Book Eater

Chapter 257: Receptacle of Solitude (2)

It’s coming.?

It had eight tails, so he naturally called it Eight-Tails. Theo was confident his super sensitivity could read its movements ahead of time, so he kept his eyes on it.

Eight-Tails’ may have lost its human form, but its power was comparable to eight Circles. Theo would suffer a serious injury if he suffered a blow. At the same time, the two spirits were also warily watching the monster.

Nearly five seconds later…Theo and the spirits were fully focused on Eight-Tails, but the monster still managed to surprise them.

The black tails shook. Left to right, right to left... Theo was shocked as the waving tails created an illusion.

“...What?”

Then the eight tails were suddenly right in front of him.

Puhwaaak!

It was insanely fast. Theo was only able to react because he had already faced opponents who moved supernaturally fast. If it hadn’t been for his battle experience, he would have lost his life right there.

The six shields Theo reflexively created shattered, but Theo used the brief respite to push his hands forward.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission. Four Major Hidden Techniques. Moon Breaking through the Clouds.

Ether coalesced like clouds, and the hidden technique, Moon Breaking through the Clouds, was like an iron wall when faced with a frontal offensive.

It was only when Theo paid attention to the tails that he realized why he had been taken by surprise. The monster hadn’t just been fast. It had used the momentary slip in attention caused by the languid movements of its tails to close the gap as quickly as it could.

Kuk, it isn’t merely a strong monster!

The tails were hammering at his arms ten times per second, and his arms were growing numb from blocking the whip-fast attacks. Theo clicked his tongue at the sheer destructive power.

Jeeeong! Jjang! Chaaeng!

Eight-Tails attacked with all the instinctive savagery of a monster, striking from the sides and above in dizzying but random patterns. Each blow was so heavy and fast that Theo felt like his bones were about to break. They seemed strong enough to warp steel.

As he deflected and blocked the tails, Theo managed to slip in a few strikes. However, there were still moments when the enemy’s destructive power was too strong and he had to focus on defense. Otherwise, his arms would be crushed in a flash.

Eight-Tails was also attacking the two spirits at the same time. The monster born of solitude seemed like it was overwhelming three master level combatants.

However, they weren’t going to be pushed around so easily.

Fire!

Theo narrowly cast a spell as he found a gap. Even if his opponent was a monster, a close range impact from a spell would still hurt. The magician’s magic power boiled as an attack spell jumped from his fingertips.

“Inferno!”

At maximum output, 7th Circle spells could burn an entire village to ashes. A stream of fire erupted from Theo’s left hand and impacted three tails of darkness, momentarily pushing the darkness away.

So it was possible to destroy three or four tails. However, Theo’s bright expression disappeared the moment he saw Eight-Tails’ response.

Dhanyata… Ohm… Vajra…?

It seemed like meaningless jabber, a strange monologue from an unintelligent monster. But at the same time, it felt like a magician’s chanting.

“This...!”

Theo hurriedly prepared a spell, but he was one step too late.

Sva... Ha!

As Eight-Tails cried out, the darkness around them sprang at Theo. The monster had somehow cast a shaman’s curse!

There were countless types of curses, ranging from those that rotted the flesh, those that poisoned the air, and those that burned the caster’s opponent. Unlike magic, some curses couldn’t be blocked, so Theo couldn’t be careless.

Dammit! It is such crude shamanism!

Most shamans separated their magic power into a three-circle system, or maybe a four-circle system. Theo’s hairs rose as he felt a sense of crisis from Eight-Tails’ power.

[Hoh, then should this body help you?]

At this moment, Seimei took control of Theo’s right arm.

[How long has it been since I met a shaman? It’s a bit of a shame that the opponent has little to no mind, but this is sufficient.]

“W-Wait a minute!”

[Don’t delay! I have to take care of this quickly!]

Seimei ignored the rain of curses flying at him as he started to form unknown characters with Theo’s right hand. Theo was able to recognize some characters, but not all of them.

However, the remarkable thing wasn’t the variety of characters but the speed at which they were being made. Seimei was making at least three to five characters per second, each prompted by a change in gesture. It was truly the display of a master at work.

And the phenomenon that resulted transcended Theo’s common sense.

T-The curses were scattered?

[Of course. Daring to use curses in front of this Seimei... I will make that ugly body realize how stupid it is!]

The tsunami of curses split into two around Theo like a sea being cleaved in two. This was proof that Seimei’s shamanism could counter any and every curse in existence. It was a feat befitting the greatest onmyōji, Abe no Seimei. If magic could be likened to architecture, then shamanism was a string. A magician stacked bricks to construct a towering edifice, while shamans used strings to hang their enemies from the gallows.

[No matter how hard you try, a loose knot can’t be tightened. Even if the rope turns into a chain, it isn’t difficult to break if you know how. Well, it would take a few months for someone like you!]

... Do you have to be so patronizing?

Theo complained inwardly, but he still paid attention to the shaman. He couldn’t miss this opportunity. Theo had grown adept at straddling the line between life and death, so he couldn’t miss this chance before him. He had the power to overwhelm three tails at once.

Theo took a deep breath before letting out a thunderous shout that couldn’t be made with a human voice.

「Убирайся-к-чёрту (Go aw-ay)!」

Kwarururung!

He had used Dragon Words! The power to rule the material world constricted space itself, sending three tails flying. It wasn’t a force that could just be endured. Eight-Tails abruptly sprang hundreds of meters back, as the two spirits leaped toward Theo.

Only a few minutes had passed, but their fur was tinged with blood.

Tiger King panted roughly, “I’m alive thanks to you, human!”

Bear King was also huffing. “I wasn’t alert and almost got hit. Dangerous monster.”

Theo nodded and replied, “We shouldn’t hand over the initiative. We might not know its techniques, but its firepower is three times higher than ours. We don’t have a chance if we compete in strength. We need to hit it with everything we have.”

Tiger King’s claws unsheathed again. “I don’t know anything, so I’ll just follow you.”

Bear King bared his teeth. “Your words are correct for once, Tiger King.”

Theo was busy thinking. Their opponent seemed to be some kind of demon fox. Fortunately, it only had eight tails.

[Well, reaching nine tails would be unreasonable. A ninth tail can’t be created with such dull power. Look, doesn’t the eighth tail look unstable? If it consumes more power or receives a serious blow, that tail will fall apart immediately.]

Seimei was dismissive, but Gluttony chimed in.

- But be careful. Even if it isn’t a perfect nine-tailed fox, its eight tails can produce the output of eight Circles. You won’t be able to last for long if you face it head-on.

[Ah, one more thing. This creature has a regeneration ability that’s close to immortality. Don’t get careless about blowing it away. Keep hitting it until it’s destroyed.]

Between them, Seimei and Gluttony were the preeminent experts of magic and shamanism, so Theo took their advice to heart. Theo could also sense Eight-Tails coming back. It was close to immortal, so how could Theo beat it without a frontal confrontation?

Coincidentally, both entities had the same answer.

- Continue to beat it up until it dies.

[Strike it until it dies, and don’t get hit.]

At that moment, Eight-Tails leaped at them from a distance.

■■■■■■■―――!

Eight-Tails was irritated at the person who had sent it flying. It was an irrational anger born of poor impulse control, so it unleashed its overpowering presence at the three uninvited guests.

Tiger King walked forward, baring her teeth. “You want to beat me up? It’s my turn, fox!”

The nucleus of mana in the mountains had existed for centuries, and the spirits who had grown up with it had developed their own special abilities. Some spirits could emit flames stronger than lava, while some land spirits developed wings.

The Tiger King was a bit more special.

Kuweeeeeoh!

The Tiger King’s roar seemed to make the air shimmer as five identical Tiger Kings appeared. It wasn’t an illusion as each body landed heavily on the ground and an overwhelming presence filled the surroundings.

Theo gulped as he figured out her power.

Doppelgangers! Moreover, she can make them without losing power…

In a flash, six tigers had surrounded Eight-Tails. The perfect physical body of the Tiger King had increased by five. Even a Seimei-level shaman couldn’t achieve such a feat, as the inherent abilities of spirits were far removed from common sense.

“Be honored to receive death from the five tigers!” The Tiger King cried out excitedly.

For some reason, Eight-Tails gurgled happily. Its eight tails moved in a fan shape.

“―Huh?”

“... Hey, this bastard! This is a foul!”

The Tiger King—no, six Tiger Kings cried out. Eight-Tails, who had formed seven clones, laughed delightedly at Tiger King, White Bear, and Theo. It was like a child showing off its strength, rather than an evil being.

Theo didn’t panic. Eight-Tails’ intention was certainly to ridicule the Tiger King, but it wasn’t the right choice. Eight-Tails had been an intimidating foe because its power alone overwhelmed the three of them. However, its ability, unlike Tiger King’s, shared power between the seven clones.

“.. The foolishness of youth.” Unlike the angry Tiger King, White Bear noticed it right away.

He didn’t wait for Theo to speak and activated his own unique ability.

It was a simple yet powerful ability—becoming giant. The White Bear was originally four meters in height, and his ability allowed him to grow over fifteen meters tall. Meanwhile, the Tiger King was busy with a glaring contest with Eight-Tails and didn’t notice.

As soon as the transformation was complete, Theo shouted to them, “Tiger King, White Bear! Take three each! I’ll deal with the main body!”

White Bear raised a gigantic paw, “I understand!”

Tiger King answered half a beat late. “Uh, what? U-Understood!”

It happened before Eight-Tails could react. White Bear’s weight had increased several times over, but he was still as fast as ever as a massive paw slammed into three of Eight-Tails’ clones. It wouldn’t be a unique ability if his movement speed was slowed down.

Theo sprang forward while appreciating the White Bear’s unique ability. It shouldn’t be possible to tell Eight-Tails’ main body and clones apart with the naked eye, but it had made a big mistake.

The unstable eighth tail.

Eight-Tails couldn’t take that tail with it when it split into several clones, so there was one Eight-Tails with one and a half tails. That was the main body. Theo’s seven Circles rotated as he rushed toward Eight-Tails.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission. Freehand First Strike Technique. Right Fist Blast Thunder.

He punched Eight-Tails as hard as he could.