Chapter 119: Counterattack with Assistance and Excitement
The Gargoyle's fists and feet struck empty air repeatedly; its heavy, stone body appeared exceptionally clumsy before Sukuna's speed.
It desperately tried to hit its opponent, but Sukuna easily dodged every time, followed immediately by an even fiercer counterattack.
The stone skin continuously fractured, wounds accumulated, and black blood flowed through the cracks in the stone, pooling on the ground.
In less than a minute, this seemingly evenly matched battle had already been decided.
The Gargoyle's legs gave way, and it half-knelt on the ground, its massive body swaying precariously. The wounds on its shoulder plates were deep enough to expose bone, its stone skin covered in cracks, having lost all its previous ferocious momentum.
It struggled to lift its head, its crimson stone eyes fixed intensely on Sukuna, yet it lacked even the strength to stand up.
Sukuna slowly withdrew his Cursed Energy, standing before the Gargoyle. His dark shadow enveloped the battered Cursed Spirit, his eyes filled with indifferent arrogance:
"Is this the combat power you pride yourself on? Nothing special."
He hadn't even used his full strength, easily crushing the Gargoyle —which possessed three times the amount of Cursed Energy —simply by relying on his precise control over Cursed Energy and speed far exceeding that of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
This was the oppression of the King of Curses.
It wasn't about the total amount of Cursed Energy; it was absolute suppression stemming from bloodline and raw power, making even the top Special Grade Cursed Spirits seem utterly vulnerable.
Rin stood still, watching the half-kneeling Gargoyle, his face showing no surprise whatsoever.
He had known all along that the Gargoyle alone couldn't defeat Sukuna; this battle was merely a test of the King of Curses' strength.
As the Gargoyle half-knelt, its breath failing, a pink figure suddenly floated out from behind the Divine Tree Space, landing lightly beside it.
It was the Special Grade Cursed Spirit entrusted by Geto Suguru to Rin, the avatar Tamamo-no-Mae.
She wore a magnificent Kimono, with golden ornaments adorning her hair. She was surrounded by Cursed Energy that was gentle yet highly resilient, completely different from the Gargoyle's ferocity.
Tamamo-no-Mae didn't hesitate for a moment. She raised her hand to form a seal, and pink Cursed Energy poured out like flowing water, seeping into the Gargoyle's body through its wounds.
The next second, an astonishing sight appeared.
The Gargoyle's broken stone skin healed at a visible rate, the cracks on its surface gradually disappearing. The Cursed Energy surging within its body multiplied several times, the black aura almost solidifying, causing the surrounding air to fluctuate violently.
This was Tamamo-no-Mae's core Cursed Technique.
[Eightfold Brightening Spell]
It could not only rapidly heal injuries but also significantly amplify the target's Cursed Energy, strength, and speed, earning it the title of a "Battlefield Enhancer."
"Roar!"
The enhanced Gargoyle let out an earth-shaking roar. Its previously lowered head snapped up, and fighting spirit reignited in its crimson stone eyes.
The stone wings on its back violently unfurled, carrying sharp wind blades, and its massive body kicked off the ground, charging fiercely toward Sukuna.
Its speed this time was nearly double what it was before, and the Cursed Energy gathered on its fists was so dense it was black, carrying an aura capable of destroying the heavens and earth.
Sukuna watched the Gargoyle rushing toward him. A trace of excitement suddenly flashed in his previously indifferent vertical pupils, and a bloodthirsty smile curled his lips:
"Now that's more like it!"
He finally abandoned his previous contempt. Cursed Energy rapidly condensed in his hand, and a slash several times thicker than before instantly formed, cleaving straight toward the Gargoyle's head with a piercing sound of rushing air.
The power of this strike was enough to cleave an ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirit directly in half.
"Boom!!!"
The Cursed Energy slash violently collided with the Gargoyle's fist, and an explosion even more intense than before erupted within the space.
Black shockwaves spread in all directions, causing the leaves of the Divine Tree Space to rustle, and the ground cracked with dense patterns.
The Gargoyle was forced to retreat repeatedly by the force of the slash. The Cursed Energy on its stone fist rippled but did not immediately dissipate as it had before.
Tamamo-no-Mae's enhancement had not only increased its strength but also fortified the resilience of its Cursed Energy.
"A bit interesting."
The excitement in Sukuna's eyes intensified. His figure flashed, avoiding the Gargoyle's ensuing massive punch, and he circled behind it. Cursed Energy slashes condensed in his hand once more, aiming for the Gargoyle's wings.
Seeing this, Tamamo-no-Mae immediately adjusted her Cursed Technique. The pink Cursed Energy transformed into a barrier, blocking the Gargoyle's wings.
"Crack."
With a sound, the barrier shattered instantly, but it successfully weakened the power of the slash. The Gargoyle's wing was only marked with a shallow scratch and did not break.
Instantly, the battle within the Divine Tree Space escalated completely.
Relying on Tamamo-no-Mae's enhancement, the Gargoyle continuously launched fierce attacks, its fist winds and wing blades weaving into a net of offense.
Tamamo-no-Mae floated at the edge of the battlefield, continuously supplying pink Cursed Energy to the Gargoyle while skillfully avoiding the residual attacks from Sukuna.
Sukuna, meanwhile, weaved between the fierce attacks and the assistance, his slashes sometimes sharp, sometimes tricky. Every move precisely targeted the Gargoyle's weaknesses, yet he was unable to suppress it as easily as before.
"Hahaha! What a thrill!"
Sukuna's laughter echoed through the space, filled with insane pleasure:
"Brat, this is the kind of battle worthy of my serious attention! Whatever other tricks you have, bring them out!"
Rin stood far away, calmly watching the battlefield.
He did not summon any new Cursed Spirits, merely observing Sukuna's combat style in silence.
Tamamo-no-Mae's assistance significantly boosted the Gargoyle's combat power, yet it could only barely contend with Sukuna. The King of Curses' mastery over Cursed Energy and wealth of combat experience far exceeded his expectations.
Cursed Energy waves surged across the battlefield, and Sukuna no longer possessed his initial air of effortless ease.
Relying solely on the power of one finger to fight two Special Grade Cursed Spirits coordinating flawlessly, even the mighty King of Curses was gradually falling into a disadvantage.
However, instead of showing any anxiety, he laughed even more wildly, his eyes burning with battle-lusting excitement. Every counterattack carried the sharpness of staking everything on a single throw.
The current Gargoyle, under the layered amplification of the Eightfold Brightening Spell, had a stone body as if cast in Diamond. Sukuna's ordinary Cursed Energy slashes only left shallow scratches on it, finding it difficult to inflict fatal damage.
Meanwhile, the powerful slashes he accumulated and condensed were steadily blocked by the pink shield Tamamo-no-Mae timely deployed.
The perfect coordination between offense and support was like an airtight net, tightening the path to survival for Sukuna. His defeat seemed only a matter of time.
"Boom!" The Gargoyle's massive fist smashed toward the ground, carrying splitting winds. Sukuna's figure flashed away like a ghost. Black Cursed Energy surged at his fingertips, and a slash headed straight for the back of the Gargoyle's head.
But before it could touch the stone skin, a light pink barrier suddenly appeared, forcefully stopping the slash mid-air.
This scenario had played out several times: every opportunity Sukuna found to heavily injure the Gargoyle was precisely interrupted by Tamamo-no-Mae's shield.
"Tch."
A low laugh escaped Sukuna's throat, but when the Gargoyle turned and struck with a punch, he deliberately slowed his evasion speed.
The massive fist slammed heavily into his chest, and the tremendous force sent him flying. A black afterimage streaked across the air, falling directly toward Tamamo-no-Mae's position.
This fall was no accident.
From the moment Tamamo-no-Mae joined the battle, Sukuna had begun calculating. He had long seen the situation clearly.
In a prolonged fight, he was certain to lose. Only by first dealing with the supporting Cursed Spirit providing continuous amplification could he reverse the situation.
After several probing attempts, he had even figured out Tamamo-no-Mae's weakness.
Although the shield was powerful, it had a three-second cooldown interval. Even though she could switch the defensive target to herself or her companion, once the shield dissipated, it could not be immediately redeployed.
This moment was precisely the shield's cooldown gap.