[121] The fight between Onmyoji

As everyone watched Kyuubi—now a towering giant—advance toward Kyoto's Silver Palace, the epicenter of the city's dragon pulse hidden deep beneath its foundations, Kaoru sprang into action. With an impressive leap, he dove from the air, his blade gleaming under the moonlight as he aimed straight for Kyuubi's head.

A resounding explosion filled the air as his blade struck Kyuubi, the impact like a missile blast. The force of the blow managed to push Kyuubi's massive body back a few steps. Yet, despite the attack's power, it wasn't enough to inflict real harm.

Kaoru landed firmly, his gaze steady as he faced Kyuubi, who now glared at him with pure rage. Her eyes blazed with fury, each tail radiating deadly energy as they thrashed in agitation. To Kyuubi, Kaoru was more than just a mere human—he was a genuine threat that had to be dealt with.

"You insolent creature! How dare you attack me!" Kyuubi bellowed, her voice a thunderous roar that shattered the night's silence. Proud and disdainful of her opponents, Kyuubi quickly recognized that Kaoru was no ordinary foe. His aura radiated strength, courage, and resolve.

Kaoru smirked slightly, staring back at Kyuubi with unwavering defiance. "Dare? Of course," he replied casually, drawing a second blade from his storage. The blue glow of the sword shimmered brightly, lending him an air of elegance yet danger. "After all, I'm the hero here."

"Curse you!" Kyuubi snarled in fury, opening her maw to unleash a massive blast of blinding blue flames straight at him.

Kaoru dodged with swift precision, leaping to the side and driving one of his swords into the ground to steady himself. Kyuubi's fire struck the earth, erupting into an inferno that created a giant crater, smoldering with embers. Although the attack devastated the surrounding area, Kaoru managed to evade it with incredible speed.

Meanwhile, the Taimanin forces and the government, coordinated by DCST, continued to mobilize throughout the city, evacuating civilians. Despite the endless parade of yokai streaming from the torii gates and threatening the safety of Kyoto, the Taimanin fought valiantly to keep the streets leading to the city's core safe from the yokai's rampage.

Back at the temple where Kyuubi's seal had been broken, Yuyami stood proudly at the center of the altar. A look of almost ecstatic satisfaction crossed her face as she watched Kyuubi unleash her full power, surpassing all her expectations. Tonight was her victory; she could hardly wait to see the world tremble under the terror of the disaster deity she served.

"At last, after so long, we will reign at the top of the food chain," Yuyami murmured, a cold smile on her face.

But before she could fully savor the moment, footsteps echoed outside the temple. Towako and Reika burst in, their faces set with determination and fury. The two Taimanin arrived with one goal: to stop Yuyami and end her plot to throw Kyoto into chaos.

"Yuyami!" Towako shouted, her voice ringing with defiance. "This madness ends now. We're here to stop you."

Yuyami chuckled, glancing at the two Taimanin before her with unshakable confidence. "You think you can stop us? You're too late," she replied, signaling to her criminal organization's minions, who had been waiting in the shadows. Alongside them, several yokai guardians advanced, glaring at Towako and Reika with hatred in their eyes.

"You two will be just more victims. No one can stand against Kyuubi's will!" shouted one of Yuyami's henchmen, brandishing his weapon toward Towako.

Reika exchanged a look with Towako and nodded, signaling she was ready to fight. "Let's end this quickly," Reika whispered, her hands gripping her weapon as she dropped into a fighting stance.

The battle within the temple erupted. Towako lunged forward, her movements swift and precise as she took on the criminal forces and yokai protecting Yuyami. Her blade gleamed sharply in the dim light of the altar, slicing through two yokai in a single, graceful motion. Reika followed suit, dispatching several of Yuyami's henchmen with swift and deadly strikes.

But Yuyami wasn't idle. She raised her arms, chanting an ancient incantation that summoned a shimmering energy shield around her. "You will not interfere with this ritual!" she declared, her voice reverberating through the temple. With a swift gesture, she summoned a large yokai formed of shadow, which lunged at Towako and Reika without mercy.

Towako and Reika faltered briefly but held their ground. Both were seasoned Taimanin, and they knew that the success of their mission in the temple was key to weakening Kyuubi's strength on the battlefield. They fought with everything they had, cleaving through each yokai that stood in their way and dispatching Yuyami's followers one by one.

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Outside, Kaoru moved swiftly, dodging bursts of dense energy launched by Kyuubi. Each blast that struck the ground sent explosions rippling through the hilltop, slowly reducing the terrain to rubble. Despite Kaoru's best efforts to buy time and wear down Kyuubi's energy, he quickly realized that the deity's reserves seemed nearly endless. Each attack Kyuubi launched only revealed more of the incredible power she harbored.

Focusing his mind, Kaoru sent a telepathic message to Hippo, who hovered above the battlefield, scanning the scene from the air. "Hippo, keep an eye on the others. Check how Towako and Reika are doing with Yuyami at the temple."

From above, Hippo replied with a steady but vigilant tone. "No problem, Master… Towako and Reika are facing tough opponents, but they're managing. They're holding off Yuyami and her forces."

Hearing the report, Kaoru felt a brief wave of relief. He knew his allies were powerful onmyoji, but the situation was undeniably dangerous. Their success in the temple was crucial to interrupting the energy flow feeding Kyuubi, and Kaoru was relying on them to prevent the ritual's completion.

Kaoru then directed Hippo to fly further out and survey the state of Kyoto, where the yokai parade continued and the Taimanin and DCST teams worked tirelessly to fend off the attacks while evacuating civilians. Hippo soared higher, his keen, predator's eyes scanning the city below, ensuring no threats slipped through.

At the base of the hill, Abe Yumei—a venerable onmyoji of great renown—stood resolute, though age weighed on his shoulders. His expression was one of intense concentration as he led dozens of onmyoji from various prominent families across Japan. Together, they had gathered to create a powerful mystical barrier to contain the battle between Kaoru and Kyuubi. A soft blue light emanated from the circle of spells around them, forming a stream of energy that gradually surrounded the hilltop.