Demon Hunter and His Cabin
Chapter 592 - Chapter 592 Chapter 528 Smiling Face_2

Chapter 592: Chapter 528: Smiling Face_2 Chapter 592: Chapter 528: Smiling Face_2 “Do you still recognize me?”

A gaunt figure curled up on the ground, her face obscured by a mass of black hair.

Roger didn’t step forward but instead stood by the courtyard wall, slowly drawing the sword from his back.

Samurai at Sunrise are accustomed to wearing their weapons at their waist or holding them in their hands, but for a Demon Hunter, Roger still preferred drawing his sword from behind.

Although it was just a temporary assignment, what surprised Roger was that the weapon Higurashi Chika had given him was not made of ordinary iron.

The blade emitted a faint glow under the moonlight, and Roger gripped his weapon tightly. His movements seemed casual, yet he could launch an attack at the first sign of an emergency.

This was a basic swordsmanship technique of the Autumn Water Fraction, now fully assimilated and integrated into his own comprehension.

“Giggle, giggle.”

But the figure on the ground let out a strange laugh, a sound that reminded Roger of a certain nocturnal predator.

“You may not recognize me anymore, but I still recognize you,” sighed Higurashi Chika.

“I found out about the tragic events that happened to you, the kidnapping, the insult, the disfigurement; none of it was your fault.”

Higurashi Chika held her weapon across her front but didn’t draw it, and Roger found her attitude somewhat strange.

“I know you didn’t kill those people.”

Higurashi Chika spoke, “Only Red Prajna would dismember the victims and smear their blood across the room.”

“If it were you,” Higurashi Chika took a step forward.

“You would only carve out their hearts.”

“So your transformation must not be complete yet, still in a state of becoming. Lift your head and let me see your face.”

“You might still have a chance to turn back.”

Roger suddenly realized that earlier, when Aoki Kazuo had left, he had left behind a stack of documents. Roger had skimmed through them casually, but due to the limited information available, he hadn’t gleaned much.

Becoming is a unique state where an ordinary person morphs into a Prajna, a process that is extremely rapid. However, there is a tiny chance that, due to a shred of conscience still lingering in their heart, the transformed remain in an intermediate state.

This in-between state, neither human nor ghost, is called becoming.

Normally, once the transformation begins, it is irreversible. A woman in a becoming state, although still retaining a bit of human reason, is dominated more by chaotic destructive urges.

Once they personally kill their first person, the transformation process will be complete. White Prajna arises from a woman’s jealousy and resentment; they often like to gouge out their victims’ hearts.

Consuming a living heart is what eases the profound pain inside them.

It was because of this that Higurashi Chika made her judgment.

From her tone, this woman would later become an ugly streetwalker, and it was all because of an accident when she was young.

Kidnapping, insult, disfigurement.

Roger could hardly imagine what this woman had gone through originally.

The assailant cut off her last chance to live a normal life.

The emaciated figure remained kneeling on the ground from beginning to end, never lifting her head.

She wore a tattered nightgown, which didn’t look like something a young woman would wear by any stretch.

Had her life fallen into such disrepair?

She didn’t even possess a garment that fitted, let alone one to her liking.

Roger thought silently, under the dim moonlight, his pupils narrowed to slits, his gaze dropped to the woman’s cracked soles and rough ankles.

“Giggle, giggle.”

The woman’s face, hidden by her black hair, merely laughed softly after hearing Higurashi Chika’s words, her body slowly arching upward.

Her bony spine with prominent vertebrae was exposed, and the thin nightdress draped over it looked like the scant hide of a starved beast.

The head buried in front of her chest slowly lifted, and in the dark tangle of hair, a pair of yellow horns gradually peeked out.

Upon seeing the horns on the woman’s head, Higurashi Chika’s figure suddenly stiffened, her stepping foot jerkily retracted, and at the same moment, a flash of cold light shone, and the Autumn Water Sword was already in her hand.

“You’re not Ito.”

“Who are you?!”

The woman used the oversized robe to cover half her face, revealing only a pair of emerald eyes, and the deep imprints on her forehead as she giggled.

“Ito?”

“Are you talking about that useless woman?”

“I’m embarrassed for her, giggle.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed into exaggerated crescent moons, and judging solely by those eyes, you might think she was smiling. But the pupils exuded a chilling murderous intent.

“Haha, haha.”

She seemed unable to contain her laughter, spreading her hands apart to reveal the lower half of her face.

A sinister smile.

The eyebrows, the corners of the eyes, and the split mouth all maintained a cheerful expression. However, within that smiling face, Higurashi Chika could not see any joy–only madness and cruelty.

Just then, the sound of a baby’s cry suddenly came from the house behind her, prompting the woman in front of Chika to become violently agitated.

Higurashi Chika’s complexion changed.

“Smiling Prajna!”

Higurashi Chika shouted sharply, her weapon slashing upward toward the woman’s neck.

“Bitch!”

“You seduced my man and hurt my child, I will kill you!”

The baby’s cry sent the woman into a complete frenzy; her fingernails grew nearly half a meter long, and her curved, black claws whistled as they slashed toward Higurashi Chika.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

A rapid succession of metallic clashes rang out as, within a few seconds, Higurashi Chika unleashed over a dozen sword strikes, lighting up the darkness with sparks.

In an instant, she forced the woman back and took a deep breath.

[Hundred Tongued Bird]

Dense sword lights flickered through the night, eventually converging into a point that formed the blurry beak of a bird.

This was the second time Roger had seen Higurashi Chika perform this technique. The technique itself wasn’t complicated. With Roger’s comprehension ability, a few tries should suffice for him to perform it admittedly with some effort.

However, the true core of the technique likely resided in the manner of energy manipulation, something that couldn’t be learned simply by watching.

The woman’s protective claws were breached by Higurashi Chika, leaving two long nails cracked. Chika, with unstoppable momentum, drove her sword through the woman’s chest.

But after landing a successful strike, she didn’t pursue her advantage; instead, she withdrew her sword and leapt back.

The next second, a gust of black wind howled, and the woman’s arms swung at an incredible angle. If Chika had been slightly slower, the swinging claws would have found their mark on her.

Despite having her heart pierced, the woman acted as if completely unaffected. However, her successive attacks failed to gain any ground on Higurashi Chika; instead, her own body accrued several gaping wounds.

The baby’s cries in the room grew more intense, and a fierce look flashed across the woman’s smiling face. But ultimately, she retreated explosively, lunging toward the courtyard wall not far away.

It was then that Roger, who had been waiting for a long time, leapt out from the shadows of the courtyard wall.

“Get out of the way, you’re no match for her!”

Higurashi Chika’s face changed drastically.

Having practiced his swordsmanship daily, Roger had accumulated some insights. How could he possibly pass up such a real combat opportunity?

After all, more insights meant a chance to comprehend more Sword Seals, which in turn could complete the High Mountain Trial.

Seeing Roger not heed her warning, Higurashi Chika panicked; the next second, a surge of brilliant light burst from her weapon, and a tremendous power surged from the blade.

In a flash, Higurashi Chika charged forward almost as if teleporting. Her stance was somewhat strange, but the aura she emitted was exceedingly sharp.

[Single Stroke Slash]

“Horn Breaker!”

Higurashi Chika cried out sharply. Before Roger could strike, he saw a flash of swordlight, and the two horns on top of the smiling woman’s head were promptly severed.

With her horns cut off, the woman let out a pained howl as a yellow substance akin to blood poured from the stumps.

She could hardly run; her body slackened like dough, her hands covering her face as she collapsed into a formless mound, leaving only tattered robes behind.

Roger pinched the hilt of his sword, dejectedly lowering his weapon.

I’ve been holding back all this time, just for this moment, and you made me just watch?

The feeling of having his desire to fight forcibly suppressed was terribly uncomfortable. Yet as he was about to regain his senses, he saw a beautiful face covered in frost directly in front of him.

“Do you realize how dangerous that was just now?”

Higurashi Chika asked with a face full of concern.

Seeing the girl’s sincere eyes, Roger thought for a moment and then forcefully suppressed his own urge to fight.

Fine, I’ll hold back for now.