Ch 42 Shikigami Conquest

Griffin soared through the sky with Ichiro mounted securely on its back, the wind rushing past them as they ascended higher and higher. After a minute of flying, they arrived at their destination a barren, desolate land where no tree could grow, a place reminiscent of a scorching desert. The heat radiated from the ground, waves of it distorting the air and creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

With swift precision, Griffin descended, landing gracefully on the cracked earth. As Ichiro dismounted, he patted Griffin's side affectionately.

"Good job, Griffin. Now, return to my shadow," Ichiro commanded, his voice firm yet gentle.

Griffin nodded, and with a shimmer, the majestic creature melted into a shadowy form, slipping seamlessly into Ichiro's shadow. Alone now in the eerie silence of the barren wasteland, Ichiro closed his eyes, centering himself. The air around him seemed to still, the oppressive heat giving way to an anticipatory chill, Taking a deep breath, Ichiro began to chant

"From the abyss where shadows creep,

In caverns deep where demons sleep,

Shuten-dōji, heed my cry,

Arise from darkness, terrify.

King of oni, with crimson eyes,

Wielder of chaos, terror's guise,

By blood and fire, by fear and night,

I summon thee to mortal sight.

With strength unmatched and hunger dire,

Engulf this realm in demonic fire,

Shuten-dōji, break your chains,

Unleash your fury, spread your reign.

From hellish depths where nightmares bloom,

Bring forth despair, death, and doom,

By the ancient pact and cursed decree,

I summon thee, Shuten-dōji, to me.

Let the ground quake and spirits wail,

As your power ascends, let mortals pale,

Mighty Shuten-dōji, heed my call,

Arise and reign, let terror befall.

As the chant's final syllables echoed through the barren wasteland, ichiro's shadow have become big an occurrence that didn't surprise ichiro anymore and from it emerged a towering figure, a nightmarish vision of demonic power.

The huge man stood before Ichiro, his skin a deep, blood-red hue that seemed to pulse with an inner fire. A long, sharp canine tooth jutted menacingly from his upper and lower jaw, adding to his fearsome visage. His hair, a wild and tangled mass, contrasted sharply with the two long, twisted horns that protruded from his forehead, curving upward like the branches of a cursed tree.

His red eyes, glowing with a malevolent light, seemed to pierce through the very soul of anyone who dared to meet his gaze. They radiated a palpable sense of dread, capable of striking fear into the hearts of even the bravest warriors. His massive build cast a long shadow that blotted out the sun, enveloping Ichiro in darkness.

The demon's stature exuded an aura of pure evil,a body that sculpted by an evil god the very embodiment of a demon lord's power and malice. Yet, amidst this overwhelming presence, Ichiro stood his ground, his expression calm and unwavering

Ichiro took a moment to assess the towering figure before him. 'Hmm, this one is a bit bigger, probably around 10 feet tall. And what's up with that big gourd hanging around its waist?' he mused inwardly, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized every detail of the fearsome demon lord.

Shuten-dōji's presence was overwhelming, his aura exuding an ancient, dark power. The massive gourd at his side sloshed ominously, hinting at its deadly contents. Ichiro could feel the weight of the air around them, thick with malevolence and the promise of violence.

As Shuten-dōji began to take a step forward, the ground beneath his foot cracked and groaned, each movement a testament to his immense strength.

'Ohh, will it make its first move—'

Before Ichiro could finish his thought, he was suddenly launched into the air, his body hurtling uncontrollably. He crashed into the ground, bouncing and skidding across the barren landscape. His mind struggled to keep up with the rapid sequence of events, disoriented by the sudden onslaught. As he tried to regain his bearings, he managed to open his eyes briefly, catching a fleeting glimpse of the sky.

But the sky vanished from his view as darkness enveloped him once more. A massive foot descended upon him, crushing his body into the ground with a bone-shattering force. Pain exploded through him, but he had no time to process it before Shuten-dōji followed up with a barrage of powerful punches. Each blow landed with a force of 30 ton, driving Ichiro deeper into the dirt.

For a relentless minute, the demon lord pounded Ichiro mercilessly. Every strike sent shockwaves through the earth, the sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh filling the air. The ground around them became stained with blood, fragments of organs scattered amidst the debris.

Finally, Shuten-dōji ceased his assault, withdrawing his fist and stepping back to survey the aftermath. What lay before him was a mangled, broken body, barely recognizable as Ichiro. Blood splattered everywhere, limbs twisted and dislocated, organs strewn about in a grotesque display.

A huge grin spread across Shuten-dōji's face, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. He bent down, grabbing what remained of Ichiro's head, lifting it to better view the shattered form. The demon's voice rumbled with satisfaction.

"You look happy"

Shuten-dōji's eyes widened in shock as he heard Ichiro's voice, barely a whisper yet filled with defiant strength. He glanced at Ichiro's head, which was slowly regenerating, flesh and bone growing back together in a grotesque display of supernatural healing. The demon lord tried to let go, but Ichiro's hand shot up, grabbing Shuten-dōji's right arm with a vice-like grip.

The sound of bones cracking echoed through the barren wasteland

"Oops, sorry about that," Ichiro said, his voice calm but with an edge of dark humor. "I didn't know you were this fragile. If I'd known earlier, I would've been more gentle."

Ichiro spoke maniacally as he gripped Shuten-dōji's right arm tightly, his body pulsating with cursed energy as it began to heal itself. From his head down to his upper body, and finally to his lower body, the wounds vanished, leaving behind unblemished skin and renewed strength. With a sinister chuckle, Ichiro taunted his opponent.

"What's with that look? Never seen someone who can heal? Hahaha! Can't blame you. Now then..."

Ichiro seized Shuten-dōji's right hand with his other arm, along with his legs, trapping the demon lord in a vice-like grip. With a sadistic grin, Ichiro prepared to exact his revenge.

"Gotcha. Now then, it would be very rude of me to not return the favor, right?"

With a sudden twist of his body, Ichiro attempted to wrench Shuten-dōji's right arm, intending to inflict the same pain he had endured moments before. But Shuten-dōji, in a display of raw power, reacted swiftly, attempting to slam Ichiro into the ground.

To Shuten-dōji's surprise, Ichiro refused to let go, his grip unyielding despite the force of the demon lord's assault. Undeterred, Shuten-dōji tried again, but this time, Ichiro had a surprise in store.

With a sudden burst of cursed energy energy, a special grade curse spirit suddenly materialize from Ichiro's cursed energy, sending a powerful punch towards Shuten-dōji with blinding speed. Ichiro then released his grip before the special grade curse spirit could land a hit. Caught off guard, the demon lord was struck with devastating force, sending Shuten doji crashing into the ground with a resounding thud.

Shuten-dōji, the demon lord found himself unable to stand properly, his usual aura of invincibility shaken by the unexpected turn of events. Ichiro stood before him, a twisted grin of satisfaction on his face, ready to continue their deadly dance of dominance

"Man, you're probably one of the most pathetic shikigami among the rest. I mean, you just get hit by one attack, just one attack!! And now you're in that state," Ichiro lamented, his voice heavy with disappointment as he slumped his back, almost out of defeat.

*Sigh* "Honestly, in that state, even I'll feel bad taming you. Maybe I can just skip you and move on to my next shikigami."

As Shuten-dōji heard those words, a sudden rage erupted within him like a landslide. His eyes blazed with fury as he clenched his fists, the ground trembling beneath him.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"

Shuten-dōji let out a primal roar, the sound reverberating through the barren wasteland. With a fierce determination, he summoned forth a massive amount of cursed energy, the cursed energy swirling around him like a tempest. Shuten doji then proceed to release a massive amount of cursed energy into the sky that almost cover it

"Wow, that's a lot of cursed energy. I better absorb them or there will be casualties," Ichiro muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the swirling vortex of cursed energy.

Before Ichiro could extend his hand to begin absorbing it, he noticed something peculiar. Amidst the swirling mass of cursed energy, tiny red dots began to materialize and fall from the sky.

"Hmm? What's that?" Ichiro questioned, his curiosity piqued.

As he focused his gaze, he was able to distinguish the tiny red dots. His eyes widened in realization.

"Ohh shit, are those demons?"

Each demon fell to the ground one by one, their forms becoming clearer as they descended. Some bore similar body structures, while others were overly bulky or unnaturally thin. They brandished crude clubs and weapons, their eyes filled with malice and hunger as they landed on the barren landscape.

"Wow, that's a lot of demo—" Ichiro began to say, but before he could finish, a red blur streaked towards him from the side. Reacting quickly, Ichiro parried the attack, only to find himself face to face with Shuten-dōji himself.

"Would you look at that? You can summon an entire legion of demons, or maybe an oni," Ichiro amused, his words laced with a mixture of excitement and admiration.

As he parried Shuten-dōji's attacks, Ichiro seized the opportunity to counter, aiming a precise strike towards Shuten-dōji's left arm. But the demon lord was quick to evade, his movements fluid and precise. Ichiro pivoted to the left, attempting to outmaneuver his opponent, but Shuten-dōji was one step ahead, effortlessly dodging the blow.

Undeterred, Ichiro pressed on, swiping Shuten-dōji's both leg with his own, using the leverage to gain the upper hand. With a swift motion ichiro jump on top of Shuten doji, pinning him down to the ground. As he poised himself for the final strike, aiming to sever Shuten-dōji's neck, the demon lord reacted with lightning speed, catching Ichiro's arm mid-swing.

With a powerful throw, Shuten-dōji launched Ichiro through the air, hurtling towards the horde of oni that had gathered nearby. Ichiro's vision filled with the blue expanse of the sky as he twisted his body mid-air, only to come face to face with a sea of snarling oni, their razor-sharp teeth bared in anticipation of tearing into his flesh.

"Ahhhhhh!" Ichiro exclaimed in excitement as he flew towards the oni horde, his adrenaline pumping with exhilaration. "This is the best! So, you're still hiding your true strength."

With a swift and devastating downward slash, Ichiro cut through the ranks of the oni, cleaving through their ranks with ease. The air was filled with the sound of groans and the sickening crunch of bones as one fourth of the oni horde fell to Ichiro's blade in just one strike. Calmly, Ichiro landed on the ground amidst the mingled dead bodies of the oni, his eyes alight with exhilaration.

"I'm sure you did not summon these oni just to be cannon fodder, right?" Ichiro asked, his voice dripping with anticipation as he turned his gaze towards Shuten-dōji. His grin widened as he awaited the demon lord's response.