Deep within the cave, the fleshy tumor creature formed from the fusion of Yomi and Mōryō was still expanding wildly.
Its surface was covered in writhing blood vessels, while the Covenant Stone Fragment embedded in its chest gave off an ominous purple-black glow. Every heartbeat-like pulse made the entire cave tremble, sending loose stones raining down. Within the creature's gaping maw, the two consciousnesses of Yomi and Mōryō were fiercely fighting for control—Yomi wanted to completely fuse with the fragment, while Mōryō instinctively resisted the intruder's occupation.
"Now!"
Kurenai Yuhi's voice rang through the cave, carrying resolute calm.
Her hands formed seals so quickly they were almost impossible to see. As her fingers flew, chakra surged from her body like a tide. This was not ordinary genjutsu chakra, but power gained by burning her Life Origin with a forbidden technique—power enough to shake a soul.
"Genjutsu: Heart-Binding Funeral!"
Hong's eyes suddenly shone with an eerie red light.
It was not the crimson of the Sharingan, but a dark red closer to coagulated blood, carrying the heavy weight of a sacrifice. Blood began to seep from the corners of her eyes and slide down her cheeks, leaving horrifying streaks across her pale skin.
The Covenant Stone Fragment in the creature's chest suddenly trembled.
Hong's genjutsu did not directly attack Mōryō's immense chakra body. Instead, it precisely pierced the deepest part of Yomi's consciousness—the corner filled with obsession and twisted nearly to madness.
In Yomi's inner world, time reversed.
He saw himself standing in the courtyard of a shrine in the Land of Demons. Moonlight spilled across the bluestone path like water. Miroku stood before him, dressed in a shrine maiden's white robes and scarlet hakama, her long hair cascading down her back, her eyes so clear they reflected his wretched appearance.