"I don't believe I can't even land a single hit on you!"
As Abe Haruya's shout faded, the dense forest of white cypress fans before him suddenly erupted outward.
Sharp whistling sounds filled the battlefield, piercing the air with their shrillness.
Under Abe Haruya's relentless assault, an ordinary Onmyōji would have been thrown into a panic.
Yet the fierce wind failed to make Chen Chen flinch. Instead, he made no attempt to evade. Raising the emerald leaf in his hand, he met the attack with a simple, unadorned stance.
The leaf's trajectory was utterly plain, devoid of any flourish. It advanced in a straightforward manner, making not the slightest sound as it moved.
Then came a "swish—"
Where the leaf passed, it seemed to cleave reality into two distinct spaces, leaving a faint green trace lingering in the air.
Silence returned, followed by a "crack!"
Cracks spread.
"Crack!"
The cypress fan, crafted with countless magical materials, shattered.
*Crack!*
Scattered pieces of cypress fan fluttered to the ground, so scattered that even Abe Haruya felt nothing.
He stared blankly at the floor, looking at the jumbled mess that was no longer a cypress fan. Abe Haruya's mouth hung open, but no sound came out.
Looking down at the ritual tool he had used for years—his cypress fan—now reduced to a pile of scattered fragments, Abe Haruya's stunned expression flickered. After a moment's delay, his muscles trembled and froze. When he looked up, his gaze involuntarily froze.
In Chen Chen's palm floated the culprit that had destroyed his years-old ritual tool: a vibrant green bamboo leaf.
The leaf hovered in the air, as if an invisible force was supporting it, stabilizing it in his palm.
Then, a green light flashed in Abe Haruya's eyes, reflecting the leaf. The green bamboo leaf, which had been floating in Chen Chen's hand, now transformed into a terrifying green blur, moving far faster than human reflexes. By the time Abe Haruya's brain could mobilize his body to evade the sudden attack, the strike was already upon him.
The delicate, tender, emerald-green bamboo leaf shimmered faintly with a subtle green luminescence.
"Hmm?"
The leaf struck Abe Seiya directly in the abdomen. As the leaf collided with him, a magical array materialized before him.
This array was a curse attached to his white *kariginu* robe. It automatically triggered when an attack exceeded Abe Seiya's defensive limit. The energy within this curse had been personally infused by the previous generation of Onmyōji of the Abe Clan, primarily to protect Seiya's life. Over the years, while cultivating and studying abroad, this protective spell had repeatedly helped him escape danger.
But now, the array that had saved him so many times proved utterly useless against the fragile bamboo leaf. It shattered instantly, like ice melting under the summer sun, offering no resistance whatsoever.
*Whoosh!*
The attack struck his abdomen directly. Abe Seiya involuntarily doubled over, and a thick mouthful of blood erupted from his mouth.
The attack was far from over. The power channeled through the tiny leaf showed no sign of diminishing, continuing to propel Abe Seiya violently backward. His feet left the ground, and his entire body was sent flying backward.
"Aaaah!"
Abe Seiya felt an unbearable pain from the force striking him. A wretched howl escaped his lips. His legs trembled in mid-air, as if desperately trying to reach the ground, but it was to no avail.
Under the astonished eyes of the surrounding Onmyōji, Abe Seiya—the man once called "the closest to Abe no Seimei"—crashed into the specially reinforced wall of Kamar-Taj Square. The sheer force of the impact left a deep, gaping indentation in the solid stone.
All movement ceased. Abe Seiya, who had been immaculately dressed moments before, now lay in tatters, his once neat black hair disheveled like weeds. His eyes were tightly shut, as if he had lost consciousness.
Fresh blood trickled from his mouth, his breathing faint and shallow. This miserable state stood in stark contrast to Chen Chen, whose robes remained unstained by dust. The disparity in their strength was undeniable.
"Young Master!" The three attendants accompanying Abe Seiya cried out in shock at their master's near-death state. They rushed to his side, straining to dig him out of the wall and lay him flat on the ground.
With solemn care, they opened a bottle of medicine and poured it down Abe Seiya's throat. As the liquid entered his body, his aura gradually stabilized, and his faint breathing grew steadier.
"Did Abe Seiya really lose?"
"What kind of strength does Chen Chen possess? He defeated Abe Seiya with just a bamboo stalk!"
"Could we have overestimated Abe Seiya? Perhaps he's all reputation and no substance."
With the outcome settled, the surrounding Onmyōji onlookers immediately began to speculate. Some suggested Chen Chen had used special techniques far beyond his apparent capabilities, while others argued that Abe Seiya's own weakness was to blame. No consensus emerged. From the current perspective, those of lesser skill were completely unable to discern Chen Chen's true level.
Chen Chen noticed the Abe Clan retainers opposite him were watching him intently, their defensive stances suggesting they feared a surprise attack.
"Don't worry," Chen Chen said, slowly shaking his head as he gestured to the collapsed Abe Seiya on the ground. "I have no interest in weaklings like the Abe Clan."
Abe Seiya was nothing more than that—a non-threat. To Chen Chen, he was like an ant, something he'd crush out of boredom. Whether the ant lived or died didn't matter.
"What did you say?!" The lead retainer immediately drew his katana, its cold blade glinting as it pointed at Chen Chen. The other two retainers' eyes burned with fury.
Their clan had served the Abe Clan since the time of Abe Seimei. The Abe Clan was their lord, their very honor. Now, Chen Chen had insulted their faith, and their fury erupted. Their katanas were drawn, their blades flashing with icy light!
"Another fight?"
"The master lost. Send in the dogs."
"Let's fight. We'll just watch the show."
-----------------------
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