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A crimson wall of fire suddenly rose up, forcefully separating a world behind the Vermilion Bird Gate, as if dividing a world in two.
"This is a protective barrier, please don't worry!" Kyosuke Kousaka immediately reminded everyone.
The priestess Orochi descended upon the Vermilion Bird Gate, the gate of the imperial palace, and he had to do his job first, no matter what.
That means minimizing the panic among the powerful and wealthy people staying in the palace!
Especially the ferocious and terrifying eight-headed, eight-tailed giant snake that was suspended in the sky.
Who wouldn't be scared if they saw that?
Even some of the Onmyoji around were trembling and their legs were shaking.
Inside the palace.
Many nobles who had been able to see the terrifying giant serpent from afar were now relieved.
"Was that Kyosuke's doing?"
"It's him. He's a very capable person."
"Capable? If he were capable, would he have allowed such a monster to infiltrate the palace gates? I think he's all talk and no action!"
"……Ah ha ha."
A nobleman's son chuckled awkwardly and quickly pulled his friend aside.
The person who wanted to say something suddenly found himself surrounded by silence, and then realized that the Onmyoji stationed at the four corners were all silently watching him.
The surroundings became even quieter for a moment...
Soon, everyone stared blankly at the wall of fire, its red light soaring into the sky, at the entrance of the Vermilion Bird Gate, without saying a word.
"Wow, these are such vibrant colors."
A female official dressed in loose, brightly colored clothing laughed heartily and murmured to herself.
If only I could follow Lord Yizhou...
"Ahhh!!"
An uncontrollable roar of fury echoed throughout the heavens and earth.
On the other side of the wall of fire, the eight-headed, eight-tailed giant serpent, suspended in the air, did not fully unfold its body, as if it had only crawled halfway through a hole, hanging in the sky.
Seeing this target-like being, Kousaka Kyosuke continuously cast spells.
Minamoto no Yorimitsu unleashed a barrage of sword flashes, as if they were free!
The group of Onmyoji, protected behind the two, formed strange hand seals and chanted incantations, completely oblivious to their surroundings...
161. First Battle with the Shrine Maiden Orochi / Sei Shonagon / The Ordinary Track / Her Strangeness?
"Sinful Kyoto! Revenge!"
It was as if years of accumulated hatred were being released through a roar!
The black mist coiling around the giant serpent was as murky and malevolent as the serpent itself, full of evil.
It gradually eroded and swallowed up all attacks such as spirit strikes, sword flashes, and arrows.
Kyosuke Kousaka's eyelids twitched.
After a brief exchange, he immediately realized that the serpent priestess was extremely powerful!
He is much stronger than Shuten-dōji, the Oni King of Mount Ōe at his peak, and Ibaraki-dōji, who has the Oni Hand!
"Spiritual power, divine power, resentment... all combined, it's truly a formidable force!"
Kyosuke Kosaka glanced around.
With Kagura's assistance, he used a barrier formed by spiritual fire to protect the entire area around the palace, covering an extremely long range.
Correspondingly!
He had used up almost half of his spiritual power, and he was also grateful for Kagura's help.
He managed to protect the palace and keep its inhabitants safe, but he himself didn't have much strength left to fight the giant serpent.
Fortunately, all we need to do for now is stall for time!
Judging from the situation at this very moment.
A group of Onmyoji, protected by Kagura, Sushang, Yaodao-hime, and Hakuro, are preparing their spells.
If I'm not mistaken, that's a spell to delay the arrival of the giant serpent.
He was taught by Ara, a divine messenger from Takamagahara.
"What a troublesome monster."
Minamoto no Yorimitsu suddenly spoke.
Countless chilling lights flashed before him as he unleashed countless powerful slashes.
Even if it caused harm to the giant serpent in the sky, the serpent would recover instantly.
"Let's drag this out; this isn't something that can be easily resolved."
Kyosuke Kosaka still gave a reply.
Seeing that Minamoto no Yorimitsu had just unleashed two attacks that could instantly kill the great demons, he understood that Minamoto no Yorimitsu wanted to try to kill the priestess Orochi.
However, the frustratingly slow recovery speed makes people subconsciously skip the "kill" option.
Compared to the "kill" achievement that you can't complete even if you try your hardest, sealing is a more practical option.
Ultimately, protecting Kyoto should be the top priority.
"Hehe, we can't keep having such negative thoughts."
"This is the only way to think before there's any other way."
While talking to Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Kousaka Kyosuke unleashed even more extreme and intense flames to fight against the monstrous snake that was struggling wildly and trying to erupt.
He paid no attention to the terrifying aura pressing down on him.
At this point, the giant snake had not yet fully emerged.
As long as we can suppress it temporarily and wait for the magic array in Takamagahara to be fully implemented, we can take it slow and wait for Seimei to find the divine weapon, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
As a tool, Seimei will definitely find it under the guidance of Kuro Seimei, Ara, Enma, and others.
It couldn't be more stable!
This is what is meant by "when the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up."
In short, Kyosuke Kousaka was not flustered at all.
Kagura, Susou, Yaodao-hime, and Hakuro, who came with Kousaka Kyosuke, were also quite quiet.
Despite seeing the enormous snake that exerted immense pressure and made people feel suffocated, they showed no fear.
He simply guarded Kousaka Kyosuke's rear with utmost loyalty and dedication.
Incidentally, he also diligently protected the Onmyoji who were preparing for the joint ceremony, as ordered.
"What a powerful monster. No wonder it's called an evil god." Su Chang stared at the giant serpent, lost in thought.
Seeing the thick miasma surrounding the giant serpent, she guessed that many of her attack methods would be weakened.
In addition, there's the giant snake's ability to heal its wounds in the blink of an eye.
She felt she could hardly help her husband.
Kagura, Yoto Hime, and Hakuro are also considering ways to deal with Orochi.
They were all quite distressed.
There was tension, but seeing that the giant serpent was temporarily suppressed, and that there seemed to be a ritual behind them that could deal with the serpent, the pressure was not so great for the time being.
As the ritual performed by the Onmyoji was about to be completed, Kousaka Kyosuke, who had been paying close attention, suddenly erupted:
"I come!"
It is well understood that unexpected problems may arise at some crucial moments.
He was willing to pay the price to suddenly boost his combat power to ensure the smooth progress of things!
Seeing that Kousaka Kyosuke was surrounded by blazing flames and his domineering aura soared into the sky, Minamoto no Yorimitsu retreated slightly, keeping his eyes fixed on Kousaka Kyosuke's back, ready to strike.
"—Damn Onmyoji!" Orochi roared.
Realizing the unfavorable situation, the eight snake heads simultaneously spewed out filthy, ink-like miasma.
Boom!
A violent sound erupted from the sky, and huge ripples spread outwards, intertwining with the lightning bolts beneath the darkening thunderclouds, making the sky seem as if it had collapsed!
Faced with all this, Kyosuke Kosaka remained indifferent. As he struck out with his palm, half the sky turned crimson.
Then, his raised hands moved with the fluidity and ease of a fish swimming in water!
The palm strike, condensed from billowing flames, collided with terrifying power capable of moving mountains and overturning seas, colliding with the overwhelming miasma!
Boom boom boom——