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Saeko Busujima didn't enjoy playing the lone hero, but the current situation left her no choice.
As her katana slid from its sheath, a cold moonlight fell upon Kiyomizu Stage. The bone-chilling killing intent even made the mountain-sized demon turn his head.
"This power... an Onmyōji? No wait, this reckless, overconfident style... you're a Jujutsu Sorcerer, aren't you?"
Tsuchigumo merely glanced at Saeko and let out a contemptuous snort.
Reckless? Overconfident?
Of course not.
The moment Tsuchigumo had appeared, Saeko had already completed her tactical assessment.
Judging by how he'd arrived and his speed, this demon—despite seeming to favor raw power—possessed agility and quickness completely at odds with his massive frame.
Add in the sheer difference in limb reach between them, and running away on foot was basically impossible.
Especially since there were still plenty of tourists lingering inside Kiyomizu-dera. If she just fled, their fate was obvious.
Plus, right outside the temple was the busy shopping district—crowded with people, making escape even more difficult.
So all things considered, rather than waiting until massive casualties forced her into battle anyway, she might as well strike first and eliminate him right here where he'd appeared!
Attack!
With that thought, Saeko suddenly dropped low, her footwork light and agile as she kicked off the ground. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from her spot.
The next second, she'd already appeared directly beneath Tsuchigumo.
Because of their height difference, if Saeko stood on the same ground level, she'd never be able to reach any vital points—like his throat or heart.
But against a monster this large with devastating power yet surprising agility, recklessly launching into the air would be equally foolish.
Humans couldn't change direction mid-air. If he reacted and counterattacked, she wouldn't even have a chance to dodge—she'd take a direct hit and suffer critical injuries.
So first, Saeko would test him with one strike—
BOOM!
Before her blade even finished its arc, a violent roar instantly filled the entire sky above Kiyomizu-dera. Massive dust clouds kicked up, and the already-damaged Kiyomizu Stage shook once more, fine cracks appearing on the support pillars beneath.
When the dust settled, Tsuchigumo—who'd been crouching and smoking just moments ago—remained in the same position, one arm clenched into a fist and driven deep into the stage below.
Right beside where his fist had landed, the sword-wielding girl stood completely unharmed, only her sleeve edges dusted with debris. Both hands gripped her katana's handle, frozen in a post-slash stance.
"Oh? You not only dodged but even counterattacked? Not bad... for a Jujutsu Sorcerer."
As if somewhat surprised the girl hadn't died from that strike, Tsuchigumo pulled his fist from the crater and examined it carefully.
A shallow red mark appeared on the first joint of his second right hand's pinky finger.
But it was just a mark—like the faint red line that appears on skin after scratching it.
In other words, Saeko's surprise attack hadn't even managed to break Tsuchigumo's skin.
"Well, in that case, I won't hold back anymore."
Even as he said this, Tsuchigumo raised two more arms, still keeping one hand on his pipe.
Then—
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
In an instant, an explosive roar far more intense than before erupted across Kiyomizu Stage.
Tsuchigumo wildly swung his three arms, like Star Platinum with an extra hand, raining devastating strikes down on the swordswoman below.
Saeko continuously shifted and weaved, facing the giant fists constantly falling from above. She precisely dodged each attack while repeatedly swinging her blade in counterstrikes.
For an ordinary person, this would be virtually impossible. But Saeko was actually pulling it off.
She seemed able to sense Tsuchigumo's killing intent, accurately predicting each attack's landing point and dodging preemptively, while striking back at the exact same spot she'd hit previously.
Like repeatedly bending a steel rod back and forth, accumulating metal fatigue until it finally snapped.
Tsuchigumo's arm was no different.
SHLICK—!
Finally, after what seemed like brief but was actually dozens of exchanges, a stream of dark red liquid suddenly burst from Tsuchigumo's hand.
Blood saturated with demonic power splashed down like dumped dishwater, hitting the already-devastated Kiyomizu Stage and raising foul white smoke like acid corroding organic matter.
This was the first time since the battle began that Saeko had broken through Tsuchigumo's defense. Though it couldn't be called significant damage, it at least proved her attacks were capable of injuring him.
But even the best plans have their flaws...
Completely ignoring his cut finger, the pain only exciting his vicious nature further, Tsuchigumo threw another punch—faster than any previous strike—connecting with Saeko while she was still airborne.
CLANG!
In an instant, a clear sword chime vibrated through the twilight-drenched air. The swordswoman who'd blocked with her blade held in front of her was sent flying high and backward. When she landed, a trace of dark red was visible at the corner of her mouth.
Ngh...
Saeko planted her katana to steady herself, pressing her lips together as she discreetly licked away the metallic taste.
Though she'd reacted in time to block Tsuchigumo's attack with her blade, the terrifying force contained within had still transferred to her body, causing varying degrees of internal injuries to her organs.
"See, this is why you Jujutsu Sorcerers are useless."
As Tsuchigumo spoke, he wiped the blood seeping from his finger wound, his voice thundering with mockery.
"Your bodies are fragile as paper screens, yet you insist on acting cocky just because you've got slightly more talent than your peers. You don't learn from those Onmyōji and fight as a coordinated team. Every time it's the same—you charge in solo with your overblown ego, and only when you realize you're outmatched do you get scared and start begging. Pathetic."
"Begging? That's not in my playbook."
Saeko pulled her katana from the ground and straightened up.
"Not planning to beg?"
Tsuchigumo's tone grew even more mocking.
"Can't you see reality yet? You just went all-out and barely managed to cut through a bit of my skin. I could literally stand here and let you hack away forever—wouldn't matter. As for you... I'm curious if you can still maintain your previous speed after eating that punch."
"Let me hack away forever? You've got something wrong. That fight was just me stalling for time. My ability isn't exactly suitable for crowded places, you see."
As Saeko spoke, she held her katana horizontally before her and exhaled softly. Her still-calm voice drifted on the evening breeze through the now-empty Kiyomizu-dera.
Her left hand gently gripped the blade and slid along it. The sharp edge instantly cut through her skin, warm blood coating the steel, thickening under her cursed energy's influence until it became viscous and gel-like.
The thick scent of blood rose and spread through the air. At some point, the pockmarked, wood-chip-scattered ground beneath her feet had been covered by what looked like a swamp constructed from blood itself.
Tsuchigumo suddenly felt something was wrong.
He saw the swordswoman before him raise the corners of her mouth in an almost cruel smile.
"Domain Expansion—"
"Eight Thousand Styles: All Things' End."
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