Curse Returns: Eight Extraordinary Skills? I lack nothing.

Let's wait and see.

Otsuku Yuta emerged from the passageway on the east side of the training ground.

She wore a white, wide-sleeved college uniform, had medium-length black hair tucked behind her ears, peacock blue eyes with heavy dark circles under her eyes, and a slender figure.

He wore a dark ring on the ring finger of his right hand, and a cursed samurai sword hung at his waist.

Although he looked a little tired, his steps were very steady.

At the same time, Tsukumo Yuki emerged from the passageway on the west side of the training ground.

Her long, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her height of over 1.8 meters made most men look up at her. Her leather boots made a crisp sound as they stepped on the ground. She had a beautiful face, but her eyes held a sharp and assertive aura.

She wore a dark, tight-fitting combat suit that accentuated her tall and well-proportioned figure, with a dark gold whip wrapped around her waist—that was her shikigami, Phoenix Wheel.

The two stood in the center of the field, about twenty meters apart.

Yi Gu bowed slightly, his tone calm.

"Senior, please give me your guidance."

Yuki Tsukumo glanced at him and tilted her head.

"You are Otsuku Yuta?"

"Yes."

"I heard you beat Xia Youjie."

"It was broken through by the senior."

Yi Gu's expression remained unchanged.

Yuki smiled, took the dark gold whip that was wrapped around his waist, and slammed it to the ground with a "crack," sending pebbles flying.

"Alright, then let me see just how strong you really are."

The referee stood at the edge of the field, raising his flag.

"Both sides are in position—"

The brightness of the barrier above the training ground was turned up to the maximum, the spell patterns on the ground began to glow, and the sense of oppression in the air suddenly increased.

The sorcerers in the stands held their breath in unison.

"preparation!!!"

Tsukumo Yuki gripped the bone whip tightly in his hand.

Yi Gu's right hand rested on the hilt of the knife.

"start!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Tsukumo Yuki moved first.

Her figure vanished from the spot, so fast that there was no afterimage—not by using a spell to teleport, but by pure physical speed.

Her long golden hair left a trail in the air, and in her hand, the dark golden bone whip had transformed into a long whip, lashing towards Yi Gu's face with a whooshing sound.

The cursed power attached to the bone whip had a dark golden luster, and wherever the whip passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a sharp hissing sound.

This whip is not only fast, but more terrifyingly, "Star Fury" gives it enormous imaginary mass.

The sacrum did not retract.

His sword was already drawn.

The blade traced a purple arc in the moonlight, striking the bone whip with unerring accuracy.

"when--"

The sound of metal clashing was deafening.

Yigu felt a tremendous force coming from the blade—not from the strength of Tsukumo Yuki's arm, but from the terrifying mass of the bone whip itself.

He was jolted back half a step, and his hand felt slightly numb.

But he didn't reveal any flaws; his left hand had already formed a hand seal.

咒言

"Don't move."

This is a spell copied from Dog-Turtle Thorn, capable of restricting the opponent's actions with a forceful verbal command.

Tsukumo Yuki's body suddenly stopped, as if his feet were fixed in place by invisible chains.

Yi Gu seized the opportunity, pressed forward, and slashed at Jiu Jiu's waist with his long sword imbued with magical power.

His movements were swift, the blade gleaming with a purple, magical light. If this strike landed, it would at least disrupt her rhythm.

however--

Ninety-nine Yuki did not dodge at all.

Dark golden patterns appeared on her body—visible armor of cursed power formed by the high-density mass condensed by "Star's Fury".

The blade of the bone cut her side.

"Ding--"

The sound of metal clashing rang out again.

The blade failed to cut through her skin, not even leaving a mark.

Yi Gu's pupils contracted slightly.

Tsukumo Yuki looked down at the spot where he had been cut, then looked up at Etobone.

"Finished chopping?"

She grinned.

"Then it's my turn."

Jiujiu Yuki suddenly broke free from the spell's bindings, and with a wave of his right hand, his bone whip swept across, heading straight for Yigu's chest.

This attack was even faster than before—Star Fury increases mass without decreasing speed, so the momentum of each attack was absurdly large.

Yi Gu's body jerked backward, the bone whip flying across his chest, the resulting gust of wind making his white uniform flutter loudly.

The next second, Yuki Tsukumo's fist arrived.

Her right fist clenched, covered with a dark golden glow of magical power, and she charged toward Yi Gu like a cannonball—a full-force punch empowered by the Wrath of the Stars, a punch powerful enough to alter the terrain.

Bone knew it couldn't take the hit head-on.

He leaped backward, a layer of purple magical energy condensing on the blade.

But the speed of the ninety-nine yogis was faster than his.

The fist slammed into his knife.

"boom--!"

With a loud bang, Yi Gu's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, somersaulting twice in mid-air before landing on the ground twenty meters away.

He landed on both feet, plowing two long tracks into the ground.

The long sword in his hand trembled slightly, and a small crack appeared on the blade.

Yi Gu looked down at the crack and frowned slightly.

Ninety-nine, remaining in place, withdrew her fist and patted off non-existent dust.

"Your knife is good; it hasn't broken yet."

Yi Gu looked up at her.

"The senior's fists are also very hard."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Tsukumo Yuki tilted her head and looked into Erythro's eyes.

"However, if you don't use Rika again, you might not be able to withstand the next punch."

Yi Gu remained silent for a moment, then looked down at the ring on his right finger.

He nodded.

"As you wish."

The magical power surged forth from the ring.

The sheer volume of magical power made the air in the entire arena thicken—even the first-level sorcerers in the stands felt a sense of suffocation.

Purple magical energy condensed behind Yi Gu, gradually outlining a huge female figure.

Shikigami, Rika.

Fully revealed.

Rika's figure emerged from the void, more than twice the height of Eto, her enormous hand outstretched, hovering beside Eto.

She exuded a terrifying level of magical energy, and a cold and heavy aura enveloped the entire training ground.

Gasps of surprise rose and fell from the stands.

"This is Rika?"

"Wow... such immense magical power..."

"Yotsu really summoned Rika!"

Yuki looked up at Rika without a trace of fear on her face; instead, she smiled even more excitedly.

"now it's right."

She clenched her fist, and dark golden magical power condensed into a tangible layer of light on her fist.

"Play seriously with me."

Section 5, Round 2: Tactical Offense and Defense

Yi Gu did not give her another chance to make the first move.

The ground beneath his feet exploded, and his body transformed into a blur as he rushed toward Tsukumo Yuki—taking Rika with him.