Chapter 5 - One-Armed Oni
Part 1
...Yakou's shikigami......!?
Kakugyouki, the Mystical Investigator had said, naming himself Hishamaru. Harutora had impressions of those two names, and he remembered that they had indeed been two especially famous ones among Yakou's shikigami, but why would Yakou's shikigami be here? His mind was befuddled and his gaze stared intently at the oni before him, unable to move.
"R, Really? Is that the real Kakugyouki? No way!?"
"Shut up, Tenma, how would I know whether it's real or not!"
Kyouko reprimanded Tenma who had sunk into a panic by the side, but her internal shock was clearly audible from her angry voice. She only reprimanded others to force herself to stay stable.
Touji's gaze was solemn, and he asked of Natsume who was lying in the arena: "Natsume! Can you tell?"
But Natsume, who was collapsed on the ground and had a close look at the strange figure, couldn't reply to Touji's question for some time. Her mind was close to paralyzed, and all she could see by looking up from her position was Kakugyouki's overwhelming, gigantic bulk.
She squeezed out the words "I don't know......", her gaze still lingering on the oni before her.
"I don't know, Kakugyouki is a servant shikigami, which is a materialized spirit! Moreover, it was an ancient 'demon' that lived for several centuries - rumored to be a true oni. Going by those sayings, its exterior could have changed significantly...... E, Except for the spiritual characteristic of its single arm......"
The Mystical Investigator couldn't help but snicker upon hearing Natsume's explanation. Natsume could 'see' the link of spiritual power between the Mystical Investigator and the oni, and this oni - Kakugyouki - was surely his shikigami that he used.
"I materialized, yet you show no signs of awakening......"
"How troublesome, Natsume-kun. It seems like this will take some time."
The Mystical Investigator let out two kinds of voices one after another with an entranced look, two obviously different voices.
"What's going on? The whereabouts of Hishamaru and Kakugyouki were lost after Yakou died, and they're still unknown even today! What are you playing at?"
"I do not intend to answer the question you ask, my King."
"It's alright, Kakugyouki - the situation is very simple, Natsume-kun. As Yakou has reincarnated into your body, I am Hishamaru's reincarnation, and that is why Kakugyouki is beside me. We have always been gathering comrades, waiting for our master to awaken."
The Mystical Investigator was in a trance, speaking for both Kakugyouki - the oni before them - and the reincarnated Hishamaru - himself - at the same time. Natsume unconsciously stared dumbfounded.
"......This, how can such a stupid thing......"
"That won't do, King. Reality is laid out before you, it is undeniable."
"Hishamaru, enough talking, let's get that brat first."
A sadistic smile floated onto the Mystical Investigator's mouth, like a cat torturing mice.
At the same time Kakugyouki took action.
Its target was - Harutora.
--What?
Kakugyouki's body was gigantic, and it was hard to imagine that its movements were quite swift. Its fist closed the distance in moments, swinging towards the spectator seats - right underneath the railing Harutora stood on.
The patterns on the wall flashed intensely, and the originally colorless and transparent barrier flared in countless sparks, the air shaking violently. The National First-Class barrier's shape distorted, creaking.
Even so, the magic practice field barrier that was the pride of the Onmyou Academy did not break, but it was unable to block the intense physical shock. Harutora who stood above it lost his footing due to the shaking magic practice field and tumbled down.
"Ah!?"
Harutora fell into the arena from the railing. The arena was specially set to not react towards humans out of safety considerations.
"Harutora!"
Natsume shrieked in surprise as she saw Harutora fall, and Kyouko and Tenma also screamed out. Touji cursed, quickly running towards the front of the spectator seats.
"H-H-H, Harutora-sama!"
Kon hurriedly chased after Harutora in fright and slammed into the barrier as a result. Touji who was rushing forward grabbed Kon by her tail, roaring: "Go around from the back entrance!" and then threw her out.
Kon frantically took advantage of that time to leave the spectator seats, and seeing this, Kyouko also had Hakuou and Kokfuu quickly leave and chase after Kon.
The shikigami could still be controlled from outside the arena barrier after they entered the area. She hadn't actually considered what actions the shikigami and Kon could take after they entered the arena, since even now her mind was still blank.
Tenma ran to the front of the spectator seats along with Touji.
Kyouko also hurried after them.
"Hey, are you alright!?"
"Harutora-kun!"
Harutora heard the voices calling out to him from above. He endured the pain from the fall, standing up in the arena.
He was right by Kakugyouki's feet.
"...!"
Kakugyouki kicked out with its right leg, sweeping towards Harutora and leaving him with nowhere to hide. He hastily dodged and blocked with the shakujou, but it wasn't certain whether that move would actually be effective. Before he noticed, he was flying backwards in midair like he had been hit by a car.
"Harutora!"
Natsume screamed again. Immediately after, his body tumbled to the ground, doing several somersaults like he was rolling down a hill, then finally collapsed on the ground.
His entire body was paralyzed, and a burning shock lingered in the areas where he had been hit. The paralysis rapidly became intense pain coursing through Harutora's body like electricity.
A light moan trickled from Harutora's mouth.
...No, No good! Right now isn't the time to moan in agony!
He supported himself with the shakujou, standing up.
He first checked his own position, surprised that the kick just now had sent him through the entire arena. Only now did Kakugyouki move back the right leg it had kicked with.
He stood up before the enemy could follow up with a decisive blow - No, the other side hadn't actually pursued.
"Ugh......"
He stood up shakily, a shrill sound ringing deeply in his ears. Touji and the other three were shouting from the spectator seats, and Natsume was also voicing something at him, but he didn't know what they were saying. His entire body was hot, his heart feeling like it had inflated twice as large, beating intensely in bursts.
"......It's really not a fake, huh......"
His ears caught his own murmuring to himself, and only then did he confirm that his eardrums hadn't been damaged. He tried moving his body, ignoring the pain coming from every part of it. It was fortunate that his bones weren't broken, truly a fortune among misfortune.
But--
"What's wrong? Try to resist!"
"Haha, Kakugyouki, don't be inconsiderate."
At the same time as the Mystical Investigator teased, Kakugyouki jumped up. Its over five-meter tall body almost hit the arena's ceiling, and that shocking scene made Harutora unable to help but stare dumbstruck - just then, his vision suddenly went dark.
A shadow covered him.
"--Damn!"
Harutora sprinted with all his might, diving to the side. Kakugyouki immediately dropped next to him as he fled. The floor shook from the force of the impact, and Harutora staggered. Kakugyouki kicked out again.
The surrounding air made a low noise, and Harutora swung the shakujou in his hands almost by reflex.
The impact of the kick sent Harutora flying, but this time he didn't show any openings in his stance. He hurriedly regained his balance as he flew backwards, letting his feet touch ground. Though he had slid several meters backwards, his feet were still steady in the end and he hadn't collapsed to the ground.
...Right! This shakujou...
The shakujou had blocked Kakugyouki's kick.
The blow just now hadn't caused any damage because he had swung the shakujou defensively. Of course, this small rod couldn't block the giant's attack from a physical standpoint, but the instant the shakujou had encountered Kakugyouki's kick, he had sensed the shakujou itself reflecting the impact back. Magic had been cast on this shakujou.
...Way to go, Ohtomo-sensei! I see you differently now!
Unfortunately, he couldn't relax. Kakugyouki didn't give Harutora breathing room this time, kicking again and quickly following up. Harutora desperately dodged left and right.
It was like he were standing in the center of a high-speed interstate highway, as every one of Kakugyouki's kicks made the air swirl and almost drew his entire body in. He dodged the attacks at a nimble pace, suddenly standing and diving, managing to avoid Kakugyouki's attacks using the shakujou as a shield.
"Hm."
"Oh my, not bad. That toy in your hands seems pretty interesting."
The Mystical Investigator laughed. Shut up and go die, bastard! Harutora roared angrily in his heart, but he didn't have the energy to raise his voice. The shakujou was still holding up, but the hands he grasped the shakujou with had long since neared their limits and begun to go numb.
Just then.
"Stop!"
Natsume yelled, and Kakugyouki simultaneously stopped moving.
"Please, don't keep fighting......!"
She lowered her head from where she lay on the ground, her voice bitter. Harutora wanted to call out to Natsume, but his breathing stopped him from doing this. He was using all of his strength to breathe, and he couldn't even let out his voice.
The Mystical Investigator hmphed.
"Oh, King......"
"...It seems like you are finally willing to cooperate. I shall comply with this order, my King."
Kakugyouki slowly relaxed its stance upon hearing this, moving back from Harutora. Harutora gritted his teeth and endured, inadvertently sitting down on the ground. His strength had rapidly been depleted in the tempest of violent attacks.
"Do you understand now?"
"You must accept your fate, and us as well, of course. We have always been waiting, and we will continue to serve you in the future. Are you willing to recognize us?"
The Mystical Investigator asked, his tone quite arrogant. Natsume lowered her head, silently listening to what he said.
Her flowing black hair covered her face, hiding her expression, and the white cheeks exposed underneath slowly moved.
Harutora took a deep breath--
"Hold on, Natsume."
Hearing this, Natsume turned around.
Her teary black eyes gazed at Harutora from between the gaps in her drooping bangs. Harutora showed a courageous smile before his childhood friend's eyes.
He desperately regulated his breathing, forcing saliva down his dry throat.
He pushed the trivialities like pain and fatigue to the back of his mind, standing proudly, and set the shakujou against the ground, making a metallic sound.
"You don't need to pay attention to the words this lunatic says, and you don't need to rely on your past life's subjects for help either. Aren't your companions all here right now?"
"......Harutora......"
Natsume forgot the surrounding situation momentarily, her eyes gazing straight at Harutora. Harutora returned her gaze, breathing rapidly.
"I'm sorry for the words I said to you at noon. I'm tactless, but I don't think that I said anything wrong. You indeed need courage, even more courage that I talked about during the day. So..." Harutora spoke forcefully. He was clearly forcing himself - this claim was clearly painful and difficult, but he still spoke straight from the shoulder.
"So, don't be affected by those silly rumors about the past, don't try to shoulder everything by yourself, and don't pretend. Even if there are people scared of you and people who are troubled by you, there are definitely people who are willing to lend you a helping hand. So, don't be scared of getting along with others. Be brave and rely on us."
"............"
Natsume's eyes widened as she stared firmly at Harutora. She had heard it. He truly felt that way. Strength inexplicably filled forth, his body's pain lessened, and his depleted strength swelled again.
Master and shikigami.
The powers of the two people interacted through the bond between them, strengthening each other.
But--
"Idiotic!"
"Truthfully."
The Mystical Investigator reviled, his voice and tone clearly showing his incomprehension.
"You're confusing the King, you brat! As expected, I can't leave you alone!"
"Exactly, Hishamaru, let us put that brat in order as quickly as possible. [17] "
Kakugyouki who had backed off once again strode towards Harutora. Harutora raised the shakujou, engaging the giant's arena-shaking attack head-on.
Be brave and rely on your companions' help.
Those words were not only for Natsume, as they were just as suitable for his immature self. At the same time as Harutora engaged Kakugyouki, he spotted their figures quietly approaching out of the corner of his eye.
"Do it, I'm counting on you guys!"
Harutora shouted, and Hakuou and Kokfuu, who had circled around to the arena's blind spot, quickly attacked Kakugyouki.
The katana and spear cleaved Kakugyouki's legs. The giant made a wordless howl, its movements becoming chaotic, and Harutora rushed forward all at once, swinging the shakujou to attack.
"Take this!"
The small rings on the front end rattled, making noise. The rings formed blades using aura, like circular guillotines in midair.
He swung the shakujou, hitting Kakugyouki's right arm that it was trying to support itself with. The dark-colored skin tore, leading to an intense 'lag' reaction.
"H, Harutora."
"Don't worry, Natsume! This thing is minor compared to that spider!"
He shouted out, half from his heartfelt belief and half to force himself.
This oni was indeed a frightful shikigami. In Harutora's view, both the Tsuchigumo from back then and the Kakugyouki before him were monsters surpassing his imagination.
But, both Tsuchigumo and Kakugyouki were shikigami in the end. No matter how powerful a shikigami was, finding out the strength of the controller meant there was a chance of victory. He couldn't sense any of the terrifying feeling that Dairenji Suzuka had carried back then from the Mystical Investigator before him.
Harutora swung the shakujou again, taking advantage of the moments that Kakugyouki had stopped moving due to 'lag'.
He circled to the side, slashing at Kakugyouki's stomach. Every time he attacked, he could feel the shakujou quietly absorbing aura and returning a more violent aftershock to his arms.
...So it's like this, no wonder this shakujou is this easy to use......!
When he had fought with the Armored Juggernaut, Natsume had given him a 'Protection Sword', and the sensations of the two were similar. The magic cast on Ohtomo's shakujou might be the same kind of magic that was on the Protection Sword.
"W, What's wrong, to think you're this shameful! Use your full strength, Kakugyouki!"
The Mystical Investigator roared with a hoarse voice. The one-armed shikigami followed its master's orders, turning around with no regard to the injuries on its body.
Kakugyouki readily turned its back to the two Yaksha behind it, kicking out with its scarred feet. Harutora jumped backwards, avoiding the attack. Hakuou and Kokfuu slashed with their blades again, and Kakugyouki, whose back was cut, tumbled to the ground and collapsed.
A good opportunity.
The moment Harutora thought this, the fallen Kakugyouki unexpectedly swung its right arm, not planning on guarding its own body.
The rough arm that was several times larger than Harutora's body swept across the ground. Harutora immediately raised the shakujou to block, but couldn't block the impact, crashing violently into the wall surrounding the arena.
Though the shakujou had absorbed a good part of the shikigami Kakugyouki's attack power, just the physical impact of crashing into the wall made Harutora gasp for breath. An intense pain wracked his whole body, his vision was tinted red, and his lungs stopped breathing. It was a fortune among misfortunes that he didn't collapse, and he slid down the wall, propping himself to his knees with the shakujou.
The strike just now had been quite strong, and he couldn't even move a finger with the painful impact that had just wracked his body.
Kakugyouki raised the right arm it had struck Harutora with from where it was collapsed on the ground. Hakuou and Kokfuu hurriedly slashed their blades to help, but Kakugyouki didn't concern itself with them at all. The face hidden underneath the mask obeyed its master's orders, and only Harutora was in its eyes.
...Damn!
The attack came from above, and he couldn't escape this blow, nor did he have the energy to dodge.
But, just as his face paled from fright, a small figure flitted across in front of Kakugyouki.
It was Kon.
A burst of pale blue flame.
Kon's foxfire blocked the mask, doing almost no damage, but enough to distract Kakugyouki's focus, achieving a disturbance effect.
Kon who had released the foxfire swiftly rushed towards Harutora, grabbing him and rolling to the side - Kakugyouki's fist immediately followed, smashing into the position where Harutora had just been kneeling.
Harutora clenched his jaw as the tempestuous impact assaulted him. He stood up, leaning on the wall behind him, putting force into his legs to stay stable on the ground.
"Hah!"
The shakujou forcefully pierced into the mask of Kakugyouki who laid nearby.
He mustered his entire body's spiritual power, using all of his strength.
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