Chapter 26 - Pursuit.

In a dark forest filled with yin energy, two figures, one black and one white, darted rapidly through the trees. The divine messenger Tsuruha and the shikigami Tanrou, each carrying their master on their back, were running at full speed.

Behind them, the terrifying figure of the Demon-Faced Centipede pursued them relentlessly. With hundreds of legs pushing off at once, the massive centipede yokai unleashed astonishing speed, not falling behind the nimble Tsuruha and Tanrou in the slightest, and was even slowly closing the gap.

"This thing... it's so big, yet so fast..." Clinging tightly to Tsuruha's neck, Miketsu peeked out to look behind her. She saw the demon face following closely, growing larger and larger, and couldn't help but frown.

'Tsuruha... can you go any faster?' Miketsu asked the fox beneath her through telepathic communication.

'I can go faster, but that girl seems to have reached her limit. I don't know the way; we need them to lead.'

Tsuruha responded with a hint of helplessness. Because Onmyodo incorporates many theories from Daoist arts, this forest, designed as a Demon-Rearing Ground for an onmyoji family, was built upon the directional principles of the I Ching. One needed corresponding knowledge to navigate and find their way; otherwise, it was very easy to get lost.

Unfortunately, neither Miketsu nor Tsuruha understood this discipline. Only Yura, who had also studied Onmyojutsu, knew the way. Only Yura could lead them. This was why Miketsu didn't choose to split up with Yura as she had during the encounter with the One-Bite Yokai. She didn't know the path at all, and getting lost alone in a forest teeming with monsters was certainly not a wise choice.

"Yura! Try to use the terrain to stop that thing!"

Miketsu shouted to Yura, who was not far ahead. She also noticed that Yura's complexion was unusually pale; her current condition was clearly not right.

"Mm... I know..." Yura responded, her voice tinged with a clear weakness.

"Are... you alright?"

"Don't you worry about me..." After speaking, Yura's gaze sharpened. Forcing her spirits up, she commanded Tanrou to leap over a giant boulder. Miketsu and Tsuruha followed close behind. Now, the massive boulder stood squarely in the Demon-Faced Centipede's path.

"Boom!"

With a tremendous crash, the boulder was shattered head-on by the charging Demon-Faced Centipede. Shattered rocks flew everywhere amidst a cloud of dust, yet the centipede's speed seemed undiminished, like a high-speed train.

"It's useless... you... can't stop me!"

After smashing through the boulder, the Demon-Faced Centipede suddenly accelerated, lunging toward the two small figures ahead with a hoarse roar. The small distance between them vanished in an instant.

"Look out!"

Tsuruha and Tanrou simultaneously dodged to the sides, evading the Demon-Faced Centipede's fierce strike. The giant demon face slammed into the ground once more, kicking up a cloud of dust and flying debris.

Unfortunately, a piece of shrapnel struck Yura's Tanrou. The great white wolf whimpered and collapsed, taking Yura down with it.

"Hah... caught you..." The Demon-Faced Centipede, having just smashed a large crater in the ground with its head, seemed completely unfazed as it instantly raised its head again, preparing to charge the fallen Yura. Seeing this, Miketsu cried out.

"Tsuruha!"

The black divine fox steadied herself, opened her mouth, and spewed forth golden flames.

"Golden Foxfire!"

Unlike when she was in her smaller form, the flames Tsuruha spat out now were far superior in both power and range. Sheets of golden fire swept toward the Demon-Faced Centipede like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the raised portion of its body.

"Gaaaaah!"

The Demon-Faced Centipede let out a piercing shriek from within the flames, its body, which had been reared up to attack, beginning to writhe.

At that moment, the hundreds of tightly shut demon faces on the centipede's body all opened their mouths at once. The flames burning its body were sucked in an instant into the mouths covering its form. In a flash, Tsuruha's fire vanished completely, leaving only the centipede with a blackened section of its body.

Seeing this, both Tsuruha and Miketsu were stunned. Neither had expected it to be able to absorb an attack directly.

"My flames were..."

"This thing... can absorb attacks?" Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

The Demon-Faced Centipede turned its head. The giant, charred demon face on it looked toward Tsuruha and Miketsu, opened its mouth, and spewed the searing flames back at them.

Tsuruha naturally understood the power of her own attack. She leaped aside, dodging the blast of her own fire. Because it was absorbed, the Demon-Faced Centipede's flames were quickly exhausted. It then reverted to its most common method of attack: ramming!

"Little fox... don't think you can escape..." With immense force, the Demon-Faced Centipede's iron-like head slammed viciously toward Miketsu and Tsuruha, but Tsuruha dodged it again.

One strike missed, another followed. Seeing it hadn't hit its target, the Demon-Faced Centipede launched its next attack with almost no pause. After Tsuruha dodged again, came the third, fourth, fifth strike...

The Demon-Faced Centipede seemed tireless. The giant insect twisted and turned through the forest, attacking relentlessly. It smashed boulders and snapped large trees, nothing seeming to stand in the way of its unstoppable assault. Under the Demon-Faced Centipede's storm-like attack, the dodging Tsuruha was like a small boat tossed about in a tempest, battered by giant waves and in imminent danger of being swallowed up at any moment.

Exhausted from fending off the attacks, Tsuruha couldn't even find an opportunity to escape. It was easy to enter a battle, but difficult to disengage.

'Tsuruha... we can't go on like this. We have to think of something!'

'I understand, Lady Uka! But our attacks are basically useless against it.'

To avoid affecting their movements by speaking, Miketsu and Tsuruha communicated telepathically. Meanwhile, the Demon-Faced Centipede behind them whispered hoarsely amidst its continuous attacks.

"Give up... you'll be food in my belly sooner or later..."

"You can't do anything to me... blades and claws cannot pierce my tough armor... spells and demonic arts will all be devoured by me..."

"All your struggles are futile..."