Chapter 241: The Black-Bellied Girl
Putting down the yogurt bottle cap with lingering satisfaction, Suzuki Ninosuke turned and walked away. The hem of his trench coat fluttered lightly in the air, his low voice drifting through the room with exaggerated drama:
"My destiny is to wander the world... a lone wolf fated to drift beneath the moon."
"What a strange guy. But... where's the wind coming from in the room?" Alice blinked blankly, then suddenly widened her eyes. "Wait... could it be that this guy is...!"
...
In the courtyard before the villa.
Kouya and Raphiel stopped once again, standing side by side under the pale moonlight. The villa's front yard was littered with unconscious guards, empty dog bowls, and bits of scattered kibble.
After leaping over the electrified gate, using the "Smile and Pat the Dog's Head" skill to tame two ferocious guard dogs, and knocking out a squad of armed bodyguards with dog food, the fourth wave of enemies appeared.
It was a man with stubble and messy hair, wearing a black and red cloak that fluttered behind him as if a personal fan were blowing. Despite the still night air, the garment billowed with impossible grandeur.
His hands were buried deep in his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he strolled lazily out of the villa. The atmosphere around him, however, was oppressive. He moved as though the air bent around him—his mere presence outclassing the armed men that had fallen before.
"Hmph—"
Suzuki Ninosuke exhaled a long, dramatic smoke ring. Tilting his head back, he let the moonlight fall upon his face, speaking in a melancholic tone dripping with self-importance. "Kids, this is as far as you go."
"..."
Silence hung over the courtyard. The only sound was the faint rustling of leaves.
Raphiel blinked, raised her right hand to her lips, and whispered—loudly—toward Kouya:
"Kouya-kun, is this guy... an idiot?"
Suzuki Ninosuke froze mid-drag.
A whisper was one thing, but a whisper meant to definitely be heard? That was just cruel!
"I am Suzuki Ninosuke, the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Truth Society. You two should leave." His lazy tone carried an undeniable arrogance, a self-proclaimed authority he clearly believed in.
He looked up again at the moon, his posture one of poetic loneliness—if one ignored the fact that his hair looked like a bird's nest.
"Suzuki Ninosuke?" Raphiel tilted her head toward Kouya, eyes gleaming with mischievous curiosity. "Kouya-kun, have you ever heard of him?"
It was starting.
Beneath her sweet and innocent expression hid a razor-sharp tongue and a devious, playful mind.
Kouya shook his head. "Never heard of him."
He wasn't trying to be mean—he really hadn't. After all, he wasn't a real onmyoji. Aside from the shrine maiden, he had almost no connection to that mysterious world.
"Even you haven't heard of him? Then he must just be some scruffy uncle, right?" Raphiel said sweetly.
Crack!
A lightning bolt split the sky, striking a tree nearby. Suzuki Ninosuke stood frozen, his eye twitching.
"Scruffy uncle?" His voice dropped an octave, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Seems I'll have to teach you the difference between rugged and sloppy..."
"Hold on." Raphiel raised a hand delicately, smiling with angelic calm. "You're the onmyoji who attacked that lady, aren't you?"
Suzuki Ninosuke blew out another smoke ring. "That's right. I only meant to make her sleep for a while. But you two brats had to show up and ruin everything."
"Got it. No more questions." Raphiel turned toward Kouya, her blue eyes sparkling like stars, raising her tiny fist. "Kouya-kun, go beat him up!"
'Wait, when did she become the referee and I the fighter?'
'This is beyond frustrating! (╯‵□′）╯︵┻━┻!'
Suzuki Ninosuke flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his heel. His cloak fluttered again, still with no wind.
He sighed dramatically, lowering his gaze. "I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it."
Kouya: "..."
The last guy who said that to me... his grave's covered in three feet of weeds now.
Suzuki Ninosuke gave them a pitying look, shaking his head. "If you won't listen, then don't blame me for what happens next."
The air trembled. Then—
A sudden gust burst from his palm, sweeping across the entire courtyard. Dust and leaves whirled into a mini-cyclone.
Whirr!
Amid the storm, a barely visible shape darted forward. Its claws glinted like scythes as it lunged straight for Kouya's neck.
Kouya's expression didn't waver.
First Seal—open!
A pale light enveloped his arm. He stepped forward and threw a punch. The air exploded with a sharp bang, and a painful shriek echoed as the invisible creature was sent flying.
From Alice's perspective in the monitoring room, Kouya's punch looked almost theatrical. The air rippled like heat haze, then a nearby flowerbed exploded—dirt and petals scattering into the moonlight.
"Huh? He knocked out the Kamaitachi with one punch?" Suzuki Ninosuke's face hardened. "Seems I underestimated you."
He drew in a deep breath. His cloak suddenly lit up, strange sigils glowing across the fabric—an onmyoji shikigami array providing him a surge of spiritual power.
Swish!
Suzuki Ninosuke crouched like a predator and sprinted forward with explosive speed. In an instant, he was in front of Kouya, his side kick cutting through the air with a howl.
Bang!
Kouya lifted his arm and blocked it effortlessly.
A violent swirl of wind burst around Ninosuke's leg, forming a small vortex that whipped at Kouya's hair and clothes. Any normal person would've been thrown off balance instantly.
Then came a relentless barrage of strikes—punches, kicks, elbows, all flowing together in a blur.
From the monitors, all Alice could see was chaos: a storm of fists and motion too fast for the human eye.
Then—boom! A shockwave rippled through the courtyard.
A shadow flew backward from the vortex. Suzuki Ninosuke hit the ground, flipped midair, and landed on his feet, skidding back several meters. Two dark scorch marks stretched under his shoes.
He looked up, a trickle of blood running from his lip.
Kouya's gaze stayed cold and steady. By onmyoji standards, this man was strong—far above average. Unlike most who relied purely on their shikigami, he had fused his own body with one, enhancing his physical abilities and borrowing its elemental traits. It was impressive—but still not enough.
"Not bad, kid," Suzuki Ninosuke admitted, wiping his mouth. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
Kouya thought he was calling reinforcements—until an epic, heroic BGM started blasting.
The scruffy man spread his arms dramatically. "When my BGM plays, no one can defeat me!"
'Shut up! How can anyone say something that cringe with a straight face!?'
"Now witness my ultimate form!"
A massive onmyoji array flared beneath his feet. From its depths, a monstrous red claw began to rise, radiating a terrifying, violent aura. The entire courtyard trembled under its power.
Kouya didn't even flinch. His lips twitched—halfway between amusement and disbelief.
Then suddenly—
"Go, Kouya-kun! You can do it!"
He turned. Raphiel was standing at the edge of the courtyard, waving two flowers she had somehow picked from the chaos, her smile bright enough to outshine the moon.
"..."
Kouya felt a vein twitch in his forehead. He dragged a hand down his face, suppressing the urge to groan.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, completely losing interest in dragging this out. In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared before Suzuki Ninosuke—and threw a single punch
Wanna read ahead? Join my Patreon and support the story — up to 6 new chapters are published for you every day!: patreon.com/ArealMaster