Spell Succession

Hajime Kashimo's Reversed Cursed Technique rapidly gathered over his back. Immediately afterward, his body regained its former strength. Wind howled past him as he continued flying upward under the force that had kicked him into the air.

Xuan's technique, the Ten Shadows Technique, was recorded by the Zenin Clan as a technique that summoned ten shikigami to provide combat power. Only in a very, very small amount of material was the aspect of shadows mentioned.

In truth, it was precisely the shadows overlooked by the Zenin Clan that formed the foundation of this technique.

The Ten Shadows Technique was also one of the few techniques that possessed a Technique Reversal. Though no one in the Zenin Clan had ever used it, Xuan—who had mastered both the advanced application of Reversed Cursed Technique and the complete form of the shadow technique—could prove it.

"Technique Reversal: Light." As explained before, it turned the user into light, making normal methods of attack unusable.

That was the move Xuan had used just now. At a speed that even Hajime Kashimo's dynamic vision, capable of catching the trajectory of cursed-energy lightning, could not perceive, he had appeared behind Kashimo in an instant—then followed it with a heavy uppercut carrying near-light speed.

Although Xuan could not use normal attacks while in his "light" state, if he exited that state at the very instant before his strike landed, he could deliver a near-light-speed heavy blow as the speed of light decayed at an extremely rapid rate.

Xuan could not properly control this method yet. Just like that previous strike, he had probably only thrown an uppercut at ten times the speed of sound. The fist wrapped in dense cursed energy and shadow had still exploded the instant it connected.

Yet it had been repaired by Reversed Cursed Technique in less than half a second after exploding.

Then Xuan's body transformed once more, and a beam of light shot upward toward Hajime Kashimo, who was already more than seven hundred meters above the ground.

BOOM!

A sound like heaven and earth shaking spread through the entire barrier. Hajime Kashimo had somehow already crashed down onto the ground, and soon after landing, he burst through the dispersing dust. The Ruyi Staff in his hand swung once more, smashing down toward Xuan, who had just landed.

While flying upward through the air, Hajime Kashimo had deduced that Xuan might be attacking him at a speed he could not perceive. He had no idea exactly how fast it was, so he chose the simplest solution.

He wrapped his body in cursed energy. Cursed energy with the properties of lightning would defend against the next attack like a spiked shield.

Hajime Kashimo's long staff slammed into the katana Xuan raised. Though it was blocked once again, Hajime Kashimo's enthusiasm truly surged this time.

The Ruyi Staff in Hajime Kashimo's hand began swinging in an instant, leaving dozens of afterimages in the air. Xuan fended them off with ease, yet the suddenly increased force behind Kashimo's attacks kept driving him backward, step after step.

"Ah! Strongest, I acknowledge your strength... Before you can kill me, I'll unleash my technique and kill you."

Xuan's eyes swiftly swept over Hajime Kashimo's body. The flowing lightning-like cursed energy was stimulating Kashimo's nerves, creating an effect similar to a stimulant. It continuously strengthened Kashimo's body, giving him not only speed beyond what he had shown before, but also greatly enhancing his strength.

Not enough.

Of course—this speed was still far too slow for Xuan.

Every trajectory of Hajime Kashimo's attacks was perfectly clear in his eyes. Each strike seemed to be playing back dozens of times slower.

"I'll do it. I'll stop you before you activate your technique."

"Sure! Then come and do it!"

Hajime Kashimo roared as the Ruyi Staff in his hand suddenly began charging up. Then, as the long staff swung down, a bolt of lightning with an unusual trajectory appeared along its path.

Xuan immediately abandoned the idea of blocking with his sword. He gripped the Merchant God's Scepter and sent it back into the shadows. Then he raised a hand. Nue's lightning surged fiercely through his palm, catching Hajime Kashimo's staff with an identical current. Xuan immediately yanked—

As expected, Hajime Kashimo instantly released the Ruyi Staff. He could call it back at any time; there was no need to "hold on tight."

Xuan gripped the staff and pulled backward—the Ruyi Staff shot away at once. After smashing through several walls, it vanished beyond the edge of this ruined former battlefield.

"Black Flash!"

As the dancing lightning continuously adjusted Hajime Kashimo's nerves, both his reaction speed and cursed-energy control reached their peak. That sensation of I can land it rose from his palm once again. Black lightning flared across the battlefield, instantly crashing into the fist Xuan raised to meet it.

The burst of cursed energy instantly blew apart Xuan's defending arm. Xuan staggered back several steps, but Reversed Cursed Technique restored the exploded arm to normal in an instant.

"Haha! That hurts so much, Hajime Kashimo!"

"Thanks for the compliment... Strongest!"

There was no longer any need to hold back.

At the same moment, both men covered their entire bodies in lightning, instantly sending every cell into intense activity. Their focus, strength, reaction speed, and speed all received comprehensive boosts.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!

Fist against arm, fist against fist, leg against leg.

Block, deflect, again—their flurries of fists clashed like footage of a boxing match sped up several times over, trading blows at a speed ordinary people could neither comprehend nor see.

"Black Flash!!"

"Black Flash!!!"

Xuan's face still bore the wounds from when Hajime Kashimo's enhanced strike had blown apart their exchanged fists. Reversed Cursed Technique continued supplying recovery without pause, leaving him with no need to rest at all.

Hajime Kashimo was not much better off. Branching lightning burns covered his face and body, wounds his Reversed Cursed Technique had not had time to fully heal, along with a bleeding fist that had yet to be completely restored.

Just as Hajime Kashimo's condition rapidly worsened, their gazes finally pierced through the blur of fists and met.

Accordingly, their next clash once again produced that black lightning. The recovery and enhancement brought by another Black Flash increased the efficiency of Hajime Kashimo's Reversed Cursed Technique at a visibly rapid rate.

Using the power of Black Flash, the two retreated and once again stood facing each other in the middle of the field.

"If we don't settle this in one move... we'll just keep fighting in this endless tug-of-war... Strongest."

"Maybe so. Hmm?"

Hajime Kashimo looked at the man before him, who once again seemed relaxed, but he did not let down his guard. He clenched his fist as lightning crackled in his palm.

The several Black Flashes had improved him tremendously, yet the man before him had not displayed any corresponding increase.

Under the pressure of being nearly defeated or even killed at any moment, Hajime Kashimo's potential for Reversed Cursed Technique had been awakened. And just now, he had comprehended a unique way to use his own technique.

Right before his eyes, Xuan raised a hand, cursed energy surging.

"Rebirth."

"Abyss."

"Bottom of Lightlessness."

A chant? Damn it, he had to stop him—

The instant Hajime Kashimo noticed the chant, his body moved at high speed, but he was still a step too late.

The spear condensed from the dense black shadow in Xuan's hand had already been unleashed as the chant fell.

"Technique Lapse: Shadow."