Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Another figure took over Yuri's burden, severing one of the Reaper's wings with a single strike, the remaining force cutting into its back. Unfortunately, it wasn't deep enough to cut it in two, and the Reaper let out a strange cry before darting out of the Spirit Binder's attack range.

During the time that Yuri and the Reaper were entangled, the Bound Spirit had completely broken free from the vortex's restraints.

"Warlock, good move. However, why not use magic to subdue the enemy, but instead fight with your bare hands?

Yuri mentally prepared an explanation for questions like, "I have magical power, but I don't actually know many spells, and there's no time to improve my proficiency on the spot," before finally replying, "Let's take down the Impermanent Ghost first!"

The spirit seemed to agree with this.

The Reaper quickly took two steps back, his gaze shifting between the Spirit Binder and Yuri before he assumed a fighting stance once more.

"Stop struggling! Give up, admit defeat!" Yuri tried to distract the other party with his voice, "You couldn't even easily defeat the bound spirit when it was only partially trapped before. Now that the bound spirit is free and there's an extra bonus, how could you possibly have a chance of victory?"

“One mistake. Another mistake.” Minagawa Dojin’s voice was deliberate and clear. “Even ants will unleash their power for their own lives. I did underestimate you—but—”

But? Yuri, wary, slowly approached his opponent, while the Spirit Binder, wielding a long sword, did the same.

"I no longer seek complete victory, even if it diminishes the effectiveness of the ritual!" With the Reaper's declaration, the spirit sap dolls that were entangled with Mingmei in the distance scattered on the ground, the spirit sap that made them up rapidly merging into the earth.

Integrate into the ground?

Then, a large number of arms stretched out from the ground, trying to grab everything on the outside.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

These arms did not cover the entire area, but this is likely not because they were incapable of doing so, but rather because they only appeared near the target of their attack.

Yuri suddenly stomped on the ghostly hand that was trying to grab his ankle.

Ghost hands, yes, they are made of spirit matter, but they have become almost materialized—and no matter how many Yuri breaks, new ones will always come to replace them.

The situation on the Spirit Binding side is similar. He can easily destroy these obstacles, but the obstacles are endless and cause damage every moment.

And the worst part... Yuri was surprised to find that things hadn't taken a sharp turn for the worse for Akemi. With Akemi's superhuman skills, she had dodged several attacks from the ghost's hand. The ones she couldn't dodge were dragged and interfered with by the Sin Eater girl she was carrying using puppetry techniques—their situation was becoming increasingly precarious, but they could hold on for a little longer.

Yuri created a bell-shaped protective barrier and reinforced the soles of his feet.

The ghost hands immediately began a fierce attack on the protective barrier.

"Foolish—you actually think you can build a perfect defensive point within my spirit field?" Taking advantage of the moment when the group was caught off guard by the ghost hand, the Reaper flapped its wings and took flight.

—Those wings probably couldn't support his weight at all, but if science could bring the Reaper down, Yuri hoped that Lord Newton would start immediately.

"Your spirit field?" Yuri repeated the other's words, his voice, which should have been very soft, clearly reached the Reaper's ears.

"It seems you've been blinded by your temporary victory. Have you forgotten? This place—has always been under the influence of my spiritual energy! My power is boundless!"

No, I haven't forgotten that... This U-shaped hotel has always been shrouded in a rectangular spirit field, and as the owner of the spirit field, Minagawa-do can adjust its intensity at will.

But why not do it sooner? These ghost hands are far more effective than those spirit phallus figures that have been chasing and never caught up, and their disruptive effect is just as good.

Yuri glanced around again and realized the reason.

The ghost, which had been ignored all along, entered and stopped.

“Using this level of spirit field will exclude even the ghosts you want to absorb!” Yuri raised his voice, hoping that every ally present could hear him, especially Akemi and the other person who were trying to move in this direction. “It’s completely sealed off; even those you want to let in can’t get in!”

"So what!?" The Reaper's voice was filled with obvious anger. "I can just kill you all here, and then restart the ritual! The vortex can hold out until—"

The monster in mid-air suddenly plummeted, dodging an arrow that had just passed where it had been standing.

The spirit-binding bow was drawn again.

"Good shot!" Although he didn't hit the target, Yuri still cheered loudly. That shot just now looked very close. Shoot more, shoot as many as you can, and you'll definitely hit the target.

"A military general must be skilled in archery and horsemanship; this is nothing special." Fu Ling's tone didn't sound like he was showing off.

Then Yuri witnessed what it meant to be utterly ordinary—the Reaper dodged the second arrow, then the third, and then the fourth arrow missed completely; it would have been shot even if the Reaper hadn't dodged it.

"...Didn't you say you wanted to be proficient in archery and horsemanship?" Yuri quickly searched for the cause of this phenomenon—was it the spirit field? Was the attack deflected towards its master?

Then he saw the fifth arrow, just as it was about to strike the Reaper's shoulder, being caught in the Reaper's hand and crushed to pieces.

"You really scared me, you outdated guy—I've never seen you use this before, I thought it was some kind of secret technique—your archery skills are just average!" The Reaper casually tossed the scraps in his hand down, which dissipated into the air before hitting the ground. "You think this can have any effect on me?"

The spirit-binding bow drew its bow again, this time taking a little longer to aim.

The Reaper dodged again, and the Spirit Arrow missed its mark once more.

Yuri subtly expanded the protective barrier; he knew what the spirit binder was doing.

If he could, the Bound Spirit would definitely want to shoot the Reaper dead, but as it stands, that's clearly impossible; he lacks the ability and there's simply no other way.

It's as if, if the Reaper could, he would certainly prefer to use his ghostly hand to crush all the people below to death, rather than go through a cycle of "appearance - creating obstacles - being forcefully broken through".

Therefore, the current act of binding spirits is essentially interference—Mingmei is about to run into Yuri's protection zone, and it's best not to let the Reapers attack them before she actually gets there.

If Minagawa hadn't been provoked, he should have been able to notice it. However, the fact that he suffered repeated defeats at the very moment of victory due to an enemy he didn't even respect greatly damaged the Reaper's confidence, causing him to lose his mind. This is the only explanation Yuri could offer.

The Reaper, Minagawa-do, is starting to go mad, which is good for our side.

After Akemi ran into Yuri's protective barrier, one of the most obvious weaknesses disappeared.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After confirming that Minagawa Dojin had stopped trying to dodge, Furyi put away his bow and arrow, switched to his longsword again, and assumed a challenging stance—only then did Minagawa turn his attention to Yuri, who hadn't shown much interest during this time.

Of course, Akemi, who had put the sin-eating girl on the ground to rest, also came into his view.

"You... when did you..." The Reaper's voice betrayed a hint of confusion, but it was quickly swept away. "You think you can achieve victory like this?"

"Phew, Minagawa-do!" Yamanaka Yuka, who had just been put down, caught her breath. Having been carried around the whole time, she had used up much less energy than Akemi, but judging from Akemi's nausea, she was probably in quite a bit of pain. "Stop being so stubborn! Cough, give up right now!"

“That’s right!” Yuri chimed in again. “I just checked, the vortex is gradually dissipating—your plan has failed!”

In fact, the vortex is indeed dissipating. Without the replenishment of ghosts, this spiritual vortex has become like a tree without roots, and it absolutely cannot continue. But it won't be that fast. If it continues to dissipate at the current rate, it would probably take hours to last until it disappears on its own.

Of course, that doesn't stop Yuri from rambling on about whatever comes to mind.

"Just kill you! Just kill you! Die!" the Reaper roared like a third-rate villain. "Want other bound spirits?! Go to hell and get them!"

This voice doesn't sound like Minagawa-do at all. Has the failure of his plan really been such a huge blow to him?

Without time to ponder what had caused his mental state to deteriorate so rapidly, Yuri focused on strengthening the protective barrier. The Reaper might have gone mad, but madness didn't equate to weakness. In close combat, he could still easily defeat Yuri, who hadn't fully mastered his body. This energy barrier was the most crucial element in protecting others.

The bound spirits surged forth frantically, trying to hold onto his entire body with their ghostly hands, but they were a step too slow.

The harvester slammed violently into the protective barrier and broke through it.

Normally, large objects are blocked by shields, while smaller objects might be weakened as they pass through—but now, Yuri encountered a third. The Reaper was large enough that it couldn't break through the barrier's defenses single-handedly, yet its strength was immense enough that the barrier couldn't effectively stop its advance.

Yuri's energy began to become disordered, and the protective barrier was being pushed aside by the Reaper.

"Die! Die ...!"

Akemi abruptly stood up and began dragging Yamanaka Yuka backward, avoiding the most dangerous areas, but they still couldn't go far enough—the pushing of the protective barrier was actually a manifestation of the barrier being constantly broken through and regenerated in new locations; it couldn't hold on any longer. The spirit threads that Yamanaka Yuka used in desperation were also useless; they came into contact with the Reaper, but had absolutely no effect on its movements.

Yuri charged forward and collided with the Reaper.

This will definitely work; his attacks can stop the Reaper's charge, and he won't die even if he takes two hits.

Is this useful enough? We'll have to wait and see how it performs.

Hold on, the scales have already tipped in your favor and won't be reversed by this momentary madness.

Yuri was convinced of this.

189 Sacrifices

With the help of the protective barrier, Yuri managed to fight the Reaper to a standstill for a time.

During the time it breaks and Yuri reopens, it will probably suffer some losses, but it shouldn't be a complete defeat.

The scene was a bit awkward, though; Akemi in the back was clearly looking like she wished she could take the lead herself.

The Reaper launches an attack—the barrier is partially breached—Yuri attacks the Reaper—Yuri is repelled—the time gained allows the barrier to rebuild.

Yuri himself wasn't too bothered: It was just like a fist bump, right? The Reaper would attack, and Yuri would counter with an attack from the opposite side. Once they collided, it would essentially relieve pressure on the protective barrier. So what if he got beaten up? His job of stalling for time was done!

And the situation was even better than Yuri had expected! Before the protective barrier collapsed, the Bound Spirit broke free from the Ghost Hand's restraints and rushed to the Reaper's side, slashing fiercely. The Reaper did not react to his approach, focusing only on attacking Yuri, and was hit solidly, with a severed arm falling to the ground.

“You have weakened, you ghost,” the spirit sheathed its blade slightly before slashing again, “The time for atonement has come.”

"Sin!?" The Reaper's voice sounded as if it were coming from his abdomen. "What sin have I committed? I have done nothing wrong—I have done nothing wrong!"

He blocked the blade with his other hand, but this time it didn't cut through in one blow; it was only severed in half. He used this opportunity to retreat again.

The Reaper has indeed become weaker. If he had been at this level from the beginning, that surprise attack when he stepped out of the vortex should have pierced him through.

The spirit hesitated for a moment and did not immediately give chase.

The Reaper's body began to flow again like liquid, and soon he raised his undamaged arms once more and ran towards the Bound Spirit once more.

"Enough, Mr. Minagawa, you've already lost—haven't you noticed? Your body is starting to lose its original form! What will you become if you keep fighting like this!?"

The voice of the sin-eater girl reached the ears of the reaper, but there was no immediate reply.

The Bound Spirit charged at the Reaper once more, this time striking the Reaper's body—the Reaper didn't even flinch—and nearly sliced ​​him in two diagonally.

In fact, Yuri was certain that the blow had completely sliced ​​through the Reaper's body; however, after the blade had passed through, the Reaper's wound was healing rapidly—the body that had been cut open was casually glued back together.

Then, faced with this relentless attack, the spirit had no choice but to retreat quickly. Even so, it was still hit twice. The injuries were not serious, but they would certainly not be good if they accumulated.

What's wrong with this Reaper? His state has changed several times since the start of the battle, hasn't it? Is this related to the sudden change in his mental state?

Reopen the protective barrier to confirm that it can hold out for a while even if the Reapers launch another attack.

A wave of weakness washed over him; his spiritual essence was running low, the extravagant use of it had caused considerable depletion—but Yuri wasn't in a hurry to replenish it. The vortex was right behind him; he could simply jump in when needed.

Akemi was staring intently at the two men locked in combat, muttering to herself, and Yuka Yamanaka was doing something similar.

They're probably looking for what they want to do; let them find it themselves. Yuri also has things he wants to do. Focusing his magical eye, Yuri observes the Reapers' condition.

Chaos reigned; the Reaper's body was a jumbled mess, making it impossible to glean any deeper information. Every fixed feature was replaced in an instant. Furthermore, Yuri confirmed his earlier suspicions: the connection between the Reaper and the Vortex was extremely strong—he was currently drawing supplies from the Vortex.

How many ghosts did the vortex just swallow? Yuri didn't count them carefully, nor did he intend to count them again. It was a considerable number. All he needed to know now was that it was impossible to sit back and wait for the Reaper's energy to run out.

Of course, Yuri didn't believe the other side could maintain this momentum indefinitely—even a Reaper couldn't continuously absorb external energy without problems; his current mental state might be the consequence. However, if they just waited like this, it was hard to say who would collapse first. —Even if Minagawa Doto eventually went mad too, Yuri felt it wasn't worth it.

Furthermore... if that's indeed the case, it also explains why Minagawa Dojin initially tried to avoid injury, but his condition rapidly declined after he was injured.

His body was filled with chaotic energy, like a vortex, and he kept using abilities that required precise control. Ultimately, the conflict between these two things damaged his spirit—perhaps he thought he could control it, but what if he was injured at the same time?

He can, and needs to, treat his injuries using these chaotic energies—Yuri often engages in this activity and still feels uncomfortable as a result. Minagawa Dojin's experience in this area may not be as good as Yuri's, and he has too many things to do at the same time. In the end, his treatment may very well turn into a half-baked mess.

In other words, there is no way to restore oneself to the best state; it is simply filling in the gaps.

Yuri still doesn't know how the spirit thinks, but it's normal that its thinking ability would be affected as its body gradually falls apart—it might be worse than that of a human, since humans only use their brains to think, while spirits... who knows if their knees might play an important role in thinking?

The vortex and the Reaper were inextricably linked. His body was being ravaged by the massive amounts of impurities sent by the vortex, yet simultaneously healed by this energy. It was destroying the Reaper while simultaneously keeping him alive. Becoming this chaotic mess was definitely not the Reaper's intention, but it just happened to be heading in the direction that would give Yuri and his group a headache.

If this connection could be severed, the harvester should fall apart.

Yuri gave it a try.

Yuri failed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Emerging from the mage's eye, Yuri felt dizzy. Just moments before, he had tried to sever the energy transmission... and then realized he had no idea how to do it.

What is the domain that governs energy? Force field and source matter? Which of these two seems particularly familiar to Yuri?

Yuri tried to achieve the same thing using the mystery of death, that is, he tried to make this energy transmission "decay"—at the beginning, even he himself did not know whether this was playing with words or it was really feasible, or what each field actually governed.

The facts gave Yuri a pleasant surprise: it really worked, and he could feel the energy transfer decreasing as he worked.

Then he hit him on the head with a stick: This energy transmission is as strong as the sun at nine or ten in the morning. It is not an easy thing to extinguish it. At least Yuri's remaining energy and ability are definitely not enough to do so.

Should we immediately jump back into the vortex? And then use the vortex's energy to cut off its own? Should we take this betrayal to the extreme?

While Yuri was performing probability calculations without any underlying data, Akemi seemed to have identified some signs.

"Attack his mask!" The female high school martial artist (if you can call her) who had been watching the fight shouted hurriedly to the spirit binding, "That's the only spot he ever dodged!"

Is that really the case? Yuri didn't see that.

The spirit's posture changed slightly, and then something subtle happened.

He launched several attacks on the Reaper's mask. The closest he came was when he almost never missed, as long as his hand didn't tremble. His blade paused for a moment in front of the Reaper's mask before changing direction and cutting to another place—it should have been the chest cavity, but the Reaper's appearance was strange, and it was hard to say exactly where it was.

"Just do as she says! Even if it's just to try!?" Yuka Yamanaka shouted, "Don't hesitate!"

The spirit-binding creature retreated again, shaking off the reaper's liquid body that remained on its body. "Too much!"

"What do you mean—" Yuka Yamanaka was about to ask more questions, but was interrupted.

“I’m very familiar with this. The shield—there’s a shield on the outside of that mask, protecting the mask itself.” Yuri was so familiar with this thing that it was almost instinctive. “Perhaps your spirit binder isn’t incapable of destroying that thing, but the Reaper won’t allow him to stay on it for too long.”