Shinobu Sensui's self-introduction was accompanied by a surge of powerful spiritual energy that made the entire cavern start to shake.
This also let Yusuke Urameshi feel Sensui's might firsthand.
As a result, the back-and-forth battle from moments before instantly turned into a one-sided steamroll.
Sensui drove a knee into Yusuke's abdomen, sending him spinning through the air.
Yusuke crashed to the ground miserably, and the blood he spat stained the floor red.
Sensui lowered his leg and said in a gentle tone, "Courage and recklessness are not the same thing. Even if you're that foolish, you should be aware of the gap between us."
Propping himself up with the arm that was still more or less intact, Yusuke staggered to his feet, his gaze still firm.
"Shut up! None of that matters. This is just a straight-up fight! No matter who the opponent is, all I have to do is win the fight in front of me."
As he said this, Yusuke turned his head toward Charles and said, "That whole 'resolve for battle' thing is too much trouble, so I'm not thinking about it! But the will to win—I won't lose to anyone there!"
With that, an even stronger surge of spiritual power erupted from Yusuke—he really did feel like a protagonist powering up.
Charles raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Resolve is different for everyone, and he wasn't arrogant enough to think that his own will to protect his family was the only correct one.
Who's to say that the simple desire to win isn't a powerful conviction?
But achieving that kind of purity is quite difficult. Human emotions are complex, and few can advance toward a single goal with eyes for nothing else.
Is Yusuke that kind of person? Maybe. But when Charles sensed something new in his aura, he had another idea.
Charles glanced at the Demon World Tunnel as it slowly stabilized. Rather than a power-up from firm conviction, he felt it was the tunnel taking shape that had triggered the awakening of Yusuke's demon blood.
While Charles pondered, Yusuke and Sensui clashed again.
If Sensui had been a bit casual before, once Yusuke unleashed new strength he began to take his opponent seriously. So he used Sacred Energy.
That is the ultimate power that only those who have cultivated spiritual power to its peak and possess utterly pure hearts can wield.
Charles quickly grasped the essence of Sacred Energy: a sublimation of power triggered by absolute will.
Generally speaking, to achieve such power one must reach a state of transcendence beyond all things.
For Sensui to master Sacred Energy in ten years, Charles strongly suspected he had partitioned all stray thoughts into his other personalities to do it.
Obviously, Yusuke's power-up had limits; he still couldn't match Sensui in his Sacred Energy state.
In the end, Sensui's hand drove into Yusuke's chest like a blade and pierced his heart.
By any measure, that was a fatal wound. Sensui had thought Charles would intervene, but he simply watched in silence from the side.
Just as Yusuke fell, the human-shaped shadow on the wall let out a scream, and a streak of golden light split it in two.
From the trail of light, a group of people leaped out.
Kuwabara loathed himself. Due to carelessness, he had been captured by Sensui and had his spiritual power sealed by sorcery, leaving him imprisoned in a separate space to watch Yusuke and Sensui's fight.
The moment Yusuke's heart was pierced, his spiritual power broke through the seal, and he used the Dimension Sword to cut open Linan and escape.
Kurama, Hiei, and Koenma followed right behind and came to Yusuke's side.
Koenma crouched and pressed a hand to Yusuke's chest. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "No good. His heart has stopped."
Kuwabara couldn't control his emotions. He turned to Charles and said, "Why? Why did you just stand there, Master Charles? Why didn't you save him?"
Charles looked displeased and said coldly, "First, I have no obligation to save anyone. Second, he himself didn't want anyone's help. Third… I haven't forgotten that I taught you to control your emotions. The way you are right now is disgraceful."
Kuwabara bit his lip and said, "I'm sorry. I got too worked up! But I still can't agree with your standing by and doing nothing.
"And right now, the one I'm settling the score with is you… Shinobu Sensui!"
As he spoke, a Spirit Sword condensed in Kuwabara's hand. On the other side, Hiei untied the band over his forehead, revealing the Jagan, which radiated powerful demonic aura.
Kurama also reverted to his white-robed fox demon form, his eyes filled with icy killing intent aimed at Sensui.
Sensui, as if completely ignoring their blade-like glares, said, "We've wasted enough time here. I'm heading to the Demon World!
"If you're not satisfied, then come after me. But I must warn you, what awaits you ahead is only despair."
Saying that, Sensui seemed to overcome gravity itself and rose straight into the air, drifting into the pitch-black Demon World Tunnel.
At this point, no one could stop the three of them, and they chased after him together into the Demon World Tunnel.
This was precisely why Charles had come, so he beckoned to Stella and followed as well.
In this space with no up, down, left, or right, Charles was surprised to find he hadn't lost his sense of direction and could still perceive the location of the exit.
Following that sense, Charles saw everyone who had entered before.
A yellow web of light bisected the entire space. On Charles's side were the three with Kuwabara, while Sensui, wrapped in Sacred Energy, was already on the other side.
Which is why Charles wanted to complain: Shinobu Sensui claimed his ultimate goal was to go to the Demon World, and with Sacred Energy he could pass the seal freely.
He had no need to destroy the seal at all; causing such a commotion was truly baffling.
The defensive spells Charles had set earlier to ensure Kuwabara's safety hadn't even been triggered; Sensui hadn't let Gourmet, Makihara, devour Kuwabara to obtain his Dimension Sword ability.
Sensui was a man full of contradictions.
Facing the seal blocking the way, Kuwabara completely forgot about demons breaking into the Human World. He swung his Spirit Sword and sliced open a gap in the seal, and the three of them rushed into the Demon World.
Charles looked at the neat cut in the seal. He had tried to break it before, but the seal had resisted him quite strongly.
He guessed it was because his Dragon Slayer magic was a nonhuman power that the seal rejected him.
He had no idea who had set such a vast and intricate seal; it was also Charles's first time seeing a barrier that separated two worlds.
Sure enough, every world has its mysteries.
While he pondered, Charles and Stella passed through the exit and formally entered the Demon World.
Originally, the author's setting for the Demon World was a fathomless, multilayered world, with Spirit World understanding only half of the top layer.
The Demon World unification arc was supposed to be the beginning, but it ended up becoming the conclusion.
Even the looming dark period a century later—what Koenma sought to counter by channeling centuries' worth of spiritual power into the Sealing Ring—became an eternal unknown.
Then came the Dark Continent of another world, but judging by the author's pace, who knows when the secrets of the Dark Continent will ever be fully revealed.
Whatever the case, Charles was going to explore this world personally this time!
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.