Help Me Out!

In the deserted outskirts.

The demon Rhaast laughed wildly, his lust for violence about to be unleashed.

He stamped terrifying footprints into the weed-covered ground and charged straight at Jogo and the others.

His savage scythe rose high, hungry to reap every last one of their heads.

Flames erupted from the top of Jogo's head, and a raging fire ignited in his palm.

The flames writhed like an unstable, volatile compound, ready to explode at any moment.

"Don't get ahead of yourself!"

With an angry roar, Jogo bent down and slammed the raging flames into the ground.

Boom!

A wild, scorching sea of fire exploded before Jogo, sending a terrifying blast wave surging toward Rhaast.

Rhaast's brutal demonic figure vanished beneath the flames, but he laughed wildly, savoring their searing heat and the violent impact.

He forced his way through the exploding inferno and kept charging toward Jogo and the others.

Hanami screamed without a sound, and the tranquil forest began to reveal its dark, furious side.

The instant Jogo's flames died out, the earth trembled helplessly, splitting with countless cracks.

The Cursed Energy Hanami had absorbed earlier was forcibly molded into tough, twisted roots, which surged out from behind her like ten thousand snakes pouring from their nest.

They rolled and coiled, seeking to bind Rhaast completely.

At the same time, Jogo and Mahito leaped onto the roots Hanami had created.

They sprang back and forth across the huge, churning roots, charging at Rhaast together.

Rhaast unleashed a Giant Scythe Sweep, its edge carrying the intent to cleave everything in existence, and brutally shredded the twisting roots into scattered pieces.

But amid the shower of shattered wood, Mahito's stitch-covered body descended from above, the flesh of his right arm rapidly twisting and swelling.

By altering his soul, he finally shaped it into an enormous power drill, roaring as it spun at high speed!

Bzzzz!

The terrifying drill, almost three times the size of Mahito himself, spun madly as it slammed down from high above with crushing force.

Rhaast raised his savage scythe and fearlessly swung it at the monstrous drill.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

The savage scythe and monstrous drill locked together, throwing off countless sparks.

Jogo seized the opening, murderous intent gleaming in his single eye.

He pressed two fingers together and swiftly marshaled his Cursed Energy to activate his Cursed Technique.

The earth on either side of Rhaast suddenly shook. Mound-shaped volcanic vents rose from the ground, with ever-mounting energy and searing flames building up inside their openings.

Boom, boom, boom!

Compressed pillars of crimson flame roared out like towering waves raised by a raging sea, striking Rhaast's demonic body from both sides with unstoppable force.

To avoid getting caught in the blast, Mahito altered the shape of his soul in midair, turning the monstrous drill into a thin cord and swiftly retracting it.

A pair of wings sprouted from his back, and he landed beside Hanami.

"That should have finished him, right?"

In terms of sheer destructive power, Jogo's abilities were the strongest among them.

And this had been a point-blank attack. Very few could survive it.

Hanami shook her head. How could it be that easy?

They already knew how difficult this demon was to deal with.

Sure enough.

As the raging flames dispersed, a hulking, savage demon stood amid the scattered, burning remains of the trees, gazing up at the sky in wild ecstasy.

"That's the feeling!"

Waves of heat rolled off Rhaast's body. The scorching flames had burned and baked his skin until it glowed a dull red.

Yet he was utterly exhilarated and delighted.

"Such delicious pain. After sleeping endlessly in the Void Realm, I'd almost forgotten the thrill of slaughter!"

The terrifying single eye on his savage scythe flickered rapidly, sweeping across them with cruelty and malice.

"Whose head should I tear off?"

"Ha-hahaha!"

The scorched earth cracked beneath Rhaast's feet as he hurtled toward the tall, hulking Hanami.

He bent low at the knees, his savage scythe tracing a terrifying arc toward Hanami's patterned white body.

Terrifying Cursed Energy gathered around Hanami's arms, and she hurled a mighty punch at Rhaast.

Her tough fist struck the side of the savage scythe, avoiding its edge in an attempt to knock Rhaast back, but Hanami was shocked to discover that her strength was no match for his.

Seeing the savage scythe push past Hanami's iron fist and continue closing in on her, Jogo hurried to intervene.

He flashed in front of Rhaast's abdomen, raging flames instantly appearing in his palm.

Boom!

A terrifying pillar of scorching flame struck Rhaast in the abdomen, driving him back several steps.

The sharp scythe could only turn its slash into a hook, greedily sinking into Hanami's arm.

As Rhaast retreated, it dragged reluctantly through her flesh, leaving a bloody gash deep enough to expose bone.

Hanami let out a pained cry and activated her ability to swiftly repair the wound.

Cursed spirits were made differently from humans, making their wounds easier to heal.

Under Hanami's uneasy gaze, Rhaast grinned savagely and raised his scythe to taste the blood on it.

"Fear, loathing, hatred, resentment... your blood fascinates me."

Watching Rhaast savor his companion's blood, Mahito felt something inside him twitch.

Good grief. Even a freak like me thinks he's a freak.

Hanami roared in fury, using Cursed Energy to materialize a black Tree Ball beneath her feet.

The black Tree Ball floated at Hanami's command, giving her the perfect foothold for an attack.

Hanami stepped onto the black Tree Ball, her thick white legs unleashing terrifying power, reinforced by the ball's springing launch.

Terrifying Cursed Energy gathered around her steel-hard arm. With an explosive crack of air, she flashed past and smashed a punch into Rhaast's head with devastating momentum.

Boom!

The instant her iron fist collided with Rhaast's demonic head, a deafening explosion rang out around them.

Rhaast took the punch head-on, his savage body pitching backward, about to fly away like a cannonball.

But his demonic claw suddenly seized Hanami's right leg.

Caught off guard, Hanami lost her balance and was forcibly dragged along with him.

The two terrifying creatures hurtled backward, occasionally striking the ground, gouging out deep craters before bouncing up again.

Rhaast grinned savagely, refusing to loosen his grip on Hanami's right foot.

Under her horrified gaze, his bloody maw stretched open, splitting his own jaw as he lunged recklessly to bite her head.

This was Hanami's first time witnessing the horrifying sight of someone eating a cursed spirit raw. At least Suguru Geto rolled them into balls before eating them.

Biting off an arm last time was bad enough, but now you want to grab my head and fucking gnaw on it?

Hanami clenched her fists tightly, hammering Rhaast's body again and again as they tumbled and hurtled backward.

But Rhaast paid no attention, letting Hanami bombard him with blows.

Throw your left fist at me, and I'll gnaw on your left fist. Throw your right fist at me, and I'll bite your right fist.

Seeing several bloody wounds chewed into her iron fists, as sturdy as armor, Hanami nearly lost her mind, screaming inwardly.

Finally, she decided to strike the arm Rhaast was gripping her with, hoping to break free of this insane demon.

But the moment her fists stopped pounding Rhaast's head, the demon pushed his luck.

Like a boar in heat, he frantically shoved his face toward Hanami's, trying to bite the roots growing from her eyes.

Hanami could only abandon her attempt and use both hands to wrench apart Rhaast's snapping, bloody jaws, keeping him from gnawing on her head.

Where are my teammates? Where are my teammates?

Help me out!