The chess piece landed.
At the void rift, strands of lines began to spread.
Horizontal, 19 lines.
361 intersection points emerged along the grid, and at the very center, a single white chess piece was already embedded there.
Precisely at the core of the void rift.
The swift-moving crowd looked up.
They saw that the previously expanding rift had actually stopped.
Under its glow, the black void ceased to expand.
Moreover, it even began to contract bit by bit.
Though the speed didn’t match the rapid expansion when the rift initially appeared, they could clearly discern that the fissure was shrinking.
At the forefront, Hanakaiin Haru curled his lips into a grin.
He knew it. Hanakaiin Tōru would never disappoint.
Clad in Frost Armor and wielding a Frost Longsword, Hanakaiin Itsuki curled his lips in disdain.
Though reluctant to admit it, Hanakaiin Tōru was indeed stronger than he was.
Tsuchimikado Motoharu let out a faint chuckle, his gaze fixed on the chess piece in the void, eyes filled with caution.
Had Hanakaiin Tōru truly grown so powerful?
Sealing a void rift — even those elder beings would have to work together to barely accomplish such a feat, wouldn’t they?
Could he become a significant threat to the lord?
Tsuchimikado Motoharu pondered deeply.
Hu Qiandai voiced her admiration without reservation.
During her era, there were strong individuals.
Quite a few, in fact.
Not to mention her arch-enemies — even those rivals vying for “the world,” each of them had been dazzling in their own right.
But even if those people from her era appeared in this modern age, how many could reach the level of Hanakaiin Tōru, Hanakaiin Haru, Hanakaiin Itsuki, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, or her dear friend?
Hanakaiin Tōru needed no further explanation; the move before their eyes, “Tengen. Great Unity,” only reminded her of the infamous “Devil King,” who had mysteriously vanished in a blaze.
Hanakaiin Haru and Hanakaiin Itsuki? At the very least, they were on par with legends like Honda, Sanada, or Keiji.
Give them time, and they would undoubtedly reach those heights.
As for Tsuchimikado Motoharu?
She inexplicably thought of Hanzo, the brilliant strategist who had dedicated everything to his lord.
Though entirely unrelated, as soon as she laid eyes on Tsuchimikado Motoharu, he reminded her of that genius tactician.
However, none of that mattered.
What mattered was her friend.
Only relentless charge.
That unyielding figure pressed forward without pause.
She couldn’t pinpoint who her friend resembled, yet somehow, they resembled many.
Those who risked their lives to uphold the conviction of “justice” within their hearts.
At this moment, Hui Lijing’s silhouette overlapped with those countless figures.
Transmitted from the void into the mortal realm.
That colossal figure noticed the changes in the rift, its previously languid movements instantly accelerating.
Eight heads, writhing like demonic tendrils, flailed incessantly.
Within mere moments, that immense shadow truly closed in on the void rift.
One of its eight heads eagerly rammed toward the white chess piece embedded in the rift.
Though no sound of piercing air was heard, everyone witnessing it felt the tremor deep in their hearts.
That was what they felt within.
And at this very moment—
"Daija. Demonic Transformation!”
Hanakaiin Tōru’s voice resonated once again.
Simultaneously, a black chess piece was placed at the corner of the board.
The black piece landed, its brilliance shimmering, interlacing with the glow of the white piece.
The chessboard shifted.
Dragging the fractured void rift, it moved.
The immense head that lunged forward collided directly with the crystalline wall of the true void.
The pain inflicted by its own strength!
The pain caused by the counterforce of the crystalline wall!
It drove the colossal monster to roar furiously.
But no one could hear it.
Hanakaiin Tōru coughed continuously.
"Tōru, are you alright?”
Hanakaiin Ra worriedly knelt halfway before his older brother.
This young onmyoji knew his brother was powerful, but he had never imagined that his brother could be this formidable — capable of sealing a ruptured void.
And even relocating the rift.
The cost was not trivial!
Hanakaiin Ra could clearly sense the change in his brother’s aura.
It wasn’t a favorable one.
"Still able to hold on for a while.”
Hanakaiin Tōru responded, his tone calm as he gazed towards the shattered void.
There, the massive, deity-like creature roared unrelentingly.
Eight heads, sixteen eyes glaring fiercely in their direction.
It had fixated on him!
This unexpected turn had drawn the monster’s attention to this insignificant ant.
Hanakaiin Tōru smiled faintly, remarking before placing another chess piece.
Three pieces in succession.
White chess pieces began to appear within the void, accelerating the fissure’s restoration.
The deity-like monster roared again and lunged forward.
Another black piece landed, shifting the fissure once more.
This time, it narrowly avoided one of the monster’s eight heads.
The remaining seven heads, already prepared, surged toward the newly relocated fissure.
Another black chess piece landed, the fissure moved again.
Three of the monster’s heads slammed into the void crystal.
Yet the remaining four heads continued advancing.
They raced towards the fissure once more.