"Huff..."
On this ruined training ground, the heavy yet strangely rhythmic sound of Yuta Okkotsu's breathing seemed to be the only thing left in the world.
He gripped the specially-made katana with a death grip, his eyes bloodshot.
And then, in the next second.
*Sss—!*
Accompanied by a faint, abnormal sound.
On the blade of Yuta's katana, a miracle occurred—a layer of faint yet astonishingly hot, dark-red flames ignited!
It wasn't real fire.
It was a mimicry of the Hinokami Kagura, forced into existence through the extreme high-frequency friction of his cursed energy!
The searing heat instantly evaporated the remaining snow into a vast white mist.
"That's..."
Standing across the ruins, Suguru Geto's narrow eyes flashed with an irrepressible shock for the first time.
He stared fixedly at the katana burning with dark-red flames, his pupils shrinking violently.
"Yoru's... swordsmanship?!"
"How is that possible?!"
That man's swordsmanship—a divine technique that even the Six Eyes of the modern era's strongest, Satoru Gojo, could not analyze or copy.
It was being recreated by this boy who had been in contact with jujutsu for less than a year?!
Although the flames looked extremely weak, as if they might go out at any moment.
And although Yuta's grip on the sword seemed crude and stiff to a true master.
But this was undeniably...
"Sun Breathing!"
Atop the clock tower.
Yoru, who had activated the Transparent World, couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration as he watched the scene below.
'This kid... he actually used his bottomless pit of cursed energy and Rika's soul-level assistance...'
'...to force a mimicry of Sun Breathing's outward form through high-frequency cursed energy friction!'
'He's simply an illogical monster.'
Back on the battlefield below.
Yuta Okkotsu paid no mind to Suguru Geto's shock; only one thought occupied his mind.
Kill him!
Protect everyone!
"Rika—!"
Yuta Okkotsu let out a deafening roar. Gripping the flaming katana with both hands, he turned into a dark-red flash of light and charged frantically at Suguru Geto!
Behind him, Rika Orimoto also let out a piercing shriek.
Her massive body moved like a mountain. Coordinating with Yuta's attack, she swung her giant bone-spike arms, sealing off all of Suguru Geto's escape routes.
BOOM!!!
One person and one vengeful spirit, carrying a terrifying momentum that could level the world, reached Suguru Geto in an instant.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Yuta Okkotsu!"
Suguru Geto snorted. Despite his internal shock, the combat instincts of a Special Grade Curse User allowed him to make the correct move immediately.
"Tamamo-no-Mae!"
At Suguru Geto's command, the Special Grade Imaginary Vengeful Spirit, Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate, hovered behind him.
Those nine massive fox tails suddenly acted like nine berserk giant pythons, whistling through the air with terrifying force as they lashed out at the charging Yuta Okkotsu!
Facing this overwhelming and terrifying assault.
Yuta Okkotsu didn't retreat an inch.
He stared fixedly at the incoming fox tails, his mind frantically replaying the move Yoru had once demonstrated.
'Concentrate.'
'See through everything.'
'And then...'
'Cut it!'
Yuta Okkotsu took a deep breath. His katana, cloaked in that faint layer of dark-red flames, traced a dazzling yet slightly unrefined perfect arc in mid-air.
"Sun Breathing, First Form..."
"Dance!!!"
BOOM!!!
Accompanied by Yuta's roar.
That dark-red arc of a slash lit up the entire gloomy ruin like the rising sun!
Although this Dance seemed as crude as a child swinging a wooden stick to Yoru.
Under the enhancement of Yuta Okkotsu's ocean-like cursed energy, the power of this single strike was still terrifyingly extreme!
*Slash!*
The piercing sound of tearing rang out.
The dark-red arc actually carved through the defense of one of Tamamo-no-Mae's massive tails, severing it cleanly in half!
"Awooo—!"
Tamamo-no-Mae let out a shrill cry of pain, its massive body thrashing in the air as a huge amount of black cursed energy erupted from the severed tail like a geyser.
"What?!"
Suguru Geto watched the severed tail of his Special Grade Imaginary Vengeful Spirit, the shock in his eyes intensifying.
But immediately after.
That shock was quickly replaced by an even more fanatical and excited emotion!
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Standing atop the ruins, Suguru Geto threw his head back and laughed.
A nearly pathological, fanatical light gleamed in his narrow eyes as he stared at the panting Yuta Okkotsu.
"Excellent! Truly excellent, Yuta Okkotsu!"
"Is this... the raw potential of an uncut gem?!"
"To think you could forcibly replicate that man's divine technique just by seeing it once, using nothing but pure talent and cursed energy!"
"If you were allowed to fully mature, what a magnificent sight that would be!"
The smile on Suguru Geto's face gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented coldness and gravity.
"In that case."
"I can't keep playing house with you anymore."
*Vrr—!*
As Suguru Geto spoke those cold words.
He slammed his hands together in a seal, and a surge of black cursed energy, dozens of times more terrifying than before, erupted from his body like a tsunami!
"Come forth."
"My Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!"
"Roar—!"
"Hiss—"
"Screech—"
In an instant.
Countless cursed spirits of various forms, emanating terrifying auras—both Special Grade and Grade 1—crawled out like demons from the depths of hell, surrounding Suguru Geto in a dense mass!
They bared their maws and spat foul ichor, completely encircling Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto.
This was a true state of despair!
This was the terrifying foundation of the Most Evil Curse User!
"This is bad."
From the top of the clock tower, Yoru's brow furrowed as he watched.
'Suguru really intends to push Yuta to the brink.'
'Against a network of spirits in these numbers, even Yuta, with his crude Sun Breathing, won't last three minutes.'
As expected.
Under the siege of Suguru Geto's terrifying army of cursed spirits, Yuta and Rika soon fell into a desperate struggle.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yuta Okkotsu swung his katana frantically, each strike slaying a Grade 1 cursed spirit.
But his cursed energy consumption was also staggering.
What felt even more hopeless was that no matter how hard he fought, those slain spirits were instantly replaced by Suguru Geto's endless reserves!
"Yuta!!!"
Watching the bloodied Yuta struggling in battle.
Rika Orimoto let out an incredibly shrill, almost crazed scream of despair.
Her massive frame began to tremble violently as an even more berserk and pure black cursed energy swelled and expanded frantically within her!
That was...
The terrifying omen of a total rampage that would destroy everything!
Looking at the cornered Yuta Okkotsu and the about-to-snap Rika Orimoto.
Suguru Geto stood behind his army of spirits, his gaze cold yet full of anticipation.
"Come, Yuta Okkotsu."
"In this abyss of despair, what exactly will you realize?"
"Will you become a complete slave to the curse..."
"Or will you truly awaken to what that man once taught you..."
"The true meaning of protection?!"
Facing the tide-like army of cursed spirits.
Facing Rika Orimoto, who was about to go on a rampage and destroy everything.
Yuta Okkotsu, pushed to his absolute limit.
Can he truly create a miracle?!
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