After cultivating swordsmanship for so long and earning the title of Sword Master, Ren Kuroda had long since honed senses far beyond those of ordinary people.
And now that he was in a yokai-transformed state, the oni bloodline's instinctive perception of danger was far sharper than that of humans.
At the very instant Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's massive, fleshy paw slammed toward his chest, Ren reacted simultaneously, raising his Nichirin Blade to defend.
Even so, the sheer weight behind that punch exceeded Ren's expectations. Without activating 『Chaotic Might of Gods and Demons』, he was blasted backward several meters.
What made things worse was that just as Ren finished blocking the strike and prepared to counterattack, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's presence vanished once again.
Miss once—retreat immediately—wait for the opponent to loosen their guard, then deliver a killing blow.
Not only did this allow him to fight at leisure, it constantly drained his opponent's mental stamina while applying overwhelming psychological pressure.
This was Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's fighting style.
"Senior, don't you think this way of fighting is a little too shameless…?"
Ren called out, his tone laced with exasperation.
"Using such scummy tactics against a junior—does that really suit you?"
Faced with Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's unwavering commitment to the full cowardly assassin playstyle, Ren was completely speechless.
The old tanuki's invisibility was nearly perfect—his form, his yokai power, even his scent were flawlessly concealed.
Ren possessed tremendous yokai energy and monstrous physical strength, yet he had nowhere to apply it—like punching empty air.
"You don't need to provoke me," Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's voice echoed calmly.
"I'm not some hotheaded fool who doesn't understand strategy.
This is simply the nature of my Fear—it isn't shameless at all.
And I already told you earlier: I'm no longer treating you like a child."
Ever since Ren had nearly stabbed him in the waist earlier, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had completely discarded any trace of contempt.
And he felt no shame in his combat style—after all, this was how he had fought for hundreds of years.
Inugami Gyōbu-danuki—the name itself said everything.
Hidden God meant concealing one's presence.
Gyōbu referred to an executioner… an assassin.
Put together, it meant: a hidden assassin tanuki.
And if anyone wanted to talk about dirty tactics, Nurarihyon's Fear was far worse—yet hadn't he still become the Lord of the Hundred Demons?
Inugami Gyōbu-danuki moved like a true assassin, constantly switching between divine concealment and sudden ambush.
Although Ren managed to block every attack, as time dragged on, his disadvantage began to show.
Physical exhaustion was one thing—but the mental strain and relentless pressure were what truly wore him down.
Not knowing where the next attack would come from forced Ren to maintain absolute vigilance at all times.
But even for a Sword Master, keeping one's nerves stretched to the limit nonstop was an enormous drain.
If he allowed himself to be dragged further into his opponent's rhythm, defeat was inevitable.
"Well?" Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's voice sounded again from the shadows.
"Kid, do you want to concede?
Honestly, the fact that you've lasted this long is already beyond my expectations."
Hidden somewhere in the darkness, the old tanuki watched Ren—now riddled with wounds—and spoke voluntarily.
To be frank, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had faced many opponents over the centuries, including quite a few stronger than Ren.
But in terms of sheer willpower, there were very few who could compare.
He had once believed that his son Gyokushō was already exceptional among the younger generation.
But after seeing Ren, he finally understood just how vast the gap truly was.
This young man surpassed Gyokushō in talent, strength, temperament, and sheer resolve—so much so that he rivaled the strongest half-demon Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had ever known: Nura Rihan of the Nura Clan.
"Concede?" Ren replied, a sharp grin spreading across his face.
"If you give up the moment you hit a wall, doesn't that mean erasing your own potential?
This time it's only a spar—but what about the next time, when it's a fight to the death?
Giving up means death.
If I've reached my limit—then I'll just push past it!"
As he spoke, Ren's smile took on a slightly manic edge.
Concede? Not a chance.
There was only victory—or defeat.
A third outcome didn't exist.
Hearing those words, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's expression shifted slightly. It had been a long time since he'd met a young yokai with this much guts.
As an opponent, he chose to respect Ren's resolve—by using his full strength to crush him completely.
Perhaps Ren would lose this battle.
But Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was certain of one thing—
This young man would one day become one of the strongest beings in the world.
"If sight has already lost its meaning," Ren muttered quietly,
"then I might as well stop using it altogether."
Just as Inugami Gyōbu-danuki prepared to launch another decisive assault and finish Ren once and for all, he froze in surprise.
Ren… had closed his eyes.
The surrounding yokai were stunned for a moment—then scoffs and murmurs of disdain spread through the crowd.
"He talked so big—I thought he had real backbone."
"Turns out he just doesn't want to lose face by surrendering.
Closing his eyes? Guess he wants to lose faster."
If you couldn't win with your eyes open, how were you supposed to fight blind?
Most of the spectators assumed Ren had already given up.
Only Nurarihyon, who had remained silent all this time, drew calmly on his pipe, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Ren—eyes closed, body completely relaxed.
Having lived for centuries, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki didn't believe for a second that someone who spoke like Ren would give up this way.
Staring at Ren's closed eyes, the long-unblooded warrior even felt a hint of anticipation—curious to see how Ren intended to deal with his Fear.
With his eyes shut, Ren also shut out his hearing.
At that moment, it felt as if he were standing in an endless abyss of darkness—unable to see his own hand before his face.
The first things he perceived were his own heartbeat and breath.
As his awareness expanded, he began to sense the flow of other yokai's presences.
"Not enough," Ren thought.
"This still isn't enough to see through Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's Fear.
I need to look deeper."
Ever since his battle with the Night Sparrow, when his vision had been taken from him, Ren had realized something—
In absolute darkness, he could perceive many things he normally overlooked.
As his heartbeat gradually quieted, the presence of the surrounding yokai faded away.
In their place emerged subtler sensations.
Birds perched in trees.
Frogs and toads hidden in the grass.
Then even those vanished.
What remained were ants crawling along the ground… insects clinging to leaves.
"Still not enough…
I can go even deeper."
In the pitch-black world, even the insects disappeared.
There was nothing left—only darkness.
Then—
A gentle breeze brushed past.
Ren's body trembled slightly, as if he had grasped the key at last.
This time, he perceived something entirely different.
The wind was breathing.
The rocks were breathing.
The trees were breathing.
And hidden deep within the air itself—
Inugami Gyōbu-danuki was breathing too.
The massive body concealed within the atmosphere caused subtle disturbances with every breath—
And this time, Ren saw it perfectly.
In Ren's inner world, it felt like an eternity had passed.
In reality, only a few seconds had gone by.
Watching Ren stand there with his eyes closed, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki couldn't tell what he was up to—but out of caution, he chose to strike from behind.
Perfectly concealing his presence as before, he approached Ren without triggering the slightest reaction and threw a punch straight toward Ren's lower back.
The old man was clearly holding a grudge.
Ren's earlier stab to his waist hadn't been forgotten—and now he intended to return the favor and end the fight in one blow.
But the instant he threw the punch, Ren's lips curled into a faint smile.
Battle-hardened and exceptionally cautious, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki instantly sensed danger and pulled back his attack.
Almost simultaneously, Ren—eyes still closed—spun around and unleashed a draw slash at the position where Inugami Gyōbu-danuki had just been.
The violet Nichirin Blade traced a brilliant arc through the air—
But the strike missed.
At the last moment, Inugami Gyōbu-danuki bent backward into a perfect iron bridge, narrowly dodging the slash.
Because this time it was Inugami Gyōbu-danuki reacting defensively—and because Ren's attack had completely exceeded his expectations—
Before the old tanuki could recover—
Ren activated 『Chaotic Might of Gods and Demons』 and kicked him squarely away.
Inugami Gyōbu-danuki's massive body flew backward, skidding across the ground for a long distance. He felt like his gallbladder had nearly been kicked out of him.
Even so, as a veteran of countless battles, he quickly adjusted midair. The moment he landed, his presence vanished once more.
Unfortunately for him—
This time, Ren smiled.
Without the slightest hesitation, he charged straight toward a specific direction.
Skill Name: Mind's Eye
Skill Rank: B
Description:
A technique honed through countless trials by warriors.
Allows one to perceive what others cannot.
Under certain conditions, it can pierce invisibility, illusions, and falsehoods.
Note:
The host's current mastery of Mind's Eye is still rudimentary,
but there is ample room for growth.
This was the system notification Ren had just received.
Through his battle with Inugami Gyōbu-danuki, he had broken through his predicament—
And awakened a new technique:
『Mind's Eye』.