President of the Remnant Star Society

"Tengshe!"

When such a strange person appeared before him, Mo Bai did not hesitate. He summoned a new Fused Shikigami.

[Tengshe]

Like the Feathered Serpent before it, Tengshe was fused from the Great Serpent and Nue.

Unlike the Feathered Serpent, Tengshe lacked Nue's ability to fly on the wind and its agility. Instead, it had inherited Nue's ability to unleash lightning.

Crackle!

Lightning wrapped around Tengshe's massive body as it charged at the eerie figure.

Boom!

The impact of Tengshe's enormous body shook the ground.

A winding trench opened across the grassland, and the plants beside it were burned to charcoal by the lightning.

"Must you be so rough? Aren't you worried about hurting innocent bystanders?" the elderly voice said.

Mo Bai looked closely and found the man standing calmly beside Tengshe.

The man seemed to regard it as no threat at all.

"I wouldn't call the President of the Remnant Star Society an innocent bystander."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As soon as Mo Bai spoke, Tengshe whipped its huge tail toward the old man.

"Oh? Has that identity of mine become so well known?"

Clang!

As he spoke, the elderly man Mo Bai had called the President of the Remnant Star Society raised his cane. Despite his unimposing frame, he somehow held his ground against the enormous Tengshe.

It was Rover who had told Mo Bai who the man was.

Rover knew how dangerous the organization was, so he had shared everything he knew with his friend, who understood so little about this world.

Hiss!

Enraged that such a tiny creature had blocked its attack, Tengshe sent lightning surging across its body.

Boom!

"Mm! You do have some strength."

The President of the Remnant Star Society grunted as the lightning struck him. Then he put more force into his cane and flipped the enormous Tengshe into the air.

Before Tengshe could hit the ground, Mo Bai recalled it.

"Mm. Dogs, snakes... You have a summoning ability like that Demon Hunter, then?"

After exchanging blows with Mo Bai, the President rested a hand on his chin, apparently analyzing his opponent's abilities.

That gesture told Mo Bai the man had not been serious before.

Like his subordinates, the President had probably come to test what Mo Bai could do.

The President of the Remnant Star Society came to test me personally? Since when was I worth that much?

Despite his inward grumbling, Mo Bai did not let his guard down for an instant.

If the man wanted information about his abilities, Mo Bai should, by all rights, keep as many of his cards hidden as possible.

No. If he did that, he would probably take the secrets of his Cursed Technique to the grave—and meet that Goddess.

If he wanted to live, he had to give it everything he had.

Thud!

With that thought, Mo Bai gripped the Swift Blade and charged the President himself.

"Oh? I'm a little surprised, but you aren't the first person with a summoning ability to rush me head-on."

The President raised his cane again.

Clang!

Their weapons collided. The man was still fighting Mo Bai with nothing but his own strength.

Could the President of the Remnant Star Society really have such a limited way of fighting?

Mo Bai recalled what Rover had told him about the organization.

"Thousand Faces and Hundred Forms. That's the ability the President has shown so far. He's fanatical about playing roles, and he always stays true to the character he's portraying."

So the President is holding back because fighting at full strength would be out of character?

Why does that sound like a child playing pretend?

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As Mo Bai thought it over, he continued trading blows with the President at close range.

The man was immensely strong. Even with a Blackstone Weapon and an attack style modeled on the Divine Dogs through Animal-Form Fist, Mo Bai was gradually losing ground.

Tch. My conversion rate is too low...

Reinforcing his body with Cursed Energy was slow, and he wasted some of that energy in the process.

"Mm. You look about spent."

Bang!

The President suddenly put more force behind his cane and struck Mo Bai in the chest.

"Gah!"

As he flew backward, Mo Bai could only marvel again at the man's strength.

"Toad from the Bottomless Well."

In the end, he needed his Shikigami to stop his slide.

It did little good. He could see the President of the Remnant Star Society walking slowly toward him.

Tch. My luck really never is that good.

I was supposed to clear out the small fry who showed up, then go back to subduing a few more Shikigami. Just my luck...

Every time I only mean to help someone or clear out some grunts, it turns into a fight with the final boss.

Mo Bai shook off the stray thoughts and fixed his attention on the approaching President.

The man was certainly devoted to his role. He really did look like a ferryman about to take someone to the Underworld.

What am I supposed to do against an enemy like this?

Domain Expansion? Barrier Technique is too difficult...

"Tch. I'm going to die if this keeps up. Who cares if it's difficult? I have to take the chance..."

Clap!

Mo Bai brought his hands together.

As for using the simplest last-resort move he had and blowing himself up along with his opponent?

Sorry, he valued his life too much for that.

If there were a button before him offering two choices—"Sacrifice yourself to save everyone" and "Sacrifice everyone and save only yourself"—

He would choose the latter without hesitation.

To Mo Bai, leaving his name in history meant nothing. Only the joys he could experience while alive were real.

So even if his chance of survival was only one percent, he would fight with everything he had for it.

"Domain Expansion!"

Once Mo Bai completed the hand signs and gathered the necessary Cursed Energy, a vast shadow spread from beneath him and engulfed the President of the Remnant Star Society.

"Chimera Shadow Garden!"

With that shout, a length of stark-white human spine appeared behind Mo Bai, followed by all manner of strange, animal-like bones.

Clack, clack!

When the bones finished assembling, Mo Bai's Domain Expansion was complete.