Volume 5 Chapter 20 Touma Yukinojo Assassination Plan 6️⃣： Sempaa Paratus
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Suzuri’s blade arced through the air—and in that fleeting instant, three things occurred.
First, Zhang’s arms, severed cleanly at the forearms, twisted unnaturally as if tugged by invisible strings. Like puppets under a cruel master, they lashed upward, striking Suzuri under the chin. Her eyes rolled back as the force of the blow knocked her unconscious in a single, merciless instant.
”What the—?!”
”What the hell is going on?!”
Almost simultaneously, figures began to emerge—individuals cloaked in secrecy, likely Zhang’s accomplices. Their bodies, patterned like carved wood, betrayed their roles as puppeteers. Without hesitation, they surged toward the second-floor seating.
And then, the woman in the cheongsam hurled something at the judge. The object emitted a flash of binding energy, freezing the official mid-movement. With unshakable poise, she stepped past the boundary of the stage’s protective barrier.
”Touma Yukinojo!” she shouted, her heel pressing down on Suzuri’s prone back. “If this girl means anything to you, come out now!”
The exorcists, startled by the sudden turn, split into two camps.
Some—including Touma Yukinojo—immediately moved to protect the civilians, the Bureau of Onmyō staff, and the gathered political figures.
”Shahh!”
The shout rang out as others sprang toward the stage, ignoring the danger. Among them was a straw-haired youth who leapt forward without hesitation. His movements matched the reckless energy of his nickname.
──The stage barrier was designed to be easily entered, but not so easily escaped.
Exorcists, by doctrine, prioritized the lives of non-combatants above their own.
Thus, the moment Zhang seized Shiun Suzuri as a hostage and stepped onto the stage, she forced a checkmate.
Yukinojo, named directly by the enemy and perhaps the true target all along, faced a dilemma. Whether this assault was aimed at the political assembly or himself was unclear—but even in that uncertainty, he did not hesitate.
”I’m counting on you, Naoshi,” Yukinojo said coolly, his voice filled with grim resolve.
A single phrase entrusted everything to his trusted comrade—spoken with the clarity of one who had made countless such decisions before.
”Shahh!”
The collision was violent, like a traffic accident.
Zhang’s crossed arms caught Kazuramichi Naoshi’s palm strike with frightening stability. Despite their earlier severing, the thick limbs absorbed the blow effortlessly.
”Who are you?” the woman barked, eyes narrowing.
Naoshi smirked, sarcasm lining his voice. “That’s a little rude, don’t you think? I may not be as famous as Yuki-kun, but people around here know my name.”
”‘Around here’? What’s with that weird accent of yours?”
”You’re really gonna come at me for that?” Naoshi chuckled, keeping a safe distance as he watched Zhang’s movements carefully.
He didn’t let his guard down—not for a second.
The woman didn’t know it, but Naoshi was the strongest exorcist in the Kansai region.
Her mistake in targeting Yukinojo instead was either arrogance… or ignorance.
Zhang—no, the man who stood before Naoshi—was clearly not human.
And yet, Naoshi knew instinctively: this was no opponent he could take lightly.
”Zhang-san, right?” Naoshi said, his tone light but edged with steel. “With that kind of skill, letting some shady older sister pull your strings… seems like a waste.”
Zhang gave no reply. His eyes were vacant, hollow.
Then came a soft, mocking laugh.
”What’s so funny?” Naoshi asked, his brows twitching.
”Talking to a tool like him is pointless,” the woman said, voice dripping with derision. “He’s not Zhang. He’s not even human. He’s a Kyonshi!”
With that declaration, Zhang began to strip away the outer layer of his body.
His claws tore through his own scalp and coat, peeling away flesh and fabric like paper.
A sickening stench of blood and decay filled the air.
Naoshi’s nose wrinkled. “Hoh… so that’s what this is.”
What emerged from beneath was a man in his late thirties.
Lean, muscular, and bound with steel-thread-like restraints, he wore an ordinary face—except for the talisman affixed to his forehead and the unnatural scent of preservatives clinging to his skin.
”His name’s Muo,” the woman declared triumphantly. “He was once feared as the Kowloon Shadow, Hong Kong’s deadliest assassin. Now he’s nothing more than a zombie—one of Hu Lingyin’s puppets.”
”Well,” Naoshi muttered with a dry smile, “thanks for the detailed intro.”
Despite the grotesque transformation, his demeanor remained calm.
Even if this was all meticulously planned, Naoshi had no intention of getting flustered.
Kyonshi—the undead of Chinese folklore.
They were known to infect the living, though mostly just civilians.
Zhang—or rather, Muo—was another story entirely.
His martial art, Kung Fu, was uniquely lethal.
”So this is a little gift from the underworld?” Naoshi said, narrowing his eyes. “You’ll regret stepping out into the open.”
”Then remember my name,” the woman hissed.
”No thanks,” Naoshi replied with a lopsided grin. “I’ll be heading back to my world in tears soon enough—never to see you again.”
Hu’s face turned bright red.
”────!”
”Not following,” Naoshi said, shaking his head as he dodged her incoming strike.
Bushidō—was humanity’s answer to evolution, forged not through claws or fangs but through principle and repetition.
In times of crisis, instinct took over.
Even in death, those instincts remained.
”Haaah!”
”──!”
Their fists met, lightning flashing behind them as black scorch marks marred their skin.
Naoshi’s cheek split open, white bone peeking through.
Muo, whoever he had been in life, was undeniably strong.
Even as a corpse, he wielded a honed, living martial art.
To challenge someone like Yukinojo might have seemed futile, but even the faintest glimmer of a threat warranted caution.
Naoshi wiped the blood from his face, beckoning slightly with his bloodstained fingers.
Their stances were strikingly similar: left hand forward, right hand tucked deep.
A stance for deception, feints, and decisive strikes.
Even that “soft” left jab would flatten an average man.
”──! What are you doing, Muo?!”
Naoshi grimaced at the noise from those who didn’t grasp what was unfolding.
The pressure in the air was suffocating.
Comparable to the dread he’d felt against the spider-woman of Mitake…
Or long ago, against his uncle—the man who had once been his master.
Yet he could still see clearly.
Suzuri remained motionless.
Muo wasn’t interfering—was he testing Naoshi’s resolve?
Motives didn’t matter.
The moment Yukinojo stepped in, no one else could.
Naoshi had already sent instructions to his cousin, Ako.
”Haai────!”
Muo came at him. His step was sharp, like the first stage of a multistage rocket.
Naoshi deflected with a swing of his arm.
”Ooh—!”
A thud rang out.
His little finger had caught the hem of his clothing.
”Haa────!”
Before he could recover, his right fist flew toward his chest.
”Haah!”
Naoshi stepped forward and slammed his right elbow into her fist’s trajectory.
An explosion thundered at their feet, as if the earth itself cracked open.
”Guh…!”
”────!”
Their arms clashed, one rising, one falling, as momentum pulled them into each other’s space.
Too close for decisive blows, yet neither could pull away.
”────!”
In that tiny space, they exchanged blow after blow, offense and defense blurring together.
No ground was given.
No inch was conceded.
Martial arts was an inheritance.
From master to student, from past to present, from yesterday’s self to today’s.
It was a waiting weapon—maybe never used, maybe used only once.
And yet when wielded, it revealed something unshakably personal.
Even in a strike.
Even in the choice not to strike.
The soul of the practitioner rang through.
Notes:
• Touma Yukinojo – The head of the Touma family, a prominent exorcist clan from Kanto. At just 21 years old, he is regarded as the strongest exorcist in Japan, known for his exceptional swordsmanship and mastery over fire. He is also referred to by the title ‘Ice Blade’, which scatters spirits, and is noted for possessing the ‘Divine Eye’, a unique ability that further enhances his prowess. Yukinojo is described as a handsome young man with the blood of a snow woman.
• Hu Lingyin – Female. A genius Taoist who controls Zhang. Her appearance is fierce, and she is quick to anger. She is the mastermind behind Zhang’s actions and plays a key role in the assassination plan.
• Muo – Non-human (Kyonshi). A reanimated corpse with refined kung fu skills. His appearance is not detailed, but he is a formidable opponent. He engages Naoshi in a intense martial arts battle.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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