Chapter 382: Touching That Barrier
"Trying that again?"
Having already suffered at his hands once, the Nine-Tailed Fox naturally wouldn't forget Hikigaya Hachiman's tactics. Controlling Isayama Yomi's exceptionally flexible body, it evaded Hachiman's grab with an incredible contortion and lashed out with a wave of wicked energy that struck Hachiman's back.
Hum—
The wicked energy hit the spiritual barrier on Hachiman's surface, producing only a slight hum. Seeing that its attack could only produce such a meager effect, the Fox, while showing nothing on the surface, felt a surge of anxiety within.
'He's grown stronger again!'
The anxious mood transmitted from the clone to the main body. Currently digging deep beneath Tokyo, the Nine-Tailed Fox's true form froze for a moment before digging even more frantically toward the location of the treasure.
Even now, Hachiman did not intend to kill Isayama Yomi. After all, what this girl had gone through was far too tragic. Consequently, Hachiman did not use his Demon Slaying Blade. Instead, he resorted to the old Inari Shrine method, manifesting spiritual power into countless chains to bind Yomi, intending to forcibly erase the Fox's mental brand from her forehead.
"Still trying to save her?"
The Fox saw through Hachiman's plan and naturally wouldn't let him have his way so easily. It controlled Yomi's nimble body to constantly weave through the chains, using the gaps between his attacks to test his defenses from various angles.
Ultimately, after stalling for several minutes, Hachiman finally managed to capture Yomi without injuring her.
"I advise you not to do that."
Seeing Hachiman about to destroy this sliver of its consciousness, the Fox offered a "friendly" reminder.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
Unmoved by the Fox's words, Hachiman pressed his hand onto Yomi's forehead. In the next second, accompanied by a violent shuddering of Yomi's entire body, all the hidden measures set by the Nine-Tailed Fox within her were purged.
"I'm still alive?"
Opening her eyes to see Hachiman and the surrounding architectural ruins, a flash of disappointment crossed Yomi's eyes. She thought that by surrendering her body, she would finally find release. It turned out that in the end, even such a wish could not be granted?
"Indeed, you're alive. But if you want to die, I won't stop you."
Hearing Yomi's words, Hachiman rolled his eyes. Why did the people he saved all seem to have a death wish? Isayama Mei was like that, and now this girl too. He was an exorcist, not a grief counselor!
Having fulfilled the request Kagura made earlier, he waved a hand at Yomi, tossed her a stack of cash—roughly 100,000 yen—and flew into the sky to resume his search for the Fox's trail.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in the cavern formed by the convergence of Tokyo's ley lines, the Nine-Tailed Fox looked at the pigeon-egg-sized jade radiating a brilliant white light, a satisfied smile appearing on its face.
"Finally, it's mine!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the Fox snatched the jade and swallowed it. As the stone entered its belly, an indescribable sense of fulfillment swept through its entire body. The Nine-Tailed Fox retreated from Yurikawa Hana's body, manifested its true form within the cavern, and then swallowed Hana as well. Under its guidance, the jade inside its stomach pressed against Hana's chest, providing her with a constant stream of energy.
"Comfortable~"
Having confirmed it could drain the life force from Hana's body at will, the Fox no longer held back and began to absorb it frantically. Endless life force flowed out of Hana, gathering at the location of the cracked jade core in the Fox's heart.
The cracks in the core, which would have normally taken decades to heal, were completely repaired in mere seconds under the irrigation of that massive life force! The Fox's core was filled to the brim, yet the life force continued to flow through its body without decreasing.
From the outside, the Nine-Tailed Fox was now radiating a powerful aura of life; the fur on its body surface was gradually approaching a jade-like texture. However, unlike previous promotions, the Fox's size did not multiply. On the contrary, under the constant washing of life force, its dozens-of-meters-tall frame slowly shrank until it condensed into a human shape.
"Is it still missing just a little?"
Looking at the tails behind it, the Fox lowered its eyes in thought. It could already clearly feel the barrier obstructing it from taking that final step into the unknown. It just needed a little more external help...
"The guys outside should have finished destroying Tokyo by now, right?"
Though the Yomi puppet had only stalled Hachiman for ten minutes, that was more than enough time for the elite spirits it brought to turn Tokyo upside down. With this thought, the Fox followed the tunnel it had dug and returned to the surface.
"Lord Nine-Tails!"
The moment it returned to the ground, an Emperor-rank spirit covered in wounds threw itself before the Fox.
"What happened?"
As if failing to see its subordinate's miserable state, the Fox collapsed the tunnel it had painstakingly dug and began walking toward the center of Tokyo.
"The Ghost God lords... they can't hold out much longer!"
The Emperor-rank spirit anxiously recounted the events of the last two minutes. Everything had been going well. Although the humans had prepared defenses, the disparity in high-level combat power meant the spirits' breakthrough was overwhelming.
But two minutes ago, things took a turn. A man—who was clearly not one of the famous exorcists they knew—could easily one-shot an Emperor-rank spirit with a single blade. In less than half a minute of his appearance, over half of the 98 elite spirits brought by the Fox had died by his hand! Now, only the two Ghost God were desperately holding him back, barely stalling his slaughter.
"Lord, if you don't act, our plan will fail!"
Seeing that the Fox remained calm despite the urgency, the Emperor-rank spirit became desperate.
"Are you threatening me?"
The previously silent Nine-Tailed Fox suddenly raised its head, its gaze fierce as it stared at the spirit, who was now frozen in fear.
"No, I didn't..."
The spirit tried to defend itself, but in the next second, it was swatted into non-existence by the Fox.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, this time, we truly must settle this!"
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