Sun Wukong's Power (3)
What exactly was the Ruyi Staff? Its formal name was the Ruyi Jingu Bang. For convenience, we shortened the word and simply called it the Ruyi Staff. Its original purpose had been a tool for measuring the depths of rivers and seas, yet a certain yokai began to wield it as a weapon. And the identity of that yokai was none other than Sun Wukong.
The ability to freely change its size and weight belonged to the possessor of monstrous strength who handled overwhelming mass-based armaments better than anyone. He was the very reason everyone now associated the Ruyi Staff with a weapon. Thanks to Sun Wukong's existence, people no longer thought first of the Dragon Palace that had used it as "the weight of the sea," but of Sun Wukong, who had brandished it as a weapon.
No matter if it's a replica, I can't take the Ruyi Staff lightly given its reputation.
"Unlike the original, which had no limits on size or weight, a replica is bound to have restrictions. If we can just figure out those limits…"
Thud. Bang!
"Huh…?"
Hoya felt something streak past right before her eyes. Only after Cheonhwa Yuseol shoved her out of the attack's path did she realize it had been the Ruyi Staff they'd just been discussing.
Tingle.
"It didn't even hit me, yet my skin is tingling."
How was the wind pressure alone enough to crush her skin when she'd dodged the strike? Blocking or deflecting an attack with that kind of force was impossible. The only option was pure evasion, and even then she would need to create a wide gap.
Gulp.
"Wow, I'm not kidding. I might actually die here."
I will face him.
"…By yourself?"
No matter how strong Cheonhwa Yuseol was, taking on the Ruyi Staff in Sun Wukong's hands couldn't be easy. Wait. She reacted to that attack and saved me just now, didn't she? By any measure, her display had been nothing short of brilliant. So perhaps this time she would exceed expectations again.
Feeling an odd sense of relief at that confident expression, Hoya still asked, "Will you be all right?"
I've been curious myself. I am not at full strength, and that is not the true Great Sage Equal to Heaven, so the balance should be fair enough. Stay out of my fight and clean up the surroundings.
Hoya nodded. When she put it that way, there was nothing more to say. This battle had already moved beyond the level where she could interfere.
Whoosh.
Hoya vanished in a burst of flame, even using Karma for movement now. Cheonhwa Yuseol gave a small sigh of admiration at the sight, then loosened her wrists and spoke.
I do not respect you, but the master of that power is a legendary being even I, a human, know well. Therefore, I shall show proper courtesy.
Cheonhwa Yuseol extended her hand and circulated the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Lightning that had been crouching silently within the dark clouds descended to her palm as if it had been waiting. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art clothed that lightning in a splendid, beautiful garment.
Crackle. Crackle.
Lightning had no fixed shape, yet the Heavenly Demon Divine Art made it possible. Piece by piece, like a work of art, the lightning was refined until it solidified into a single beautiful sword that seemed to embody Cheonhwa Yuseol herself.
She leveled the blade and declared with dignity,
I am the Sword God, Cheonhwa Yuseol. Head of the forgotten Cheonhwa family and the strongest under heaven. To the Battle-Victorious Buddha, I pay my respects and shall give this fight my full sincerity.
"Grrr. The Sword God? The strongest under heaven? How arrogant for a mere human!"
What of it? Compared to my disciple, who will one day surpass me and become the greatest of all ages, I am still merely within the Buddha's palm.
"You bitch!!"
The monkey's body swelled violently as it moved. Muscles contracted in an instant, generating explosive power, and the Ruyi Staff grew even heavier to match.
Until now, I have not properly held a sword. Even when I did, I never shaped it into a complete form like this. That is why there is a common misunderstanding.
If Cheonhwa Yuseol were to wield a proper blade tailored to her—
Slice.
Quite sturdy. I wonder if the real one would cut.
There was nothing she could not cut.
"Wh-what?!"
The monkey could not comprehend the situation. What was this? Why was the tip of the Ruyi Staff severed?
This could not be. This was absolutely impossible.
People felt fear toward the unknown. Yokai were no different.
Crack. Crunch.
The monkey felt terror toward Cheonhwa Yuseol. The flow of the sword she swung. The intent hidden within those light footsteps. It could not understand any of it. And so it was afraid.
"Other me! Calm yourself! I am still unharmed!"
"Shut up! That ghost just cut the Ruyi Jingu Bang!"
"Get a hold of yourself! I am not the real Ruyi Staff!"
At the voice of the other Sun Wukong echoing from the staff, the monkey roared.
"I will not forgive this! This great one!"
Shake. Shake. Shake.
"This body, descendant of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
How do you threaten anyone while trembling like that?
Crunch!
Cheonhwa Yuseol's fingertips moved. A light explosion burst from the monkey's palm, lightning detonating within. She had amplified the residual magic power left in the Ruyi Staff from the previous strike, inflicting double the damage.
"Graaaagh!"
"Other me!"
"You damn bastard!"
Shake. Shake. Shake.
The trembling would not stop. The monkey felt rage at its own body disobeying its will and shouted at the other self that had become the Ruyi Staff.
"This won't do! My body refuses to follow me because of that bastard's sorcery! This time I will transform!"
"Understood!"
Boom!
Dense smoke erupted around the monkey. Cheonhwa Yuseol watched quietly, then swung her sword.
Slash!
Foolish creatures. Who do you think you are playing tricks in front of?
Violet sword energy rose from the blade, piercing the smoke with a chilling sound as it cut through something. But it was too weak. Far too faint to bisect the body.
Confirming the reason, Cheonhwa Yuseol twisted the corner of her mouth and spoke to the different monkey that now stood before her.
Still, this one is somewhat more useful than the last.
The one that had been fighting her had turned into a weapon, while the one that had been the Ruyi Staff until now had taken its original form. In the process, it had dodged the sword energy she sent.
However, you could not dodge it completely.
"You monstrous bastard."
Drip. Drip.
It had not dodged perfectly. That was why blood droplets fell from the wound crossing its eye.
"Why is a monster like you helping a nine-tailed fox?"
You have no need to know.
"This is a matter between yokai! It is not a problem for you to interfere with!"
Not a problem for her to interfere with.
That is strange. Why did those creatures come here in the first place?
Weren't you the ones who targeted my one and only disciple first?
They had come for Zeon. That was why she, his master, had stepped forward. What fault could there be in those words? From the moment they set their sights on Zeon, it had stopped being a fight among yokai.
"We touched your disciple?"
"To be precise, we were about to. That is why Hoya and I came here to stop it."
The monkey thought quickly. Having observed the situation from a third-person perspective while transformed into the Ruyi Staff, it had kept its composure. It soon realized that the disciple she spoke of was the new challenger undergoing the trial of Sun Wukong they had been targeting.
"So he took a yokai as his disciple."
Zeon was not a yokai. But there was no reason to tell them that. There was no chance of it, but if by some slim possibility this creature escaped, it would target Zeon. Therefore, she would conceal all information about him.
Then let us begin again.
"Right! Let's start!"
Boom!
With the monkey's shout, something burst from the ground. Cheonhwa Yuseol twisted her head lightly to evade, but the distance was still a little short to avoid the attack from the Ruyi Staff completely.
Thwack!
The wind pressure following the strike turned her head. The monkey did not miss the opening and widened the distance.
"Do not think the power I have obtained ends here!"
It released every fragment of Sun Wukong's power it had stolen so far. Part of the sorcery Sun Wukong had once wielded began to assail Cheonhwa Yuseol.
So he handled such sorcery as well.
Cheonhwa Yuseol swung her sword, cutting down the yokai that rushed at her. The creatures split by her blade turned into smoke for a moment, then recombined and targeted her again. Though they were clearly illusions, taking them head-on would allow them to become real and inflict actual damage.
A little troublesome, but not difficult.
Still, this much could be resolved easily with only a slight application of Karma.
Slice.
Unlike before, those cut by her sword did not turn into mist but vanished completely. The techniques the monkey used were probably only effective against those who could not handle Karma. To those who could wield that power, they merely bought a moment of time.
Well, if he had used the technique to buy time, she might have praised him…
Judging by his expression, that is not the case.
How could his thoughts be so plainly visible on his face? In all her life, she had never seen anyone worse at controlling their expressions than Zeon.
That disciple of mine. I wonder if he is doing well on his own.
Is he resting properly? Is he eating well? Is he listening attentively in class?
Like a parent, Cheonhwa Yuseol pondered her worries for Zeon as her sword continued to move.
Slice.
"Kyaaaaagh!!!"
Now, let us finish this.
She had gained what she needed. There was no longer any reason to prolong the fight. Her mind held only the desire to end this quickly and return to her disciple.
So come out already. I will not drag this out any longer.
The instant Cheonhwa Yuseol's sword was about to pierce the monkey's heart—
Crack!
The Ruyi Staff, which had been the other monkey created through the mirror of division, shattered completely.
"…Tsk. Miss, if you keep doing that, I'll get sad."
Different from before, the monkey with a golden glow blazing in one eye smirked at Cheonhwa Yuseol.