Chapter 83: The Price of Oversight

“Hah! Hey! Hey! Hey! Die!”

The moment Feathered Storm descended upon their heads, a golden figure soared skyward.

It transformed into a series of brilliant golden streaks, and the health bars of Great Tengu and Snow Woman visibly plummeted.

Only when Feathered Storm finally dissipated did the golden figure cease its assault, landing gracefully beside Snow Woman.

This dazzling display was none other than Blade Oni Princess’s ultimate ability, Ominous Blade.

During its activation, the skill continuously inflicted damage upon enemies while rendering its user completely invincible.

Blade Oni Princess had skillfully exploited this very trait, not only evading the devastating effects of Feathered Storm but also seizing the opportunity to slay Great Tengu and cripple Snow Woman.

Great Tengu’s demise brought a wave of relief, a piece of good news that, for now, extended only to Blade Oni Princess and Shiro Mujou.

Oh, and of course, Wang Tianming was still among the living.

Indeed, your eyes did not deceive you; the one who had miraculously survived Feathered Storm was not the notoriously tanky Raccoon Dog, but the seemingly fragile Shiro Mujou.

Great Tengu, a Super Shikigami, wielded damage beyond mortal comprehension.

Feathered Storm inherently possessed a potent slowing effect, ensuring that even the sturdiest tank Shikigami would perish completely if they endured the full brunt of the ultimate.

Moreover, Raccoon Dog had opted for a magic-tank build this time, not a pure defense one.

Ebisu, lacking any mobility skills, could only watch helplessly as his meager healing struggled against the relentless torrent of damage, eventually succumbing to death.

His first skill, Five Blessings Descend, proved insufficient to save him.

Similarly, Raccoon Dog, with his ultimate, Terror’s Descent, still on cooldown, found himself bereft of any escape, relying solely on his third skill, Century-Old Brew, which healed him far too slowly to compensate for the rapid health loss.

In a blink, he too fell.

So, how had Shiro Mujou managed to survive?

It turned out that the very instant Snow’s Embrace’s immobilization effect wore off, Shiro Mujou had activated his third skill, Spirit Transformation.

This remarkable ability granted him immunity to crowd control, boosted his movement speed, and, crucially, enveloped him in a formidable magic shield.

Powerful as Feathered Storm was, it could not immediately shatter Shiro Mujou’s shield.

By the time his protective barrier finally broke, he had already reached the very edge of the storm.

While Feathered Storm inflicted continuous damage, no single tick was enough to instantly kill, allowing Shiro Mujou to, astonishingly, survive.

Yet, every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor; those who sow the seeds must inevitably reap the harvest.

Shiro Mujou’s earlier oversight was about to bring about devastating consequences.

“Meow! It hurts so much, meow! I’ll have my revenge, meow!”

An utterly unexpected voice pierced the air, revealing none other than the “slain” Nine-Tailed Cat!

Nine-Tailed Cat’s first skill was a passive ability aptly named Nine Lives.

Naturally, despite its evocative name, game balance dictated that she could only revive once within a short timeframe.

Nevertheless, a single revival was often all she needed to be utterly lethal.

Positioned as an assassin, Nine-Tailed Cat boasted an exceptionally high critical strike rate and unparalleled agility, earning her the notorious moniker “Marksman Shredder.”

While eliminating marksmen was effortless for her, dispatching equally squishy mages was also well within her capabilities.

Shiro Mujou, being precisely such a mage, had already expended his life-saving skill.

Now, with his health severely depleted by Feathered Storm, a single touch from Nine-Tailed Cat would undoubtedly spell his doom.

“Meow! You’re the one who killed me, aren’t you, you scoundrel! I’ll tear you to shreds, meow!”

Nine-Tailed Cat was inherently vengeful; even the slightest conflict would leave her harboring a grudge.

To have been killed by someone’s own hand meant an unending vendetta.

Why was this considered Shiro Mujou’s oversight?

Because he could have discerned that Nine-Tailed Cat hadn’t truly fallen, and then rallied everyone to “guard her corpse.”

However, in his eagerness for a quick victory, he had overlooked this crucial detail, thereby planting the seeds of this disaster.

Shiro Mujou’s innate passive skill was called Soul Hunt.

Whenever he slew an enemy, a bun-shaped soul remnant would be left behind at their location, subsequently exploding to inflict damage.

Yet, when Nine-Tailed Cat “died” under his Impermanent Life Snatch, no such bun-shaped soul had formed, signifying that she had not truly perished.

“To think,” Shiro Mujou murmured with a wry smile, “I evaded Snow Woman’s Frost Wind Chill Night and Great Tengu’s Feathered Storm, yet I couldn’t escape you, this ‘furious’ cat demon!”

Knowing his fate was sealed, he embraced it completely, shouting, “‘Blade Oni Princess,’ take this! It’s my last flame!”

Shiro Mujou unleashed a torrent of dark crimson flames towards Nine-Tailed Cat—his second skill, Netherfire Art.

Immediately afterward, he employed his first skill, Soul Summoning Art, to yank out Nine-Tailed Cat’s very soul.

Under Shiro Mujou’s fierce assault, Nine-Tailed Cat’s health rapidly dwindled.

However, Nine-Tailed Cat executed a swift Pounce, closing the distance to Shiro Mujou and dispatching him with a single, decisive claw.

“Meow ha ha ha! Who can kill me! Meow ha ha ha!”

Having personally dispatched her enemy, Nine-Tailed Cat erupted in gleeful laughter.

Her gaze then sharply shifted to Blade Oni Princess, who stood nearby.

“Where is my target?”

A flash of white light illuminated the area, and a pink-clad figure materialized within Seimei Well.