Tokyo No. 2 Colony

As soon as the cooldown ended, Xuan, who had just arrived at Tokyo No. 2 Colony, immediately summoned Tiger Funeral.

Black shadows condensed into a shadowy sphere nearly the size of a small hill. Then Tiger Funeral's body abruptly emerged.

With Tiger Funeral's appearance, Xuan also dropped a curtain to keep the other sorcerers from observing him. Immediately afterward, he leaped up, twisted his body, and drove a fist into Tiger Funeral's enormous head.

Black cursed energy erupted with crackling lightning and slammed into Tiger Funeral's head. Then Xuan flicked the Merchant God's Scepter in his hand, and shadows condensed into a longsword in his grip.

"Roar!"

Tiger Funeral's pained roar did not make Xuan relent. On the contrary, the instant it cried out in pain, the sword in Xuan's hand slashed fiercely at its head.

Tiger Funeral swiftly retreated. Xuan's sword cut into the ground and missed, but Xuan immediately thought of a solution.

As the cursed-energy shadow gathered around the Merchant God's Scepter abruptly shifted shape, Xuan planted a foot on the floor and shot toward Tiger Funeral like a cannonball, the Merchant God's Scepter in his hand transforming into a massive warhammer.

The hammer, as huge as one of Tiger Funeral's great claws, smashed down at it from above. Tiger Funeral clearly could not withstand the force and was violently slammed into the floor.

Then the Merchant God's Scepter sank into the shadows. Xuan spread his hands into palms and forcefully pressed them toward Tiger Funeral's body, pinned to the ground. Cursed energy surged across his palms.

"Dog: Eight."

As he descended, Xuan's palms pressed against Tiger Funeral's body. Slashes instantly spread outward from the point of contact. Unlike Yuji's and Sukuna's, the cutting lines of Eight bore obvious bite marks.

The spreading cuts rapidly engulfed Tiger Funeral entirely. Then came an extraordinarily swift and devastating barrage of slashes infused with ample cursed energy.

Like an onion being peeled apart, Tiger Funeral was stripped layer by layer from the outside in by Eight's slashes. Flesh and blood formed from cursed energy flew apart, spraying like it cost nothing.

Then Tiger Funeral was consumed by Eight's slashes and vanished.

The taming ritual was complete.

Unlike Nue, which had to be let out for a chat after being tamed, Tiger Funeral was not such a talkative shikigami.

Tiger Funeral needed a quiet space more, somewhere it could rest and sleep properly.

Tiger Funeral, a shikigami second only to Mahoraga in the Ten Shadows Technique, possessed immensely powerful physical abilities and a cutting technique even stronger than Nue's. However, Tiger Funeral's slashes could not be released at range; in other words, compared to Dismantle, they were more like Eight.

After taming Tiger Funeral, the cursed energy Xuan needed for Eight was greatly reduced, while its power rose considerably.

More importantly, there was Tiger Funeral's other trait.

As a shikigami focused on physical combat, Tiger Funeral placed greater emphasis on the timing of striking with cursed energy and physical power together. The interval between Tiger Funeral's physical strikes and cursed-energy strikes might not even last a moment. In other words, after using Tiger Funeral's technique, Xuan only needed to pay attention to his own cursed-energy control and the compatibility of his cursed energy with his opponent's to quickly land a Black Flash.

In fact, as long as Xuan properly grasped both his own condition and his opponent's, he could definitely land consecutive Black Flashes on them.

At the same time, because this trait also affected Tiger Funeral itself—and because Black Flash could restore one's condition—Tiger Funeral was also the most suitable choice for a meat shield and defensive hand while taming Mahoraga.

As for the "strength enhancement" attached when Tiger Funeral's technique was manifested on his own body?

Though it was merely a secondary benefit, it was still more useful than Xuan directly reinforcing his body with cursed energy. And, like Round Deer, it could be stacked.

As Xuan successfully tamed Tiger Funeral, a voice rang out by his ear at just the right moment.

"Ding dong, ding dong. A player has added the latest general rule to the Culling Game. Rule Ten: Players may view the information of other players, including their names, scores, number of added rules, and the colony where they are currently located!"

"Kogane, display the players other than me who have added rules."

"Okay!"

Hajime Kashimo
Score: 0 points
Rules added: 1
Location: Tokyo No. 2 Colony

Xuan
Score: 0 points
Rules added: 1
Location: Tokyo No. 2 Colony

Seeing this information, Hajime Kashimo's body suddenly erupted with blue lightning. It coiled around his pale blue hair, making it rise slightly.

"What the hell... isn't he practically delivering himself to my doorstep?"

Hajime Kashimo chewed over that name—Xuan. Xuan.

He had definitely seen that name somewhere before, perhaps in some chronicle of the strong.

A powerful figure from before the Edo period, one notable enough to be recorded in books.

Seriously, had he forgotten everyone weaker than Sukuna just because he was obsessed with pursuing Sukuna's strength?

Xuan. Xuan.

A shifting figure from that portrait suddenly surfaced in Hajime Kashimo's mind. He remembered now—the man whom countless jujutsu sorcerers had called Sukuna's equal.

The strongest of the Muromachi era, recorded in the books as having committed suicide because "a life without opponents was simply too lonely."

Then let me be the first to find out whether you are truly as powerful as the books describe, Xuan.

With that thought, Hajime Kashimo made no effort to conceal his cursed energy, allowing his lightning-natured cursed energy to spill out and crackle through the air as he walked toward the center of Tokyo No. 2 Colony.

Even from several kilometers away, Xuan could see the cursed energy soaring into the sky. Judging by its nature and magnitude, he could easily infer its owner.

The Thunder God of the Edo period, Hajime Kashimo.

Come to think of it, wasn't Hajime Kashimo also a player whose goal was to fight Sukuna?

Xuan had not seen the latter half of Yuta Okkotsu's battle in Sendai, so he knew nothing at all about Hajime Kashimo's technique—only that such a person existed, and that he was strong.

Thus, Xuan released his cursed energy without holding anything back and strode toward Hajime Kashimo.

Though both possessed astonishing amounts of cursed energy, their deliberate displays naturally drew those unafraid of death into their path. After casually dealing with several sorcerers who had techniques but no brains, Xuan and Hajime Kashimo faced each other from afar at the very center of the barrier.

Sizzle!

Boom!!!

Purple lightning collided with pale blue lightning. A deafening explosion rang out as overflowing electrical energy slammed into the surrounding buildings. Powerful cursed energy, carrying electric currents, stirred up a terrifying storm. When the storm finally subsided, the two figures landed separately upon the circular arena at the center of the barrier.

"Hey! Judging by your cursed energy... you're Xuan, right?"

Hajime Kashimo slammed the Ruyi Staff in his hand against the ground, his eyes fixed on Xuan in the distance. As his fighting spirit surged, the lightning markings on his face seemed to crackle with actual arcs of electricity.

With a flick of his hand, Xuan caught the Merchant God's Scepter in his palm. Then, shadows condensed from cursed energy formed into a massive scythe.

"I have a question. You... are you a man or a woman?"

"Huh? Why ask that? Are you the type who goes easy on opponents if they're women?"

Xuan did not answer. He merely stared at Hajime Kashimo.

"I'm a man. If that's what you're thinking, I'd advise you to throw away that hypocritical mercy as soon as possible!"

Hajime Kashimo abruptly raised his staff.

Boom!

Lightning erupted around Hajime Kashimo. In a sudden flash of electric light, he charged forward, and the long staff in his hand crashed down toward Xuan.

Xuan sharply raised his weapon. The massive scythe caught the Ruyi Staff and hooked upward, and at the instant his weapon was nearly knocked from his grip, Hajime Kashimo immediately raised a leg in a sweeping kick.

Xuan's scythe abruptly retracted as he swiftly stepped back, avoiding Hajime Kashimo's sweeping kick.

Hajime Kashimo violently smashed the long staff into the ground, then gripped it and spun like a whirlwind, lashing both legs toward Xuan like whips.

Xuan stomped the ground, and electric light burst from his body. At the same time, he shot backward at astonishing speed.

Neither side's attack landed. Hajime Kashimo planted his foot, leapt up as he braked, raised the long staff in his hand, and fiercely brought it down upon Xuan.

Xuan raised the Merchant God's Scepter. The massive scythe in his hand transformed into a condensed spear, and the heavy Ruyi Staff struck the solidified cursed energy with a dull metallic clang.

Along with the explosive crackle of lightning.

After several strikes, Hajime Kashimo used the Ruyi Staff to force lightning into Xuan before him.

"Not bad, Hajime Kashimo!"

Xuan tightened his grip on the Merchant God's Scepter as Nue's lightning surged back into Hajime Kashimo's own. Purple and pale blue electric light collided, and with a violent explosion, the two pulled apart once more.

"You're not bad either! As someone who uses lightning cursed energy, this is the first time I've seen lightning that matches mine!!!"

Hajime Kashimo was currently extremely "excited." Lightning cursed energy surged upward from the soles of his feet, causing his clothes and hair to stream upward.

Once again, the two moved at the same time. Xuan's spear transformed again. As he caught Hajime Kashimo's incoming staff, Xuan seized it with one hand and sent Nue's lightning surging into Hajime Kashimo's palm. Then he lowered his body, and the condensed shadow around the Merchant God's Scepter became a hand-and-a-half sword. Xuan swiftly closed in on Hajime Kashimo's side and slashed.

Hajime Kashimo could only grip the Ruyi Staff and endure Nue's lightning head-on. He immediately raised the long staff, neutralizing Xuan's strike aimed at his core—his waist and abdomen—at the cost of injuring his palm.

After deflecting Xuan's attack, Hajime Kashimo flipped backward and immediately retreated, keeping a safe distance as he faced Xuan from afar.

"Looks like... your skill matches your strength quite well."

"Hah... what, aren't you coming at me anymore?"

Xuan tilted his head back and tossed the Merchant God's Scepter into his shadow.

"I've tested you enough. If this is your level, then you truly are qualified to dance to my heart's content with me."

"Like a tango—only people of similar skill can dance together. Is that what you mean?"

"Haha... more or less."

"Then, as the strongest of the Muromachi era, I'll allow you to make the first move."

"What the hell... strongest!"

Hajime Kashimo raised his staff. Crackling pale blue lightning coiled around the Ruyi Staff and surged upward as Hajime Kashimo tilted his head back.

"Don't make me... expect too much."