Miss Hebe is Slaying Her Way Out of the Lostbelt!

The crimson robe billowed as Shuten-dōji drew a Zhendan-style longsword from the gourd on her back, perfectly blocking the bone blade.

Clang—

The bone blade, already under immense pressure, shattered. Amidst the flying fragments, Hebe's fist struck Shuten-dōji squarely in the chest.

"Guh!"

Shuten-dōji's face turned from pale to red, a trickle of blood flowing from her nose and mouth. The blood that landed on the ground even carried the scent of alcohol.

"I won't kill you," Hebe's voice, carried by the gale, reached Shuten-dōji's ears. "Just as you're full of questions, I have many to ask you."

"But before that, I need to show you my methods so you'll listen to me properly."

Hebe withdrew her fist, its speed so great it almost displaced Shuten-dōji's internal organs.

Snap.

Fist met palm.

Hebe stood before Shuten-dōji, her palm covering her fist, and bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Oni King Shuten-dōji, I am Tamamo-no-Mae."

Shuten-dōji's voice was a little hoarse, "Greetings, Fox Spirit Tamamo-no-Mae, I am Shuten-dōji."

Since Ibaraki-dōji couldn't even withstand the first exchange, it was only natural for her to have her limbs broken by the Fox Spirit.

The weak are lowly, the strong are supreme—this was the creed all oni believed in.

The next instant, the gale struck again. Shuten-dōji didn't even have time to pick up her gourd, only managing to block with the sword's body.

"Ha."

Hebe bent her arm and threw another punch.

A deep dent appeared on Shuten-dōji's sword.

Another punch.

And another.

Shuten-dōji's feet slid backward on the ground, her arms going numb despite her Oni King physique.

Was the legendary Golden-Furred, Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox really this terrifying?!

The Oni King's blood began to boil, a scarlet hue gradually filling her pupils. But before that could happen, Hebe suddenly withdrew her palm again, lowering her gaze with a calm expression.

Immediately after, a fury like collapsing mountains surged from within her heart.

—Wrath of the Jagged Peaks.

As she traveled from outside Mount Ōe, she had witnessed numerous inhuman atrocities, each one challenging a person's limits.

Even after experiencing two Lostbelts, Hebe's emotions remained clear. She still had likes and dislikes, right and wrong.

Furthermore, Hebe never had a good impression of oni to begin with.

Power surged with her rage. Hebe retracted her fist and struck with her elbow, sending Shuten-dōji's small body flying off the ground.

How could this be called a fight? It was simply violence conquering another form of violence!

Ibaraki, with her limbs mangled, lay on the ground, tears blurring her vision. Yet, the Fox Spirit's emerald eyes repeatedly flashed in her mind.

Hebe's previous answer echoed in her head.

"Why resent me?"

70 Pleased to make your acquaintance

"Hehehehahahahaha—You really have some spirit, don't you."

Shuten-dōji's sides were struck six times, her small body sent flying like a rag doll. Blood, carrying a strong scent of alcohol, spilled from the corners of her mouth. The longsword was nowhere to be seen.

"Since that's the case, I, as the master of Mount Ōe, shall try a little harder!"

The Oni King chuckled and exhaled a burning stream of air, her eyes turning pure scarlet.

A strong scent of alcohol rose from the gourd on her back.

Shuten-dōji took a deep breath, as if to swallow the entire world into her lungs!

With this peculiar breathing technique, her wounds began to heal rapidly, and her claws started to extend, transforming into blades capable of disemboweling a person.

For the first time, her speed was barely on par with Hebe's.

This was truly a novel experience, because in the Eastern Lands, neither yokai nor humans possessed physical abilities that far surpassed those of the oni, let alone the Oni King who stood at their apex.

But it wasn't enough.

Even with the Zhendan breathing technique, it was still insufficient.

The Fox Spirit's heavy punches landed precisely on her chest, abdomen, and ribs, interrupting Shuten-dōji's transformation once more.

The breathing technique Shuten-dōji had painstakingly maintained, while swallowing the scent of alcohol, was also severed.

A powerful hand grasped Shuten-dōji's throat as if plucking a fruit from a tree.

In the distant darkness, the uninhabited village continued to burn.

The Fox Spirit grabbed the Ghost King's slender neck and slammed her hard onto the ground.

Hebe lifted her foot and stepped on the ghost's limbs, just like slaughtering a chicken or duck.

Throughout this, Shuten-dōji kept laughing.

"Now, I ask, you answer."

Hebe wiped her hands with Shuten-dōji's long robe. "Why did you let ghosts and humans live together?"

"Because... it's interesting?" Shuten-dōji replied with a playful smile.

Hebe applied force expressionlessly, and the Ghost King's left hand snapped.

"Why did you let ghosts and humans live together?" Hebe repeated her question.

Shuten-dōji was still laughing, tilting her head. "I provided them with wine and meat, and farmland. I also gave them a chance to get revenge on the nobles... In the end, there was never really a boundary between ghosts and humans."

The Ghost King narrowed her eyes.

"If this continues, humans will become ghosts, and ghosts will become humans... Heh, this is the truly upside-down, dreamlike Floating World."

Shuten-dōji's words were a bit nonsensical.

However, considering the overall level of ghost culture, Shuten-dōji was already considered a top student among them.

Hebe understood what Shuten-dōji was saying.

Shuten-dōji wanted humans and ghosts to mingle together, gradually wearing down the boundaries between them, ultimately creating a new race.

This was completely impossible, because the desires of humans and ghosts were irreconcilable, and they would destroy themselves before they could even combine.

Even if "mixed-bloods" existed, they would only be isolated cases, and they would definitely not last long.

"Ignorant, foolish, stubborn..." Hebe murmured.

She didn't offer any further comment.

It was like fish that had crawled onto land were already fundamentally different from their own kind.

"Humans" who had eaten human flesh and drunk human blood were long past the point of no return.

"Have all the humans within Mount Ōe's territory who haven't integrated withdraw," Hebe said. "Whether they go north or south, you are not to interfere."

"..."

The smile on Shuten-dōji's face faded slightly, but in the end, she didn't refuse.

The Floating World's dreams were upside down, and how wonderfully bizarre it all was.

She wasn't ready to be beaten to death by the Fox Spirit right here.

"Then, take your so-called new race and get as far away from me as possible, never appearing in my sight again," Hebe said, her disgust unconcealed. "If I see even one more, I'll come beat you up."

"I won't kill you, but the ghost race is a society where the strong prey on the weak. Guess what those ghosts who are equally capable of competing for the Ghost King position will do when they see you like this?"

This threat was crude and not at all subtle, but it was just right for these ghosts.

Shuten-dōji laughed. "So ruthless, Miss Tamamo... Alright, I promise. But—"

Without another word, Hebe threw another punch.

Shuten-dōji immediately stopped laughing.

She convulsed for a while before managing to regulate her breathing. Trembling, she used her still intact hand to wipe the blood gushing from her nose and mouth.

The Ghost King's voice was much lower. "Are you really going to let me do as I please, Miss Tamamo?"

"If you ask me another question, try answering me."

Shuten-dōji's slightly reddened eyes trembled, and she finally decided not to provoke Hebe further in this regard.

She only had one hand left intact now.

Fortunately, Hebe didn't make Shuten-dōji answer that question.

"I will stay at Mount Ōe until you complete the first phase of your work," Hebe said with a smile. "Until then..."

She leaned closer to Shuten-dōji and whispered, "Please take care of me."

The Great Serpent saw the Heavenly Fox approaching from a distance. In her hand, she held a spear capable of piercing its scales.

Legend said it was a weapon used by the gods to create islands.

In the sunlight, the spearhead glinted with a sharp, cold light.

The Great Serpent gazed at the figure, its amber eyes gradually filling with tears.

No, don't.

Miss A-Long woke up from a dream.

Snakes rarely dreamed, but they were often linked to oracles and dreams.

The scene in the dream was still clear, and A-Long was certain it was some kind of revelation about the future.

The figure holding a spear in her dream, however, made her feel a sense of unease.

Snap.

The sliding paper door was pulled open to its limit, then sprang back slightly.

Hebe walked in from outside the door, seemingly no longer hiding herself.

Two beautiful fox tails, now completely a brilliant golden color, peeked out from under the girl's hem, swaying gently.

As if sensing Miss A-Long's gaze, the tip of one tail twitched nimbly.

"Tails!" Miss A-Long suddenly lunged towards Hebe.

Hebe's whole body trembled, a tingling sensation rushing straight to her head from behind. She frowned and pulled her tail out of Miss A-Long's grasp.

"Foxy, just let me touch it one more time, just once!" Miss A-Long pleaded frantically, reaching out her hand.

"What are you doing!"

Hebe scrunched up her eyebrows. "Don't you have tails yourself, Miss A-Long?"

"Mine don't have fur," Miss A-Long said pitifully.

"Sigh..." Hebe looked at Miss A-Long. "Just for five minutes."

A fluffy, large tail reached out towards Miss A-Long, resting on her knees.

Miss A-Long let out a cheer, casting all thoughts of dreams and the future to the wind, happily reaching out to stroke Hebe's fox tail.

The tail of the Golden-Furred, Jade-Faced Nine-Tailed Fox was smoother and softer than any silk, and even shifted colors in the sunlight as the angle changed.

Most importantly, its tail tip had a small bump.

When Miss A-Long gently scraped it with her fingernail, that inch of tail tip would always struggle slightly, but the Great Serpent held it firmly, allowing the tail tip to only move back and forth between her palm and fingertips, unable to break free.

Hebe sat by the bedside, her complexion not looking very good, whether due to the room temperature or some other reason.