Chapter 125: The Brainwashed Legendary Guardians of the Sarutobi Clan of Summoners

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From the second portal a suffocating vaporous fog rolled out in thick waves, carrying the sharp scent of ozone mixed with the heavy odor of ancient mountain rot.

"AWROOOOOOO!"

Noir’s ears twitched sharply as he stood on the high ceiling, glancing down at what could only be described as a direct "rival" to his own family line.

Slipping through the dense red mist came the Inugami, the Vengeful Hound Spirit. But this was no mere ordinary dog.

It possessed the massive muscular torso of a flayed wolf, its exposed skin pulsing with thick black veins filled with pure concentrated malice.

Two spectral disembodied canine heads floated symmetrically beside its main jaws. All three heads snapped and snarled with a maddened insatiable hunger for living flesh.

The creature roared mightily and swung its giant claws, unleashing three sharp waves of cursed cutting spiritual energy straight toward Kagehisa and Riven.

Both powerhouses stood completely still and released their Spiritual Auras at full strength.

Riven covered himself in a seamless fusion of hard scales and living biological armor. At the same time his Aura fully materialized and generated a massive palm of pure red mana that hovered protectively in front of him.

Kagehisa smiled with growing excitement and simply exuded his overwhelming Spiritual Pressure alone. The pressure took the form of a roaring red oni that towered behind him.

RUMBLE!

The incoming attack was instantly negated by their combined defenses. Yet the Inugami only laughed with a sickly twisted smile and released a black noxious breath in every direction, spreading a thick cloud of deadly poison across the throne room.

"Tsk!"

Kagehisa stepped back quickly and created a shadow veil spell for protection. But he watched in disbelief as Riven simply stood there and absorbed the entire poisonous cloud with a wide satisfied smile.

"My favorite."

Riven inhaled the poison deeply through both his nose and mouth, rapidly synthesizing it inside his body and making the deadly substance completely his own.

"GRRRR...!"

Meanwhile from the ceiling Noir leaped down with perfect precision and landed directly between Riven and the Inugami. He glared at the vengeful spirit with a furious low growl that promised violence.

"Oh? You want to play with him, Noir?"

"WOOF!"

Noir looked back at Riven and gave a firm nod, as if clearly saying that he wanted to take care of at least one major threat by himself because he felt he had let his master down earlier.

"Fine," Riven nodded in agreement and turned his attention toward the third and final portal.

Then his heart suddenly started beating much faster out of nowhere. His instincts and his entire body flared with immense overwhelming alert.

Something massively monstrous was beginning to surge from the third portal. It was a being that belonged to an ancient family of creatures now long extinct in the modern world.

The third and final portal did not snap open like the others. To Riven’s and everyone’s surprise, the portal bled. Literally.

SPLASH!

A sudden deluge of dark spiritual water flooded the entire throne room in a single second.

"Ugh! What’s this now?!" Kagehisa groaned as he swung his sword and cut cleanly through the black water in one powerful motion. "...Hah?!"

And then he saw it clearly. What emerged from the portal was none other than the Mizuchi, the Horned Water Dragon of Yomi, as it slowly slithered into the mortal plane.

Its scales were the exact color of stagnant deep-sea trenches. Its long serpentine body was ringed with sharp calcified crests that looked sharp enough to cut steel.

Unlike traditional benevolent dragons, the Mizuchi’s face was horribly humanoid and twisted into a permanent mocking grin that constantly exuded a lethal paralyzing miasma.

"Mizuchi! So the legends were true...!" Kagehisa cried out in pure disbelief. "Impossible...! How can you even control such a being, Ryujin?!"

Riven remained completely silent as he locked his eyes on that massive creature. An overwhelming sensation took over him in a single intense moment.

Hunger!

That beast, this massive creature of ancient history...

What would happen if he hunted it down and fully devoured it?

The only way to truly gain power from prey was by hunting it himself after all. That was exactly why he had been unable to eat the earlier white snake. It had been unfortunate.

But this one? Right here in front of him? He was not going to let it get away under any circumstances!

"The three guardians of Yomi..." Hinata’s voice trembled slightly. Her hands tightened around her ongoing hand-signs as her own Flood Frog King croaked a deep defensive warning note while standing protectively in front of her to shield her from the immense pressure of a Spirit Beast ranked far higher than itself. "The Sarutobi clan locked them away centuries ago because their malice was too great to control! Ryujin, you absolute lunatic, you’re going to destroy this entire city if you let them go wild!"

Ryujin laughed out loud with wild abandon. His spectral avatar floated higher in the air while holding the Blood Moon Lantern high above his head.

"Oh, there’s no need to worry about that, they’re my pets now! Gahahaha!" Ryujin roared. His boisterous charisma returned in a powerful wave of manic desperation.

The ancient red lantern bled a blinding crimson light that linked directly into his elaborate Irezumi tattoos.

"And now, by the power of my Magic, they serve a new master! ME!"

The violet-black energy on his back flared violently to life and forced the three apex spirits to bow their massive heads in complete obedience to his command.

They stood still for a long moment. Their eyes gleamed with golden-red light as they glared exclusively at their designated foes instead of looking around at their surroundings.

They had been completely locked onto their targets.

Then Kazama laughed out loud once more and pointed his spectral hand straight at the group.

"Kill them! Rip the flesh from their bones! Leave the Claymore bastard for last—I want him to watch his new pets get chewed to pieces!"

The Gashadokuro let out a piercing sonic shriek that shattered every glass fixture in the massive hall. It brought down a skeletal fist the size of a full carriage, aiming straight for Riven and Kagehisa.

BOOOM!!!

The enormous fist slammed into a dark barrier made of living shadows. Noir had moved in a literal flash of lightning. His massive form intercepted the blow just inches above Label’s head.

"N-Noir!" Label muttered in disbelief and relief. "Thanks!"

"Arf!" Noir had not forgotten that he still needed to protect her as well. The Inugami suddenly laughed mockingly at him from the side. "GRRR...!"

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