In the pitch-black forest, surging Cursed Energy burst into brilliant light. A crack split the air, and two enormous claws gripped its edges as something crawled out.
Its hideous head emerged.
"Roar—!"
Terrifying Cursed Energy instantly wiped out the lesser Cursed Spirits swarming in to attack.
This was also a Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Geto Suguru had no intention of using a Special Grade Cursed Spirit to suppress a Quasi-Special Grade.
That would be overkill.
The Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit Geto Suguru released had barely appeared before it lunged at the Mountain Demon King with its claws.
Seeing this, the mountain demon bared a humanlike look of anger. "Awooo—!"
With a furious roar, Cursed Energy covered the area within a dozen or so meters.
Seeing this, Shinsuke Zenin grabbed Tengen and Nanami, one in each hand, and retreated.
A black sphere enveloped Geto Suguru and the Mountain Demon King.
"Is that a Domain Expansion!?"
Tengen was shocked. This Cursed Spirit could actually deploy a domain. It was completely beyond their ability to handle.
Nanami's expression was grave, too. They'd sent him, a Quasi-Grade 1, and Tengen, a Grade 2 Sorcerer, to deal with a Cursed Spirit like this?
Did that make any sense?
Or had the higher-ups understood the situation and assigned them a team leader for that reason?
"It should just be a simplified version."
Shinsuke Zenin set the two down and watched the still sphere. So this was a domain?
He couldn't sense what was happening inside at all.
Still, he could tell how strong the domain was. It seemed to be only a newly formed Domain Prototype.
The Mountain Demon King was unlucky, too. It had been caught at the final step by Geto Suguru, a user of Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Cursed Spirit Manipulation was a Cursed Technique with an extremely high ceiling.
Geto Suguru just wasn't cautious enough. Otherwise, he could eventually become the strongest sorcerer in the Jujutsu World.
After all, whether it was the Cursed Womb Death Paintings, the Four Calamities, or Sukuna, in theory, as long as Geto Suguru was strong enough, he could control them all. Even Tengen's final direction of evolution was toward becoming a Cursed Spirit.
If he played it a little safer, he could probably find a way to absorb every other Cursed Spirit in the world, aside from the downright monstrous Sukuna.
As he thought this, cracks spread across the domain before them.
"Bang!"
The next second, the domain burst apart. The white-haired Mountain Demon King spat blood, its face contorted with rage.
"For a Quasi-Special Grade, you're already quite strong."
Geto Suguru spread his hands, smiling. Beside him stood a Cursed Spirit with a somewhat chubby face and flowing long hair. Its hands were tucked into its sleeves, and its two pairs of squinting eyes gave it a comical look.
Special Grade Imaginary Vengeful Spirit, Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnation.
Cursed Spirits capable of possessing their own domains were all powerful. This one could become another source of strength for him.
"Awooo!!"
The Mountain Demon King glared at Geto Suguru, its eyes filled with terrifying resentment.
It had only wanted to hide in the mountains and slowly evolve into a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Why did they have to stop it!?
With a furious roar, the Mountain Demon King turned and ran. It wasn't stupid. It knew it wasn't a match for its opponent, and figured it probably couldn't get away by running, either.
So it charged straight toward Shinsuke Zenin and the others.
Those three seemed to know that man. Using their lives to threaten him was its only chance of survival!
They watched as the three-meter-tall, white-haired Quasi-Special Grade Cursed Spirit dropped to all fours and charged at them.
Nanami looked horrified and immediately tightened his grip on his short blade.
But when he saw from the corner of his eye that Tengen had hurriedly ducked behind their team leader, Shinsuke Zenin, he silently put away his blade and took a step back.
He knew his limits. He wasn't a match for this Cursed Spirit yet, so he'd leave it to Teacher Shinsuke to get them out of there.
At this speed, the Cursed Spirit probably couldn't catch them.
"Does it think we're easy prey?"
Shinsuke Zenin watched the charging Mountain Demon King, a smile tugging at his lips as he slowly took the crimson three-section staff from his waist.
He'd only planned to watch, but this monkey was taking itself a little too seriously.
Was it looking down on those without Cursed Energy, like certain sorcerers did?
The mountain demon saw the human right in front of it. Its sharp claws were already outstretched, aimed at Shinsuke Zenin's throat, ready to tear him apart in one blow.
Clearly, without Cursed Energy, he couldn't even serve as a hostage.
But just as its gaze wavered, it saw that the man showed no trace of fear. He had opened his arms as if welcoming its claws.
This guy was smiling!
The slightly sinister grin made it feel a flicker of fear.
"Wait! Don't kill it!!"
Seeing the Special Grade Cursed Tool Play Cloud appear in Shinsuke Zenin's hands, worth five hundred million, Geto Suguru's expression changed. He shouted from a distance.
He'd finally found a decent Cursed Spirit. Don't go and ruin it for him!
"Smack—!!"
A brutal, earth-shaking crash rang out, and the Mountain Demon King's eyes grew unfocused.
Its memories shifted. It saw itself when it had first become a Cursed Spirit, still only a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit, happily running through the mountains.
But it was lonely all by itself, so it went to a village at the foot of the mountain, looking for humans who could see it to play with.
For some reason, the humans were afraid of it. Gradually, the stories about it in the village grew stranger and more varied.
As time passed, it grew stronger. Not only that, but more of its kind came into being.
It went from being completely clueless to starting to hate humans.
It hadn't done anything. Why did they make it sound so evil?
Once it had gained great power, it began taking revenge on the villagers at the foot of the mountain, sending its underlings to eat a few people every several years.
Since the villagers were so afraid of it, it would grant their wish and make sure they lived in fear of it forever.
"Awooo..."
The Mountain Demon King's eyes cleared. It realized that its body was gradually disappearing. So... it was already dead.
With its final gaze, it looked at the man who had killed it. His expression was neither happy nor sad. He hadn't changed at all after killing it, as if he'd casually crushed an ant.
He was the one people ought to fear!
"Gulp."
"M-Mister, it... died?"
Tengen poked her head out and looked at the Mountain Demon King, half of whose body had been smashed away by a blow and was now disappearing. She swallowed reflexively.
That man was way too brutal...
Shinsuke Zenin shook off the blood left on Play Cloud and shrugged indifferently. "What else?"
It had been right in his face. What else was he supposed to do—leave it alive?
Was he supposed to stand there and let it grab him by the throat?
That would've been way too embarrassing.
"Hey! You...!?"
Geto Suguru looked annoyed. It was too much to just snatch his prey like that.
He'd even been thanking Shinsuke a moment ago.
"Oh, sorry about that, Geto. I forgot you could absorb this thing. I didn't think it would be so fragile, either."
Hm?
Shinsuke Zenin's expression changed while he was talking to Geto Suguru.
The scripture inside him had started to tremble.
A powerful force of attraction silently drew in the energy left behind as the Mountain Demon King vanished, pulling it into the scripture.
Then a stream of rich warmth surged out of the scripture and flowed into the acupoint corresponding to the fifth gate of the Eight Gates Technique, Gate of Closing.
He felt his body grow a little stronger.
And the scripture's display changed from [Gate of Closing 1%] to [Gate of Closing 4%]!
Shinsuke Zenin's cheek twitched.
Wait, what!? Why hadn't it told him about this function sooner!?
Before you continue