Chapter 82: The Defeat of the Martial Arts King
At this moment, accompanied by the high-pitched chanting of Shirou's Words of Power, Luo Hao discovered that the battlefield was being blanketed by golden longswords appearing in overwhelming numbers.
She felt as if she had been thrust into a world of "swords." The ground was carpeted with them, and the sky was hung heavy with them; whether above or below, she was surrounded by golden blades, their sharp edges all bared toward her.
"Language is light, Words of Power are light! Therefore, O Light, O Words of Power, become my sword, my blade!"
Under the final Word of Power, Luo Hao finally understood the effect of Shirou's incantation: her 『Divine Art of the Great Powerful Vajra』 had been sealed.
"To think... I cannot manifest it!"
Luo Hao's emerald eyes widened. Disbelieving, she surged her magic power once more to attempt the authority, but the golden particles refused to appear no matter what. The twenty-meter-tall Vajra warrior she had been controlling also saw its massive body dissipate into particles at that very moment.
Luo Hao was instantly plunged into a highly disadvantageous situation. Simultaneously, a violent gale carrying a massive spread of lightning swept toward her.
"Disaster...!"
Luo Hao bit her lip hard, pushing 『The Great Law of the Dragon's Hum and Tiger's Roar』 to its absolute limit.
"The Way of Heaven is clear and bright; the Way of Earth is peaceful and serene; the Way of Man is empty and tranquil."
The demonic wind, created from her voice and breath as ultrasonic waves, reached a terrifying intensity this time. Like a massive tornado, it lunged at the enemy before her.
"Brilliant and solar, the lightning scorches with splendor. Sky is divine, Earth is divine, by the urgent order of the Supreme Lord Lao Zi!"
She had pushed the 『Great Law of the Dragon's Hum and Tiger's Roar』 to its zenith. The storm and lightning were blown away directly, and even the cloud layers were caught in the force, beginning to form a massive whirlpool.
"I see..." Luo Hao, slightly breathless after consuming a vast amount of magic power, looked at Shirou across from her.
"Marquis Voban must have been weakened by this power of yours to seal authorities as well. Even if he has many authorities, he only uses a few for actual combat. By sealing one of them, his combat strength undoubtedly drops significantly."
"You are exactly right. Without this authority, defeating him would indeed have been a bit more troublesome," Shirou answered, shrugging without the slightest attempt at concealment.
"Only 'troublesome'...?" Luo Hao narrowed her beautiful eyes. "In other words, even without this authority, you still have other means?"
"Naturally. Facing a powerhouse like that, how could I proceed without being fully prepared?" Shirou replied with a smile.
"Tch. Even if you seal my 『Divine Art of the Great Powerful Vajra』, do you really think I have no other tricks left?" Luo Hao snorted coldly. "My 『Great Law of the Dragon's Hum and Tiger's Roar』 has not earned its reputation for nothing!"
"I naturally wouldn't look down on you because of that." Saying this, Shirou raised his right hand. "Come forth, my thunder!"
Following his declaration, golden lightning descended from the heavens into Shirou's hand, condensing into a massive golden spear of lightning. Then, Shirou hurled the lightning spear ruthlessly at Luo Hao!
As the spear was thrown, the surroundings were instantly transformed into a domain of thunder, with lightning prowling and rampaging. The sound of thunder rolled incessantly.
"You cannot hit me!"
Flashing a confident smile, Luo Hao intended to use the 『Shrinking Earth Divine Footwork』 to teleport instantly. Even though they were in the sky, this sorcery could still vastly increase her speed, allowing her to evade the lightning spear before it struck.
But at that moment, Luo Hao heard the metallic sound of chains extending from all directions.
"「Enkidu」 (The Chains of Heaven)!"
Golden wedges, trailing silver chains, easily pierced through Luo Hao's wrists and ankles, binding her in place. The more she struggled, the firmer the chains became, making them harder to escape.
"Wha—!?"
Anxiety appeared on Luo Hao's face. Her magic power was already heavily depleted. If she couldn't evade in some other way, manifesting the 『Great Law of the Dragon's Hum and Tiger's Roar』 again would require a massive amount of magic power. At this rate, she would quickly fall into decline in this battle.
Holding herself as the pinnacle of martial arts, Luo Hao naturally did not want to lose like this—at the very least, she couldn't lose this easily.
"Yahhh!!!" Luo Hao, pulling against the chains with all her might, let out a cry mixed with pain and fury.
Bright red blood flowed down, and the girl's raven-black hair clung messily to her soft, beautiful cheeks. The 『Chains of Heaven』 are not indestructible; while they can bind those with divinity, a powerful existence can break free given enough strength and time.
Luo Hao poured in all her remaining magic power, pushing her strength to the limit. Finally, with a sharp crack, the chains shattered.
"...You'll have to pay for breaking those, you know."
Shirou knit his brows in slight displeasure, looking at the beautiful girl who had exhausted all her magic power just to break free. "So, shall we continue?"
Hearing this, Luo Hao stared intently at Shirou with her emerald eyes for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.
"No need. I lost today. I have given my all, yet you remain completely at ease; that already illustrates the gap between us."
Speaking so candidly, Luo Hao's eyes held a special glint. "In the two hundred plus years since I became a Godslayer, you are the first person to defeat me. Just you wait; once I have grown stronger, I will definitely challenge you again to reclaim my status as the strongest!"
Leaving these words behind, Luo Hao's body was enveloped in white mist, and she vanished from Shirou's sight in an instant.
"She's gone, then..."
Shirou looked at the now-quiet surroundings, listening to the noise of the city's traffic. Without wasting more time, he returned to the villa district. During the battle with Leader Luo Hao just now, although they didn't directly hit the ground, the mere aftershocks had left the area in shambles.
"Looks like the [History Compilation Committee] has a lot to pay for this time."
Back inside the villa, Erica and the others immediately stepped forward in concern.
"My King, are you alright!"
"Do I look like I'm in trouble?" Shirou replied with a smile, patting his spotless black shirt. "By the way, did Luo Hao come to Japan just to duel with me?"
Erica shook her head. "It wasn't just that. Leader Luo Hao arrived with total confidence, believing that after defeating you, she could immediately rush to the Seishinkan Shrine at 'Mount Nikko.' Her other objective is the 'Heretic God' hidden there—the Monkey Divine Lord!"
Upon hearing Erica's explanation, Shirou understood immediately.
"I see. No wonder she left in such a hurry. However, her magic power is exhausted now. Going to fight that monkey in such a state isn't a wise move."
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