Even without turning around, Ushioni and Ichimoku knew perfectly well that although they had completely exposed their backs to another, they would never be injured because of it.
Because the man behind them now was someone absolutely worthy of entrusting one's back to.
The divinely empowered blade was blocked by a short katana. The instant the two blades collided, a shower of sparks burst into the air.
The one who stopped Ren Kuroda's strike was none other than Nurarihyon, who had returned to his peak—now sporting dazzling golden hair and a handsomeness so overwhelming it bordered on absurd.
Earlier, with the help of his blade spirit and the Mind's Eye skill, Ren had been able to see Nurarihyon's Fear quite clearly.
But just now, despite having stood in place a moment before, Nurarihyon's body suddenly dispersed like an ink-wash painting melting into water. When he reappeared, he was already standing in front of Ren, calmly blocking his attack.
In the end, raw strength still favored Ren. When the two separated after a single clash, the one sent flying backward was Nurarihyon.
However, just as Nurarihyon was being knocked back, Ren's eyes narrowed.
Because Nurarihyon's figure—while still in midair—once again dispersed like flowing ink.
And this time, just like before, Ren discovered that the Mirror Flower, Water Moon illusion he had previously been able to pierce through… could no longer be accurately tracked.
In other words, after returning to his peak, Nurarihyon's Fear had likely surpassed the level of Ren's Mind's Eye. Ren could no longer clearly perceive it the way he had earlier.
"Clang—clang—clang—clang!"
Crisp metallic impacts echoed repeatedly through the air as flashes of silver light erupted again and again. This exchange had already been going on for quite some time.
"To be honest," Nurarihyon said with a crooked smile, "your strength keeps exceeding my expectations again and again. If you'd been born four hundred years ago, perhaps even the Hagoromo Fox of that era wouldn't have been your match.
"My True Clear Mirror, Still Water—even the Hagoromo Fox back then couldn't see through it. Yet against you, it doesn't seem to be having much effect at all."
Having temporarily shed his aged state and returned to his prime, Nurarihyon was genuinely puzzled.
After four hundred long years, he had finally managed to regain his peak form. He'd even thought about showing off a little in front of his old subordinates.
But reality was cruel.
Even with his strength restored to its former heights—if only briefly—facing a stubborn opponent like Ren Kuroda still left him feeling somewhat outmatched.
From Ren's every movement, Nurarihyon could tell that Ren truly could not see through True Clear Mirror, Still Water.
And yet, every time Nurarihyon launched an attack, Ren seemed to sense it in advance, completing his defense at the exact moment the strike arrived.
Then, the instant Nurarihyon attacked, Ren would counterattack just as swiftly, forcing Nurarihyon to rely on the Slippery Monk's other Fear—Mirror Flower, Water Moon—to evade.
Using True Clear Mirror, Still Water and Mirror Flower, Water Moon at such high frequency was undeniably a massive drain.
For the Nurarihyon of several centuries ago, with his vast reserves of yōki, this level of consumption would have been trivial.
But for the current Nurarihyon—his liver stolen by the Hagoromo Fox, his lifespan drastically shortened—the time he could maintain this state was limited, and his remaining yōki was far from abundant.
"Just like when you fought Inugami Gyōbu-danuki before… is this the innate sharp intuition of an exceptional swordsman?" Nurarihyon muttered."You can't see through True Clear Mirror, Still Water, yet you can still predict incoming danger and defend against it?"
Through their relentless exchanges, Nurarihyon finally pieced together the reason Ren could block his attacks despite being hidden by Fear.
What he hadn't expected was that Ren—who had once struggled even to defend against Gyōbu-danuki's assaults—could now perfectly respond to True Clear Mirror, Still Water.
By all logic, Nurarihyon's Fear—whether in terms of level or mastery—had already reached the absolute pinnacle. The invisibility it achieved was in no way comparable to Gyōbu-danuki's.
As for the third head of the Nura Clan, Rikuo Nura, he could be set aside for now. Nura Rihan had indeed been stronger than Nurarihyon—but that was because Rihan had grasped the concept of "karma" and created Demon Entanglement.
When it came to individual strength alone—without borrowing power from others—and mastery of Fear, there was no doubt that Nurarihyon stood at the top.
The reason was simple: neither Rihan nor Rikuo were pure yōkai. Their use of Fear could never be as effortless as Nurarihyon's.
What was Clear Mirror, Still Water?
In simple terms, it meant merging oneself with the environment—so completely that even one's heart became utterly still, like unmoving water.
At Rikuo's level of Fear, even when using Clear Mirror, Still Water, launching an attack would inevitably produce subtle ripples—disturbances sharp individuals could sense.
But Nurarihyon's True Clear Mirror, Still Water was different.
He had long since reached the point of complete fusion with his surroundings. Even when striking, his mental state remained perfectly calm, utterly without fluctuation.
That was why Nurarihyon couldn't understand it.
Even if Ren, as a master swordsman, possessed the ability to sense danger in advance, he still shouldn't have been able to defend against True Clear Mirror, Still Water.
Because that state was indistinguishable from the environment itself.
No matter how sharp one's intuition was—why would anyone be wary of the surrounding environment?
Forced to defend against attacks that could come from any direction at any moment, Ren was actually on the back foot.
Only he knew that although each successful defense looked effortless, it placed a tremendous burden on his mind.
Against True Clear Mirror, Still Water, which had nearly become one with the environment, relying on Mind's Eye alone was impossible.
But there was something Nurarihyon had overlooked.
Ren Kuroda was currently in a Blade Spirit Release state.
Blade Spirit Release didn't dramatically increase his yōki. Instead, it enhanced the power of his techniques, accelerated skill comprehension, and—most importantly—sharpened his five senses.
In this state, Ren's already exceptional senses had reached a frankly absurd level.
To put it bluntly, even though Nurarihyon's Fear fused him almost perfectly with the environment…
The faint wind stirred as his blade cut through the air.The subtle tremor generated when force was applied in a slash.
Things utterly imperceptible to ordinary beings were, before Ren's transcendent senses, unmistakable traces—clues that could be followed.
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