Volume 9 - Dojigiri: Chapter 35 – Fierce Battle of the Sisters

Volume 9 - Dojigiri: Chapter 35 – Fierce Battle of the Sisters

Shuten Doji regarded Tamamo-no-Mae with suspicion.

I’d better remain vigilant, as I have no idea what other tricks this demoness still has up her sleeve. Moreover, the absence of Kagami Lily makes the situation even stranger.

“No matter what, Tamamo-no-Mae, you’re a demon who has lived for over a thousand years. I’ll grant you this favor.” Shuten added with an evil glint in his eyes, “Men. Help Ms. Kimiko make the right decision!”

The sisters felt a pang of alarm at his words.

“Allow this old man to handle it, Lord Shuten! Do you still remember me, Tamamo-no-Mae?” Hagewashi Tengu sprang forward, the eyes on his diminutive body shining ominously.

With one hand, he drew out a peculiar, short-handled magic staff, and with the other, he produced a stack of paper dolls.

Whoosh!

Hagewashi Tengu sent the paper dolls soaring with a flick of his wrist, beginning to chant a spell while brandishing his magic staff.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With each resonating clang, the paper dolls morphed into a thick fog of eldritch energy, from which monstrous-looking familiars emerged.

“I had no choice but to flee to a foreign land because of your threats back then, Tamamo-no-Mae! Today, it’s my turn to return the favor. This is what you get for defying Lord Shuten. My familiars, destroy the village before you

1!” Hagewashi Tengu ordered.

Tamamo reacted with alarm, “Shuten Doji, you—”

Her words were cut off by Shuten. He sat down leisurely on a boulder, retrieving a bowl and a flying wine gourd from nowhere. Wine poured into the bowl of its own accord. Between large mouthfuls, he sneered, “What’s wrong, Ms. Kimiko? I gave you time to think over the matter as you requested. Are you unhappy with my decision?”

Despite Shuten’s casual demeanor, the tense atmosphere didn’t dissipate. Hagewashi Tengu’s familiars swarmed, spreading out to surround the sisters. As if on cue, sorcerers in tattered robes began chanting spells, unleashing a volley of magic towards the village and the sisters.

Defending against the magic, Ayaka, Rei, Shimizu, and others brandished their weapons. Despite their best efforts, some spells dodged their defense, striking the village directly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The village was thrown into chaos, purple explosions erupting from within. Cries of terror echoed as villagers and small demons scattered, fleeing from the havoc. Casualties had already been inflicted.

“You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!” In retaliation, Ayaka invoked a snowstorm with a swing of her naginata, sending a series of energy beams towards the flying familiars. Although the familiars were all in the Throne stage, most of them possessing only the strength of a Throned General, they were no match for Ayaka, who had mostly recovered from her injury.

But her attack was thwarted by the powerful old man, Hojo Tokimasa. A golden energy wave from his hand struck down Ayaka’s attack.

Hojo Tokimasa chastised her, “Fujiwara no Ayaka, how could you interfere in this matter after we’ve agreed to give Tamamo-no-Mae the time to think things over? You can’t even keep a promise, you shameless woman?”

Ayaka’s anger flared. “You call me shameless? There’s no one more disgraceful than you in the world, you insolent coot!”

In the blink of an eye, Shuten Doji unleashed a golden arrow from his fingers. It flew so swiftly that Tamamo was left defenseless, causing her to cough up blood and collapse, her clothes torn from the energy emitted by the arrow.

Standing up, Shuten Doji conjured Kurokinsui, his halberd, launching it at the lizard beast. The weapon easily pierced the beast, flinging it back and pinning it to a mountain rock. After a few futile attempts to break free, the beast dissipated into a cloud of red mist.

“Lady Kimiko!” Natsu, the cat demon, rushed to help Tamamo who had collapsed.

Tamamo’s outfit was severely damaged, revealing her scar-ridden skin. Though she trembled from the experience, a flicker of weakness apparent in her eyes, her resolve remained steadfast as she glared at Shuten in anger.

“I agreed to do you a favor, Tamamo-no-Mae,” Shuten began, “But I never imagined you’d stoop so low as to ambush my friend from Iyo! You can’t blame me for retaliating!” He tossed away the bowl in his other hand.

“B?a?s?t?a?r?d?...” Blood trickled down from Tamamo’s forehead and lips. She was confident that she could face Shuten Doji in combat if she could transform into her original form, even at the cost of her life. But now, despite having narrowly escaped death in the valley, she had exhausted all her powers and was unable to transform.

Tamamo gently stroked her bracelet as she contemplated, “With my current strength, I can’t use many of my treasures. The ones I can use are not powerful enough to defeat Shuten. However, I can still wound him and eliminate a few of his subordinates.”

As her bracelet emitted a faint light, Shuten’s eyes mirrored the ominous glint.

Swoosh!

In a split second, Shuten appeared before Tamamo and Natsu.

Bam!

Shuten’s hand morphed into a large, grotesque, hairy arm, grabbing Tamamo’s arm.

“What?!” Shocked, Tamamo realized she lacked the strength to use her treasures against Shuten.

“Let Lady Kimiko go!” Natsu clawed at Shuten’s demonic arm.

“Get out of my sight, brat!” Shuten dismissed, kicking Natsu away.

Bam!

The force of the kick sent Natsu sprawling across the ground, where she collapsed by the roadside.

“Natsu!”

“La...dy...Kimi...ko...” Natsu muttered weakly, her body twisted into an unnatural shape. Blood gurgled from her mouth, yet she turned her face towards Kimiko, uttering her master’s name.

“NATSU!” Tamamo’s voice was raspy with desperation. Pinned under Shuten’s foot, she was helpless as he ripped her treasure-hoarding bracelet from her hand without a care for the injury he might inflict.

Lifting the bracelet into the air, Shuten’s tone was filled with unabashed glee. “So, this is the famed treasure-hoarding bracelet, rumored to contain as many riches as the human empire? Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!”

His laughter echoed through the air, a twisted and triumphant sound that left a chilling impression.

References

Robinxen: Thinking time is over. Time for action!