Chapter 227: The Power of the Inari God
"All right, Sakura…"
Sensing that Sakura's emotions were unsettled, Hachiman Hikigaya quickly spoke to reassure her.
Just then, a loud rumble echoed from the distant street.
Along with it came Tohsaka Rin's scream.
"Rin!"
Hearing her daughter's voice, Tohsaka Aoi immediately realized something must have happened. She rushed toward her car, ready to drive over.
Meanwhile, Hachiman, still seated on the swing, took Sakura's hand and led her out of the park, looking toward the direction of the noise.
The moment they reached the roadside, they saw a gigantic beast playing a cat-and-mouse game with Rin.
Without hesitation, Hachiman raised his hand and fired a stream of spirit energy, aiming to draw the beast's attention.
The blast struck the monster king squarely on its back.
Its body twisted a full 180 degrees. Fixing its gaze on Hachiman, who had attacked it from afar, the monster king thought for a moment, then abandoned Rin at its feet and charged straight at him.
"Sakura, go back to the park."
Letting go of Sakura's hand, Hachiman gave his instructions without turning back. He then summoned the Demon-Slaying Blade once more and charged to meet the monster king.
Spirit power burst from his body, enveloping both him and the blade.
Then, with all his strength, he swung a wide slash. A massive arc of sword energy formed in the air, crashing down upon the monster king.
The colossal strike landed directly on its front, carving a deep wound across its body and knocking it back dozens of meters.
Seeing his attack succeed, Hachiman pushed off the ground hard, leaving deep impressions in the pavement as he rapidly closed in on the beast.
The monster king had barely gotten up when Hachiman was already in front of it.
From the First Form to the Twelfth Form of Sun Breathing, Hachiman unleashed them in succession. With each strike, the Demon-Slaying Blade radiated scorching heat, and the ghostly green fire along its edge burned the monster king relentlessly.
Even so, since its vital core remained unscathed, the beast seized a pause in Hachiman's assault to lash out with its remaining tentacles, forcing him back.
It then turned its focus to its own subordinates behind it…
Several cries rang out as the few remaining beasts were devoured by their king.
Having consumed every last one of them, the monster king's wounds healed completely, and its body swelled again—this time to over ten meters tall.
"This is trouble…"
Using the brief moment while it was feeding, Hachiman carried Rin safely back to Aoi's side.
The proud little tsundere had completely lost her usual arrogance, trembling pitifully in her mother's arms.
"If there's nothing else, you should leave now," Hachiman said with a glance at the two of them, offering a kind reminder.
"Um, Sakura…"
Aoi knew well that staying would only make things harder for him.
But thinking of Sakura, who had been told to remain in the park, she hesitated. If possible, she wanted to take both her daughters away together.
"I'll protect Sakura."
Hachiman turned his head slightly, his tone somewhat distant as he replied.
Karna would be returning soon. Until then, rather than hand Sakura over to the Tohsaka family, he trusted his own strength to protect her.
"…I see. I understand."
Catching the faintly warning look in Hachiman's eyes, Aoi finally let go of the daughter who had already been given away.
Ignoring Rin's protests, she dragged her into the car, then spun the vehicle around and sped off toward the outskirts of Fuyuki City.
"Karna, how much longer until you're back?"
After the Tohsaka mother and daughter left, Hachiman thought about how to deal with the monster before him while asking Karna mentally for his position.
"Apologies, Master. About two minutes more," Karna's voice answered, tinged with regret.
"Two minutes, huh?"
Not too long, but not exactly short either.
"…Guess it's time to try out the power I got from the Inari God."
Looking at the massive beast before him, the thought suddenly struck Hachiman.
With such a rare opponent, and with the safety net of Karna's imminent return, it would be a waste not to test that divine power.
At that thought, a golden light like that of the Inari God radiated from Hachiman's body, and a fox mask—woven entirely of golden threads—appeared on his face.
He thrust his hand toward the monster king, and countless golden threads manifested from the air, wrapping around its body.
As Hachiman clenched his fist, the threads tightened, cutting into the beast's flesh and tearing its skin.
The monster king howled in pain, releasing a surge of black miasma from its body. With its aid, the threads that had already burrowed into its flesh were forcibly pushed back out!
In a flash, Hachiman leapt into the air above the monster king, gripping the Demon-Slaying Blade in both hands. The blade, once glowing ghostly green, turned golden like himself, lengthening and enlarging.
He brought it down in a fierce vertical slash.
The monster king raised all its tentacles, trying desperately to block.
But as Hachiman pressed harder, the tentacles were purified in an instant, dissolving into nothingness.
The beast had only enough time to let out a final wail before the massive golden blade cleaved into its body.
The entire street split apart, the ground quaking violently…
Karna walked calmly through the dust-filled road.
Through his link with Hachiman, he could sense his Master's presence just ahead.
But when he reached what could barely be called a park, what he saw was not the Hachiman he knew, but a man glowing with divine radiance, wearing a golden fox mask—standing beside Sakura.
"Master?"
Confusion colored Karna's voice as he studied the godlike figure before him.
Though the mask obscured his eyes, the unmistakable aura—the unchanging presence that remained even after ascending to godhood—confirmed the man's true identity.
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