The street wasn't destroyed.
It was cut.
Clean.
Precise.
Lines carved across walls.
Across the ground.
Across reality itself.
Like something had passed through—
And everything in its path had simply been… divided.
Rishiro stopped.
Chainsaw resting on his shoulder.
His eyes moved slowly across the scene.
Taking it in.
Understanding it.
"…So it's you."
Ahead—
A figure stood.
Tall.
Still.
A red-skinned oni.
But different.
Not wild.
Not chaotic.
Controlled.
A katana rested calmly in its hand.
Its presence—
Sharp.
Focused.
"…You're late."
Rishiro tilted his head slightly.
"…You talk."
The oni's gaze didn't shift.
"…Only when it matters."
A faint pause.
"…You've been hunting."
Rishiro's grip adjusted slightly.
"…And you've been waiting."
Silence.
The air between them tightened.
Not heavy.
Not suffocating.
But—
Sharp.
Like the edge of a blade resting against the skin.
Then—
"…Show me."
Rishiro's grin widened slightly.
"…Sure."
VRRRRRRRRR—
The chainsaw roared to life.
Loud.
Violent.
Breaking the silence instantly.
The oni didn't react.
"…Crude."
A small pause.
"…Effective."
Then—
They moved.
The katana flashed first.
Fast.
Too fast for normal eyes.
But—
Rishiro tilted slightly.
Barely.
The blade passed him.
Missed.
CLANG
Chainsaw met steel.
Sparks burst into the air.
The sound echoed sharply through the street.
They separated.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
"…You rely on force."
The oni spoke calmly.
"…You rely on patterns," Rishiro replied.
A faint grin.
"…Breakable."
They clashed again.
Faster.
Closer.
Sharper.
Each strike cleaner than the last.
Each movement calculated.
Measured.
Nothing wasted.
Then—
The oni vanished.
No warning.
No sound.
Gone.
Rishiro's eyes narrowed slightly—
Then—
It reappeared.
Right in front of him.
THUD
A heavy strike slammed into him.
The impact was solid.
Controlled.
Powerful.
Rishiro was pushed back hard.
His feet dragged across the ground.
Dust rose behind him.
The oni stepped forward slowly.
Not rushing.
Not pressing.
Watching.
A faint grin forming.
"…What?"
A pause.
"…Already giving up?"
Silence.
Rishiro stood still.
For just a second.
Then—
He laughed.
Low.
Sharp.
Real.
"…You wish."
He lifted the chainsaw again.
Grip tighter now.
Firm.
His eyes—
Sharper.
Focused.
Alive.
"…Now you're interesting."
They moved again.
But this time—
It changed.
Faster.
Closer.
More dangerous.
The katana cut through the air like light itself.
Precise.
Unavoidable—
Except it wasn't.
The chainsaw roared—
But controlled.
Not wild.
Not reckless.
Rishiro stepped.
Twisted.
Redirected.
Every movement deliberate.
A shallow cut landed across the oni's body.
Clean.
Exact.
The oni looked down at it.
Then—
Smiled.
"…Good."
A pause.
Its gaze sharpened.
"…You've died before."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Strange.
Rishiro didn't deny it.
Didn't react.
Just—
Smiled.
"…What gave it away?"
"…You don't fear mistakes."
Silence.
A brief moment of understanding.
"…Then don't make one."
The oni attacked again.
Full speed.
No restraint.
No hesitation.
Rishiro stepped in.
Not back.
Forward.
VRRRRRRR—
Blades clashed.
Grinding.
Screaming.
Steel against steel.
Too close.
Too fast.
Too dangerous.
The oni struck—
Rishiro slid back slightly.
A thin cut formed across his cheek.
Blood.
Fresh.
Real.
Silence.
The oni watched.
"…Now you're real."
Rishiro wiped the blood slowly.
Looked at it.
Then—
Grinned.
"…You too."
He moved first this time.
Faster.
Sharper.
No hesitation.
No waiting.
One step.
One opening.
That's all it took.
He slipped inside the oni's guard.
Too close.
Too sudden.
Too late to react.
SHRRRKKK—
The cut landed.
Clean.
Final.
Silence.
The oni froze.
Its katana slipped from its hand.
Clattering softly against the ground.
It looked at Rishiro.
And smiled.
Not bitter.
Not angry.
Satisfied.
"…Good."
A pause.
"…You'll survive."
Its body began to fade.
Breaking apart slowly.
"…Take it."
The katana dropped.
Rishiro caught it easily.
Balanced.
Sharp.
"…Not bad."
Then—
Something else formed.
In his other hand.
A mask.
White.
Smooth.
With red patterns flowing across it like whispers frozen in time.
Unnatural.
Watching.
[YOU HAVE DEFEATED: HIGH-CLASS ONI – SWORD TYPE][Reward Acquired: Aksha Mask – One of the Five Masks of False Gods][Weapon Obtained: Oni Blade]
"…Aksha…"
The name lingered.
Strange.
Important.
A faint grin appeared.
"…This might be useful."
He turned.
Chainsaw in one hand.
Blade in the other.
Mask resting lightly.
And without another word—
He walked.
Leaving behind the cut street.
The broken duel.
The test he had passed.
And somewhere—
Something else watched.
Interested.
Because this—
Was no longer just a player getting stronger.
This—
Was something else entirely.
End of Chapter 27