As for the rest of the countermeasures team, they were largely useless in the fight. Huddled around the perimeter, they scrambled to finish constructing a new barrier.
Watching Yuto hold Futakuchi-onna at bay, the ordinary team members couldn't hide their excitement. Unlike Shinjo Isshin or Yamato Kuka, they were just rank-and-file operatives and knew very little about the newly arrived Yuto. They had assumed he was some spoiled brat from an exorcist family—but now, seeing him trade blows with a B-rank calamity demon, their assumptions evaporated.
This was a demon that had challenged Yamato Kuka before—and now, a boy younger than her was holding his own, even gaining the upper hand. Coupled with Yuto's earlier slash that had cleaved the barrier, the team's admiration and excitement skyrocketed. Even though Futakuchi-onna had not been defeated yet, Yuto's strength had already earned him recognition among Countermeasures Team 8.
Meanwhile, Yuto himself, who had been deliberately "struggling" to make the fight look convincing, noticed his reputation points inexplicably rising. It made sense—any ordinary team member involved in eliminating a calamity demon would receive rewards. They might not rival the core contributors, but the points were still substantial. A B-rank calamity demon like Futakuchi-onna? Successful completion could even net them upgraded equipment.
Unfortunately, today the team's excitement would turn to disappointment. Their rising star, Yuto, had just been "careless"—thrown back by Futakuchi-onna's hair and slammed into the wall of a nearby residential house. The new barrier wasn't even finished, and Futakuchi-onna, unwilling to linger any longer after repelling him, was already preparing to retreat.
"The battle isn't over yet! Isn't it too early to run?" she thought. She understood that Yuto had been holding back the whole time. She didn't know why he'd spared her, but she wasn't about to show hesitation. Survival came first; repelling Yuto's deliberate opening gave her a chance to escape.
She hadn't counted on Yamato Kuka, who had been wading through the miasma, to suddenly slash through it with her sword aura, splitting the poisonous cloud clean in half. Then, charging at Futakuchi-onna with astonishing speed, she closed in.
Futakuchi-onna cursed under her breath. The sword priestess was insane.
Yamato Kuka's situation was far from ideal. Her once-fair skin was now mottled with green poison spots—the corrosive touch of a B-rank calamity demon. Ordinary people would die instantly, and even exorcists without proper defenses could be gravely harmed. Yet, with a single decisive strike, she had cut a path through the miasma and was plunging straight into an even denser cloud, disregarding her own physical state.
She wasn't using spiritual power to resist the poison—she was letting it eat away at her body. Her spiritual energy was entirely devoted to her sword. Just as her mentor had said: the strongest defense is the strongest offense. A sword wielded with unwavering will can cut through anything.
Focusing all her power into Onikiri, Yamato Kuka unleashed a massive external slash under the moonlight. The crescent-shaped spiritual blade tore through the ground and hurled toward Futakuchi-onna.
This was no ordinary sword strike. The external slash proved she had finally taken the step from a skilled swordswoman to a true "Sword Master." She had honed her techniques for years, but only now, in the heat of battle, had she fully unlocked this level.
Standing atop the rubble, Yuto observed the colossal blue slash with mild surprise. Swordsmanship wasn't about spiritual power alone—mental fortitude, experience, and perfect timing were all required. Many never reached this stage, even in old age. Yuto himself had only achieved external slashes after enduring countless trials: his half-demon transformations, relentless demon slaying, and the power of his demonic sword, "Demon Wound."
Onikiri could amplify spiritual power and slay demons, but it hadn't previously been able to unleash an external slash like Yuto's Oni-Kyō. This was Yamato Kuka's achievement alone—a true breakthrough in swordsmanship.
The blue spiritual energy lanced from Onikiri, tearing through buildings and barreling toward Futakuchi-onna. Half of Yamato Kuka's body was now covered in green poison, yet her fighting spirit only sharpened. Each swing of her sword carried the weight of her life itself.
When a swordswoman poured her soul into the blade, what could stop her? Nothing.
Futakuchi-onna had once been restrained by the child's presence, but now Yamato Kuka's reckless, all-in approach made it clear: victory was within the priestess's grasp, even under the worst conditions.
Meanwhile, Yuto checked in with the small white spider perched on his finger.
"Spider Princess, how are the preparations going?" he asked. "If this keeps up, Yamato Kuka will definitely defeat Futakuchi-onna. And she's in terrible shape—if she wins, she probably won't survive."
Yuto had long prepared a Plan B. He knew Futakuchi-onna's miasma wouldn't hold Yamato Kuka for long, but he hadn't expected her to be this reckless, willing to risk her life to claim victory. His earlier restraint had been obvious. Now, he could only have Spider Princess activate the contingency measures.
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