Miss Hebe is Slaughtering Her Way Out of the Lostbelt!

"Scarred Father's wait has finally paid off, and the art called swordsmanship has taken root and sprouted. Along the cracks of this seed, unprecedented division will appear under Cruel Wolf's command, and Scarred Father will not let this opportunity pass."

[Power Struggle Status: "Scarred Father" holds the advantage!]

After Hebe informed the Tengu about the Swordmaster system, Scarred Father suppressed Cruel Wolf for the first time in the Power Struggle!

In the night sky, the light of Mars dimmed, while Jupiter, which had always been somewhat dim, shone brightly.

The former was a symbol of Cruel Wolf, while the latter was regarded as an avatar of Scarred Father.

Hebe came back to her senses, and the Tengu was looking at her excitedly, "Lord Tamamo-no-Mae, please accept my bow!"

Kishibō Hōgen knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to the Golden-Furred, Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox.

"If it weren't for Lord Tamamo, I don't know how many more years I would have spent fumbling in the dark! But now I've summarized a 'Sword Style'... Heh, perhaps this is the oldest sword style in the Eastern Lands! I summarized it after traveling in the Western Lands and receiving enlightenment from Lord Tamamo!"

Hebe heard the Tengu's excited voice echoing through the mountains and forests.

"This Sword Style should be called Heavenly Fox's Teachings: Kurama Eight Styles... For all eternity, my disciples will also take you as their master!"

68 Mount Ōe Sightings

Hebe left Bungo Province with a blank expression, seeing off Kishibō Hōgen.

The Tengu seemed to have their own way of communicating, and although the Tengu of this era had not yet invented the profession of reporters, they had already developed the habit of "going wherever there's excitement."

And they really flew fast.

Originally, the anecdotes about Hebe were only circulating in Hyuga and Bungo, but with the spread by these chattering Tengu, they instantly became popular throughout the Eastern Lands.

Traveling with Dragons, subduing Bake-danuki, dueling Great Tengu, founding a school... each event was a legend.

Both yokai and humans talked about it with great interest.

That Minamoto noble from Hyuga Province even wrote more than ten Chinese poems and Japanese waka with a stroke of his brush.

It is said that in Heian-kyō, court nobles have recently begun inquiring about "the Fox Spirit from Zhendan, who possesses both wisdom and beauty"...

And Hebe still seemed very unhappy.

The reason was that their group was currently within the territory of Mount Ōe—their excessive fame had already alerted the Oni Host, who were attempting to find the legendary "Fox Spirit."

As for why they were making such a great effort, the Oni Host had various theories: some said Ibaraki-dōji wanted to prevent future trouble and eliminate unstable elements that could overthrow the political power of Mount Ōe in advance; others said Shuten-dōji had heard that the Fox Spirit possessed astonishing wisdom and wanted to meet her.

Regardless of the reason, Hebe and her companions had to proceed stealthily and leave no trace as they walked through the territory of Mount Ōe.

And this was very difficult, as Mount Ōe was territory governed by the Oni, and it was also the front line of the Power Struggle between the two rulers.

Hebe had witnessed the terrifying sight of the Nine Calamities spreading in the hot land of Egypt, but that was merely the aftermath of the rulers' confrontation in the Wasteland, which was later re-utilized by Red King after its manifestation in the present world.

The Power Struggle was when the two rulers personally entered the fray, forming confrontations from all angles and in all matters. In Mount Ōe, this situation was particularly evident: every inch of water, every leaf, every rock presented extremely sharp edges; here, fire and smoke tore at each other's forms, trees and gales nearly overwhelmed each other, rivers and land fought for space, the Oni Host fought amongst themselves incessantly, and even their thoughts were in conflict.

As soon as one thought was born, the next negated it, and it itself was violently torn into nothingness by its successor.

Like interlocking gears, like chess pieces locked in a death struggle, this was the Power Struggle. It would never reach a definitive victory, but it would show superiority and inferiority within an era.

Here, the power of the two rulers is unprecedentedly strong. The compass needle points to the edge of the sun, and time is blown away by the wind. The conflict between beasts and humans ends at the top of the food chain, and between the turns of 'leap' and 'regular', the imperial father's army and the gray beast horde engage in a deadly battle.

—"Enumerating and pushing, returning the remainder to the end, the rise of emperors must have a leap position."

"Leap position" is an unorthodox position of honor. It is relatively weak but can become the regular position at certain times. In other words, the process of the Power Struggle is the transition from leap to regular, and from regular to leap.

[Mount Ōe is the place where the two rulers battle each other. Here, the conflict has reached a stalemate, to the point where they are even unable to move the pieces and can only wait for them to determine the outcome. But you are not like this.]

Hebe withdrew her gaze, and the distorted patterns on the water's surface disappeared, returning to meaningless waves.

Previously, Scarred Father had been suppressed by Cruel Wolf, only turning the situation around recently.

And it was foreseeable that Cruel Wolf would not give up easily. While they were both delivering heavy blows to each other, they would certainly be doing their utmost to search for Hebe's whereabouts.

This was partly to guard against Cruel Wolf's attention, but more importantly, it was very difficult to restrain one's emotions while traveling from the outskirts of Mount Ōe.

On the outskirts of Mount Ōe, the land was barren, and the rivers were filled with the stench of blood. The Oni Host indulged their desires here, their food being all creatures that strayed into this place, and even themselves.

Naturally, humans were the most favored food of the Oni Host, because for them, killing and devouring a human could alleviate their inner frenzied desire for destruction.

Cruel Wolf craved the destruction of all order under Scarred Father's command, and the Oni Host naturally craved to kill all humans who belonged to "civilization."

If one only looked at the outskirts of Mount Ōe, it was like the demonic realms described in all novels.

But when the perspective shifted to the actual territory governed by Mount Ōe, everything became somewhat different.

There were towns, streets, and all the "order" necessary for normal life. The inhabitants here communicated, traded with each other, and seemed to have no problems.

Even more surprisingly, there were not only Oni here, but also ordinary humans, who even walked side by side on the same road, talking and laughing with each other.

Was this possible? Even among the broader category of "beasts," Oni were the most extreme. The gap between them and yokai was no less than the gap between yokai and humans.

If humans and yokai could still leave behind bloodlines, then there was absolutely no room for compromise between humans and Oni.

This was because the destructive desires of humans and Oni were irreconcilable; before they could unite, they would destroy each other.

Then, what were these people under the governance of Mount Ōe living for? The answer was simple.

—Oni eat humans, and they also eat yokai.

"Then, why can't humans eat yokai, eat Oni, or eat humans?" the drunken Demon King tilted the blood wine in his cup. "After all, aren't the court nobles always feeding on you people?"

"Drink, eat—so that your hunger and thirst may be satisfied, so that you may escape the pitiful and painful floating world... Heh heh, whether human or demon, all are bound to the cycle of the floating world."

This was Mount Ōe, a true demonic realm.

It occupied the southeastern corner of the entire main island of the Eastern Lands, bordering Heian-kyō to the north and Bungo Province to the south.

The most ironic thing was that the number of oni was actually limited, and Ibaraki-dōji had even driven away most of the yokai when the nation was founded.

What truly prospered under Mount Ōe's rule were the commoners abandoned by the nobles of Heian.

They were more like oni than actual oni.

Hebe gazed at the people toasting and feasting, singing and dancing around the bonfire.

She turned around.

One by one, the people drinking blood and eating meat collapsed into the fire, falling silent in an instant.

Perhaps these people had suffered, perhaps they were coerced, perhaps they yearned for freedom, or perhaps they simply wanted a full meal, regardless of what they ate... In any case, they joined Mount Ōe and became oni even more formidable than the oni themselves.

Or perhaps they had grievances they had not yet voiced.

But that truly had nothing to do with Hebe; she only walked the path of truth—if she saw something on her way, she would kill it as she passed.

On the outskirts of Mount Ōe, she extended a helping hand to everyone she saw; within Mount Ōe's domain, she brought destruction to everyone she encountered.

And in this process, Hebe's meeting with the Demon King of Mount Ōe arrived sooner than expected.

69 Why Blame Me

Hebe walked out of the burning village.

The collapsed buildings buried all the sins that had occurred within them.

She stood on the land that faintly exuded the scent of blood and beckoned to Miss A-Long.

Miss A-Long wrinkled her nose.

The environment of Mount Ōe affected Miss A-Long the most, as she was originally a great serpent who had transformed into a Dragon, a top-tier existence even among "beasts."

In such an environment, it was already a remarkable achievement for Miss A-Long to merely feel a little emotional.

"Please, Miss A-Long, take Tanutarō and little Sagura and continue eastward—as far as possible." Hebe extended her hand, stopping Miss A-Long's inquiry. "If Miss A-Long could help me here, it would be true, but what about Tanutarō and Sagura?"

Hebe kept her hands in her sleeves, her tone seemingly calm.

"Then, then A-Long will leave first." Miss A-Long carried Sagura in one hand and the tearful Tanutarō in the other. "You must reunite with us."

Hebe nodded slightly, watching Miss A-Long disappear into the fierce wind.

"Oh my... You're not keeping that great serpent? It seems you're also a very arrogant fellow. Good, you suit my taste."

The collapsed buildings crumbled a second time, and the Demon King's voice suddenly echoed in the burning ruins.

A figure wreathed in flames emerged from within.

Judging by her appearance alone, she looked like a young child, making it difficult to associate her with the Demon King who was said to rule Mount Ōe.

Ibaraki-dōji stood in an open space about twenty meters away from Hebe, narrowing her eyes as she carefully observed the fox spirit who had reportedly defeated the Great Tengu.

"Hmm... I can't tell at all. How exactly did you defeat that detestable Tengu? And where are your tails and ears? Why won't you show them to me?"

The Demon King, with two horns growing from her head, suddenly roared, and flames extended from her palms, climbing onto her bone greatsword.

Crimson filled the eyes of the capricious, malevolent demon.

"Damn it! Damn it! You neither kneel and beg for mercy nor cower in fear—what exactly are you trying to do!"

"I'm waiting for the moment you can no longer control your rage," Hebe slowly withdrew her hands from her sleeves. "But it seems you can still control yourself, which is quite rare."

Because I'm already struggling to control myself, Hebe thought.

The girl with flaxen hair smiled faintly.

This smile completely ignited Ibaraki-dōji's fury. She roared and lifted her leg, kicking towards Hebe.

Oni fighting naturally had no rules, nor did they need to practice any swordsmanship, as their physical abilities were too powerful. For a Demon King like Ibaraki, simply swinging her fist could generate winds that would blow a human into mush.

Hebe looked at her empty hands with some regret.

Immediately, she clenched her fists and swung to the left.

With a dull thud.

Hebe's fist accurately struck Ibaraki's ankle.

Sparks flew, and Ibaraki-dōji's right leg snapped in half, shattering into dust in mid-air.

—Great Quake Master!

The Demon King lost her balance and collapsed to the ground.

"You..."

Hebe raised a finger and placed it to her lips: "Shh—bear with it."

The long, slow eyebrows twitched slightly, and the Demon King somehow read a trace of barely suppressed fury from them.

It brought to mind the furious magma of the earth's core, and mountains on the verge of collapse.

Hebe carried Ibaraki-dōji and her sword along the burning path.

After only a few steps, she saw Sagura and Tanutarō, who had collapsed under a tree, and Miss A-Long, whose eyes were half-closed, on the verge of sleep.

A strong scent of sake wafted through the air, and a small figure stood not far away, pouring and drinking for herself.

"My, my, to think that even Ibaraki couldn't be stopped—"

Shuten-dōji couldn't finish her sentence.

Hebe threw the legless and armless Ibaraki-dōji onto the ground, holding the Bone Blade she had confiscated from her in her right hand.

"This truly is beyond my imagination... that the fearless Ibaraki would be beaten to tears, blowing snot bubbles."

Shuten-dōji chuckled, "I doubt I'll ever forget today in my life."

Hebe remained silent, simply swinging the Bone Blade.

Her movements were not large, and could even be described as careful, reminiscent of a spoon stirring clear water in a bowl.

It was a technique used to stir the tides in the deep sea.

On land, it was no different from a natural disaster.

But if the speed was fast enough, its power could be unleashed before the disaster even appeared.

This was the skill of a Tengu chasing the wind among the clouds.

The Bone Blade swung down towards Shuten-dōji's forehead.