, Part 3: Ghost Knocking on the Door - Your Own Type

With a sudden burst of strength from Asuka's wrist, a twisted, completely dark ghostly figure was forcibly pulled out, writhing wildly in the air before slowly drifting to the ground.

"A ghost! It's a ghost!"

Upon seeing this, the bookstore erupted in chaos, and Yuka's face turned extremely pale, as if some unpleasant memory had been stirred up.

"Back off! Everyone stay back!"

Although Harada Tadaka didn't know whether the claims about ghosts or monsters were true or false, the strange phenomenon in front of him was undeniably real. He immediately shouted to the people in the bookstore behind him to avoid involving them.

But Asuka's longsword piercing out the ghostly figure was just the beginning.

The ghostly figures that drifted to the ground emitted shrill cries, making the air around the bookstore even colder, as if shrouded in malice.

Then, the thick, dark mass of malevolent energy twitched and silently split apart! In the blink of an eye, it separated into two identical faceless ghostly figures.

"One becomes two? Or is this not a ghost at all, but just a blood demon spell?"

When Asuka shattered the ghost shadow earlier, she already felt something was off, as if she hadn't killed a demon with a physical body. Now, seeing the ghost shadow split apart with her own eyes, she was even more certain of this idea.

Their behavior logic was the same as before; they completely ignored the flying birds with knives pointing at them and charged straight at Harada Tadaka, who was not far away, as soon as they took shape!

"Don't even think about it!"

With a low shout, the bird launched itself forward.

He swung his Nichirin Blade, severing the two demons' movements in mid-air.

The two ghostly arms that had been floating in the air twitched for a moment before dissipating in the wind, while the main body simply swayed slightly before regaining its footing, and stood facing the flying bird with a sinister expression.

A Blood Demon Art that can control two ghosts at the same time... Is it the Lower Moon? Asuka was unsure, her eyes searching around for any suspicious corners, trying to find the demon controlling this Blood Demon Art.

Seeing that their first attack had failed, the two ghostly figures immediately spread out, trying to prevent the bird from defending itself and thus allowing one of them to successfully kill Harada Tadaka!

Asuka twisted and spun around, unleashing her Nichirin Blade with lightning speed, relentlessly battling the two demons.

The scene descended into chaos. The workers at the Sanmonjiya shop all paled, and some of the more timid ones even began to pray to the gods and Buddhas.

"Don't panic! Mr. Asuka is very strong! He'll handle this!"

Asano Mori tried to calm everyone down and asked Ms. Yuka to organize everyone to evacuate through the back door.

This is not a battle that workers can handle; we must prevent more people from getting injured.

"And what about you!" Miss Yuka exclaimed in surprise. She had never seen anything like this before, and her mind went blank for a moment. "What about Mr. Asuka? Are we just leaving him here alone?"

"Don't worry! I'll stay here with you!"

Asano Mori patted his chest, but his tone wasn't exactly confident.

Just as everyone was hurriedly evacuating the Sanmonji-ya, Asuka's sword was being swung faster and faster.

Whoosh!

Asuka felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end!

A chilling aura, which he had sensed before, suddenly erupted from the dark corner behind the bookstore, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time!

The third faceless ghost!

Whether it was a ghost deliberately controlling it or this ghostly figure was inherently cunning, it remained motionless in the shadows from beginning to end! It was waiting for the moment when the bird and the two ghosts were entangled together, and the crowd was in chaos.

It was silent and fast, leaving only a blur in its wake, and its target was also Harada Tadaka!

"Oh no! Harada-nii!" Feeling a gust of cold wind, Yuka shouted in alarm to Harada Tadashi, who was covering the rear for everyone!

The bird had already stopped its attack and was now using the fastest sword form of the Breath of Wind, trying to stop the ghostly figure before it could reach it.

But it was too late!

Sizzle—!

The sound of a ghostly claw tearing through flesh rang out; this was the first time the faceless ghost had displayed such a ferocious attack! It seemed the ghost behind it was truly determined to kill, no longer caring about slowly merging into the shadow and devouring life force!

However, after the blood splattered, Harada Tadaka did not fall.

He simply stared wide-eyed in terror at the figure blocking his way...

"Sheng!"

Harada knew that he was being watched by Ghost Shadow, so he couldn't escape into the crowd and cause trouble for his coworkers.

Even if a ghost lurking in the shadows were to suddenly attack, he was already prepared to fight to the death.

He hadn't expected that Asano Mori would so resolutely stand in front of him and take the brutal blow for him!

"...Harada-nii! Asuka-san! You must... avenge my brother!"

Asano Mori's voice was mumbled with blood and foam; the demon's claw had almost torn his chest open, and it was almost a miracle that he could still stand there and speak!

His head lolled to the side, Asano Mori's mind went blank, and he was about to collapse on the spot.

"Sheng! Don't fall! Stay awake!" Harada Tadaka rushed forward to support his body, desperately trying to stop the bleeding with his clothes, but the blood kept gushing out, and the situation became increasingly critical!

"Mr. Asuka! Please think of something!!" Yuka cried out in desperation.

"....."

The bird remained silent, but drew its second knife from its waist.

"Wind Breathing - Twin Blades Form..."

Asagi was drawn from its sheath in a flash, leaving a trail of sparks that illuminated the night sky. It stood in front of and behind Nichirin Blade, their blades reflecting each other and flashing with a deadly cold light!

"Burn—the Wheel!!"

The Burner of Wheels—He rises at night and goes mad all morning, rolling up the roof and overturning the thatch, a line from a Song Dynasty poem he had just heard Jiehua recite.

That was a tornado roaring past, a hurricane that could shatter mountains and split rocks!

In an instant, the bird's figure transformed into a black-green storm! It pounced down with overwhelming force!

The twin swords formed a high-speed, spinning death spiral! Each sword strike caused the air to tremble!

Moreover, the twin swords also carry a primal power originating from the depths of Asuka's soul—his violent spiritual pressure that plunders everything.

The dark gray gale was no longer just a visual image, but had truly formed a terrifying wind blade tornado! Anything caught in it would be crushed!

This is his own style, his unleashed fury!

After Asano Mori fell, the faceless ghost immediately joined forces with two other ghosts to attack, preparing to directly kill the mission target.

But when the raging wind from the flying bird rose, even the soulless puppet formed by the Blood Demon Art felt the destructive power within! The movements of the three ghostly figures all froze.

Sizzle—sizzle sizzle sizzle—!

In the blink of an eye, the bird had already arrived, and the gray-black storm instantly swallowed the three ghosts!

With the combined power of Asuka's sword and spiritual pressure, the three ghostly figures began to rapidly disintegrate, like cloth thrown into sulfuric acid!

If it were just disintegration and tearing, that would be one thing, but the bird's violent spiritual pressure was like a vicious dog tearing at their shattered bodies. Every fragment of the ghostly shadow became food for the bird, which devoured them all.

puff!puff!puff!

Three soft sounds, like bubbles bursting.

After a twist, the three ghostly figures turned into punctured black bubbles, bursting into countless tiny, dark red specks of light that exuded a strong, ominous aura.

These points of light, like a swarm of startled fireflies, scattered and fled violently in the aftermath of the storm.

As the storm subsided, the bird reappeared in the same spot, still wielding its twin swords with a slight downward pressure.

As he gradually slowed his breathing, the gray-black aura surrounding him began to dissipate and merge into the air.

"Yukika!"

Asuka spoke coldly, her tone urgent, "Take good care of the injured!"

"Yes...yes!" Yuka, who was standing at the shop entrance, had not yet recovered from the shock of instantly killing the three demons and hurriedly accepted Asuka's order.

"Where are you going?"

Together with two slightly calmer workers, she began to care for the seriously injured and unconscious Asano Mori, along with the choked-up Harada, while anxiously and loudly questioning Asuka's hurried departure.

Asuka did not answer; his entire focus was on sensing spiritual pressure!

Following the direction in which the dark red energy fled, he sped through the streets and crowds, not caring if he knocked people over or if people saw him walking down the street with a samurai sword.

For some reason, he felt very irritable.

The more you track it, the more pronounced the chill in the air becomes.

He knew the source was near.

As he followed the scent through a tranquil pine forest—

A solemn and enormous shrine suddenly appeared before our eyes.

The black-lacquered palace reflected a dim light under the bright moon, adorned with golden ornaments, making it solemn and magnificent.

The massive torii gate at the main entrance stands like a gateway to another world.

Osaki Hachiman Shrine, the religious center of Sendai residents.