A man among dragons, building a mysterious ancient church.

Chapter 305 Kazama Ruri: The Old Church is Too Cunning
When asked about the purpose of his trip, Kazama Ruri smiled slightly, a smile that radiated a brightness and gentleness rarely seen in men: "I received orders from the King."

"The King said he had discovered that from last year until now, many of the ghosts had been taken care of by the Old Church, and he asked me to repay the Old Church in the same way..."

"Kazama-san, don't rush." ​​Inuyama Taro, no longer polite as before, abruptly interrupted Kazama Ruri's speech.

Inuyama Taro's voice suddenly became ethereal, like a breeze rustling through a wind chime. Anyone unaware of the situation would surely mistakenly think that Inuyama Taro was trying to outdo Kazama Ruri in a gentle voice.

That ethereal voice, like the song of a nightingale, was both beautiful and melodious, gentle and serene, inexplicably calming and soothing the soul.

It's as if Taro Inuyama picked up a trowel and smoothed out all the turbulent emotions and desires in Ruri Kazama's heart, turning the originally turbulent sea of ​​her heart into a calm and still lake.

Having lost everything I wanted, I feel no anger, no desire for revenge, no dark emotions; I am neither happy nor sad, just peaceful and serene.

At this moment, Kazama Ruri was infinitely more peaceful than any so-called holy monk or ascetic.

Yes, Kazama Ruri shut her mouth. Why was she in such a hurry? Why did she deliberately threaten the Old Church?
Why not just tell the Old Church that he intends to cooperate and hopes to join forces with them to eliminate the King General using the Old Church's mysterious method of sealing the power of words?

I remember now. The reason I said that was to put pressure on the old church and make them show their corresponding strength. Those who are not strong enough are not worthy... No, wait!
Kazama Ruri's exceptionally profound spirituality helped him snap back to reality before he could completely calm down, his vision suddenly filled with darkness.

Two fists had completely blocked out the view!
Miyamoto Ogawa and Fuma Matsu had somehow rushed in front of Kazama Ruri, and threw punches from the left and right!

Kazama Ruri herself said that she received orders from the King to take revenge on the old church, so why should they be polite? Why should they wait for Kazama Ruri to finish speaking so slowly?

Let's just get to it! There's no need to wait for Kazama Ruri to finish speaking!
Seize the opportunity when Inuyama Taro uses Soul Soothing, give him no chance, and ideally take the opportunity to kill Kazama Ruri instantly!
Kazama Ruri snapped back to reality in time, not even having time to think about Inuyama Taro's mysterious methods. There was no room for thought, and no ideas came to mind.

Yes, it's just that after countless battles, the body's most natural and subconscious reaction is to lower its head!
Without a moment's hesitation, Kazama Ruri desperately lowered her head, pressing it down with all her might, and finally managed to use her hard skull to block Miyamoto and Fuma's two punches!

To avoid the tragic fate of having both eyes blown out and becoming blind.

'Boom! '

Two muffled thuds sounded simultaneously, one after the other, overlapping to form only one sound.

Ruri Kazama's head was struck, sending her flying more than ten meters, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before crashing heavily onto the plaza floor. Due to the powerful inertia, she slid several meters further outward.

The bright red kimono, embroidered with spider lilies, was torn and damaged as a result.

As expected of someone of royal blood, even with such a heavy blow to the head, Kazama Ruri did not fall into a state of dizziness. Instead, her eyes turned golden, and she stood up angrily with a ferocious expression!

Kazama Ruri's anger surged. If it weren't for the fact that his Word of Power was that of a Dream Eater, whose mental strength far surpassed that of ordinary hybrids and was even stronger than that of ordinary royal blood, he might have been instantly killed by the Church of the Old Ones if he hadn't regained consciousness in time!
At the very least, they'll end up with their eyes popping out in an embarrassing way.

"you……!"

Before Kazama Ruri could utter any threats or unleash her Word of Power, Inuyama Taro and his three companions, working in perfect unison, continued their attack, completely abandoning their bad habit of stopping halfway through the battle to whine and complain.

Sakurai Masami closed her eyes at some point, and Kazama Ruri opened them again when she was knocked away by Miyamoto and Fuma: "No, I can't force myself into the dream."

At this moment, Miyamoto Ogawa and Fuma Matsu attacked Kazama Ruri from both sides, but Kazama Ruri was much faster than them and easily blocked all the attacks.

She retaliated several times in an instant, but even though she was blocked by Miyamoto and Fuma, the enormous, inhuman force with which Kazama Ruri made her move caused blood to spill from the corners of their mouths.

Are you kidding me? They're half-bloods, and they have the physical enhancement from the potion, yet even two against one couldn't overpower Kazama Ruri?

Taro Inuyama ran up after him: "Even after being calmed, he can't enter a dream? This is... a spiritual element? Be careful, he's about to unleash a Word of Power! A spiritual Word of Power!"

Sakurai Masami is a Dark Path Sequence 7 Nightmare, while Inuyama Taro is one rank higher, a Sequence 6 Soul Master. After advancing to Soul Master, Inuyama Taro can directly see various natural spirits (elements).

Even when a hybrid releases a Word of Power, Taro Inuyama can determine the type of Word of Power based on the changes in the elements he witnesses, but he cannot interfere with the Word of Power; he can only offer a warning.

Upon hearing Inuyama Taro's shout, Miyamoto Ogawa abruptly stopped and pushed his hand forward: "The release of incantations is forbidden here!"

In the past few months, Miyamoto Ogawa did not slack off. Since joining the Old Church, his dragon blood restlessness has been relieved, and he has also seen the phantom of the gods. He has been more diligent than anyone else.

Hard work pays off; Miyamoto Ogawa was successfully promoted to Rank 6 Judge last week.

What were they saying? The four members of the Inuyama Taro group were talking rapidly and without any attempt to conceal their conversation, openly plotting in front of Kazama Ruri.

The problem is, Kazama Ruri doesn't understand any of it. What does "entering a dream" mean? Is it another kind of spiritual power similar to his Word Power: Dream Baku?
How did Inuyama Taro determine his spiritual power? What was Miyamoto Ogawa saying? Who did he think he was? The Dragon King? Trying to suppress his spiritual power with a single sentence?
Ruri Kazama's anger could not suppress her curiosity about the old church.

He could still release the Baku, but... sweat streamed down Kazama Ruri's forehead and cheeks, and his heart pounded as if he were lacking oxygen, forcing him to gasp for breath.

Not only that, but the speed of movement and the force generated by the body suddenly slowed down and decreased, as if defying the law, and the overall quality was mysteriously restricted.

During the fight, Kazama Ruri was now finding it increasingly difficult to dodge Fuma Matsu's punches and kicks, and was forced to parry a few blows.

Holding his breath, he managed to release the Word of Power: Dream Eater, but it took much more stamina than before!

What kind of tactics are these from the old church?!

Kazama Ruri looked at Miyamoto Ogawa and felt that this guy was too much of a threat and had to be dealt with first. The formless and intangible Word of Power, Dream Baku, hit Inuyama, who suddenly accelerated and was protecting Miyamoto!

How is that possible? This guy can see the invisible and intangible dream beast? Otherwise, how could he suddenly accelerate and run over? And how could he intercept it so precisely?
Never mind, let's deal with Inuyama Taro first!
Kazama Ruri suppressed the trembling in her heart, parrying Fuma Matsu's attacks while pulling Inuyama Taro into the nightmare deep in her memory, intending to break Inuyama Taro's spirit.

"Taro!" Seeing this, Fuma Matsu also activated his ability, his invisible and intangible spiritual piercing severely shaking Kazama Ruri's spirit.

Taro Inuyama could see the mental elements, but Ruri Kazama couldn't see the mental piercing. "Ah!!" Ruri Kazama let out a scream, as if a ten-centimeter steel nail had pierced through her brain, driving her mad with pain!

Kazama Ruri tightened her bones, eliminating the gaps between them, and with one hand, she parried Fuma Matsu's fist, then with a flick of her wrist, sent him flying.

"Dragon Bone?" Miyamoto Ogawa's eyes widened as he finally recognized him, and he pushed his palm forward again: "He is of royal blood, just like Genjiro! Dragon Bone status is forbidden here!"

Suddenly, Kazama Ruri felt her body become heavy, her heart rate skyrocketed, and her heart stopped beating altogether, feeling as if she were being elbowed in the diaphragm!
Damn it, another "This area is prohibited" sign?! ​​Who are you, judge?!

Because of the connection between the Word of Power and the Dragon Bone, Kazama Ruri is doubly restricted, and her physical strength is like a reservoir being released from its dam, constantly consuming a lot of energy.

Just two seconds after the dragon bone was opened, sweat poured out from his body, soaking his entire spider lily kimono.

Worse still, not only did physical strength rapidly deplete, but the power and speed that should have increased exponentially in the Dragon Bone state were also mysteriously limited.

At the same time, Fuma Matsu, who had been thrown away, fired another mental piercing shot, and Sakurai Masami, who took over the close combat from Fuma Matsu, also launched an offensive!

"Ugh! You're asking for it!" With a second splitting headache, as if her brain had been assaulted by several steel nails, Kazama Ruri was no longer going to hold back.

With a 'whoosh,' the long sword hanging at her waist was drawn, its cold light reflected in the moonlight. Kazama Ruri, who had repeatedly suffered setbacks, finally revealed the fighting power befitting a half-blood emperor.

In just a moment, before she could even see the trajectory of the blade, Sakurai Masami, who had caught up, was already disemboweled.

Kazama Ruri wore a rare cold smile, as if mocking the old church for being so foolish as to dare to anger the real emperor.

Strangely, Fuma Matsu and Miyamoto Ogawa did not react at all, as if Sakurai Masami, who had been disemboweled, was not their friend.

Before Kazama Ruri could observe carefully, a black and muscular monster pounced at her. Kazama Ruri instinctively used her sword to block the attack and its sharp claws.

What is this? A werewolf?!
Kazama Ruri was surprised again. Sakurai Masami had disappeared, and in her place was a three-meter-tall werewolf!
That was one of the extraordinary items that Aso Makoto exchanged from the Old Church, specifically for them to use in guarding the Old Temple: the Bloodstained Wolf Fang.

Without dragon scales, without golden vertical pupils, and without any trace of dragon blood, it is simply the purest, upright werewolf covered in black wolf fur.

As for why Kazama Ruri could recognize that it was Sakurai Masami and no one else, it was because there was a wound on the other person's abdomen that was healing rapidly.

That was the wound that Kazama Ruri had just inflicted. The werewolf ignored the wound, simply stuffing the spilled internal organs back in, leaving Kazama Ruri dumbfounded.

What kind of monster is this? Don't the Old Church study dragon blood and this kind of thing?
Seeing Kazama Ruri stunned by Sakurai Masami, Miyamoto Ogawa seized the opportunity, clenched his left fist, and solemnly declared: "Death!"

This verdict granted Miyamoto Ogawa the bonus of Kazama Ruri's repeated violations of the law, allowing him to unleash a punch so fast it left afterimages, directly aimed at Kazama Ruri's neck!
Sensing the killing intent, Kazama Ruri switched hands in time, using her left arm to block the werewolf's attack and freeing her right arm, which was holding a sword, to slash at Miyamoto Ogawa!
At this critical moment, Inuyama Taro, who had been standing there dumbfounded, suddenly spoke in a clear, ethereal voice as if nothing had happened: "Kazama-san, why get angry?"

Those who are extraordinary in the Dark Path can be considered dream experts. When they are in Sequence 7 Nightmare, they can already freely enter and exit the dream world, let alone a Sequence 6 Soul Reaper like Taro Inuyama.
Inuyama Taro didn't even look at the nightmare that Kazama Ruri had just created before leaving. The reason he pretended to be affected was to take advantage of the opportunity to stab Kazama Ruri in the back.

"!" The moment Kazama Ruri heard that ethereal voice, she sensed something was wrong!

But there was no time to counter or defend. His continuous movements suddenly stopped. Yes, why was I angry... Before he could finish calming down, the werewolf and Miyamoto Ogawa attacked.

The judge acted later than the werewolf, but faster, snapping Kazama Ruri's neck first! The blow caused Kazama Ruri's neck to bend into a horrifying arc!

Immediately following was the werewolf's massive hand, which slapped Kazama Ruri on the head!
The immense force even exacerbated the distortion of her neck, causing Kazama Ruri's head to form an almost 90-degree right angle with her body.

The excruciating pain reawakened Ruri Kazama's spirit, and she was no longer so calm as to have lost all desire.

Fortunately, Kazama Ruri maintained her skeletal form, and the crooked neck injury that would have killed an ordinary person long ago did not become fatal in her skeletal form.

Seeing that Kazama Ruri could still move, Inuyama Taro and the other three were quite surprised. The vitality of the royal bloodline was truly remarkable.

As Inuyama Taro rushed forward, he continued to soothe Kazama-san: "Kazama-san, why don't you rest for a while?"

That ethereal and gentle voice made Kazama Ruri almost want to fall asleep. What the hell?! Again?!
How could the old church be so sinister?!
Fortunately, the constant, excruciating pain from her neck being bent at a ninety-degree angle interfered with Inuyama Taro's abilities. This time, Kazama Ruri did not fall into that kind of calm that comes with losing all desires. However, Kazama Ruri did not dare to stay any longer, fearing that the Old Church might have even more insidious methods!

Or perhaps reinforcements are on their way!
Kazama Ruri had carefully reviewed the intelligence on the old church and knew that Inuyama Taro was just the head priest, and that Bishop Aso Makoto, who was highlighted in the intelligence, had not yet appeared!

It might be here soon!

With her last bit of energy left, Kazama Ruri dared not be reckless any longer. With her head tilted to the side, she sped away at incredible speed, making it impossible for Inuyama Taro and the other three to catch up.

"Good heavens." Miyamoto Ogawa was dumbfounded: "Is this the royal blood? How could he escape so quickly after suffering such serious injuries?"

Fuma Matsu turned and glanced at Inuyama Taro: "Even with the added advantage of nighttime, Taro doesn't have that kind of speed."

Taro Inuyama, concerned about Masami Sakurai's werewolf condition, asked, "Are you alright? Bishop Aso said that using this sealing artifact would taint you with the Full Moon Curse."

"It's alright." The werewolf's rough voice no longer revealed Sakurai Masami's tone: "Anyway, with Taro's soul-soothing ability, just give me one to fight off the desire to kill and quell the bloodlust."

“And…” After transforming into a wolf, Masami Sakurai’s green eyes swept over the three men, and she grinned, revealing her wolf fangs.

"How much longer are you going to wait? Are you so eager to see if I'll still have my clothes when I turn back to normal?"

Hearing this, even if they had the same idea in their hearts, they couldn't stay any longer. The three of them, including Inuyama Taro, smiled awkwardly and quickly turned around.

The above is the mistake; please forgive their impure thoughts. They were just concerned about their teammates.

(End of this chapter)