Chapter 374 - Advent of the Heavenly Demon (4)
Kwaduduk!
The heavenly demon was buried up to his ankles, and his knees touched the ground. The trap involuntarily lost half its power, but it was worth it. It would be a big blow if he were hit in this defenseless state.
“Dumb oni...!” The heavenly demon overlapped his palms and blocked the club, grinding his teeth as he felt an unpleasant sense of danger.
This was a powerful oni, but his strength was strange. Despite analyzing the factors making up the oni’s body, the strength that the oni was displaying was completely out of the ordinary. Did he have bones with higher tensile strength than mithril? As he looked down at the distorted expression of the heavenly demon, Shuten-doji jumped back and nodded. “You are good at blocking my club, but I’m afraid I didn’t come alone. You better move your gaze.”
“What?” The heavenly demon didn’t want to listen to Shuten-doji’s words, but he grew an eyeball in the back of his head.
It was the Third Eye technique that had been suppressed 500 years ago! A third eyeball was created in the back of the head in order to compensate for a field of view in magic spells. As soon as the eyeball sprouted among the hair, three flashes of light could be seen. It was a surprise attack launched by the two sword masters who had appeared all of a sudden.
Clovis Two Swords Style.
Special Hidden Meaning Technique.
Thunderbolt Fang.
New Life Born, New Cloud Flow.
Shooting Star.
Randolph was the one with the Acceleration ability, but Nobutsuna was fast enough to keep up with his speed. There was a tearing sound as three blades of lightning or fire aimed at three points on the heavenly demon—his forehead, heart, and abdomen. In half a beat, three holes would be left in the heavenly demon’s body.
“Tsk!” Nevertheless, the heavenly demon didn’t hesitate to throw himself into the hell with an expression of hesitation. The starting point of his evasion was two spans above the ground. Once, twice, three times... As if there was a footstool in the air, he rotated his body and avoided the three rays of light without a single speck of blood. The eyes of the two monks widened at his movements.
“...C-Cloud Dragon Eight Patterns movement!”
“How could that wicked being steal that technique?”
Just like a dragon in the clouds, it was a footwork that allowed the body to move in the air. It was a form that had already disappeared centuries ago. If it was mastered completely, the user could dance elegantly in a storm. The heavenly demon only spun three times to avoid the sword. However, if he turned eight times, he could touch the realm of a god.
‘No matter what happens, I must kill him here!’
Everyone had the same opinion. If this monster escaped from this place and gained more experience and skills, yet another chance to fight him would disappear. He already had the techniques of a shaman, an apostate, and so on. Adding on the techniques that had disappeared or were buried in history together with the power of a new generation... If the heavenly demon were to become 10 times stronger than he was now, he would destroy the world.
The alliance of those who were ready to fight sincerely began.
「 пламя нож (Flame Sword)! 」 Veronica’s explosive sword struck the right arm of the heavenly demon without giving him a chance to respond. It burned his skin before bouncing off hard. If the heavenly demon hadn’t borrowed the power of Karura, it would’ve been more than his body could endure. The heavenly demon belatedly realized his own missteps.
Ping! Piiing!
There was an eerie sound, and two holes were developed in his shins.
“Interesting. I never thought I would team up with someone from the pointy-eared clan.”
“...I am an elf. Don’t call me pointy-eared.”
Titania’s and Daitengu’s cooperative attack involving the wind penetrated the shins of the heavenly demon. Of course, a troll-like healing ability activated as soon as the arrows hit, but this gap wasn’t missed. The swordsmen ran over to make up for their previous mistake.
Kakiing. Randolph’s double swords moved one step ahead and gave a short howl.
‘If he can flip his body in the air, then I will cut the whole area, making it impossible to avoid!’
It was an ignorant idea, but it wasn’t impossible if his swordsmanship accelerated several times more than it had in the past. The two swords split into afterimages of four, eight, sixteen, and so on. The shadows of the swords grew to more than one hundred and swept everywhere. Even a leaf wouldn’t be able to escape.
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna’s judgment was the opposite.
‘One blow in an instant. That is the only thing that will reach him.’
Nobutsuna needed sharpness rather than tremendous power. Reaching this conclusion, he lowered his posture. He lowered his center of gravity so his whole body could move quicker. The technique was actually still incomplete, but he was able to complete it thanks to the power coming from the magic circle.
New Life Born, New Cloud Flow.
Secret Technique.
One Blade Single Water Moon.
Like the illumination of the moon, the blade melted into thin air and appeared at the heavenly demon’s neck without any precursor. It was indeed impossible to escape!
The heavenly demon moved his body hurriedly, but he couldn’t use Cloud Dragon Eight Patterns footwork properly due to the injury in both his legs. Additionally, the magic circle amplified the sword master’s power by more than three times, allowing the sword master to easily penetrate through the heavenly demon’s overwhelming defense power.
Chwaaaaak! Blood splattered in a clockwise direction, and the heavenly demon fell to the ground in an unstable position. The attack didn’t reach his jugular, but this was still a serious injury. To think that it was caused by a lowlife who he didn’t take seriously... The heavenly demon laughed once in fury. His eyes darkened as he raised his power in earnest.
“Lowlifes, you dare...! You interrupted me without knowing your place!”
His body teemed with the power of sacred creatures and demonic creatures. There were those who had distinguished military achievements in the Eastern Continent. The heavenly demon intended to use all of his power to kill these bugs.
The evil eye, absorbing soul method, extinct poison, curse method, and so on—dozens of terrible techniques were used. The evil eyes blurred, and the ground under the heavenly demon turned black, giving an idea of the wickedness of the techniques.
It was at this moment that...
“Eight Mirrors.” Theodore, who had been maintaining the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops, immediately pulled out a mirror. It was unknown if it was a stone or metal mirror, but this was the last of the three artifacts that hadn’t been used until now.
“Open your eyes! Banish evil!” The eyes of Yata no Kagami, which hadn’t been seen since Seimei’s death, finally revealed themselves.
Paaaat!
A sphere of light burst out from Theodore, and the curses pouring all over the place were washed away cleanly. It was a divine power of the Eight Mirrors (a.ka. Mirror Of Eight) which could even return the power of a god. Of course, it couldn’t be done without using a lot of power. The heavenly demon stiffened at having his curses shot back at him.
The masters saw this gap and reached out.
“Control Heaven and Earth!”
“Various Heavenly Assistance!”
Two different people each cast a spell, causing the righteous power to stab the heavenly demon like a stigma. They were spells to rescue evil spirits and suppress evil. The strength of the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops was added to the skills, and even the heavenly demon couldn’t endure them. With this, the heavenly demon could no longer use the techniques he had just attempted. Even so, this was a strategy to tie his hands and fight together, rather than actually pushing him in an attack.
“■■■■■■■■――!” At last, the heavenly demon leaped high into the sky in a frenzied manner. Unlike his angry manner, his instincts told him that fighting on this magic circle was disadvantageous. However, he couldn’t escape even in the empty sky.
[Kuhuhu! Stupid!]
[Seed of evil, don’t blame me.]
Brasmati and Erucus—the two dragons, who had come across the sea to help Theodore, stared at the heavenly demon with cold eyes. The dragons showed up and opened their mouths. They were in the form of dragons, not humans. As such, the heavenly demon paled as he guessed the development that would soon follow. “Not only are there lowlifes, now the damn lizards...!”
The breaths were fired before he could finish the cursing.
―――――――――――――――!!!
Two breaths intersected in a cross shape, cutting the black night sky into four pieces. The superheated breath left a mark in the sky, while the poisonous breath left a green mist trail that disappeared into the distant horizon. It was a linked attack that could kill a sacred creature and the eight feudal lord variants instantly!
“Kuaaaaak!” The heavenly demon was burned and poisoned before falling to the ground.
No matter how strong he was, the heavenly demon couldn’t overcome the breaths of dragons with a body that was less than an hour old. It was strange that he even managed to survive. Even so, he was in a critical condition, and his body that lay on the ground was like a corpse.
‘It would’ve been nice if it finished here, but that isn’t possible.’
However, Theodore didn’t push it. He talked to the dragons looking down at him, ‘Thank you. Please back off here.’
[I understand. Don’t be defeated, human. Remember the reason why our king crowned you.]
[It will only be a burden if we remain. I will follow your will.]
The dragons said these words before disappearing. A few breaths were the best help from the dragons who were still wounded. There was a risk that if they stayed too close, it would destroy the plan Theodore had for the heavenly demon.
“...It is starting now.” Theodore became tense as he looked at the heavenly demon lying on the ground. The name of ‘the heavenly demon’ would be a waste if he fell from this much. That guy still had yet to use 30% of his power.
“―I see.” The heavenly demon raised his upper body casually and stood on two feet. The burns on his body disappeared, and his glass bead eyes looked around.
“Bugs are bugs, but not. Yes, there are poisonous bugs. I thought it was a broken moth when I grasped it, but it was actually a wasp.” The heavenly demon laughed coldly while acknowledging the strength of the enemy. “I have to admit it. It is worth it to kill you directly.”
The demon that reigned in heaven invoked his power.
Kukukukukung...
The earth shook, the sky was afraid, and all beings tried to escape from the area. A door to the void was unlocked in this material world. The power to eat up the spirituality in all beings, regardless of what they were—it was a power that raised a monster, which should merely be a mixture of genetic factors, into a demon king.
“Absorption Star Method, activate.”
Red and bluish blood lines appeared all over the heavenly demon’s body. No, the shape was different from blood vessels. It was a structure that replaced all the aura and magic power eaten with basic mana. According to Gluttony, it was a deteriorated version of the absorption ability that all of the Seven Sins possessed.
Kwajik.
However, unlike the Seven Seals who couldn’t perform all their functions due to the seals, the heavenly demon’s absorption ability was 100%.
‘The Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops is breaking...!’
Theodore was standing on it, but all the power was being sucked backward. He hurried to stop maintaining the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops before it took away his magic power. The heavenly demon grinned when he sensed it. The power of the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops had disappeared.
Jeeeong!
The heavenly demon disappeared and appeared again, causing the two sword masters to be thrown away with broken swords. They blocked it somehow, but both of them were seriously injured.
To think that the sword masters were overwhelmed by the swordsmanship of a monster that had just been born...? Randolph and Nobutsuna were dumbfounded. However, they had no answer as to the cause of the heavenly demon’s overwhelming strength and speed, as well as the memories and experiences left behind by masters of the empire.
“Uhuh! You dare to take your eyes off this old man!” Shuten-doji swung his club again in this gap. However, he couldn’t achieve his goal this time. The big boss was too strong to be reached without the assistance of the Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops.
Puhak!
Rather, the heavenly demon’s hand grabbed the swung club. It wasn’t just once. Shuten-doji was beaten several times and, blood burst out. As Shuten-doji received a critical wound, the heavenly demon moved again.
“Kuaaack!”
Veronica barely escaped it, while Daitengu couldn’t avoid it. It was unknown how it happened, but the right half of Daitengu’s wings were torn away. The youkai barely avoided instant death, but he would die soon. The heavenly demon looked at Veronica, who had dodged his attack, and threw his fist into the air.
Shaolin 72 Arts.
100 Stages Soul Boxing.
Shoot.
A shockwave traveled hundreds of meters and pierced her.
Kaaang!
“Kkuk!”
It wasn’t a fatal wound. However, Veronica took a few steps back from the momentum. Theodore had already given her an order to leave the battlefield if the situation continued like this. Rather than chasing after the escaping Veronica, the heavenly demon turned his eyes toward Theodore.
‘The positions have reversed.’
The Dao Yuan Nine Palace Troops had collapsed, and the area was now destroyed. The two sword masters and Shuten-doji were still alive, but they wouldn’t be able to endure the heavenly demon for 10 seconds. The same was true for the two monks in the rear. Their lives were at risk once the front line was destroyed.
However, Theodore laughed lightly and opened his mouth, “...You would think so. Isn’t that right?”