As night fell, the rain intensified.
Downstairs at the Kyoto International Exhibition Center, Su Hang, holding Yugong Liuli's hand, hid at the exit, observing the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the distance.
"This is difficult."
Su Hang frowned. If he wanted to go to the Kyoto Consulate General for refuge, there was no other way but to defeat the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons head-on. Although wearing the mask would unleash his full fighting power and allow him to fight against a hundred people at once.
However, with Yugong Liuli by his side, he had to spare some attention to protect her. After all, if the former were to be snatched away by the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the chaos, all his efforts so far would be in vain.
"Should we force ourselves on you?"
Su Hang weighed the pros and cons. With only half an hour left before the deadline for evacuation, if they couldn't get Yugong Liuli into the Kyoto Consulate General, their fate was predictable.
" Su Hang, stop hiding, I see you!"
Yugong Youjing's furious shouts came from afar.
"What?"
Su Hang's pupils constricted, a chill running down his spine. "Have we been exposed?"
"Will you come out on your own, or will I lead Night Parade of a Hundred Demons through the night?"
Yugong Youjing's fierce voice rang out again.
"Looks like we have no choice but to go for it."
Su Hang's heart sank to the bottom. He took out the Emperor Hero mask and was about to step out when, unexpectedly, a red figure slowly emerged from around the corner a hundred meters ahead.
" Su Hang, you're finally out."
Yugong Youjing's cold laughter rang out.
"You mistook that red figure for me?"
Su Hang immediately withdrew his foot and returned to his original position, looking up in confusion, "Who is that person? Why is he wearing a full suit of armor?"
The street outside the Kyoto Consulate General.
The clattering sound of armor scraping against each other was particularly jarring in the quiet, rainy night. Gazing at the gradually clearing red figure, Yugong Youjing felt a chill run down his spine. He abruptly drew his reverse-blade sword. "Everyone, draw your swords!"
Xue Ji- hime raised her naginata. " Snow Woman, draw your sword!"
Zashiki crosses his twin swords in front of his chest. " Zashiki, draw your sword!"
Great Tengu drew his katana. " Great Tengu, draw your sword!"
The continuous swishing sound of swords being drawn echoed through the puddles, reflecting the sharp blades with a cold, bloodthirsty glint that tore through the rain.
"You blasphemer of the Yousu Fox God!"
Yugong Youjing flicked away the raindrops from his sword, staring intently at the approaching red figure. "You wreaked havoc at Yugong Shrine, kidnapped the Liuli Shrine Maiden, and orchestrated a terrorist attack! Today, in the name of the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, I will annihilate you!"
The red figure remained silent, simply moving forward slowly.
"Your Highness, something seems amiss," Xue Ji suddenly whispered beside her.
"Something's not right?" Yugong Youjing was on high alert.
Xue Ji said in a deep voice, " Su Hang is 1.78 meters tall, while that red figure looks to be only 1.7 meters tall."
"There's definitely something strange about it."
Yugong Youjing squinted, observing the red figure walking in the rain. Not only was the height different from Su Hang Su Hang's, but the aura he exuded was also completely different. "Isn't that Su Hang?"
A red figure stopped at the streetlight, its form becoming clear.
Wearing a ferocious white demon mask, with silver hair flowing back, clad in scarlet armor, and two red and blue swords hanging at his left waist, he looked like a warrior from hell!
" Musashi Miyamoto?" Zashiki was stunned; the enemy's appearance was none other than Musashi Miyamoto from the Honor of Kings.
"It's Musashi Miyamoto's epic skin," the Great Tengu said with surprise. " Demon Blade Musashi."
Yugong Youjing shouted warily, "Who are you?"
Demon Blade Musashi trembled and shook.
After pondering for a moment, Xue Ji guessed, "Your Highness, could he be a cosplayer attending a comic convention?"
"Coser?" (role-playing)
Yugong Youjing frowned in thought. The Kyoto International Exhibition Center was hosting a comic convention today, and quite a few cosplayers who liked Honor of Kings participated. During the emergency evacuation in the afternoon, many King of Glory cosplayers were also seen.
"Everyone, sheath your weapons!"
The chilling sound of swords being sheathed echoed throughout the room.
Yugong Youjing sheathed his sword, raised his eyes, and said calmly, "Are you a cosplayer from out of town attending the Kyoto Comic Con?"
Demon Blade Musashi cowered and remained motionless.
He must have never seen anything like this before, and was too frightened to speak, Yugong Youjing thought, softening his tone slightly, "Because we need to apprehend terrorists, the anime convention is canceled tonight. Go back where you came from."
Demon Blade Musashi remained motionless.
"Hey!" Zashiki shouted, slung his twin swords over his shoulder, "Hey you cosplayer of Demon Blade Musashi, are you deaf? Didn't you hear my master? No way forward! Go back where you came from!"
Demon Blade Musashi staggered back two steps.
"Really," Zashiki picked his nose. "He won't move unless I yell at him. What a jerk he is."
But the next second...
Demon Blade Musashi assumed a forward-charging, sword-drawing stance.
"Um?"
Yugong Youjing was slightly taken aback, then narrowed his eyes slightly, "What do you mean by that?"
"Fight... fight with you guys."
A timid boy's voice then rang out.
Not only was Yugong Youjing stunned.
Xue Ji, Zashiki, Ōtengu, and the other members of the Great Tengu ( Night Parade of a Hundred Demons ) were all stunned in place.
Yugong Youjing seemed to realize something, his hand on his reverse-blade sword, his voice suddenly rising, "Why are you fighting us?"
"Because... because I need to help Exalted Emperor get into the Kyoto Consulate General."
The timid boy's voice trembled slightly.
Yugong Youjing's face darkened, his eyes widening in a menacing glare. "So, you're the accomplice that Exalted Emperor Chong summoned?"
"No... it wasn't Exalted Emperor who summoned me, it was... I came to help him voluntarily."
The timid boy's voice trembled.
"Well, so you volunteered to help him." Yugong Youjing's eyes lingered around Demon Blade Musashi. "Are you prepared to be killed?"
Demon Blade Musashi remained silent.
Yugong Youjing drew his reverse-blade sword and said sternly, "I, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, never kill nameless nobodies. State your name!"
"Demon... Demon Blade Musashi."
Yugong Youjing sneered twice, "A coward who doesn't even dare to give his real name, who gave you the courage to help Exalted Emperor?"
Demon Blade Musashi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Yugong Youjing was about to step forward with his sword drawn.
Xue Ji covered her mouth and whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, Su Hang must be hiding nearby. This person is a decoy, a smokescreen. He's just waiting for us to all be distracted so he can launch a Su Hang attack from the shadows."
That makes sense.
Yugong Youjing stopped in his tracks, glanced sideways at Great Tengu, and gave him a meaningful look. "Go test the strength of Demon Blade Musashi."
"Leave it to me, Lord Youjing."
The Great Tengu, carrying an extra-long katana, slowly stepped forward, scrutinizing the Demon Blade Musashi with a focused gaze. Although the opponent exuded no killing intent, there was a faint aura of swordsmanship about him. "Oh, you've practiced swordsmanship before? Which school of swordsmanship do you follow?"
Demon Blade Musashi took a deep breath and said, " Niten Ichi-ryū."
" Niten Ichi-ryū?"
Great Tengu looked incredulous. Niten Ichi-ryū is the pinnacle of swordsmanship, ranking alongside Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū in the first tier of swordsmanship styles, and is undoubtedly the strongest of the two schools.
"I've heard that only those who reach the fourth dan in swordsmanship can graduate from Niten Ichi-ryū. What dan are you in swordsmanship?"
Demon Blade Musashi murmured, "Eighth Dan in Kendo."
"Eighth Dan?" The Great Tengu, leaning on his greatsword, laughed angrily. "Are you kidding me? Your swordsmanship is clearly that of a beginner. Even your drawing stance is incorrect. Eighth Dan?"
Demon Blade Musashi mustered his courage. "You... you can give it a try."
The Great Tengu drew his sword and stepped forward, saying, "Then I, the direct disciple of the Ōdachi-ryū, a fifth-dan swordsman, will have to give you, this Unrivaled genius of the Niten Ichi-ryū, an eighth-dan swordsman, a good test."
Demon Blade Musashi shuddered. "Come on!"