Suddenly, a recollection of the classic Xianxia trope crossed his mind.
Those stories where when the MC sets foot into a peaceful city, a "once in a century" auction begins or a 100-year-old beast awakens to level the district.
"To say that isn't the case here would just be delusional..."
A sigh escaped from Yoichi's mouth, his posture relaxed even as he remained perched on the massive Oni, minding his own business while the world around him burned.
"Kid! What are you doing?! Get down from there!"
The leader voiced his concerns with a desperate shout, unable to fathom the casual disrespect the boy was showing to a literal force of nature.
"Foul-scented creature, die!"
The Oni's guttural roar vibrated through the air. Feeling exasperated by the "flea" on its hide, the beast aimed a massive, meaty slap at its own shoulder where Yoichi sat.
Bang!
The contact generated a shockwave that rattled the teeth of every sorcerer in the clearing, yet the expected blood-splattering end didn't happen.
"Gimme a break... You know what? Next time, I'll try and wear some cologne, okay?"
A reply issued from the air as Yoichi somersaulted gracefully through the sky.
He landed on the ground with Rebellion already spinning in his hand.
"GRAAAAAHHH!!!"
A guttural roar erupted from the Oni as it lunged, its movements blurring into a sequence of earth-shattering strikes.
Yoichi danced through the chaos, utilizing Trickster to flicker in and out of existence.
Each time the Oni's club or fist connected with the ground, a shockwave rippled through the dirt, sending stones flying like shrapnel, but Yoichi was always a second ahead, leaving only a shimmering afterimage behind.
"Whoa! Watch the outfit, big guy!" A playful shout was heard as Yoichi zipped through the air, narrowly avoiding a swipe that leveled a cluster of ancient oaks. "This is a school uniform. Do you have any idea how much dry cleaning costs in this economy?"
Seeing an opening, the Oni pivoted with terrifying speed and launched a massive, boulder-sized fist directly at Yoichi's chest.
Instead of dodging, Yoichi planted his heels, the earth groaning beneath his boots as he brought Rebellion up in a vertical guard.
CLANG!
The screech of metal against demonic hide echoed through the forest. The sheer momentum of the blow pushed Yoichi back, his feet carving two deep trenches into the soil as he skidded nearly twenty meters.
Despite the bone-rattling impact, the heavy claymore didn't buckle.
An adrenaline-fueled smile never disappeared from Yoichi's face as he looked up from his defensive stance.
He flicked the blade to the side, shedding the kinetic tension like water.
"Not bad, not bad at all!" Yoichi remarked, his voice dripping with bravado. "How about we pick up the tempo? I was starting to worry this 'party' was going to be a total snooze-fest."
A series of savage exchanges followed.
The Oni swung its club in a wide horizontal arc, which Yoichi bypassed by jumping and performing a mid-air Helm Breaker.
The blade struck the Oni's horn, sending a shower of sparks into the night sky.
Landing gracefully, Yoichi spun the sword like a helicopter blade and lifting the massive demon slightly off its feet.
The sorcerers, on the other hand, stood paralyzed, their roles as protectors rendered obsolete in seconds.
Every time the Oni roared, Yoichi answered with a taunt or a gunshot, turning the desperate battlefield into a high-stakes stage.
"How is this even possible?" The leader breathed, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his blade.
Sure, they had seen a fair share of supernatural horrors in their line of work, but the reality unfolding before them felt like a fantasy in reality itself.
The sight of a child in a white coat casually parrying a mythological titan was an affront to everything they knew about the hierarchy of power.
Behind him, the subordinates stood with the same hollow expression, faces pale, eyes dilated, and weapons held loosely in trembling hands.
A concussive blast of violent energy rippled through the clearing as Yoichi's sword met the Oni's club again.
"He's not even using a Domain..." one of the guards whispered, his voice cracking with a mixture of awe and terror. "He's just... faster. Stronger. It's like he's playing a different game entirely."
A look of grim realization appeared on the leader's face. The way Yoichi shifted his weight, the cocky yet confident tilt of his head, and that terrifying energy...
It was all too much for a human mind to reconcile with a ten-year-old's silhouette.
"Don't just stand there like statues!" The leader finally barked, though his voice lacked its usual bite. "If that thing became too smart, we're the ones who'll get flattened in seconds! Move to the perimeter!"
Even as he gave the order, he knew it was a formality.
The battlefield belonged to the boy now.
Bang!
A thunderous shot from Ivory echoed through the mangled forest.
Soon, the Oni gave up, its massive frame battered with such immense injuries that it looked more like a heap of bruised flesh than a mythological terror.
It lay there, beaten like a common dog, its chest heaving as dark, viscous blood pooled into the craters Yoichi had carved into the earth.
Due to their fight, the surrounding landscape was unrecognizable.
Even the Grade 1 Cursed Spirits who hadn't dared to partake in the clash took the full brunt of the collateral damage; they were now little more than flickering wisps of smoke, crushed by the pressure.
The field felt oppressive, a toxic cocktail of Cursed and Demonic Energy that made the atmosphere itself feel thick and twisted.
"Who... Who the hell are you?!"
In its long life as an ancient, prideful creature, this was the first time it had ever tasted the bitter sting of humiliation.
To be defeated was one thing, but to be dismantled so casually by a "half-blood" was a stain on its very existence.
"Who knows? I don't even know it myself," Yoichi replied.
A nonchalant shrug was given as Yoichi stood, unbrandishing Rebellion and sliding it back onto his back with a stylish clack.
"Oh well, gotta finish my performance with a bang," a playful murmur escaped his lips.
Soon, Yoichi grabbed the Oni's massive foot. Despite the size difference, he began to swing the titan rapidly, his feet rooted to the ground as he turned the demon into a living centrifuge.
"What are you doing?!" The Oni roared, the world spinning into a nauseating blur of trees and sky.
"To kill you, of course."
Yoichi's smile felt like a nightmare to the Oni...
Cocky, cold, and unconcerned.
"First things first, hang... the meat!"
With a grunt of effort, he released the limb, throwing the Oni hundreds of feet into the air.
"And then, slice and dice!"
A sudden blur followed as Yoichi jumped, brandishing Rebellion once more. He became a whirlwind of steel in the sky, chopping the Oni piece by piece.
The roars of the beast became deafening, its pride shredded along with its hide.
"Afterwards... season it up!"
A red circle appeared beneath Yoichi's boots, allowing him to vault even higher.
He hovered at the apex of the Oni's sliced figure, flourishing Ebony and Ivory.
A rain of bullets was unleashed, Yoichi shooting his guns in the air.
"Lastly, cook it! Maybe well done will do."
Yoichi mysteriously disappeared, reappearing in a flicker of crimson light with two elemental blades in his hands.
He connected Agni and Rudra, spinning them until they formed a massive tornado of wind and fire. The vortex engulfed the remains, "cooking" the demonic meat at temperatures that melted the nearby stone.
"And for the final act, preparing the dish itself!"
Yoichi appeared on the ground, a white porcelain plate held elegantly in his hand.
With the grace of a world-class waiter, he caught a disgusting, charred piece of the Oni's remains right in the center of the plate.
"Voila! A work of art, delivered by me!"
A wink and a smile were offered as Yoichi presented the "dish" to the gobsmacked sorcerers.
Though he performed like a refined gentleman, the offering was a Lovecraftian horror; the charred remains breathed with a sickening and unstable energy that made the guards gag.
"Thanks for giving me such a fantastic time to demonstrate my talents! Anyways, Ciao!"
After delivering the "meal," Yoichi's golden eyes darted toward a specific shadow in the distance, sensing a familiar yet powerful presence watching from the trees.
Without a second's delay, he vanished in a series of high-speed flickers, bolting back toward the safety of his field trip.
The leader of the sorcerers looked down at the steaming, demonic "steak" on the plate, his hands trembling.
The absurdity of the situation, the "cooking" performance, the elemental blades, and the sheer disrespect shown to a mythological entity, left him speechless.
By the time he looked up to demand an explanation, the boy was gone, leaving behind only a trail of scorched earth and a legend.