Boom!
With a deafening crash, the branch on the left side of Hanami's face was smashed apart by Playful Cloud. Now only two empty sockets remained, purple-green blood streaming down from them.
The curse's agonized scream echoed throughout the entire domain.
"Something's wrong?!"
That shout snapped Nanami and the others out of the trance caused by the flower field that had drained their will to fight. What they saw was Toji repeatedly smashing Playful Cloud into Hanami's face, flesh and blood splattering everywhere.
'Jogo…'
In her fading awareness, Hanami remembered the promise she had made with that "person." The bloodshot eye in the flower on her shoulder stared fiercely at Toji as dense cursed energy gathered inside it.
"What's happening?!"
In the next moment, vines surged through the sea of flowers. Before Megumi and the others could react, the vines wrapped around them and lifted them into the air.
Barbs sprouted from the vines and stabbed into their bodies, frantically draining their cursed energy and feeding it back into the flower. The more they tried to resist with cursed energy, the deeper the barbs dug in and the more energy they absorbed.
Within this domain, every part of Hanami's innate technique carried a guaranteed-hit effect. But the man in front of her could not be selected as a target. And with his speed, even at such a close distance he would probably dodge easily.
Therefore, the cursed energy gathering in the flower on Hanami's shoulder was not aimed at Toji.
It was aimed at the restrained sorcerers.
Even though her defeat was already certain, Hanami wanted to eliminate as many sorcerers as possible before dying.
Nanami and the others were its target.
But…
Bang!
Before the cursed energy could be released, Playful Cloud smashed into Hanami's shoulder.
When it came to sensing the flow of cursed energy, even Satoru might not see it more clearly than Toji. Hanami's small scheme could never fool him.
The giant eye that had been gathering cursed energy was smashed into pulp in a single blow. Petals scattered across the ground.
The entire domain constructed through the flower collapsed instantly, and the restrained sorcerers dropped back onto the ground.
Right in front of them, Toji swung Playful Cloud so fast it left afterimages, strike after strike smashing into Hanami's face.
'Everyone! I…'
Hanami's consciousness began to fade as scenes of daily life with the other curses flashed through her mind.
Her branches were completely destroyed, her domain had been forcibly broken, and now she had no strength left to resist the relentless storm of blows.
'From now on, you'll have to walk alone, Jogo…'
In her final vision, for some reason she saw Jogo wearing a school uniform, all of them living together as "humans."
Jogo and Hanami.
Boom!
Once the final strike landed, the entire floor could no longer withstand Toji's overwhelming force. With a thunderous crash it completely collapsed, and everyone present fell down to the level below.
The vines that had almost filled the entire space began to fade away, and along with them Hanami's body also disappeared.
The disaster-class special grade curse representing the forest, Hanami, had been beaten to death by Playful Cloud without even a chance to fight back.
"Toji-san's close-combat ability is still on that ridiculous level…"
Everyone climbed out of the rubble. Only Nanami treated the scene before him as completely natural.
Even for Megumi, this was the first time he had seen his father fight seriously.
"Did you see clearly? This is how Playful Cloud should be used."
Toji casually tossed it and Megumi caught it, though Toji's gaze was directed at Maki.
"Yes!"
She straightened her back and answered firmly. But in this world, there were only two people who could truly bring out the unique power of Playful Cloud.
"Dad…"
"It's down there, right? Just go upstairs and wait for me."
Megumi was about to say something, but Toji had already wrapped Inventory Curse around himself again and drawn the Split Soul Katana.
After stabbing the blade into the ground, he actually began stretching his arms as if the fierce battle just now had only been a warm-up.
* * *
Elsewhere.
"Hanami?!"
Jogo, who was fighting Suguru, suddenly froze. He abruptly turned toward the hall where Hanami had been earlier. His eyes lost focus, and even his pupils trembled.
Even from several hundred meters away, he clearly felt it.
His companion's presence had completely vanished just moments ago.
How was that possible…
They had already followed the plan. Mukuro Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo were sealed. He had even stalled the new variable. So how could anyone defeat Hanami?
"If you get distracted while fighting a sorcerer like me, you'll die."
A small sphere flicked from Suguru's fingertip and floated behind the stunned Jogo.
"Maximum: Uzumaki."
This was one of the abilities Suguru developed based on Mukuro's suggestions.
He extracted several or dozens of cursed spirits under his control, compressed them into a spiral, and then wrapped the mass with his own cursed energy.
Even if the curses themselves were low-level, once combined with the immense cursed energy of a special grade sorcerer, the resulting blast was extremely powerful.
Boom!
The spiral exploded. Even the frozen barrier created by the ice-type curse was blasted open with a massive hole.
'Wait for me, Hanami…'
When the smoke cleared, Jogo was kneeling on one knee. More than half of his upper body had been blown apart, and blood poured down endlessly.
Yet his eyes were firmer than ever before.
Mahito. Dagon. And now Hanami was gone too…
He only needed to stall for a little longer. Kenjaku would handle Sukuna's vessel.
He was still alive for the sake of the comrades who had already died. If Sukuna could be revived, then all of their sacrifices would be worth it.
It was for the future of curses.
For the true "humans."
"AAAH!"
He roared wildly as cursed energy surged through his body, repairing his wounds. His hand clenched violently in the air before him.
Flames erupted from deep underground, instantly melting the thick ice walls. The sea of fire formed into the shape of two giant hands that slammed together toward Suguru in the center.
Nearby buildings melted under the scorching heat, turning into liquid. The scene looked like a volcanic eruption.
"I can't let you keep causing chaos like this."
Suguru originally did not want to go this far, but the enemy's attacks covered too wide an area. He had to finish the fight quickly.
He pressed the tips of his index fingers and thumbs together while the remaining six fingers folded inward, forming the Amoghapāśa Mudra.
"Domain Expansion: Myriad Manifestations of All Beings."
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