CHAPTER 95: TARO SOLDIER [750PS]

Soon, the players cleared the early terrain, encountered Kuro one after another, picked up the healing gourd, and officially began their real battles.

The very first test awaited them, their first taste of a true swordfight.

Some fearless players rushed forward, blades flashing, and cut down the first Ashina soldier without much trouble. But many others froze, hesitating to close in on an enemy wielding a live blade.

Just like Natalie earlier, plenty of players ended up being chased straight back into the attic by the very first soldier.

When they finally gathered the courage to swing their swords, they were greeted with their first real wall, Squad Leader Yamauchi.

Strictly speaking, Yamauchi wasn’t a true boss, just an mini boss but to defeat him, players needed to master the parry mechanic, the art of timing their blade against his. Without it, his attacks would cut them down over and over.

Many players, just like Natalie, found themselves stuck here, tasting the bitter frustration of dying again and again.

But at the same time, something else began to stir inside them.

The clash of blades, the sparks flying, the ringing sound of steel on steel, it awakened a thrill no other game had given before. Successfully deflecting a strike felt like stepping into the shoes of a real ancient swordsman.

It was painful and exhilarating all at once.

From here, player progress began to split. Some players had lightning fast reflexes and adapted instantly. Within just a few minutes, they were able to cut down Yamauchi cleanly. If they’d been born in ancient times, they might have been martial prodigies.

But those were the minority. Most players struggled, some stuck on Yamauchi for half an hour or more, just like Natalie.

---BREAK---

Meanwhile, livestream platforms lit up. Almost ninety percent of popular streamers had gone live with Sekiro. The last time so many had broadcast the same game was during Subnautica. Competing titles from other companies were instantly forgotten.

Each streamer had their own struggles:

MissMathers stood at the edge of a cliff, staring at the abyss, terrified to climb.

Saya was locked in a desperate, drawn out duel with Yamauchi.

And as for NeasJ... well, best not to mention him. He hadn’t even started streaming.

The truth was, NeasJ still hadn’t finished Subnautica. In fact, he hadn’t even cleared half of it. His obesity, high blood pressure, and lack of determination to exercise meant he couldn’t endure games that demanded real effort.

So when Sekiro released, he had only one thought, I’m doomed.

Subnautica had already been hell for him. How could he possibly survive Sekiro? No chance.

And so, NeasJ simply ghosted his fans, pretending not to see their pleas for a Sekiro stream. He never even turned on his broadcast. Unless he resolved to change his lifestyle, his streaming career might very well end here.

Among all the streamers, the one attracting the most viewers was, of course, Natalie. Her progress was far ahead of most others, and though she had plenty of bad habits, laziness was not one of them. She had already gone live that afternoon and was still playing diligently.

At this moment, she was advancing through Hirata Town. After being killed by alerting the giant rooster, she had learned her lesson. Instead of rushing in blindly, she climbed to higher ground first. From there, she quietly sneaked up behind it.

On the rooster’s back glowed a red marker. Natalie smirked, then struck with a Deathblow from behind.

Before the bird even had the chance to crow, its head was already severed!

With the high ground secured, Natalie turned her sights on the rifleman. That guy was the ADC of the battlefield, the first priority target, or risk being sniped to death.

She quickly located him, and with a well timed grapple, swung onto a nearby tree. Like a silent panther, she leapt down from above and struck.

One by one, the soldiers in the area fell to her assassinations.

"Alright, everyone, looks like the high-ground tactic works perfectly." Natalie grinned with satisfaction. "Let’s keep going."

Moving forward along the winding dirt path, she alternated between rooftops and tall grass, steadily thinning the enemy numbers. Most were just ordinary soldiers, and once she memorized the correct routes, she was able to handle them with ease, even if it took a few deaths to learn.

Still, something felt odd.

"Strange. There are soldiers everywhere, but no civilians."

"Yeah, isn’t this supposed to be a town? Where are the residents?"

"Could it be the dev skipped the commoners on purpose, to save trouble?"

The players speculated endlessly as Natalie advanced deeper into the town.

"Impossible. The New World would never make such a rookie mistake!"

The viewers gradually noticed something was off. Most of the wooden houses in the town were shut tight, and along the entire way, they only saw patrolling soldiers, no women, no elderly, no children. Not even a single civilian.

"This is strange..." Natalie frowned. "Could it be they were all evacuated to the main city of Ashina?"

Everyone knew Tony’s games always had a complete world background. There would never be a hole this obvious, it had to mean something.

As she was muttering, two soldiers appeared ahead. Natalie crouched and crept closer.

The soldiers were chatting idly.

"I don’t know if we can win against the Inner Palace this time... I have a bad feeling."

"Don’t jinx it. Lord Isshin is still alive, and Lord Genichiro is powerful as ever. And don’t forget Lord Oniwa-sama."

"Right, and Lord Gyoubu is guarding the main gate of Ashina. No one can break through! ...But ugh, that damn Taro brat is screaming again."

"No choice. He’s only eight years old. Kids are noisy by nature. But don’t underestimate him, Taro Soldier is far stronger than you or me. He’s a perfect war weapon."

"That’s true. If we could mass produce Taro Soldiers, the Ashina name would live on forever!"

"Too bad only Senpou Temple can make them, and the success rate is so low..."

The two continued talking.

The chat exploded.

"Wait, WHAT? Did they just say eight years old?!"

"Are you kidding me? Ashina’s sending eight year old kids to the battlefield? That’s too messed up!"

"Bro, even in ancient times this is way too cruel..."

"Hold up, what’s Senpou Temple got to do with this?"

"Forget it, let’s take care of these two first!" Natalie grinned, spotting no other enemies nearby. She dashed forward.

"Who goes there?!"

"Enemy attack!"

The two soldiers drew their blades, but Natalie was ready. She pulled out a small pouch and tossed it, puff! A cloud of ash blinded their eyes.

It was the item she picked up earlier, Ash Pellet.

"Perfect timing!" Natalie smirked coldly, drawing her blade. "Whirlwind Slash!"

Her figure spun like a storm. The blade swept out in a deadly arc, cutting both soldiers clean in half.

"Argh!!!" They screamed, blood bursting out as their HP bars emptied in an instant.

The viewers eyes lit up.

"Damn, that was slick!"

"Whirlwind Slash looks insane!"

"...But why did she have to shout the skill name out loud? Hahaha."

Natalie was just about to strike a cool pose when a faint voice drifted from deeper inside the town.

"...I want persimmons... I want persimmons..."

She froze, eyebrows shooting up. "That... sounds like a kid."

The audience went silent.

"No way, is that the Taro Soldier?"

"Shit, let’s see it!"

Natalie crept closer, the childlike voice becoming clearer.

"Wow... persimmons... I want persimmons!"

Sure enough, it was a boy’s voice, repeating the same line over and over. Natalie relaxed her guard a little, after all, how dangerous could an eight year old be? She walked straight ahead to see for herself.

And then.

She turned the corner.

What appeared before her eyes made her completely freeze.

Standing there was not some scrawny brat, but a giant. The thing was over three meters tall, with a grotesquely bloated body. He wore nothing but a massive loincloth, and in his hands was a mallet the size of a telephone pole.

This was no child... this was a monster.

1413 Words.