Chapter 292: Kitamura Jun, I’ll End The Battle With One Slash—live Stream Slowed 10,000 Times To Show What True Power Means
Shangshan Che looked up, gazing at Kitamura Yūyū at the other end of the arena, whose expression appeared somewhat dejected, yet whose pupils seemed to have transformed into blades sharp enough to cut through iron like mud.
It had to be said that Kitamura Yūyū’s vast spirit, energy, and vitality had almost materialized into substance.
At the same time, its directionality was extremely clear, forming a straight line that landed directly above his own head.
It was as if it intended to slice him in half from top to bottom.
Under such momentum, forget ordinary people—even swordsmen who had trained for years might have their legs go weak, intimidated before the fight even began.
Lili Zi could achieve something like this, but the quantity of her spirit, energy, and vitality wasn’t that great; Two-Foot Adult’s Life Protection Aura could compare in total volume, but she couldn’t control the aura’s operation.
“Kitamura Yūyū, you can truly be called accomplished.”
Shangshan Che did not move rashly.
Thus, Kitamura Yūyū also stood motionless in place, merely keeping his right hand on the hilt while watching Shangshan Che’s movements with the corner of his eye.
The arena fell into a silent deathly stillness for a moment.
However, the audience in the Sky Castle venue did not, as before, shout things like “Are they going to fight or not?” or “What are they standing still for?”
Instead, mirroring the atmosphere on the field, they either subconsciously held their breath or pursed their lips, letting the silence spread through the venue like a chain of exploding bombs.
Should it be called momentum or something else?
Clearly, these two were just standing on the arena, yet they made all ordinary people feel on edge, toes gripping the ground, sweat pouring down their backs.
Suddenly, a light, floating voice emerged from the arena’s thick, paste-like atmosphere.
It was Shangshan Che speaking.
Or rather, stating.
“Kitamura Jun, I will end the battle with one strike.”
Shangshan Che said thus, his voice resounding through the entire venue and live stream via the dense array of transparent microphones floating in midair.
In that instant, not only did the millions of viewers freeze.
Even Kitamura Yūyū himself had his pupils shrink in astonishment.
One strike to end the battle?
The audience was puzzled—Shangshan Che, who had been so humble before, had inexplicably become even more arrogant than Yan Liu now?
But in the venue, only the competitors recently defeated by Kitamura Yūyū, Hayashi Jin’ya who had just recovered, and the observers Kitada Kei and Minamoto Shizuka understood.
This was the best approach.
If he wanted to win, there was no better way than finishing off Kitamura Yūyū with the very first move of the battle.
The more intense the battle, the heavier their injuries, and the longer it dragged on, the more “nourishment” Kitamura Yūyū could draw, the more growth he would gain.
Minamoto Shizuka firmly pressed down the restless Hotarumaru, falling into contemplation.
Had Shangshan Che seen through this and thus wanted to end the battle quickly?
—Quite the opposite.
“Iaijutsu is, after all, about compressing all experiences up to now, understanding of life and the world, the joys and pains on the path of cultivation, and everything one has learned, thought, and cherished into a single instant…”
“Compressing it all into one strike, right?”
Through the ferocious Red Hannya Mask, Kitamura Yūyū unexpectedly felt expectant eyes falling upon him.
He heard that Shangshan Che say,
“Like a meteor, brief yet brilliant—even if it fades in an instant, it can leave a sufficiently profound mark in the over thirty thousand days of a lifetime.”
Kitamura Yūyū blinked, a mistake he would absolutely not have allowed himself before this.
But he did it anyway, due to this unforeseen surprise.
This Shangshan Che wanted him to…
“Kitamura Jun.”
Shangshan Che spoke, asking solemnly: “Can your blade leave a sufficiently profound impression in my memory?”
Kitamura Yūyū gripped the hilt tightly.
He was thinking, hesitating whether to respond to this expectation or continue reaching for the path with higher odds of victory.
But Shangshan Che’s words interrupted his thoughts.
“Before me, the others you defeated had more or less figured out how you stepped forward step by step, growing ever stronger.”
The amusement in Shangshan Che’s eyes made the hairs on Kitamura Yūyū’s back stand up,
“But whether due to insufficient personal strength, lack of resolve, or a moment’s carelessness that let them fall into your battle rhythm…”
Shangshan Che spread his hands,
“Either way, they were all defeated by you in the end, becoming nourishment for your progress.”
“—Kitamura Jun, your previous opponents were all too indecisive, thinking there were many battles ahead and thus unwilling to expend too much mental effort on you, naturally holding back.”
“I won’t.”
These three light, floating words landed, making Kitamura Yūyū’s entire body stiffen for an instant.
Only now did he suddenly realize, laughing bitterly in his heart.
So from the start, I had no choice at all.
Shangshan Che continued,
“I have sufficient strength, ample information, comparatively decent resolve, and I’ve just warmed up nicely—altogether, my luck is…”
Hearing these words, Kitamura Yūyū jerked his head up.
He couldn’t let him continue.
He couldn’t let Shangshan Che keep talking!
But in the instant he tried to draw his blade, Kitamura Yūyū suddenly realized he had unknowingly fallen into the opponent’s rhythm.
Against such a strong foe, he should have been the one to strike second but hit first!
This back-and-forth of thoughts weakened Kitamura Yūyū’s spirit, energy, and vitality, which had reached its peak, by a beat.
This was actually his goal?
Kitamura Yūyū looked up and saw that Red Hannya Mask smiling as before.
In that instant, Shangshan Che stepped forward.
Drew his sword.
“Fine sword!”
On the towering viewing platform, Sword of Death Kujō Rōgetsu couldn’t help but slap his hand down hard, denting the fine steel railing.
Nanjo Emi raised an eyebrow: “The sword hasn’t been drawn yet—he’s still empty-handed, isn’t he?”
“Who says you need a sword in hand when drawing…”
Indeed, no need.
As long as there was a sword in hand the instant he touched the opponent.
The “Lin” character cipher on the back of his right hand glowed faintly; Eightfold Fence shook fine cracks into the arena surface, with qi and thunder flowing through his veins and muscles under Spirit Control Technique command.
Flame Armor and Qi Circulation naturally arose, annihilating all air along the path.
“Come.”
Words spoken by Shangshan Che even before stepping forward echoed in Kitamura Yūyū’s ears,
“Kitamura Jun, come let me remember your blade.”
Vast spiritual power and qi condensed and compressed in an instant, forged into the form of Kaga Kiyomitsu just like in the Projection Secret Realm, landing in Shangshan Che’s palm.
The ghost god-like Red Hannya’s roar exploded in Kitamura Yūyū’s mind,
“—Show me your resolve in the face of adversity!”
Kitamura Yūyū’s mouth opened slightly, hair and beard standing on end, his spirit, energy, and vitality surging from its low back to a new peak!
His pupils contracted to a point under the deathly pressure right before him, yet his state of mind became exceptionally serene, like eternal cold ice.
The successor of Shinmusō Hayashizaki-ryū unhesitatingly poured everything of himself into that thin blade already an inch out of its sheath, following Shangshan Che’s earlier words.
This one strike offered everything Kitamura Yūyū had!
The unremarkable blade was drawn.
It clashed and parted in a one-thousandth-of-a-second gap with the Natural Reason School Secret Technique that split into three yet returned to one.
On the arena, no massive spiritual energy fluctuations scattered, nor did it shake the entire venue like before…
What the audience saw was merely two figures flashing; what they heard was merely a single clear, overlapping sword cry.
But this battle was already over.
“Splendid.”
On the highest seat, Minamoto Shizuka subconsciously lifted her chin and straightened her back, her eyes gleaming with wonder.
She had thought Shangshan Che said those words to suppress Kitamura Yūyū’s momentum.
But unexpectedly, it was to push an already powerful enemy even further!
This brief battle, she had guessed neither the beginning nor the end—truly splendid.
“Strange…”
Beside her, Kitada Kei muttered, wondering where the vermilion daito that had been at Shangshan Che’s waist had gone.
He looked around for a long time before realizing it was in the hands of that girl no one could ignore.
Tokugawa Ririko—how was it in her hands?
For something as important as the Seed Battle, could he lend out his constant companion blade like that?
What was their relationship?
For the first time in a while, Kitada Kei’s gossip heart ignited.
“I-It… ended?”
The vast majority of ordinary viewers stared dazedly at the two unmoving figures on the arena, still not understanding what had happened.
They only felt inexplicably much more relaxed, but had no idea why that oppressive pressure had vanished.
Only onmyoji with deep enough cultivation and swordsmen steeped in kendo for years knew what had occurred in that instant.
Power—no leakage!
Whether Shangshan Che or Kitamura Yūyū, when they swung at each other, not a single bit of power was wasted!
Standing behind Kitamura Yūyū, the Kaga Kiyomitsu shaped from qi and spiritual energy in Shangshan Che’s hand shattered inch by inch.
“Shangshan Jun… did you remember my blade?”
From behind came Kitamura Yūyū’s hoarse, sharp voice, as if crudely severed.
Hearing this, Shangshan Che raised his hand to touch the base of his neck, ringed with sharp stinging pain.
He saw his fingertip pristine, smooth as ever.
He looked down at the Flame Armor and Qi Circulation sliced with a smooth cut, shaking his head in regret: “Unfortunately, just a tiny bit short.”
“Is that so…”
A smoother, more even bloodline than from Shangshan Che’s previous swing emerged at the base of Kitamura Yūyū’s neck.
His voice grew faint, falling into the dripping blood beads,
“That’s truly a pity.”
The ghost gods guarding the arena edge rushed in without hesitation; the physician supported Kitamura Yūyū before the bloodline fully formed.
The referee immediately raised his hand to announce the result,
“—Shangshan Che wins!”
In an instant, gasps of “Ha” erupted endlessly from the audience seats.
They knew Shangshan Che would likely win…
But.
Who could tell them what exactly had just happened?
How had the battle really ended in one strike, in what way did Kitamura Yūyū lose, and how exactly did Shangshan Che win?
A hundred thousand question marks hovered over the audience’s heads.
Fortunately, the director was quick-witted, pulling up footage from the small cameras in the arena, slowing it down ten thousand times and displaying it on the massive screen floating in the venue center.
Ten-odd seconds later, the venue fell silent again.
Not from lingering doubt, but from speechless shock.
In super slow motion, everything from the instant the two closed in and clashed was laid bare before the audience’s eyes.
Its brilliance made everyone exclaim they had feasted their eyes.
“T-Ten thousand times?! Time slowed ten thousand times!?”
Soon, someone noticed the “×1/10000” specially placed in the screen’s bottom right.
“Ten thousand times!?”
One sentence ignited the entire venue in a flash…
No, not just the venue—the live stream, online forums, everywhere exploded!
Countless comments refreshed in just ten seconds, even crashing many poorly maintained small sites.
Many ordinary people had known before that the new era had arrived and that supernatural beings were strong.
But how strong exactly, they had no concrete idea.
Today, they did.
Because of this benchmark of ten-thousand-times slowed time flow, and because even at that scale, the two swung their swords at normal human speeds.
……
“Che Adult, that was really cool just now.”
After being healed by the physician ghost gods with inexplicable methods and returning to his seat, Shangshan Che heard Two-Foot Adult, whom he had picked up again, giggling as she spoke.
Below, the similarly healed Kitamura Yūyū sat with wilted spirit, energy, and vitality, sighing in self-deprecation.
“No need to belittle yourself, Kitamura Jun.” Shangshan Che gave him a thumbs up. “It was just a move I learned from my warm-up opponent—barely a slight edge in skill over you.”
“After this, I’ll still have to learn iaijutsu from you, Kitamura Jun. I’ve never been good at that.”
Warm-up opponent…?
Kitamura Yūyū glanced at Yan Liu below, who was clenching his fists tightly in silence, and let out a puzzled hum in his mind.
Did this guy have anything worth learning?
Kitamura Yūyū thought no more, nodding to Shangshan Che,
“Of course you’re welcome, Shangshan Jun.”
With the phantom pain in his neck not yet faded, Shangshan Che rolled his neck and saw Lili Zi’s ranking skyrocketing like a rocket.
In a short time, she had reached the twenties.
It wouldn’t be long before she could nicely guard the gate for him.
Meanwhile, Yagyu Oshi had settled at twenty-ninth place.
But getting there had been tough for him, as he had already failed once challenging twenty-eighth.
As for that Arakawa Ward little brother Akechi Yuya… he had dropped to ninety-eighth, now pecking away at the hundredth like weaklings.
It looked like elimination was likely.
Still, the little brother’s current strength wasn’t too weak—he could handle over one and a half ordinary three-and-a-half star demons.
One could only say the Special Affairs Office’s Seed Battle had real substance.
To enter the top sixty-four, you needed to solo at least two ordinary three-and-a-half star demons.
Around twentieth place, everyone had the strength to take on an Ootama Hoshi-level foe one-on-one.
In contemplation, Shangshan Che’s eyelid twitched slightly.
Because he noticed that just as Lili Zi tried to challenge tenth place, she was cut off.
Shangshan Che looked toward the man now matched against Raikō, draped in a black haori with an effeminate face.
Having memorized the competitor list, Shangshan Che thought—
Aosuke, a famous figure from Chiba Prefecture, an Onmyōdō Path onmyoji skilled in shikigami, reportedly also proficient in Water Clock Path.
His disclosed best feat was single-handedly facing several rampaging great demons during Tide aftershocks and subduing them all…
Likely, he wouldn’t be satisfied with tenth place.
Better to keep climbing than sit and get challenged.
Shangshan Che looked up at Takizawa Kai above, startling him into looking back.
First, reclaim his original position.
—Takizawa Kai was a Five Elements Spiritual Body; perhaps he could uncover mysteries of Five Elements rotation and linkage from him.
Yes, this fight had to happen.
Definitely.
And he had to go all out, beating him to the brink of death!
Couldn’t let him surrender directly.
So Shangshan Che looked up with a smile, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Takizawa Jun, want to concede directly?”
A spirited young man like Takizawa Kai couldn’t withstand such public provocation.
His face darkened at once, abandoning any thought of temporarily avoiding the edge.
