Avici Wailing

...Time rewound to before the fight began.

"Look, Megumi Fushiguro. Even if your total cursed energy isn't ideal, it's still greater than most people's, right? Cursed energy control can be trained later, barrier techniques can be trained later too. Oh, right—Brother Ranta, what's your cursed technique?"

"Suppression."

"Oh? What kind of cursed technique is it?"

"...I can't tell you."

Ranta had just been about to speak when he caught sight of Jinichi's expression beside him.

"Ah, don't be like that. I'm going to be the future clan head's teacher, you know. It's fine to tell me your cursed technique, isn't it?"

"This..."

Ranta fell into a conflicted dilemma, while Xuan turned his head to look at Jinichi before him.

"Hey, I remember the Zenin Clan has those tablets that get burned after someone dies, right?"

Jinichi nodded—he had been guessing for a long time what this man wanted to do, but he still did not understand.

Jinichi looked in the direction of the Cursed Repository—if Ogi was around, he should have been inside the Cursed Repository sorting through cursed tools.

Then Maki and Ogi were bound to run into each other.

Jinichi did not particularly care whether Ogi lived or died. He was not especially concerned with the position of clan head, but what if Maki was killed by Ogi?

A wise man submitted to circumstances. Though Xuan looked amiable, he might not necessarily be magnanimous...

Thinking of it that way, Ogi might as well die.

Of course, he still had to put on a show.

BOOM!!!!!!

As an explosion rang out from the direction of the Cursed Repository, Ranta abruptly rose to his feet. Just as he was about to take a step, he felt a dark, heavy, terrifying surge of cursed energy seize him by the throat. It was not a physical sensation, but an illusion.

"Don't move. Come back. Sit down."

Jinichi was speechless. Looking at the stubborn Ranta, he almost wanted to kneel in his place.

"But—I have to—"

"That's their family business. We just need to sit here, understand?"

"Brother Jinichi?"

"Listen to him."

You fucking remember I'm your superior now?! Even I didn't dare move!!!

Though his heart was already screaming like raging waves, Jinichi maintained his basic composure.

Ranta nodded and sat back down.

"Hahaha—now that's more like it, little brother Ranta."

Only after Ranta sat down did the pressure that had enveloped the entire Zenin Clan, except for the direction of the Cursed Repository, disappear.

As the entire gate of the Cursed Repository was blasted apart—Maki smiled for the first time—the massive hammer transformed back into a broad-bladed sword as she swung it.

This was the first time Maki had felt the powerful cursed energy within her body, and Ogi's expression had already changed.

At first, he could still keep up with Maki's speed, but once Maki began muttering under her breath, he could no longer keep up with her.

BANG BANG BANG BANG!!!

Smoke erupted one after another from the hills outside the Cursed Repository, while trees were continuously sent flying and smashed into fragments in midair.

Playful Cloud swung ceaselessly in Maki's hands. Zenin Ogi could only retreat rapidly; he could not even mount a counterattack.

"Where exactly did you come from..."

THUD!

BAM!

The handle was violently thrown out, and Playful Cloud struck Zenin Ogi like a boomerang. Maki stomped on the ground, and as dust burst forth in an instant, her fist slammed into Zenin Ogi's abdomen. At the same time, Maki caught Playful Cloud again.

"Four."

Playful Cloud changed in her hand, and a black spear instantly appeared in Maki's grasp.

The spearhead, driven by Maki's brutal swing of the shaft, smashed toward Zenin Ogi's face. Zenin Ogi raised the cursed-tool longsword in his hand and barely blocked the descending spearhead—they were locked in a stalemate—

This was the moment—

Zenin Ogi immediately released one hand and retreated, drawing a wakizashi from behind his back. Burning Brow Entanglement's cursed-energy blade thrust out in an instant.

This strike was not meant to hit Maki. As Maki leaned back to evade, the blade sliced through Maki's glasses.

Hmm?

He actually used such a lowly tactic?

But—

After landing three hits, Maki's eyes were already able to see the flow of cursed energy.

"Do you know... why I could never become the clan head?!"

No cursed energy was infused into it?

I see, was this to confirm that I couldn't see it?

Maki thought as she raised the spear in her hand, trying to block the incoming cursed-energy blade.

"Because you're trash, lower than dog shit, who could lay hands on his own daughters!"

Maki swung the spear in her hand, then thrust it forward again with all her strength at Zenin Ogi's chest—the spearhead struck Ogi's chest, but his short sword knocked it aside, leaving only a bloody gash.

"Five."

The spearhead suddenly spewed shadows in midair, transforming the spear into a massive scythe—the scythe blade was already hooked against the back of Zenin Ogi's neck. Ogi dropped low, and as the scythe was pulled, his small ponytail was severed.

The scythe kept spinning in Maki's hands as if it were part of her body—the fully swung blade slashed toward Zenin Ogi—while Ogi immediately swung his sword at Maki, only for it to be blocked by an additional shaft condensed from the shadows—

She could see it?!

Looking at the shaft that had suddenly appeared and blocked his cursed-energy blade, Zenin Ogi finally realized he had been tricked.

Why a scythe—

She had clearly never practiced using a scythe, so why did wielding it feel as natural as moving her own arm?

Memories of training suddenly appeared in her mind—this person was that guy.

The memories of the cursed tool's owner? As I swung it, that thing was forcibly imprinted into my memories.

Clang—!

The massive scythe crashed down onto Zenin Ogi's blade. With a dull ring, the longsword in his hand snapped once again.

"Damn..."

The enormous scythe blade came crashing down with irresistible force, carving a wound so deep bone was visible across Zenin Ogi's chest.

"Ugh—!"

A torrent of blood burst from Zenin Ogi's chest, while Maki kicked out and sent him flying.

"Six."

"Avici Wailing."

Zenin Maki clenched the handle in her hand, kicked off the ground, and shot toward Zenin Ogi like a cannonball—

"AAAH! I'll return every humiliation I suffered in the Zenin Clan, every lesson I learned, and every bit of despair that you damned bastards forced upon Mai and me during those nights—all of it, I'll give it back to you!!!!"

Bzzz—

Along with the sound of a mirror shattering, a figure streaked through the air.

Maki paid no attention to the sound tearing through the air. The massive scythe in her hands spun so continuously it was almost a wheel. As Maki burst forward, Zenin Ogi's body was sliced apart by the scythe. The raised scythe transformed into a broad-bladed sword, which she slashed sideways—Maki gripped the extended handle with her other hand, turning the broad blade into a hammerhead. The heavy hammer she swung smashed into Zenin Ogi's chest, and Maki could hear his bones shattering inch by inch.

Zenin Ogi's body crashed toward a nearby lake. Maki gripped Dragon Bone tightly and, propelled by an eruption of cursed energy, appeared behind Zenin Ogi in an instant. Then, the spear formed from Dragon Bone pierced straight through Zenin Ogi's heart.

Then, the withdrawn spear transformed into Playful Cloud. Maki viciously struck Zenin Ogi's waist and abdomen several times, completely eliminating any chance of her father awakening his cursed energy core.