"Please… the other me."
As Seele spoke, waves of black-and-red cursed energy surged forth. Slowly, Black Seele's figure manifested beside her.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're really troublesome."
Compared to the power of Creation, which leaned more toward support, the power of Decay—far better suited for combat—was undoubtedly the superior choice if they wanted to end the fight quickly.
Still, that didn't stop Black Seele from complaining the moment she appeared.
"So my earlier feeling wasn't wrong after all. There truly is one of our kind residing within you."
Because Kenjaku had not deliberately mentioned that this newly emerged special-grade sorcerer also seemed to harbor a powerful curse within her when he spoke of the new special-grade of the jujutsu world, Jogo was only now able to fully confirm his suspicions.
It wasn't that Kenjaku had intentionally concealed it. Rather, in his estimation, none of the cursed spirits present at the time could even defeat Seele herself. Even if they knew that a curse resided within her, what difference would it make? Unlike Yuji Itadori, Sukuna's vessel, who could be used as a chess piece, she herself was a troublesome existence on par with Satoru Gojo—a true special-grade sorcerer.
In Kenjaku's plan, those cursed spirits tasked merely with buying time were never meant to encounter Black Seele at all.
After all, a terrifying curse whose strength likely rivaled even Gojo Satoru—no matter how one thought about it—was not the kind of being that would casually reveal itself.
Well, considering power alone, the benchmark Kenjaku used was Ryomen Sukuna.
But judging from the situation now, it was obvious that Kenjaku's speculation had likely been wrong.
"To be able to separate from the vessel and manifest independently… could it be that you've already broken free from the vessel's restraints and regained a degree of freedom?"
"If that's the case, then why continue to follow humans? As one of our kin, why not join us and help create a world that belongs to curses?"
Jogo spoke solemnly, attempting to persuade Black Seele to defect to the side of curses.
Black Seele's terrifying aura of cursed energy and her very mode of existence clearly marked her as a curse. And since she was a curse, her stance should naturally be opposed to humanity. Abandon those hypocritical and ugly humans and join their ranks—wasn't that only natural?
"Hah?"
Hearing Jogo's words, Black Seele turned her head. Her black-and-red eyes, brimming with malice, fixed on the two cursed spirits before her, her face filled with undisguised disdain.
"Don't lump me together with filthy things like you. I have no interest in creating some so-called curse world with sewer rats like yourselves."
Cursed energy saturated with the aura of death slowly overflowed, instantly placing immense pressure on both Jogo and Hanami.
The independently manifested Black Seele looked different from the Seele standing beside her. Her overall palette was black and red, and she wore a long dress adorned with chains—the attire of Stygian Nymph.
"Since this is Seele's request, I suggest you stop resisting if you don't want this to be too painful."
"Oh, and if I remember correctly… when the battle just started, you seemed to look down on Seele a bit, didn't you?"
Her black-and-red gaze locked onto Jogo. The strongest among the Disaster Curses fell silent.
"So you refuse to stand with us… despite being such a powerful curse, you willingly allow yourself to be driven by humans."
"In that case…"
Forming a specific hand sign, Jogo spoke to Hanami beside him.
"Hanami, do your best to hold that human back. I'll deal with this curse as fast as possible. Then we retreat together."
The presence of their companion on the other battlefield had already vanished; enemy reinforcements were likely on the way.
Under these circumstances, no matter how much Jogo and Hanami wished to buy more time for Mahito, they had no choice but to consider retreat.
Yet escaping from the hands of this powerful human sorcerer girl was no easy task—let alone with an additional curse fighting on her side.
Thus, Jogo had to eliminate Black Seele first if he wanted any chance of retreating safely with Hanami.
With that thought, the cursed energy he had accumulated within his body erupted. Facing Black Seele, Jogo unleashed his strongest trump card.
"Domain Expansion — Coffin of the Iron Mountain!"
Pitch-black darkness instantly spread outward with Jogo at its center, engulfing everything in sight. The forest transformed into a volcanic wasteland filled with flowing magma.
Scorching heat assaulted them from all directions. Within this environment, not only were Jogo's flames and magma attacks vastly amplified, but they also gained the guaranteed-hit effect of a domain.
With Jogo's already overwhelming offensive power, an ordinary sorcerer entering this domain would face death or crippling injury from even a glancing hit.
Yet in such an environment, Black Seele's expression did not change in the slightest. She calmly looked at Jogo, as though watching a performance.
"Go on. Use whatever other tricks you have. Otherwise, you won't get another chance."
"Arrogant!"
Flames several times hotter than those outside the domain surged from Jogo's hands. But before they could even touch Black Seele, they were dismantled by the black-and-red cursed energy swirling around her body.
"How is that possible?!"
Jogo's eyes widened in disbelief.
He hadn't held back at all. Within this domain, every one of his attacks was equivalent to his full power under normal circumstances.
And yet… his attack had been blocked by nothing but her cursed energy?
"With power this feeble, you dare dream of creating a world for curses?"
Black-and-red claws manifested out of thin air and instantly pierced through Jogo's body.
"With strength like this, what exactly are you going to use to create a curse world? Just shouting slogans?"
The claws dragged Jogo's body closer as Black Seele spoke with mocking amusement.
"Y-you're just a curse completely enslaved by humans. Both body and mind have been tamed… how could you possibly understand our great ideal…"
Cursed energy from the claws continuously eroded his body. Enduring the pain, Jogo spoke with a face full of regret.
The next moment, black-and-red cursed energy imbued with the power of Decay flooded into Jogo's body, completely stripping the Disaster Curse of any ability to resist.
Black Seele couldn't even be bothered to respond to his words.
So what if she was enslaved?
For beings like them—manifestations brought forth by their master—wasn't it only natural to be used and commanded by their master?
Their master's kindness was impossible to repay. As long as their master was happy, that alone was their greatest happiness.
Cold, deathly cursed energy continued to pour into his body. Jogo's consciousness grew increasingly hazy, yet he still forced himself to stay aware, sensing the power within him.
"So this… is your ability? This power… it's like the embodiment of death itself…"
"You could think of it that way."
The power of Decay—wasn't it precisely the embodiment of death? Of the two authorities of the Herrscher of Life and Death, Creation represented life, and Decay naturally represented death.
"I see… a curse born from humanity's fear of death itself. No wonder you're so powerful."
A curse born from such an immense concept should have been the most reliable ally of curses and cursed spirits alike.
So why… would such a being choose to obey humans?
Holding onto that unwillingness, the domain—no longer sustained by Jogo—finally collapsed.
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