“Nggh! Haaah... It’s been a while since I had such a good nap,” a figure muttered as she emerged from her temporary nest. The Jorogumo stretched her body lazily as she descended from the tree, inspecting her steel web fortress.
“Being a hunter is fun and all, but being the prey... now that’s exciting! It’s been ages since someone last came after me. Usually, I have to chase my prey or wait till they got caught in my trap—But here, they came after me! I don’t even have to try.”
As she examined her web and found it untouched, a sense of disappointment washed over her. “But the hunters this time are so weak... it’s boring.”
Looking around and finding no one, she frowned. “Wait... where is everybody? Did the round end already?” Curious, she decided to leave her nest and investigate. While wandering, she encountered someone.
“Oh, Shi! Hi there!” she greeted cheerfully, waving at the Kitsune. Her casual demeanor startled Shi, who frowned in confusion.
“Why are you acting so nonchalant? This is Hyakki Yagyo! We’re bound to face each other as enemies sooner or later,” Shi said.
“Aaaw, it’s fine! This is a festival—it’s meant to be fun!” the Jorogumo replied with a grin. “Besides, Madame probably just thinks of this as her version of a gambling party.”
Shi was speechless, bewildered by how lightly the Jorogumo treated the deadly competition. The young Jorogumo tilted her head and asked, “Where are the other participants? Did they come after you?”
“One hunter tried,” Shi admitted, “but after I blasted him away once, he ran off in fear.”
The Jorogumo nodded enthusiastically. “Same here! They couldn’t even scratch my webs before giving up. It’s no fun.”
“I sensed Yoruka fighting someone earlier,” Shi said, scanning the area with her spiritual energy. “She seemed serious. Maybe they ganged up on her. Let’s check it out.”
“Ugh, I don’t like her,” the Jorogumo pouted. “She’s so cold—it’s no fun talking to her.”
“Then don’t talk to her,” Shi retorted, quickening her pace. The Jorogumo chased after her, not wanting to be left behind.
When they arrived, they found Yoruka sitting calmly on a small boulder. Shi approached and asked about the remaining hunters and the time left in the round.
“I saw them nearby a little while ago,” Yoruka replied expressionlessly. “I think Nurarihyon extended the round’s duration. This area is much larger than the previous one. Since the only participants left are us, from the great clans, he probably wants the fights to stretch out. I doubt he expected all three of us to end up as prey this round.”
“I see. So, did they gang up on you? And you managed to fend them off?” the Jorogumo asked, intrigued.
Yoruka shook her head. “I wasn’t fighting a group. It was just one opponent.”
Both Shi and the Jorogumo twitched, startled by this admission. “Who was it? Someone famous?” the Jorogumo asked, eager to challenge the fighter.
“No,” Yoruka replied flatly. “Just nobody, don’t bother with him. He’ll probably lose and end up as your meal by the end of this round.”
Jorogumo's excitement deflated, and she slumped in disappointment. Shi, meanwhile, scanned the area again but found no trace of any hunters.
“I did sense a strong spiritual fluctuation earlier,” Yoruka said, glancing at Shi. “I thought it was from you guys. Was it coming from that Wanyudo?”
Shi shook her head. “He’s skilled, but not quite at our level yet, it must be because the last prey among us… I’m wondering where the others are.”
----------------------------------------
A sudden surge of spiritual energy erupted from behind, stunning the hunters and plunging the scene into even greater chaos. The remaining hunters, who had been locked in combat with each other, turned toward the source of that overwhelming power. It was the little Koropokkuru. The earth cracked, and the ground trembled as several torrents of water burst forth, powerful enough to send hunters caught in the blast radius flying high into the air.
The hunters, including Ryohei, were thrown into disarray. Panic-stricken, as they turned to flee the area, but their efforts were in vain. A massive wave surged, striking the pack of hunters like a water cannon shot from a point-blank range, sending them reeling. The wave crashed violently, and then, like an ominous tide, the water receded with tremendous force. The water flowed back, dragging everyone who got caught in it. But it’s not just a regular backflow, the force, speed and intensity felt like extremely powerful rip tides, dragging everyone towards the center.
Ryohei struggled desperately to escape, attempting to use his techniques, but the strong pulling sensation from the backflows keeps his body drowned. Helpless, he watched as another hunter was swept toward the whirlpool forming at the center of the chaos.
As he was sucked into the whirlpool, Ryohei and the others struggling to breathe, as they gasp for air, clawing their way upward in search of the surface. Ryohei, who was used to swim in the river behind his home, had the skill to swim just fine, same thing goes for both of his Kamaitachi. They swam up and finally breached the surface. Gasping and coughing, he filled his lungs with air.
Other hunters surfaced as well, only to freeze in shock. They found themselves in an entirely unfamiliar place. The sky above was bright with a pale bisque color, a vast open sea stretched endlessly around them. In the distance, massive rock formations lined the horizon, surrounding them, enclosing the strange area they're in.
Suddenly, the water trembled violently. From beneath the surface, a gigantic butterbur leaf sprouted, towering over Ryohei. One by one, more leaves emerged, varying in size, until the once-empty sea was transformed into a forest of colossal butterbur leaves.
Domain Creation, Butterbur Pond.
The scene was surreal, as though Ryohei and the others had been reduced into tiny figures in a world of giants. Like he was The Lilliput in the land of Gulliver
Before he could gather his thoughts, a massive shadow loomed over him. He glanced back to see an enormous butterbur leaf collapsing toward him. At its base, he spotted Kamikiri, grinning mischievously. The leaf had been deliberately cut by the creature.
"You damn beast!" Ryohei yelled angrily, even as the perilous situation unfolded.
Even in this situation, that Kamikiri are still trying to get back at him. He called out to Hikage and scooped her into his hand. "Hold on, okay?" he said. As he tucks Hikage into ball shape, then pouring his strength and spiritual energy into his arm. His muscles bulged as he prepared to throw her.
*Whoosh
Hikage fly with an incredible speed, spiraled her way with incredible speed. She spins with high acceleration, continues to jet upward like a spiraling tornado, tearing a hole through the descending leaf. Ryohei braces for impact with Raisen on his hand. As the leaf struck the water with a deafening crash and sends strong waves to the surrounding. Ryohei who made it into the hole gap was launched upwards from the impact, landing him atop the soft, trampoline-like surface of the leaf.
From afar he saw Kamikiri who climbed onto stem of another butterbur stem nearby. Their gazes locked in mutual frustration—Ryohei was frustated that he got sneak attacked while Kamikiri was frustrated because his carefully planned attack barely did any damage on Ryohei.
Other hunters began swimming toward the leaves, seeking platforms to stand on. But Ryohei shook off his anger and focused. “No, I need to focus on my objective, I have no time to waste on those guys.” Frantically scans around, looking for the sign of his target. His eyes starting to get strained of overusing his enhanced eyes.
Then, he saw her—a black-haired Koropokkuru, holding a small butterbur leaf like an umbrella, emerging from the water.
‘There, I found her! But... how can he reach her?' he wondered. Normally, he could ride the wind and glide around this vast body of water. But the winds are calm and no wind blows, now he finally understand the weakness Yoruka meant, within the area of calm wind where no wind blows, in here Kamaitachi’s are just a crippled Sickle weasel.
Undeterred, he assessed his surroundings. The butterbur leaves floating nearby sparked an idea.
“Hikage, Raisen!” Ryohei calls them out and explaining them of his plan. “Understand?” ask Ryohei, the two Kamaitachi nodded. At times he wondered, did they truly understand what he meant? since when were they able to understand what he said?
Was it because they're yokai that their brains developed? or because he often talks to them since they were young?
Nevertheless, it's a good thing…
Without hesitation, the two transformed into sickles. Ryohei hurled them forward, spinning like boomerangs to cut nearby butterbur leaves. The severed leaves collapsed into the water, creating makeshift platforms that leads towards his target.
Another giant leaf falls and makes huge splash again, creating waves and rippling the water. Ryohei started running towards his target, while other hunters also tailing him, looking for an opportunity to snatch the prey.
“Just like I thought, you'd be doing this again… sorry but I'm not going to let you disturb me again.”
As he ran, he transformed his finger into a sickle and started cutting the leaf platform right under him. Tearing the leaf underneath him, as it slowly sinks. Other hunters who saw that express their anger and try to stop him, but of course they can't catch up as they hold no candle against Kamaitachi's speed.
He jumped into another leaf that had just been cut down and continued running as he cuts the path behind him, Raisen came and joined from the other direction, not long after Ryohei moved to another one and rejoined with Hikage.
With a section of butterbur stem hoisted over his shoulder, Ryohei hurled it toward his target. "Now, your turn, Hikage! Raisen!"
The Kamaitachi unleashed sharp, wind-infused strikes, slicing the stem into tire like rings like that scattered across the water’s surface.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
‘Currently, these kinds of moves are beyond my capabilities, that's why I rely on them.’
Ryohei threw another one and it was followed up by several wind blade, slashed parts fall into the water surrounding the Koropokkuru as it creates huge disruption to the calm water surface. Koropokkuru was scared and was frantically look around her, determining whether it pose threat or not.
“You’re focusing on the wrong thing.” Ryohei muttered, advancing swiftly using the floating stems as steppingstone. Although butterbur stems are lightweight, and they have a hollow part in the center for trapping air. It would eventually sink as water seeped into their fibers; they served well enough as temporary footholds.
Koropokkuru was astonished as she was cornered, and Ryohei 's hands were already a few feet from her, as his hands reached out, ready to grab her. But just as he was certain of success—he missed
Ripple Dash
The Koropokkuru dove beneath the water, leaving only her butterbur leaf umbrella visible above the surface. She moved at incredible speed, evading Ryohei’s reach in an instant. Startled by her sudden burst of speed, Ryohei quickly stepped onto another stem and chased after her, leaping from stem to stem as he tried to catch the elusive butterbur leaf darting away at an astonishing pace.
As she rapidly darted around the floating stem with no restrictions. Her movements were unpredictable, turning the chase into a frustrating game of cat and mouse.
'She’s way too fast! I can’t catch up!' Ryohei thought, gritting his teeth as he kept pursuing her. But then, his speed unexpectedly increased, and he found himself gaining on her. He nearly grabbed the butterbur leaf that she clung to.
‘!’
'What was that? How did I suddenly get faster? Could it be because I’m growing stronger? No, that’s impossible… Yokai don’t grow stronger this quickly.'
Ryohei was stunned by the sudden surge of speed but couldn’t figure out its source. Before he could dwell on it, the Koropokkuru raised her hands and began to hum a melodic tune. Water droplets around her floated into the air as if enchanted. Clouds gathered as the sky turned dark, her technique changed the surrounding weather and started a rain.
Spring Rain Serenade
The clouds released a steady rain. Ryohei dismissed it at first. 'It’s just rain. No big deal, right?'
He couldn’t have been more wrong. Though it was an ordinary rain infused with spiritual energy, for a creature moving at high speed like him, rain was even more troublesome than he had thought.
As it narrows down his vision and each raindrop feel like a needle that stung his skin and face. Ryohei who was chasing her evenly until a moment ago began to slow down, he tried to cover his face with his arms to ignore the pain of the rain and leave a small narrow hole to see as he continued chasing her with full speed.
The falling droplets obscured his vision, and each one stung like a needle piercing his skin. Ryohei, who had been keeping up with her just moments earlier, began to slow down. He shielded his face with his arms, leaving a narrow gap to see through as he continued the chase at full speed, ignoring the pain.
But then Koropokkuru suddenly made a sharp turn, and Ryohei, with narrowed vision, lost track of her and tumbled into the water with a splash.
The Koropokkuru surfaced and stared at him from a distance. Ryohei swam to a nearby platform formed by a severed stem and hauled himself out of the water, panting heavily.
“I almost had her… Just a little more…” he muttered, glancing at the Koropokkuru, who watched him with a calm, almost mocking expression. As if confident that she wouldn't be caught.
Ryohei felt something was wrong, he felt unusually tired—more so than he should have from just running.
'Why am I so exhausted? Was it because all the running I did? Or was it something else…?'
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ryohei changed tactics. He called out to Raisen and Hikage, who were holding off the other hunters. Two hunters were stuck on the first floating butterbur leaf, including that Kamikiri, whose scissor-like hands made swimming impossible. The remaining two hunters were Sarugami and Nure Onna.
Sarugami, is a monkey-like yokai nearly the size of an Oni, they are wild and aggressive. Unlike the others, he could swim and had been trailing Ryohei since the beginning, waiting for a chance to steal his prey. While Nure Onna is a snake-like yokai resembling that of a Lamia, human women on the upper half and snake body on the lower half. From the start, she had already transformed into her true form. Her hands vanished, leaving her as a massive green serpent with a human face on her forehead.
Fortunately, Raisen and Hikage managed to hold them off. Raisen repeatedly slashed at Sarugami's footing, forcing him to swim, while Hikage distracted Nure Onna with ranged attacks, preventing her from advancing as she was too focused on evading Hikage attacks.
Realizing that the Koropokkuru’s agility made her nearly untouchable within this field, Ryohei devised a plan to corner her. He called Raisen and Hikage back to his side and quickly outlined his strategy. He planned to cut off her escape route and surround her from both sides, as for those two hunters... I think it’s fine to let them go, as it helps put pressure on Koropokkuru and tires her out. Ryohei realized that he had an advantage in numbers and was assured that even though Nure Onna is pretty fast at swimming, she was nowhere near that Koropokkuru level.
With both Kamaitachi's gone, Sarugami managed to swim to a nearby Butterbur leaf, as he claws the stem and made it fall towards, he jumped on the stem and began using it as a bridge. That same thing goes to Nure Onna, she swims straight towards Koropokkuru and began chasing her, but as expected, her speed was nowhere near enough to catch up to her.
Hikage and Raisen that have returned to Ryohei's side listened to his plan, “Listen closely. I need you to cut the stem holding that leaf toward this direction, and the other one over there in the opposite direction. Can you do it?”
The two exchanged a glance before nodding. Ryohei grinned and started moving toward his targeted stem.
“Good. Once you’re done, regroup immediately. We’ll need to cut another stem to block her escape route.”
Raisen and Hikage sprang into action, slicing through the stems as instructed. Meanwhile, Ryohei calculating which leaf he should cut to completely perfect his plan. Hikage and Raisen managed to topple down two leaves as it blocks the east and west part of Koropokkuru. Then they cut out another two and with both down, soon, a makeshift barricade formed, completely trapping the Koropokkuru, Sarugami and Nure Onna in a square patterned barricade.
The rain, which had been her advantage, now worked against her. As her vision narrowed, and all her focus are spent on evading Nure Onna and Sarugami relentless pursuit. She hadn’t noticed the barricade forming until it was too late. Ryohei cut the final leaf, and with a loud crack the leaf smashed into their battleground. The final leaf Ryohei cut falls right in the middle of his square barricade and separated both Koropokkuru and the other two hunters, this moves completely isolate his prey and the hunters that might disrupt him on the opposite side.
He leapt into the fray, grinning triumphantly. “Now you have nowhere to run,” he said. “Raisen, Hikage, flank her from the other side!”
The Koropokkuru’s eyes widened in panic. She dove, attempting to escape, but the barricade of massive stems blocked her path. With nowhere to flee, she darted desperately around the confined area.
Ryohei and his two Kamaitachi companions moved in perfect rhythm, their movements a blur as they closed in, richocheting around the place as they keep chasing her as he keeps putting more pressure. Koropokkuru who got barraged by his unending pursuit was exhausted and overwhelmed. As she started to feel her spiritual energy consumption starting to wear her down, as she began to falter. Finally, Ryohei lunged and managed to grab her leaf that sprouted above the water surface.
*Splash.
The Koropokkuru was yanked out of the water. Ryohei jumped onto a nearby leaf platform, holding her aloft. He realized that while in water, she was incredibly fast and unpredictable, but she was almost helpless on land.
Now Ryohei was in dilemma, this cute little thing is his prey. Ryohei hesitated, she looked more like a child than a threat.
'What should I do? Should I cut her down? Or hit her to knock her out? Both options feel… wrong.'
The Koropokkuru was still dangling around, as she kept tugging at her leaf umbrella with all her might, trying desperately to pull it her leaf umbrella from Ryohei's grasp. Her wide, pleading eyes fixed on Ryohei. '
Is she… attached to this leaf?' he wondered in silence. And then...
*Snap
The butterbur leaf snapped into two. The small girl fell on the leaf platform, clutching the snapped leaf. Panic seized Ryohei—would she escape? But she didn’t. She sat there, staring at the broken piece in her hands, her wide eyes welling up with tears. Then she began to cry.
A sudden burst of massive spiritual energy erupted from her tiny body, and before Ryohei could react, he was already blasted away by a tremendous force. “Hikage! Raisen!” he shouted. Just before he was sent flying, his Kamaitachi companions latched onto him, and together they were flung together, preventing it from separating them.
Ryohei landed hard on one of a still-standing butterbur leaf, groaning as he regained his footing. He was sent far away from her, as Koropokkuru’s cries grew louder, shaking the world itself. The once calm sea was no more, now its appearance is like a sea amid storms. Churning into chaos as massive waves surged and trembled. The sky darkened further, heavy rain lashing the turbulent water. Waves after waves of spiritual power erupted and creating a massive wall of tidal wave.
A towering tidal wave loomed over from afar, as the storm brewed. Blowing the wind into random direction. Ryohei gritted his teeth as he saw that tidal wave slowly approaching, dragging any hunters that was attempting to run away from it. Gritting his teeth, as Ryohei calculated his options.
'Should I dive under? No, considering the size of that tidal wave, it'll just drag me in. Jumping over it? Impossible, with this violent wind, I'd just threw me off balance.' As he scanned his surrounding landscape. Behind him, he spotted the biggest butterbur leaf around, this leaf rise over any other leaf in terms of size and height. His eyes widened as he was just getting a bold idea.
His gut tightened. "This might be my best shot... I hope my gut feeling was correct.” As he muttered to himself. Without hesitation, he leapt toward the massive leaf.
“Raisen, Hikage—cut the base!” The Kamaitachi complied, slashing away at the dense stem. Ryohei joined in, turning his fingers into sickles and hacking at the thick base. The blade-like claws glowed faintly as he sliced, but progress was slow. All the while, the tidal wave grew closer, roaring with destructive power.
*CRACK!
The stem gave away with a deafening sound, and the enormous leaf began to tilt and slowly going down. Ryohei wasted no time, he called both of his Kamaitachi and started running upward on the collapsing stem.
Racing up the collapsing stem as it fell toward the tidal wave. The leaf's massive size create a shockwave upon impact. As the stems falls down into the tidal wave, cleaving it into two. Its impact sent shockwaves rippling through the water, completely splitting the tidal wave apart. Looking at his plan to succeed, Ryohei didn’t waste any second—as he fasten his running.
Each step shook beneath him as the wave’s fury began to close in. The split waters roared, converging faster than he could run. “Damn it! I’m not fast enough!” he thought
Desperation clawing at him. He glanced at his companions, then made a gamble. “Remember what I told you right? I need you to reach her place now, can you do it?” Ask Ryohei to his kamaitachi, Raisen and Hikage nod. “Okay, GO!” With all his strength, he hurled Raisen and Hikage who transformed into a sickle, the sickle spins as it flies quickly like a boomerang.
In midair, Hikage transformed back, her was messed up by the wind. Hikage starts spinning in midair, acting like a booster as she creates a spinning vortex of wind that launches her sister, Raisen forward like a lightning bolt. The Koropokkuru turned, startled, just as Raisen moved quickly towards her, she started running, trying to go back to the water but too late, Raisen managed to catch up and ramming her back. The girl wobbled and fell, her spiritual energy sputtering as she hit the butterbur leaf.
At that moment, Ryohei felt it—a surge of power in his legs. His eyes widened as he made the right call. Throughout this whole chasing the prey thing, A memory of Daitengu's voice echoed in his mind. Back to the moment where he ate Okuri’s Inu Magatama.
“This thing can increase your spiritual power, and on the off chance you're lucky... you might obtain Okuri Inu special trait.”
As pain seared through his body grew sharper, his legs was ignited with supernatural energy alongside surge of power. Words echoed in his mind, ancient and unfamiliar, but instinctively, Ryohei muttered them aloud.
> The fall of your prey
>
>
> Marks the beginning of the hunt,
>
> Transform yourself into unrelenting speed,
>
> Leaving nothing but silence in your wake.
A loud spectral howl echoed in his ears, as wind vortexed around his body, shielding him from the rain. With a thunderous burst, he launched forward, blasting his surroundings as his speed tore through the collapsing wave and momentarily shattering the sound barrier. The shockwave tore through the collapsing wave, scattering droplets like shards of glass.
His body screamed in agony from the strain, but he pushed forward, closing the gap between himself and the crying girl. Koropokkuru notices that Ryohei moved at incredible speeds towards her direction, she tried to run as she was afraid, while sobbing uncontrollably. Ryohei's arm reached out. But when he saw her, she looked like nothing more than a child who had lost her toy. Ryohei’s grip slackened. He couldn’t bring himself to hit her.
He stopped a few feet away from her. The shockwave from his speed soon followed him, as it created a force that blasted her away, making her tumble unconsciously.
The storm subsided. Ryohei stood there, drenched and exhausted, as the turbulent waters settled into calm ripples and the world surrounding began to crack and collapse, revealing the dark forest he was before.
The round ended, and he managed to survive yet another round...