"…Mahito… Jogo…"
With a deep fissure split across its head, Dagon writhed atop a floor piled with pale human bones, tears streaming down its face.
"…Hanami…"
Muttering the names of its fallen comrades, slain by humans—
the cursed womb body of Dagon finally erupted!
BOOM!
"You dare… kill Hanami?!"
Its once soft voice turned hoarse.
Bursting out of its cocoon-like form, Dagon revealed its true shape:
A humanoid curse with two arms and two legs, its body knotted with muscle.
From its lower back sprouted a pair of blood-red wings, each about half a meter long.
Floating in midair—
Reborn, Dagon looked down at the four sorcerers below, killing intent laid bare.
"Damn it!"
Kento Nanami tore off his gray suit jacket, muscles tensing.
"Fushiguro, Kugisaki—support!"
"Maki, with me—attack! Don't give it time to adjust after shedding its form!"
Nobara Kugisaki reacted instantly—answering with offense.
"Clang!!"
Several nails imbued with pale blue cursed energy shot toward the airborne Special Grade!
Shadows spread in an instant—
Megumi Fushiguro's Divine Dog leapt from the ground into the sky, powerful enough to break a Special Grade's defense!
As the main attacker, Nanami—
and Maki Zenin, skilled in close combat—
both launched themselves upward!
Facing the coordinated assault of four sorcerers, Dagon's gaze remained cold as it clenched its fists.
Their speed… average.
It evaluated silently.
Bringing both arms across its chest, fists aligned—
A vast surge of cursed energy formed a closed domain, instantly enveloping everyone.
"Domain Expansion — Horizon of the Captivating Skandha!"
Blue skies. White clouds. Warm sunlight. A sandy beach.
A gentle sea breeze—and an endless expanse of azure ocean.
The landscape of Dagon's domain—
a recreation of the memories it shared playing with Mahito, Jogo, and Hanami.
Nanami and the others stood on the soft golden sand, expressions grim.
Not only had its cursed energy reached Special Grade—
it could also use the supreme technique: Domain Expansion.
Nanami gripped his blade tightly, brow furrowed.
Within a domain, the guaranteed-hit effect could trigger at any moment—one mistake could cost them a teammate.
"Fushiguro!"
"Got it!"
Without needing further explanation, Megumi understood immediately.
Pouring all his cursed energy into his technique, he interlocked his fingers in a hand sign.
"Domain Expansion — Chimera Shadow Garden!"
The golden sand beneath their feet was instantly swallowed by thick, inky darkness.
"…Oh?"
Standing atop the sea, Dagon showed a flicker of surprise—before quickly regaining composure.
"An incomplete domain… the advantage is mine."
Just as Dagon assessed—
Megumi's half-formed domain lacked the refinement and structure of a true one.
It had no outer shell.
Though it resembled an open domain, the difference was vast.
Surrounded on all sides by ocean—
the black shadows beneath Nanami's group visibly shrank.
"Fushiguro."
"Don't think about attacking. Just maintain the domain's properties—negate the guaranteed-hit effect."
"We'll handle the Special Grade."
Megumi's cursed energy reserves were far below Dagon's, and his domain was incomplete.
Reducing offensive output to sustain the domain—
was the best possible choice.
But—
they were still at a disadvantage.
"Technique Release — Death Swarm!"
BOOM!!
The ocean surface erupted with countless shikigami!
From massive, dozens-of-meters-long dragon-like sharks—
to palm-sized carnivorous fish—
An endless tide surged forward like an army!
Dagon's gaze was icy.
It made no attempt to approach the fading shadow domain.
Instead, it calmly adjusted its cursed energy distribution—
80% toward Megumi maintaining the domain.
The remaining 20% toward Nanami and Nobara.
As for Maki—whose cursed energy was minimal—
Dagon ignored her entirely.
"Slash!!"
Cutting down a charging fish, Nanami shouted:
"Everyone—protect Fushiguro!"
Megumi, still mastering his domain, could barely move against the swarm.
If his domain collapsed—
everyone would die.
Nanami hadn't expected Dagon to be this cautious—refusing to engage at close range.
Ten slashes per second—
Maki stood at Megumi's side, weaving a dense net of blade strikes.
Purple blood sprayed everywhere.
The swarm never stopped.
On the other side, Nobara swung her hammer relentlessly—
her silver, heart-marked weapon quickly stained purple.
Her nails were running out.
Her vision was filled with fish.
They were forced entirely onto the defensive—
with no chance to counterattack.
At the center—
Megumi gasped heavily, drenched in sweat.
Hunched over, hands locked in his sign—
his expression grew more desperate.
Out of the corner of his eye—
Nanami and the others were already showing signs of injury.
Megumi hesitated—
whether to summon his strongest shikigami.
Unlike outside—
the interior of a domain was far more stable, harder to break.
He had tried to open an escape route—
but the curse had already anticipated it.
The domain's structure was growing more solid by the second.
Opening even a person-sized exit—
required time and cursed energy he didn't have.
At the front—
Nanami's expression darkened, sweat pouring down.
Hundreds—thousands—tens of thousands of strikes—
In mere seconds, his hands were going numb.
Through gaps in the swarm—
Dagon floated calmly, completely at ease.
Megumi's domain was being steadily compressed.
The three were forced backward—
until they stood back-to-back.
This won't work.
Nanami knew they couldn't keep stalling—
but saw no alternative.
Inside Megumi's domain, they could resist the swarm—
But to reach Dagon, over a hundred meters away—
they would have to step outside.
And face the domain's guaranteed-hit attacks.
His mind raced.
Crossing that distance—
would mean enduring nearly three seconds of direct assault.
Best case—
he'd arrive gravely injured.
Assuming Dagon didn't retreat.
Then—
kill it within three seconds…
An impossible task.
Yet—
their only path to survival.
Gamble—or not?
None of them could use Reverse Cursed Technique.
The best outcome—
one person dies, breaking the domain.
"BOOM!"
Nanami carved out a brief opening with a full-power strike!
"Maki! Kugisaki! Take my position!"
With a roar—
Nanami charged against the swarm—
leaving Megumi's domain!
Not gambling meant certain death.
Gambling meant a one-percent chance.
There was no real choice.
Cursed energy flared around him—
as he dashed toward Dagon across the sea!
"Nanami-senpai!!"
Already wounded—
Maki and Nobara felt the pressure spike instantly—
yet couldn't help but glance at his back.
Foolish.
Dagon judged coldly—
As a massive cursed-energy shark burst from the ocean!
The moment he stepped out—
every attack would guarantee a hit.
Just one step—
and serrated jaws tore into his waist!
Blood sprayed—
yet Nanami pressed forward, ignoring the pain!
Two steps—three—
His body was drenched in red.
"Senpai!"
In that instant—
as Maki, Nobara, and Megumi faltered—
Megumi's shadow domain neared collapse—
A colossal, hundred-meter dragon-like fish descended from the sky toward them!
A chill shot through their spines.
Too late to react—
they could only stare—
as the massive maw blotted out the sun—
and opened wide—
"————CRACK!"
At the brink of life and death—
From outside the fractured barrier—
a familiar voice rang out:
"Domain Expansion…"
"…Thousand Burials White Imperial Spirit."
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