"Roar——————!"
With an earth-shaking roar, the massive Crimson Oni, its body radiating raw power, was sent flying backward!
The forceful punch had come from Ren Kuroda, who was still mid-swing. Just moments ago, Ren had been studying the Crimson Oni's movements, analyzing its attacks and figuring out its simple-minded patterns. He quickly realized this opponent, despite its size and strength, was nothing more than a straightforward brute.
Even without tapping into his demonic power, Ren could outmaneuver it with his modest spiritual power and clumsy—but functional—Yin-Yang techniques.
And after spending so long learning Onmyojutsu at the Yin-Yang Academy without ever applying it, here was the perfect test subject.
"Binding Curse! Fire Boundary Curse! Demon Subduing Curse!"
Ren didn't hesitate or even consider whether the curses were optimized for the Crimson Oni. He unleashed everything he had learned, purely for experimentation. The Oni's thick hide and natural toughness meant that even if his techniques were imperfect, he could afford to test them freely.
His spiritual power, though newly awakened, was already at a C-level. His skill with the spells was still rough—but for a half-demon like him, this was more than enough.
Just as he was enjoying the spectacle, another Red Oni came charging at him with frightening speed.
The other students, mentally shattered and removed from the field by their protective instructors, were no longer drawing the oni's attention. Left without targets, the remaining Red Oni turned to Ren with furious intent.
Ren barely had time to react. A sneaky attack came from behind, and he abruptly stopped his incantation, backflipping away just in time.
The Oni screeched in rage, pounding its bare feet into the rocky ground, leaving deep gouges as it lunged again. Ren didn't waste time with the Escape Spell this time. Instead, he began chanting a completely different incantation:
"All worldly matters are under my control. By the true vow of the Immovable King, I make a great vow to subdue this evil spirit! Hum Visi Visi Gara Gara Simo Li Svaha!"
The words rolled off his tongue in Sanskrit, a language often tied to Buddhist rituals. A thin, golden light shimmered around his body as he completed the lengthy incantation in record time.
The Red Oni's fist, as large as a boulder, smashed down. Ren's eyes glimmered with a hint of contempt. He didn't flinch. He punched back.
"Boom——————!"
The two fists collided in a shockwave that echoed across the training field. Despite the vast difference in size, Ren's punch met the Oni's with equal force. The ground beneath them cracked like spiderwebs under the impact.
But the equilibrium lasted only for a moment. In the next instant, the massive Crimson Oni, known for its legendary strength, was hurled like a cannonball across the field. Its body smashed into the barrier, making it shake violently before the Oni slid helplessly off the side like a rag doll.
One punch. That was all it took to neutralize a D-rank Crimson Oni that had terrified the other students just moments ago.
And Ren hadn't used any trickery—he had relied solely on raw strength, amplified by the "Immovable Vajra Mantra."
"He just used the Immovable Vajra Mantra… but even with the mantra, can his strength really reach this level?" one instructor exclaimed. "This is a Crimson Oni! Even a low-ranking D-rank oni is physically comparable to a C-rank demon!"
The instructors weren't shocked that Ren could beat the Oni—his reputation had preceded him. What stunned them was how he did it.
Humans, after all, were far weaker than demons in terms of raw power. Even the mantra's enhancement shouldn't have allowed a single punch to incapacitate such a monster.
If Ren had been from a clan like the Jihachi, whose members harness earth power to augment their bodies, it might have made sense. But he wasn't.
And yet, Ren, the calm half-demon, had done it effortlessly. He had even restrained his strength; otherwise, the Oni might have been obliterated completely.
The mantra wasn't what made him strong. Ren's half-demon heritage gave him superhuman strength, a natural edge over the Crimson Oni. The "Immovable Vajra Mantra" was a flourish, a theatrical boost to make his power look even more impressive.
In reality, even without the mantra, one punch from Ren would have been enough.
"There's nothing unusual about this," an instructor finally said, regaining composure. "The mantra enhances physical strength, yes—but he was already an extraordinary swordsman before learning Onmyojutsu. His physique alone isn't that of a typical, weak first-year student. It's no wonder he can do this."
Ren, for his part, remained unbothered. Another Oni loomed in the distance, but to him, it was just the next opportunity to experiment. A half-demon with demonic power and spiritual power now awakened—he was unstoppable.
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