Not a detective

Page 227

Riku Asakawa couldn't make out what was happening; he only felt a sudden gush of blood from his nose.

It's... a mental attack.

In that instant, the inscriptions were etched into his pupils, spinning rapidly like a roulette wheel.

In that instant, many things came to mind—

The past, things from before, in the summer alley, that girl, walking with companions, unexpected events, disasters, death...

He stepped forward, was beaten, fought, was on the verge of death, went to the hospital, received emergency treatment, was put on a ventilator and disinfectant, and received a critical condition notice...

Asakawa Riku was not attacked, but stood there blankly, blood slowly trickling from the corner of his mouth.

This was his body attacking itself; his internal organs, muscles, and bones were repelling each other. He believed he had entered a critical condition and was almost dying.

Since achieving the "ultimate state" of complete control over my body, this is the first time I've felt completely out of control, yet I can't shake the memory of that time from my mind.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

And in my ears came the gentle persuasion of the gods:

"That's a shame, isn't it?"

"I don't want that kind of accident to happen. If only that hadn't happened, your life could have continued normally, and you could have been a regular high school student, right?"

"I don't want to lie in a hospital bed, in the ICU, with countless tubes and testing machines all over my body, barely surviving on life support, right? It hurts so much, doesn't it?"

"All you need is faith."

"Believe in me, entrust everything to me, and all these things will cease to exist. You will live happily and peacefully forever—"

Asakawa Riku gritted his teeth.

As blood gushed out, he used the intense pain to tear a corner of his memory, instantly seizing his mind and restoring his body and mind to a state of "clarity".

This is a defense of the spirit; one must not be greedy, and one must not turn back.

"Noisy!"

Asakawa Riku flew into a rage, spun around and kicked the three illusory figures behind him who were trying to persuade him to surrender. He crouched down and raised his hand, unleashing the Bajiquan "Standing Heaven Cannon" towards the skeletal giant's dantian.

The shield formed by the power of faith rippled as soon as they met. Asakawa Riku's fist had no effect; instead, black mist wrapped around his arms.

"Hmph...you don't know my good intentions!"

The authority of the supreme God lies in restoration, blessing, and immunity, and his defensive capabilities are extraordinary, no less than those of Shuten-dōji.

But Asakawa Riku did not give up. He suddenly changed his move to Hung Kuen Tiger Crane Double Form, transforming the fierce fist wind into a combination of hardness and softness. Its power even shook the black mist into flying fluff.

"How can it be……!"

The black mist and skeletons began to spin rapidly. The Supreme God could never have imagined that Asakawa Riku, who was no longer in the form of the Great Tengu, could reach this level with only a mortal body.

However, before he could fully recover, the martial arts master's ultimate techniques poured down like a torrential rain.

As the long needle of black mist pierced through Asakawa Riku's left shoulder, he showed no fear and used the momentum to unleash the ground-sweeping fist "Black Dragon Twisting Pillar," shattering the divine body link.

When the supreme god's hand came crashing down, he flipped himself up, countered with a neck-clamping knee strike, and then smashed two floating skeletons with his elbow.

"Why don't you kneel!"

The voice of the Supreme God began to distort, and countless chains of believers suddenly appeared from all directions, binding Asakawa Riku's hands and feet. "You bastard! You don't care about yourself, but you also destroy the happiness of so many people! Do you know how much suffering will arise after I am gone, how many innocent people will weep day and night! I only gave them a place of peace!"

Asakawa Riku staggered to his knees, his hands and feet bound by countless chains, as if he were the sealed god.

With each step forward, several more cuts and lacerations appeared on his back.

"You... vile killer, evil executioner, what right do you have to judge a blessed god!"

When the dense chains almost completely obscured him, Asakawa Riku suddenly grabbed one of the chains, his eyes blazing with a frenzied fighting spirit:

“You’re right…” His muscles were taut like a bowstring.

“I really can’t bring happiness to people…” All the chains shattered inch by inch in my palm.

"But all I need to do is bring pain to the wicked."

In that instant, the skeletal giant's chest cavity suddenly burst open with a huge hole, and the boy's hand, as sharp as a knife, pierced through its back, his fingers clutching the god's "core," something like a heart.

The black mist let out a mournful wail, like a falling meteor.

Asakawa Riku's pupils reflected the rain of bones falling from the sky.

"Impossible!" the Supreme God cried out in a panic, trying to reassemble himself in a corner. "Faith will never perish, the Supreme God will live forever!"

The boy spat out blood and foam from his mouth with disdain, and suddenly assumed the most basic horse stance and punching posture.

In the instant the black mist transformed into a giant wave crashing down, he recalled that past: the moment he parted from her, all that remained were beautiful memories and a reluctant glance.

Nothing lasts forever.

The punch thrown at this moment had no technique whatsoever; it was simply a single, unfiltered blow.

boom--

Wherever the fist passed, visible distortions and ripples appeared in the space, as if this imaginary world was about to collapse.

It was as if they were saying goodbye in silence.

The Supreme God is completely dead; the skeletal rings have disintegrated, and the black mist melts away like snow under the blazing sun.

A halo of dawn-like light rose high in the sky, shining on the mountain of bones and ashes piled up at his feet.

Orochi's Autumn: Chapter Sixteen - Powerful in Its Own Way

Asakawa Riku held his breath and cleared his mind of all distractions.

Higashino Kosuke's downfall was due to his arrogance and self-righteousness.

That guy believed that he had become a god, immortal, and that no one in the world could defeat him.

However, for Riku Asakawa, who had truly witnessed "higher-level power," the gods of this world were merely a temporarily pieced-together entity of faith.

"Divinity is a state of being."

Chizuko-senpai was clearly much calmer and more objective about this. She did not rely on believers or amplify her divine power, which is why she was able to better control that power.

Otherwise, being devoured and swallowed up is only a matter of time.

Kosuke Shinonome mistakenly believed that the defeat in Tokyo was due to the "god" being killed by the "god" and the "supreme true god" being defeated by the "Great Tengu" protected by the wind god.

That's why he looked down on Asakawa Riku himself, believing that if he were alone, his mortal body would be nothing more than an ant.

But perhaps he didn't consider a question, a question that sounds absurd—

So, is [Ootengu] really stronger than Asakawa Riku himself?

This question seems to be answerable without even thinking about it, after all, the powerful Dharma form of [Great Tengu] at that time, with its countless exquisite spells and extraordinary abilities, possessed god-level power.

But what if we really delve into this issue?

In fact, not only [Ootengu], but also [Yukidouji], [Makara], and even [Nirvana], are all just making up for Asakawa Riku's various shortcomings and deficiencies. For example, Yukidouji gave him the ability to freeze, destroy internally, and make large-scale snowfall, while Mokara has the effects of transformation, becoming a super-sized whale, and becoming an ocean incarnation.

As for Nirvana, it is simply a pure immortal body, a complete recovery, a perfect golden body. Great Tengu is a celestial magic, with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning transforming into weapons and restrictions.

Simply put, it's about "functional" supplementation. Asakawa Riku is indeed very strong in various divine descent states, but he has never had the opportunity to fight against his true self.

In fact, Asakawa Riku himself knew this.

He believed that while those transformations were powerful, his current body, fists and legs, strength and speed were still the most suitable for him compared to his own.

This weapon, honed over more than a decade, has become an instinct. Now, after traversing countless mountains and rivers, Asakawa Riku has returned to a state of simplicity and authenticity.

He no longer needs to deliberately train; spiritual practice has become an integral part of his daily life.

In other words, this original body may be his strongest form, without exception.

Especially now that he is engaged in fierce battles with powerful opponents, he feels that he has made progress, and the long-lost bottleneck has loosened again, which excites him.

Asakawa Riku even felt that if he could continue, he might even be able to clear all eight levels of the [Orochi Trial].

He might even break through the "upper level" he has been stuck in for so long and touch the threshold of "ghosts and gods".

He was not disappointed; the next opponent was fast approaching.

...

"Mr. Lu, it's been a long time."

The other party greeted them first.

He was a rather handsome middle-aged man. Although he had stubble and messy hair that made him look a bit unkempt, this kind of decadence did not diminish his charm at all.

It's clear he must have been quite handsome in his youth, but facial imperfections detract from that, as half his face is covered by an eye patch.

His left eye is blind.

"I never thought I'd be someone's challenger. It's quite a novel experience."

He is Akihisa Kazamatsuri, the father of Chizuko-senpai, and the former head priest of the shrine.

Wearing white robes and crimson hakama, which differed from the previous yukata, the color scheme was similar to that of a shrine maiden's outfit, but it was a men's style. The long sleeves flowed, giving off an imposing and dignified air, reminiscent of an Onmyoji.

Judging from his unsurprised and slow approach, he seemed uninterested in this space, after all, as a "demon-slaying expert," he had once undergone this trial himself.

Asakawa Riku was curious about what he said:

"What... from your perspective, were you suddenly pulled into this space to fight?"

After all, this was the third level where they encountered a "living person".

“No, that’s not it.” Feng Ji Zhaojiu shook his head with a smile: “They should have explained it to you, right? The opponents that appear in the virtual space are all illusions. I myself am definitely unaware of what’s happening in this space. I’m just like a newly born ‘splitter’ that has inherited my own memories and all my abilities.”

It wasn't the real person, but it could still reproduce the personality and power, which is why it had the plan to use this opportunity to get close to Asukai Shi.

"I see……"

Although Asakawa Riku said he understood, he was still a little puzzled. He knew the principle, but he didn't know how it was done.

If the enemy was created based on Asakawa Riku's memories, how could he possibly know the memories and abilities of "Kazamatsuri Akihisa" himself?

Or perhaps Kazamatsuri Akihisa entered this space, so his memories from that time were copied by this space?

The underlying principles are still unknown... There are still doubts about whether this space can recreate "Asuka-i Poem".

But that doesn't matter; the important thing is to deal with the enemy at hand first.

"Kaze no Matsuri... uh, Uncle."

He suddenly paused, realizing he had intended to make a bold statement, but instead felt somewhat embarrassed.

Asakawa Riku usually calls him "Kazamatsuri-nii" (older brother Kazamatsuri). Although there is a significant age difference between them, he has never been arrogant or aloof. He is kind and approachable, and sometimes even a bit mischievous. So their relationship is like that of close friends despite the age gap. But now that his relationship with Chizuko and Yukie has been added to the mix... it seems inappropriate to address him that way anymore.

"Haha... Call me whatever you want, just don't suddenly call me Dad. If you're at a disadvantage right before the battle starts, I won't hold back, okay?"

Kazamatsuri Akihisa was amused and teased:

"Lu Jun, the fact that you can participate in this trial at such a young age shows how much the Supervision Department values ​​you. I admire and even respect you for your abilities and character. But as your father, I can't help but feel a little resentful that you took both of my daughters away at once... Let me vent today?"

"...Don't worry, I won't let go of either side. I will prove myself and have the ability to protect them and make them both happy."

Asakawa Rikuya smiled, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed, but the fighting spirit between the two rose higher and higher, ready to erupt at any moment.

He assumed a fighting stance, his legs slightly lowered, one hand blocking, his eyes sharp.

Although this encounter was more like a friendly sparring match, he would go all out in any battle.

"Anyway, you won't know, right? That way, if I beat up my father-in-law... you won't miss our wedding."

The Autumn of Orochi: Chapter Seventeen - The Demon Lord

Kazematsu Akio stood ten feet away, his hands behind his back, dodging Asakawa Riku's fierce attack.

With his legs planted firmly in place, he moved only his upper body, managing to keep up with Asakawa Riku's speed and dodge every attack.

It seems that this Onmyoji's strength lies not only in magic, but also in physical skills.

It seems that Chizuko-senpai's combat methods, which combine physical skills with magic, were not learned out of thin air.

...Of course, this level is far from enough.

"If you don't get serious," Asakawa Riku had only been testing the waters at first, but he suddenly increased the speed of his attack: "you'll be instantly killed."

The sudden change in speed made it difficult for Kazamatsuri Akihisa to cope. He was grabbed by the collar and was about to be thrown to the ground.