"Crack,!"
A hideous crimson demon claw slashed through the air and struck Natsume's abdomen with precision.
But the attack stopped instantly.
It had collided with the Susanoo armor wrapped around her body,pale blue chakra forming a solid shell.
The demon's sharp nails smashed into the armor and snapped instantly with a crisp sound.
They couldn't even leave a scratch.
Almost at the same moment,
BOOM!
Natsume's flaming claws slammed directly into the demon's head.
Boosted by the power of Susanoo, the strike tore several bone-deep gashes across its face.
One claw sliced straight across its giant eye.
With a splash of foul demon blood, the eyeball was torn apart instantly.
"AWOOO,!!"
The demon shrieked in agony.
Clutching its ruined eye, it stumbled backward repeatedly.
"What… is this?!"
Natsume finally noticed the Susanoo armor covering her body.
Her eyes widened.
She lifted one paw, staring at the pale blue chakra flowing across it.
Her mouth slowly spread into a bright, uncontrollable grin.
Even her ears twitched excitedly.
"Kagetsu! This thing of yours,Susanoo,can it be used like this?!"
Her tail almost started wagging with excitement.
She knew this ability far too well.
Every time she fought Kagetsu in the past, she had been beaten senseless by this exact technique.
It was huge.
Ridiculously tough.
And completely unfair.
No matter how she attacked, it always felt like hitting an immovable mountain.
Even when she used her true Leopard Cat form, she still couldn't break through it.
But now,That same invincible ability was wrapped around her body.
When the demon attacked earlier, she hadn't even felt it.
Meanwhile, she had easily torn the demon's face apart with a single strike.
"This Susanoo is amazing!"
"Stop staring like an idiot and go beat it up!"
Kagetsu's voice sounded from above her head.
Seeing Natsume standing there admiring the armor while completely ignoring the enemy, he sighed helplessly.
"Got it!"
Snapped out of her excitement, Natsume looked up.
The demon stood before her, wounded and furious.
Her crimson beast eyes narrowed.
A wild grin spread across her feline face.
"AWOOO,!"
Her roar echoed through the battlefield.
The next moment,
She charged forward without hesitation.
BOOM!!
Natsume pounced directly onto the demon's massive body.
The two enormous creatures crashed into the ground, sending dust and shockwaves everywhere.
Before the demon could react,
"Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!"
Natsume's claws became blurs of motion.
A barrage of cat punches rained down on the demon's face.
Demon blood splattered like rain.
Suddenly,
CRACK!
A thunderous explosion rang out.
Lightning burst from beneath Natsume's body, blasting her high into the air.
But thanks to the Susanoo armor,
She took no damage at all.
Her giant leopard-cat body flipped gracefully in the air.
She landed smoothly on all four paws.
Her claws carved deep grooves in the earth as she absorbed the impact.
At that moment,
A massive fireball shot toward her landing spot.
Natsume's body blurred.
She leaped aside effortlessly.
The fireball exploded against the Susanoo armor's edge, scorching the ground black.
"Damn it…!"
The demon finally staggered backward, clutching its chest.
"You cursed cat demon… to injure me like this!"
It was in a miserable state.A deep explosive wound ripped open its chest,Its beating heart was almost visible.
Its face was shredded by claw marks. Onehorn was broken,One eye had been destroyed
Flames still burned faintly along the edges of the wounds.
Its remaining eye glared at Natsume with pure hatred.
Yet even now,
The wounds slowly healed under the influence of demonic aura.
Seeing this, Kikyo's eyes sharpened.
She raised her longbow.
Spiritual power gathered at the arrow tip as she aimed directly at the demon's chest.
But suddenly,
A hand stopped her.
"Wait."
Kagetsu appeared beside her.
"There's no need to strike."
"Don't accidentally kill it."
"Just let Natsume handle it."
Kagetsu had already noticed something.
This demon's size looked similar to the one Tsubaki transformed into in the original timeline after absorbing a demon.
But without the Shikon Jewel's enhancement, its strength was much weaker.
In the original story,Demon Tsubaki could tank Tessaiga's Wind Scar.
This one?It could even injure itself with its own magic.
And priestesses like Kikyo had natural purification power against demons.
If she fired even a single sacred arrow,
The demon might be purified instantly.
And Kagetsu still needed it alive.
"Are you a clone or the original?" Kikyo asked curiously.
"Shadow Clone."
Kagetsu nodded toward the battlefield.
"The original me is still over there with Natsume."
In the distance,
Natsume had already charged forward again.
Protected by Susanoo, she completely ignored the demon's magic.
Another storm of cat punches began.
"Honestly…"
Kagetsu shook his head.
"This silly cat relies purely on instinct in her demon form."
"When she's human, she at least uses magic."
"But now she's forgotten everything."
He wasn't controlling her.
He had simply cloaked her in Susanoo and let her fight freely.
Watching the battle, Kikyo chuckled softly.
Natsume was blasted away by magic,
Only to leap right back in with even more excitement.
"She really has the personality of a child."
"She's clearly having too much fun."
Kagetsu could see it too.
Natsume's predatory cat instincts had fully awakened.
She wasn't fighting seriously.
She was playing with her prey.
This one-sided "battle" continued for nearly half an hour.
At the beginning,The demon still roared and fought back.
But gradually,Its strength faded.
Soon it could only scream in pain.
Its demonic power was completely exhausted.
It could no longer use magic or Heal its wounds.
All it could do was raise its arms weakly to block.
Meanwhile,
Natsume continued slashing it again and again.
Claw marks covered its entire body.
It looked exactly like a mouse caught by a cat, tortured slowly before death.
Even Kagetsu began to feel a little sympathy.
For half an hour,
The demon had been cut apart piece by piece.
Its body was covered in bone-deep wounds.
Foul demon blood had soaked the ground red.
And its demonic aura had weakened so much…
It was on the verge of dissipating completely.