Huh? Kael looked at his severed arm on the ground in disbelief. His arm had actually been cut off. And it was sliced cleanly from the shoulder, the wound smooth like a mirror, with a strange power preventing it from healing.
So Kure Clan Village had someone this formidable? Kael had thought the strongest person here was the clan leader, Erioh. But clearly, there was another master.
Whoosh!
As Kael's mind raced, the blade flashed again—this time not at his shoulder, but at his neck. The strike was as fast as lightning, like a rainbow piercing the sun. Unbelievably fast.
Just as the blade was about to sever his neck, an invisible repulsive force burst outward from Kael, sweeping everything nearby away like a tidal wave. Even Karura was thrown back. The ground erupted in a wave of dirt, surging outward. The spot where Kael stood sank deeply, as if the heavens themselves pressed down. The blade was deflected by the force, sent flying.
Now Kael finally saw who had struck. A young man in ancient kimono, wielding a katana. He looked about twenty, with sharp brows and bright eyes, yet carried an aura of antiquity. He resembled a wandering ronin from a drama, but with a freer, wilder spirit.
The young man stared at Kael curiously, as if wondering how he had blocked the strike.
Kael studied him calmly, then smiled. "So that's it. I understand now."
Seeing him, Kael realized the Kure Clan's true trump card wasn't Erioh, but this young man. And this man wasn't human. He was a true god. Or rather… a demon god!
This crossover world included Noragami, so gods existed here. In Noragami's lore, gods could be born from human worship. The fox god Kael had devoured was born this way. If a fox god could be born from worship, then surely the Kure Clan's 1,300 years of devotion could birth a god of their own. And indeed, this ronin-like youth was that god.
He was the Kure Clan's true trump card. The reason they had survived for over a millennium. Not a god of Takamagahara, but one unique to the Kure Clan. And since they were assassins, their god was no benevolent deity—but a demon god.
The source of the Kure Clan's demon god power was this being. Had Kael not devoured a god before, he might not have recognized it.
"Lord Demon God."
Erioh, freed, removed Kael's arm from his neck and tossed it aside. He knelt before the god. "I am powerless. Please, Lord Demon God, kill this man."
The demon god nodded. "Since he dares to disrupt Kure Clan Village, I will not let him leave alive. If you kill yourself now, I'll leave your body whole, intruder."
Kael laughed. "You think a sneak attack means you've won?"
He beckoned, and the arm Erioh had discarded flew back into his hand.
The demon god didn't stop him. He thought reattaching the arm was impossible, especially with his power on the wound. He wanted to see how Kael would remove it. After all, it was demon god power.
Kael pressed the arm to the wound, channeling mana. He casually erased the demon god's energy. Blood threads wove together, nerves reconnected, bones regrew, flesh healed. In just seconds, the arm was restored. He flexed his fingers—no issue at all.
The demon god's face darkened. A slap in the face. His power had been erased so easily. How? When had humans gained such strength?
Kael smiled. Demon god power was troublesome, but nothing more. His mana had evolved into Heavenly Demon Mana, superior in quality and quantity. Erasing the demon god's power was effortless. Earlier, he had only been caught off guard by a sneak attack. Did they really think he was fragile?
"Come, let me see what a god worshipped for a thousand years is worth." Kael beckoned, showing no respect for the god.
"You insolent brat!" The demon god roared, enraged by Kael's contempt. Such a man must die.
He stepped forward—and vanished. His body, aura, footsteps, even killing intent disappeared completely. It was the same technique Erioh had used, but far more refined. Stronger.
In Kael's senses, the demon god truly seemed gone. Even his mana field gave no feedback. Kael sensed danger and instinctively wrapped himself in mana.
Slash!
Suddenly, he felt a blade cut his neck. If not for the mana shield, his head would have been severed.
The demon god worshipped by the assassin clan was even more terrifying than Kael had imagined. Yet at that moment, Kael couldn't help but laugh.