"Roar—!!"
The quasi-Special Grade imaginary vengeful spirit didn't give Hayashi En any room to breathe.
Its three heads, wreathed in eerie green ghost-fire, roared in unison. Its massive body, like an out-of-control heavy tank, surged toward Hayashi En, bringing with it a suffocating wave of heat and death.
At that speed, the old Hayashi En would have certainly been sent flying.
But now...
"Too clumsy."
Hayashi En stood his ground, feet planted firmly as if rooted to the earth.
Faced with a collision powerful enough to shatter rock, he simply shifted his weight. He flicked his black cane upward at an incredibly precise angle.
"CLANG—!!!"
A resounding boom, like the tolling of a great bell, echoed through the cavern.
An unbelievable sight unfolded.
The massive cursed spirit, several times larger than Hayashi En, hit the slender cane and stopped dead, as if it had slammed into an immovable wall.
The immense impact didn't blow Hayashi En away; instead, a visible ripple emanated from the point of contact, and then... it vanished eerily.
The shaft of the cane grew slightly warm, a faint dark red glow simmering beneath its black surface.
"Decent strength."
Hayashi En adjusted his glasses. The fabric of his suit jacket strained against his arms as his muscles momentarily bulged.
A second later.
Hayashi En's wrist flicked violently.
The monstrous strength of his Special Grade body exploded without reservation.
"Back off!"
Swinging the heavy cane like a golf club, he sent it whistling through the air to smash directly into the cursed spirit's middle head.
"BANG!!!"
It burst like a melon.
The head wreathed in ghost-fire was pulverized, disintegrating into a shower of green sparks. The massive spirit wailed as it was sent flying backward, collapsing a stone pillar in its wake.
"Oh?"
In the distance, Kenjaku narrowed his eyes. His nonchalant expression finally gave way to a hint of gravity.
"Pure physical strength? No... that cursed tool is absorbing the impact as well."
"Interesting."
Kenjaku smirked.
He cracked his neck with a sharp pop.
"Since cursed spirits are nothing more than toys, then..."
"I'll handle this personally."
Whoosh!
Kenjaku vanished from his spot instantly.
'So fast!'
Hayashi En's pupils dilated.
This was the taijutsu of one of the strongest Special Grade curse users, utilizing Geto Suguru's tempered body!
A vicious wind lunged at the back of his head.
Hayashi En spun around instinctively, raising his cane to block.
"CLANG!"
Kenjaku's whip-like kick slammed into the cane.
The sheer force numbed Hayashi En's arms, sending him sliding back several meters.
Before he could regain his footing, Kenjaku was on him again like a relentless shadow.
"A Special Grade body... what a fine specimen."
Kenjaku's voice rang in his ear, tinged with a macabre excitement.
Punches, kicks, elbows, knees—every strike targeted Hayashi En's vitals.
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The two figures clashed violently within the cramped confines of the cavern.
It was a raw, unadorned brawl.
While Hayashi En possessed a Special Grade physique, his technique was clearly outclassed by Kenjaku's millennium of experience.
Though Hayashi En had technically reached the Special Grade level, he was still outmatched among his peers.
His suit was torn, a bloody gash marked his face, and his glasses were knocked askew.
Yet, he hadn't broken.
On the contrary, he was smiling.
With every blow he parried, the Golden Order in his hand pulsed.
Accumulating.
Building.
Still building.
"What are you waiting for?"
Kenjaku threw a punch at Hayashi En's face while simultaneously commanding the injured quasi-Special Grade spirit to ambush him from behind.
Hayashi En tilted his head to dodge the fist, allowing the spirit's claws to tear through the back of his clothes.
Using the momentum of the strike, he lunged backward to create distance.
By now, his cane was so hot it was nearly impossible to hold.
"I'm waiting for..."
Hayashi En came to a stop. He gripped the scabbard with his left hand and the golden-carved snake-head handle with his right.
He watched the charging Kenjaku and the regenerating quasi-Special Grade spirit.
The 'merchant' persona in his eyes shattered, replaced by a glint of ecstatic madness.
"I'm waiting for this."
Mode Shift: [Liquidation Mode].
Click.
He flicked the lock open with his thumb.
Draw.
"SHING—!!!"
Time seemed to stand still.
A dazzling amber-gold light erupted from the black scabbard.
It wasn't just a blade's flash.
It contained the absorbed impact, kinetic energy, and cursed energy, compressed and magnified before being... detonated!
Cursed Technique Release!
Stacking Ratio Technique!
Hayashi En became a streak of golden lightning, instantly cleaving through the 7:3 ratio point of the quasi-Special Grade spirit's body.
Critical hit!
In an instant, the spirit was sliced in two, drenching Hayashi En in green blood!
Without losing momentum, Hayashi En bore down on Kenjaku!
"Oh?!"
Kenjaku's pupils contracted.
'This explosive power... interesting.'
He instinctively summoned a defensive cursed spirit to shield himself while twisting his body back.
"SHLICK—!!"
A golden flash of the blade passed through.
The high-defense cursed spirit and the rock wall behind it were sliced through as cleanly as tofu.
Despite being dampened, the power of the strike didn't halt.
However...
"Thud."
The sharp blade was caught in a bare hand, unable to advance even a single centimeter.
Rumble—
Only then did the delayed sonic boom explode within the cavern.
The entire underground space shook as if it were about to collapse.
The dust settled.
Hayashi En held the blade with one hand.
Kenjaku's blood dripped from the translucent amber-gold blade.
Kenjaku held the sharp edge of the blade, smiling as if completely unbothered.
Hayashi En panted, reaching up to straighten his crooked glasses.
'He actually... caught it with his bare hand.'
Even though they were both Special Grade, the gap in their power was immense.
"Damn it..."
Hayashi En pulled the blade free.
Kenjaku didn't react, watching nonchalantly as Hayashi En backed away.
Hayashi En quickly retreated to a safe distance.
At this point, the only way to win was to go all out!
...
Kenjaku looked down at his hand.
That blade...
That technique...
"Haha... Hahahaha!"
Kenjaku suddenly burst into laughter, his shoulders trembling.
He looked up, his narrow eyes no longer mocking, but filled with a genuine, recognizing fervor.
"Good!"
"Very good!"
Kenjaku knew.
He had been watching Hayashi En since the Eishu Juvenile Detention Center incident about two months ago.
This man who seemed to appear out of thin air, with no background whatsoever.
This person who was only at a Grade 4 level two months ago.
This person who acted as if he knew the 'plot,' always using the cleverest methods to secure the greatest benefits.
He had actually reached Special Grade strength in just two short months and even managed to wound him.
Hummm—
The cursed energy within Kenjaku began to surge wildly.
He was no longer holding back.
BOOM!!
A gravitational field terrifying enough to crush bones instantly descended upon Hayashi En's head.
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