With a single, three-step killing blow, Lin Luo was blasted half a street away. He felt several ribs crack, his chest had actually caved in, and his internal organs were severely compressed, causing him to break out in a cold sweat from the agonizing pain, even briefly stopping his breath... This power was beyond anything he could withstand; Hoshiguma Yuugi had unleashed her full strength!

Fortunately, his consciousness didn't entirely vanish. Still suspended in mid-air, he immediately used a healing spell to restore his body. (Web) Although the injuries were quickly mended, that bone-piercing agony faintly lingered. Lin Luo wasn't sure if it was his imagination or the power of the Oni race.

The Earth-rank mid-level Hoshiguma Yuugi was overwhelmingly strong. Lin Luo knew he stood little chance with his current power; fighting her head-on would only result in total defeat. However, Hoshiguma Yuugi clearly wouldn't stop there, and in truth... Lin Luo didn't want to give up either.

Because Guilai Laixi had told him he could barely manage a fight against the Dark King. Though he had improved, she was one of the Three Kings, and even superior to him. The other two kings would certainly only grow stronger, not weaker; they would become stronger day by day. Therefore, he too could only become stronger than he was now.

Although Hoshiguma Yuugi struck mercilessly, she held no intent to kill. She simply sought joy in battle, and so, Lin Luo resolved to find... strength in fighting her!

A flicker of resolve crossed Lin Luo's eyes. Just as he thought this, Hoshiguma Yuugi attacked once more, the Wheel of Karma blazing fiercely before her. Her hand, wreathed in Oni energy, shot directly toward Lin Luo's head... In this moment, she was a true Oni, a Battle Oni!

There was no time for further contemplation. Facing such a powerful opponent, Lin Luo could only commit with all his might.

“Burn!”

The syllable escaped his lips, and a plume of black flame erupted beside Lin Luo, instantly forming a large black bird that chirped softly before sweeping toward Hoshiguma Yuugi.

Her expression shifted. She felt the pressure emanating from the flames. Even with her strength, she dared not meet it head-on. She instantly retracted the attacking hand, soaring into the sky, then spat a great breath downward.

That breath, expelled from her mouth, transformed into the Hellfire of the Karma upon reaching the outside world, emitting mournful, resentful sounds. Part of it assaulted the black flames, while the rest scorched toward Lin Luo.

Slash!

Lin Luo drew his Ōdachi from his storage space. Brilliant light shimmered dazzlingly across the blade, and he slashed forward—Whoosh! In an instant, a fan-shaped wave of light poured forward, engulfing all the Hellfire aimed at him. Simultaneously, several "superfluous" streaks of light arbitrarily shifted angle in the air, heading toward Hoshiguma Yuugi.

It had to be said: fighting without the constraints of Spell Cards was incredibly convenient. With Lin Luo's strength, relying only on Danmaku (bullet patterns) meant many of his techniques couldn't be unleashed... And in fact, it wasn't just him; nearly everyone in Gensokyo had their combat power significantly weakened by the Spell Card rules. Without that limitation, there were far too many beings possessing inescapable abilities.

“Hahaha, this is truly exhilarating!” Hoshiguma Yuugi laughed instead of recoiling. Her intoxication seemed to have completely cleared. Her crimson Oni eyes shone brightly and dazzlingly, flickering with an unusual light. Amidst her booming laughter, she ignored the radiance hiding terrible power and charged straight down with her Hellfire.

Lin Luo’s gaze sharpened. With almost no hesitation, he retracted the Ōdachi with lightning speed, then immediately employed the "Strongest Spear" again. Amidst the buzzing sound of air being pierced, the sharp arrow shot toward Hoshiguma Yuugi’s forehead.

“That arrow is powerful!” Hoshiguma Yuugi showed an expression of approval, but then added, “However, it’s useless against me right now.” Her tone was brimming with confidence in her own strength, and indeed, that was the reality. Amidst the ethereal chanting of Buddhist sutras, the wailing Karma fire coalesced into a massive fist that smashed downward.

Boom!

With a violent crash, the Strongest Spear was struck back.

“Hmph!”

Lin Luo urgently cried out. The arrow instantly transformed back into a shield, bracing to receive the impact of the Karma Fist. At the same time, the Destructive Black Flame struck out again, two black flames twisting and stretching into serpentine shapes in the air, shooting toward Hoshiguma Yuugi at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

“Hmm? This thing is a bit troublesome.” Hoshiguma Yuugi frowned slightly. The Destructive Black Flame placed considerable pressure on her; she vaguely felt it possessed the potential to threaten her, making her hesitant to touch it lightly.

Of course, no matter how terrifying the attack, it was useless if it couldn't connect.

“Oni Voice! Roar of Ruin! Hoooo-hooo-hooo-ka...”

Hoshiguma Yuugi opened her mouth wide, and waves of terrifying sonic energy surged out. Under the assault of these sound waves, the two black fire snakes bizarrely lost their trajectory. Instead of attacking the enemy, they halted, seemingly rendered inert.

“What is this...” Lin Luo found this situation baffling. The Destructive Black Flame could burn through space and time; why was it neutralized by a sonic attack? It was too strange!

Hoshiguma Yuugi clearly gave him no time to ponder. With Karma fire wreathed around one hand and Oni energy around the other, the powers of both the divine and the demonic converged upon her, unleashing a fierce assault.

With the black flames suppressed, the Strongest Spear and Strongest Shield were not as effective as before, while Fantasy and Creation principles were clearly not yet refined enough. As for his other contracted abilities, facing an Earth-rank mid-level expert, there was simply no point in showing them off... Moments later, Lin Luo was completely on the defensive, constantly falling back.

This was, after all, entirely expected. There was a gap of almost an entire major realm between them. Lin Luo had only just managed to grasp the Earth-rank power, and some aspects remained unrefined. Hoshiguma Yuugi, however, was an Oni who had lived for thousands of years, wielding her power with perfect command. If, under these circumstances, she couldn't suppress Lin Luo, she might as well abdicate her position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Oni.

Although the battle raged on the street of the Old Capital, no Yokai gathered to watch. After all, one of the combatants was a rampaging Oni King, one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld. For Lin Luo to have fought her this long without being defeated clearly meant he was no weakling either. Even if the Yokai wished to watch such a fight, they had to seriously consider whether they could withstand the residual shockwaves.

In the fray, Hoshiguma Yuugi grew increasingly excited. She hadn't enjoyed such a satisfying battle for hundreds of years, and the momentum of her attacks intensified. Consequently, the pressure on Lin Luo grew heavier; he was beginning to find it difficult to resist.

Damn it... Damned perverts of Gensokyo, you really don't let anyone live in peace! Lin Luo meant to curse, but then recalled that his opponent was, in fact, an Oni. "Seeing a ghost" clearly wouldn't suffice as an insult directed at an Oni.

Lin Luo knew that with his current strength, defeating Hoshiguma Yuugi was impossible. Even if the realm of some of his powers surpassed his opponent's, her overall realm was far above his. This disparity canceled out any advantage he possessed... Ultimately, comprehensive quality mattered most, no matter the setting.

What could he do to reverse the situation? What else did he have in his arsenal?

“Ouch!” Just as Lin Luo was desperately racking his brain for a countermeasure, he suddenly heard Hoshiguma Yuugi let out a sharp cry of pain. Then, the female Oni who had held the clear advantage rapidly retreated, as if encountering something terrifying.

Lin Luo was filled with confusion, instinctively halting his assault. He looked up and saw a faint line of blood appearing on her forehead.

“How did you hit me just now?” Hoshiguma Yuugi looked at Lin Luo in astonishment, touching the wound on her head with a slight frown.

“I hit you?” Lin Luo looked bewildered; all his attacks had been neutralized.

“Nonsense, if you didn't hit me, how would I be bleeding?” Hoshiguma Yuugi glared at him.

“...Lin Luo was speechless, but before he could explain, the other party burst out laughing. “But you really are impressive, managing to strike me under those circumstances. Even I didn't notice it, hahaha, I’m growing fonder and fonder of you.”

No, please don’t grow fond of me, it puts too much pressure on me... Lin Luo desperately wanted to say.

“Alright then, let’s continue fighting. Ah, this is so exciting, I feel like my whole body is boiling with blood.”

“Still fighting?”

“Of course, don’t you like it? After we finish, we’ll have a good drink.”

—That depends on whether I’m still alive.

Lin Luo grumbled inwardly. Helplessly, he charged at Hoshiguma Yuugi once more. He suspected this battle wouldn't stop until he was completely spent.

Half an hour later...

“Ah, that was exhilarating! It’s been a long time since I’ve fought this well.” Hoshiguma Yuugi sat casually on the ground, crossing her legs, lifting a large wine bowl with her right hand, taking deep swigs, and laughing heartily.

Lin Luo lay not far from her, watching her, deeply curious. That wine bowl had clearly been tossed aside earlier, so why was it still full of wine? Did this wine bowl, like Hourai's gourd, contain an inexhaustible supply? Impossible; it looked like an ordinary sake cup... Lin Luo couldn't comprehend it.

“Want a sip too? This wine tastes great.” Hoshiguma Yuugi offered the bowl toward Lin Luo.

“No thanks, I think I’ll just stay lying down,” Lin Luo replied weakly. The previous fight had not only depleted his stamina but had also driven his life force to its absolute lowest point. Even standing up now was a struggle.

“Oh, what a pity.” Hoshiguma Yuugi shook her head, then stood up and walked over to Lin Luo. She reached out with her free hand and pulled him up, hoisting him directly onto her shoulder.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?!” Lin Luo instantly panicked. Was this female Oni planning to abduct a man on the street?

It turned out Lin Luo’s guess was correct. Hoshiguma Yuugi laughed heartily, “Of course, I’m taking you back to the Oni realm.”

“W-what for?” Lin Luo’s mouth twitched. He recalled a similar experience before; was she going to try and force a marriage like Komeiji Koishi?

“To drink, of course,” Hoshiguma Yuugi gave him a look one might reserve for an idiot and stated matter-of-factly, “Didn’t I say I’d take you for a drink after the fight? Since the fight is over, I have to keep my promise. We Oni have drinking parties every day; it’s the perfect time to arrive.”

“Um, I think maybe that’s unnecessary?” Lin Luo felt a slight easing of tension, realizing it wasn't forced marriage.

“That won’t do. We Oni never go back on our word,” Hoshiguma Yuugi firmly shook her head. “Besides, a man who can fight as well as you is extremely rare, even among us Oni. Unlike those good-for-nothings, I’m sure everyone will like you.”

“B-but I really shouldn't. My mother is waiting for me to come home for dinner,” Lin Luo felt immense pressure. Fighting one Oni had left him half-dead; fighting a group of them would surely drain him completely... (meaning mental energy).

“Whether you want to or not, you're coming with me, so stop dawdling,” Hoshiguma Yuugi laughed heartily and walked forward.

“...” Lin Luo broke into a cold sweat. Indeed, the Underworld was a truly unique place.

“Let go of that man!”

Just then, a sharp female voice rang out from the other end of the street, full of commanding authority. Lin Luo instinctively turned his head and immediately felt awkward. Hoshiguma Yuugi clearly saw the newcomer too and frowned deeply, “Tsk, why are those folks from the Earth Spirit Temple here? So troublesome.”

Indeed, the person arriving was Komeiji Satori, accompanied by Komeiji Koishi.

Komeiji Satori looked calmly at Hoshiguma Yuugi, though a faint flicker of hostility crossed her eyes. “You’re thinking you’ve met someone you dislike again, aren't you? Hmph!”

Hoshiguma Yuugi: Pfft...

“Mind-reading is such a pain. She knows everything you think. You’re thinking that, aren't you?”

“...”

“What is this woman here for, just to read my thoughts? Ah, truly annoying—no, you are mistaken if you think that. My purpose isn’t you.”

“You’re thinking whether you should strike me down... What a violent Oni.”

“...”

“Oni are naturally like this; you don't need to remind me—yes, thinking that shows you have some sense of propriety, which is rare.”

“Stop reading my mind! Ah, truly infuriating—is that so? It seems your heart is wavering too,” Komeiji Satori sneered slightly.

“Hey, hey, give me some room to speak, you woman! I barely get any lines as it is, don't steal my spotlight!” Hoshiguma Yuugi finally couldn't stand it and roared out loud.

“Wait—” This time, Lin Luo was speechless. He finally understood why everyone feared Satori; even an Oni King was completely under her thumb.

“I am not here to steal your spotlight. I am only here to take that person back,” Komeiji Satori’s gaze settled on Lin Luo.

“Ah, why are you taking him? Is he your son?” Hoshiguma Yuugi looked confused for a moment. “But I never heard you had a son.”

Hearing this, Lin Luo almost couldn't catch his breath.

“That’s none of your business. Just hand him over to me. Of course, if you want to fight, I’ll oblige,” Komeiji Satori revealed her cunning nature with a smile. “I can see your fighting intent very clearly, you know.”

Hoshiguma Yuugi frowned. “Tsk, you are the most troublesome one. Fine, fine, I’ll give him to you, and then I’m leaving.” She immediately placed Lin Luo on the ground. She wasn't afraid; she simply hated the feeling of being with a mind-reader, where every secret was laid bare—it was too repulsive.

“Wait a moment, there’s something I need your help with,” but just as she turned to leave, Lin Luo called out to her.

“What is it?” Hoshiguma Yuugi turned back.

“For half a month, fight with me. I will provide you with unlimited alcohol,” Lin Luo stated.

l;!--END--g;RH