Devil's Eye Reborn - Shadow Angel Awakens - Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Chapter 86：Xiang Yu’s past events
“Have you known Xiang Yu for a long time?” I asked, putting the necklace into my pocket without further words.

“As you heard earlier, I’ve known him since the late Qin Dynasty, over two thousand two hundred years ago,” Daji said, looking at the sky as if recalling the past. “Back then, I assisted Liu Bang in contending with Xiang Yu for control of the world. Xiang Yu’s extraordinary courage and wisdom, combined with the help of his ‘Shadow Manipulation’ and ‘Sight Stealing Eye,’ led him to many victories, earning him the title of Chu Overlord. If it weren’t for the three demon generals Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and Han Xin aiding the Han army, the Qin Dynasty might have been succeeded by the Chu Dynasty.”

“But didn’t Xiang Yu commit suicide at Wujiang? Although demons can survive as long as their heads and Devil eyes remain intact, I wouldn’t think you’d let him go so easily,” I asked curiously.

“You’re right. Xiang Yu is a man of great ambition and wouldn’t easily end his own life. He intended to fake his death to escape when his soldiers carried him away. However, Han Xin saw through his plan and personally escorted him back to the city. While Xiao He and Zhang Liang were discussing how to deal with him, Kong Ming suddenly appeared and requested to take Xiang Yu away,” Daji explained.

“And you just let him go?” I asked.

“Yes, because Kong Ming was one of the Seven Lords of the Demon Realm at the time, sent by Satan to maintain balance in the Central Plains. His words were as good as Satan’s, and we dared not defy him,” Daji said with a calm smile. “Moreover, even with the combined strength of the four of us, we couldn’t match Kong Ming alone. The fact that he didn’t forcibly take Xiang Yu was already a great favor.”

“However, he made a blood pact with us, ensuring that Xiang Yu wouldn’t reappear for two hundred years. That’s why we felt at ease handing him over,” Daji added.

“And did Xiang Yu really disappear?” I asked.

“Yes, until over two hundred years later, when Beelzebub disappeared and the Demon Realm held an election to fill his position, Xiang Yu reappeared,” Daji said.

“He must have been training diligently during those two hundred years,” I remarked.

“When I saw him again, he had indeed become impressive,” Daji said. “But at that time, he appeared alone as a practicing demon. I didn’t know when he met Cerberus and became his adopted son. With Cerberus’s guidance, it’s no wonder his skills advanced rapidly.”

“But surely, senior, you didn’t slack off during that time. Compared to Xiang Yu, you must still be a notch above him?” I asked. Daji only smiled silently.

“Cerberus is indeed skilled at training disciples. Although Yang Jian and Howling Sky Dog aren’t very powerful individually, together they can rival Wukong, one of the Seven Lords,” I said, recalling Cerberus’s other adopted sons. “And then there’s Miyamoto Musashi. Even without Devil eyes, his power is terrifying. I wonder how he compares to Xiang Yu.”

Daji’s expression suddenly changed to one of surprise when I mentioned Miyamoto Musashi. “Miyamoto Musashi is also Cerberus’s adopted son?” she asked in astonishment.

“Yes,” I replied, finding her reaction curious. “Do you know him, senior?”

“I’ve only heard of him, never met him. Miyamoto Musashi was a mortal who, with a pair of ordinary samurai swords, slew dozens of demons, making a name for himself in the Demon Realm,” Daji said, her surprise quickly fading. “I was surprised because it was rumored that after defeating Sasaki Kojiro, he retired to the mountains until his death. I never expected that he, who despised demons all his life, would become one and even become Cerberus’s adopted son.”

“If he was a mortal, he wouldn’t have lived more than a hundred years. So, he must have implanted Devil eyes and become a demon before his recorded death,” I said, rubbing my chin. “That means he became a demon but remained hidden until now.

“You’re right,” Daji nodded. “Although I had retired, I still occasionally kept an eye on the Demon Realm’s news. But I never heard of Miyamoto Musashi joining the Demon Slayer Association.”

I recalled the situation when Miyamoto Musashi met Samael.

According to Miyamoto Musashi, he had an irreconcilable hatred for Samael, but Samael seemed never to have met him before.

The Satan’s Cult and the Demon Slayer Association had been enemies for over two thousand years, with many battles between them. Yet Samael, who had been the cult leader for so long, had never seen Miyamoto Musashi. Moreover, Xiang Yu had infiltrated the Satan’s Cult as an undercover agent without being discovered, suggesting that Cerberus had kept their affiliations with the Demon Slayer Association well-hidden.

“Every time a new adopted son is taken in, they disappear for a century or two. I wonder if it’s just a coincidence or if there’s another secret,” I pondered, still unable to understand, and asked Daji, “By the way, can you tell me about the characteristics of Xiang Yu’s Devil eyes?”

Daji nodded and explained, “The ‘Sight Stealing Eye,’ as the name suggests, is a Devil eye that can take away vision. Do you remember when I lunged at Xiang Yu just now, he didn’t dodge but closed one eye?”

“I remember. He closed it for a moment and then opened it again,” I recalled. “When he opened his eye, you seemed to go blind. You missed your attack and didn’t pursue him again. You couldn’t see that he had already placed his weapon in front of him, almost trapping you.”

“You’re right. I couldn’t see at that moment,” Daji nodded. “Because Xiang Yu used his Devil eye to transfer the ‘absolute darkness’ he experienced while his eye was closed to me.”

“Wait, what is ‘absolute darkness’?” I asked, puzzled.

“Absolute darkness is what one ‘sees’ when they tightly close their eyes, which is essentially seeing nothing at all,” Daji explained, seeing my puzzled expression. She smiled and continued, “When Xiang Yu closes his eyes while making eye contact with someone, the ‘Sight Stealing Eye’ begins to store ‘absolute darkness.’ When he opens his eyes again, the Devil eye transfers the accumulated ‘absolute darkness’ to the other person. If Xiang Yu closes his eyes for ten seconds, the opponent will be blind for ten seconds. If he closes his eyes for twelve hours, the opponent will be blind for an entire day!”

“That’s quite domineering,” I frowned. “And the ‘Shadow Manipulation Eye’ is the technique he uses to suddenly appear behind others or move them to his side, right?”

“Exactly. When Xiang Yu uses the ‘Shadow Manipulation Eye’ to focus on someone’s shadow, it connects his shadow with theirs, allowing him to instantly move to their shadow or pull them into his.”

“These Devil eyes are troublesome enough individually, but when used together, they’re even more formidable. No wonder Xiang Yu is known as the Chu Overlord,” I said, recalling my encounter with Xiang Yu and smiling wryly.

“Actually, his Devil eyes are not invincible,” Daji suddenly smiled. “The stronger the opponent’s willpower, the more eyes Xiang Yu has to close simultaneously to store ‘absolute darkness.’ If you can force him to close all four eyes, that’s the perfect time to attack. Moreover, if you close your eyes at the same time he does, you can counteract the effect of the ‘Sight Stealing Eye.'”

“And how can one defend against the ‘Shadow Manipulation Eye’?” I asked.

Daji smiled and said, “That’s even simpler. Just jump and avoid direct contact with your shadow. Xiang Yu won’t be able to connect the shadows.”

“Senior, these methods sound easy, but in practice, they’re extremely dangerous,” I said with a helpless smile. “For instance, closing my eyes at the same time as Xiang Yu. While this can counteract the ‘Sight Stealing Eye’ from storing ‘absolute darkness,’ I won’t know when to open my eyes again. If I open them earlier than he does, I’ll still be blind for a moment. If I open them later, he’ll surely seize the opportunity to attack. And I can’t keep jumping in the air. It’s exhausting and provides him with more chances to strike.”

“I understand,” Daji said softly, smiling. “If it were that easy to counter Xiang Yu’s Devil eyes, he wouldn’t be called the Chu Overlord.”

“I hope I don’t have to face all four of Cerberus’s sons at once. Each one is as strong as me,” I said with a bitter smile. “The relationship between the Satan’s Cult and the Demon Slayer Association is still unclear. Although Xiang Yu’s words suggest that Cerberus might not have truly allied with the Satan’s Cult, it’s not certain.”

“Don’t be discouraged. Although you are currently alone and weak, remember that Satan is known as ‘the angel closest to God,’ and his abilities are not comparable to one or even several demons,” Daji paused and smiled. “Moreover, you have Zicheng by your side. Although his heart isn’t firm yet, with more training, he will become a formidable ally.”

Zicheng?