Volume 3 Chapter 44 Kou Tenhou And Zeng Taiga, Settling The Score Ii
"I'm just using 'Ki' to neutralize the 'Poison Ki.'."
The user of the Four Fiends technique, Kyuuki, creates 'Poison Ki' inside their body.
They can shoot this 'Poison Ki' at their enemies or absorb their 'Ki' to deal damage.
For the user of 'Poison Ki,' 'Divine Energy' is harmful.
Kai Shuujaku, who took a lot of hits, was writhing in pain.
The damage I dealt to Zeng Taiga was minor.
But the moment the 'White Kirin Sword' tore into his arm, I shot 'Divine Energy' into him.
It was just a small amount, but it had an effect.
The damage inside his body──what you call 'internal injury.'
For the strongest Zeng Taiga, this kind of damage must be a first experience.
His body is shaking because of it.
Well... it was a life-or-death situation just to injure him.
I'm hurt too.
Blood is still flowing from my leg wound. And it hurts.
...I'll use the Pressure Point Technique that Shuu-sensei taught me to control it.
I just need to stop the bleeding and ease the pain. It won't turn into a long battle anyway.
I will settle this with Zeng Taiga here.
"You learned some suspicious techniques from the Golden Feather Syndicate, didn't you?"
Zeng Taiga attacked the Bokou Tribe to get the 'Four Fiends Technique: chaos.'
But the plan failed.
So instead, Zeng Taiga probably learned 'Kyuuki.'
Even with one arm, he wants to stay a war god.
"But did you know that this technique creates 'Poison Ki'?"
Zeng Taiga doesn't answer.
I continue.
"Did you learn that a user of 'Kyuuki' feels intense pain when hit with 'Divine Energy'? Did the Golden Feather Syndicate tell you what 'Four Fiends Technique' really is? Or did they just say it was a strong technique?"
"...You!"
"If that's the case, then you were just a tool to them."
The Golden Feather Syndicate is trying to end the great chaos that will come in ten years as quickly as possible.
So they moved Zeng Taiga to speed up the invasion of the Jinkyo Tribe by ten years.
They probably wanted to quickly bring down Aika Country.
But this isn't for Zeng Taiga.
It's for the true protagonist with the Golden Feather Syndicate──Kai Yougetsu.
"The destined protagonist isn't you. To the Golden Feather Syndicate, you were just a stepping stone for the true protagonist."
"...No!!"
"By believing in fate, you have weakened yourself. That is the true nature of the fate you believe in."
"No way!! This Zeng Taiga will become the king of the continent!!"
Zeng Taiga, united with his horse, charges forward.
As expected, his movements are slower than before.
I slide across the ground with 'Genbu Glide,' slipping under the horse's feet.
At the same time, I swing my sword at the horse's legs.
"You!!"
Understanding my intention, Zeng Taiga jumps off the horse.
With that momentum, he swings his sword down.
I leap into the air with 'Storm of the Lurking Dragon King,' clashing swords with him mid-air.
"──Come, my beloved steed!!"
At Zeng Taiga's call, the black horse responds.
It quickly turns and charges toward me.
On the opposite side, Zeng Taiga is readying his sword.
It's a united front──more like a pincer attack from both man and horse.
He has such a technique too?
Zeng Taiga is truly out of the ordinary!
"Indeed... I may have been swayed by the word 'fate'."
Zeng Taiga said, locking eyes with me.
"But this battle is different! I seek to settle things with you. This is my own fight!!"
"Is that so!!"
I activated 'Mirror of Shadows Reflection.'
'Mirror of Shadows Reflection' is a technique that allows me to grasp everything around me.
And──the more I narrow my senses, the higher the resolution becomes.
So I focus all my attention on Zeng Taiga and the black horse.
Everything else in the world disappears except for Zeng Taiga and the black horse.
Their movements look like they're in slow motion.
The black horse is getting closer. It's growling, trying to stomp on me.
But I don't think it can take me down.
The real threat is Zeng Taiga's attack. The black horse is just a distraction.
Maybe Zeng Taiga knows that too.
When I dodge the black horse, it creates an opening.
He plans to kill me in that moment.
The 'Divine Energy' inside Zeng Taiga is messing with his movements.
I can't fight for long. It's impossible to attack Kairyou-aniue's territory now.
He has thrown away everything else. He only wants to settle things with me.
So, I'll do the same.
I can't win against Zeng Taiga otherwise.
Right now, I'll throw everything away and face Zeng Taiga and the black horse.
I grasp the movements of Zeng Taiga and the black horse.
I can tell when the black horse's hooves are about to come down.
I don't need to move a lot.
Just swaying my body slightly is enough. A small shift, like plants avoiding a storm──that's all I need. I'll dodge the black horse like I did when I avoided Kai Shuujaku's 'Army Shatter Palm.'
Zeng Taiga circles to my side, readying his sword.
He plans to strike the moment my stance breaks.
But I just slightly swayed my body and bent down. I slipped through the legs of the galloping horse and moved toward Zeng Taiga.
I could tell the timing of his attack.
I dodged the rapidly descending blade with just a small movement.
I remembered Shuu-sensei's words.
──'Chaos Techniques' have 3 types.
──'Mirror of Shadows Reflection'──a technique that reads the opponent's movements and predicts the future.
──'Shapeless Defense'──a defensive technique that nullifies the opponent's attacks.
──'Emperor's Dominion'──an offensive technique that can be used by those who have mastered 'Mirror of Shadows Reflection' and 'Shapeless Defense.'
I felt like I could see 'Shapeless Defense' just beyond 'Mirror of Shadows Reflection.'
Of course, it might just be my imagination.
I couldn't completely dodge Zeng Taiga's sword.
My clothes and the skin on my arm were cut.
Even though he was weakened by 'Divine Energy,' this happened.
Still, I was able to find his opening.
The sword swung down by Zeng Taiga.
Before it could move again, I swung the 'White Kirin Sword.'
Zeng Taiga's eyes widened.
The attack that combined man and horse might have been his trump card.
He probably didn't expect me to dodge it.
But he let out a satisfied sigh and said,
"...A great villain who twists fate. No wonder I can't win."
──He said those words.
Right after that, the 'White Kirin Sword' sliced through Zeng Taiga's body.
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