After being sent flying, Ren Kuroda skidded across the ground for nearly a thousand meters, smashing through obstacle after obstacle before finally crashing into a heap of shattered stone and rubble.
Lying there amid the debris, his entire body throbbed with dull pain.
But compared to the aches of torn flesh and battered muscle, what troubled him far more… was that deep, indescribable agony from moments ago.
After entering his Half-Oni Transformation, Ren's body had become extraordinarily resilient. The oni were a race born for battle, after all.
Even that kick from Enma—which had launched him nearly a kilometer—looked devastating, but for someone as tough and durable as Ren, it wasn't truly severe damage.
Especially since he possessed Regeneration.
Even now, the injuries across his body were visibly healing at a rapid pace.
And yet—
Just like the first kick he had blocked earlier, the blow that struck his abdomen had caused a momentary lapse in his consciousness… along with an overwhelming pain that defied description.
Unlike the physical wounds that were steadily mending under the effects of Regeneration, this deeper injury… showed no signs of recovery whatsoever.
"…I see now," Ren muttered, pushing himself up slightly from the rubble, his expression tightening as realization dawned. "Those kicks… they weren't targeting my body. They hit my soul directly."
"That's why—even though I blocked it—I still took serious damage."
Climbing slowly out from the debris, Ren pieced it together.
That pain—
It had felt like his very soul was being torn apart.
As the ruler of the Root Country, Enma didn't just command the dead.
She could attack the soul itself.
Unless one possessed a rare ability or a sacred artifact capable of protecting the soul, it remained the most vulnerable aspect of any living being—not the body's vital points, but something far more defenseless.
And yet, it was also the most essential.
Without a soul, a living being was no different from an empty shell.
No matter how powerful one's body or how potent their regenerative ability, the strength of the soul was something largely fixed. Once damaged, it was nearly impossible to recover without extraordinary means.
Ren, as a reincarnator who had traversed multiple worlds, possessed a soul far stronger than that of an ordinary human.
But even so—
All that meant was he could endure a few more hits.
It didn't actually solve the problem.
He had no means of defending his soul.
No techniques to counter soul-based attacks.
Against Enma's ability to strike directly at his spirit, the situation was… extremely troublesome.
With a burst, the rubble exploded outward as Ren stepped free.
Thanks to Regeneration, most of the physical damage Enma had inflicted had already healed.
But after sliding across the ground for nearly a kilometer, his clothes were now in tatters.
Setting aside his injuries, his appearance alone was… undeniably miserable.
Seeing him emerge in such a disheveled state, Enma's lips curled into a satisfied smile. She leisurely took another drag from her kiseru, her crimson lips parting slightly in clear amusement.
As the sovereign of the dead, Enma had her pride.
Ren had just left her hair disheveled moments ago—of course she hadn't forgotten that.
Now, seeing the once strikingly handsome young man reduced to something resembling a dirt-covered beggar, she finally felt a sense of balance restored.
That said—
Beyond her personal satisfaction, she was genuinely surprised.
Despite everything, Ren was still standing.
And not only that—his fighting spirit hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Her Soul-Shattering Kick functioned exactly as he had deduced—it struck directly at the opponent's soul.
Which meant physical defenses were meaningless.
She was kicking the soul within the body itself.
Ordinary beings wouldn't survive even a single blow—their souls would shatter instantly.
Even those at the so-called calamity-breaking or planet-shattering tiers could endure, at most, one or two hits more.
It was true that stronger individuals often possessed somewhat stronger souls.
But only somewhat.
The strength of a soul was largely innate.
Some people might be weak in body, yet possess an unyielding spirit.
Others might be overwhelmingly powerful outwardly, yet harbor souls already riddled with cracks.
Even the souls of gods—so-called divine souls—far surpassed those of mortals.
And yet, with her current power, Enma was confident she could reduce a mid-tier god to a vegetative state within five kicks at most.
Ren, however, was merely a half-yokai—not a god. Of that, she was absolutely certain.
And yet—
After taking two full-force strikes from her…
He was still standing.
Aside from a slight dullness in his expression, he looked almost completely fine.
Truth be told, Enma had already found it strange after her first strike.
Someone who took her full-powered Soul-Shattering Kick… should have screamed in agony and immediately lost consciousness.
Instead, Ren had merely shown a brief lapse in awareness.
There were only a few possible explanations.
First—he had previously endured similar soul-based attacks, and his willpower was extraordinarily strong, allowing him to resist losing consciousness despite the overwhelming pain.
Second—his soul itself was far stronger than that of ordinary beings, meaning her full-power attack hadn't inflicted critical damage.
And third—
He possessed some kind of artifact capable of protecting the soul.
Regardless of which it was, however, her attacks had clearly been effective.
Compared to before, Ren's current condition had undeniably worsened.
"You still want to continue fighting?" Enma said, her tone laced with faint amusement. "I suppose that's only natural for someone of the oni race."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"But with your current body… and your soul in that state… what can you possibly accomplish?"
"You've felt it, haven't you? That momentary lapse in your awareness wasn't an accident. It was your soul being shaken."
She exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
"If I keep pressing the attack, you might resort to desperate measures—like dismantling this independent space."
Her eyes locked onto him.
"I still don't think you're a good person. But my previous offer stands. Leave Yomi alone, and I'll spare your life."
In Enma's view, the outcome was already decided.
And truthfully, she didn't want to push him into a corner where he might destroy everything in a last-ditch effort.
So she offered him a way out once more.
Unfortunately for her—
Ren simply smiled.
Even as he endured the lingering pain clawing at his soul, he forced that grin into place and spoke in a steady voice:
"Sorry, Lady Enma. I'm going to have to decline that offer again."
"I told you before—I came to Yomi to save someone. Until I accomplish that, I'm not leaving."
He paused briefly, then tilted his head with a faint, almost teasing look.
"And as for that 'soul disturbance' you mentioned… honestly, I think I just saw something I shouldn't have when you threw that kick."
His smile widened, just a little.
"That slit in your fox-fur qipao… you're not wearing anything underneath, are you?"