The Special Grade Cursed Spirit trembled.
Sol took a single step forward.
The moment he moved, the atmosphere around him changed completely.
The quiet, restrained presence he usually carried vanished. In its place emerged something impossibly sharp, like a legendary blade drawn from its sheath.
It was not Cursed Energy.
It was an invisible pressure forged through countless battles, a martial will tempered by relentless combat, a killing instinct honed through endless life-and-death encounters, and experience vast enough to dwarf anything the curse had ever faced.
That overwhelming force locked onto the Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Its massive body shook violently.
It felt as though an invisible mountain had crashed down upon it. Its movements became sluggish and rigid, while every mouth covering its body released terrified whimpers.
This was primal fear.
The fear of prey caught in the gaze of a superior predator.
"You three, step back."
Sol's calm voice carried unquestionable authority.
Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Megumi Fushiguro instinctively obeyed.
All three stared at him in stunned silence.
The sharp aura radiating from Sol was completely different from the playful, easygoing person they knew.
Sol raised his right hand.
His fingers curled slightly as he made a casual grasping motion toward the curse.
It was not a physical attack.
Buzz.
Psychokinesis.
A terrifying power far beyond the scale of any natural disaster, controlled with absolute precision.
An invisible hand closed around the core of the Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
There was no explosion.
No flash of light.
No dramatic release of energy.
The arrogant curse did not even have time to scream.
Its enormous body simply began to disappear.
Starting from its core, it disintegrated as though erased from existence itself.
In an instant, it was reduced to fine dust and completely annihilated.
The grotesque carpet of living flesh beneath it suffered the same fate.
The writhing mass dissolved soundlessly, melting away like snow under the summer sun and revealing the original floor beneath.
The entire process lasted less than a breath.
The arena fell silent.
The terrifying Cursed Energy was gone.
The roars were gone.
The battle was over.
Only Sol remained standing.
Behind him, his three companions looked as though they had turned to stone.
Dust drifted lazily through the beams of light shining in from the damaged walls.
Everything was finished.
Yuji's mouth hung open.
He looked at the empty arena, then at Sol, then back at the empty arena.
No words came out.
Nobara's hammer slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a loud clang.
She didn't even notice.
Her eyes remained fixed on Sol's back, as though she were seeing him for the first time.
Megumi recovered first.
Yet the shock on his face was the deepest.
He swallowed hard.
His throat felt dry.
That wasn't Cursed Energy.
He was absolutely certain.
Whatever Sol had used, it was something entirely different.
A power capable of instantly erasing a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Sol withdrew the sharp force surrounding him and turned around.
His expression returned to normal.
"It's resolved."
His gaze moved across their injuries.
"Are you all alright?"
"N-No, we're fine..." Yuji finally snapped out of his daze.
He rushed over and began circling Sol excitedly.
"Sol! What was that?! Seriously, what was that move? That was insane! You erased that thing in one shot!"
Nobara picked up her hammer and walked over as well.
Her expression was complicated.
"Hey... just how many abilities are you hiding?" she asked. "That wasn't physical enhancement, was it?"
Megumi stepped forward.
Unlike the others, he didn't ask directly.
"That power was dangerous."
He was referring to both the oppressive force from earlier and the final attack.
Sol had already prepared an explanation.
"It was a special Cursed Energy application technique combined with physical advantages," he said calmly. "The consumption is high, so it can't be used often."
He packaged everything as a secret trump card and emphasized its limitations.
"A special technique..." Megumi repeated.
Doubt remained obvious in his eyes.
Still, seeing Sol's unwillingness to explain further, he chose not to press the issue.
Every sorcerer had secrets.
Especially someone like Sol.
"That was awesome!" Yuji exclaimed, slapping Sol on the shoulder. "You have to teach me that someday!"
"When your foundation is more solid," Sol replied, patting his shoulder in return.
The oppressive Cursed Energy that had dominated the area was gone.
The grotesque flesh carpeting the floor had vanished completely.
Only cracked and stained concrete remained.
The lingering smell of blood and malice faded rapidly, replaced by the dusty scent of abandoned ruins.
Silence settled over the arena.
Megumi remained unusually quiet.
Carefully, he extended his senses throughout the area.
The remnants of the Special Grade's Cursed Energy were disappearing.
Not fading naturally after exorcism.
Erased.
As if the curse had never existed in the first place.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
His gaze lingered on Sol.
There was curiosity there.
And a trace of caution.
The explanation Sol had given was far from convincing, but Megumi understood there was no point forcing answers right now.
Sol wasn't surprised by their reactions.
He simply nodded.
"How are your injuries?"
"Huh?" Yuji blinked. "Oh, right. I'm good. Just a few scratches."
He rolled his shoulder.
The wounds left by the spikes were already beginning to heal thanks to his exceptional physique.
Nobara examined the scrapes on her arm.
"I'm fine too."
Megumi shook his head.
His Shikigami would need time to recover, but he had not suffered any serious injuries.
Then Yuji noticed something.
His eyes narrowed toward the center of the arena.
On the clean floor, where the fleshy carpet had once spread across the entire area, a single object remained.
A dried, twisted finger lay quietly on the ground.
Even from a distance, it radiated an ominous presence.
===
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