Chapter 198
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: 183. Shinohara Yuzuki vs. Chaos Oni
Inosuke Shinohara's home in Kumamoto, Cale, the Sin of Sloth who had been watching the Japanese Hunter Alliance drive back the Hell Gate, slammed his fist down.
"Damn it. Of all places, why did Byakuga have to show up there!"
Byakuga. The first captain of the Byakuga Church, whose power resembled the chaos of Azidahaka.
He had mercilessly slaughtered the demons, turning Cale's second hidden dagger—the one he'd kept in reserve for Sloth—into a complete waste.
It would have been better if they'd at least inflicted major damage, but because Shinohara had mobilized a massive force and pushed forward, the demons emerging from the Hell Gate hadn't been able to cause much harm to Japan.
This way, Japan would retain significant forces and undoubtedly become a hindrance to the Sins later on.
"Hoo, calm down. It's not time yet."
This time, he had to show Yohana exactly who he was.
If she did it, he'd do it too.
So he'd make sure she never called that weird dragon "Master" or anything like that again.
Yeah. He'd show her by taking action himself.
"Let's see if you can handle the Oni too."
The 'Chaos Oni,' known to the Japanese as the worst calamity in their history. Could they fight as well even if this thing appeared?
Cale called out to Inosuke Shinohara, who was in one corner of the room.
"Shinohara Inosuke."
"Yes."
"Shinohara Castle failed?"
"I-I'm sorry."
It would have been nice if they'd inflicted even a little damage. Unfortunately, it had failed.
Well, there was no way a guy like that could be of any help.
"Hoo. I figured as much since Yoo Eun-ha's group was there."
He just hadn't expected it to be this thorough.
Yoo Eun-ha's women were this strong? Well, it made sense if you thought about it.
"S-So, what should we do now?"
"I'll prepare the Oni. Use it to draw out Shinohara Yuzuki."
Once the Oni started moving, Shinohara Yuzuki would move too.
From what he could see, Byakuga had no intention of getting too close. That was reassuring.
"Is the Oni still alive?"
"You don't need to know."
Inosuke bowed his head as Sloth glared at him.
"Yes."
Could they even handle this?
No matter how strong Shinohara Yuzuki or Byakuga were, they couldn't hold out against the Oni. Let's see how far they could go.
Fuji Hunter Alliance Command Post
Shinohara Yuzuki checked the damage reports from the Hunter Alliance and began reorganizing the gate frontlines.
They'd somehow blocked the Hell Gate, so it would be wise to set up barricades to defend against any gates that might open for a while.
"Clan head! A pillar of fire has erupted over there!"
"That pillar of fire..."
A purple pillar of fire was rising from the base of Mount Fuji.
It was the Flame of Chaos, which had brought pain to the Japanese long ago.
A blaze that instilled fear and terror just by looking at it.
It meant the Chaos Oni had appeared.
"It's the exact same pillar of fire as when the Oni appeared!"
No way, the Oni had been revived?
"Wait, that can't be. The Oni emerging in this situation? We'd been blocking the flood and the Hell Gate all night?"
No. Why was the Oni appearing now in the first place?
It didn't make sense. The Oni appearing at all was impossible. They'd already defeated it before at the cost of so many lives.
No choice. If it came to this, she'd have to step up herself.
Since they'd just overcome the Hell Gate, dealing with one Oni would be the end of it.
"Clan head Shinohara! Your orders!"
"I'll handle the Oni alone. You all stay out of it. Absolutely."
Facing the Oni with the Japanese Hunter Alliance would only increase casualties without subduing it.
Things had come to this, so she had to fight the Oni by herself.
The strongest person in Japan right now was Shinohara Yuzuki herself. Yuzuki of the Heavenly Sword.
Even if she didn't step up, the other skilled hunters were tied up elsewhere and couldn't come.
"It's dangerous. Let us..."
The Shinsengumi tried to step forward, but Yuzuki waved them off.
"You can't handle the Oni. Don't worry. Shinohara never loses."
She had to block it here alone.
Shinohara Yuzuki headed toward where the pillar of fire had erupted.
Inside the pillar, a massive figure the size of a house was slowly walking out.
It was a gigantic demon straight out of a painting.
A red body covered in red flesh. Horns. Ash-gray hair. Every part was grotesquely shaped.
"Grrrrooooar."
Hot blasts swept across the ground with every breath from the Chaos Oni.
Just that was enough to set the grass on the ground ablaze.
Shinohara Yuzuki spread mana through her body to expel the heat that touched her.
'As expected, it's no ordinary foe.'
But she couldn't back down here.
The best scenario would be fighting alongside Yoo Eun-ha, but there was no time to contact her separately.
She regretted not keeping her nearby.
"Chaos Oni."
"Grroooar. Kraaaah!"
"The great calamity that completely split Eastern and Western Japan, making it impossible to save the East."
The being that had effectively doomed tens of millions.
And thanks to the Oni's rampage, the Shinohara family had seized power.
Ironically, the entity that was Japan's greatest disaster—splitting the nation in two—and yet helped the Shinohara gain control. But now it had reappeared to destroy Japan again.
The Shinohara could lose their power.
Western Japan could be completely shattered.
Such a thing must never happen again.
"Will Chaos prevail? Or the Heavenly Sword?"
Aren't you curious?
"Kroooaaah!"
With the roar, Yuzuki drew her sword.
As she unsheathed the famed sword passed down through the Shinohara family for generations, a thousand swords appeared in the sky like silver water, surrounding the Chaos Oni.
"Thousand Swords Art. Severing Slash."
The thousand swords floating in the sky slashed toward the Oni from both sides in unison.
Shaaaack!
The Oni's body was sliced, and lava hotter than a volcanic eruption poured out.
Yuzuki narrowed her eyes at the sight of lava, not blood, flowing.
"Groooaaargh!"
Perhaps angered at being struck first, the Oni—whose wounds had already begun to heal—glared at Shinohara Yuzuki with both eyes.
The Oni recognized Yuzuki as an enemy.
Yuzuki had no intention of giving the enemy any opening.
As Yuzuki swung her sword, the thousand mana-infused blades attacked the Oni from all directions.
Puk! Puk! Puk-puk-puk!
The sound of cleaving meat rang out, and the charging Oni's body stiffened momentarily.
"Pathetic. Even if it looks like this, I'm the one entrusted with Japan."
"Grrroooar."
"My mindset is entirely different from a barbaric, lowbrow, brainless Oni that only knows destruction and calamity."
As Yuzuki lightly shook the sword in her hand, the swords embedded in the Oni's body tore through its flesh in different directions.
Kwajik!
"Graaaargh!"
Lava erupted from its entire body as the Oni crashed to the ground.
Riding the momentum, Yuzuki immediately unleashed a thousand swords at the Oni's Achilles tendon.
As it tried to rise while spewing lava from its body, every time a sword pierced its Achilles tendon, it let out screams.
The Oni could only flash its red eyes toward Yuzuki.
"Thousand Swords Shower."
Puk-puk-puk-puk-puk!
The renewed torrent of Shinohara's fierce sword wind tore the Oni's body to shreds.
Shinohara Yuzuki never grew arrogant or careless even when she had the advantage.
That was the Shinohara way. They never lost composure in battle. The same held true now. Especially carrying the immense burden of Japan, she couldn't give the Oni even a moment's gap.
"Thousand Swords Strike."
Dozens of swords in the air merged into one massive blade and pierced the Oni's body.
"Krahhhhaaa!"
To ensure the moniker "Yuzuki of the Heavenly Sword" never rang hollow, she vigorously wielded her sword, attacking the Oni.
Even as it was taking this beating now, the Oni was surely thinking, "Is that all you've got?"
Yuzuki thought so and didn't stop her sword, striking relentlessly.
Chop, stab, smash, slash, parry. She focused on carving up the Oni's body.
Covered in its own lava, the Oni wailed in agony.
"Guk. Graaaargh!"
And then, immense mana burst from its body.
All the swords were repelled simultaneously.
It might be a bit dangerous, but nothing she couldn't handle.
The wounds were still there, plain as day.
In other words, it proved just how strong Shinohara Yuzuki was—that she could overwhelm it without giving it time to heal.
The Heavenly Sword's strikes were never weak.
Thus, Yuzuki pressed on without pause.
She would win this fight and return. Fell the worst calamity in Japan single-handedly, use the gained public support to establish the shogunate.
And then go back and embrace Yoo Eun-ha.
Show her that she could give more pleasure than all those other women. Prove it.
'I can't lose. I won't lose.'
Shinohara's Heavenly Sword rang out fiercely.
The Chaos Oni began limping forward threateningly.
Shinohara Yuzuki focused her eyes on the Oni's movements.
It looked like it was walking on its wounded leg, but that was just appearance.
The Oni suddenly kicked off the ground and leaped after taking a few steps while grazed by swords.
"Cowardly bastard."
The Oni's claws could shred anything in an instant.
Now airborne, those claws targeted Shinohara's Thousand Swords.
"Groooaaah!"
Before swinging its claws down, the Oni poured lava from its wounds.
"Thousand Swords Barrier."
The lava spewed by the Oni was blocked by the thousand swords forming a shield.
She had to block it here. If not, the Oni would pour that lava headed for her across all of Japan.
Kwak!
The Oni's claws clashed against Shinohara's sword.
"Strong, but not enough to overwhelm me."
Maybe it was weaker than expected since it had just revived.
Its mana wasn't that potent, either.
Then perhaps she could win this.
Kwang!
Full-scale close combat began.
Shinohara Yuzuki's thousand swords continuously pressured the Chaos Oni, while the sword in her hand struck at it.
The Oni was faster than its size suggested, but unfortunately, none of its attacks reached Yuzuki.
With her much smaller frame, Yuzuki nimbly dodged the Oni's assaults.
At the same time, she manipulated the Thousand Swords to counterattack.
Pshoooaaaak!
"Groooooh!"
The Oni screamed as its flesh tore, lava erupting.
The lava that hit the ground melted the earth outright.
Kurururu...
Touch that, and her body would surely melt away.
Countless Japanese had wailed in agony, their bodies burning in that lava.
The Shinohara family taught their heirs never to let their guard down, no matter the moment.
Yuzuki hadn't forgotten Japan's past suffering at the Oni's hands.
Nor how the Shinohara rose amid that pain, driving out the monsters.
Her father, whom she'd trusted and followed, was gone now.
As head of the Shinohara family and Japan's leader, she had to face this great calamity herself.
She repeated it to herself over and over, staying vigilant, avenging the Japanese who had perished screaming to that calamity.
At that moment, the Chaos Oni once more kicked off the hellish ground flowing with lava and leaped.