Afterward, the match officially began. The rules for this competition were very simple: defeat all members of the opposing team, or eliminate the opponent's [King].
Subsequently, both sides were immediately teleported to an Alternate Dimension of an Underworld town, scattered to two corners of the Alternate Dimension to serve as their bases.
The members of Team [Blade Dog Squad] were in a bar similar to the one they were in before. Wearing his earth dog star underworld armor, Ikuse Tobio looked like a child with a new toy as he examined the katana in his hand, the blade of the celestial dog, which had been transformed from his Longinus: Blade.
The scabbard and hilt were entirely pitch black, and the handguard was shaped like a baring-fanged black hound.
Shua—!!!
As the blade left the scabbard, it emitted a sword cry like the Celestial Dog devouring the moon. The blade itself seemed forged from pitch-black profound iron, and upon it was a terrifying pattern of a Tengu eating the moon.
This was not only a sharp weapon but also an exquisite work of art.
"What a fine blade." Ikuse Tobio raised the blade of the celestial dog, the light reflecting off the blade like cold moonlight.
At that moment, a constellation emitting purple light appeared within the Alternate Dimension; it was the prototype of the earth dog star underworld armor, Ikuse Tobio's guardian constellation: Canis Major.
"Roar—!!!" Canis Major let out a terrifying, imposing roar. Both the audience and the participating team members covered their ears to withstand the roar of Canis Major.
But there was one exception, and that was Ikuse Tobio.
Ever since Canis Major roared, he had kept his head down in silence. Seeing this, Tojo Sae stepped forward and asked worriedly:
"Tobiwo, are you alright?"
"Aaaaah—!!!" Ikuse Tobio shouted to the heavens, two canine teeth bared, and the purple Cosmos unique to Specters erupted from his body.
"Aaaaah—!!" Ikuse Tobio rushed outside as if transformed into a Tengu, landing on top of a house.
Canis Major transformed into a purple full moon hanging high in the sky. As Ikuse Tobio's shadow stretched under the moonlight, it gradually took the shape of a werewolf with glowing red eyes.
"Tobiwo..." Tojo Sae said worriedly, watching Ikuse Tobio roar at the Canis Major purple moon.
"What's happened to him? Why has he become like this?" Samejima Tsunao also asked while looking at Ikuse Tobio.
"I've seen this form in a book in the Underworld. Tobiwo has completely awakened as the earth dog star Specter," Lavinia said, looking at Ikuse Tobio's werewolf-like silhouette.
Nanataki Shiko turned to Lavinia and asked, "Then what happens after he completely awakens?"
"If he hasn't received training to become a Specter, Tobiwo will temporarily become a beast that strikes down anyone who shows hostility toward him, until he completely adapts to the underworld armor and his status as a Specter," Lavinia explained slowly, cold sweat forming on her brow.
"Aaaaah—!!" While Team [Blade Dog Squad] was discussing, Ikuse Tobio had already begun to move, running and jumping across the houses like a black shadow.
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
At that moment, eight screams rang out. The eight [Soldiers] of the [Heavens Ace] team were all dealt with by Ikuse Tobio in an instant.
"So fast! Contestant Ikuse Tobio seems to have transformed into a black hound! In an instant, he has eliminated all the Soldiers of [Heavens Ace]!" The announcer Nado said, his pupils shrinking and his voice filled with excitement.
At this time, Ikuse Tobio's eyes glowed with a red, predatory light, and thick white breath escaped his mouth, like a beast craving blood.
In the broadcast room, Azazel looked at the beast-like Ikuse Tobio and couldn't help but think:
'This aura, and that scent of Death and darkness... is it more than just wearing the underworld armor? Could it be that he has already completely become a Specter?'
Ikuse Tobio continued to leap across the houses, searching for opponents. At that moment, a man in his late thirties with a sharp expression and black hair in a samurai topknot, Shinra Kiyotora, stood in his way.
"Roar—!!" Ikuse Tobio stopped in his tracks, returned the blade of the celestial dog to its scabbard, and took an Iaijutsu stance, letting out a low, wary growl.
"Have you become the Underworld King's hound? You are practically like a beast," Shinra Kiyotora said, frowning as he looked at Ikuse Tobio.
As someone who also shared the blood of the Five Great Clans with Ikuse Tobio, he had some connection to him. He felt a bit of pity seeing Ikuse Tobio in this beastly state.
"Roar—!!" Ikuse Tobio let out a hiss and then instantly vanished from his spot, not even leaving an afterimage.
When he reappeared, he was already in front of Shinra Kiyotora.
Shing—!!
A flash of the blade and the ring of a sword cry sounded. Ikuse Tobio was now on another house, while Shinra Kiyotora turned his head in confusion, wondering why Ikuse Tobio hadn't finished him off.
Drip—!!!
Suddenly, the sound of a drip echoed. Shinra Kiyotora looked down to see a crimson wound stretching from the right side of his abdomen to his left shoulder, which had appeared on his body without him even noticing. Blood was flowing continuously from the wound.
'So... so fast... that Iaijutsu...' Shinra Kiyotora thought, clutching the sword wound on his chest. He then fainted from excessive blood loss, and soon news of Shinra Kiyotora's elimination was broadcast from the announcer's booth.
A beautiful girl with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perpetually sleepy expression: [Knight] Jessica Lagerkvist; a large-breasted beauty in a black nun's habit with grayish-blue eyes and a hint of grayish-blonde hair showing beneath her veil: [Bishop] Mirana Shatarova; and the Chinese martial arts master [Rook] Liu Binghuan.
The three surrounded Ikuse Tobio in a triangle, as he continued to hiss and growl at them.
"A-tat—!!" A classic kung fu shout rang out as Liu Binghuan's hands were covered in a layer of light power, and he attacked Ikuse Tobio.
"Gordian Knot Amputation—!!" Ikuse Tobio growled. In an instant, a net-like Iaijutsu strike was unleashed, instantly shattering the light power on Liu Binghuan's body. Along with it, his entire body was covered in gruesome red sword wounds.
"Haaaaah—!!!"
Seeing Liu Binghuan's defeat, Mirana and Jessica each condensed a massive spear of light in their hands and threw them at Ikuse Tobio.
"Woof—!!!" A long, howling bark rang out as a massive black hound appeared, biting both of the giant light spears into countless fragments in a single mouthful.
When Mirana and Jessica came to their senses, there was no giant black hound at all. Instead, Ikuse Tobio had swung the blade of the celestial dog, cutting the spears into countless fragments with a single strike.
Furthermore, massive wounds had been slashed into their bodies by Ikuse Tobio. Their heads swam, and they collapsed.
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