The black car sped along the winding mountain road, with a deathly silence inside.
Kamiya Makoto leaned against the car window, feeling the coldness from the glass, but this chill was far less than one ten-thousandth of what he felt in his heart.
When a person is repeatedly trampled into the mud, and even struggling becomes a luxury, so-called dignity becomes the most ridiculous redundancy.
Now, no matter what he had to do, he could accept it... As long as he could get revenge, as long as he could see that man—Lu Cheng—show the same expression of pain and despair as him, he was willing to pay any price, even his own soul.
This was also their only hope of turning the tables... The car finally stopped in front of a dilapidated old shrine.
It was hidden deep in the foothills of Mount Fuji, surrounded by a dense sea of trees, perpetually shrouded in darkness, and the air was filled with a decaying miasma.
"Follow me."
Ise Ryuichi was the first to get out of the car, his face regaining his innate arrogance, as if the filthy place before him was not worthy of his presence.
He didn't even make any extra movements; as he walked, a golden halo of divine light naturally spread from his body.
"Sizzle—!"
Those invisible miasma and low-level vengeful spirits, the moment they touched this 'Amaterasu Divine Light,' were like ice and snow meeting a blazing sun, letting out mournful screams, instantly purified, evaporated, leaving no trace behind.
Kamiya Makoto followed behind him, looking at this overbearing and peerless power, feeling no envy, only numbness.
He knew this was Ise Ryuichi showing him who was in charge of this 'transaction.'
Passing through the abandoned path, the two arrived in front of the shrine's main hall.
"This is it."
Ise Ryuichi stopped and said in a commanding tone, "Use your blood to activate the mechanism and find the real entrance."
Kamiya Makoto said nothing, simply walking to an ancient stone lantern covered in moss.
He bit his fingertip, letting his fresh blood drip into the groove of the stone lantern.
Buzz—
The moment the blood seeped in, the entire stone lantern emitted a low resonance, and ancient runes glowed and flowed across its surface.
Immediately after, the space in front of the two began to distort like ripples on water.
The sight of the dilapidated main hall vanished!
Before them stood a massive and ancient Torii Gate, exuding an unsettling and ominous aura.
This was the true entrance to Yomotsu Hirasaka.
"Roar—!"
However, just as the entrance appeared, a deafening roar came from behind the Torii Gate!
A monster several meters tall, with the head of an ox and the body of a spider, enveloped in black resentful energy, suddenly burst out of the darkness!
A conglomeration of departed souls, the Ushi-oni!
"You mongrel!"
Ise Ryuichi's pupils constricted, but instead of fear, he was delighted; the desire for battle added a touch of ferocity to his arrogant face!
After being beaten by Lu Cheng and Chizuru, he was just looking for an outlet for his anger... His figure flashed, and he transformed into a golden stream of light, actively charging forward!
The Amaterasu Divine Light and the Ushi-oni's demonic power collided violently, erupting in a fierce energy shockwave!
Although Ise Ryuichi's attacks were overbearing, the Ushi-oni seemed tireless and impervious to pain; each time it was repelled, it would counterattack with even greater ferocity.
Just after a violent collision, Ise Ryuichi's figure momentarily froze.
The Ushi-oni seized this opening, its eight spider legs, sharp as blades, sealed off all his escape routes from all directions!
A moment of life and death!
Kamiya Makoto, who had been standing still like a puppet, suddenly had a flicker of light in his dead-gray eyes!
"Bind!"
He formed hand seals, and a magic circle instantly unfolded beneath the Ushi-oni's feet!
The power of this magic circle was ridiculously weak for the Ushi-oni.
But, it was this restraint, lasting less than a second, that bought Ise Ryuichi that fleeting chance at survival!
"Well done!"
Ise Ryuichi let out a loud laugh, seizing the opportunity, the golden divine light condensed to its extreme on his fist, like a small sun, and fiercely slammed into the Ushi-oni's head!
Boom—!
The Ushi-oni's massive head exploded with a resounding crash!
Its colossal body also collapsed, turning into a pool of black pus.
The battle was over.
Ise Ryuichi panted heavily, looking at the filth on the ground, then glancing at the pale Kamiya Makoto.
A fleeting illusion of "together, we can overcome anything" flashed in his mind.
The spark of hope, at this moment, seemed to quietly begin to grow in the hearts of the two despairing individuals... At the same time.
A stretched Rolls-Royce was smoothly driving on the back mountain road of the shrine.
Inside the car, it was warm like spring.
Lu Cheng was leaning back in his seat, leisurely sipping the tea brewed for him by the young lady of the Yukinoshita family.
And on the car's screen in front of him, everything happening at the shrine entrance was being live-streamed via a miniature drone.
"Master, they have already defeated the Ushi-oni and are about to enter the barrier behind the Torii Gate."
Ruzuki Rin, kneeling on the carpet, reported respectfully.
"Oh?"
Lu Cheng blew on the steaming hot tea in his cup, not even lifting an eyelid.
"A little faster than I expected."
"When hungry dogs are let out, they do tend to work harder."
He put down his teacup and turned his head to look at the beautiful 'demonic blade' beside him.
Yukino Shita Chizuru was focused on brewing tea for him, and at his words, she looked up, her eyes filled with fervent adoration for her master.
Lu Cheng reached out and gently hooked her chin.
"What do you think their expressions will be when they finally manage to get in, only to find nothing there?"
A cruel and twisted smile also appeared on Yukino Shita Chizuru's lips.
She gently rubbed her cheek against Lu Cheng's palm.
"I imagine it will be even more spectacular than at the dojo, Master."
...In front of the Torii Gate, Ise Ryuichi and Kamiya Makoto, though exhausted, had an unprecedented gleam in their eyes.
The joy of victory and the anticipation of the future made them temporarily forget their previous despair.
They exchanged glances, simultaneously reaching out their hands, preparing to combine their strength to break through this barrier, which led to 'power' and 'revenge.'
And just as their fingertips were about to touch the cold Torii Gate...
On the back mountain of the shrine, the Rolls-Royce slowly stopped.
The car door opened, and Lu Cheng leisurely stepped out.
Before him was not a cliff, but a deep, secluded path cleverly concealed by vines and rocks.
Yukino Shita Chizuru followed closely, respectfully leading the way for him.
"Master, this is a secret passage left behind from the past, which can bypass all barriers and lead directly to the core of Yomotsu Hirasaka."
Lu Cheng glanced at the deep path, as if he could see through the entire mountain range to the two 'hopeful' figures in front of the Torii Gate.
The smile on his face grew even wider.
"Very good."
"Then... let's not keep our guests waiting too long."