(100 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 25: Hand Over That Paper
Right after copying the Ten Shadows Technique, Yumesaki did not hesitate to alter Mahoraga's physical appearance.
Activate Technique: Soul Manipulation.
Under Yumesaki's meticulous and patient adjustments, Mahoraga's outer form underwent a massive transformation.
Standing well over two meters tall, its outward appearance now resembled a grand warlord clad in a full set of heavy armor, bearing a steering wheel-like crest emblazoned across its chestplate. Only a pair of piercing eyes could be seen from beneath the helm, and it gripped the Sword of Extermination with an aura that felt both majestic and divine.
No one looking at it now would ever associate this entity with Mahoraga. Even if Megumi Fushiguro, the current inheritor of the Ten Shadows Technique, were to stand before it, he would likely assume it was merely an Armored Cursed Corpse that had wandered off some distant battlefield.
It looked absolutely nothing like the monstrous, abstract Mahoraga recorded in his clan's archives.
Furthermore, it was worth noting that while Yumesaki reshaped Mahoraga's outer shell, he left its core entirely untouched. The sole reason Yumesaki took an interest in this specific Shikigami was due to its sheer, overwhelming strength.
The Sword of Extermination gripped in Mahoraga's hand was permanently coated in a layer of positive energy identical to that generated by the Reverse Cursed Technique. True to its name, any Cursed Spirit unfortunate enough to take a direct slash from this blade would instantly dissolve into nothing but ash.
Beyond that, it possessed an incredibly resilient physical body, unmatched regenerative capabilities, and an absurd capacity to learn. Through the turning of the wheel representing the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine Help, it could adapt to virtually any phenomenon or technique in existence. Once a technique had been adapted to even once, it would find it incredibly difficult to inflict any meaningful damage on Mahoraga ever again.
This was because the entity itself represented perfect harmony, capable of shifting to accommodate any concept in the world. Upon taking an initial strike, Mahoraga would immediately begin an analytical process. If it took subsequent hits while that analysis was still underway, the process would rapidly accelerate. Every single click and spin of the wheel signaled that its adaptation had advanced to a brand-new stage.
After adapting to the exact same attack multiple times in a row, it would become completely immune. If further analysis took place after the initial adaptation was complete, it would re-analyze the technique from entirely different angles and perspectives, allowing it to develop even more advanced methods of counteracting the threat.
For instance, in the original timeline, Sukuna utilized his signature slashing technique, Dismantle, to attack Mahoraga. Once Mahoraga fully adapted, it rendered the concept of slashes entirely ineffective. As a result, even when caught inside the Malevolent Shrine, Mahoraga remained completely unscathed despite being violently subjected to an relentless storm of Dismantle and Cleave attacks.
The only definitive way to defeat Mahoraga was to hit it with a powerful, unfamiliar ability it had never witnessed before, obliterating it in a single strike before it ever had the chance to spin its wheel. For this exact reason, anyone fighting Mahoraga could never allow the encounter to drag out into a battle of attrition.
Of course, Yumesaki possessed far too many methods to keep Mahoraga perfectly in check, ensuring the Shikigami could never pose even the slightest threat to him.
Additionally, it was worth mentioning that aside from reconfiguring Mahoraga, Yumesaki also took the liberty of modifying the other Shikigami contained within the Ten Shadows Technique.
The primary catalyst for this was simply that the remaining shadows were, frankly, utterly underwhelming.
Entities like Nue, Max Elephant, Escape Rabbits, and Toad were practically useless on an individual level. Yumesaki found himself completely uninterested in their default states.
They desperately needed a complete overhaul.
And his Soul Manipulation was the absolute perfect tool for reconstructing these Shikigami from the ground up.
Thus, Yumesaki spent an entire night hunting down a vast number of Evil Spirits and Cursed Spirits, forcefully fusing them into the Shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique to grant several of them massive upgrades.
Take the two Divine Dogs, for example—the white one and the black one. The white hound was reshaped by Yumesaki into the likeness of the Mythical Zoan Ooguchi no Magami, while the black hound was transformed into the Mythical Zoan Huo Dou. One commanded the absolute power of ice, while the other controlled the raging fury of fire. Their combat potential shot up by several leagues.
The rest of the Shikigami did not escape Yumesaki's extreme experimentation either, each one being modified into something increasingly absurd and overpowered.
Anyone who encountered them now would find it impossible to trace their lineage back to the Ten Shadows Technique. They had effectively been reborn as entirely different species.
Yumesaki was immensely satisfied with the results.
The following day, to celebrate the completion of his grand project, Yumesaki made his way to Shunkatei, intending to treat himself to a spectacular meal.
The head chef of Shunkatei was a graduate of the prestigious Totsuki Culinary Academy, specifically holding the title of the First Seat from the 89th graduating class: Sonoka Kikuchi.
To put it bluntly, while her culinary skills were undeniably exceptional, her personality was incredibly meek. Her entire presence practically radiated an aura that said, "I am incredibly easy to bully, so please go ahead and pick on me."
Even Yumesaki, upon looking at her, couldn't help but feel a fleeting urge to tease her relentlessly. Fortunately, he considered his own moral fiber to be reasonably intact, so he refrained from doing so.
After thoroughly enjoying the delicious spread Shunkatei had to offer, Yumesaki was not stingy with his praise for Sonoka Kikuchi. While her culinary mastery still couldn't quite rival that of Gin Dojima, it wasn't far behind Hinako Inui. Both chefs possessed their own distinct styles, and Yumesaki left the table feeling completely satisfied.
His praise brought an immense wave of relief to Sonoka Kikuchi. Initially, she had been under the impression that any guest personally arranged by the director would be an incredibly demanding and difficult individual to please. She never anticipated that he would be so exceptionally easygoing and polite. It truly felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Upon stepping out of Shunkatei, Yumesaki turned to Nero and Medea, asking which restaurant they should check out for dinner. As for Asuna, because she was still a student, she was currently attending her classes and couldn't join Yumesaki for his daytime outing.
Medea responded with a gentle, sweet smile. "I find myself rather curious about Italian cuisine."
Yumesaki hummed softly in response. Her choice was somewhat unexpected, but it instantly piqued his curiosity. Snapping his fingers, he smiled and said, "Then Italian it is for tonight. Come to think of it, I haven't really had authentic Italian food before, so I have no idea what it tastes like or if it will suit our palates."
"Well, you can never truly know until you give it a try," Medea replied.
Hearing those words, Yumesaki chuckled softly. "You're absolutely right. There's no way to know without trying."
"Umu."
Right at that moment, Nero suddenly spoke up, her tone shifting slightly. "It appears we are being watched."
Just a moment ago, she had sensed a concealed, lingering gaze sweeping over her body multiple times. Whoever was watching them likely believed they were perfectly hidden, but to Nero, their presence was glaringly obvious.
"I noticed a while ago," Yumesaki replied, completely unfazed. If Nero could pick up on it, there was no way he could have missed it.
In truth, from the very second he stepped through the doors of Shunkatei, Yumesaki had been fully aware that someone was keeping tabs on him. He had even pinpointed the exact distance and position of their observer.
They were sitting in a restaurant on the upper level of a large commercial building roughly three hundred meters away. The opposing party seemed entirely convinced that they wouldn't be detected, behaving with an incredibly brazen and careless attitude.
"Should your Praetor go and apprehend this individual?" Nero asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation as she eagerly looked for an excuse to fight. The moment Yumesaki gave the word, she was fully prepared to charge up there, beat their stalker within an inch of their life, and drag them back for questioning.
Yumesaki calmly waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "No need, no need. Let them watch all they want; we'll just go about our business. As long as they don't actively try to get in our way, just pretend they don't exist."
Nero let out a disappointed huff, her lips forming a distinct pout. "Very well, I shall defer to my Master's judgment."
Seeing her disappointment, Yumesaki decided to take Nero to an amusement park to make it up to her.
Despite Nero's history as an emperor, she was, at her core, still a young girl. She had never seen or experienced anything quite as wondrous and entertaining as a modern amusement park. The moment they stepped through the gates, she completely let loose. Regardless of what the attraction was, she would enthusiastically drag Yumesaki along to experience it with her.
From the swinging pirate ship to the massive roller coasters, from the giant pendulum drop to the merry-go-round, and from the roaring water rapids to the bumper cars, an entire day flew by in a blur of excitement.
As for the group of people spying on them? Nero had long since cast them into the furthest depths of her mind.
"That was incredibly exhilarating, Master! Truly spectacular! That roller coaster, I wish to experience it just one more time!"
"Sure thing."
"Master, another round!"
"Go right ahead."
"Master, once more, just once more!"
"Alright, alright."
And so, Yumesaki found himself dragged along by Nero to ride the exact same roller coaster repeatedly. It was only after their tenth consecutive ride that Nero finally stepped off the platform, thoroughly satisfied and ready to seek out other attractions.
Time flew by rapidly, and evening soon blanketed the city.
Nero was reluctantly guided out of the amusement park gates by Yumesaki, her feet dragging slightly as they walked down the street leading toward the Italian restaurant. Looking back at the park as it slowly shrank into the distance, Nero's eyes were filled with a profound sense of longing. She turned her head to look at Yumesaki with a deeply pleading expression, wrapping her arms tightly around his sleeve and shaking it playfully. "Master, we must return here tomorrow, understood?"
"Yes, yes, of course. No problem at all."
Yumesaki genuinely hadn't anticipated that Nero would find an amusement park so utterly captivating, so he readily agreed to her request. After all, they didn't have any major matters to attend to over the next few days, so spending a bit more time enjoying themselves wouldn't hurt.
"Splendid, Praetor!"
Seeing Yumesaki give his consent, Nero let out a joyous cheer. She immediately threw her arms around him, burying his face directly into her chest as a grand, unreserved display of her immense gratitude.
Yumesaki simply accepted the gesture. Since Nero was being so incredibly proactive, it would feel entirely inappropriate to push her away, and doing so would only hurt her feelings. As someone who took pride in properly treasuring women, how could he possibly behave in such an unromantic manner?
Medea could only stare blankly at the display. "..."
However, just as the group was walking along, laughing and enjoying their lively banter, a couple of utterly unwelcome uninvited guests blocked their path.
It was Jogo.
He was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit possessing high intelligence, manifested from humanity's collective fear of the earth and volcanic disasters. His physical appearance was bizarre, to say the least; the top of his head closely resembled a miniature volcano, and a single, massive eye dominated his face.
Standing beside him was Mahito.
Another Special Grade Cursed Spirit, born from the hatred, malice, and terror that humans harbored toward one another. Compared to the monstrous and strange appearance of Jogo, this individual looked remarkably indistinguishable from an ordinary human at first glance. He appeared to be a young man in his early twenties, quite tall, clad in a dark, flowing coat, with medium-length blue-gray hair and striking heterochromatic eyes.
However, his face and body were completely covered in thick, black patchwork stitches. This was due to his physical form being literally pieced together from various human body parts.
It was repulsive—utterly and thoroughly grotesque. Yumesaki cast a glance toward the two Cursed Spirits, his eyes filled with unhidden revulsion.
The two curses casually stood in the middle of the wide thoroughfare, deliberately cutting off Yumesaki and his companions while radiating a dark, suffocating bloodlust that they made absolutely no effort to conceal.
The surrounding pedestrians went about their business, entirely oblivious to the presence of the two entities. Creatures like Cursed Spirits, much like Evil Spirits, were completely invisible to the vast majority of mankind. Only specific individuals possessing spiritual awareness could perceive these unsightly monstrosities.
Yet, unlike Evil Spirits, who generally could not proactively harm humans who were unable to see them, Cursed Spirits operated under no such restrictions. Whether a person could see them or not, a curse could ruthlessly slaughter them all the same. This was precisely why Yumesaki found their entire existence so thoroughly detestable.
"You brat..."
Catching the blatant look of disgust in Yumesaki's eyes, Jogo instantly began to lose his temper. The miniature volcano atop his head suddenly hissed, venting a thick plume of smoke and embers that clearly illustrated his mounting fury.
"Hand over that item."
"What item are you referring to? I don't recall owing either of you anything," Yumesaki replied calmly.
"Stop playing dumb. Hand over the Paper that was recorded in those archives."
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It looks like I'll need to increase the number of Power Stones required for the Bonus Chapter from 50 to 100.
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