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With a flick of his finger, Hanakain Reiji sent Ryomen Sukuna recoiling. He turned to look at the sword-wielding girl beside him, who was just starting to recover from her astonishment.
"I'll be responsible for holding down this XYY Syndrome (d*wn syndrome) guy over here. As for that bald one over there, I'll leave him to you, Busujima-senpai."
"Understood."
Without further hesitation, abundant Cursed Energy, appropriate for a Grade 1 Sorcerer, surged around Saeko Busujima, extending to coat her blade. She faced the Cursed Womb: Death Painting, adopting the Seigan stance used in Kendō.
Although they had met less than an hour ago, she placed her back with absolute trust in this young man, who was a year her junior.
How strange.
Muttering a self-mockery in her heart, Saeko Busujima gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, leaped down from the pile of rubble, and mid-air slashed through the wave of Cursed Energy that had previously effortlessly turned Yuji Itadori into a billiard ball.
On the other side, Hanakain Reiji, having assigned the targets, unhurriedly walked toward Ryomen Sukuna, who had slid back several meters.
"So, you are Ryomen Sukuna. Perfect, I have a few things I want to ask you. I hope you haven't suffered any memory loss due to your fragmented soul."
Regardless of whether the other party was willing to answer, the young man spoke directly.
"Since you are a Sorcerer from a thousand years ago, you should know about the Onmyōji Abe no Seimei..."
"Shut up!"
As if a sensitive keyword had been triggered, Ryomen Sukuna roared. The Cursed Energy around him suddenly exploded, scattering into an attack with slicing properties, instantly carving the surrounding floor into fragments.
But these fissures stopped just short of Hanakain Reiji, as if meeting an invisible wall.
"See? Quick to anger again."
The young man shrugged.
"But your reaction also confirms my suspicion. Especially based on your attitude when I mentioned Abe no Seimei, the reason the Japanese Shogunate recruited you into the Heian-kyō Palace as a deity of worship a thousand years ago was plainly to have you stand on the human side to oppose Abe no Seimei, who had completely become the master of Goblins and Spectres. But... it looks like you lost?"
Ryomen Sukuna "..."
"Don't tell me you were just completely curb-stomped?"
Hanakain Reiji couldn't help but let out a very impolite laugh.
Sometimes, no answer is the best answer to a question.
After a brief moment of silence, Ryomen Sukuna took a deep breath and let out a long exhale.
"How truly unpleasant... A thousand years later, Onmyōji are still so detestable. And now, it seems the new generation of Onmyōji are particularly lacking in manners..."
"What right do you, a vulgar upstart, have to say such a thing?" Hanakain Reiji retorted unceremoniously.
This time, Ryomen Sukuna didn't reply, but his hands were already forming a sign. The surging, chilling killing intent washed over Hanakain Reiji like a tide.
He was starting with his ultimate technique.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine."
Like a droplet falling into a calm lake, a heavy and unnatural Cursed Energy rippled outward within the Innate Domain space.
The scene of the indoor pool shifted, transforming into a vast, pitch-black lake surface. The deep inky blackness beneath the water prevented even the sunlight streaming from above from reflecting any sheen on the water's surface.
And at the far end of the inky lake, a scarlet shrine with a giant human-toothed mouth gaping open erupted from the ground.
"Hmm, not bad, not bad..."
Hanakain Reiji raised an eyebrow and started pointing.
"Well~ even though most Sorcerers leave a terrible impression on me, I have to say that fundamentally, the Cursed Energy used by Sorcerers, the Spiritual Power (Reiatsu) used by Onmyōji, and Demonic Power are all the same thing. I think the academic name is Aether. A miracle created by mixing physical and mental energy."
"As for this Domain... Oh, I see. The principle is still filling the entire space with one's own Cursed Energy so that Cursed Techniques can be launched anytime, anywhere. However, this open-style Domain seems to have quite high Cursed Energy requirements, like running the air conditioner with all the windows and doors open in summer."
"While using overwhelming Spiritual Power to compete for the Domain space's sovereignty isn't a bad idea—like filling the Go board with your own pieces—there's actually a much simpler and more efficient way, and that is... to lock the enemy Sorcerer away!"
At this point, the young man gently snapped his fingers.
"Hado #90: Black Coffin."
As the young man spoke, the law manifested. A massive, upright black coffin suddenly erupted from the ground directly in front of the shrine at the end of the inky lake, Boom!—clamping down on Ryomen Sukuna, who had just finished expanding his Domain.
Light-blocking effect: MAX.
Soundproofing effect: MAX.
Signal jamming: MAX.
The six walls of the Black Coffin blocked the transmission of Cursed Energy. The Cursed Technique Domain, which was constructed from Cursed Energy, lost control of its source. Together with the shrine behind the Black Coffin, it rapidly self-disintegrated, collapsing and vanishing into the air.
The Domain Expansion, which was claimed to be teachable only to the most powerful Sorcerers, collapsed into foam in front of Hanakain Reiji in less than a second. It was as simple as covering a flightless fly with a disposable paper cup.
With the dissolution of the Domain, the sense of distance, which had been stretched by the Cursed Energy, returned to normal.
Hanakain Reiji raised his hand and gently tapped the exterior wall of the Black Coffin, regardless of whether Ryomen Sukuna inside could hear him.
"Just stay inside and cool off for a bit~"
He then turned to look toward the other side.
That was the western end of the indoor pool, where the Kendo girl with the katana was still locked in a fierce battle with the four-eyed Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Clang!
Accompanied by a booming clash of metal in the open space, the Cursed Womb: Death Painting punched the blade's surface, sending Saeko Busujima recoiling several meters.
"Huff... huff..."
Landing and regaining her stance, the Kendo girl panted in small, shallow breaths, cold sweat trickling down her face.
As a certified Grade 1 Sorcerer, she wasn't as utterly defeated as Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro when facing a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, but it was certainly far from easy.
The battle between a human and a Cursed Spirit is inherently a fight to the death. Saeko Busujima didn't think she was strong enough to be compared to an anomaly like Satoru Gojō. Dealing with a newly born Special Grade Cursed Spirit required her to risk her life.
But if she were to risk her life, she would have to continue increasing her Cursed Energy output.
And if she did that, she would once again...
Gripping her unsheathed katana tightly, Saeko Busujima lightly bit her lip.
"So, Senpai, are you done yet? It's about time to go~"
The young man's voice from behind interrupted the Kendo girl's internal struggle, which had just begun.
Hanakain Reiji, who had effortlessly pinned down and neutralized Ryomen Sukuna, slowly walked up from behind with his hands in his pockets. He stopped next to Saeko Busujima, ignoring the Cursed Womb: Death Painting in the distance, which was still radiating abundant Cursed Energy.
"By the way, how are you planning to get back, Busujima-senpai? If you don't have a convenient way to travel, I can help send you off again."
"Uh, that won't be necessary. I still need to report back to Jujutsu High later, so a special car will come to pick me up..."
Saeko Busujima answered instinctively.
However, Cursed Spirits have their pride. Seeing the two ignore him and start chatting amongst themselves, the Cursed Womb: Death Painting's extremely hideous face cycled from excitement to astonishment, and finally to complete, savage fury.
"Gah—!"
It suddenly let out an inhuman screech, then stomped its feet, leaping forward and attacking the position of Hanakain Reiji and Saeko Busujima with its claws.
However, its fate was already sealed.
Bang!
Accompanied by a colossal roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet, in the blink of an eye, the Cursed Womb: Death Painting, which had been charging forward at extreme speed, was sent flying backward at an even greater velocity. A large hole was punched through its chest, and purplish-black Cursed Spirit blood sprayed and scattered along the way like petals.
Hanakain Reiji's left hand was clenched in a fist, his arm held straight out, maintaining the posture of a finished punch. And in his hand, there was a new item.
It was the Sukuna finger—its "heart"—that he had dug out from the hole in the Cursed Womb: Death Painting's chest.
The Kendo girl's mouth was slightly agape.
There was no Cursed Energy... Oh no, in Onmyōji terms, there was no Spiritual Power fluctuation. He had instantly killed a Special Grade Cursed Spirit with pure physical strength alone?!
Before Saeko Busujima could voice her thoughts, Hanakain Reiji casually tossed the finger over.
"Alright, that takes care of it. You can call the special car to pick up the people now."
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