Waltz of the Wraith - Chapter 117

Chapter 117 – Waltz of the Wraith

And Geto looked around him—at the metal floating in the air, at the shaking earth below, at Ren Sato in the sky wielding a sword of black iron—and he smiled like a madman.

"AHAHAHAHA!" he burst out laughing, voice echoing across the battlefield. "You're able to use more than one cursed technique?! How impressive! Since you're truly going all out, I should respect you..."

His eyes gleamed with chaos.

"...and go all out myself!!"

He swung his hand down.

With a snap of cursed energy, a new curse formed from thin air—a tall figure with four deep-set eyes, pale and elegant, its long black hair flowing all the way down its back like ink. Its mouth was lined with puppet-like edges, its face cold and still, blank yet haunting.

"Tamamo-no-Mae."

Another special grade.

Ren's eyes snapped wide. His grip tightened on the sword.

"Fucking hell," he muttered, "Tamamo-no-Mae? Even I don't know what that does. It only showed up once in the manga or anime! Have to be careful…"

He didn't hesitate.

Ren swung his sword hard—not just one attack. All the floating metal responded to the gesture.

CRASH!

An iron rain fell across the sky.

Rods. Nails. Shards. Beams. An industrial storm.

Tamamo-no-Mae simply floated, its puppet-like gaze locked on Ren.

Ren didn't stop moving.

He launched forward, red stitch wrapping his limbs and boosting his speed even faster. His body tore through the air as he dashed toward Geto, the cursed sword rising.

Another swing—and Flood Maw fired off again!

A thin, fast arc of pressurized water shot straight at Geto.

But—

Tamamo-no-Mae floated in front of him, slowly, gracefully.

The blade of water passed right through both Tamamo and Geto. No damage. No reaction. Not even a scratch.

It was like they weren't even there.

Ren blinked, mind racing. 'The attack… phased through them? No, wait—'

BOOM!

A sound roared behind him.

Ren turned—too slow.

A hulking mass flew through the air toward him—Mahoraga.

The Divine General had adapted.

Two massive white wings had sprouted from its back—feathered, yet skeletal, bat-like, and inhuman.

It was flying now.

Mahoraga swiped with its arm, but Ren reacted fast—he pointed.

Impale.

The hundreds of floating rods and spikes he'd gathered now fired all at once—straight at Mahoraga midair.

THWUNK! THWUNK! THWUNK!

The Divine General was struck from all sides—crashing down to the ground under the sheer weight of impalement. The impact shook the battlefield.

And Ren wasn't done.

"Magnetic Decree: Iron Ruler!"

More iron ripped free from below. Poles, beams, and rebar. Everything shot upward.

Mahoraga was buried in it.

It was only for a second, but it bought time.

Ren turned his attention back to Geto—but Geto was already reacting.

His curses—dozens, hundreds—rose into the air, forming walls of flesh and teeth.

Meat shields.

Iron spikes clanged into them and stopped short.

Ren narrowed his eyes. 'He's using his army to block the metal… smart…'

And then Geto's hand rose again.

"Come out—"

A new cursed spirit manifested behind him.

"'Waltz of the 'Wraith'—Yūrei no Mai! Start the dance!"

Ren flinched.

"'Yūrei no Mai'? What the fuck is that?! I don't remember that name in the manga! I've never heard of a curse like that!"

The cursed spirit emerged—a ghost-like form wrapped in torn silken robes that shimmered faintly, as if lit from beneath. A white Noh mask covered its face, its movements graceful… and slowly starting to sway.

A soft melody spilled into the air.

Delicate. Eerie. Beautiful.

But something was wrong.

Ren blinked.

And then—

His legs stopped responding.

He couldn't feel them. He couldn't move.

His cursed energy was still flowing. His mind was still alert. But he was falling. The air tugged at him, gravity returning.

Ren's eyes widened in disbelief.

'I can't move… I'm falling—?!'

Even Mahoraga, deep in the crater and pulling metal rods out of its body, slipped. Its foot landed wrong. The divine shikigami stumbled, falling to one knee.

Ren saw it.

Even Mahoraga was affected.

And still the haunting melody played on.

Geto laughed.

"You see it now, don't you?! I meant what I said, Ren Sato!"

He held his arms open.

"There is a difference between us! YOU. CAN'T. WIN!!"

And with that, Geto jumped off the massive bird curse, cutting through the air as he rushed straight toward Ren—who was now falling fast from the sky, his body limp, the ghostly melody still echoing around him.