Chase Battle - The Circumstances of the Oni

Again!

？！

Yes, Master. She retreats with astonishing agility.

Whenever I see her arm, I'm reminded against my will.

When Tsuna's sword Higekiri chopped off her arm, she still escaped before he could deal the finishing blow.

These aren't just flukes. It must be some kind of ability.

Maybe she has the "Disengage" skill. That would be very bothersome.

By the way, Mr. Golden, what you just said makes me wonder something. Did you know her while you were alive too?

Only her battle habits. We fought quite a few times.

？！

...

Aaah, well, yeah. ...She was the same as Ibaraki, I guess. Yeah.

Were the two of them friends? Or, were they more like boss and subordinate?

Ibaraki was the boss of all the oni on Mt. Ooe. Shuten also apparently lived there, as a freeloader

But Ibaraki treated her as her superior, saying Shuten had something she lacked.

In terms of ranking within the oni clan, they were equals. But that was based solely on Ibaraki's decree...which caused the kinds of problems you'd expect.

But I do get where Ibaraki was coming from. That Shuten... She was, I guess you can say, a coward in a lot of ways.

And she was wicked to the core. But she was honestly good to those she'd formed a kind of bond with.

I thought she was a spirit of caprice and mischief in the form of an oni, but she's also chivalrous, dutiful, and humane.

Yeah, she was a natural-born leader, that Shuten-Douji. Though she caused plenty of trouble for her subordinates.

I see, I see.

And just what the hell are you smiling about, huh?

I beg your pardon. You just seemed oddly gentle while you were saying all that.

But that boss oni is now being held prisoner by Ibaraki-Douji.

She seemed to be completely out cold too. I wonder what happened...

...Who knows? Maybe Ibaraki finally ran out of patience with her.

Oni will always be demonic. And I'll hunt them down. That's all there is to it.

I'm heading out. If you all want to rest, then go on and rest already.