(70 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 44: Freezing Tsuchigumo
Faced with the raging Tsuchigumo, Yumesaki remained entirely unfazed. After all, it was merely a single Tsuchigumo.
Granted, within the world of the Nura Clan, Tsuchigumo possessed immense power, feared to the point that people claimed even gods and buddhas would avert their eyes and stay silent when he crossed their path. But one had to keep a specific detail in mind: Japan boasted a pantheon of eight million gods. That sheer number alone spoke volumes about how diluted the title of 'god' could be. In this land, even a master sushi chef could be revered as a god of sushi, let alone actual supernatural entities. Such titles were incredibly common, and almost any powerful creature could claim divinity. Therefore, Tsuchigumo's true standing was only impressive within that specific scope. He was a powerful Yokai, but that was the extent of it.
As the monster rampaged, Huodou lunged forward to place himself protectively in front of Nyanko-sensei. Pitch-black flames erupted furiously from his body, forming a blazing wall of fire that separated them from Tsuchigumo.
Meanwhile, Okuchi-no-Makami turned into a flashing white blur, charging straight toward Tsuchigume's front. Its speed easily eclipsed Nyanko-sensei's best efforts. Snow and ice blasted upward wherever its four paws touched the ground, leaving a vast trail of white, freezing mist swirling in its wake.
Tsuchigumo's remaining arms moved in unison, his massive palms slamming downward like a collapsing mountain. Yet, Okuchi-no-Makami neither dodged nor slowed down. Meeting the descending palms head-on, it lofted its head regally as the energy surrounding its body surged exponentially. The surrounding snow and ice instantly coalesced into a protective barrier of crystal-clear ice.
The giant palms slammed violently against the barrier. Shards of ice sprayed outward like a downpour of falling stars, but the attack failed to advance even a fraction of an inch further.
The immense rebounding force sent Tsuchigumo's arms flailing outward. Okuchi-no-Makami seized the momentum to leap fiercely into the air, driving its sharp fangs directly into Tsuchigumo's left shoulder. With a violent wrench of its head, it tore away a massive chunk of flesh, muscle, and bone in one brutal motion.
Tsuchigumo finally unleashed a scream of genuine, excruciating agony. He swung his remaining arms frantically in a desperate bid to catch the elusive white wolf, hoping to repeat his earlier tactic of pinning and slamming his opponent.
However, Okuchi-no-Makami never lingered for a single second upon landing. Utilizing the incredible speed boost granted by its frost and snow, it circled Tsuchigumo like a rushing gale, leaving a heavy trail of absolute zero cold behind it. The freezing air didn't dissipate; instead, it clung to Tsuchigumo's legs and arms, stacking thicker and heavier until it began to solidify into a rigid sheet of ice.
"You think you can freeze me?" Tsuchigumo growled, looking down at his lower limbs as they gradually locked up. With a furious roar, he forced a massive surge of Yoki out of his body, instantly shattering the encasing ice into dust.
Ignoring the frost gathering around his feet, he raised two arms simultaneously, calculating Okuchi-no-Makami's movement path. He then smashed his fists downward into the predicted space with terrifying force.
A loud explosion tore through the pavement.
It was a classic case of predicting an opponent's move. Okuchi-no-Makami couldn't completely evade the widespread shockwave, taking a heavy blow from the displaced wind across its flank. Its massive body rolled several times across the road before it could stabilize its stance, a thin trickle of dark crimson dripping from the corner of its mouth.
But right at that moment, a massive torrent of black flames, burning at maximum intensity, struck Tsuchigumo squarely in the chest.
Okuchi-no-Makami had never been fighting alone. It still had its partner, Huodou.
Huodou had used the brief window when Tsuchigumo was preoccupied with pursuing Okuchi-no-Makami to silently slip around to his flank. The moment Okuchi-no-Makami took the hit, he unleashed his offensive without a single shred of hesitation.
"Nicely done," Yumesaki couldn't help but voice his approval at the flawless execution.
Unlike the probing attack from earlier, the black flames had condensed into a massive lance of fire several meters in diameter, driving deep into Tsuchigumo's chest. The extreme heat distorted the surrounding air, and the thick musculature on the monster's chest rapidly shifted from black to a glowing red before beginning to liquefy right before their eyes.
The agonizing pain seared through every single one of Tsuchigumo's nerves, a sensation that even the toughest warrior couldn't possibly endure. Consumed by the torment, he let out a hysterical shriek, his two remaining hands clawing frantically at the source of the black flames on his chest in a desperate bid to snuff out the fire using his Yoki.
Yet Huodou acted like a parasite burrowing into bone, staying low to the ground as he darted agilely around Tsuchigumo's legs. He kept up a continuous stream of black fire from his maw, burning the giant's lower limbs until the skin peeled away and the flesh tore open.
Spotting the ideal opening, Okuchi-no-Makami refused to give Tsuchigumo any further opportunity to mount a counteroffensive. It leaped high into the air, the wind and snow around its body whistling sharply as over a dozen massive, icy-blue lances materialized in the sky. The tips of the spears aligned perfectly with Tsuchigumo's sturdiest arm joints, as well as the vital areas around his neck and shoulders.
The lances flew forward in a sudden blur.
In the blink of an eye, the volley was unleashed. The ice spears, wrapped in biting frost, rained down like a divine judgment.
"Don't you dare!" Tsuchigumo roared. His Yoki erupted once more, generating a powerful shockwave that deflected the incoming ice lances as they sped toward him.
But Huodou had already anticipated this outcome. Spitting a concentrated burst of fire, he struck Tsuchigumo squarely. The synchronization between him and Okuchi-no-Makami was entirely seamless, depriving Tsuchigumo of even a single moment to recover. It was the perfect manifestation of the adage that two fists couldn't match four hands—or in this case, even though Tsuchigumo possessed multiple arms, Okuchi-no-Makami and Huodou boasted a collective eight legs.
Without any surprises, Tsuchigumo was struck squarely by the explosive flames once again. Having just exhausted his energy on the shockwave, he had no way to gather a second burst of power in time. The interval between the two assaults was simply too brief to allow any evasion.
Worse still, this particular burst of fire carried an explosive property rather than a sustained burn.
A massive detonation echoed out, blasting Tsuchigumo clean off his feet and sending him flying through the air. His chest was reduced to a mangled mess, and fresh blood splattered across the area.
Okuchi-no-Makami wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity slide. Controlling the ambient ice and snow once more, it formed a continuous stream of ice spears, launching a relentless barrage at the airborne Tsuchigumo.
Tumbling backward through the air, Tsuchigumo had no means of destroying the incoming projectiles. He could only hurriedly raise his remaining arms to shield himself.
Yet, the raw kinetic force behind the ice lances far exceeded his estimations. One of his arms was completely impaled by two separate spears, while his other arm suffered a severe invasion of frost through its open wounds. The freezing cold spread rapidly from the inside out, instantly locking up his joints and freezing his Yoki mid-circulation.
The sound of rapidly spreading frost filled the air.
Hard, thick ice enveloped the limb entirely, freezing it solid in mid-air and stripping it of all mobility within seconds. Tsuchigumo crashed heavily back down to the earth, a ragged, wheezing breath escaping from behind his mask.
At this point, he looked in far worse shape than Nyanko-sensei. Out of his four arms, three were completely incapacitated, both of his legs were charred black by Huodou's flames, and dark blood poured heavily from the deep puncture wounds left by the ice lances.
Watching the utterly defeated Tsuchigumo, Natsume felt a massive wave of relief wash over his chest. He instinctively wanted to smile, but realizing that celebrating might be inappropriate given the grim scene, he quickly lowered his head, forcing himself to think of melancholy thoughts to keep his expressions in check.
Yumesaki caught the subtle gesture out of the corner of his eye. This kid was simply too kind-hearted for his own good. Anyone else in his shoes would have been grinning from ear to ear by now, probably throwing in a few cold jeers for good measure. But Natsume didn't. And that exact trait was a massive reason why people found him so endearing.
Turning his gaze back to Tsuchigumo, Yumesaki noted that despite the horrific injuries, the creature still hadn't relinquished his fighting spirit. He was using his sole functional arm to prop his body up, clearly intent on mounting a final, desperate counterattack.
Naturally, Yumesaki's two Shikigami had no intention of allowing that.
Huodou had already circled behind him, spewing out chains forged from black flames that bound Tsuchigumo's remaining arm tightly against his torso. Meanwhile, Okuchi-no-Makami surged forward across the snow, its jaws clamping down hard on the juncture between Tsuchigumo's neck and shoulder as it channeled a massive influx of freezing ice-attributed Yoki through its fangs.
Frost spread rapidly from the wound, crawling up Tsuchigumo's neck toward his mask and surging down his chest toward his heart. Tsuchigumo's frantic struggles grew visibly slower and stiffer with each passing second.
A minute later, the thick layer of frost completely encased his Oni mask. Tsuchigumo had been reduced entirely to an immobile ice sculpture. The crimson glow within his eyes flickered one last time before dying out beneath the thick glaze.
The battle was officially over.
Yumesaki walked over unhurriedly, retrieving the Book of Friends from where it had fallen on the ground, and offered it back to Natsume. "Here."
"Thank you." Natsume accepted the book, bowing deeply and formally toward Yumesaki. "I'm incredibly grateful to you... and thank you so much for saving Nyanko-sensei as well."
If Yumesaki hadn't intervened just now, he would have lost both the Book of Friends and Nyanko-sensei. He felt a profound sense of gratitude toward this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere at his darkest hour.
"I'll accept your thanks. Now, go check on your friend."
Prompted by Yumesaki's reminder, Natsume immediately scrambled over to Nyanko-sensei's side. "Nyanko-sensei, are you alright? How bad is it, Nyanko-sensei?"
Nyanko-sensei used the absolute last of his energy to roll his eyes. Immediately afterward, as if completely running out of steam, his massive true form dissolved, shrinking right back into his round, chubby lucky cat appearance. He lay completely limp amidst the pool of blood and shattered stone.
"I'm fine, Natsume..."
"But looking at you right now, there's absolutely nothing 'fine' about this!" Natsume cried out. Gazing at the blood-drenched cat, he carefully scooped him up into his arms, his heart aching with intense worry and overwhelming guilt. "If it wasn't for me... if you hadn't been trying to protect me..."
Yumesaki walked over to the weeping boy, speaking gently as Natsume cradled the cat close. "Let me take a look."
Natsume's eyes lit up with a sudden spark of hope, and he immediately held Nyanko-sensei out toward him.
Yumesaki placed a single hand over Nyanko-sensei's limp body, activating the Reverse Cursed Technique.
This was an incredibly advanced application of energy that even the vast majority of seasoned Jujutsu Sorcerers failed to master. By multiplying negative cursed energy against itself, it generated positive energy, which could be utilized for potent healing. While some could use it to mend their own wounds, those capable of applying it to heal others were exceptionally rare. Throughout history, only a select few like Shoko Ieiri, Yuta Okkotsu, and Ryomen Sukuna could pull off such a feat.
And Yumesaki possessed that exact capability.
This specific technique didn't just stitch superficial wounds; it could completely regenerate severed limbs, repair ruptured internal organs, and reverse fatal trauma. Under Yumesaki's influence, it took a mere minute for Nyanko-sensei to transition from the brink of death to absolute, peak vitality. Aside from his depleted reserves of Yoki, his physical body was healthy enough to wrestle a bull.
"You absolute idiot, Natsume!"
The moment he recovered, Nyanko-sensei launched himself forward and delivered a vicious headbutt straight to Natsume's chest. The sudden impact sent Natsume stumbling back several steps before he landed flat on his backside, the wind completely knocked out of him.
"Ny... Nyanko-sensei?" Natsume stared blankly at the cat in utter confusion, completely unable to fathom why he was suddenly being attacked.
"How dare you hand my Book of Friends over to Tsuchigumo! You've got some nerve!"
Natsume didn't even have the energy to argue about when exactly the Book of Friends had suddenly become Nyanko-sensei's property. He quickly tried to explain himself, "Nyanko-sensei, at that moment, I just wanted to—"
"Shut up, you massive dunce!"
Nyanko-sensei leaped into the air, executing a flying kick that knocked Natsume flat onto his back. He then executed a couple of mid-air flips before landing squarely on Natsume's chest.
"Listen to me carefully, Natsume. If anything like this ever happens again, you take the Book of Friends and you run as fast as your legs can carry you! Don't you dare stick around, do you understand me, you utter blockhead?!"
Natsume froze, staring up at Nyanko-sensei. Seeing the deep, unmistakable worry shining through the cat's angry eyes, a soft, genuine smile finally graced his face.
"Yeah. Understood, Nyanko-sensei."
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