Chapter 156: Boundary of Light and Heavy
As the blinding sword light dissipated, Konpaku Youmu stood quietly in its wake. The Hakurouken was already back in its sheath, as if it had never been drawn at all. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze as placid as still water, and let out a long, steadying breath.
A dead silence fell over the corridor.
There was no panic, no frantic buzzing of mosquito wings—only the heavy, ragged breathing of the survivors remained.
They stared at the mountain of insect corpses that had piled up on the ground in a single instant, then back at the young girl who stood there as if she had done nothing more than a trivial chore. Disbelief was etched onto every face.
Just one strike? In the blink of an eye?
Was she really that strong?
Even their own boss probably couldn't pull that off.
Ye Tian took a long, deep look at Youmu. He told himself that he, too, could have dealt with those mosquitoes. But to do it so precisely, so swiftly, so… nonchalantly? No, that was beyond him.
Even so, not a hint of frustration soured his thoughts. Instead, his fighting spirit surged with greater intensity. He wasn't a speed-type to begin with; the only way to know who was stronger was to fight it out.
Yotsuya Miko and Lin Xuelao were equally dumbfounded. They knew Youmu was powerful, but this was the first time they had truly seen her in action. They never imagined her strength reached such a level; she was nothing short of a sword god.
Youmu had already returned to Haruto's side, resuming her post as his vigilant guardian.
Haruto observed the shocked gazes of the onlookers and patted her head with immense satisfaction. This was exactly the effect he had been aiming for. If his Youmu was powerful, didn't that mean he was powerful by extension?
The simple head pat sent ripples through Youmu's previously tranquil state of mind. A blush crept up her youthful face, but she forced herself to act as if nothing had happened, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential danger.
The group pressed onward.
For the next half hour, they encountered no substantial threats, but a constant, rustling crawl echoed from the ceiling from time to time. It was clear the spider monster from before was still shadowing them, never far away.
As a result, everyone subconsciously gave the ventilation ducts a wide berth, fearing something would suddenly leap out and drag them inside.
After several more minutes of walking, a huge steel door loomed before them. It was forged from the same material as the plates at the entrance, but on a much grander scale.
"Everyone, step back."
Ye Tian habitually waved his hand, his other instinctively reaching for the sword at his hip, only to grasp at empty air. He turned his head toward Haruto, his expression awkward.
Only then did Haruto remember the blade was still tucked away in a Gap. He casually retrieved the massive sword and tossed it over.
Ye Tian caught it with a steady hand. Gripping the hilt, he flicked his trench coat with a flourish and struck a dashing pose. In an instant, his entire aura sharpened.
"A mere iron door! Open for me!"
BOOM—!
The greatsword hacked down with tremendous force. The deafening clang reverberated through the narrow passage, making everyone's ears ring.
The iron door, however, didn't budge an inch. The only evidence of the strike was a faint white mark on its surface.
"It seems this door is a bit sturdier than I thought," Ye Tian said, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Let me add some more strength this time."
Just as he was about to wind up for another series of strikes, Haruto stopped him.
"Let me do it."
Haruto's tone was laced with helplessness. If he let this guy keep at it, they'd all be deafened long before the door was smashed open.
Hearing that Haruto was going to take action, Ye Tian obediently put away the greatsword and took two steps back.
"Fine. Since Brother Haruto wants to make a move, I won't steal your thunder."
Haruto rolled his eyes but didn't bother with a retort. He simply placed his palm gently against the cold steel door and whispered.
"Boundary of Heavy and Light—"
The moment the words left his lips, he turned and delivered a swift kick. The colossal iron door shot forward like a soccer ball.
Since its hinges were still bolted to the wall, the door didn't just fly off—it tore free and, carried by its own inertia, slammed deep into the left wall. The entire tunnel trembled twice from the impact.
The scene left everyone completely dumbfounded. The greatsword in Ye Tian's hand even slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground with a loud thud.
If he could dismiss Youmu's one-strike slaughter by telling himself he was a power-type, not a speed-type, then Haruto's kick drove him into absolute despair. He knew, with chilling certainty, that he could never achieve such a feat.
For a moment, Ye Tian looked as if he had suffered a devastating blow, his entire person appearing haggard and worn.
But it didn't last long. He pulled himself together, and a blazing fire ignited in his eyes.
The path to invincibility was only interesting if one had to overcome titans like this, wasn't it?
Only by constantly surpassing the impossible could one achieve true invincibility.
Kaguya quietly drifted to Haruto's side. She glanced at Ye Tian, who was despondent one moment and fired up the next, and whispered, "Haruto, you haven't driven him crazy, have you?"
"Pah! What do you mean, I drove him crazy? Don't use such ridiculous words. I just kicked a door. What's that got to do with me?" Haruto refused to admit a thing; it would be a pain if the guy tried to extort him for psychological damages.
However, in the next second, Ye Tian suddenly called out to him.
"Brother Haruto!"
"...What?" Haruto silently took half a step back, eyeing him warily.
"After we deal with that… whatever Broodmother, let's have a duel!"
A burning fighting spirit radiated from Ye Tian's eyes.
Haruto refused without a second thought.
"Why? Isn't it a pleasure for the strong to spar with one another?"
"How long have you been in these instances?" Haruto asked instead.
"About three years," Ye Tian recalled. "But I already had some strength before that. I once encountered a master in the real world. He said I had an extraordinary skeletal structure and was a prime prospect for martial arts, so he abducted me into the deep mountains to train."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, his expression turning indignant.
'Encountered a hidden expert? And happened to be a martial arts genius? And coincidentally got chosen for the Death Game?'Haruto thought.'Isn't this the pure, unadulterated plot of a protagonist?'
"I refuse," Haruto repeated decisively. "Go find Kaguya. She's one of my subordinates. If you can beat her, then come talk to me. Her strength is quite decent."
He made kicking the door look easy, but that was only because it was an inanimate object, and the Boundary of Heavy and Light was the very first boundary power he had ever learned. If it came down to a real one-on-one duel, he had little confidence he could beat this chuunibyou.
Of course, that was excluding the use of items and Talisman Cards. With those, it would just be a matter of a single Magic Cannon blast. But where was the fun in that? Haruto decided he'd practice for another two and a half years before considering it.
Ye Tian frowned but didn't insist further, turning his gaze toward Kaguya.
Kaguya pointed at herself, then looked at Haruto as if to ask, 'Are you serious?'
In the end, she simply shook her head in refusal. "I do not bully children."
Ye Tian was stunned. He looked at Kaguya, who appeared to be about the same age as him, his head filled with question marks. But then, he remembered something that fox spirit had once said—"Some people only look young, but their actual age might be older than your grandmother"—and a flicker of understanding crossed his face.
With no other choice, Ye Tian turned his head again, his gaze falling on Yotsuya Miko. The girl was startled and quickly shook her head, hiding behind Youmu.
"You should fight with Sister Youmu. I'm very weak."
Youmu didn't respond immediately. She looked to Haruto first, and only after he gave her a look that said, "Do as you like," did she finally nod.
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