes their defeat seem less shameful, but in this Sengoku era, anyone with some status had their own nickname.

Not to mention someone like Kyouya, an ordinary commoner, even the feudal lords had their own titles, like the "Dragon of Echigo," the "Tiger of Kai," or "Kippōshi..."

"Those who kill must be prepared to be killed. If you come with swords, then I assume you're prepared for that."

He looked at the people surrounding him.

The best way to solve this situation would be to hand over the cursed sword Muramasa to them.

After all, if he handed over the Demon Blade, Muramasa, in front of everyone, then he would no longer be the target.

However, that path was not an option.

[You can't give them the cursed sword Murasame. You understand the bloodlust that this blade carries. In such a time of war, allowing this demon blade to remain in the world would undoubtedly bring disaster.]

Not everyone can understand the "Diamond Sutra" like Kyouya.

Once someone holds this blade, there's a high chance they'll become like that leader of the samurai, wanting to test the blade's authenticity on someone.

As for running away without fighting, using "Divine Feet" to escape—well, that's simply not his style.

These people who are willing to chase down and kill an unknown person today for a cursed blade will be just as willing to wield a sword against a stranger for wealth.

[You decapitated one person, and Murasame harvested a life and grew stronger. The effect of "Human-Slayer" was increased.]

[You pierced a person's heart, Murasame harvested a life and grew stronger, the effect of "Human-Slayer" was increased.]

[You cut a person in half, Murasame harvested a life and grew stronger, the effect of "Human-Slayer" was increased.]

...

He took people's lives one by one, like flowers withering.

To the people watching, it seemed like Kyouya could see the weak spots in a person's body and easily strike them with his sword.

This was because of Muramasa's influence and because Kyouya's "Human Slayer" skill was getting stronger.

"Mon... monster..."

No one knew who shouted, but maybe to that person, Kyouya seemed like a monster in human form without hesitation.

However, those words cast a shadow in the hearts of the wandering ronin or samurai around him.

[You deliberately let a few of the samurai who were attacking you escape. You need these "lucky" survivors to brag about your strength, making others too afraid to challenge you.]

[You feel a strange change in your body, almost like it started after hearing the word "monster."]

[The "Innocent Monster" awakened: Your body will undergo certain changes because of the rumors. The stronger the rumors, the more obvious these changes will become.]

"Innocent Monster?"

He could naturally feel the slight changes in his body, but to him, this was not simply a rumor but karma.

Heroes face trials, saints overcome temptations and only in this way can a hero remain a hero, and a saint remain a saint.

In this life, Kyouya wasn't so much a swordsman and could be considered a practitioner of Buddhism.

As his spirituality increased, the challenges and trials he faced started to arrive one by one.

At first, it was about breaking his vow not to kill in the temple—a trial for him.

Now, as he entered the world, whether he could withstand the trouble brought by these rumors was also a trial for him.

[Your reputation is gradually spreading, and your powerful and efficient fighting style instills fear. The legend of you not being human grew, and the effect of "Innocent Monster" increased.]

[You seem no longer to be a human to others, but a handsome evil spirit controlled by the cursed blade, and the effect of "Innocent Monster" increased.]

[You can feel the changes happening to your body. As your karma grows, your power grows even more powerful, your appearance becomes even less and less human, and the effect of "Innocent Monster" increased.]

'The heavens will bestow great responsibilities upon a person. They must first endure hardships in mind and body, strain their muscles and bones, leave them empty and fatigued, and make their actions chaotic and disordered so that they can develop perseverance and strength beyond what they thought possible.'

He suddenly thought of this saying.

Considering that his luck in each life had never been particularly good in any of his past lives, was this a test from the heavens?

However, why did this test always seem to target him alone?

At first, it was just some wandering samurai looking for him. Then, some military generals from the lords began trying to capture him.

Fortunately, Kyoya had a "Divine Eye" that allowed him to evade as long as he wanted.

The only flaw was that "Divine Eye" consumed too much mana or magical energy and could not be used all the time.

He would sometimes run into a small group of enemies that blocked his way, and that was when it was time to kill.

For example, right now, someone has blocked his path.

"Demon Blade Monk, Muku?"

A woman?

He was a bit surprised as he looked at the person in front of him who was trying to take the sword.

In this era, women had very low status, and martial arts were rarely taught to them.

Does this woman know swordsmanship?

"Who are you?"

"I've come to be your disciple. Please, no matter what, accept me as your student!"

Before Kyouya could react, the girl in front of him suddenly bowed on the ground, sliding all the way to his side.

"Actually, I don't know swordsmanship."

Kyouya almost pulled out his sword in surprise. He never expected something like this to happen.

He may have killed countless people since leaving the mountains, but he had never killed an innocent one.

As for not knowing swordsmanship, it wasn't exactly a lie.

He knew swordsmanship using Flowing Water Holy Sword, Ryūka, but he knew nothing about Japanese swordsmanship or kendo.

The so-called swordsmanship was more like the skill of a butcher cutting meat just a habit, not real swordsmanship.

Unfortunately, this kind of answer wouldn't be enough to satisfy the person in front of him.

To be continued...

...

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