The Gamer's POV

Chapter 338: Cedric’s Stubborn Child

"Aiiiissshhhh...!"

The impact of the blow was heavy enough to shake the room, and Cedric’s boots skidded across the stone floor before finally coming to a halt several meters away.

The dust that had billowed out from the strike then settled to reveal Cedric standing firm with one hand raised. Apparently, just before the Oni struck, he had raised his left hand to block the blunt force of the weapon.

At that moment, the Oni’s voice sounded like a rumbling engine as he counted his words:

"I. Dislike. This..."

He kept his eyes fixed on the ring on Cedric’s finger, and he seemed really wary of it. "If you think that—"

"Oi." He was still speaking when Cedric cut him off in a really angry voice.

"You stubborn child..."

His blue eyes began to bleed into a deep, solid black as he lifted his head to see the Oni standing in a relaxed, cocky position with his club resting back on his shoulder and a mocking grin on his face.

"This is my sacred space, you ungrateful brat."

Cedric gritted his teeth, dropped his hand, and cracked his neck to the side. Suddenly, his voice dropped an octave, echoing in the entire space. "Let’s take this outside."

He snapped his fingers, and the entire space around them warped as if reality itself was being twisted into a knot.

The numerous runes on the ground and walls flared with a blinding light, and in the next instant, all three beings vanished from the sanctum and reappeared in the open air outside, a fair distance away from the temple structure.

The smile on the Oni’s face dimmed as he looked around at the sudden shift in environment. He could see that all the ravens around them had begun to take to the sky, cawing angrily in their thousands.

When his eyes dropped opposite him, he could see Cedric slowly reach down and pull a sleek, dark katana straight out from his own shadow.

But what made him suddenly tense was that in Cedric’s left hand, he could see what looked like a white mask.

It was an Oni mask.

The white surface had sharp, exaggerated features, with two prominent horns protruding from the brow and a wide, sinister grin that revealed rows of sharp, golden fangs. It was the face of a wrathful demon, crafted to strike absolute terror into anyone who looked upon it.

The Akuma-Oni frowned and brought down his club as he stepped into a solid, defensive stance.

"I. Need. Free. Will," he growled.

With his eyes lowered, Cedric slowly raised his katana and pointed the tip of the blade straight at the Oni. Then, he responded in a voice devoid of any warmth.

"The window for asking politely... is closed."

***

Of course, Cedric was not stupid enough to bring a Klesha to life without trying to figure out how to deal with it afterward.

Right from the first time he had laid eyes on them, he had already known that they would be a headache for him.

So, right before he brought this Oni to life, he asked his Lord’s Eye two questions.

One, what would happen if after he brought them to life, they decided to cause chaos in this temple?

He could not afford to have a brawl in the temple, and most especially in the sanctum where the others were.

In response, the insight he received was that just as he could repair the damage to the temple through intention, he could also alter the geography of the space itself to relocate any threat instantly.

That was how he managed to bring the three of them out of the sanctum so seamlessly.

As for the second question, he had asked how to suppress a rebellious summon if things went south.

That was when he figured out that all his Kleshas and Kushalas had specific objects which acted as temporary confinements and could be used to force them into unwilling submission.

As for the Oni, he had five masks which could be used to cause pain, shackle the creature, and control it as he wanted.

The one Cedric was currently holding was the white mask of regret, restlessness, and attachment.

All he needed to do was to put that mask on the Oni’s face and the spiritual shackles of the artifact would instantly paralyze the demon, forcing him into a state of unwilling compliance.

Cedric stared at the mask and, having now made up his mind to shackle the insolent child, he muttered chillingly:

"The window for asking politely... is closed."

Upon hearing that, the Oni roared and exploded forward in a burst of terrifying speed toward Cedric with his club raised high above his head. He got to Cedric and swung down with pure brute strength. But just before the blow could land, Cedric stepped graciously to the side, and the heavy club of the Oni smashed into the field of daffodils, scattering petals and tearing up the earth.

The Oni did not stop, and barely a second after missing his first strike, he spun around and swung the massive weapon again.

Cedric quickly reversed his grip, making his blade face backward with the hilt facing forward. Then, with perfect timing, he caught the heavy wood of the club right on the hilt of his katana, blocking the strike with flawless precision.

The furious demon swung again, but in the same manner, Cedric blocked the blow, and the next with the hilt of his katana.

Of course, the Oni was both strong and insanely fast, but his movements were fueled entirely by raw rage. And against a skilled ronin like Cedric, that lack of discipline made him completely predictable.

...After a series of futile, heavy strikes, Cedric took advantage of an opening. He leapt, spun, and delivered a crushing kick right into the temple of the creature.

The demon was sent skidding to the side, and his bare feet tore deep grooves through the field of daffodils.

However, Cedric did not stop. The creature’s heavy momentum finally slowed and halted. But before he could even shake off the disorientation from the first hit, Cedric’s knee collided violently with his face, flattening his nose and knocking his head back.