Volume 1 Chapter 17 Kansai Disturbance Night IV – Unleash The Wind!
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(──Is he dead?)
As the young man vanished from sight, seemingly embedded in the road, the watching exorcists couldn’t help but think that.
”──!”
”────!”
”Wait! Don’t move──!”
With the worst thoughts racing through their minds, Ayabe Sasara restrained the Rat Team’s subordinates, who were about to rush out, with gestures and shouts.
There was some distance, but even with Naoshi’s warning, the damage from the explosion was severe.
They couldn’t even tell what was being said, or if they were even speaking correctly.
”────!”
”What good will it do for us to go? Have you forgotten Naoshi-dono’s words?”
Channeling spirit energy (reiki) to see through the darkness, they focused on the battlefield.
Naoshi, trampled by the oni, didn’t move at all.
But now was not the time to act.
Just a few moments.
As Naoshi had said, if they confronted that oni, they would be scattered in the blink of an eye.
Considering his resolve, such a wasteful act, such selfishness, could not be allowed──!
”Hey, what’s wrong? Playing dead?”
With that thought in mind, they watched as the oni’s foot, carelessly lifted and dropped, crushed the asphalt over Naoshi, burying his head completely into the ground.
After kicking him 2 or 3 more times, Kurikoma observed Naoshi’s unmoving form.
”──What’s this? To lose yourself over something like this is surprisingly pathetic.”
The oni sighed, grabbing Naoshi’s head and effortlessly lifting him above her own.
Naoshi’s body was completely limp.
The female oni then tossed him 2 meters (6.56ft) into the air, grabbing his left ankle.
”Here.”
”Ugh…!”
With that, she swung her arm as if waving a towel.
The watching exorcists gasped at the horrifying sound of the wind, and Naoshi’s body hit the asphalt with a dull thud, bouncing back up from the impact.
”──If you don’t wake up soon, you’ll die just like that, you know?”
As the oni swung her arm, Naoshi’s body arced again.
Then, like a child roughly handling a doll, Kurikoma began to swing Naoshi’s body left and right, slamming it into the ground.
With each impact, a low, sickening sound echoed.
”Come on, hurry up.”
There was no malice in the oni’s expression or movements.
Repeating “hurry up” with a childlike innocence, the oni toyed with and sought to destroy the human body.
”Ugh…!”
”You…!”
”──This is too cruel…!”
Amid the disturbing sounds of Naoshi’s body hitting the ground, the anguished voices of the subordinates reached Sasara’s ears as his hearing returned.
If he weren’t in this position, he would have reacted the same way.
The only reason he held back was out of pride as the one leading them, entrusted by Naoshi.
(If we lose like this, I will surely resent you, Naoshi-dono──!)
But after witnessing such a scene, how could he possibly smile?
Bad impressions existed, but everything was overturned by the feelings shown.
Even knowing it was necessary to flatter and buy time with someone who treated them so cruelly, it was an unbearable torture.
If only such schemes could be exposed immediately, how much easier it would be to laugh at the thought of how precious life was──ah, no, that won’t do.
Wishing for such easy relief, only to meet a meaningless death, left no face to show.
(So, please)
There should be no hopeful expectations in the fight against the ayakashi.
But even so, if that was all they could do, they couldn’t help but wish.
(Stand up, and fight──!)
As if that wish had been heard, Naoshi’s body suddenly rebooted.
The limbs that had only been tossed around filled with strength, and a shout erupted.
”Ya pig, don’t you dare underestimate me!”
”Eek!?”
Taking advantage of the movement for the umpteenth time, Naoshi’s heel struck the oni’s horn with a shout.
A creaking sound echoed.
”Ahhh──!?”
And then, a loud scream drowned it out.
The oni’s strength, easily tossing around a person, Naoshi’s own weight, and the ‘destructive power created by the speed’…
All of that was concentrated into the heel, and with spirit power added to the counterattack, it successfully cracked the oni’s long left horn visibly.
”My horn, my horn!?”
Realizing this, Kurikoma let go of Naoshi and hurriedly crouched down, holding her head.
”Ugh…!”
Thrown aside, Naoshi hit the ground without being able to brace for it and let out a small groan, then stood up unsteadily like a ghost.
”Oh, ya really went and did whatever ya pleased, didn’t ya…!”
He roared with a voice filled with resentment that seemed to echo from the depths of the earth.
Covered in dirt and wounds, but with no sign of broken limbs, his movements were surprisingly steady compared to the earlier chaos.
His fighting spirit was high, and it seemed he wasn’t seriously injured.
A mix of surprise and cheers rose from Ayabe’s exorcists.
”Phew…”
Sasara also unknowingly let out a sigh of relief.
”Aaahhh… aaahhh…!”
”What’s with all the cryin’ like it’s the end of the world just ‘cause yer horn’s got a little crack, ya dirty hog…!”
Wiping his scratched face roughly, Naoshi cursed at the sobbing oni.
”Just one horn, huh──?”
Kurikoma turned sharply, her eyes burning with anger.
”You, you hurt my precious horn…!? Why would you do something so terrible…!”
”A crack’s nothin’. I’ll snap it clean off right now!”
”──Eek!”
However, Naoshi’s fierce shout, filled with anger, quickly extinguished that spirit.
Though she hurriedly stood up, it was more a reaction to protect herself than to fight.
The expression on the oni’s face was unmistakably one of fear.
”I-I don’t want to, don’t come near me…!”
”──Outta my sight!”
With a shout of determination, Naoshi stepped into the fray.
”Ugh…!”
Naoshi’s fist aimed for the face was blocked by Kurikoma’s crossed arms.
Unlike the lightning-fast moves that toyed with the oni, this attack was only fast enough for a basic defense.
The dull, low sound of the impact was much heavier than before.
It was a deep sound that didn’t seem like it came from a living body.
Even with a body enhanced by spiritual power, and as a Great Youkai, both the attacker and the defender would not come out unscathed. That was how it felt.
”Shahh────!”
”Guuh… you, damn…!”
But Naoshi continued to deliver those heavy blows without hesitation.
It seemed like he had taken a painful counterattack from the oni, but the storm of his fists was enough to crush the oni even through her defenses.
A single human was overwhelming the Great Youkai, the oni, head-on, just like in the legends.
”This is Kansai’s strongest, right here…!”
The voices of the exorcists watching Ayabe were filled with awe, even bordering on fear.
* * *
”Just hurry up and keel over, ya piece of trash──!”
──He felt the pain.
It was still creaking throughout his body, and if he let his guard down for even a moment, he might not be able to stand anymore.
But he endured, he was still fighting.
As long as he could do that, he could still win.
So Naoshi stepped forward. This was not his end──!
”Guuh…! What’s with yer heavy fists… again…!”
Having been hit repeatedly, like preparing meat before cooking, he understood how much spiritual power he needed to use for defense to endure.
If he could figure that out, he could focus all unnecessary power on offense, and there was no need to rush or create distance.
It was a savage battle, and he aimed to finish it in close combat where their fists could reach each other──!
”Y-you…!”
He dodged the oni’s fist aimed at his face by twisting away.
After the wind pressure passed, he felt a tingling pain on his right cheek.
His right ear felt even hotter, and thinking about the sensation of his shoulder getting wet, it might even be torn off.
However, that did not diminish Naoshi’s fighting spirit.
Instead, the pain and anger fueled the fire in his heart, making it burn even stronger.
”──Shahh!”
”Guuh…!”
Stepping in at an angle, he slammed his right elbow into the center of the oni’s chest. As the oni staggered back from the impact, Naoshi brought down his clenched right fist like a hammer.
”Guuh…!”
Kurikoma let out a groan as she stepped back.
Naoshi took another step forward and punched his left fist into the oni’s chest again.
A watery cough escaped the oni’s throat.
”Ugh, goh──Ooo!”
With a sound like a wall of air being broken, the oni’s right leg roared, as if it could kick down a large tree. But it was clearly a desperate and obvious attack.
”Ha! Not takin’ that, ya fool!”
Having already read the oni’s initial move, Naoshi dove into the oni’s space, closing the distance, and struck the raised arm and left shoulder against the oni’s inner thigh, nullifying the power of the attack.
Naoshi twisted his body to channel the momentum into his right fist and struck the oni’s side with a powerful blow.
”Ughh!”
A sound like a traffic accident echoed, and the oni’s body bent at an awkward angle.
”Uaggghhh!”
But the oni let out a loud roar and endured the hit, swinging her right arm in a wide arc, as if to slap.
A chilling wind howled, but it only sliced through the air.
Naoshi, already crouched and out of the way, gathered his strength like a snake preparing to strike.
”──Just go!”
With a tremor that kicked up pieces of asphalt around him, Naoshi’s extended palm struck the oni’s jaw.
He stopped clenching his fist. If that delicate-looking hand could carry the weight and impact of a heavy bell, he would use this arm as a hammer to send the oni flying!
”!!”
A loud clink sounded as their teeth clashed.
The oni’s head snapped back, revealing her brown throat.
It was a relatively thin neck on her thick body.
One of the oni’s knees buckled.
”──Did he do it!?”
”Ugh, wait…!”
Naoshi almost protested at the words of one of Ayabe’s exorcists.
The oni didn’t miss this chance.
She lunged forward, spreading her arms wide to embrace Naoshi.
Blood-mixed foam stained her mouth.
”──What? How dare you kick a girl’s face!”
”Ya gone and knocked a few heads yerself, ain’t ya?!”
Kurikoma’s voice was devoid of confidence and even sounded pained.
But when cornered, even a mouse can bite a cat. If it was an oni, her desperate struggle could crush even a giant rock.
”Oooohh!!!”
”Damn it!”
Naoshi cursed as he felt his knees buckle.
Kuriko’s arms were now at Naoshi’s waist, literally capturing his center of movement. The force of falling helped, and the speed was sharp enough.
There was no escape up, down, or back.
There was nowhere to run──so he had to stand his ground.
”I told ya, don’t underestimate me, ya filthy pig!”
”What!?”
With a shout, Naoshi spread his arms wide and grabbed the oni’s wrist with an underhand grip.
The oni’s strength likely surpassed that of a large carnivorous beast.
Naoshi faced it head-on, not in a perfect stance──no, while his left arm held steady against the right, the right arm was twisting downward.
”Am I losing to strength!?”
”Ya think it’s all about strength, ya damn fool?!”
Saying this, Naoshi slammed his forehead against the oni’s horn without any hesitation.
After a dull thud, his skin tore, and blood splattered like a blooming red flower.
”I’m stronger, no matter what!”
”Aaaaah──!?”
But it was the oni that screamed.
The impact against her already cracked horn caused a panic that was beyond pain.
”No! No! Nooo!”
Screaming like a little girl, the oni flailed her arms to shake off Naoshi’s grip, wildly swinging her arms to keep him at bay.
The aim and intention of a child’s tantrum, when powered by oni strength, can be a serious threat.
To escape this danger, Naoshi took a step back.
”Aah, aah…!”
In the oni’s eyes, already filled with tears, a momentary look of relief appeared as the threat faded away.
Now it was Naoshi’s turn to take advantage of that opening.
”──────!!”
The sharp breath released was hidden by the sound of air bursting.
From a half-turned stance with his right leg back, it began.
To Kurikoma’s eyes, Naoshi’s upper body seemed to vanish. The exorcists watching from a distance gasped as they saw him fall forward, as if they had reached their limit.
Indeed, as his body was thrown forward, his right leg arched sharply to strike at the oni’s neck.
The oni, who knew nothing of martial arts, had no way of understanding this technique, especially since Naoshi had been using mostly punches until this moment.
This was not only to avoid wide openings in his movements but also to keep his cards hidden until that very moment.
And for that reason, he had even cracked his own horn──what was the purpose of that? This thought slipped from Kurikoma’s mind.
The name of this desperate technique, which could not be predicted and therefore could not be avoided, was a spinning roundhouse kick.
”Ga──!?”
The foot, infused with spiritual power and swung down from outside her awareness, sliced off the oni’s horn with its sharpness.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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