This magical net was so large that it completely sealed off all directions she could possibly escape from. She could only fight against it...

Sealing spell, "Gathering Snow"!

The girl swung her sword around, casting a dense blue mist that spread towards the gray net.

The gray net glowed with a black light that fought against the ice mist. However, part of the net was still frozen solid, causing those sections to collapse.

At this moment, a yellow-clad man silently appeared to the right of the girl. This person waved his hand and tossed out some gray liquid!

This was the real attack. The large gray net had been nothing but a distraction.

Kagura didn't notice until it was too late. Her entire body was covered by the gray liquid!

The man who wore a yellow jacket as his spiritual combat equipment chuckled under his helmet. However, he soon froze in surprise because the blue-clad girl suddenly seemed to shatter like an ice sculpture underneath the gray liquid as she disappeared!

And then, an explosive amount of ice appeared...

Killing curse, "Ice Explosion"!

*Boom!!* A dense number of sharp icicles shot through the sky and covered the yellow-clad man.

No, wait, he managed to dodge the attack.

He had managed to dodge in time by using a spell, although he took some damage in the process.

However, this was within Kagura's expectations.

She cast her sealing spell "Gathering Snow" once again!

A dense amount of blue mist appeared in a large AOE and instantly started freezing over.

The yellow-clad man had to forcibly break free.

Yet, this wasn't the end.

A sharp blade aimed directly for his throat! The blade was as swift as lightning and as quiet as falling snow.

If this blade managed to reach its target, it would surely pierce through his protective barrier and cut off his head!

*Clang!* The yellow-clad man was forced to unsheathe his sword. He managed to block this attack with the back of his sword.

Kagura expressionlessly continued her a.s.sault against the yellow-clad man. The yellow-clad man continuously blocked her blows and kept retreating. But, suddenly, a gigantic black spiritual snake rose from behind his back and snapped at Kagura!

Clack… the bite missed.

"You're not bad at fighting." The yellow-clad man chuckled at Kagura, who managed to dodge in time. "You're an excellent woman. Why don't you become mine?"

Kagura responded with yet another "Ice Explosion"!

"Oh, you have a temper. I like that in my women. It makes me feel even more accomplished when I break a girl like you! I'm definitely going to capture you alive!"

The giant black snake behind the yellow-clad man transformed into numerous smaller black snakes that viciously struck at Kagura.

Meanwhile, Kaede had begun a fierce battle against a man wearing a white jacket.

"You're no match for me. You would have died many times over already if it weren't for me going easy on you." As the white-clad man blocked Kaede's wind blades, he even casually struck up a conversation. "If this continues any longer, you'll definitely be injured or even die. I don't wish to see someone as beautiful as you in such a pitiful state. Please, could you surrender? I promise that you won't come to any harm."

His words sounded gentle, moving, and sincere. "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eiji. May I ask for your name?"

Kaede responded with a particularly strong wind blade!

"I've already told you my name. Shouldn't you at least tell me your name as a show of good etiquette?" the white-clad man spoke in a helpless tone after blocking this wind blade. "Although I don't want to harm you, I still have a mission I must complete. It won't be up to me… so if you don't surrender, I'll be forced to become more violent."

As he said this, a giant black spell formation suddenly appeared on his back, from which countless slender, long spiritual snakes emerged.

These people were all real humans rather than spiritual creatures.

Takagi confirmed this after he'd started fighting against them.

Although he doubted that he would receive a response, he decided to try asking anyways.

"Who are you all? Are you from Soul Society?"

"Who we are and where we're from isn't important." The red-clad female Yin Yang Master he was fighting against responded to his question. "What's important is what's happening right now. This isn't a place that we will allow you to invade. Please leave."

Her calm words were backed up by an iron will. Takagi could sense her determination.

It seemed that he would be unable to convince these people to retreat. Nor was he going to give up on the organization's mission, so the only option left was to fight.

Destruction curse, "Orochi Poison"!

*Whoos.h.!.+* Takagi cast a spell that created a torrential amount of dark green mist, which spread throughout an incredibly large area of effect that enveloped all the enemies he could see!

This was a supremely powerful spell that was impossible to block or cleanse. Natsuya instantly decided to use a lifesaving spell she had prepared beforehand...

Dodge spell, "Paper Subst.i.tution"!

Natsuya, Mika, Mayuzumi, and Yukari all instantly vanished, replaced by some tiny paper figures.

These paper figures were instantly corroded by the toxic mist and destroyed. Meanwhile, the four girls were all teleported outside the toxic mist's area of effect.

Takagi's expression didn't change in the slightest after discovering that his enemies had escaped his spell. He created a hand seal.

Instantly, the toxic mist started surging and heading in Natsuya and the others' direction!

Natsuya's group could only continuously retreat.

At this moment, two more members of Takagi's group arrived to help him block their retreat!

Takagi's allies weren't affected by his toxic mist. They simply had to stall Natsuya's group so that their leader's toxic mist could devour them all to obtain victory.

Right as it seemed like Natsuya's group was in a dangerous crisis, two beams of golden light attacked from the rear!

*Boom!* *Boom!*

The two men blocking Natsuya's group's path, who wore a green robe and a blue military uniform, respectively, were both hit by these super-fast golden bullets, which exploded with a brilliant light. Both men were sent flying.

Then, a person wearing white Yin Yang Master hunting attire appeared. He pointed the fan in his hand at the toxic mist, instantly creating a giant spell formation that released a blinding golden light!

The light illuminated the toxic mist and started making a buzzing sound as it swiftly started cleansing the mist!

Takagi furrowed his eyebrows at this sight.

He changed to a different hand seal which allowed him to swiftly gather and condense the remaining toxic mist. The mist then formed a gigantic snake that tried to go around the spell formation to attack!

The white-clad Yin Yang Master, or Seiji, opened up his fan and revealed the words "dispel evil" in large lettering. He then adjusted his spell formation, changing its position so that it continued illuminating and cleansing the toxic snake.

After Takagi saw that it was impossible to go around the spell formation, he then had his toxic mist snake directly attack the spell formation!

At the same time, the green-robed man and the blue military uniform man had recovered, and were counterattacking in a pincer movement from both left and right. Both of them released a large number of black snakes!

*s.h.i.+ng!* Mika shot out numerous black blades to block the left side's black snakes.

*Whizz!* Yukari shot out countless spiderweb strands to tangle the right side's black snakes.

The toxic mist snake crashed into the golden spell formation. Seiji's expression didn't even flicker as he resisted the attack and swiftly cleansed the snake.

Natsuya speedily uttered an incantation and created a seal to cast a powerful spell...

Destruction curse, "Infinite Blades"!

A triangular spell formation appeared from which numerous red spiritual blades shot out. The red spiritual blades descended like a rainstorm upon the right side's blue military uniform man!

This man wanted to retreat, but he suddenly felt his feet being stuck on the ground. Only then did he discover that his legs had been tangled up in invisible spiderweb without his realizing it!

At this moment, Natsuya's "Infinite Blades" spell enveloped him!

Takagi furrowed his eyebrows even further.

At this moment, the blue military uniform man suddenly shattered and transformed into mist, which then disappeared.

He died just like that?

Both Natsuya and Yukari were rather surprised by this.

Something flashed in Seiji's eyes as he also noticed this.

By now, Seiji had finished cleansing the toxic mist snake. The left side's green-robed man saw that the situation wasn't going well, so he swiftly retreated.

Seiji looked across and exchanged glances with the man wearing a black jacket. Although Seiji didn't know this, this man was Heikai Takagi, the leader of the a.s.sault forces sent to the temple where Chiaki was performing the ritual.

*Bam!* Hisas.h.i.+ was viciously struck by a dark red longsword and sent flying backwards at a high speed.

"Hisas.h.i.+-san…" Hos.h.i.+ couldn't help but call out upon witnessing this scene.

"You should be paying attention to me instead, young man~" a female voice spoke right by his side.

'd.a.m.n it…' Hos.h.i.+ tried to dodge, but he was too late.

A woman wearing a bright red dress suddenly struck with her powerful whip at a close distance, instantly destroying Hos.h.i.+'s personal barrier and reaching right next to him. A spell on the whip then restrained Hos.h.i.+!

"Wah…" Hos.h.i.+ felt his entire body going numb and pained all over.

"Such a nice sound. Heehee…" The woman hugged the beautiful boy tightly from his back as if she was a predatory boa constrictor. "Now then, what sounds will you make next, and what cute expressions will you have? Let me see~"