Chapter 27 Battle

Seeing the incredulous look in Kawakami Akio's eyes, Iwakatsu didn't say much. He simply jumped lightly off the other's Nichirin Blade, as if everything that had just happened was just a trivial interlude.

That was close; they almost fired even the only remaining five-star hotel manager. Yan Sheng still can't quite believe the scumbag boss's hiring speed.

"Lord Kokushibo".

Upper Moon Six was caught off guard and panicked. Most demons are expendable; if they can't be defeated, they're useless, and the next demon will take their place.

"roll."

Yan Sheng glanced at Upper Moon Six, only to see the man standing there, his clothes tattered and his body covered in wounds, looking utterly helpless and pitiful. Yan Sheng felt a pang of helplessness; he genuinely didn't want Upper Moon Six to die, as the man still had some use to him. He could only tell the man to leave first.

"Yes...yes!"

Upon hearing Yan Sheng's words, Upper Moon Six, disregarding whether his clothes could even cover him, grabbed his tattered umbrella and vanished at lightning speed. Having barely escaped with his life, he had to run as fast as he could.

"Yan Sheng, what are you doing here?"

Kawakami Akimi stared in disbelief at the person before him; he was practically unchanged, yet why was he protecting a demon? Thinking this, he unconsciously clenched his teeth, gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands.

Yan Sheng turned to look at the other person, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and his pupils changed from dark red to gold, with the words "Upper Moon One" appearing on them.

He called my name? Hmm, it seems he's quite familiar with Iwakatsu. Iwakatsu raised his hand to cover his mouth and thought for a moment. Okay, he's quite familiar with me now. Although I have the memory, I'm still not quite sure what to say in this situation.

Iwakatsu did not reply. His golden eyes were fixed on Kawakami Akio, his face expressionless. This stare put immense pressure on Akio.

"Yan Sheng, your eyes..."

Looking into Iwakatsu's eyes, Kawakami Akio felt an indescribable sadness and shock well up inside him. He had long suspected that Iwakatsu might have become a demon, but seeing it in person was still hard to accept. His former friend had become like this.

Iwakatsu looked at Kawakami Akio, his expression seemingly calm and his gaze cold and distant, but inwardly he was sweating profusely. A heavy and oppressive atmosphere filled the air as the two stared at each other silently, as if time had frozen in that moment.

Ah, what am I supposed to say? This is the first time I've met you.

"Who are you?"

After much deliberation, Yan Sheng decided that to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, it was best to pretend he didn't know him. Anyway, unlike the original story, I was injured and turned into a ghost; the other party probably still didn't know about my cooperative relationship with Boss Zhai.

"You...? Don't you remember me?"

Kawakami Akio's eyes widened in shock and confusion. Looking at Iwakatsu's expression that said, "Don't get involved if you're not familiar with me," he felt an unprecedented sense of betrayal.

There's a scenario where you and your friend agree to participate in a competition together, but your friend disappears halfway through, joins the enemy team, and doesn't even recognize you.

"How could you forget me! Back then, you were drunk and almost rushed up to Yoriichi Tsugikuni to give a speech praising him with your thousands of words, and I was the one who stopped you!!!" Kawakami Akio shouted excitedly, his voice trembling slightly.

"???" Yan Sheng looked completely bewildered. What was this about Yoriichi Tsugikuni? What was this about a speech praising him that was several thousand words long?

Ahhhhhhh what are you saying?! Ahh ...

Iwakatsu carefully considered what the other person said, and almost couldn't help but rush up and cover their mouth. What the hell? Did Tsugikuni Iwakatsu really do this??

A cool breeze swept by, adding insult to injury to their already chilled hearts. Yan Sheng didn't really want to kill the other person; he had no intention of killing a good person, after all, there was a difference between taking action himself and watching others do it.

Kawakami Akio is currently in a dilemma. He doesn't want to take action against Iwakatsu, who seems to have forgotten everything. Could it be that his lord is also being controlled?

"No matter who it is, who dares to disturb Lord Muzan, then let's draw our swords."

Yan Sheng didn't want the other party to say anything more nonsense, so he thought he should just hold back, strike a few blows, and leave.

"hateful."

Kawakami Akio gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly again, watching as Iwakatsu drew his Hollow Cry. The purple blade was covered in golden eyes, and his pale hand clenched it tightly. Iwakatsu also fully revealed his six eyes, staring intently at him.

"Water Breathing - Form of the Rising Tide".

Kawakami Akio took a deep breath and exhaled a thin mist. He leaned forward and swung his Nichirin Blade with force, creating ripples of water as the blade passed through.

The wave slashed towards Yan Sheng's waist, but he easily retreated with a swift movement. He swung his Void Crying God, effortlessly cleaving the wave in two, as if it were insignificant to him. Seeing Kawakami Akio approaching, Yan Sheng frowned and parried.

"Breath of the Moon - First Form - Dark Moon Palace".

The purple blade traced a long, curved arc, and along with it, numerous crescent-shaped, dark blue lights scattered, like the brightest stars in the night sky. These crescents, carrying immense crushing pressure, hurtled straight towards Kawakami Akio's face.

However, Yan Sheng held back his strength as he made his move. He dared not gamble with a person's ability to recover, especially with current medical techniques.

The crescent moon, like a sharp blade, sliced ​​through Kawakami Akio's skin. Although he dodged most of the attacks with his agility, he was still cut with a deep gash. Blood gushed from the wound, irritating the already corroded wound from the battle, causing unbearable pain.

Kawakami Akio used his Nichirin Blade to brace himself against the ground, supporting his swaying body. He knew that Iwakatsu's breathing technique was powerful, but he was shocked that Iwakatsu's strength had doubled in less than two months.

Is it because they turned into ghosts?

Kawakami Akio secretly pondered, suppressing the rising chill in his eyes as he looked into the other man's three pairs of eyes. But the thought of Iwakatsu's cold, "Who are you?" expression filled him with both anxiety and anger, his fury steadily escalating.

"It's definitely Yoriichi Tsugikuni's fault!" Kawakami Akio thought through gritted teeth. Although he knew this wasn't entirely true, driven by anger and disappointment, he couldn't help but blame Yoriichi Tsugikuni. (Iwakatsu: ?)

"Qiusheng—".

"Breathing of Thunder, First Form: Thunderclap Flash".

A golden current shot straight towards him. Yan Sheng glanced at it and raised his hand to block it. His orange-yellow haori fluttered in the wind, and his brown hair was tied in a low ponytail. He looked up at Yan Sheng with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you alright, Qiusheng?"

Just then, a green breeze caught the swaying Akio Kawakami. Kitano Sanada arrived just in time, his short black hair gleaming with a faint green light. He tore his cuffs into strips and used them to simply and effectively tie up the edges of Akio Kawakami's wound.

"I'm fine, Kitano." Kawakami Akio took a deep breath, enduring the pain from his wound. He looked at Sanada Kitano, his eyes filled with determination. "Go help Umi. Iwakatsu is much stronger than before. Be careful; you two couldn't beat him before."

"Damn it, that traitor!"

Sanada Kitano watched as Kawakami Akio regained his footing, then turned and rushed towards Iwakatsu.

"Breathing of Thunder, Form 3: Gathering Mosquitoes into Thunder".

Tianfang Yuhai let out a low shout, and golden lightning instantly lashed out in arcs from him, like a barrage of arrows, its momentum astonishing. Yan Sheng frowned, leaped backward, and twisted in mid-air, skillfully dodging the dense lightning attack. However, the lightning still tore through his purple kimono, leaving charred marks.

Just then, a green figure flashed through the gap in the lightning, like a ghost, and swiftly swung his sword at Iwakatsu. It was Sanada Kitano.

"Wind Breathing - Third Form - Sunny Breeze Tree".

A green blade flashed out, the wind carrying the sharp edge swirling around Yan Sheng, as if trying to trap him within. Seeing this, Tian Fang Yu Hai swiftly circled behind Yan Sheng, blocking his escape route. He knew Yan Sheng was powerful and couldn't afford to give him any chance to breathe.

"Water Breathing - First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

Kawakami Akio seized the opportunity to launch an attack, his Nichirin Blade slashing lightly and swiftly towards Iwakatsu, like ripples on the water's surface.

Seeing the simultaneous attacks from three sides, Yan Sheng turned in mid-air, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. He really didn't know what move to use that would neither injure them nor make it seem too obvious that he was holding back.

"Breathing of the Moon, Second Form: Pearl Moon Dance".

With a single swing, Yan Sheng's wide-area attack completely neutralized the opponent's moves. The remaining crescent moons, like sharp blades, sliced ​​through the bodies of the three, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds.

Yan Sheng lightly touched the ground with his wooden clogs, landing steadily. He looked intently at the three people who had been knocked to the ground but were still struggling to stay upright, and slowly withdrew the Xu Ku Shen Qu from his waist.

He wasn't sure if he had gone too far, but in this fierce fight, he had tried his best to avoid all vital areas. Seeing that the three men were injured but hadn't lost any limbs, he figured they should be alright.

With a clear view, Yan Sheng could clearly see that the three men's internal organs had not suffered any major damage. This eased his worries somewhat, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Kuroshibo, why are those three bugs so slow?"