CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50: REDUCING THE FEVER

The flames burned fiercely, radiating heat, but the mountain cave struggled to retain warmth.

A cold wind drifted in, bringing fresh chills and stealing away the meager warmth they had managed to accumulate.

Tetsu no Sosuke desperately wanted to block the cave entrance, but doing so would trap the smoke inside.

This was destined to be a long and difficult night.

Sosuke had already wiped Shinobu as clean as possible and wrapped her tightly in his haori.

Her petite frame was dwarfed by Sosuke’s tall stature. The haori circled her completely, with fabric to spare.

He then layered her in his own clothes, wrapping her in three layers inside and out.

Since Sosuke had used his clothes to carry firewood and kept them near the fire, they were relatively dry. With both the haori and his clothes for warmth, Shinobu looked like a silkworm cocoon.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, her cheeks flushed, and heat radiated from her body.

Afraid she might catch a chill, Sosuke moved her to a corner of the cave, shielding her with his own body. He hung her damp clothes on the other side to block the wind and dry them by the fire.

This was all he could do.

In truth, aside from the act of a man and woman in dire straits huddling together for warmth, Sosuke had done everything he possibly could to the best of his ability.

He could only hope that when she woke up tomorrow, her body would feel significantly better.

The firewood dwindled, the flames grew lower, and the night deepened.

Fortunately, in the latter half of the night, the rain and wind outside finally ceased.

Though the firewood had burned out, the lingering warmth radiating from the embers felt considerably warmer than before.

Only then did Sosuke finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He glanced at Shinobu, still sound asleep beside him like a cocooned silkworm, and reached out to touch her forehead.

’She is slightly cool, not feverish!’

A faint smile of relief tugged at the corner of Sosuke’s lips, but then he began to worry again.

’Tomorrow... how would he explain to her that he had wiped her body down?’

Though he always called her a child, she was a girl on the cusp of adulthood, and such matters were difficult to explain.

"Forget it. As long as she recovers, we can worry about the consequences tomorrow."

Sosuke rubbed his face, felt Shinobu’s clothes to confirm they were dry, and draped them over her.

He stood up and sat down at the cave entrance.

The Demon outside still lay there, its body seemingly smaller than before.

’It’s melting?’

The Nichirin Blade he had forged for Shinobu clearly lacked the ability to kill Demons in a single strike.

His brow furrowed as he replayed the battle’s details in his mind.

The initial hammer blow had been a surprise attack and couldn’t be considered.

Being grabbed by the Demon had been a close call. If Shinobu hadn’t suddenly intervened, slashing the Demon’s face, he would likely have been dead long ago.

But that moment marked the turning point of the battle.

The Demon’s defenses and physical resilience had noticeably weakened. It seemed that while the blade couldn’t deliver a fatal blow, the poison’s effects could significantly degrade the Demon’s attributes.

The main reason he could easily break through the Demon’s arm defenses and cripple both limbs was likely due to this.

Shinobu’s final strike was a five-strike combo— Sosuke recognized the technique.

Shinobu’s original Insect Breathing—Dance of the butterfly: Caprice!

This was her decisive move: five consecutive thrusts, each injecting poison, ultimately ending the Demon’s life.

As Sosuke pondered this, realization struck him. "Five consecutive thrusts... could they have doubled the poison’s effect? If so, that makes sense. Each strike weakens the Demon’s strength and suppresses its regeneration. Simultaneously, each strike injects more poison. When enough accumulates, it triggers a qualitative change... Compared to that, I was just a bystander in this battle."

He sighed quietly. Although he had mastered the two forms of Sun Breathing he had personally developed, they still played no truly critical role in actual combat.

This was different from his battle against Doma. That encounter had been a fluke; he had only managed to destroy Doma’s weapon because he was a Swordsmith.

But the Demon he had just faced was, in terms of true strength, unworthy even to carry Doma’s shoes.

Yet, despite his own overwhelming physical advantage, Sosuke had found himself struggling.

"Moreover, sword technique remains essential. Shinobu can maximize the effectiveness of her poison using Insect Breathing, but that style might not suit me. What works best for me is breaking through defenses with my hammer and severing necks with my blade."

Sosuke gently rubbed his forehead, growing more convinced that this was his true combat style.

If his sword technique had been perfected today, the Demon wouldn’t have needed Shinobu to deliver the final blow; he could have done it himself.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed the eastern sky turning white. The long night had finally passed.

Sosuke stood up, stretching his stiff limbs. The night had left him with a sore back and aching waist.

Turning to check on Shinobu, he discovered she had already woken up.

Her eyes were wide and fixed intently on him.

In that instant, a chill ran from the soles of Sosuke’s feet to the crown of his head.

He blinked. "How do you feel?"

Shinobu gave him a long, searching look before finally saying, "My hand... I can’t get it out."

Sosuke snapped out of his daze and hurried over to help her free her hand from her clothing.

His main concern was that Shinobu might move suddenly, creating gaps in her clothes that would let in the wind. This method of sweating out a fever would be instantly ruined if exposed to drafts.

He reached out to feel her forehead again, then nodded. "The fever’s gone."

Shinobu remained silent, her gaze fixed on Sosuke.

Feeling somewhat awkward under her intense stare, Sosuke was at a loss for words when she suddenly said, "I need to get dressed."

"I’ll go find some food," he replied quickly, hurrying out of the cave.

Shinobu glanced at the backpack containing their rations but said nothing. She quietly peeled off her "silkworm cocoon" cosplay and put on her dry clothes.

After stretching slightly, her body still ached all over, but overall she felt much better.

She sat cross-legged and began to consider how to deal with Sosuke.

She had a rough idea of what had happened yesterday.

Although she had been unconscious, she hadn’t completely lost awareness. She knew he had behaved properly and understood the helplessness of his actions in that situation.

In fact, if she had been in his place, she probably would have made the same choice.

From every perspective, he hadn’t done anything wrong... on the contrary, he had made the optimal decision.

"And why didn’t he leave?"

Shinobu gazed at the cave entrance. "Knowing how much I hate him, wouldn’t he and Elder Sister have no obstacles without me? This guy... could he actually be serious about ’double the affection’ or something? Ugh... just thinking about it makes me feel sick."