It was like a scene out of a horror movie, distorted whispers skittered endlessly around Rod's ears.
Back in the Inner Sanctuary's underground altar, the great youkai spirits had been sealed under layers of talismans and enchantments. But when the seal shattered during the assault, their slumber had ended ,and their madness had returned.
Rod had heard those whispers even then.
A normal person would've pissed themselves, then promptly been brainwashed into a soulless puppet acting out the youkai's will.
But Rod was unaffected.
Psychic attacks and mental corruption simply didn't work on him.
Annoyed by the constant hissing in his ears, he promptly yanked the heads of Shuten Dōji and Ōtakemaru from the box ,then slapped them back and forth like tambourines.
Smack! Smack smack smack!
In mere seconds, dozens of loud slaps echoed through the clearing.
And the whispers stopped.
"I was considering giving you a quick death," Rod said coldly, "but clearly you're asking for it."
Not that he'd ever intended to show mercy. Still, the sheer audacity of these three legendary youkai trying to hijack his mind while being literal disembodied heads, it was laughable.
As if realizing they'd poked the wrong bear, the slapped youkai came to their senses.
Fueled by centuries of bitterness and a fresh helping of humiliation, dark energy surged from their severed heads. The sheer hatred they bore for humanity bubbled to the surface.
Their rage condensed into pure malice.
Despite lacking physical bodies, their spirits violently manifested, sacrificing stability and risking soul erosion just to exact vengeance on this one man.
Fortunately, Lavinia's barrier still held firm. If this had happened back in Kyoto, the explosion of spiritual pressure would've drawn the Five Great Clans, the youkai world, and maybe even God himself.
And then ,
"Bind," Rod commanded.
The crucifix-shaped artifact floating before him, Incinerate Anthem burst into life.
Flames of violet and gold spiraled outward, homing in on the surging youkai spirits like guided missiles.
Though these were mere fragments of their original strength, the Three Great Youkai, Shuten Dōji, Ōtakemaru, and Tamamo-no-Mae, were still stronger than the likes of Kinugami Gyōbu or Onra, the enemies who'd attacked the Inner Sanctuary.
If left unchecked, they could raze a city.
But the moment the flames touched them, the scream began.
They struggled, resisting with every ounce of their spiritual power, but the purple fire clung to their souls like cursed leeches, burrowing deeper with every second.
Their retaliation only accelerated their own demise.
The Incinerate Anthem's specialized in soul capture and purification. Against disembodied spirits, it was utterly ruthless.
As their shrieks turned to desperate whimpers, the three youkai tried a different tactic.
Gone were the twisted grimaces of rage, now they wore expressions of pitiful subservience.
"We submit! Let us serve you! Just spare us!"
Rod narrowed his eyes.
"Don't worry. You'll end up serving me anyway."
Negotiating with ancient monsters? A fool's game.
"I don't need your loyalty, I need your obedience."
With that, the crucifix flared to life, its searing light engulfing the spirits completely.
The divine heat burned away their remaining malice.
By the time the flames faded, the clearing was silent once more.
Rod exhaled slowly and stepped forward.
Hovering before him was the completed binding: three ghostly, miniature youkai nailed to the arms of the crucifix, writhing helplessly under divine flame. They looked both horrifying and pitiful.
The Stand's power had now increased exponentially.
"It's done."
Rod dismissed the weapon and turned toward the three girls ,two humans and one feline, who had been watching from afar, equal parts anxious and awestruck.
"Were… were those really the Three Great Youkai?" came a voice from Asia's arms.
The black cat lifted its head, golden eyes wide with disbelief.
"Did you… did you actually kill them, nya?!"
Asia froze.
"Th-the cat just talked! I-is this real life?!"
She stared down at the feline in her arms, stunned beyond words.
"I'm not just a cat! I'm a nekomata, specifically a byakko, the smartest and most powerful of all cat yokai!"
With a puff of smoke, the black cat transformed.
Gone was the cute fuzzball. In her place stood a stunning girl clad in a sleek black kimono, her long raven hair styled into elaborate loops, twin cat ears twitching atop her head.
Her golden eyes sparkled with mischievous confidence, the corners curled in lazy amusement.
But for all her beauty, it was her body that truly stunned: curves like a sculptor's dream, a chest that could humble mountains, and a figure that defied physics even under tight fabric.
Asia's jaw dropped.
Another one?!
The new girl didn't care.
"You really killed all three of them, nya?" she asked, still awestruck.
Rod shrugged. "Didn't kill. Just nailed them to a cross. They wouldn't behave."
He turned to her with a smile.
"Isn't that right, Kuroka?"
"Yes! You're totally right, nya!"
Gone was the rebellious tone.
In its place, the obedient voice of a kitten who'd seen what this man could do, and had no interest in joining her legendary predecessors on the cross.
Compared to those three titans, she was just a stray cat. She wasn't suicidal.
"All right. If you're all rested, let's get moving."
Rod turned toward the road, crucifix sealed, power surging, and a pair of bombshells and one humbled nekomata now trailing behind him.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Read 40 Advanced Chapters
p(a)treon.com/Shalltearr
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!