Chapter 27: The Main Act Without Opening—Part Two

(No matter how many I take down, there’s no end to them.)

Originally, Kika sorcerous principles use flow power as fuel to form skeletons, clad them in flames, and manipulate them. Once destroyed, they lose their ability to maintain flow power and vanish. However, Soui Hinari’s flow power attribute, Homura’in, is an undying fire. As long as there are factors for combustion, it will continue burning. By using Homura’in based on the combustion factor of Kika sorcerous principles, as long as she continues to wish it, the flames will burn eternally.

Her movements didn’t stop as she continued swinging her blade.

“Haah… nnh, huh!!”

Every time her body moved, the fabric rubbed against her skin. Each time, her sensitized body reacted. Soui Hinari swung her sword wildly. Slashing attacks mixed with flow power and Kika sorcerous principles.

Kika Sorcerous Principles – Arawatari Sougenbi – Six-Blade Strike. These were consecutive slashing attacks that suppressed flow power output in exchange for rapid succession. Six slashes were released in the time it took to swing the sword once, deliberately making the slashes scatter by sacrificing accuracy. Naturally, even if they didn’t hit Shiga Inui directly, the scattered slashes flying around like buckshot would activate Kika sorcerous principles, transforming into conscious skull slashes that rushed toward Shiga Inui.

(If this keeps up, I’ll end up creating an immortal army… in that case.)

He released flow power. Shiga Inui charged straight at the approaching ghostly blades, touching the side of the flame blade and deflecting it.

“Ah, eah”

Deflected. She was shocked by that fact. Why was Shiga Inui able to touch the pale fire of Homura’in? The pale fire would ignite as long as there were factors for combustion, continuing to burn as long as she wished it.

(Homura’in – a fire that burns continuously. But conversely, that means if there are no elements to burn, the fire won’t ignite. By raising Suin to its extreme limit, I can transform flow power into something close to liquid, spreading it like a thin membrane across my entire body and keeping it flowing – that way I can easily deflect it.)

What Shiga Inui generated from his body was Suin flow power. By releasing flow power to trace the surface of his entire body, he was deflecting Homura’in’s attacks.

(And now, this is my first time trying this, but how about it?)

He activated “*” and switched flow power attributes.

(Kin’in – Stack – Nichin – Stack – Kain)

He forcibly crammed three flow power attributes into one vessel. This allowed Shiga Inui to manipulate a single flow power attribute that mixed three flow power attributes.

He generated flow power from his palm. Going through the refining process, he scattered compressed flow power around the area.

Multiple flow powers scattered like flower petals. Each of those petals released a strike containing the properties of Kin’in and Nichin.

“Indiscriminate omnidirectional laser… attack”

High-density light-heat emission. As flashes of light shot out from the petals, they scattered haphazardly.

“Whoa”

Shiga Inui dodged his own attack with a split-second reaction.

(Bad control)

Both Kin’in and Nichin had emission manipulation properties below E-rank. Even so, Kain was originally a mixed attribute of Suin and Mokuin. Since its manipulation averaged out to C-rank, he thought he could freely control the lasers, but that didn’t happen.

(I can manipulate the petals themselves to some degree, but once I turn the petals into lasers, I can’t control them… plenty of challenges ahead. Nice, this is interesting.)

Though he failed in this improvised attempt, Shiga Inui was delighted. Unlike sorcerous principles, there was nothing to fear, so he could handle it like a child with a new toy.

“Haah… aah… ngh”

Every time her body moved, she reached climax. Due to her excessive sexual desire, aphrodisiacs had been directly administered to make her addicted to drugs. Even as her skin became sensitive, the endless discharge of desire troubled many of the Tsuchikurenai family retainers. Initially, they had been favorable toward her obedient willingness to offer her body, but due to her excessive sexual appetite, one after another died the shameful and tragic death of dying during sex.

As a result, the head of the Tsuchikurenai family had personally conducted her training, but even then, he couldn’t satisfy her desires.

(Ah… anyone, anyone would be fine… I want someone to… relieve this thirst, this aching…)

Lewdly dripping saliva from her mouth, she fantasized about being ravaged. For her, this battle was about enduring her own lust.

(My body is… commanding me to defeat him… quickly, I must defeat him quickly… or I won’t be able to… endure…)

In this state, the reason she wasn’t attacking Shiga Inui was probably because Tsuchikurenai Hyakurei’s orders were still in effect. She was trying to defeat Shiga Inui as quickly as possible.

(But… that boy can’t be defeated with Kigou-rank sorcerous principles… if I could use shikigami… but)

That wasn’t possible. The weakness of puppet sorcerous principles was that if vast amounts of flow power were released, Tsuchikurenai Hyakurei’s sorcerous principles would break and disappear. That would mean the destruction of the puppetry, so to prevent that, Tsuchikurenai Hyakurei gave orders prohibiting the release of more than necessary flow power.

Specifically, flow power release above Kigou-rank sorcerous principles. Constructing shikigami used so much flow power that sorcerers who had become puppets couldn’t manipulate shikigami.

(More… more… sorcerous principles, flow power… I must… release them)

Then she considered creating skeleton soldiers clad in pale fire through Sarashi-bi and defeating him through human wave tactics with sheer numbers. Sarashi-bi created by normal Kika sorcerous principles would vanish when destroyed, but with the undying fire of Homura’in, she could create immortal soldiers that would revive even when broken. There were few things where flow power and sorcerous principles meshed so perfectly.

“Ah…”

Her body convulsed. If she relaxed even slightly, she would lose control. She used her sword like a staff to avoid collapsing. Shiga Inui didn’t miss that moment.

He kicked off the ground to approach. While deflecting the skeleton soldiers clad in pale fire that attacked him by deploying flowing membranes of Suin on both hands to avoid touching the flames, he approached and appeared in front of her.

“Ha, ahn”

With tears in her eyes, she raised her sword toward Shiga Inui. Painful and desperate, she wanted to defeat Shiga Inui as quickly as possible. Shiga Inui deflected Soui Hinari’s attack, then grabbed her wrist to restrain her.

(Now then)

Shiga Inui had realized that her attack methods were monotonous since she only used Kika sorcerous principles and slashing attacks.

(Summon skeletons clad in blue flames, unleash slashing attacks – that’s all there is… actually, that’s probably all she can do)

Shiga Inui… when she writhed trying to escape from restraint, Shiga Inui was stronger, and she couldn’t break free from the restraint.

(At the very least, she’s a Dengou-rank sorcerer, but for some reason, there was no sorcerer manipulating her)

Throughout the battles so far, it was strange that a master-rank sorcerer hadn’t used sorcerous principles above Shougou-rank. He had generally figured out that there were some restrictions.

(I think… higher-level sorcerous techniques for sorcerers consume intense flow power. If flow power consumption exceeds a certain level, some kind of binding disappears… so they’re commanded to only use Kigou-rank sorcerous principles, following that order – something like that, right?)

More than anything, if one were to seriously fight Shiga Inui, they’d need to use shikigami to increase their options and employ barriers to give forced effects through sorcerous principles to have any chance of winning. If they had ordered him killed with such earnestness, they should have been that serious. Therefore, for Shiga Inui, this wasn’t a battle. It was just like a puzzle requiring thought – a problem of how to defeat the opponent without injuring them.

(Naturally, the skeletons are coming toward me, but…)

“Ha… ah… n-no”

She dispelled the Sarashi-bi. It was roughly as Shiga Inui had expected.

(Puppet sorcerous principles don’t allow suicide, right? I can defend with Suin flow power, but… you’d take physical attacks from the skeleton soldiers, wouldn’t you?)

Homura’in flow power was released from her own body. While it wouldn’t burn her own flesh, physical attacks from materialized skeleton soldiers would be effective. If they attacked Shiga Inui but he moved her so the attacks hit her instead, if he made her think that, then she had no choice but to dispel the sorcerous principles herself.

(No matter how desperate they were, the sorcerers didn’t die. Even if they wanted to die, they couldn’t – denial of suicide is also part of puppet sorcerous principles)

It was utterly vicious behavior. Forced to maintain their pride as sorcerers, not even allowed to die, compelled to be slaves until death. Thinking of it that way, those who fought Shiga Inui and died were, in a sense, fortunate.

“Ha… ah”

She tried to release flow power. But she understood it wouldn’t work on Shiga Inui.

(If I cover myself with a Suin membrane, Homura’in flow power release won’t work either. Even if you enhance physical abilities with flow power manipulation, I’m superior. In other words… you’re completely sealed by me)

Shiga Inui held Soui Hinari’s life in his hands. She breathed heavily while looking at Shiga Inui with moist eyes. Those were eyes that looked at him as if desiring a man more than anything else.

“Please… please… I beg you…”

Tears streaming, she pleaded.

“Embrace… me…”

She couldn’t endure it any longer. Hearing her anguished voice, Shiga Inui smiled.

“You don’t need to ask… that was my intention all along.”

Saying that, Shiga Inui stole her lips. In the midst of this deadly struggle, she was surprised by the sweet temptation. His tongue violated the inside of her mouth, and her eyes gradually became intoxicated.

(He kissed… me… ah, this boy… he’s good at… kissing…)

Her consciousness of attack gradually melted away. Shiga Inui’s flow power seeped into her body, suppressing the very generation of flow power. Her limbs became unable to move as intended, canceling even the effects of puppet sorcerous principles. And she became absorbed in the kiss with Shiga Inui.

Eah… chu… nn

Hah… ah… more, more… nn

Jumu… ea, so… ame… ah

Nn, fuh… chu, this… this feeling… nah

Haah… ah… n-ah! Hah, ah… j-just, just from… a kiss…

Ea? Ah-rame, now… that, that’s not allowed… nah!!

~~~~~~!! Nn, fuu… fuu… more… more…

Gradually, her strength waned. Shiga Inui continued flowing power into her body. This temporarily prevented her from releasing flow power. It was like having mud stuffed into a gun barrel. At the same time, Shiga Inui had succeeded in cutting her off from the puppet sorcerous principles barrier.

(Shuryakuma said… those who enter the territory are made to follow pre-set commands… meaning there’s a Dengou-rank sorcerous principles effect occurring within this territory… so if I wrap her in my flow power, the commands are forcibly cut off)

Within the territory, Dengou-rank barrier sorcerous principles meant forcibly imposing one’s rules on other targets. Inside the barrier was one’s own country, and visitors to that country had to follow the country’s rules. So Shiga Inui created his own country within the territory by releasing flow power. Inside this country, sorcerous principles effects brought nothing, but conversely, it created a lawless zone where one didn’t need to follow other countries’ rules.

Naturally, this wasn’t a feat anyone could accomplish. It was a technique only Shiga Inui could perform.