Chapter 297: Back And Forth, Clash Of The Strong! Where Did Wagatsu-sama’s Curse On Shangshan Che Go?
Before being teleported to the arena by the light pillar, Shangshan Che first landed beside the main arena and retrieved Kaga Kiyomitsu from Lili Zi’s hand.
Shangshan Che dangled Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was happy and delighted but didn’t dare show it at all, and smiled at the girl,
“Borrowing it for a bit.”
He said, his gaze shifting to Tsuchimikado Ran, who had already landed on the other side of the arena and was quietly and calmly observing him,
“After all, he’s not an opponent to take lightly.”
“It was your sword to begin with, why say such things…”
Lili Zi sighed, then waved her finger to push Shangshan Che with a Qi Barrier: “Get up there quickly. We’re waiting to see what tricks you and this Tsuchimikado can pull off.”
“Got it.”
Shangshan Che proficiently re-sheathed Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist, causing the latter to finally tremble refreshingly.
Before stepping onto the arena, he heard a voice from behind,
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Without turning his head, Shangshan Che waved toward the back.
Shangshan Che and the Ghost God Judge stepped onto the arena together, but his gaze fell entirely on Tsuchimikado Ran, over a hundred meters away.
—Tsuchimikado Ran wore a plain Hunting Robe, no traditional Eboshi hat, his black hair simply falling to his shoulders, and he held no fan, which most Onmyoji would choose.
In the visible range, there were also no accessories or items present.
Hm… He couldn’t sense any Spiritual Power Fluctuation from him at all.
Even Master Level Spirit Control Technique seemed powerless at this moment.
It wasn’t that Tsuchimikado Ran had concealed his Qi and fluctuations particularly well, but more like the perception of the Spirit Control Technique had been abruptly severed midway by something.
In short, complete ignorance.
After a momentary observation yielding no information, Shangshan Che’s expression rarely turned grave.
Fighting an Onmyoji from the Tsuchimikado Family was indeed no longer as easy as before.
“Match, begin!”
As the Ghost God Judge’s vigorous voice fell, the arena directly fell into a silent standoff.
Still.
Whether Spiritual Energy, Qi Barrier, or their movements and breathing, everything remained almost completely still, letting the silence spread.
On the TOP3 high platform seats, Kamo Kiichi puzzledly furrowed his brows.
Strange.
Why wasn’t Ran going all out against Shangshan Che from the start?
No matter how you looked at it, at the instant the match began, with over 150 meters of straight-line spatial distance as a natural barrier, Tsuchimikado Ran held an absolute advantage.
This was the best “firing” opportunity.
There was no reason for Ran to standoff with Shangshan Che, who had relatively singular methods, right from the beginning.
Even though Ran knew many, many Onmyōdō spells, the moment Shangshan Che moved, the nature of things would change instantly.
If Shangshan Che charged forward with unstoppable momentum, Tsuchimikado Ran, having lost the initiative, would struggle to land effective strikes on the numerically superior Shangshan Che.
If Shangshan Che, proficient in Spirit Control Technique, focused on guerrilla tactics to drag out time, it would similarly put Tsuchimikado Ran on the defensive.
—In fact, Tsuchimikado Ran’s initial thought was exactly the same as Kamo Kiichi’s.
But not now.
On the arena, Tsuchimikado Ran’s gaze shifted slightly, landing on the blood-red Daito at Shangshan Che’s waist.
Because the opponent had this Daito.
Judging by its appearance, Kaga Kiyomitsu… right?
Tsuchimikado Ran had a premonition that even if he controlled Shangshan Che, this Kaga Kiyomitsu alone could bring him a fatal threat.
So, it was a Spiritual Weapon with its own intelligence.
Perhaps it even knew a sword skill or two.
Even though Kaga Kiyomitsu hadn’t shown signs of high spiritual intelligence in Tokugawa Ririko’s hands earlier, Tsuchimikado Ran had to guard against it.
He tsked indifferently in his mind.
Truly… unpleasant.
But at this moment, Tsuchimikado Ran wasn’t doing nothing.
—Relying on the micro Barrier constantly on his body surface to block Spiritual Power Fluctuations, he had already cast Water Clock Path Subjective Time Slowing on himself as usual.
This effectively doubled his thinking speed.
With the doubled ample time, Tsuchimikado Ran calmly pondered.
To defeat Shangshan Che… or truly injure him, he had to first shatter the Flame Armor, then break the Spiritual Energy-infused Qi Circulation.
Correct, Tsuchimikado Ran had recognized that Shangshan Che mastered the ancient Onmyōdō “Flame Armor,” a prerequisite for Heavenly Cycle Flame Armor.
This Flame Armor was not only known to few but also quite difficult to cultivate.
He hadn’t expected Shangshan Che to push it to perfection.
Plus the restorative and reparative abilities of Spirit Control Technique…
Tsuchimikado Ran thought expressionlessly—
This was a shell within a shell.
Trying to shatter this double-layered defense with ordinary means would leave Shangshan Che far too much Reaction time.
It would only waste Spiritual Power in vain, like Takizawa Kai.
So, change the approach—hurt Shangshan Che without confronting this shell.
Mental attacks were out… From that “Sword Heart” Tokugawa Ririko threw, it was likely futile against Shangshan Che.
Then, Curse?
As Shangshan Che gradually compressed the Qi and Heavenly Thunder within his body, Tsuchimikado Ran finally sensed a gap in the haze before his eyes.
Curse, would it work?
Tsuchimikado Ran didn’t know.
But he thought it was worth a try.
Otherwise, what other method had a higher win rate?
Very well, target changed.
Tsuchimikado Ran raised his hand and clenched his fist toward Shangshan Che at the other end of the arena.
—Before Shangshan Che killed him with the sword, finish him with the strongest Curse!
For an instant, Shangshan Che and Tsuchimikado Ran’s eyes met.
Shangshan Che could feel it—the coldest, calmest Killing Intent.
Kill him, then win.
Nothing else.
“Come on.”
After a faint, silent whisper, Shangshan Che activated Eightfold Fence, forcefully exploding the air pressure that came from all directions, trying to crush him into a lump of minced meat.
“Ran.”
Accompanying the Onmyoji’s murmur, an invisible drastic pressure difference appeared, instantly forming a more terrifying Vacuum Cannon via Spiritual Power.
Boom!
But his response was Kaga Kiyomitsu’s unsheathing!
The pale Blade Light effortlessly split the Vacuum Cannon—a killing move for most Onmyoji—in two, without slowing Shangshan Che’s advance in the slightest.
Shattered Gang Wind overflowed, making Tsuchimikado Ran’s hair whip wildly.
“As expected, it couldn’t be blocked…”
If that blade struck him, he’d probably die instantly.
With a turn of thought, Tsuchimikado Ran pointed at Shangshan Che from eighty meters away.
As if manipulated by some mysterious force from afar, Shangshan Che’s left foot missed the ground on landing, followed by his supporting right foot missing too.
This abruptly halted his charging momentum, sending him tumbling across the arena.
Tsuchimikado Ran ended this instant of remote Subjective Time Slowing, then opened a fixed-coordinate Spatial Displacement Spell ahead of Shangshan Che.
After a flash, Shangshan Che was back at his initial starting point at the arena’s edge.
Kaga Kiyomitsu’s Blade Light shot forward but hit nothing.
What… happened?
Shangshan Che puzzledly moved his limbs, feeling no sluggishness or delay.
But why, just now, had there been a sudden lag between his thoughts and Physical Body?
No need to think much—Shangshan Che knew it was likely Tsuchimikado Ran’s doing.
“Water Clock Path, huh…”
Normally, Water Clock Path Onmyōdō was mainly for research or daily use.
This was Shangshan Che’s first time facing an enemy proficient in using Water Clock Path in actual combat.
As expected of a Tsuchimikado Family Onmyoji—not living up to the name.
At this moment, Tsuchimikado Ran held a Clay Figurine modeled after Shangshan Che.
A pitch-black Inverted Pentagram lit up under the figurine, ominous Incantation symbols climbing from its feet upward, while invisible “Black Nail” peeked out beside it.
Unfortunately… this Shangshan Che wore a Hannya Mask, slowing the Curse’s Completion speed.
Tsuchimikado Ran’s Pupils locked onto Shangshan Che.
Could it be he knew Curse was his weakness?
As the Inverted Pentagram lit up, Shangshan Che suddenly felt an immense malice envelop him entirely.
But unexpectedly, no Death premonition rose in his heart.
Strange…
No time to think, Shangshan Che gripped Kaga Kiyomitsu and turned into a Phantom streak, tearing through the air again.
—No matter what, he couldn’t let Tsuchimikado Ran easily complete this Curse!
Amid arena-shattering steps, finger-thick menacing Lightning rose like missiles from behind Shangshan Che, scattering in midair toward Tsuchimikado Ran!
Lightning lit up the entire venue’s sky.
Like Divine Punishment!
Tsuchimikado Ran took it all in, still standing in place, his other hand blurring into a Phantom in a small area before him.
Roots of yellow-brown giant logs covered in Earth and Stone erupted from the ground, forming an airtight Barrier.
Devouring all the sky-filling Lightning!
Their back-and-forth attacks and counters made the venue’s audience boil with excitement, cheering wildly.
Shangshan Che intended to use the giant logs as footholds to advance, but found the Earth and Stone on them had turned to sticky Mud in that instant.
Boom!
Pale Color erupted with Qi carrying Gūhuāniǎo aura, shredding all obstructing giant logs.
Flames rose, turning vision-blocking debris to flying ash.
Red Hannya’s ferocious face reappeared!
“Ugh…”
Tsuchimikado Ran grunted.
He had wanted the giant logs to absorb some of Shangshan Che’s Spiritual Power for replenishment, but found the latter’s Spiritual Power composition extremely bizarre, incompatible with his own.
Ten more seconds—his current strongest Curse, the one most likely to kill Shangshan Che, could then be completed.
Tsk…
But ten seconds—how many attacks could this guy launch?
Tsuchimikado Ran silently thought while devising follow-up Plan.
His head might roll twice over.
In Tsuchimikado Ran’s eyes, the purple-white sonic boom Qi waves of Eightfold Fence exploded again.
He raised his hand, using Subjective Time Slowing plus Spatial Displacement in a fluid combo to send Shangshan Che back to the origin once more.
“He’s adapting.”
Watching Shangshan Che charge again right after landing, Tsuchimikado Ran thought.
But he still raised his hand, sending the reacting opponent back for the third time at fifty meters, just like before.
Use a good move until it doesn’t work.
“Fourth time, failed.”
A hundred meters away, Shangshan Che narrowly dodged the Astronomy Path Spell that even Spirit Control Technique required care to detect, accelerating twice toward the frowning Tsuchimikado Ran.
At thirty meters, three streaks of cold white Blade Light flashed at Shangshan Che’s side.
Merging into one thirty meters later.
Crack.
Blade Light passed, but no expected tactile feedback or Reaction came.
Instead, the sound of Glass shattering rang in Shangshan Che’s ears.
Bang!
The one-way mirror Spell projecting Tsuchimikado Ran’s figure shattered unknown when, crystalline shards dissipating as sparkling Spiritual Light.
With slight astonishment, Shangshan Che turned to see Tsuchimikado Ran now at the arena’s opposite corner.
On his right, the Black Nail had appeared halfway.
“Five seconds.”
Tsuchimikado Ran extended five fingers, grasping the lifelike Clay Figurine, Incantation already spread to its chest and abdomen.
Shangshan Che too knew this Curse, which his opponent was pushing with all he had, was about to complete.
Next instant, Plain Spears wrapped in Lightning, Flame Armor, and Qi floated in the sky.
Fully dozens of them!
On the competitors’ seats, Yan Liu’s body twitched involuntarily at the sight.
Deafening howls echoed through the venue.
If Tsuchimikado Ran tried resisting as before, those giant logs would turn to scorched earth on touching the first batch of Plain Spears.
“Back.”
Veins bulged on Tsuchimikado Ran’s forehead.
The pre-set Astronomy Path Spell activated, sending each terrifying Plain Spear back.
Boom boom boom!
Explosions capable of pulverizing several Great Demons in moments detonated right before Shangshan Che!
Thick black smoke billowed out, dispersed entirely by howling Qi a second later.
After a deep breath, repairing his damaged Qi Circulation, Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes.
Four-tailed Fox Talent Soul Seal, activate!
Tsuchimikado Ran’s gaze remained still as a calm pond, ironclad.
“Ineffective.”
Shangshan Che immediately tried Mirage, finding its effect still negligible.
“Troublesome, as expected of that man’s descendant…”
Amid thoughts flashing to the name at the stone tablet’s top, Shangshan Che quietly raised Kaga Kiyomitsu’s Blade, aiming at Tsuchimikado Ran, who now gripped something.
Originally, he planned to save this Secret Technique at least for the confrontation with Kitada Kei.
But unexpectedly, it was forced out now.
Not bad.
Shangshan Che grinned.
—Natural Reason School Secret Technique Darkness Sword!
In the instant before the formless sword fell, Tsuchimikado Ran’s Pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Death—
Without hesitation or thought, he decisively yanked out the Black Nail whose end hadn’t yet manifested, his face instantly darkening.
Black blood—vast quantities—gushed from Tsuchimikado Ran’s seven orifices.
Then.
Before his hands broke, he precisely drove the Black Nail into the Clay Figurine’s forehead.
Won!
Tsuchimikado Ran widened his near-blind eyes, his expressionless face finally twisting into ecstatic joy.
But two seconds later, Tsuchimikado Ran heard no referee announcement of his victory.
Struggling to raise his head with all his might, he saw Shangshan Che standing unscathed nearby, oddly looking down.
Tsuchimikado Ran’s Pupils lost focus for a moment.
The Curse?
Wagatsu-sama’s… Curse?
