The current situation was completely unfavorable for Yosuke.
He could feel that Kibutsuji Muzan's Kotodama—his Word Spirit—wasn't a kind of Blood Demon Art. That meant this ability must have been granted directly by the Priest Master.
The invisible attacks, defenses, and gravitational force of the Word Spirit made Yosuke feel utterly cornered. To make matters worse, Inosuke was still in their hands, preventing Yosuke from fighting freely.
Outside the crimson petals of his Blood Blossom, Muzan's relentless, overwhelming attacks continued to batter him. Yosuke knew the crimson petals wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
Just then, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
[Host, the Priest Master is aware of all your attack methods! When necessary, the System can provide assistance.]
Yosuke frowned. "Is that within your rules?"
[At present, the Priest Master represents Fate. The System has already said it — this is a confrontation between the System and Fate itself. Therefore, aiding the host falls within the rules. However, there is a price to pay. Each time you use the System's help, one of your hearts will vanish. Use this power wisely.]
"So it's an equivalent exchange..." Yosuke's expression turned solemn. "Then I'll just have to gamble everything. Bloom—Crimson Blossom!"
The petals of the Blood Blossom unfurled, unleashing a tremendous shockwave that swept across the battlefield, accompanied by countless razor-sharp, venomous crimson petals.
Muzan unleashed a wide-area shockwave to scatter the petals, but Yosuke's target was clear—he charged straight toward the Priest Master.
The Priest Master raised his hand toward Yosuke. "Kotodama: Attack!"
Facing an invisible assault, Yosuke knew that if his eyes couldn't see it, sight would only hinder him. He closed his eyes, relying solely on his instincts and body to sense the unseen attack.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
"Now! Blood Demon Art: Blood Doppelgänger!"
In an instant, Yosuke created a clone made entirely of his own blood. The invisible attack struck the clone, causing it to explode—while Yosuke's true body had already teleported right in front of the Priest Master.
Yosuke called out in his mind, "System!"
A light unlike any color—neither black, nor white, nor gray—coated the blade of his blood-forged weapon. At that very moment, he could feel one of his hearts disappear.
As the Origin Demon, Yosuke's multiple internal organs were the foundation of his near-immortal regeneration. Losing even one heart made his entire body feel suddenly weak.
[Reminder: the granted power will only last for one minute. Use your time wisely!]
Yosuke swung the blood blade infused with that mysterious power, striking toward the Priest Master.
Yet the Priest Master's expression was strangely complex—there was shock, fear... and even a faint trace of delight.
"Kotodama: Shield!"
A shimmering barrier appeared around the Priest Master, trying to block Yosuke's attack.
But this time, the barrier only managed to slow the strike for an instant before shattering like glass.
Just as Yosuke's blade was about to reach the Priest Master—
"Kotodama: Shift!"
The Priest Master vanished from sight, reappearing in an instant beside Muzan.
With the Priest Master's retreat, it was the perfect opportunity to rescue Inosuke. Yosuke slashed at the energy barrier imprisoning him, shattering it with a single blow. He hoisted the frozen Inosuke onto his shoulder, retreating swiftly to put distance between themselves and their enemies.
Placing his hand on Inosuke's body, Yosuke let his blood spread across him, igniting in crimson flame. The blood-fire melted the frost that bound him.
Regaining consciousness, Inosuke shivered from the cold and blinked in confusion at Yosuke standing before him.
"Wh–where am I?"
But Yosuke had no time to answer—Muzan's attack was already closing in.
Yosuke swung his blade, slicing through Muzan's whip-like tendrils, then, taking advantage of the System's still-active power, he once again charged toward the Priest Master with ferocious determination.
At this point, the fates of the Priest Master and Muzan were intertwined. Though the Priest Master had never said what would happen to Muzan if he died, even Muzan—who despised him—wouldn't risk finding out.
Muzan launched another massive shockwave, hoping to blast Yosuke away.
But Yosuke swung his blade forward—and the shockwave itself seemed to split apart before him.
The ground on both sides of Yosuke cracked under the immense pressure, yet he pressed onward, unstoppable, toward the Priest Master.
As Yosuke's strike was about to land, the Priest Master stood calm and unmoving, softly counting numbers under his breath.
"Ξ... Ξ..."
When the count reached zero, he invoked another Word Spirit: "Kotodama: Shield."
At that very moment, the System's special power faded—the minute had run out.
Without the System's blessing, Yosuke's strike hit the Priest Master's barrier and was instantly deflected.
Seizing the opening, Muzan unleashed another shockwave, this time successfully blasting Yosuke backward.
The overwhelming clash left Inosuke completely stunned. He wanted to help Yosuke, but his body's instincts screamed in fear, freezing him in place.
Meanwhile, Yosuke's mind was reeling—the Priest Master's countdown had matched exactly the System's time limit.
Muzan's lips curved into a cruel smile. The nine whips on his back lashed out toward Yosuke, while the tendrils from his legs shot straight at Inosuke.
Paralyzed with fear, Inosuke couldn't move. He could only watch the incoming attack, squeeze his eyes shut, and brace himself for death.
But the killing blow never came. Instead, he felt something warm dripping onto his face.
Opening his eyes, Inosuke saw Yosuke standing before him—eight of Muzan's whip-like tendrils had pierced clean through Yosuke's body. The warm liquid running down his cheeks was Yosuke's blood.
A stabbing pain tore through Inosuke's heart as tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
"Yosuke-san... I'm the one holding you back. You should have abandoned me..."
Yosuke sliced through the tendrils impaling him, then gently placed a bloodstained hand on Inosuke's head.
"In my eyes," Yosuke said softly, "your life is more precious than anything else in this world. Don't cry anymore. For a man, tears are the most useless thing of all. Promise me one thing, Inosuke."
Inosuke wiped his tears and tried to sound brave. "Whatever it is—I'll do it!"
Yosuke pointed toward the distance behind him.
"Good. Inosuke—run that way. No matter what happens, don't stop. Not for a single moment."
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