Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 187 - Shuten-dōji

An unfamiliar voice that echoed inside every living being---even including that monster---head.

The voice was slightly grating, as if coming out from a stinging throat after drinking too much. It was also the voice of an achiever. And at the end, the voice also sounds somewhat bored.

But if there was something everyone were sure of, then it was that the owner of that voice was an overlord far more stronger than anyone present.

(Where have I... heard this voice?)

Tenji, however, noticed something from that voice.

He just had a faint, very faint recollection. Like a tool you purchased once but left it in the corner of the house somewhere until you suddenly realised 'ah, I have this tool, yes.'

However he could only tell it was a familiar voice, just that it was impossible for him to tell whose. ---Then again, even that 'familiar' was just based on hunch.

He just felt like he knew this voice. However none of that manner at that moment, for what he understood the implication behind that voice and that was---

"Lend me your strength, Shuten-dōji!!"

Tenji spelled the name.

Then a laughter 'Hiccup...kukukuku' echoed inside everyone's hand, as if that voice owner found the words of his future master interesting. In tandem with that, the Flame Demon Blade changed its shape.

If earlier, the Flame Demon Blade was like the reflecting the fierceness of Flame Demon, then the reshaped Flame Demon Blade was the condensation of terror, as if someone had cut apart a piece of hell and given it a shape.

«Kukukuku, as you wish. Take this chance to display the valour of the future king.»

The instant Shuten-dōji's words dropped, white flames engulfed Tenji's one arm. The flames slowly condensed, and took a definitive shape; an armour like armament.

"Kuh!?"

Tenji was assailed by sharp pain as if all of his blood was shimmering due to that armour.

A mix of painful sensation coursed through his body. It was like a cycle of hot and cold was washing over him---yet, he also felt an overwhelming sense of power coursing through his whole body.

The same blade that he had been finding impossible to control was now dancing at Tenji's fingertips. This time, he was all clear to wield that blade properly. It finally felt like a part of his body again.

The change however was just now limited to that armour as a horn alos had also sprouted out from his forehead.

«The blade is at your calling now! The king's blade, it's name is---»

In a pleasant tone but also one that shook the soul, Shuten-dōji shouted at Tenji. It was in that instant the link between Tenji and Shuten-dōji had also formed a link, and a part of the blade that Shuten-dōji wanted to say naturally appeared in his mind.

Tenji at this moment had taken the very shape of Oni as he swung his blade.

"---Hell King Blade «Nameless Crimson»!"

The translucent flames, red and white, while showing a glimpse of hell, also weaved into each other to form an ephemeral scene. The movement of blade had almost turned a phenomenon, a part of the air. 

Tenji's execution was precise and spectacular, an attack that had no shortcoming, nor a single flaw.

The Hell King Blade traced the arc in air following Tenji's movement as it charged at the base of the monster's nape, the sole body part that seemed easy to cut.

The attack connected, however Tenji soon understood it would take more than just an attack to cut down that neck. Monster's skin was far more hard than he had imagined.

Even the full powered blow only managed to leave a shallow cut as the blade tried to dig in deeper while slowly burning the area.

At this moment, Monster's Tenji's spirit smashed against each other like the two tornadoes crashing.

It was hard to say to whom the lady luck favoured but just as the hell flames of blade had started eroding the monster's neck, the monster also finally broke out of petrification-like state.

The same instant, the orange streamlined line that had been covering only a part of its body started to spread all over, seemingly moving in accordance to the monster's will to fight back.

Tenji felt like the skin of a monster hardening to an unbelievable level, if it was comparable to rock before, then now it was like a steel that gradually pushed away the advancing blade of Tenji.

"Rooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

A howl emerged from the throat of two.

Monster's howl, as it escaped its jagged and vivid mouth, contained its fury while Tenji's roar coming out from the bottom of his heart showed his unyielding spirit.

The spot they were having confrontation had turned into eye of storm which gave rise to the wave of explosion and shockwaves.

A series of explosions and shockwaves blasted in all directions from their spot. No one present felt they could pierced that eye of the storm. If anything, all they were capable of was to stop themselves from being blown away.

The battlefield made itself clear; only a being of unimaginable power---in short, a monstrosity could hope to jump into the frey.