The match between Team Enterprise and Team Saigoku concluded, igniting the atmosphere at the venue.
In other words, it had that vibe.
The teams that followed quickly pushed the excitement to a fever pitch.
The crowd's fervor grew hotter.
The battles grew fiercer.
From time to time, a human or yokai would fall dead on the arena floor—bloody, brutal, and merciless. That was the essence of the Dark Tournament.
Yet, this very brutality sent waves of exhilaration through the audience.
The bodies of fallen humans and yokai were swiftly cleared by the organizers.
Morpheus knew their flesh would become material for Abe no Seimei's resurrection.
But only he, his companions, and the organizers knew this. The others were oblivious.
The morning passed quickly.
By afternoon, another all-human team took the stage.
Like Team Enterprise, they were all martial artists—and familiar to Morpheus.
Or rather, Morpheus knew them, but they didn't know him.
They were members of the YAMI.
The Hachio Executioner Blades.
However, only five could compete in this match.
Their opponents were a formidable team.
An all-yokai squad.
This was typical, as the Dark Tournament's most numerous participants were yokai from across Japan.
Humans were a minority here.
The first fighter from Hachio Executioner Blades was Mihai Știrbey, the Martial King who Dances with Death.
He wielded a scythe, hailing from Transylvania, heavily influenced by British quarterstaff techniques.
A killing addict, he'd harmed countless people to sate his bloodlust.
He spared no one, not even the defenseless.
Notably, his scythe was crafted by Shigure Kosaka's father, versatile and unbound by rigidity. He also wore chainmail and ultra-thin impact-resistant plates made by Shigure's father.
Among those wielding weapons forged by Shigure's father, he had the highest kill count.
His opponent was a Kamaitachi.
The Kamaitachi's ability was wind manipulation, somewhat akin to Mihai's style.
Upon entering, the Kamaitachi had no intention of engaging in close combat. Keeping its distance from Mihai, it unleashed its signature move.
With a wave of its claw, a sharp wind blade sliced toward Mihai.
Mihai swung his scythe, cleaving the incoming wind blade, but before he could close in, the Kamaitachi unleashed a barrage of wind blades from all directions.
Mihai had to swing his scythe impenetrably to fend off the assault.
But the Kamaitachi's wind blades were too numerous.
They pinned the killing addict in place, unable to move a step.
As the saying goes, a prolonged defense invites failure.
Over time, Mihai's scythe faltered slightly, and a wind blade slipped through.
Had he not reacted quickly, dodging in time, it would have severed his head.
Even so, his neck was slashed, blood flowing freely.
With no choice, Mihai used ki to seal the wound, stemming the blood, and conceded, ending the match abruptly.
The Kamaitachi's ranged attacks were simply too oppressive.
After Mihai's retreat, the Hachio Executioner Blades members conferred and decided to send a ranged fighter to counter the Kamaitachi.
Mildred Lawrence, the Double-Eyed Martial Archer, took the task.
The only female archer in Hachio Executioner Blades, she possessed terrifying sniping skills. With a muscular build, defined abs, and arms, her most distinctive feature was her "double pupils."
Her marksmanship was otherworldly.
However, she relied heavily on her weapon and struggled in close combat, which led to her defeat by Kensei's clothing-bind technique in the original Kenichi final battle.
Not because she was weak—Kensei was just too strong.
Upon entering, Mildred began trading blows with the Kamaitachi.
She darted swiftly, dodging wind blades while firing terrifying arrows.
Her arrows, infused with ki, pierced the air with a sharp whistle, reaching the Kamaitachi in an instant.
The Kamaitachi was startled—the arrows were too fast.
They rivaled bullets.
Terrifying.
The Kamaitachi scrambled to evade.
But, lacking martial training and relying solely on innate ability, its dodging was clumsy.
Soon, an arrow pierced its abdomen, blood spraying.
"Argh!"
The Kamaitachi screamed, retreating.
But Mildred, seizing the advantage, pressed on, firing arrow after arrow, piercing its arm and thigh.
The most dangerous shot nearly struck its heart.
The Kamaitachi summoned an air current, forming a wind barrier, but to Mildred, it was like paper.
Her arrows easily tore through.
Ultimately, the Kamaitachi surrendered, spared from being shot dead on the spot.
Grumbling, the Kamaitachi left, and a Rokurokubi took the stage.
Barely entering, it was struck in the head by Mildred's arrow, which punched a hole clean through.
The Rokurokubi collapsed, dead.
It became the fastest knockout in this Dark Tournament's history.
Morpheus was at a loss for words.
Hitomi couldn't help but blurt, "Is that guy an idiot?"
Raikou calmly replied, "Rokurokubi aren't fools. Their heads are harder than steel, their strongest asset."
"But he underestimated his opponent's power, and that's why he died."
Hitomi nodded, realizing it wasn't stupidity but overconfidence in its own ability.
Where that blind confidence came from was anyone's guess.
After the Rokurokubi's death, the next yokai was a Shiranui.
This one was Mildred's natural counter.
Lacking a physical form, it was a shapeless flame. Physical attacks were useless against it.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (removespace)