Chapter 678: Nice to see you again
Mist spread everywhere and darkened the forest. The atmosphere seemed like demons or other such monsters might emerge and attack at any moment.
Seiji and the others remained on guard as they proceeded through the forest.
This forest hadn't existed just one moment ago. It was formed just like the black mist and cluster amaryllis flowers as a byproduct of the black mist realm.
Seiji felt that this place was resembling the Blood Moon Mountain even more as he trekked through the forest.
Although Kanzaki had already been defeated, this realm wasn't dispelled at all. It was still expanding!
The only apparent benefit was that no more ghosts appeared to attack Seiji and his party.
However, it seemed quite possible that the ghosts or something even worse would appear if this realm was allowed to continue developing.
While maintaining their guard, everyone proceeded as quickly as possible to Yoshihara's location on the minimap. More and more cluster amaryllis flowers became visible along the way. Finally, everyone witnessed a tremendous patch of flowers the color of bright-red blood, along with a strange large gray tree in the center of the cluster amaryllis flower patch.
This tree didn't have a single leaf. Its surface was covered with black runes, and its dense branches resembled countless hands reaching out towards the sky. This tree appeared quite demonic under the red moonlight.
Yoshihara's location was the same as this tree.
Either Yoshihara was within this tree, or... the tree itself was Yoshihara!
"Yoshihara-san..." Seiji walked up to the large tree and tried calling out.
There was no reaction.
Seiji walked over to the tree and placed his right hand on the tree bark.
His arm immediately started glowing silvery white while the tree glowed red. The runes on the tree began to glow as well.
Seiji instantly felt his entire right hand heating up, similar to what he'd experienced during the tournament contract ceremony. However, this time the heat kept increasing to the point where it was difficult to withstand! He did his best to grit his teeth and not make any sounds of pain.
*Ding dong~* Seiji heard the previous familiar clear sound that resembled a bell ringing.
His consciousness started to become hazy.
*Ding dong~* The sound rang out for a second time.
Seiji hazily saw two figures floating before him. One was male and one was female; one was black and one was white.
Yuuzou Yoshihara... Risa Kobayakawa...
Although Seiji was unable to see these figures clearly, he felt that they were these two people.
Just as he felt like he was about to witness a touching scene, he suddenly saw the white female figure viciously kicking the black male figure in the crotch!
'Ouch... she really used a lot of force in that kick.'
As a man, Seiji felt a chill run down his crotch from witnessing such a scene. He could only imagine what it must feel like.
Yoshihara grabbed on to his crotch and kneeled on the ground. It was evident that he was in great pain.
Risa lifted her foot again and viciously stomped down on his body!
How powerful... Seiji's mental image of a gentle woman (similar to Mayuzumi Amami) immediately collapsed after seeing such a scene.
Still, he felt that Yoshihara deserved the beating.
One could only vent by delivering such a beating to someone as foolish as Yoshihara!!
Risa continued her stomping for quite a while before she finally stopped.
She then crouched down next to Yoshihara and said something to him.
Yoshihara slowly lifted his head. Tears were streaming down his face.
Risa turned to look in Seiji's direction.
Although Seiji was unable to see her face, he could sense that she was smiling.
"Thank you..."
He also heard her speaking faintly.
"No need for thanks." Seiji smiled at her as well.
*Ding dong~* The sounds faded.
Seiji's vision suddenly returned to normal. The heat in his arm receded as the silver-white glow disappeared.
The glowing runes on the tree transformed into specks that resembled stars. These stars gradually rose up into the air and disappeared in the red moonlight, giving off a sorrowful beauty.
...Was that it?
What about the black mist realm? Did that still remain?
Seiji's cheeks twitched as he looked up at the red moon which remained in the sky.
The spellcaster Kanzaki had been defeated. The host creator for the spell, Yoshihara, had died and moved on to the next world. Yet, this black mist realm still remained!
Was it the type of spell that was unstoppable once it was activated? Was it only a matter of time before this island was completely transformed into a Spiritual World!?
No wonder it seemed like Kanzaki had allowed himself to "die" a little too easily. Had he already finished everything he needed to?
Seiji felt helpless as he returned to his companions.
"Yoshihara is gone now. But as you can see, the black mist realm still remains," Seiji explained. "All we can do now is determine the final victor of the tournament."
There were only six remaining people that hadn't been judged to have lost from the tournament yet. Everyone else together with Seiji had already lost the tournament.
Shigure and Keimi remained from Red Team, while Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa remained on Blue Team. According to the tournament regulations, the group stage of the tournament would end after all members of one team were defeated. The individual team stage would immediately commence after that.
"I'm willing to surrender," Keimi expressed directly. "However, will there still be any danger in surrendering at this time?"
"Kanzaki and Yoshihara are both gone now. There should be no more danger," Seiji told her.
Keimi glanced at him for a moment. She then formally surrendered for both herself and Shigure. The red light glowing from her palm's tournament contract confirmed this with the Bloodwine Spirit.
No black mist or other strange creatures appeared.
Seiji, Shika, Kanna, and Izawa soon all received a message from the Bloodwine Spirit that it was now the final round of the tournament.
Since only their two teams remained, they obviously became each other's opponents for this final round.
"Master..." Izawa looked at Kanna.
"Of course we're going to surrender," Kanna stated. "It's impossible for us to defeat Seiji and Kagura-san."
"Haruta-kun has expended a great deal of Mana and energy. We have a chance at winning."
"Ryuuno, are you such an underhanded person?"
"I'm willing to be underhanded if my Master requires it."
"I don't want to become such an antagonist. I feel like I'll have a pitiful death if I start acting like one."
"Then let us surrender, Master."
There would be a severe punishment according to the tournament's rules if one surrendered without even attempting to fight. However, Kanna and Izawa didn't hesitate.
The Bloodwine Spirit thus drained a large amount of spiritual blood from both of them, causing damage to their bodies and souls. Both Kanna and Izawa kneeled on the ground and spat blood!
"Kanna, Izawa-kun!" Seiji hurriedly checked their condition.
At this moment, the Bloodwine Spirit declared Seiji and Shika to be the final victors! Both their hands immediately started glowing a bright red as a complex mystical dark-red spell formation appeared in midair.
This spell formation started glowing. A bright-red liquid materialized within which was crystal-clear as if it was the liquid form of a ruby. This liquid glittered brilliantly as if it was ethereal.
Seiji and everyone's attention were attracted to this liquid.
"So beautiful..." Keimi couldn't help but praise it.
This liquid was indeed beautiful. Everyone could sense that it contained great power.
This was the Challenger's Bloodwine!
Seiji didn't know what the best red wine in the world was like. However, he felt that the beauty of this spiritual Bloodwine probably surpassed that of any mundane red wine in the world.
He wondered what this Bloodwine would taste like... would it taste like regular wine?
The bright-red liquid condensed itself into a smaller ball. The spell formation then transformed itself into the shape of two goblets to hold all the liquid. The goblets then started floating towards Seiji and Shika.
The two of them were just about to reach out and grasp the goblets when black mist suddenly appeared!
"Get away!"
Everyone vigilantly avoided the black mist.
This suddenly appearing black mist enveloped the two goblets of spiritual wine, combining together and then speedily forming to become a human-shaped figure.
Incomparably dense mist soon materialized into something physical. Bright-red runes covered this figure as it soon formed a tremendous body with buff limbs, a vicious-appearing face, sharp claws, blood-red long hair, and dark-red horns...
Seiji's cheeks began to violently twitch after seeing this great demon.
He then began to curse inside once a large wine gourd and blood-red axe appeared.
Now, he received proof that this black mist realm would indeed develop into another copy of the Blood Moon Mountain.
Should he say something like "Nice to see you again?" It was almost like this bastard was becoming an old acquaintance!
Shutendoji, the King of One Hundred Demons!!