One day ago, Sumeru City.
Countless people were desperately trying to flee from here. The reason was none other than that they had seen an extremely terrifying monster.
Of course, it did not mean that the opponent looked like a monster. On the contrary, her appearance was exceptionally striking, enough to become many people's dream lover.
But after she punched the sky-scraping Divine Tree into two pieces in front of everyone, and the emerald green barrier that rose above it was punctured like paper, everyone was stunned. Some kind of faith deep within their hearts collapsed thunderously.
At this moment, no one had any room left for sentimentality. This was a monster!
"Run, run quickly!"
"Sumeru City is too dangerous, I'm going back to the desert!"
"As long as I can get to that place!"
Under the threat of death, the residents of Sumeru City unleashed their astonishing potential, fleeing with incredible speed. Of course, this was also due in part to the fact that similar incidents had occurred before.
And it was at this moment that Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata encountered a being whose power was so immense it drove them to despair.
Looking at the woman who sat as if the Sanctuary of Surasthana were her own home, her legs crossed on the table and her waist leaning lazily against the chair, they simply stood frozen in place, unable to say a word under the suffocating pressure of her aura.
"The Gnosis, or the lives of you and everyone in the city. Pick one."
After a long silence, the woman before them finally stated her objective.
Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had no choice. They handed over the Electro Archon's Gnosis to her.
The woman didn't hesitate. Grabbing the purple chess piece, she turned and left.
Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata secretly sighed in relief after the woman's figure had completely disappeared.
She was too terrifying; the pressure she brought them even surpassed Neuvillette's.
This was because Neuvillette was more reserved, while the woman was so ostentatious, as if she were eager to announce to everyone how incredibly strong she was!
Just as Nahida was about to use her phone to contact Neuvillette and inform him of the situation, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.
Then Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata immediately left the room to go outside, and they saw a scene that would remain unforgettable to them for a lifetime.
The woman actually lifted the section of the Divine Tree that had been blown into two pieces earlier and fallen to the ground, then reinserted it into the other section. After doing this, the woman casually patted the dust off her hands, then casually slipped into the God-Making Workshop beneath Sumeru City and carried away the heavily damaged Shouki no Kami.
Looking at the scene before them, Nahida and Greater Lord Rukkhadevata stared at each other for a long time, completely speechless...
"Hehehe, you can't catch me!"
"Go play with my Bull!"
"Ushi, gore them hard!"
"Moo—!"
Thoma and Kuki Shinobu hid in the shadows, watching Arataki Itto run around as if he were having the time of his life, while Thoma asked Kuki Shinobu with a worried tone.
"Miss Kuki Shinobu, is it really okay to let Brother Itto act as a decoy? He seems to have attracted a bit too many enemies."
After discovering that Watatsumi Island was under heavy guard, the three of them quickly devised a plan. The strongest among them, Arataki Itto, would deliberately expose himself to draw everyone's attention, allowing the other two to sneak into the center of Watatsumi Island to find its residents.
While they were still formulating the plan, Arataki Itto had pounded his chest "thump thump," making him seem completely reliable. However, only when the plan was put into action did Thoma realize he had completely underestimated Arataki Itto.
Seeing the massive crowd, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, swarming behind Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu and Thoma couldn't help but feel their hearts race with anxiety.
If they didn't break out of this encirclement, it would be game over.
"Maybe Boss wants to attract more people so that we can be safer," Kuki Shinobu said slowly after a moment of silence.
"Look, isn't that gate wide open?"
"Indeed."
Their path was clear, with almost no one around, but Arataki Itto might only be able to return next year for a memorial service.
"Let's go. I trust the Boss, he must be confident in himself."
"Shinobu, help, there are so many people, I can't hold out much longer!"
Just as Kuki Shinobu finished speaking, Arataki Itto's voice cried out from the distance, and Kuki Shinobu was instantly enraged.
"Swish, swish," two kunai flew toward Arataki Itto's feet. Arataki Itto jumped in desperation, leaping a full four or five meters high to dodge Kuki Shinobu's attack.
"Shinobu, you threw them at the wrong person, you should be throwing them at them!"
"I didn't throw them at the wrong person, you idiot Boss!"
Kuki Shinobu replied crossly, but she quickly threw out dozens more kunai, all aimed at the pursuers behind Arataki Itto.
"There are accomplices!"
"Kill them!"
With Thoma joining in, the three of them officially began their thrilling escape journey... or so they thought.
As a gaze swept over, Thoma immediately felt a cold killing intent that stung his skin. Without hesitation, he unleashed all his Elemental Power, and a Pyro Element shield resembling armor of flames appeared before him. The next second, several ear-piercing screeches rang out in the air.
"Be careful, Mr. Thoma!"
Kuki Shinobu's pupils suddenly constricted. She immediately stopped and leaped backward, simultaneously throwing several kunai from her hand, all of which struck the arrow that was clearly different from the others.
Previously, each kunai could easily knock an arrow away, but this time, several kunai struck the arrow in succession only to be deflected. Then, the arrow flew straight toward Thoma, who blocked it with his raised spear. However, the entire force of the arrow pushed Thoma back dozens of meters, after which the Electro Elemental Power on the arrow exploded.
In the end, the elemental shield on Thoma's body blocked most of the impact, but the remaining small portion still caused him significant damage, and his hair also became an afro.
Although Thoma looked a bit too ridiculous at this moment, Kuki Shinobu was in no mood to joke. Instead, she fixed her gaze on an elegant and gentle, dashing figure among the enemies.
That person had long black hair and wore an old samurai outfit, but his most striking features were the Great Youkai Karasu-Tengu Mask worn on his head and the black double wings behind him.
Kuki Shinobu immediately guessed from those striking features that the opponent was one of Kujou Sara's kin, sharing the same Karasu-Tengu bloodline.
However, the Karasu-Tengu blood in Kujou Sara was already incredibly thin, completely incomparable to this young man before them, who radiated a crushing pressure.
The opponent took a step forward, again drawing his bow to full tension, then fired three arrows infused with terrible Electro Power at extreme speed.
Seeing this, Thoma's scalp went numb. Although it wasn't a good way to think, why were these three arrows all flying straight at him?!
He had already exerted his utmost effort to block just one arrow. Facing three at once, he might as well just give up struggling.
But at that moment, Arataki Itto stomped his feet hard against the ground, his speed instantly surging. He swung his large club to smash the arrows into an explosion, then used the blast's impact to rejoin Kuki Shinobu and Thoma.
"Who's this guy? Why does he feel like he has the same annoying aura as that Kujou Chicken?"
"He might be an ancestor of Kujou Sara."
Kuki Shinobu theorized. Fine, I guess I don't even need to theorize to know the answer.
"What? Kujou Chicken's ancestor?!"
Arataki Itto was shocked upon hearing Kuki Shinobu's words, and then his face lit up with wild joy!
"As Kujou Chicken's ancestor, he's definitely stronger than her, right?"
"Then as long as I defeat him, wouldn't that mean I can finally clear my name?!"
"Good, good, good! It should have been like this all along. Fighting Kujou Chicken, I had to hold back. Her scrawny little body can't take much of my roughhousing. Since this kid is an enemy, it's fine if I go a bit harder on him, right?"
Arataki Itto muttered to himself as he began stretching his limbs, his joints popping with a loud crack.
"Hey kid, bring it on! Let me see what you've got!"
Arataki Itto rested his great club on his right shoulder, then extended his left arm straight, gesturing the Karasu-Tengu man to come forward with a beckoning motion of his index finger.
Seeing Arataki Itto's provocative gesture, the man's movements paused. He then spoke.
"Your personality is truly similar to that person's. You're really bringing back some bad memories."
The man raised his hand, and instantly the pursuing Shogunate Army came to a halt, forming several neat squares on the spot as a solemn aura spread through the ranks.
Then, the man slowly stepped out from the center of the formation, his body emitting an increasingly bright purple light as his aura likewise began to soar.
No, it should be said that he was only now gradually revealing his true aura. Feeling the terrible pressure, Kuki Shinobu and Thoma's backs grew a little damp.
"My name is Sasayuri. May I ask your name, sir?"
"Why does that name sound so feminine?"
Arataki Itto muttered to himself after hearing the other's name, but Sasayuri's ears were sharp, and he naturally heard this comment.
Immediately, Sasayuri almost took action on the spot. Arataki Itto was truly too infuriating. At this moment, he resonated with Kujou Sara.
"Remember the name of this Great Lord, Arataki Itto, the Number One Fighter Under Heaven, the man who is about to defeat you!"
Arataki Itto replied dominantly.
"Heh, you're just like him, wanting to step on me to rise up."
"I wonder if you have that person's ability."
"Whether I have the ability or not, won't you know if you try it yourself!"
Arataki Itto charged toward Sasayuri, roaring and brandishing his great club.
"The power of the Oni Master of Conqueror!"
With Arataki Itto's thunderous shout, his muscles began to bulge piece by piece, his eyes turning fierce and predatory, as his aura unleashed without restraint upon Sasayuri.
"Heh, you truly are like him, making the same choices."
"But I will not repeat the same mistake."
Sasayuri spoke faintly, purple light circulating in his eyes, and the next second a terrifying thunderbolt struck Arataki Itto's head, blasting his entire body off balance.
"Boss!"
"Brother Itto!"
The two who had been hesitating whether it was appropriate for them to intervene could no longer hold back after seeing this scene and immediately rushed forward.
Kuki Shinobu thrust her Sanctifying Ring into the ground, and instantly a barrier formed around Sasayuri, followed by a surging explosion of Electro Elemental Power the next second.
However, when the barrier vanished, only a few black crow feathers floated down where Sasayuri had stood, while his figure appeared not far away.
At almost the same moment, three arrows shot out with heart-stopping Electro power toward Kuki Shinobu, and then Sasayuri abandoned drawing his bow, holding it horizontally in front of him to block. The next moment, a great club smashed violently against the bow.
At this moment, Sasayuri's slender body erupted with terrifying strength. Even though Arataki Itto was using the power of an Oni, he could only press the bow down a few inches before being unable to advance any further.
"It seems you only resemble him in your words, but you lack his monster-like talent and strength."
After speaking, Sasayuri twisted his body, deflecting Arataki Itto's attack elsewhere. Then he pointed the bow directly at Arataki Itto's face and pulled the bowstring into a full moon against his shocked expression. The terrifying Lightning light that erupted left Arataki Itto in a brief state of paralysis, completely cutting off his chance to evade.
"Ushi, help me!"
In desperation, Arataki Itto immediately called for backup... called for Ushi. The next second, the giant bull directly pushed Sasayuri aside, and at the same time gave him a fierce gore at his waist.
Although Sasayuri was somewhat surprised by Arataki Itto's move, his powerful combat experience and instinct allowed him to react in time. He swung his bow and whipped Ushi hard, and immediately, Ushi let out a cry of pain and then veered off in another direction.
"Ushi!"
Seeing his dear partner injured, Arataki Itto's body suddenly erupted with even greater power. He then stomped his foot viciously on the ground, causing a large chunk of the earth to collapse entirely, before bursting forward with astonishing speed toward Sasayuri.
"This Great Lord is pissed!"
Arataki Itto's skin flushed red, and countless white plumes of steam billowed from his body as his massive club swung toward Sasayuri's face with a vicious wind.
This time, Sasayuri did not take the hit head-on. In fact, blocking Arataki Itto's previous attacks hadn't been that easy, but this was not her strong point.
With a simple sidestep, Sasayuri dodged Arataki Itto's attack. His strength was impressive, but he was too slow, utterly incomparable to the person who had defeated her back then.
"It's over."
Sasayuri spoke coldly. An arrow, blackish-purple in hue, had been notched on her bow at some unknown time, ready to strike, aimed directly at Arataki Itto's chest.
Because Arataki Itto had gone all out and missed, he couldn't regain his balance in time. He could only stare wide-eyed as the arrow, radiating an aura of death, shot out.
"Boss!"
Kuki Shinobu, who had barely managed to block Sasayuri's three arrows together with Thoma, felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave upon seeing this scene; her body went cold to the extreme.
Thoma's face also changed drastically. He wanted to use his power to put an Elemental Shield on Arataki Itto, but he was too far away to do so, and even if he could, his power alone wouldn't change anything.