Mahoraga 2

"Fushiguro... Toji?"

Megumi Fushiguro looked stunned. This man's surname was exactly the same as his!

He recalled the familiar face he had seen when he first met Toji Fushiguro!

"What a coincidence. My surname is Fushiguro too!" Megumi exclaimed.

"Huh?"

Kinoshita looked at Megumi as though he were an idiot.

"Are you serious?"

"Did summoning Mahoraga cost you your IQ too?"

As ridiculous as that house-versus-elephant battle had been, Megumi shouldn't have been this stupid.

"Just kidding." Megumi's gaze turned serious. "So he's a relative of mine!"

Kinoshita patted Megumi's shoulder, hesitated, then ultimately said nothing.

"Anyway, who exactly are you? How do you know so much?" Megumi looked at the enigmatic man.

He was powerful, mysterious, and seemingly in complete control, almost like Satoru Gojo.

"Just call me Kinoshita. Summon Nue and tell me if anyone approaches." Kinoshita gave Fushiguro instructions.

Although Megumi was a little puzzled, Kinoshita had saved his life, after all. He was quick to carry out such a simple request.

"Nue!"

The large red bird immediately circled above them, and Kinoshita returned his attention to Mahoraga.

From the looks of it, Toji's aggro had shifted again and remained fixed on Mahoraga.

But with Toji lacking both his senses and a cursed tool, adapting to his crude, straightforward attacks was all too easy for Mahoraga.

Kinoshita had already concluded that Toji was about to bow out.

Now it was up to Jogo.

After all, this was different from the previous timeline, when Jogo had faced Mahoraga alone.

He hadn't had time to figure out Mahoraga's adaptive ability. In his haste, by the time Jogo used his domain and Maximum: Meteor, Mahoraga had probably already adapted.

Without that information, Jogo was naturally no match for Mahoraga.

But this time was different. With Toji's example before him, Jogo had most likely noticed something.

"Why... why are this guy's attacks getting weaker?" Jogo watched Toji from midair, his eye full of confusion.

Was it because of his injuries?

No.

The savage's speed and strength had barely diminished, yet he was doing less and less damage to the monster. If Jogo didn't act soon, the monster might win.

"Firelight Bugs."

Killing intent flashed in Jogo's large eye. Countless Firelight Bugs rained down on Mahoraga like a sky full of flying droplets.

Mahoraga flexed his powerful muscles. Rather than dodge, he charged straight into the swarm of Firelight Bugs.

Thunderous explosions followed.

Shibuya's night sky lit up like a fireworks display, the brilliant flames making Kinoshita's face feel hot.

"No way... could even Mahoraga be unable to withstand this?" Fushiguro watched the cursed technique's power in surprise.

Kinoshita pursed his lips. Though Jogo hadn't given Mahoraga much opportunity to adapt, he had probably put seventy or eighty percent of his strength into those Firelight Bugs.

An ordinary Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer might truly have been unable to withstand that attack, but Mahoraga's reputation was no joke.

The fireworks ended.

Half of Mahoraga's body had been blasted to pieces. Seeing that his cursed technique had worked, Jogo immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to follow up with another cursed technique to finish Mahoraga off, the badly injured Toji appeared again.

Blood had begun seeping from his abdomen, but as long as his flesh remained alive, the revenant inhabiting that body would continue to stir.

A wet piercing sound rang out.

This time, Flowing Cloud stabbed straight toward Mahoraga's head.

What shocked both Megumi and Jogo was that Mahoraga caught the suddenly appearing Toji with one hand without even turning his head.

Then Mahoraga swung the Sword of Extermination on his right arm. Toji immediately abandoned Flowing Cloud and performed a series of backflips to evade Mahoraga's slashing attack.

"The Sword of Extermination uses normal negative energy-cursed energy-against sorcerers. Against cursed spirits, it switches to positive energy. One strike, one kill."

Kinoshita watched Mahoraga with lingering apprehension. That oppressive presence was no joke.

Hearing this, Megumi could no longer contain his curiosity.

"Who exactly are you? How do you even know so much about Mahoraga?"

Before Kinoshita could invent some excuse to brush him off.

On the battlefield.

Having lost his weapon, Toji could only flee. Although Mahoraga was a shikigami, he happened to be one that was even tougher than a cursed spirit.

At this point, Toji was as good as dead, without the slightest chance of turning the tables.

With another swing of the Sword of Extermination, the revenant of the first Sorcerer Killer finally met his end.

"What the hell is going on...?!"

As Mahoraga turned to look at him, Jogo suddenly felt a chill crawl up his back and an inexplicable urge to flee.

"I actually... want to run?"

"Heh heh heh..."

This was all far too bizarre. At first, Toji's attacks had been able to cut Mahoraga apart. Then they had only inflicted serious injuries, then minor ones, and finally no damage at all.

Could Jogo have crushed Toji that easily?

Absolutely not!

"Domain Expansion: Coffin of the Iron Mountain!!!"

Jogo formed a hand sign. He had figured out Mahoraga's cursed technique!

Adaptation. It had to be adaptation!

Mahoraga had completely adapted to Toji's attacks, until killing him was as easy as crushing a monkey!

I have to defeat this monster quickly, before it has time to adapt!

Kinoshita looked at Jogo with a faint smile. "You finally realized it, Jogo."

"Unfortunately, you're still a little late. Time for the curtain to fall, isn't it?"

Watching the two figures in the sky radiate overwhelming pressure, Megumi involuntarily swallowed.

Inside the domain.

Jogo's innate domain resembled his appearance.

It was a volcanic cavern filled with churning crimson magma. Its walls were blackened like iron, pointed columns of lava hung from the vaulted ceiling, and flames erupted from fissures in the ground. It resembled a sealed, scorching iron prison that could burn the heavens.

This was Jogo, the special grade cursed spirit born from humanity's fear of volcanic disasters!

And standing opposite him.

Was the strongest shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique, which rivaled the Six Eyes and Limitless: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.

According to the original story's history.

No sorcerer had ever tamed Mahoraga, yet even so, he firmly held his place as a rival to Limitless.

It was funny, really.

One was useless without the Six Eyes.

The other possessed the strongest shikigami, but could only use him for a suicide attack.

You really couldn't blame poor Megumi for resorting to him at the slightest pressure. Everyone used Mahoraga that way.

"Phew..." Jogo stared unwaveringly at Mahoraga ahead of him. "Maximum: Meteor!!!"

Five minutes passed.

Kinoshita raised an eyebrow. "Why is it taking so long this time?"

Megumi asked Kinoshita in confusion, "With the Sword of Extermination, shouldn't Mahoraga be guaranteed to win?"

Kinoshita nodded.

"In theory, yes. Positive energy is overwhelmingly effective against cursed spirits, after all. But sorcerers who can use Reverse Cursed Technique are already national treasures, and those who can output it are rarer still."

Kinoshita himself, for instance, couldn't currently output Reverse Cursed Technique.

The two waited another two minutes before the domain finally dissolved.

"Come on, Mahoraga. I've really been looking forward to fighting you!" Kinoshita rubbed his hands together eagerly.

But in that instant.

As overwhelming cursed energy flooded the area.

Megumi looked at Kinoshita in horror.

"The taming ritual... is over!!!"