“You’ve got to be kidding…” Seeing Konoe Mayoru emerge without a single injury, then glancing at the cursed spirit reduced to ash, Togawa Sakiko felt her understanding of jujutsu collapse once again.
She was genuinely happy that Mayoru had survived.
But this made no sense!
Everything she had learned since childhood told her that being trapped inside a Domain meant almost certain death.
How could a beginner with such crude cursed-energy control defeat a Domain-wielding cursed spirit without suffering a scratch?
Had Mayoru been pretending to be weak all along?
Was that clumsy cursed-energy control only an act, meant to lower his enemy’s guard before striking at the perfect moment?
It was not entirely impossible, so Sakiko began analyzing the situation with what little expertise she possessed.
Her main evidence was the dramatic change in Mayoru’s cursed-energy flow after leaving the Domain.
At the start, he had controlled cursed energy like an infant struggling to take its first steps.
Now, he could at least run without immediately falling over.
That did not sound particularly impressive.
The problem was that this transformation had occurred after a single battle.
If a baby could barely walk while holding onto furniture one moment, then started sprinting at full speed the next, anyone would question what they were seeing.
Yet Mayoru was a modern awakened sorcerer, just like Mutsumi.
Sakiko had lived beside him for an entire year and had never noticed anything unusual.
The contradictions made her want to scream.
‘Left brain, please stop attacking my right brain!’ While Sakiko’s worldview continued crumbling, Kei hurried over to Mayoru.
She had believed he was certain to die inside the Domain.
Now that he had emerged unharmed, her tears had not even dried before relief and lingering fear washed over her.
“You aren’t hurt, are you, Konoe-nii?” ‘Isn’t that obvious?’ ‘Maybe you should ask the cursed spirit that’s already turned to ash.’ Sakiko was not normally someone who constantly made sarcastic remarks, but she could no longer restrain herself.
“Of course I’m fine.
I’ve never felt better.” Mayoru spoke with complete sincerity.
That cursed spirit had appeared at the perfect time.
A weaker enemy would have immediately killed itself against reflection, while an experienced opponent would never have remained long enough for Mayoru to study them.
An enemy both powerful and stupid was probably something only a newly born cursed spirit could offer.
Although he had failed to land a Black Flash, he had analyzed the spirit’s cursed-energy control and studied the energy flowing through its Domain.
Mayoru was now confident that he had finally grasped the basics of cursed energy.
He was no longer the confused beginner whose every move, aside from reflection, carried an obvious delay that any experienced opponent could exploit.
“That’s good.
You really scared me…” Kei wiped away her tears.
“Sakiko told me that entering a Domain almost always means certain death, so I thought…” Sakiko fell silent.
‘I did say that, but it’s common knowledge in the jujutsu world!’ ‘Don’t make it sound as though I was wrong!’ Regardless, Mayoru had survived and appeared to have grown dramatically stronger.
Sakiko finally relaxed and started walking toward them.
Before she could reach them— “Maximum: Uzumaki.” An ominous voice seemed to rise from beneath the earth.
An enormous amount of cursed energy suddenly erupted, so dense and suffocating that one could only wonder how it had remained completely hidden until now.
All of that cursed energy compressed into a single point before firing at a speed beyond sound.
Its target was Mayoru’s brain.
Before Kei or Sakiko could react, the attack had already appeared directly before him.
Its malice was unmistakable.
In terms of pure output, it even surpassed the special-grade cursed spirit from earlier.
Mayoru did not bother looking toward it.
He merely released a quiet sigh.
In the next instant, reflection activated without a sound.
The vast mass of cursed energy reversed direction the moment it approached Mayoru and returned at the same overwhelming speed.
Even the shock wave tore apart the asphalt, shattered nearby streetlights, and swallowed every obstacle along its path.
Everything happened in less time than it took to blink.
Kei and Sakiko were instantly dragged out of their relief over Mayoru’s survival.
They swallowed the words they had been preparing to say and stiffly turned their heads toward the enemy who had suddenly attacked him.
As the dust cleared, a man in Buddhist robes raised one hand with a troubled expression.
“Oh dear.
I only wanted to test it, but you can even reflect my Maximum Technique?” “What a terrifying cursed technique.” “I never imagined I would awaken such a frightening monster myself.” “Geto…
Suguru!” Before Mayoru could speak, Sakiko cried out the name in a trembling voice.
“Why is he here…?” The newcomer was far too infamous within the jujutsu world.
Among the four existing special-grade sorcerers, Gojo Satoru was known by everyone, Tsukumo Yuki rarely appeared, and Okkotsu Yuta was still extremely young.
In terms of public infamy, Geto Suguru was one of the few special grades whose name could rival Gojo’s.
Sakiko had naturally seen his wanted notice.
She had also heard how he once launched the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and single-handedly occupied the entire jujutsu world.
However, only by facing him directly could she understand how inhumanly terrifying he truly was.
His presence surpassed every sorcerer Sakiko had encountered and inspired far more fear than even the special-grade cursed spirit.
This was a special-grade sorcerer— No.
The jujutsu world classified those who threatened the existing order as curse users.
Therefore, the man before her should be called the strongest curse user.
But why had a monster like him come here?
Mayoru was considering the same question.
‘He came looking for me…
so it must be because of my cursed technique.’ ‘This bastard really has been spying on the colonies.’ ‘I can’t believe he noticed me on the very first day.’ Unlike Sakiko, Mayoru knew the man before him was not Geto Suguru.
He was Kenjaku.
The mastermind behind the Culling Game had survived for a thousand years, forming contracts with both humans and cursed spirits throughout that time.
In terms of overall ability, he was essentially an overwhelmingly upgraded version of Geto Suguru.
Mayoru had never expected to encounter a special-grade enemy on his first day, before he had even fully mastered cursed energy.
‘So…