At that moment, battle raged inside the cavern.
Countless cursed spirits resembling moles squealed as they poured madly from every hole in the rock walls.
Megumi Fushiguro stood slightly farther back, his palms pressed together before his chest, his gaze focused and cold.
Rather than summon Divine Dogs or another shikigami as usual, he concentrated all his attention between his hands.
"Madara-senpai once said..." Fushiguro murmured, the cursed energy in his body circulating in an unprecedented way.
"...the essence of the Ten Shadows Technique lies in understanding and mastering the abilities of shikigami. Shikigami aren't tools, but extensions of the technique.
"So, conversely, if I understand the essence of a shikigami's ability, even without summoning it fully, I should be able to... apply some of its properties."
He recalled how Max Elephant attacked by controlling water, recalling the feeling of cursed energy blending with water and directing it as easily as his own limbs.
"Now, I think I understand..."
Between his joined palms, highly compressed cursed energy resonated strangely with the abundant moisture in the surrounding air.
A torrent materialized between his palms, initially only as thick as his wrist, but it instantly expanded into a concentrated, transparent jet like a high-pressure water cutter!
Fushiguro's gaze sharpened, and he thrust both palms forward!
"Water Slash!"
Hiss-!!!
A piercing whistle split the air!
The concentrated, high-pressure stream shot out like a sniper round at terrifying speed, crossing more than ten meters in an instant and striking several mole cursed spirits with precision!
Splat!
Like pieces threaded onto a skewer, many of the mole cursed spirits had fist-sized holes punched through the centers of their bodies by the water.
The stream continued unabated. As Fushiguro moved his palms, it pierced another two moles to either side before finally losing its force and