Vajra Realm Divine Thunder

When Miketsu sent the Earthquake Catfish flying with a single punch, everyone who witnessed the scene gasped, no one having anticipated such a sudden turn of events.

Beside Miketsu, Tsuruha covered her head with a paw, as if her worst fears had been realized. Jizi, who had been sitting on the mudflats, remained motionless, still wide-eyed with shock. The shinkan, who had been watching from the cliff face, filled with anticipation for Inari Okami to pacify the Earthquake Catfish, suddenly saw Inari Okami punch it away. They stood frozen, mouths agape, unsure what to do.

“Oh no, this is terrible! The Earthquake Catfish has been attacked, it’s going to truly rage now… Lady Inari, weren’t you supposed to pacify the Earthquake Catfish?” Clutching his head, the old shinkan spoke with a look of fear and disbelief. The situation before him was completely different from the family legends he had read since childhood. Wasn’t the benevolent and gentle Inari Okami supposed to soothe the calamities of the earth? This… this is directly accelerating the disaster! Could I have been mistaken? Is that girl not Inari Okami at all?!

Just as the Hinanawi shinkan panicked at the impending disaster, Miketsu floated above Lake Biwa, rubbing her fist and letting out a long sigh.

“Phew… that was really stress-relieving…”

Originally, Miketsu had indeed intended to resolve the Earthquake Catfish situation with diplomacy rather than force, and pacification rather than violence. However, she hadn’t expected this wretched catfish to be so arrogant, not only refusing her goodwill but also pushing its luck. Miketsu simply couldn’t tolerate it.

Miketsu understood that Tsuruha’s constant urging to pacify the Earthquake Catfish was meant to help her become more like the former Inari Okami. But ultimately, she wasn’t that deity, and she would never tolerate others without limit. In Heian-kyo, Miketsu also held the title of yokai general. The way yokai were organized was similar to the underworld, and as a boss of the underworld, Miketsu had never encountered anyone who dared to speak to her with such an attitude.

“Pfft!!”

Water exploded on the lake surface, and within the spray, the colossal figure of the Earthquake Catfish reappeared. It was now wide-mouthed, frantically thrashing its fins, and roaring with extreme fury.

“You… you dared to hit me! You dared to attack me! You hypocritical Inari Okami… I will make you taste… my wrath!”

After speaking, the Earthquake Catfish’s rotund belly suddenly swelled. When it opened its massive maw, a surging torrent of water shot out, disturbing the surrounding lake and forming a gigantic wave that rushed towards Miketsu and the shore behind her. Jizi and the shinkan panicked at this sight, as they and the Hinanawi shrine were clearly within the wave’s destructive path.

“Right from the start, such a widespread attack, affecting innocents? Hmph… such an entity, I truly can’t see the need to worship it…”

Speaking slowly, Miketsu drew the Blade of the Three Realms, transforming it into a divine bow. She nocked an Arrow of Light, drew the string, and fired. The arrow flew rapidly towards the center of the giant wave, then abruptly exploded. The powerful impact shattered the condensed wave, sending massive amounts of lake water high into the sky, which then cascaded down like rain.

Having fired one arrow, Miketsu didn’t stop, immediately conjuring a second. The Arrow of Light shot out again, striking the Earthquake Catfish’s back in the lake with perfect accuracy, and then detonating. The Earthquake Catfish howled and rolled over before submerging. Seeing this, Miketsu frowned slightly.

“My Demon-Slaying Power had no effect. This fellow isn’t even classified as a demon?”

The effect of the Arrow of Light was unexpectedly weak, completely lacking the efficacy it had against Great Snake clones or Miko Orochi. This was because the Demon-Slaying Power it contained had not activated. Although the Earthquake Catfish caused calamities, it was worshipped by the world and possessed a certain divine nature, making it closer to an orthodox god than an ordinary wild god. Therefore, Miketsu’s Demon-Slaying Power, derived from her divine authority, could not define it as a demon, and its power was greatly diminished.

“Heh… if Demon-Slaying Power has no effect… then…”

Miketsu murmured, transforming the divine bow back into a blade and putting it away. At the same time, a colossal shadow gradually appeared beneath her on the lake surface; something was surging upwards from the lakebed.

A massive splash erupted once more on Lake Biwa. The Earthquake Catfish’s corpulent, enormous body burst directly from the water, opening its huge mouth to snap at Miketsu. Miketsu, having already foreseen this, smiled faintly and dodged to the side. After biting nothing but air, the Earthquake Catfish’s soft underbelly was exposed before Miketsu, who unceremoniously clenched her fist and slammed it down hard.

Instantly, the balloon-like, round Earthquake Catfish was dented by Miketsu’s punch, and all six of its eyes almost popped out.

With another loud bang, the entire Earthquake Catfish was sent flying like a cannonball by Miketsu. But it wasn’t over; Miketsu accelerated towards the direction the Earthquake Catfish was sent flying, and after catching up, she delivered another fierce punch. The Earthquake Catfish was thus deflected to another side, and Miketsu chased, punched again, repeating the cycle. The Earthquake Catfish was continuously struck in mid-air, unable to fall back into the water.

During this Dragon Ball-esque combo, the rock-like scales on the Earthquake Catfish’s body gradually began to crack and fall off. Finally, amid a wail, Miketsu slammed it back into the water, sending up a huge splash.

The Earthquake Catfish re-entered the water, and Lake Biwa momentarily returned to calm. But soon after, a muffled roar filled with raging anger came from the lake.

“It hurts… it hurts… it hurts… Damn it… how dare you treat me like this… I will make you… make everything here pay the price!”

“This guy still has strength… worthy of possessing some divine nature of the earth, truly tough…”

Miketsu muttered to herself, staring intently at the lake surface, awaiting the Earthquake Catfish’s next move. Sure enough, a shadow quickly appeared on the lake surface shortly after. The Earthquake Catfish once again surged rapidly upwards from the lakebed, and its speed was much faster than before.

“Boom!!”

Amid an even greater splash than before, the Earthquake Catfish burst from the water. However, this time it didn’t charge towards Miketsu, but instead flew straight into the sky, leaping high into the heavens, its speed unabated as it climbed higher and higher. Seeing this, Tsuruha on the shore was startled and immediately shouted to Miketsu through their contract.

‘Be careful! Lady Uka! The Earthquake Catfish is trying to trigger a massive earthquake! Now, as soon as it lands on the ground or in the water, it can use immense energy to shake the ley lines and cause an earthquake!

‘It was to prevent this very technique that the former Lady Uka fell into slumber!’

Hovering above Lake Biwa, Miketsu listened to Tsuruha’s explanation while gazing at the Earthquake Catfish high in the sky, her expression serene as she slowly said.

“To… prevent this technique, I fell into slumber?

“My past self must have been… quite weak then…”

As Miketsu spoke, the Earthquake Catfish had already soared to a peak height of several hundred meters, then began its descent. A power mixed with divine and demonic energy emanated from its body, enveloping its form, turning it into a shooting star radiating an otherworldly glow, rapidly plummeting.

“Perish!”

Facing the rapidly falling giant catfish, Miketsu’s body radiated a golden glow. After the glow dissipated, her attire had changed; adorned with flowing ribbons and sparsely clad, her Celestial Maiden Form appeared.

“Six-Armed Demon Subjugation Dharma Form…”

Four additional arms grew on Miketsu’s Celestial Maiden Form. Miketsu, in her divine manifestation of immense power, rushed towards the source of calamity falling from the sky. She spread her six arms and directly caught the Earthquake Catfish in mid-air!

To the Earthquake Catfish’s astonished expression, Miketsu only buffered its descent by a few tens of meters before completely neutralizing the immense downward momentum. Then, Miketsu used all six of her arms to forcefully hurl the tens-of-tons-heavy Earthquake Catfish back up into the high sky.

“Such untamed divine power should not reside within a mortal vessel. Allow me to grant you liberation…”

As she murmured, a splendid vajra appeared in Miketsu’s hand. As she brandished it, dark clouds immediately covered the sky, and rumbling thunder echoed throughout.

“Vajra Realm Divine Thunder!!”