Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As Cursed Spirit Manipulation was activated, a large number of grotesque, misshapen cursed spirits appeared all around. A rough estimate put their numbers at nearly a hundred.
Even for someone capable of storing cursed spirits without an upper limit, these represented a significant portion of Kenjaku's assets. After all, having merely taken over Suguru Geto's body and technique, he had not inherited the vast collection of cursed spirits Geto had accumulated during his lifetime. Every cursed spirit under his control now had been gathered afterward, one by one.
The reason Kenjaku summoned so many at once was simple: he wanted to test the upper limit of the chains his opponent could manifest.
Even if those chains were terrifyingly effective, as long as he could determine how many could be summoned at once, Kenjaku was confident he could devise a countermeasure and seize victory in the end.
"Go."
At Kenjaku's command, the hundred-odd cursed spirits let out a chorus of shrill roars and charged together toward Makima's position.
However, in the face of such overwhelming numbers, Makima did not summon her chains again. Instead, she activated the power of one of the beings she had already subjugated.
The ground trembled.
In the next instant, amid a series of thunderous crashes, countless thick branches burst forth from the earth at astonishing speed. They transformed into a vast forest of towering trees, hundreds of meters high, engulfing all the cursed spirits within.
"This is… Hanami's technique?"
Mahito, who had just regenerated his severed arm, widened his eyes at the sight.
The power to manipulate trees and vegetation—wasn't this precisely his companion's cursed technique?
Infused with cursed energy, the tree trunks were abnormally sturdy. Even when assaulted by hundreds of cursed spirits, they didn't budge in the slightest. Instead, innumerable branches extended outward, binding every cursed spirit that came close.
At the same time, buds bloomed along the branches, absorbing the cursed energy of the restrained spirits while continuously scattering pollen imbued with paralytic effects, further weakening their ability to resist.
Seeing this, Kenjaku immediately activated his technique, attempting to retract all the cursed spirits he had released.
But very quickly, he realized that his Cursed Spirit Manipulation was once again unable to control them.
This time, the spirits weren't being bound by those golden chains—yet he was still forcibly cut off from them.
No—this wasn't a severance caused by restraint.
Another power had outright seized control of the cursed spirits from him.
Clearly sensing his authority over the spirits being forcibly stolen away, Kenjaku fixed his gaze on Makima.
So in addition to that technique that summoned golden chains, she also possessed an ability akin to Cursed Spirit Manipulation—one that seemed to exert even stronger control than his own?
"I see now. No wonder you can use Hanami's power. If you can seize control of cursed spirits even from my Cursed Spirit Manipulation, then Jogo and Hanami must have been controlled by you just like these spirits here, right?"
"That's right."
Makima replied with a gentle smile.
"After all, I don't have the habit of letting enemies escape."
Staring at Makima, wariness filled Kenjaku's eyes—yet buried deep within was a trace of burning desire.
Those golden chains alone were already an incredibly powerful technique. And now she appeared to possess another technique capable of controlling cursed spirits—one that surpassed even Cursed Spirit Manipulation in terms of authority.
Without a doubt, this woman was far more suitable as a vessel than Suguru Geto's body.
Unfortunately, unlike Geto—who had already died and could not resist—this woman was overwhelmingly powerful and not so easily taken.
Considering that he and Mahito had been lured here, and that they were likely already walking into an ambush, with enemy reinforcements possibly arriving at any moment, if they couldn't defeat her quickly, retreating for now would be the wiser choice.
However, unlike Kenjaku, Mahito—having learned from the conversation that Jogo and Hanami were likely under her control—harbored a different thought.
Just as cursed spirits captured by Cursed Spirit Manipulation would be released upon the user's death, even if Jogo and Hanami were being controlled, wouldn't killing this woman free them?
With that in mind, Mahito immediately clasped his hands together and formed a seal.
In an instant, the surrounding scenery twisted and transformed. Countless giant hands reached out from all directions, forming a warped, enclosed world.
"Domain Expansion — Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
Trapped within the forest of trees, the cursed spirits that had just lost their master's control began to undergo grotesque changes—then died one after another.
For Mahito, whose Idle Transfiguration allowed him to touch and reshape souls, the guaranteed-hit effect of a Domain Expansion meant that he was effectively in constant contact with the souls of everything within the domain.
Thus, in a single instant, over a hundred cursed spirits were annihilated by the effect of his domain.
Except—
That power had no effect on the primary target of Mahito's Domain Expansion.
Makima.
She raised her hands into a stance, and a special layer of cursed energy spread out from her, enveloping a three-meter radius around her body and completely isolating the effects of the domain.
"A Simple Domain—it neutralizes part of a Domain Expansion's effects, nullifying the guaranteed-hit."
Kenjaku spoke up from the side.
"So that's a Simple Domain… the technique that negates guaranteed hits?"
Seeing Makima protected within the Simple Domain, Mahito looked slightly troubled—but quickly dismissed it.
After all, even if the guaranteed-hit effect was nullified, the domain's enhancement to techniques still remained.
With that, Mahito stomped the ground and shot toward Makima in a flash.
At the same time, Kenjaku summoned two abnormally massive cursed spirits behind him. Judging from their aura alone, both were unmistakably special-grade.
The two special-grade cursed spirits roared upon being summoned and charged forward, providing cover for Mahito.
Yet what surprised both Mahito and Kenjaku was that Makima—now being attacked by the two of them together—seemed completely unconcerned.
Instead, she closed her eyes, as though sensing or comprehending something.
"So this is… Domain Expansion…"
As if having grasped an epiphany, Makima only opened her eyes when Mahito was about to reach her and strike.
In the next instant, an overwhelming sense of danger washed over them.
Kenjaku didn't hesitate in the slightest. He immediately attempted to summon a flying cursed spirit to forcibly break out of Mahito's domain and retreat.
Mahito, already within arm's reach of Makima, had nowhere left to retreat.
He could only watch as Makima calmly formed a specific hand sign.
"Domain Expansion — Constraining Barrier."
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