Awakening

When Shiranui stopped dancing as the broken blade was pulled from her chest, the tentacles that had grown from the colossal egg seemed to suddenly lose their strength, becoming limp. This caused Slippery Nura and the others to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

However, when they tried to untangle or cut the tentacles, they found it was still useless. The tentacles remained wrapped around them. Just then, the sounds from within the colossal egg, which had slowed when Shiranui stopped dancing, suddenly intensified. The rhythmic thumping, like a heartbeat, abruptly accelerated. Along with this, the tentacles wrapped around everyone tightened sharply, and their previously diminished strength suddenly returned, becoming even greater and more difficult to resist than before. This startled Seimei and the others, who had just relaxed, and caught off guard, they were pulled directly into the deep pit.

In desperation, Slippery Nura plunged his blade into the rock wall to stop his descent, while Seimei and Ao Andon, using Aerial Jutsu-shiki, floated in the air. But as the force from the tentacles rapidly increased, their bodies slowly began to fall.

Meanwhile, the energy orb of Black Tortoise demonic power had already been dragged deep into the pit by numerous tentacles, now very close to the colossal egg, with the four unconscious Yokai Lords still suspended beside it.

"What! What's going on! Didn't Shiranui stop her Kagura? Why is this damned thing still moving so violently!" Slippery Nura shouted loudly, fixing himself to the rock wall, his voice filled with confusion.

"I don't know. It's likely that the awakening of the Tokoyo-no-Kami has reached a certain threshold, and it no longer needs the Kagura to continue its revival…" Facing the scene before her, Ao Andon offered her guess, a look of anxiety on her face.

"Damn it… If this is the case, then Senior Kamo Yoshin's sacrifice will have been in vain…" Seimei, too, frowned deeply at this moment. He was not only worried about the worsening situation but also regretting that Kamo Yoshin's sacrifice had not brought about any improvement.

Just as everyone's hearts grew heavier, even despairing, a blaze of fire erupted from the deep pit. Those illuminated by this familiar glow turned their heads to the center of the pit. There, Shiranui had once again wielded her dance fan, summoning streaks of fierce flames.

Innumerable fire snakes once again coiled around Shiranui, spreading rapidly outwards, severing the tentacles that had bound everyone. Immediately, Seimei and the others felt their bodies lighten, as the glowing tentacles on them automatically dissipated and fell away, no longer pulled by the colossal egg.

Facing their bewildered gazes, the maiden who commanded the flames spoke softly, in a clear voice.

"My power seems to share an origin with these tentacles; I can affect them…"

"Is that so… That’s wonderful, Lady Ali! Please rescue those restrained Yokai Lords now! And of course, the Black Tortoise demonic power—we cannot let the Tokoyo-no-Kami devour it!" Seeing that the conscious Shiranui was not only willing to help them but also capable of burning away the tentacles spawned by the colossal egg, Seimei quickly urged her.

Listening to Seimei, Shiranui nodded slightly, then commanded her flames to burn away the tentacles on the four Yokai Lords. Ao Andon also timely summoned several flying yokai to catch them and fly upwards. Just moments ago, those Yokai Lords were on the verge of being dragged onto the colossal egg.

Seeing that the Yokai Lords had been rescued, Shiranui once again commanded her flames, beginning to scorch the tentacles wrapped around the Black Tortoise demonic power. However, the colossal egg seemed to sense something, frantically wrapping even more tentacles around the remaining Black Tortoise demonic power, filling the gaps burned by Shiranui. Moreover, its growth rate was much faster than Shiranui’s burning speed!

Finally, under the pull of the countless tentacles growing from the colossal egg, the energy orb filled with Black Tortoise demonic power was ultimately pulled into contact with the colossal egg. Subsequently, the energy orb rapidly shrank, and its immense Black Tortoise demonic power very quickly permeated into the colossal egg. In just a few seconds, the Black Tortoise demonic power was completely absorbed by the colossal egg.

After completely devouring the Black Tortoise demonic power, the colossal egg fell into a strange calm. Then, a few seconds later, a crack appeared on the outer shell of the colossal egg.

"Get out of here!" Shiranui turned and shouted loudly to everyone.

…

On the West Island, to the west of Nightless Island.

After two immensely powerful demonic energies clashed and raged, the entire West Island was left badly damaged, torn into pieces, with most of it submerged beneath the ocean.

On a relatively large remnant island, Tamamo-no-Mae stood rooted to the spot, nine illusory tails swaying behind him. His right hand was extended diagonally upward, tightly gripping Hagoromo Gitsune’s slender neck. She was held suspended in mid-air by Tamamo-no-Mae’s single hand.

"I told you, you are no match for me, Kuzunoha." Tamamo-no-Mae said calmly, looking at his former friend held in his hand. Through the eyes hidden behind his half-fox mask, a sense of indifference was revealed.

"Ugh, ugh… I know… That’s why I… always refused to be your enemy… It’s him… it’s him… he forced me…" Hagoromo Gitsune stammered, choked by Tamamo-no-Mae’s grip, breathing with difficulty.

"Who! Who is forcing you, daring to make you my enemy? Tell me, Kuzunoha!" Tamamo-no-Mae demanded loudly, with a hint of anger. Clearly, his friend’s state stirred his heart, and the rage burning within him vowed to burn down the instigator of all this.

"It’s… it’s…"

"It’s me, Tamamo-no-Mae!" An extremely sinister infant’s voice answered for Hagoromo Gitsune. The moment this voice spoke, Hagoromo Gitsune’s abdomen suddenly burst open. In a spray of blood, a blood-soaked, deformed infant emerged from her belly, its two thin, delicate arms suddenly elongating, piercing towards Tamamo-no-Mae, who was within arm's reach.

Because Hagoromo Gitsune was being held directly by Tamamo-no-Mae with one hand, the infant that burst from her abdomen was less than half a meter from Tamamo-no-Mae. Caught off guard by such a close-range sneak attack, Tamamo-no-Mae was directly pierced through the chest by the infant’s arms, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"What…"

The instant Tamamo-no-Mae was pierced by the infant’s arms, he immediately felt an extremely sinister power eroding his body. Tamamo-no-Mae instantly released his grip on Hagoromo Gitsune, preparing to crush the infant. However, before he could act, Hagoromo Gitsune, who had just fallen to the ground, immediately gripped Tamamo-no-Mae’s arms tightly, restraining him in turn. At this moment, purplish-red abnormal light emanated from Hagoromo Gitsune’s eyes.

Seeing his arms restrained, Tamamo-no-Mae immediately tried to unleash his demonic power to shake off Hagoromo Gitsune, but he found that due to the erosion of the sinister power, his demonic power became extremely chaotic and difficult to mobilize. Thus, Tamamo-no-Mae was forcibly restrained in place by Hagoromo Gitsune, along with the infant in her belly, watching helplessly as the erosion from his chest continuously spread.

"Hehehe… You too shall become a servant of the Snake God, Tamamo-no-Mae!"

The terrifying infant let out an eerie laugh, intensifying its erosion of Tamamo-no-Mae. Tamamo-no-Mae was momentarily unable to resist any of this, and a hint of purplish-red tinged his eyes behind his mask.

At that moment, a deep sound echoed from afar.

"Wind Scar…"