Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
An existence similar to a powerful berserker was approaching them. Should they fight him or avoid him?
Seiji felt that it would be greatly unwise to face a powerful enemy who was currently in a strange and unknown condition and also in peak combat form head on. He instantly decided to avoid the fight if at all possible.
"We need to hurry and leave here. Let's avoid this Shigure Tendo!"
Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa immediately started moving.
However, they all sensed that Shigure Tendo increased his speed and continued chasing after them!
Seiji had a feeling that things would turn really bad if Shigure caught up to them. He told his companions to increase their speed to the maximum.
However, they were interrupted by some ghost-possessed individuals!
Two people that were enveloped in black mist suddenly ambushed them from the overall black mist surrounding the entire island. Seiji's party was forced into a fight.
These two possessed individuals were also much stronger than the larger party of ghost-possessed individuals from earlier! It was difficult to dispatch these two enemies in a short amount of time.
Shigure Tendo continued approaching at an ever-increasing speed.
Seiji's ominous premonition became worse as he sensed Shigure's rapid approach.
Should they try to use a round of ultimate abilities and defeat the two enemies before them as quickly as possible and continue running, or…
After swiftly thinking through the possibilities, Seiji made a decision.
"Shika, I'm going to go deal with Shigure Tendo!"
"Brother?" Shika looked at him.
"I'll judge based on the situation regarding what I should do. After you guys defeat these two, don't go looking for me. Continue southwards…"
Seiji made verbal arrangements as he continued fighting the two ghost-possessed enemies. He then glanced over at Izawa.
"Izawkun, I'm leaving the rest up to you."
"Harutkun?"
"Kanna, help me take care of Shikchan."
"What's the matter, Seiji!?"
"I'm going to go deal with that Shigure Tendo fellow!"
Right after saying that, Seiji took advantage of an opening to fire off a powerful [Mana Bullet] to knock away an enemy before he turned around and started to leave.
"Brother…"
"Don't worry about me, Shikchan. I won't force myself to do anything that I'm not capable of."
Seiji speedily left his companions and headed back in the direction that he just came from. He saw on the minimap that Shigure changed directions and headed directly for him rather than the ongoing fight!
"As I expected, his target is me…"
After Shigure defeated all his enemies and teammates, was it now time for him to defeat the younger brother of the mortal enemy who killed his older brother…?
'Shigure Tendo, just what type of condition are you in right now?'
Seiji prepared himself as he returned to the earlier street where he and his companions had just battled the previous group of ghost-possessed enemies.
When he sensed that Shigure was quite close, he also sensed that the black mist across from him seemed to be freezing up, as if some tremendously powerful and frightening existence was about to appear.
"This aura… is quite a bad one," Seiji's bonded female spirit suddenly spoke up in his mind.
"Yomi…"
"It resembles the aura of an awakened great demon. It's something of equal level, or even higher level that that… You shouldn't fight with it!" Yomi gave Seiji a serious warning.
"I don't want to fight it, either. But, I have to stall for time until his minimap senses run out…" The minimap senses in this tournament were timed and would automatically turn on and off periodically.
Before Seiji even finished speaking, a black figure appeared in his field of vision.
This person was pitch-black all over with chaotic silver and red runes all over his body. There were spiral-shaped runes on his eyes and forehead which were whirling with a dark red glow. He emanated a powerful, almost physical demonic aura… He was incredibly dangerous!!
Just by looking at him, Seiji was instinctively able to sense that Shigure Tendo was highly dangerous.
It was as if Seiji had just witnessed a tremendous titan which was sixty meters tall!
Perhaps it wasn't the most appropriate situation to use an analogy from a manga in his previous world, but that was indeed Seiji's first impression at the time. There was no need for thinking or logic and reason here. It was easy enough to tell with only instincts…
"Hurry and escape!!" Yomi gave Seiji the most severe warning she had ever given. "This isn't something that the current you can handle!!!"
The next instant, the demonic figure, or Shigure Tendo, instantly charged towards Seiji!
His movements left a trail of black mist behind in the air. The longsword in his right hand was glowing crimson.
[Demon Suppression Bell]!
Seiji cast one of his ultimate techniques that he had prepared before Shigure arrived.
A golden bell appeared and covered the demonic Shigure. However, the bell was shattered into tiny pieces in less than three seconds!
*Whoosh…* The demonic figure flashed right in front of Seiji, and stabbed directly towards his heart...
Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, "Heartseeker Sword"!
*Rumble… BOOM!* As Shigure stabbed, the black mist around him transformed into a drill. A crevice appeared in the earth which headed directly for Seiji. Large holes suddenly appeared in the nearby houses and walls from the force of this technique!
Seiji managed to activate his new [Emergency Flash] technique to dodge this attack. He knew that he would have likely been seriously injured or even dead if that attack had connected.
[Adrenaline Rush]!
Seiji then unhesitatingly activated the first ability of his [Shinji Kamizaki character reward card]. This caused all his physical attributes to greatly increase, improving all his stats such as attack, defense, reactions, speed, and senses!
In combination with his [Evolved Body-strengthening technique], he would be able to even directly face a true titan for a short time!!
*Whoosh…* Shigure flashed right in front of Seiji and once again swung his sword.
Shigure's movements were incredibly swift yet gave the impression of being slow. In fact, his movements could even be called abnormally beautiful.
This was actually a visual miscue created by spiritually enhanced footwork! Anyone that was unable to see through it would likely be cut in half without even realizing what just happened.
*Clang!* Seiji successfully blocked Shigure's sword attack.
Seiji's greatly improved physical abilities allowed him to barely follow Shigure's movements.
Their swords clashed over and over again as black mist shot everywhere. There were many loud sounds as new cracks kept appearing in the ground. The nearby cluster amaryllis flowers caught in the impact area all disappeared in flashes of light.
Although the fight might appear to be even, Seiji was actually at a tremendously lopsided disadvantage. He was using all of his power just blocking each of Shigure's attacks and couldn't even find a single opportunity to counterattack. And in just a few short exchanges of blows, Seiji felt his arm actually numbing from the impact of Shigure's blows!
Yanagi Family sword technique, New Moon style, "Wing Dance"!
Shigure continuously weaved his sword up and down with great speed yet tremendous force at the same time. Seiji barely managed to dodge the first attack and block the second. The third sword attack landed a direct hit on Seiji. Just this one hit instantly shattered Seiji's personal barrier spell in a single blow!
[Bullet Time], activate!
Seiji did his best to put distance between them and dodge the next attacks!
*BANG!!!*
The last attack in Shigure's series of attacks had tremendous might as it directly left a huge crevice in the ground from the shock wave which destroyed a house several dozen meters away!
[Overload] onto [Overload], followed by [Overloaded White Calamity]!
Seiji grit his teeth and used the strongest spell in his entire arsenal. A pure white spiritual figure was formed by this spell.
At this moment, Shigure slightly paused for just an instant.
He mysteriously reobtained some of his senses of logic and reason. His hazy consciousness became slightly clearer.
"Seiji… Haruta…" Shigure took this opportunity to speak.
Seiji was astonished to hear his opponent who remained quiet all this time suddenly begin to speak. Seiji stopped in the middle of the process of having his summoned humanoid spiritual figure attach to himself.
"What… is that…?" Shigure pointed at the humanoid spiritual figure.
"…This is my personal ultimate and secret summoning technique, Shigure Tendo." Seiji decided to respond in such a manner.
"Summoning… Please… Help me…"
"Help you? Help you with what?"
"Break free… from this… Aghhh…!" Shigure started making a sound of pain as he clutched at his forehead. The black mist around his body started moving violently.
Something flashed in Seiji's eyes.
"How should I help you?"
"This… is useful… give it to me…"
Give him the [White Calamity] spirit?
Seiji instantly furrowed his eyebrows.
"You almost managed to kill me! What benefit is there for me to give my most important summoned spirit to my enemy?"
"I… won't kill… you… I'll… help you… to win…"
"So, you mean that you're willing to abandon trying to take revenge for your older brother, and you're also willing to help me achieve victory in this tournament? Is that right?"
"Yes… Hur… ry… I… AGHH!!" Shigure trembled all over as he made sounds of incredible pain. The runes on his body were now glowing abnormally.
Seiji was now facing a dilemma. Should he trust Shigure?
This was an incredibly important decision.
"Yomi, what do you think?"
"I think that you should listen to his request. That's because you won't be able to defeat him if this battle continues. You might as well take a gamble," his bonded female spirit gave her opinion.