Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 13 Class 7, Grade 11
The world has changed.

Aside from changes in his physical condition, Yujian was also keenly aware that his senses were undergoing subtle transformations.

It's not about seeing or hearing more clearly, but a special perception that is different from the five senses. Perhaps it could be called the sixth sense?
The feeling was very peculiar, like penetrating the surface waters and gazing into the deeper, darker depths, where a massive and majestic being lurks, its form like a shadowy figure that those on the shore can only vaguely perceive but cannot see in its entirety.

The world we see seems to have something extra, or perhaps it has always existed, but is so small and hidden that it is invisible to ordinary people.

The sword seemed hazy at this moment, like a fleeting glimpse in the corner of one's eye when half-awake, something that one could not see clearly despite trying to find it.

As I pondered, I heard a girl's gentle and soothing voice beside me.

"Speaking of which, Mikken's house is quite unique," Aizen Yurika said, curiously examining the building in front of her.

This is a detached house of moderate size, with a typical modern design, except for a white lighthouse standing 15 meters tall at the back.

Building a lighthouse in the city is a bit too eccentric, and I don't know why the relevant departments haven't come to cause trouble...

Yu Jian pondered for a moment, then sought the answer from the gradually unraveling memories of his present life.

"Yes, it is said to be the idea of ​​my great-grandmother. Because my great-grandfather was a traveler, she hoped that he could find the location of home as soon as he returned from his long journey, so she built this small lighthouse."

"How romantic! What happened next?" Lily clapped her hands, her eyes brightening. It seemed that even the great Bodhisattva Aizen couldn't resist the allure of romantic gossip.

She didn't wait for him.

Yu Jian shook his head. He learned about his elders' stories from his father. Although it was only a few words, the emotions contained within were exceptionally profound.

"A Shakespearean ending," Yuri sighed wistfully.

The two chatted as they walked to school.

As for why we need to go to school?

Honestly, the idea that time travelers also need to eat is just a joke.

If it's just about money, with Yujian's current physical abilities, becoming an athlete would easily achieve financial freedom. Or he could become an idol; his looks alone would easily gain him massive popularity and wealth.

Even if he opened a community kendo dojo at home, he could easily make a living. If anyone questioned his qualifications, putting aside the Jigenryu style, the standard for the Jigenryu no Kenseiden (licenses granted to all) is clearly written: as long as you can cut a person in half with a Kesa-giri (sword-cutting technique), you are considered qualified. Mitsurugi can demonstrate it for him on the spot.

Since these things are so readily available, they seem less appealing.

What is truly precious is the second youth, which is as miraculous as gold and priceless.

Then, the uphill climb of youth begins to assault the calves of teenagers.

“This slope.” Yu Jian shook his head.

Although it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, he was still struck by how absurd the school's location was. In such a large urban area, they chose to locate it on a mountain, and even with most of the buildings halfway up the mountain, it still posed a huge challenge to the students.

“Shinkiin High School used to be a temple, which is why the campus is built on a mountain. You can tell from the school’s name.” Aizen Yurika’s answer cleared up Mitsurugi’s doubts.

Speaking of which, Lily's stamina seems pretty good. She walked such a long uphill stretch and was only slightly out of breath, without even breaking a sweat. Hmm? Is it a bit rude of me to focus on that...?

Yu Jian caught a faint scent of laurel, neither pungent nor overpowering, but rather a very delicate herbal aroma.

Forcing himself not to overthink, Yujian shook his head vigorously and walked into the classroom with Yurika.

Instantly, countless gazes shot in from all directions. With his enhanced five senses and even a sixth sense, Yu Jian could clearly capture all the gazes. Most of them were curious, while some were filled with peculiar scrutiny, making him feel very subtle.

Fortunately, Yurika took the initiative to step forward and greet her classmates, and most of the attention immediately dispersed. Yujian was happy to see this, as he was not socially anxious but did not like meaningless socializing.

But what was that feeling I had just experienced? Could it be that our class is actually full of hidden talents?
Arriving at his seat, given Yu Jian's height, he naturally had to sit in the last row, which made it convenient for him to secretly observe the other students in the class.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Yu Jian noticed that while his classmates seemed like ordinary high school students at first glance, there were quite a few who were different from him.

For example, the boy over there wearing a mask because of hay fever, although he was casually chatting with others about baseball, his actions subtly revealed signs of training. He concealed it well but it was still lacking in finesse, perhaps it was a family skill?
And that girl in the corner, she looks delicate and frail, but my sixth sense tells me of a faint tingling sensation, like static electricity caused by the dry winter air, a tingling, numb feeling.

Yu Jian scratched his head. Surely it's not because I'm a transmigrator that all sorts of strange characters will appear around me? That doesn't make sense.

But the most special one is undoubtedly Aizen Lily Fragrance, who is the center of attention and admired by everyone.

Although she speaks very little, mostly just listening to others with a smile, she always commands attention. All conversations are subtly drawn to her; a simple suggestion or a casual glance can change the lives of others, almost as if…

"Aizen-kun, she's just like Himiko." The voice from beside him made Mitsurugi nod in agreement.

Himiko was an ancient queen of the Japanese islands, and it is said that she possessed magical arts and extremely mysterious powers. This analogy is naturally an expression of Aizen's status among the people.

Then, he discovered that it was Nogizaka Ruka who was speaking.

What's going on? Aren't you from the class next door?

"Class hasn't started yet, so I just came to drop by," Nogizaka said with a smile.

"Did I say it out loud?" Yu Jian asked expressionlessly.

Strange, it's one thing if it smells like lilies, but does that mean anyone can read my mind?
“Mikkari doesn’t talk much, but he’s actually quite easy to understand.” Nogizaka scratched his face, then sat up straight and bowed slightly to him.

During the process, her chestnut-brown short hair swung forward, revealing her small eyebrows hidden under her bangs, which suddenly reminded people of Shiba Inu.

"I was so nervous yesterday that I forgot to formally thank Yujian. When I got home, my grandmother severely criticized me for my rudeness. Please forgive me, Yujian."

"It's nothing." Mitsurugi subconsciously straightened his back, nodded, and then felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Nogizaka immediately dropped his serious demeanor and reverted to his childlike liveliness. This guy is petite and cute; it's hard to imagine he doesn't have any friends.

Hmm? Maybe it's because he doesn't have any friends that he went to the next class to chat with someone he just met yesterday.

Thinking of this, Yu Jian's expression softened. He had had a similar experience and also had some questions he wanted to ask the other party.

"Yin Yi? I've never heard of that term before, but since it's related to swordsmanship, why not ask the kendo club?"

“Indeed.” Yu Jian nodded, realizing that he had been blinded by his own limited perspective.

Although modern kendo and ancient swordsmanship differ, they have a very direct lineage. Those involved are likely familiar with ancient swordsmanship, and information can be gleaned from them.

At that moment, Mitsurugi noticed that Nogizaka was looking at his hair.

"what happened?"

"Excuse me, but is your hair dyed, Yujian?"

“No, it’s how I was born,” Yu Jian replied casually, then watched as the other person slowly opened their mouth, a look of disbelief on their face.
"..." Nogizaka quickly closed his jaw, even making a clicking sound as his teeth clashed.

"I apologize for my rudeness."

Nogizaka apologized as usual, then couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"There isn't a single impurity in the color."

"Is it that rare? It's not blue or green." Yu Jian asked curiously.

"Of course, does it really happen that people can grow blue or green hair?"

"The clown is green."

"But that's a comic book."

The topic of hair color naturally shifted to manga, and Mitsurugi stopped paying attention to Nogizaka's previous reaction. It's normal for ordinary people to be surprised by naturally white hair, as it's rare to see someone with such hair.

After chatting for a bit, Yu Jian became more talkative.

He wasn't some lone wolf from the north; his previous cold demeanor and silence were mainly due to the mental and emotional exhaustion caused by the Asura Dream. After being freed from it, he naturally began to regain the demeanor of a young man, even becoming somewhat talkative in front of familiar people.

The preparatory bell rang, and Nogizaka returned to his classroom, turning back every few steps. It was clear he really didn't have many friends; he was practically a lonely fellow. But then again, even in his two lifetimes combined, Mitsurugi himself didn't have many friends.

Tsk, it's a bit sad that things are so complicated.

He slapped his forehead, realizing he'd forgotten to ask Nogizaka about the aftermath of last night's incident. His lack of concern was probably because the evil spirit was too weak, so weak that it made him want to yawn, and he'd even forgotten about it after a nap.

As for the power hidden behind the evil spirits...

Mitsurugi didn't know much about the Nogizaka family's situation, but considering the semi-feudal and semi-… well, you know, reality of the area, even if they were just rich, they should be able to hire a reliable exorcist or medium.

The Japanese island's business in this area is quite developed. He originally thought they were just charlatans, but there really are supernatural elements, so there might be something real inside.

High school courses were uninteresting, and the morning quickly passed by as I drifted off into daydreams.

Yu Jian's grades were already decent, and after comprehensive enhancement, learning high school courses became incredibly easy.

Having spent so much time struggling in the Dream of Asura, including the evil spirit he killed last night, his qualities in all aspects have been improved to an astonishing level.

Although it is still at the level of ordinary people, this kind of comprehensiveness is itself a kind of non-human or superhuman performance.

In terms of sheer strength or reflex speed, billions of humans could find someone who could match them, but to concentrate all of these in one person would only mean that they look like a human on the outside, but are something else entirely on the inside.

This is something that cannot be achieved through normal methods, because some attributes even conflict with each other during the improvement process. To give a somewhat inappropriate example, with a constant body fat percentage, muscle mass is positively correlated with body weight, but running speed is negatively correlated with body weight.

Therefore, the sword-wielding technique has actually reached a certain critical point...

"Hey, handsome guy by the window, don't look at the scenery during class. Do you think those high school girls in athletic shorts on the playground are pretty cool?" Onizuka-sensei teased from the direction of the podium, along with a piece of chalk flying towards him.

The sound of wind reached his ears, and as if possessed by divine intervention, he extended his index and middle fingers. Then, the chalk seemed to fly into his hand and was easily caught.

The classroom immediately became lively, with some whispering and others cheering loudly, eager for a good show.

Onizuka Shizuka's eyes widened, her throat churning with a trilled "r" sound, ready to burst forth. But the school bell rang earlier than her, launching a 'sneak attack' and announcing the end of class with a strange ding.

"Kid, you're lucky you survived." Onizuka Shizuka lowered her voice and recited a line from last night's tokusatsu drama, which made the students burst into laughter.

As soon as the words "get out of class dismissed, stand up, goodbye teacher" were spoken, a cacophony of noise erupted down the corridor as a massive army of hungry people rushed toward the cafeteria.

Yu Jian was about to get up and join them when a purple bento box landed in front of him first.

"I noticed this morning; as expected, Miken didn't bring a lunchbox."

Looking up, Aizen Yurika's smiling face came into view.

He rested his hand on his forehead with his sword, pinched the bridge of his nose, and then took a deep breath.

Oh no, I'm about to experience one of the three great illusions of life.

(End of this chapter)