In truth, in this sword duel between the two, Ren Kuroda was indeed the one being suppressed. After all, Kidōmaru's raw power lay at the S-tier, more than two full ranks above Ren's A-tier yokai energy.
Moreover, Kidōmaru's mastery of the sword was genuinely formidable. Enhanced by his own "fear," his ultra–high-speed slashes had already reached a level comparable to Kūsu Ryōsuke, whom Ren had encountered in the past.
Generally speaking, very few yokai bothered to learn human combat techniques. Most believed it unnecessary—relying solely on their innate fear was more than enough to deal with so-called onmyōji.
But Kidōmaru was clearly not that type of yokai.
Having lived for over a thousand years, he understood all too well that while a yokai's innate fear was powerful, human combat techniques also possessed undeniable merits. Over the centuries, Kidōmaru had not only mastered refined swordsmanship, but had even fused it seamlessly with his own fear, resulting in combat power that far surpassed others of the same rank.
At present, Ren—wielding only A-rank yokai power and using the first four forms of Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain—was constantly being pushed back, teetering on the edge of danger at every turn.
One had to remember that when he first arrived in the Nurarihyon world, even after activating Half-Demon Transformation, his yokai power had only barely reached A+ rank. And yet, back then, he had already been able to trade blows with Inugami Gyōbu-danuki.
Of course, Ren had ultimately lost that battle, and in his current normal state, his yokai power was still weaker than when he had fought Gyōbu-danuki under Half-Demon Transformation.
Even so, that alone was enough to show that while Kidōmaru might not be as strong as Gyōbu-danuki, the gap between them was not large.
Compared to Arakuro, however, Kidōmaru was on an entirely different level—vastly stronger by an overwhelming margin.
Their blades continued to collide relentlessly. Sword auras sprayed outward with every clash, carving deep trenches into the ground around them.
Whether it was the yokai brought by Arakuro's side or those belonging to the Kidōin faction, none dared approach the battlefield. Any single stray slash erupting from the fight was enough to cut them down instantly.
Anyone with discerning eyes could tell: though the battle was ferocious, Kidōmaru had been holding the upper hand the entire time.
Ren had not been injured yet, but opportunities to counterattack were few and far between. He remained stuck in a passive defensive posture.
The slashes of "Swift as the Wind" were indeed fast—but Kidōmaru's slashes, accelerated by fear, were even faster.
The technique known as "Sword Art: Sakura" unleashed high-speed strikes like cherry blossoms blown down by the wind. Its speed was more than ten times that of the earlier Sword Art: Plumwood Branch!
If Ren had not possessed a high-level Mind's Eye skill, he would have been covered in wounds long ago under such relentless pressure.
Swift as the Wind couldn't match the opponent's speed.Fierce as Fire couldn't be used at all—he was too busy defending to find any opening to attack.Calm as the Forest was only effective against fodder; it was completely useless against someone of Kidōmaru's caliber.
As a result, Ren could rely only on "Immovable as the Mountain," maintaining a purely defensive sword stance.
"Over these thousand years," Kidōmaru said slowly, his tone heavy,"I believed I had already refined human swordsmanship to perfection. Yet today, I finally realize that there is always someone stronger beyond oneself, a higher sky beyond the heavens.
"With only this level of yokai power, you've managed to hold out for so long even against my Sword Art: Sakura. It seems your understanding of human swordsmanship runs even deeper than my own."
He paused briefly, then continued:
"However, when it comes to swordsmanship alone, I admit my skill falls short of yours. But the fact remains—my yokai power far surpasses yours. That is an absolute truth.
"Earlier, I did not even use my fear to enhance Sword Art: Sakura. Now then… can you still defend against it once I do?"
As a fellow yokai who specialized in swordsmanship, Kidōmaru had initially felt a surge of excitement upon seeing Ren's refined technique. He had wanted to settle things purely through sword skill alone.
But even with yokai power far exceeding Ren's, he had still been unable to decisively defeat him. His pride could no longer endure it.
After openly praising Ren's strength—proving that it wasn't because he himself was weak—Kidōmaru finally resolved to use his fear to further accelerate his slashes.
Cherry blossoms filled the sky.
The scene looked breathtakingly beautiful—but hidden beneath that elegance was lethal intent. Every dazzling petal concealed an ultra–high-speed slash, invisible to the naked eye.
Any ordinary yokai who stepped into this domain would likely be reduced to minced flesh in an instant, dying without even understanding how.
Yet within this deadly field, Ren suddenly lowered his stance slightly.
Crackling arcs of electricity erupted around his body, snapping and popping violently.
As Ren's yokai power surged upward, the lightning grew increasingly ferocious and dense. The falling cherry-blossom slashes were repelled before they could even touch him, deflected by the raging thunder surrounding his body.
Before Kidōmaru could even comprehend what kind of power Ren had just activated, he realized that Ren—who had been standing right there—had suddenly vanished.
No… "vanished" wasn't quite accurate.
With Kidōmaru's formidable perception, he could still barely capture a trace of Ren's movement.
But even so, he couldn't see Ren's figure at all—only fleeting streaks of violet lightning flashing through the air, and a charred, blackened trail scorched across the ground where thunder had rampaged through.
"So fast… Is this just his fear?" Kidōmaru muttered in shock."No—even if his fear enhanced speed the same way mine does, this is far too absurd!"
The violent lightning surged forward in a straight line. Unlike flowing wind, rampaging thunder did not twist or turn. Any obstacle in its path was obliterated outright, crushed with unstoppable force.
"Flesh-Touching Divine Thunder's Fury—The Momentum of the Thunder Star, Lucun!Motion Like Thunder—Lucun!
"Your slashes may be fast… but can they be faster than lightning?!"
A distance of a hundred meters vanished in an instant under Motion Like Thunder.
Only now did Kidōmaru finally discard all traces of contempt. Facing the thunderstorm hurtling toward him, he unleashed his strongest strike.
"Sword Art: Void!"
At that moment, Kidōmaru erupted with every ounce of his yokai power, delivering his ultimate blow. From the terrifying lightning rushing straight at him, he understood one thing clearly—
If he held anything back, he would truly die.
Unlike the dazzling brilliance of Sword Art: Sakura, Sword Art: Void looked utterly plain—nothing more than a seemingly ordinary swing of the blade.
Yet the speed of this strike…was once again ten times faster than Sword Art: Sakura itself.