Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga - Chapter 161: The Sixteenth Tower

Gem wouldn’t mind dying so much without Bets. Those silly moments between friends wouldn’t be the same anymore. He never realized how much he appreciated those lighthearted moments until now.

As Kidomaru approached, Sei created a large mirror while Anika used her strings. However, Kidomaru swiftly bypassed the mirror and tore Anika’s strings in an instant. It was evident that their special abilities wouldn’t work on him a second time. Kidomaru, with a physique resembling that of a bodybuilder gorilla, moved frighteningly fast.

His target was Gem, possibly because he didn’t know his ability or simply wanted to eliminate him.

Gem knew he was in trouble, a checkmate, as Bets would say. He didn’t want his last thought to be something nerdy. What if the afterlife existed? He wanted to tease Bets for being a nerd, but if he started thinking like him…

Suddenly, a wall of shadows burst from the ground, halting the attack. The sound of impact reverberated through the battlefield. Sei and Anika emerged from a mirror, standing by Gem’s side.

Anika frowned and questioned, “Since when could you do something like this?”

“That’s the thing, I can’t,” Gem confessed.

Agon, who had fallen unconscious, lay behind them, cradling the two-tailed cat in his arms. They noticed the injuries on the back of his head, evidence of the numerous blows he endured during his escape. Gem was impressed that Agon had managed to make it here, let alone survive.

“Just as I return, another troublesome demon appears,” a cold, emotionless voice echoed from the trees. Each word felt like thorny rose petals brushing against their necks.

A man emerged from the shadows. With black hair, dark eyes, and tired features, he exuded a creepy presence, like a snake coiled around one’s neck, fixated on its prey.

“Father?” Gem exclaimed, surprised by his father’s unexpected presence.

Ignoring the greeting, the head of the Kuro Clan began to explain, “Kidomaru Doji’s special ability involves distorting space to make his attacks unblockable by cracking the space in front of him. However, he doesn’t use it often, as it requires significant energy.”

Kidomaru furrowed his brow, but Gem’s father continued, “He also possesses short-range teleportation, although the destination is random. With this ability, he can bypass barriers and seals. That’s all I’ve observed so far.”

“It’s you again,” Kidomaru’s frown deepened.

The next part began abruptly, without warning or any kind of signal. Kidomaru and Gem’s father vanished in a blur of speed, clashing a dozen times, until the Kuro Clan Head slammed onto a tree, blood staining his shoulder.

However, he quickly rose to his feet. “As expected of Shuten Doji’s son. You’re a monster.”

It was strange to hear those words spoken with indifference. Despite his injuries and the possibility of death in this battle, the Kuro Clan Head’s tone made it seem as if he were discussing the weather.

Gem reflected on their past battles, where defeating an Ultimate Class Demon seemed impossible without cooperation. Humans couldn’t face such demons alone.

But just as Kidomaru prepared to attack, his own shadow turned against him. A dark sword emerged from the shadow and severed his arm, causing him to drop his spiked bat.

“I didn’t expect that attack to succeed. I thought we were just toying with each other,” the Kuro Clan Head remarked, leaving Gem uncertain whether his father was mocking his foe or simply stating a fact.

Clapping his hands, the Kuro Clan Head formed a mysterious hand seal. An eerie atmosphere descended, and the sun darkened as an eclipse began.

Shadows beneath the Kuro Clan Head grew darker, spreading like waves to cover the entire area as far as Gem could see.

{Chimera Tower of Darkness}

A massive structure emerged, as tall and wide as a skyscraper, adorned with metal-barred windows and seemingly imprisoned shadows trying to escape past the stretchy shadow walls.

Gem couldn’t fathom what he was witnessing. The tower of shadows resembled a nightmarish creation he had never encountered before, and the Ord it unleashed dwarfed even the Ultimate Class Demon in size.

Was this the true power of the Kuro Clan?

Suddenly, shadowy nails protruded from Kidomaru’s body, attacking from every shadow on his body, like what his arms and clothes created. Despite his healing abilities and defensive power as an Ultimate Class Demon, this onslaught overwhelmed him, causing Kidomaru to drop to one knee. The flesh on his severed arm squirmed as it tried to regenerate.

Gem pondered how his father obtained such power. It must have required sacrifices that would have killed an ordinary man many times over, yet even that might not have been enough.

Kidomaru himself appeared shocked, locking eyes with the Kuro Clan Head. “How? I thought humans—”

“Our clan has existed since the establishment of the barrier,” Gem’s father interrupted the demon.

Gem’s curiosity piqued. What barrier were they referring to?

Shadow blades encircled Kidomaru, relentlessly slicing through his form. The Kuro Clan Head remained impassive throughout. “For twenty generations, our clan has prepared for such encounters. Our adversaries were the true ultimate class demons, those even the exorcists of that era couldn’t vanquish. You, on the other hand, are a mere imitation.”

Before being dismembered, Kidomaru vanished into thin air as the space around him cracked, twisted, and warped.

“An infuriating ability,” remarked the Kuro Clan leader, his emotions as inscrutable as always.

“Father—”

“We must press on,” the Kuro Clan leader gazed eastward, toward the human camp. “The upcoming battle will be decisive, as Shuten Doji himself will join. We must warn the others and get the Sage here in time. Otherwise, we’re all going to die.”

***

The earth rumbled, heralding the imminent arrival of another battle. However, this encounter was unlike any other, instilling a sense of foreboding deep within me. Even before the enemy was visible, everyone could sense the ominous cluster of Ord looming in the distance.

Danger lurked, and a part of me wanted to flee, knowing that Agon was absent. Yet, I remained steadfast. The monstrous Ord in the distance evoked a familiar sensation, reminiscent of my proximity to Shuten Doji’s castle.

That fucker was going to participate in the war!

Once an exorcist, Shuten Doji had forsaken his humanity, never truly considering himself human. He was only chasing after power, and whether he was a human or had to become a demon, it didn’t matter much to him.

He was a peculiar and disturbed individual, as he was the only human who turned himself into a demon without any outside interference; he even went as far as torturing himself.

Moreover, it was uncharacteristic of Shuten Doji to expose himself in this manner. Kidomaru must have informed his father about Temperance’s abilities, and Shuten Doji, having survived for so long, knew the art of strategic warfare. As a human turned demon, he possessed an understanding of human battles.

So, it was reasonable to assume he had devised a backup plan, one that he hadn’t used in the original story.

“Remember, our objective is to separate the ultimate class demons and neutralize the commanders,” the Headmaster cautioned us.

Among the special exorcists were the Star, Moon, Chariot, Hermit, and technically Temperance as well. After extensive planning and consideration of various contingencies, we could only hope that everything remained intact until reinforcements arrived.

The special exorcists were not always as carefree as some among their ranks. The likes of the Saint were occupied with sealing dangerous sites, leaving the rest of the world vulnerable to demon attacks. However, we had no other choice.

It was a shame the Kuro Clan head wasn’t here, he would have been a huge help.

In the distance, a deep rumble echoed through the earth, its vibrations sending shivers down our spines. Two formidable demons emerged from beyond the mountains, leading the army with an unmistakable malevolence. And behind them, an endless horde of wicked creatures spilled forth, stretching into the vast expanse. At the rear, Uwabami, a colossal serpent with shimmering obsidian scales, towered over them all.

Yet, even inexperienced exorcists could discern that she was weaker in comparison to the other two figures, and was dwarfed by their unfathomable power.

Shuten Doji, an oni with skin as red as smoldering coals, possessed dark eyes that gleamed with sinister intelligence. His mouth revealed a set of razor-sharp teeth that seemed to thirst for blood. A spiked bat rested nonchalantly on his broad shoulder. While bearing a resemblance to his own son, Kidomaru, Shuten Doji surpassed him in every aspect, towering in both stature and the sheer weight of his foreboding aura.

The other demon was Otakemaru, of a similar size to Shuten Doji. The former appeared in a human guise, with telltale signs of his otherworldly nature. He bore a massive flaming katana upon his shoulder. His features held a duality that defied conventional norms; tiger-like teeth and vibrant yellow eyes betrayed his supernatural lineage. Two crimson horns adorned his head, their fiery veins pulsating as though they were forged from living flames.

They looked fucking scary…

I allowed myself to experience fear one last time before Shuten Doji roared at the sky, causing the clouds to clear. Sunlight shone on the battlefield, and the day was no longer cloudy.