Chapter 111: Nurarihyon Shows His Strength, The Exorcist's Unlimited Blade Works
Boom!!!
As Yoru's finger pulled the trigger, the shotgun emitted a deafening roar.
The shotgun pellets shot out, transforming into dozens of pitch-black steel balls the moment they left the muzzle, striking towards Nurarihyon's body.
Facing this sudden shot, Nurarihyon, whose calf was pierced by a bullet, theoretically should have been absolutely unable to dodge it.
But in this near-death situation, he and Gyuki in the distance showed a meaningful smile simultaneously.
"Found an opportunity."
The wide kimono on Nurarihyon's body fluttered. Accompanied by bursts of cherry blossom petals scattering like illusions, his whole person disappeared from the spot instantly.
"Underestimating the Supreme Commander..."
Seeing Nurarihyon holding Nenekirimaru flashing behind Yoru, the long sword in his hand about to pierce the opponent's back, Gyuki let out a long breath.
"Will cost a painful price."
The pain and sluggishness Nurarihyon showed when pierced by the pistol bullet earlier.
Were actually all feigned.
In various legends of Sakura Prefecture, Nurarihyon was not famous for strength but for cunning and agility.
Showing weakness to the enemy, then waiting for an opportunity to defeat the enemy with one strike.
As a Slippery Gourd (Nurarihyon), he was best at such things.
If Yoru held a pistol formed by evil spirit power from the beginning, firing bullets condensed from evil spirit power, it would indeed have a devastating effect on Nurarihyon as a yokai.
But he held just an ordinary standard police firearm (Special Sponsorship Thanks: Kyoto's Number One Square Face, Police Criminal Investigation Bureau Chief Soichiro Yagami).
Damage caused by ordinary metal, for Nurarihyon, could be recovered in less than a breath even if hit.
Otherwise, in the past hundreds of years of human encirclement and suppression, the yokai race would have been exterminated long ago.
Still need Onmyoji? Just army volley fire and it's done.
Nurarihyon was old after all; he couldn't fight Gyuki for three days and three nights without getting tired like when he was young.
Resolving the battle quickly was the most reasonable way.
Clang!
Just as the tip of Nenekirimaru was about to pierce Yoru's back heart, Onimaru Kunitsuna at his waist suddenly unsheathed itself. The blade turned horizontally, blocking Nurarihyon's inevitable strike.
"What!?"
Nurarihyon's face changed, pulling back several body lengths quickly.
He didn't expect his attack to fail in such a way under the circumstances just now.
If the opponent holding a shotgun with both hands wanted to draw a long sword to block, he would have to drop the gun first, then draw the sword, and block his strike accurately without rear vision.
Nurarihyon probed at the beginning and judged that from the perspective of pure strength and spiritual power, he was inferior to the opponent.
But in terms of instantaneous speed and sword moves, he had the advantage.
However, after calculating everything, Nurarihyon didn't calculate that Onimaru Kunitsuna would unsheathe automatically to protect its master.
What is this situation?
Sword Control Technique?
"Hmph."
Yoru turned around, looking at Nurarihyon not far away, and spoke slowly.
"Your disguise was good. Unfortunately, you missed one point."
"Which point?"
"Don't underestimate the bond between me and Onimaru Kunitsuna!" (Note: Yugioh/Anime bond trope).
Nurarihyon really couldn't handle it anymore.
Fighting is fighting.
Why do you always come up with such hot-blooded lines?
Making yourself look like a villain...
Oh no, according to what the opponent just said, leading hundreds of yokai, including Gyuki who once killed humans, invading Kyoto city....
Thinking of this, Nurarihyon's face changed abruptly.
Am I the villain?
"You are very strong."
Yoru dispersed the black shotgun in his hand, extended his right hand, and slowly placed his five fingers on the hilt of Onimaru Kunitsuna.
"I am very satisfied."
Nurarihyon's movement and sword were both fast.
How fast?
Within seven steps, the gun is fast; within seven steps, the sword is fast (Meme) was no longer just a joke level of fast.
In front of such an enemy, holding a firearm with one hand was equivalent to exposing half of the body.
Holding a shotgun with both hands was even more equivalent to opening the door wide, allowing the opponent to hack and kill.
Seeing Yoru put away the firearm and take back the long sword, Nurarihyon didn't relax at all; his face became even more solemn.
Looking at the pitch-black blade of Onimaru Kunitsuna, he spoke in a deep voice.
"You... actually gained Onimaru Kunitsuna's recognition? And infused your own power into it?"
"Your words are wrong."
Yoru shook his head, reiterating the sentence he said to Soichiro Yagami back then.
"Not that I actually gained Onimaru Kunitsuna's recognition, but Onimaru Kunitsuna gained my recognition. Don't get the primary and secondary relationship reversed."
"Moreover..."
Yoru raised Onimaru Kunitsuna horizontally, stroked the pitch-black blade with his left hand, and smiled.
"The evil spirits it killed following me in this half month are much more than all previous ones combined."
"The sword that slays demons and monsters should naturally be owned by the person who slays demons and monsters."
"What do you think? Nurarihyon, Old Geezer (Lao Deng)?"
While lamenting, Nurarihyon couldn't help but be speechless.
Should I say you are impolite or polite?
Used the honorific "You (Nin)," but still called me Old Geezer.
This kid is really weird enough.
....
Meanwhile, Miko and Rio were fighting against hundreds of Nura Clan yokai together with Hachishaku, the Golden Goat-Headed God, and two fox-faced divine messengers.
Saying hundreds, actually, the strongest combat power Gyuki didn't participate.
Having been grasped by the Pale Ghost Hand for fully twenty minutes, he now felt an inexplicable chill in his body, and various parts of his body were trembling constantly.
Gyuki didn't understand what exactly that thing was.
When grasped, it felt not like a hand at all.
A very strange feeling.
Like...
His soul was being peeped at unscrupulously by some unknown existence from a higher dimension.
This was a painful experience more torturous than death.
"Hone-Onna!"
Hearing Rio's call, Hone-Onna wearing a wide kimono immediately extended dozens of pale bones from her body, forming a shield blocking in front of Rio.
Kubinashi's Black String hit it, but only entangled the bone shield, failing to touch Rio at all.
"Rio."
Miko just called her name, and Rio nodded knowingly.
"Mmhmm, I know."
Immediately after, a sharp bone spur nearly two meters long extended from inside Hone-Onna's kimono.
Rio pulled it out and handed it to Miko.
The latter took the bone spur, made a javelin throwing motion, and called softly.
"Come, Hyakume."
The moment her voice fell, an eye pattern appeared on Miko's fair right wrist.
And her golden pupils were mixed with a bit of scarlet color, looking like golden gems infiltrated with bloodshot streaks, interwoven with beauty and palpitating danger.
"Go."
Miko threw the bone spur in her hand, causing a sharp breaking wind sound.
"Watch out!"
Seeing the white bone spur piercing through, Kubinashi's pupils shrank in shock. Disregarding thinking too much, he immediately retracted the threads of Black String, entwining them together to form a shield.
In just an instant, the offensive and defensive momentum of both sides reversed.
This was the hot-blooded combo skill of Rio and Miko!
Of course, judging from the girls' calm expressions, it wasn't that hot-blooded; after all, they had used it countless times.
Miko, with stronger spiritual power and richer exorcism experience, already possessed the ability to partially merge with her soul true body like Yoru.
While Rio couldn't do this for the time being.
But she also had her own advantages.
That was Hone-Onna's combat power was stronger than Hyakume's; the extended bone spurs could detach from the body and had a natural restraining effect on creatures like evil spirits.
After a little thought, the Chief Brain of the Super-Quant Club, Rio, came up with this tactic.
It could prevent Hone-Onna from leaving her side, thereby protecting her fragile main body, and also utilize Hone-Onna's value to provide medium and long-range attack means for the professional exorcist Miko, who had stronger spiritual power and was better at fighting.
Plus Hachishaku, a meat shield with an evil spirit constitution willing to bear the burden and block in front at any time.
Simply a perfect combination.
Compared to Yoru who often acted alone, these two girls and one spirit were the true Super-Quant Club squad.
The bone spur hit the shield formed by Black String threads, making a huge roar.
Just the aftermath of the tremor made hundreds of yokai present retreat several steps.
Roar!!!
The tall body of the Golden Goat-Headed God blocked in front of the yokai, letting out a hearty roar.
Just before its roar fell, it heard a salty (indifferent) sentence.
"Stop pretending; work when you should work."
Hearing Yoru's voice, the Golden Goat-Headed God lowered its body, looking completely obedient.
From wild to domesticated.
....
Confirming there were no problems on Miko's side, Yoru turned his gaze again to Nurarihyon standing not far in front of him.
"How about it, still have energy to continue?"
"Hmph."
Nurarihyon snorted coldly, but then his body suddenly shrank, turning back into the little old man appearance, turning around and starting to flee into the distance.
Watching the opponent's fleeing back like a panic-stricken escapee, Yoru shook his head and chuckled.
"Still acting with me here; as expected of Nurarihyon."
Since the opponent performed passionately, Yoru was willing to cooperate a little.
The two chased each other, running out nearly three hundred meters, arriving at a wasteland behind the shrine.
"Here should be about right, huh?"
Hearing Yoru's calm tone without any surprise, Nurarihyon turned around slowly, turning into his young appearance again, and spoke in a deep voice.
"It seems you think the same as this old man."
"Yeah."
Yoru smiled nonchalantly, gripping the five fingers on Onimaru Kunitsuna a bit harder.
"Just the aftermath of our battle, those ordinary yokai of your Nura Clan can't bear it at all. Of course, my people also have the risk of injury."
"In other words..."
Yoru looked straight into Nurarihyon's eyes and said word by word.
"Now, you are going to get serious, right?"
"Just as you thought."
Nurarihyon took a deep breath and closed his eyes slowly.
When he opened his eyes again, the sharpness in his golden-brown pupils was exactly the same as the young self who slew the Great Yokai Hagoromo Gitsune hundreds of years ago.
"This is the Nurarihyon I wanted to see."
Yoru's eyes also revealed heartfelt excitement.
Whoosh...
After a slight sound of wind, Nurarihyon, whose clothes were still fluttering, had approached Yoru.
"Fear." (Osore).
Accompanying the word Nurarihyon spat out softly, an extremely oppressive aura that was hard to look at directly erupted from his body.
The atmospheric flow around changed direction in an instant.
The air between heaven and earth seemed to become his possession.
The blowing of the wind followed the direction of Nurarihyon's sword swing.
Atmosphere and long sword fell together.
"Interesting."
Yoru just replied with one word, raising Onimaru Kunitsuna in his right hand to intercept.
Boom!!!
This time, it wasn't a crisp sound of metal colliding.
But a loud noise like two trains colliding.
Nenekirimaru collided with Onimaru Kunitsuna.
Cracks burst out on the ground beneath Nurarihyon and Yoru's feet.
Just a simple collision of two swords stirred up dust and gravel.
Nurarihyon's attack didn't stop there.
Compared to Yoru, he, being old and only able to rejuvenate briefly, obviously needed a quick victory more.
"Meikyō Shisui..." (Mirror Water, Still Water).
Nurarihyon flashed to Yoru's left hand side, which wasn't holding the sword, with agile footwork.
A bright flame blossomed on the blade of Nenekirimaru.
"Sakura (Cherry Blossom)!" (Wait, context usually implies slash/flames - likely technique name variant).
Facing Nenekirimaru wrapped in flames, the smile on Yoru's face disappeared instantly. He raised his left arm and said softly.
"Shield."
Thick black mist condensed together, instantly turning into a wide and heavy black shield.
Nenekirimaru shining with fire slashed on the shield.
Silence in the air.
Only the crackling sound of burning flames rang occasionally.
Less than two seconds later.
The fire on Nenekirimaru's blade suddenly became much brighter.
Brightening along with it were Nurarihyon's golden-brown pupils.
"Slash!"
After a low shout, the heavy black shield condensed by evil spirit power was torn open forcibly.
Nenekirimaru carrying flames slashed straight towards Yoru's neck.
Nurarihyon's first reaction was:
Won.
But next, Yoru made a move beyond his expectation.
He saw the opponent raise his left arm, blocking horizontally in front of the sharp Nenekirimaru wrapped in flames.
Even the heavy black shield couldn't block Nurarihyon's move Meikyō Shisui: Sakura.
Let alone this set of "Mask's" black clothing.
The sharp Nenekirimaru cut open Yoru's left arm. Only after the entire blade sank in completely was it stopped by the hard bone inside.
"Sigh, so painful."
If it were a normal person, even if not rolling on the ground in pain, they would at least be sweating profusely with a twisted face.
But Nurarihyon looked at Yoru's extremely calm expression, even smiling, and his very calm tone, frowning involuntarily.
Is this guy a monster?
Mere human, receiving such a severe injury, actually didn't even grunt?
What amazing willpower is this?
"Too painful; hurt the bone."
Yoru looked down at his left arm and gave a judgment on the injury lightly.
Immediately after, he made an amazing move that Nurarihyon would never forget in his life.
"Forget it, change one."
While speaking, Yoru let go of Onimaru Kunitsuna. His right Pale Ghost Hand placed on his left shoulder.
Crack!
Accompanied by the sound of bone breaking and flesh friction, Yoru actually tore off his entire left arm forcibly and threw it on the ground casually.
This confused Nurarihyon.
What does this mean?
Self-mutilation?
About to activate some mysterious ritual?
But next, Nurarihyon saw.
A ball of thick black energy condensed at the wound of Yoru's broken left arm.
In just one breath of time.
The opponent's left arm became as good as new, and the sleeve and glove formed by evil spirit power covered it again.
"Oh, right."
After performing this self-recovery, Yoru looked at the arm he threw on the ground.
"Can't waste, nor leave evidence that can be tracked."
He opened his mouth slightly. If Miko and Rio were here, they would find Yoru's movement at this time was exactly the same as devouring evil spirits.
The broken arm turned into black gas and was swallowed into Yoru's abdomen.
This scene completely shocked the Commander of Yokai Nurarihyon, who had lived for hundreds of years and seen much.
What kind of monster is this!?
Regrowing broken arm?
And recycling self-production?
You tell me this is a human?
This is more yokai than yokai!!!
"Taste is okay (Chi Chu)."
Yoru looked up at the dumbfounded Nurarihyon and chuckled.
"Never seen this scene before, right?"
Immediately after, he picked up Onimaru Kunitsuna floating in the air and smiled at Nurarihyon.
"Show you something more interesting."
Before Nurarihyon could reply, Yoru turned and flashed towards the shrine.
Nurarihyon couldn't care to think much, could only follow immediately.
With the opponent's strength and that weird self-healing ability.
If facing those ordinary yokai of the Nura Clan, it would be a complete slaughter.
As the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan, he absolutely couldn't watch such a thing happen.
When the two rushed back to the shrine one after another, the situation in the field had changed.
Five minutes ago, the majestic Golden Goat-Headed God now had a translucent body, looming and looking very weak.
And on Hachishaku's fair skin, wounds that hadn't had time to heal emerged one after another.
Finally looking at Rio and Miko.
Except for consuming too much stamina, so breathing a bit heavily...
Not a single injury.
Just kidding.
The Golden Goat-Headed God and Hachishaku-sama weren't stupid.
If they got hurt, they could recover quickly.
If the two...
Two...
Two Mistresses had an accident, how to explain to Lord Yoru?
Wouldn't they be eaten raw?
"I estimated you guys would last about this long."
Although Kyoto was a high-end game.
But letting Rio, Miko, Hachishaku, plus the Goat-Headed God and two fox-faced divine messengers deal with hundreds of Nura Clan yokai, of course, it was impossible to win.
Being able to persist until now was enough to prove Rio and Miko's ability.
"Stop!"
Nurarihyon sheathed his sword and turned back into the old man appearance.
He still had some energy left.
But obviously, Yoru also had energy left.
"Now, can we talk?"
Facing hundreds of Nura Clan yokai surrounding them covetously, Yoru just put away Onimaru Kunitsuna and looked at Nurarihyon standing not far away.
"Didn't I say I wanted to show you something?"
Before Nurarihyon answered, Yoru said on his own.
"I told you just now, any weapon I know how to make can be condensed with evil spirit power."
"However, I forgot to tell you one point.."
Speaking of this, Yoru raised his right hand slowly and said faintly.
"The weapons I can condense simultaneously are not just one."
When his voice fell, the Nura Clan yokai, as well as Rio and Miko, suddenly felt the sky above their heads darken instantly.
Dense shadows were cast on the ground of the shrine.
When everyone looked up and saw the scene in the sky, they were stunned.
Swords, spears, pikes, sabers, shields, bows and arrows, chains, meteor hammers, halberds, even Fang Tian Hua Ji (Lu Bu's weapon).
Various deep pitch-black cold weapons condensed from evil spirit power, numbering in thousands, hovered quietly in mid-air.
Even the bright moonlight in the sky could only pass through the gaps with difficulty, bringing a little light to everyone.
Unknown when, Yoru had stood on the top of the shrine building.
He looked down at the Nura Clan yokai from above, spreading his arms. Under the reflection of the sky full of pitch-black cold weapons, his black outfit and that pure black mask combined to form a picture full of oppression.
"This is my exclusive..."
"Unlimited Blade Works."