Not a detective

Page 226

When Ibuki Ren transformed, the power shattered the ground beneath her feet, while Asakawa Riku's shoes quickly left their mark. His skillful stance kept his center of gravity as firm as an ancient pine tree, unaffected by the impact.

Shuten-dōji was panting heavily, his blood vessels throbbing like earthworms beneath his scarlet skin. His tall body suddenly burst forth with an initial speed that seemed to break through the wind as he charged, and he crashed head-on into me.

With a low growl, a granite-like fist, accompanied by a foul stench, aimed straight for the boy's face.

"Well done!"

Asakawa Riku suddenly twisted his left heel, and his waist and hips compressed his spine like a spring, a deceleration transfer that was almost impossible for a human to do.

At the same time, the force of Bajiquan's "Iron Mountain Lean" technique was transformed into a sideways deflection at the critical moment, and Shuten-dōji's heavy fist grazed past his ear—

He clearly heard the shrill sound of the air being torn apart, and without a moment's hesitation, he turned over and struck again.

He struck the opponent's two elbow joints with his right palm, the precision of the meridians and acupoints was incredible, it was hard to believe that he had practiced on a human body of this scale.

Shuten-dōji was forced to pause his movements by the continuous attacks. Before he could react, he saw the Wing Chun spearhead strike his eyes like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

"Roar--!"

Shuten-dōji's eyes were gouged out just like last time, and his furious roar shook the ground, causing stones to fly everywhere.

However, his mutated nerve reflexes were abnormally fast. As his head tilted back, Asakawa Riku's fingertips barely grazed the sharp corner of his forehead, leaving a trail of sparks.

“…It’s still the same.”

Asakawa Riku's pupils contracted slightly. This monster's defense was still as terrifying as ever. Just like last time, it would be difficult to break through its defenses with just his hands if his weak points weren't hit.

The ground collapsed and cracked like a spider web under the giant foot's stomping. Shuten-dōji's fists pounded out like battering rams, so fast that the path of each punch was almost invisible.

Asakawa Riku's sliding steps transformed into a butterfly flitting among flowers, each dodge precisely controlled at the edge of the punch's wind, calmly dodging all attacks.

When the twelfth heavy punch missed, he keenly sensed his opponent's momentary hesitation and opening.

Ibuki Ren was, after all, a scientist by training. Even with such a powerful physique and strength, he was nothing more than a novice throwing punches haphazardly—a complete waste of his potential.

boom!

The Bajiquan "Heart-Piercing Elbow" struck precisely, causing Shuten-dōji's mountain-like body to stagger backward.

Riku Asakawa pressed his advantage relentlessly, unleashing a barrage of leg strikes like a torrential downpour, the crisp sound of his insteps slapping against the shinbones like whips lashing the monster's body.

Perhaps Shuten-dōji's physical defenses are so formidable that they cannot be easily breached.

But any skin cannot withstand the pain of being whipped; it is a pain that can easily exceed the limits of endurance.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--"

As expected, Ibuki Ren let out a terrible wail.

When more than ten whip kicks hit his Achilles tendon, the monster finally knelt on one knee, and the ring collapsed under the heavy pressure, creating a crater with a diameter of two meters.

"It's not over yet."

Asakawa Riku said coldly, his figure leaping into the air, leaving afterimages, and his spinning kick aimed straight for his throat.

But the moment they made contact, his expression changed drastically—Shuten-dōji had suddenly recovered from his injuries. The monster grinned maliciously, grabbed the boy's ankle, and slammed him to the ground.

boom!

The Autumn of Yagi: Chapter Fourteen - Reaching New Heights

The arena exploded, creating a human-shaped crater. Asakawa Riku used his hands to dissipate 30% of the force before the impact, but he still felt his internal organs churning.

"Is that all, Asakawa Riku! It's not enough!"

A foul stench swept over him as Shuten-dōji's fist was already upon him. He barely managed to dodge it by turning his head, but his earlobe was scraped raw and bleeding from the force of the punch.

...As expected, the fully-formed Shuten-dōji with both potions was not as easy to deal with as anticipated.

This monster's greatest strength isn't its power or defense, but its terrifying regeneration speed. At first glance, its eyes, which had just been gouged out, had already fully recovered.

If you can't kill it in one blow, then no matter how much attrition you wage, it will only drain your own strength.

— Rigidity cannot last, nor can gentleness be maintained.

Asakawa Riku calmly responded to Ibuki Ren's taunts, silently reciting a mantra.

When Shuten-dōji charged again, he no longer dodged, but stood still, twisting his arms and transforming into a reef in the raging waves at the moment of impact.

The techniques of Bajiquan's "Six Openings" and Taijiquan's "Leading the Enemy into Emptiness" are perfectly integrated. It couldn't be simpler; this is... using the opponent's force against them.

Click!

"Uh!"

The sickening sound of bones cracking echoed through the space, and Shuten-dōji's thick forearm bent unnaturally as he tasted the terrifying backlash of his own power for the first time.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Asakawa Riku unleashed a barrage of punches like machine gun fire, his steps relentlessly advancing, accompanied by the continuous roar of war drums echoing around him.

When the thirty-sixth punch landed, the scales on the monster's chest finally cracked, and dark purple blood splattered onto the boy's pale face.

"what……"

He actually broke through Shuten-dōji's defense with sheer force.

Two years ago, this would have been absolutely impossible. Back then, when Asakawa Riku faced Shuten-dōji, he was at a disadvantage, unable to match his strength, and was suppressed multiple times.

But this humiliation gave Asakawa Riku a profound motivation. For the past two years, he has worked tirelessly to improve himself and strived to go further, which finally paid off.

At this moment, even when facing a fully-powered Shuten-dōji with two potions, he could still suppress him in terms of strength. This was the progress he had made over the past two years!

What makes Asakawa Riku truly terrifying is his incredible rate of growth—no matter how powerful the enemy or how many setbacks he encounters, he uses them as nourishment.

The true essence of martial arts lies in striving for even greater heights.

"You guy...!"

Unexpectedly suffering such severe injuries, the berserk Shuten-dōji went berserk, frantically pounding the ground with his fists.

The arena crumbled under the terrifying force, and the flying debris became Asakawa Riku's weapons.

He used his agile footwork, constantly dodging and leaping, and every flying stone was precisely kicked into the monster's eye socket, its only weak point.

The instant Shuten-dōji instinctively closed his eyes, the boy shot into the center gate like an arrow released from a bow.

"You didn't let me have enough fun. There's already an insurmountable gap between us."

Asakawa Riku's right hand transformed into a drill, the Bajiquan "King of Hell's Three Points" piercing through the gaps in his scales and striking straight at his heart. His left hand, however, concealed a hidden finger strike, changing its attack at the last moment to stab at his cervical spine—

The attack, both at once and with no way to defend against, pierced the heart and throat, the monster's body stained with its eerie blood, and was blasted into pieces.

"...Asakawa...Riku..., you're so powerful......shall we...meet again in hell?"

"Go on your own."

As Shuten-dōji crashed to the ground, Asakawa Riku coldly replied, flipping in mid-air to dissipate the force, his cloth shoes lightly touching his increasingly cold forehead.

He shook his hand, and amidst the mess on the ground, crimson flowers bloomed.

...

Asakawa Riku rested for a breath.

I immediately felt a sense of relief.

This is not due to his own healing ability. Although his body can now repair itself, it has not yet reached the level of Shuten-dōji or "Nirvana".

Now, all his injuries and fatigue have disappeared, and he has recovered to his best condition, which seems to be the effect of the "virtual space".

Since it's hypothetical, the effects of the battle can naturally be erased, which is quite convenient.

"good."

In this way, Asakawa Riku can face his next opponent in top form, eliminating the burden of a series of battles, which would be a fairer fight.

Not only that, the damage to the ground caused by the recent destruction was completely repaired, turning it back into a smooth and flat brick surface, and even the site was restored to its original state.

He waited a few minutes, and sure enough, new enemies appeared.

A black mist suddenly rose from the ground, condensing into a shape that was neither human nor inhuman, with hands, feet, and an outline, but no face or features.

But his voice was amplified by a sacred echo, making it sound very solemn, like thunder under dark clouds gathering high in the sky.

"Asakawa Riku... You didn't expect that, did you? I've been resurrected!"

Higashino Kosuke's voice, filled with manic laughter, echoed endlessly in the space: "Gods are immortal! You've finally realized that, haven't you! Hahahaha!"

"You are just a fabricated, temporary illusion."

Asakawa Riku said without any emotion.

Surprisingly, this guy is even dumber than Ibuki Ren, despite also being the final boss.

Perhaps blind faith itself can lead to madness. Shinonome Kosuke's mental state was already abnormal. Those who are obsessed with divine status and cannot extricate themselves usually do not have a good ending.

"What did you say! Nonsense!"

Higashino Kosuke roared furiously, as if a torrent of intense energy was pouring down on him, but Asakawa Riku stood still without dodging or avoiding it.

"Looks like I'll have to take on the two big bosses first. Shuten-dōji isn't enough; I hope you can motivate me to work even harder."

Two big bosses from "Winter of the Demons" and "Winter of the Gods"—who would have thought that the first two trials of Orochi's Trial would be them?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. These two did cause Asakawa Riku quite a bit of trouble, which fits his image as a "strong person".

In particular, the "Supreme True God" is obviously larger in scale and wider in scope than "Shuten-dōji," and they are not on the same level.

Having gathered the faith power of 700,000 believers in Tokyo, blessed with good health and freedom from disaster, possessing great power and a high rank, it is a formidable opponent in itself.

If Shuten-dōji was merely a terrifying, mutated monster who happened to fit the legend of the Demon King, then the Supreme God is a true deity.

It is at least a disaster on the scale of destroying a city.

"Asakawa Riku!" Higashigumo Kosuke's face materialized in the dark clouds, roaring at him, "This time, I will crush you completely and make you die in agony!"

It's truly ironic that a deity responsible for blessing and protecting would utter such a curse.

This time, Asakawa Riku was without the god responsible for the curse, and without Chizuko's help, he was unable to transform into "Great Tengu" to fight against him.

"But it doesn't matter."

He calmly looked up, even though the boy's body was utterly insignificant in the face of the massive dark clouds, like a piece of duckweed floating in the wind.

But he looked down on God with utter contempt: "I alone can destroy you."

Orochi's Autumn: Chapter Fifteen - The Second Battle Against the God

"Disrespectful!"

The roar of the supreme God echoed in my ears.

Riku Asakawa lightly touched the edge of his toes, unafraid of the myriad illusions, and strode forward.

Black mist seeped from the void, and the prayers of thousands of believers, sometimes near, sometimes far, collided and produced a soul-summoning sound.

As the chaos coalesced into the form of a three-headed, six-armed Asura, Asakawa Riku suddenly lunged forward and threw a punch. The moment his fist pierced through the phantom, a metallic clang echoed from within the mist.

"What……"

The black mist surged and formed the compassionate image of Buddha, but the voice seemed to speak as if a million people were saying at once: "Can a mortal body truly touch the essence of faith?"

This was something that Higashino Kosuke could not have foreseen. He thought that if Asakawa Riku didn't have the "Great Tengu" form, he wouldn't be able to fight against the spirit body of the gods.

In fact, Asakawa Riku had already mastered the art of touching the soul with his body, and this imaginary fist was just right to shatter the emptiness of imagination.

The boy remained silent, his right leg cleaving through the thick fog like a battle axe, the gale-force winds generated by his leg tearing cracks in the black mist.

The laughter of the Supreme God abruptly ceased, and a hundred misty arms suddenly materialized, while countless cult-specific hand seals descended from above like mountain peaks, attacking in turn.

Asakawa Riku's body suddenly shrank, neutralizing 70% of the force, but his back was still scratched by the palm wind and bled.

...As expected of a god, unlike the pure clash of power like with Shuten-dōji. The battle with the supreme god brought him a sense of emptiness, ethereal and untouchable. The opponent would transform into various forms, which were "forms" given by believers. And such non-human opponents were difficult for a fighting master like Asakawa Riku to control.

But how could Asakawa Riku be unprepared?

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and with a burst of power, he shattered the illusion, his finger thrusting straight at a point in the mist: "Playing tricks!"

clang--!

From the depths of the misty sea came the booming of chimes, and the Supreme God revealed his human form for the first time. It was no longer the body of Shinonome Kosuke, but a giant pieced together from the bones of his followers.

The believers' aversion to pain, their fear of death, and their desire to escape calamity shaped this golden statue, and He embodies all that has been abandoned.

At first glance, every joint appears to be covered with scriptures.