Chapter 166: Eight Thousand Steps

Chapter 166: Eight Thousand Steps

"Hey, let's all calm down," I ushered, exhausted from having to intervene repeatedly over the past hour. Arthur had a limp arm saved by a healing potion, narrowly escaping amputation.

We were nearing the battlefield, and Arthur was already injured! It was tempting to take matters into my own hands and eliminate these troublemakers. They showed no mercy toward each other.

"I'll stop if you agree to marry one of my daughters," Arthur smirked triumphantly.

"Hey! Don't blackmail him, or I'll kill you!" Zumi snapped at him, her threats not to be taken lightly, even in the midst of an uncertain war.

Rubbing my eyes, I sighed. Fortunately, Carpy, my ever loyal companion, nudged me with his tail as if to say, They're fools, you're the sane one. Don't let it get to you.

Thank you Carpy. If I ever had a son in this world, I hoped he would be like Carpy.

Before I could separate the two and end their fight, explosions echoed in the distance. As we drew closer, Uwabami lay against a mountain, blood streaming from her enormous snake head, while a nearby mountain lay in ruins. The only person capable of such destructive power was Shuten Doji, and since Uwabami still lived, it seemed he had yet to unleash his special ability.

Frankly, it felt like cheating for someone of Shuten Doji's caliber to possess a special ability. His raw power alone could decimate most of humanity.

"It appears the battle is ongoing," Zumi sighed in relief. "As expected, our teacher is holding her own against an ultimate class demon. Her title as Sage was well earned."

"I thought her title was Saint?" Arthur scratched his chin, but he shrugged off Zumi's menacing glare.

Arthur added. "Whatever. It doesn't matter to me. By the way, Kim, I bet they'll offer you a Special Rank soon, but the top 10 is full. However, if you marry one of my daughters, I'll guarantee you a position in the Top 10."

Did he just call me Kim? This piece of shit didn't even remember my name. And did he imply that he would eliminate someone in the top ten to create an opening for me?Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

I forced a polite smile and responded, "Thank you for the offer, but-"

"No need to worry. I can guarantee you a place in the top five," Zumi said, her eyes hidden behind dark tinted glasses. "This weakling couldn't eliminate anyone in the top five."

Let's refrain from discussing killing comrades as casually as talking about the weather!

In an instant, all the overwhelming Ord energy emanating from Shuten Doji vanished as if it had never existed. Seizing the moment, the Sage wasted no time and delivered a powerful punch to Shuten Doji's stomach. Despite his formidable physical strength, Shuten Doji coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Though three seconds may seem brief to most people, for exorcists at the pinnacle of the Special Ranks, it felt like an eternity. Zumi had already positioned herself behind Shuten Doji and landed a knee strike on the back of his head, though there was no visible injury apart from the demon's head jerking forward.

"Frustrating! His Ord is gone, and I nearly broke my knee," Zumi hissed, retreating. Despite her knee being infused with Ord, it had no effect on the ultimate-class demon.

Her next move was something that I could only have come up with if I was using Perfect Me. She threw a small pebble with precision, shattering Temperance's glasses just as the cursed marks all around Shuten Doji's body faded away.

Chariot appeared just in time as Shuten Doji attacked her, pounding the ground and creating a small crater. He recognized her as a threata person capable of sealing everyone's Ord with a mere touch. She was humanity's only hope for killing him, and the malicious glint in his eyes made it clear that he knew that too.

Shuten Doji propelled himself off the ground, raising a cloud of dust as he charged at Chariot. But before he could reach her, a mirror materialized behind Chariot, and she vanished into it. Shuten Doji swung through empty air, snorting in frustration.

However, his scowl soon transformed into a smile. "I'm being pushed back. This is a sensation I haven't felt in a while."

Then, for some reason, his gaze shifted toward me, his eyes narrowing.

Why the fu- Oh, right, he saw me and Otakemaru disappear in the same way. He probably already deduced that Otakemaru was dead.

"What a shame," the ultimate class demon said as he produced an old paper talisman and tore it. "Storage Talisman: Release."

A brilliant light rippled, sending a chill down my spine. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to get the hell away from there!

Flying demons in the vicinity began plummeting to their deaths before they could reach the ground.

As the intense light subsided, an eight-headed serpent emerged. Its venom killed both humans and demons alike. Fortunately, the Special Rank Exorcists managed to create some distance in time.

Still, I couldn't help but stare at the colossal eight-headed serpent, its eyes gleaming with malice. The sun and the moon themselves seemed to bow at the sight of such a creature, as the sun turned darker and the moon became visible.

How was this possible? Yamata No Orochi was supposed to have been sealed!