The defeat of the Armored Martial Arts Emperor marked a decisive disadvantage for the Hachio Executioner Blade.
After some deliberation, the team sent out Raigo Seitaro.
His weapon of choice was a kodachi. In the original story, he possessed the skill to escape with an injured companion from Hayato Furinji.
Moreover, his aura was strikingly similar to that of the Saving Fist, allowing him to coordinate with others for combination techniques.
This was no small feat.
In the original plot, he once teamed up with Kushiada Mikumo to repel an assault from Shio Sakaki, Apachai, Akisame Koetsuji, and Kensei—four top-tier martial arts masters.
The fact that two people could fend off such a formidable group spoke volumes about Raigo Seitaro's prowess.
When he took the stage, Shio Sakaki was immediately thrown into a grueling fight.
Raigo even seemed to have a slight edge.
Their battle was far more spectacular than the earlier clash between Shigure Kosaka and Rin. Shadows of the two fighters flickered across the arena, which, already battered, became even more ravaged under their onslaught.
The ground was pockmarked with craters.
Yet, this did nothing to slow their combat.
Many spectators couldn't help but cheer at the sight—this fight was truly exhilarating.
Even Morpheus had to admit that a duel between two evenly matched masters was a feast for the eyes.
Provided, of course, you could keep up with their movements.
The battle ended with Shio Sakaki's defeat.
Raigo's kodachi sliced across Sakaki's chest, but in return, Sakaki landed a punch that left a deep, bone-exposing mark on Raigo's chest.
Though Sakaki lost, he'd gotten his revenge on the spot.
After Sakaki retreated, Akisame Koetsuji took his place, facing Raigo Seitaro.
Raigo, hindered by the chest wound, couldn't fight at full strength.
It wasn't long before Akisame seized an opening, knocking the kodachi from Raigo's hands and securing a decisive victory.
With that, four of the Hachio Executioner Blade' five fighters had been defeated.
Only one remained.
Oganosuke Yogi.
Akisame knew he was no match for Oganosuke. If the man took the stage, Akisame would immediately step down and let the Elder take over.
A monster of that caliber was simply too terrifying.
Who knew what unfathomable realm Oganosuke had reached?
But Akisame also knew the odds of that happening were slim.
This wasn't the right moment for such a confrontation.
As expected, after some discussion, the Hachio Executioner Blade sent out their final fighter.
It wasn't Oganosuke Yogi.
Instead, it was someone else.
Double-Pupil Archer Mildred Rolace.
Morpheus sighed at the sight. He'd hoped to witness a grand showdown between Oganosuke Yogi and Hayato Furinji in the arena, fulfilling the epic clash he'd missed in the manga.
In the original story, Oganosuke had indeed fought Hayato Furinji.
Before the final battle, Raigo lured Hayato to an unnamed island, where they waged a days-long, nights-long war.
Hayato, unwilling to harm small animals for sustenance, fell behind in stamina and was pushed to the brink by Oganosuke.
With the aid of a small fox, he narrowly won by a single move, escaping the island.
But that scene was only briefly mentioned, never fully depicted.
Morpheus had thought this tournament might offer a chance to see it, but Oganosuke didn't take the stage.
Instead, he sent another fighter.
This meant Oganosuke had effectively withdrawn from the Dark Tournament.
Morpheus didn't think Oganosuke feared Hayato Furinji. After all, anyone who reached this stage brimmed with confidence in their strength.
If they lacked that conviction, they wouldn't have made it this far.
Morpheus suspected Oganosuke simply didn't want to face Hayato here.
If those two fought, it wouldn't be settled quickly.
As in the original story, a battle lasting days was entirely possible.
And with so many unpredictable factors around, Oganosuke couldn't fully commit to the fight without risking someone else taking advantage.
If both held back, it was better not to fight at all.
Thus, Oganosuke abandoned the tournament, sending another in his place.
Mildred Rolace, the Double-Pupil Archer, was no weakling, but she was no match for Akisame Koetsuji. He defeated her swiftly.
With that, the Hachio Executioner Blade lost the match.
The Team Ryozanpaku advanced to the semifinals.
Many were disappointed by this outcome, including Morpheus.
But he understood Oganosuke's reservations and didn't press the issue.
With Ryozanpaku's advancement, the third match of the round was up: the Team Heroics versus the Team Nura.
Rihan felt a headache coming on at the sight.
He knew this would be a tough fight.
While the team was led by the woman named Medea, the strongest member was undoubtedly Raikou.
If Morpheus knew Rihan's thoughts, he'd burst out laughing.
Because while Raikou was formidable, Martha was no slouch either.
Her barehanded combat could take down angels.
Known as the Iron-Fisted Saint in life, Martha had once defeated a dragon with her fists alone.
In terms of raw strength, she surpassed Raikou.
However, in this tournament, Martha hadn't had as many chances to shine as Raikou.
This gave the impression that Raikou was the Team Heroics's strongest.
Unaware of this, Rihan was still fixated on Raikou's identity.
Her name was simply too legendary among yokai.
Rihan wasn't sure if this Raikou was the Raikou from a thousand years ago in Heian-kyo.
If it was just a case of shared names, that was fine.
But if it was truly her, things could get dire.
After all, a thousand years ago, Raikou had slain the likes of Shuten Doji, a powerful yokai with unparalleled power. If she was still alive now, who knew how strong she'd become?
Could the Team Nura really avoid being single-handedly crushed by her?
The thought gave Rihan a splitting headache.
If that happened, the Nura Clan would become a laughingstock.
He absolutely couldn't let such a ridiculous outcome occur.
After much deliberation, Rihan decided to take the stage first himself.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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