On the East Island, Shuten-doji’s mountain-like figure toppled backward. With a thunderous roar and a violent tremor, she slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The dilapidated island nearly shattered under the force of the impact. Since Shuten-doji’s giant form had occupied almost the entire arena circle, this fall sent her squarely out of bounds.
“Oh my~ looks like I lost~” The giant Shuten-doji sat up with a chuckle. Her face was full of smiles, showing not a hint of disappointment.
Her massive body shrank rapidly, soon returning to her original petite form. She patted the dust off her clothes and stood up, looking at Miketsu.
“I really didn't expect it. In a contest of pure strength, I, the King of the Oni, would actually lose to another Yokai. Not only did you take all three of my punches, you even managed to throw my giant form. To be honest, Owl, I’m quite interested in what your true form really is...” As Shuten-doji spoke, she focused her gaze on Miketsu’s six prominent arms. In this state, Miketsu looked much more like a Yokai, prompting Shuten-doji to speculate on her race and true identity.
“You take defeat quite gracefully, Ghost King of Mount Oe,” Miketsu replied with a light chuckle. As she spoke, the four extra arms she had manifested dissolved into nothingness, and she returned to normal.
“Well, I made the rules myself, so a loss is a loss. I came here to experience the joy of battle anyway. Although the first two matches were terrible, I’m glad I found that experience with you. By the way, congratulations are in order. You’ve won the final victory, so that Black Tortoise demonic power should belong to you now,” Shuten-doji continued. Miketsu, however, turned her attention elsewhere.
“Heh, I don’t think those people will give me that power so easily. Look at this barrier trapping us here. Who do you think is responsible for this masterpiece?” Miketsu pointed toward the pale purple barrier in the sky.
“Right... this barrier just popped up out of nowhere while we were fighting. What exactly is—hm?” Just as Shuten-doji looked up curiously, the vast purple barrier suddenly began to spiderweb with cracks. An instant later, it shattered and collapsed, dissolving into fragments. Miketsu was stunned by the sight.
Yakumo Yukari’s barrier vanished? What happened? Did she retreat because she saw that Shuten-doji and I hadn't exhausted each other? No, Yakumo Yukari had prepared too much for this operation; she wouldn't give up so easily.
Miketsu frowned. In her mind, if Yakumo Yukari saw that her plan to wear them down wasn't working, she should have struck early, attacking while she and Shuten-doji were still fighting. But instead of attacking, the barrier had simply deactivated. This might not be a voluntary retreat; perhaps she had encountered an unforeseen situation that made it impossible to maintain the barrier.
As Miketsu pondered the situation and considered her next move, a massive surge of demonic energy suddenly erupted from the western horizon.
On the desolate West Island, Hagoromo Gitsune stood with a fierce expression. Demonic energy swirled around her sharp claws, and seven illusory long tails lashed wildly behind her.
In front of her stood Tamamo-no-Mae. He easily caught the claw Hagoromo Gitsune had thrust at him, preventing it from advancing even an inch. Facing her sudden assault, Tamamo-no-Mae remained unmoved. His indifferent eyes looked through the half-fox mask at the woman before him.
“Is this your explanation to me, my friend?”
“I... I must do this...” The ferocity on Hagoromo Gitsune’s face faltered, and a flicker of confusion appeared in her eyes.
“Your spirit has been polluted. Now, let me release you from this pain, Kuzunoha...” Following Tamamo-no-Mae’s words, nine illusory tails manifested out of thin air behind him.
A short time earlier, in the Main Sacrificial Altar beneath Nightless Island, the ghost spirit songstress—a massive collective of vengeful spirits—manifested amidst the shrieks of thousands of lost souls. She looked at Seimei and the other two with sorrowful eyes. Instantly, the three men felt a chill run through them, their heads spun, and a chaotic mess of thoughts flooded their minds.
“Careful! Don’t look into her eyes!” Seimei, sensing his mental state wavering, shouted immediately. He averted his gaze from the ghost spirit songstress. Nura Rihyon and Kamo Yoshin followed suit. However, the ghost spirit songstress made a new move. She took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of pale pink, illusory mist. Caught off guard while looking away, Seimei and the others were enveloped by the mist. Their minds instantly turned to chaos, and their thoughts became a blur.
The expressions of the three men gradually became dull. In their hazy consciousness, many soft, seductive voices whispered in their ears. They slowly turned their heads back toward the ghost spirit songstress. In their eyes now, her appearance had completely changed.
Her sickly deep-blue skin had become delicate and smooth; her withered white hair was now dark and silky; her gaunt, dim face had become alluring and moving. Her mournful expression had turned into a charming smile, and her plain kimono was now filled with intricate, exquisite patterns.
This was the most beautiful memory of the vengeful spirits of those oiran and yujo from when they were still human. These memories had blended together to become the ultimate art of charm. Seimei and the others were now trapped in a drunken illusion constructed by the ghost spirit songstress, unable to extricate themselves. To an outsider, they appeared to be standing frozen in place, staring blankly at the sorrowful ghost spirit songstress.
“Hmph, is that all? Men are all the same; they’re completely helpless under the ghost spirit songstress’s charm.” Standing behind the ghost spirit songstress with his umbrella, Sanmen-oni let out a cold laugh. He then turned his gaze toward Shiranui.
“Alright, go to the altar and offer the Kagura now. The Lord Deity’s resurrection cannot wait!”
Controlled by the broken blade, Shiranui followed Sanmen-oni’s command and walked silently toward the altar surrounded by stone pillars. There, she slowly raised her hands and began to dance gracefully. Two large folding fans appeared in her hands out of thin air, moving with her dance like the fluttering wings of a butterfly. As the beautiful girl began her dance, the carvings on the surrounding stone pillars began to emit a faint glow.
Seeing that everything was on track, a smile touched Sanmen-oni’s lips. He turned back to the three charmed men and spoke viciously.
“Kill these meddling fools.”
At Sanmen-oni’s command, the surrounding demonic soldiers moved out, charging with their weapons toward the three men. In their current state, they were completely defenseless.
Just then, a soft female voice rang out.
“Secret Lore Summoning: Seven-Person Procession...”
Rate on N.U.
