Chapter 7

In Sapporo, at a certain temple.

"Lord Kien, thank you for coming."

"Tch. It's because you guys are so slow that I had to come all the way here. I didn't come because I wanted to, damn it!"

The one cursing at the yin-yang practitioner who greeted him is Kien Gouki, one of the top yin-yang practitioners serving the Hinoyama family. He possesses combat power that can stand up to a demon alone and is one of the most skilled among the yin-yang practitioners serving the Hinoyama family. In terms of annihilation, he is even said to be unmatched by anyone else.

"Why do I have to come all the way to Hokkaido to look for a cat? Remember this, Sankakujo!"

The reason Kien came to Sapporo is to search for a missing cat deity. His yin-yang techniques outside of combat are below average, and he is known for his ability to devastate large areas, making the task of searching for a cat deity in a residential area clearly unsuitable. However, Sankakujo Yuen, who assigned him this task, had a solid plan. By placing Kien in an environment where he cannot fully unleash his power, he can prevent him from going berserk while still making him work. Additionally, by sending the self-centered and arrogant Kien, he can spur on the others who are also working on the same task.

Following Sankakujo's plan, Kien, who unconsciously made the surrounding yin-yang practitioners feel anxious, noticed something unusual.

"What's that?"

"That's... a reconnaissance shikigami!"

Looking up suddenly, a white crow was seen crossing the sky above the temple. Upon hearing the word "reconnaissance shikigami," Kien's face took on a predatory look, and he began giving orders to the surrounding yin-yang practitioners.

"Perfect, set up a barrier!"

"That shape is new, but it's probably a shikigami created by a practitioner from the Mizukami family. If we set up a barrier, the shikigami's link will be severed, and the practitioner will be alerted."

"Too late for that! We're already suspected for letting the cat deity escape. That shikigami is proof."

Pointing at the white crow, Kien declared. His words were logical, and the yin-yang practitioners, convinced, began to set up the barrier.

"Connection severed, I'll take it down before it self-destructs. After that, identify the practitioner from the remains. We're going to raid them."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Sending a shikigami to another faction's temple without permission is a declaration of war. Any attack would be justified.

"Barrier, complete!"

One of the practitioners shouted. A transparent barrier surrounded the temple grounds, enveloping the white crow along with it. The crow, having lost its connection, began to hover, switching to automatic operation.

"Too slow!"

Reconnaissance shikigamis generally lack combat abilities and are often programmed to self-destruct when their connection is severed to avoid being traced back to their creator. However, Gouki's technique would not allow such an outcome. As soon as the crow switched to automatic operation, he released a spirit-infused talisman. The talisman ignited in mid-air, transforming into a massive fireball that struck the white crow. The impact was so strong that the barrier creaked, and the white crow was engulfed in flames.

"Tch, I got frustrated and made a mistake."

The excessive attack on the reconnaissance shikigami left the surrounding yin-yang practitioners speechless. Seeing this, it was only natural to act carefully to avoid upsetting Kien. The practitioner who cast the spell was frustrated that he had erased the traces of the creator with his own hands and was on the verge of exploding.

In the midst of this, one of the practitioners noticed something unusual.

"T-There's another white crow!"

Everyone present reacted to these words and looked towards the smoke. As the smoke gradually cleared, an unharmed white crow was seen.

"Seriously...?"

Observing for a while, the crow showed no signs of self-destructing. Instead, it seemed to be staring intently at Kien, almost as if it was hostile. Kien, unable to hide his surprise, widened his eyes. Then, with a predatory smile, he cast a spell.

"Interesting! Fire, release, multiple, bullets, 'Continuous Burning Flame Wall'!"

Each of the talismans scattered in the air turned into scorching fireballs, heading towards the white crow. As they moved, the fireballs split into smaller ones, eventually becoming countless tiny fireballs. Like a wall of fire, the swarm of tiny fireballs left no room for the white crow to evade. A direct hit was inevitable.

However, the white crow's unexpected action shocked the practitioners.

"Impossible!"

The white crow did not avoid the wall of fire but charged straight through the center. By releasing its own spirit energy, it created a shockwave that broke through the wall.

"I see, so you used your spirit energy to blow away my fireballs!"

Kien had no intention of killing the crow with this attack. He wanted to determine why the crow was unharmed after being hit by the fireballs and to force it to reveal its secret with an inescapable attack. The crow was unharmed, but Kien's strategy was a success.

"If you can blow it away, I'll just hit you with even more power! Fire, cannon, destroy, lure, explode, 'Destructive Flame Pursuit Bullet'!"

A fireball containing an immense amount of heat transformed into a beam of light and was fired at the white crow. The crow, judging that it was impossible to intercept, dodged the incoming light bullet. However, the light bullet changed its trajectory and pursued the crow.

"That thing won't disappear until it hits its target. What will you do now?"

The crow's speed far exceeded that of an average shikigami. However, the speed of the light bullet was even greater. The distance between the fleeing crow and the light bullet gradually closed. Despite the light bullet closing in from behind, the crow showed no signs of panic. In the next moment, the crow began to release a spirit energy wave backward.

"What, it can attack from behind too?"

The spirit energy wave released backward slowed the light bullet, and the crow accelerated. This scene left not only Kien but all the practitioners watching the battle in shock. No one had ever heard of a reconnaissance shikigami with the ability to attack using spirit energy waves. Moreover, its ability to make accurate judgments and respond appropriately to the situation indicated that it possessed a level of intelligence comparable to a high-level combat shikigami. The numerous facts that defied understanding left all the practitioners present in shock.

However, the shocking facts continued.

The crow, while being pursued by the light bullet, did not try to distance itself. Instead, it led the light bullet to a close range and then dove vertically, turning at the last moment to make the light bullet hit one of the buildings.

"The omikuji stand is gone!!"

The head priest's anguished cry echoed. In a corner of the grounds, a defensive barrier was set up, where non-combatants were huddled together, watching the battle. The head priest, seeing the omikuji stand vanish from within the barrier, collapsed to his knees.

"Hahaha! You're the first to dodge the 'Destructive Flame Pursuit Bullet' like that! Interesting! Come on, Blast Demon!"

Ignoring the head priest's thoughts, Gouki called for more destruction. The space behind Kien distorted, and a blast of fire erupted. Then, a demon enveloped in flames appeared.

"That's Lord Kien's familiar."

"The Blast Demon, summoned only when Lord Kien is serious."

"Everyone, evacuate!"

The practitioners fled into the barrier where the non-combatants were taking refuge. Kien Gouki's familiar, the Blast Demon, is a demon that manipulates explosive flames. Like Kien, it excels in wide-area attacks and can release explosive flames from its hands, feet, and the mane on its back. Once it goes on a rampage, it can turn the surrounding area into a sea of fire, so it is mandatory to evacuate the area after the Blast Demon is summoned.

"My... temple..."

Realizing the nature of the demon, the head priest looked up at the sky, tears streaming down his face.

"Let's go!"

"ROAR!!!"

With Kien's battle cry, the Blast Demon also let out a roar at the white crow. Despite the roar that shook the barrier, the crow remained stationary in the air, unaffected. It raised its beak as if daring them to come, provocatively looking down at Kien and the Blast Demon.

On this day, a legendary battle that would be remembered by yin-yang practitioners for generations to come began.