The Vanishing of a Monster

The seven Mahitos wove through the crowd, their paths crisscrossing to maximize their chances of survival.

Chiyo Shin chuckled and unhurriedly raised a Tree Palanquin beneath his feet, floating up into the air.

He lifted both hands. Countless branches burst out of the ground and wove together into six wooden walls, separating the crowd before growing faster to surround the Mahitos.

The seven Mahitos also spotted the walls created by his technique closing in on them.

"Multiple Souls: Body Repel!"

Two of the running Mahitos instantly fused together, then grabbed several humans and kneaded them into a wall of flesh to block the wooden walls.

Rather than clash head-on with the human wall, the wooden walls bypassed it, closing in on the Mahitos from every angle even faster.

The three Mahitos by the elevator were about to escape when a rising wooden wall blocked their way, leaving them no choice but to turn back.

Chiyo Shin floated in the air, watching Mahito flee in desperation like a cat toying with a mouse.

He watched for quite a while.

Growing bored, Chiyo Shin clenched both hands. The wooden walls pushed all the surrounding humans out, then instantly enclosed the Mahitos.

With nowhere to run or retreat, the Mahitos were trapped by Chiyo Shin.

As Chiyo Shin jumped into the arena enclosed by the wooden walls, the entire enclosure sealed shut.

Finding the lighting a little dim, Chiyo Shin snapped his fingers.

Four wooden pillars immediately rose in the corners, flames blazing atop them to illuminate the arena.

Chiyo Shin counted the Mahitos across from him. Once he confirmed none were missing, he laughed twice and said, "Hurry up and fuse together. Don't say I didn't give you a chance.

From here on, I'll only fight hand to hand. If you can knock me down, I'll let you go."

Fight you hand to hand? Do I look like a fucking idiot?

He had not even made a Binding Vow. Mahito did not believe a word Chiyo Shin said.

One Mahito quietly approached the wall and tried to slip through it using Idle Transfiguration. The instant he placed his hand against it, his entire body was blasted away.

"Don't bother. The only way out is to kill me or be killed by me." Chiyo Shin kept only Hanami's tattoos on his body and assumed a fighting stance.

"Come on, Mahito! Let me beat you to death, one punch at a time!!" A trace of madness showed on Chiyo Shin's face.

Looking at Chiyo Shin, Mahito could plainly tell something was wrong. But he had no other choice now. He might as well take his chances.

Swallowing, the Mahitos fused together. Now whole, Mahito crouched low, cold sweat dripping from his face onto the ground as he cautiously said, "Keep your word."

"I don't bullshit animals! Come on!!" Chiyo Shin beckoned provocatively with a finger.

Mahito took one step forward. Before he could do anything else, Chiyo Shin already had him by the head.

So fast! His body alone is that fast? Mahito's pupils contracted.

Chiyo Shin paid no attention to Mahito's reaction. He hauled him up by the head like pulling a scallion out of the ground, turned, and swung him in a full arc, driving him headfirst into the floor.

Mahito reacted quickly too, using Idle Transfiguration to shift his vital areas the instant his head touched the ground.

Without giving Mahito a chance to breathe, Chiyo Shin brought a knife-hand strike down between his legs.

The immense force pushed flesh and blood aside, splitting Mahito in two again.

Grabbing Mahito's legs, Chiyo Shin hurled him toward the distant wall.

"I didn't attack your soul. Hurry up and put yourself back together!" Chiyo Shin wiped the blood from his hands onto his trousers and pointed at Mahito.

The two halves of Mahito's body writhed and joined together. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled and he fell to his knees. He was close to breaking down. Which one of us is the monster here!?

Since we started fighting, I've been split apart twice and kicked to pieces once.

Mahito kept his head lowered, not even daring to look at Chiyo Shin, afraid of meeting that gaze filled with nothing but the desire to kill him.

"Get up!" Chiyo Shin appeared beside Mahito in an instant and urged him on.

Feeling Chiyo Shin's presence, Mahito trembled uncontrollably.

Chiyo Shin grabbed Mahito by the hair and hauled him up before his face. "You can't even manage one last desperate struggle before you die?"

Catching sight of Hanami's tattoos on Chiyo Shin, Mahito suddenly recalled the happy life the four Cursed Spirits had shared when he was first born, and their grand plans. An inexplicable surge of strength welled up within him.

"Die!!" Mahito suddenly lashed out, turning his arms into two blades and swinging them at Chiyo Shin.

Chiyo Shin dodged aside. "That's more like it."

Reaching out to catch one of Mahito's swinging blades, Chiyo Shin punched his cheek inward.

He pulled back, keeping a firm grip on the blade, and punched him again and again. Only after Mahito's neck snapped did Chiyo Shin kick him away.

"Multiple Souls: Polymorphic Soul Isomer!!"

Mahito was sent flying. The moment he landed, a pair of hands emerged from his mouth and tossed out a lump of flesh that rapidly expanded.

The Polymorphic Soul Isomer strode toward Chiyo Shin and threw a punch.

Chiyo Shin did not dodge, raising his arm to block instead. After forcing him back five steps, the Polymorphic Soul Isomer exhausted its souls and collapsed to the ground.

"Trash!" Chiyo Shin stepped over the Polymorphic Soul Isomer's body and walked toward Mahito.

"Huh? Where's Mahito?" Only then did Chiyo Shin realize Mahito was gone.

While Chiyo Shin searched for Mahito.

A tiny insect on the ground tried to squeeze out between the branches. The insect had a patchwork face. It was Mahito.

This can't go on. He'll beat me to death! He definitely will!

Insect Mahito searched every gap for an escape route, but unfortunately, none led outside.

The Vibration Chiyo Shin had wrapped around the enclosure was impenetrable. Every time insect Mahito tried to crawl out, he was knocked back.

Just as Mahito desperately searched for a chance to survive, Chiyo Shin spotted him.

Chiyo Shin reached insect Mahito in two steps and picked him up between two fingers.

"Not bad! You're a quick thinker!"

It's over. That was the only thought in insect Mahito's mind.

Chiyo Shin tossed insect Mahito into the air, caught him, and clenched his fist hard.

To save himself, Mahito sprayed out in every direction through the gaps in Chiyo Shin's fist.

The scattered pieces of Mahito gradually gathered together again.

Mahito crawled and squirmed away. All he wanted now was to get away from Chiyo Shin.

"Ah, how boring." Chiyo Shin sighed, walked up behind Mahito, and dragged him into a corner.

"Hee-hee, time to exorcise you." Chiyo Shin forced a smile.

Before Mahito could recover from his shock, a storm of punches rained down on him.

The first thing to be smashed was Mahito's throat. What annoyed Chiyo Shin most when he was beating someone was having them howl the whole time.

Mahito did not even get a chance to use Idle Transfiguration. Pinned in the corner by Chiyo Shin, he could still raise his hands to block at first, but before long, Chiyo Shin shattered his arms.

Gradually, Mahito's blood pooled across the floor. After thoroughly enjoying the beating, Chiyo Shin said, "That felt great. Thank you, Mahito."

Chiyo Shin thanked him quite politely, then bent down and tore his lips clean off.

"Using a Cursed Technique now shouldn't count as breaking my promise." White light flashed in Chiyo Shin's hand, and Mahito's lips disintegrated and vanished.

Chiyo Shin glanced at the unconscious Mahito, waved a hand to dismiss the wooden walls, then grabbed Mahito by the neck again.

The Bone-Binding Umbrella's cursed markings reappeared on his body, spreading from Mahito's neck across his entire body.

Unable to resist, Mahito was absorbed into Chiyo Shin's body as well. In that instant, Chiyo Shin gained a complete awareness of his own soul.

After seeing his soul clearly, Chiyo Shin stared blankly for a while, then looked at his arm and murmured, "Holy shit."

Old Patriarch Qin, you're one ruthless bastard!

Shaking his head, Chiyo Shin recovered from the shocking sight and looked toward Kenjaku, who was being overwhelmed by Satoru Gojo in the distance.

"Your turn!"