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There was no epic clash—no evenly matched exchange of blows.

If you had to summarize it briefly, the situation was simply a one-sided massacre.

In less than twenty seconds, the proud cursed blade, once forged painstakingly by the Yaso family, was reduced from half a sword to nothing but a useless hilt, smashed apart punch by punch.

As for the two giant shikigami summoned by the Aika family head, Bokue grabbed each of them effortlessly—one in each hand—and then slammed the left one's head straight through the other, fusing them grotesquely together before hurling them forward like a cannonball.

The fused monstrosity crashed into the legendary barrier erected by the Fukujū family head, shattering it instantly into scattered shards of golden light.

Thus, in a matter of mere seconds, the supposedly flawless ambush planned by these three branch family heads was utterly obliterated.

Still within the rear mountain shrine, Bokue stood calmly by the entrance, his eyes cold and expressionless as he surveyed the defeated, pitiful figures collapsed helplessly before him.

The positions hadn't changed since half a minute ago, but their roles were completely reversed. Now, Bokue blocked the shrine's only entrance. Now, only he had the right to deliver punishment.

No one trapped within could escape—much less resist.

"W-wait, wait, please!" Before anyone else spoke, the Fukujū family head, without a shred of dignity, dropped to his knees immediately. "I—I never intended to harm you, Acting Head Bokue! It—it was all Yaso's and Aika's idea! I was forced into helping them!"

"Fukujū, you traitorous bastard!" the Aika head roared furiously. "We attacked together, and now you think you can just back out?? You spineless rat!"

"N-no, I swear, it was—!"

Fukujū tried desperately to plead innocence, but before he could finish, the Yaso head—now armed only with his useless sword hilt—turned suddenly and kicked him to the ground, leaping atop him in fury. In an instant, the two were clawing and thrashing at each other desperately on the cold shrine floor.

On one side, two branch heads fought like street thugs. On the other side, the third continued cursing them furiously. The entire scene had descended into comedic farce—a failed ambush leading straight into a pathetic blame-game. In a typical story, this might end in repentance and redemption, a moment for them to admit their foolishness and beg forgiveness.

But Bokue had no interest in giving them even that slim opportunity.

Without another word, he stepped forward, calmly seizing the head of the Yaso family head mid-struggle.

Then—

Crunch.

With a sickening sound like wet parchment crumpling, the head beneath Bokue's fingers collapsed inwards, crushed instantly beyond recognition. The man's skull and face became a shapeless, bloody pulp—no longer even remotely human—before Bokue casually tossed the limp corpse aside like trash.

The shrine fell instantly, terribly silent—dead silent, to be precise—as a trickle of blood and brain matter seeped between Bokue's fingers, dripping slowly onto the horrified face of the Fukujū family head lying below.

Bokue exhaled softly.

"I don't know if that little performance was to buy time or to amuse me enough to spare you—but honestly, I couldn't care less."

"Right now, the only thing I want is to kill every last one of you. Maybe that will improve my mood somewhat."

With those words, he reached down again—this time toward the trembling Fukujū head on the ground.

"N-no! Stay away from me—don't touch me! Please!" The Fukujū head's voice cracked into shrill panic, his elderly dignity long forgotten.

By all rights, the Aika family head should've taken advantage of this chance to flee for his life—but instead, he unexpectedly turned toward the village elder, still standing behind the sealing stone.

"Elder! Hurry up—aren't you ready yet??" he yelled desperately.

"It—it's done!"

The elder's voice trembled, his hand seals finally completed at that crucial moment.

"Activate the sealing—NOW!!"

Bokue never saw this coming. Before he realized what was happening, an irresistible, enormous pull suddenly yanked him backward. His feet scraped the wooden floor helplessly, his body dragged uncontrollably toward the sealing stone at the rear of the shrine.

What the hell—??

His eyes shot toward the elder, quickly recognizing the hand-seal the old man had formed.

It was a forbidden sealing spell—one requiring the caster's very life as sacrifice, immensely powerful beyond reckoning.

And yet—these damned fools hadn't used such a powerful sealing technique earlier against the actual demon spirit when it attacked—but now they were using it against... HIM??

Bokue nearly cursed out loud, raw rage choking his throat, but it was too late.

The powerful gravitational pull didn't originate from the elder himself, but rather from the sealing stone behind him—the same artifact that had previously imprisoned the evil spirit.

Caught completely off guard, Bokue was drawn forcefully to the stone. Before he could react, one hand had already touched its surface.

Yet he felt no solid stone beneath his palm—instead, it sank slowly inward, as if he'd pressed his hand into thick quicksand.

They were trying to seal him inside—exactly like they'd done with the demon before him.

Like hell I'll let that happen—!!

Summoning every ounce of strength, Bokue planted one foot firmly into the ground, desperately halting his slide towards the stone. Teeth clenched, muscles strained, he fought to resist the pull.

Then he clenched his free fist tightly. An unimaginable magnetic force surged violently into his right hand, growing exponentially by the second.

[Magnetic Rotation—Fifty Thousand Units!]

[Magnetic Rotation—Seventy Thousand Units!]

[Magnetic Rotation—Ninety Thousand Units!]

Fueled by rage and bloodlust—emotions burning brighter and hotter than any rational thought—his power multiplied to absurd, incomprehensible levels.

Seeing a possible opening, the remaining Fukujū and Aika family heads cast aside their fears, lunging forward in a desperate attempt to shove Bokue fully into the sealing stone.

But a single casual swing of his fist obliterated them both instantly—bursting their heads like overripe melons, spraying blood and gore across the shrine walls.

At that precise moment, Bokue's magnetic power finally reached its peak:

[Magnetic Rotation—One Hundred Thousand Units!]

[God-Slaying Overlord Fist]

❁❁❁❁

A fist containing an unbelievable hundred thousand units of magnetic force crashed downward onto the sealing stone, obliterating it instantly. The terrifying shockwave continued, hammering mercilessly into the earth below.

A blinding column of light exploded upwards, shooting straight into the night sky like a nuclear blast, illuminating the entire rear mountain brighter than day itself.

By the time the searing brilliance faded, nothing remained—not the shrine, nor the sealing stone, nor even the rear mountain itself. All had vanished, replaced by an enormous crater gouged into the earth, as if a meteor had struck from the heavens.

Finally, silence returned.

Bokue stood alone at the bottom of the crater, breathing slowly, steadily, gradually calming the tempest within his chest.

Just then, he heard familiar voices calling his name.

"Bo... Bokue?"

...Hm?

Awakening from his trance, Bokue turned slowly toward the source.

Holding a torch aloft, Yuki stood on the crater's edge, staring wide-eyed in disbelief. Kurumi and little Yura stood just behind her, clearly shaken and confused by the sight before them.

"Oh... you came." Bokue blinked, eyes dry from staring too long without blinking.

Without hesitation, Yuki slid down the crater slope, gripping Yura protectively. She paid no heed to the mud staining her clothes, quickly approaching Bokue, looking around incredulously at the scene of destruction.

"Bokue, what—what exactly happened here?"

"...Nothing," he answered softly, voice hollow and distant. He didn't have the strength or desire to explain.

He didn't look at Yuki or Kurumi again, merely reached out with his clean, unstained left hand, gently patting little Yura's head.

"From now on, Yura, you're the Keikain Clan's Acting Head. I'm leaving now."

Without giving them a chance to respond or even ask another question, Bokue's figure blurred instantly, vanishing swiftly into the gathering darkness.

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