Chapter 175
Once Jogo had been subdued, Hanami could no longer hold out alone.
Caught between Geto and the special-grade vengeful spirit Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate, she was quickly driven into a losing battle and eventually defeated.
"...Ugh. Where am I?"
Jogo’s mind was still hazy at first, but the moment his memories returned, he shot upright.
"Hanami!"
His first thought was of the companion he treasured most.
"I’m fine."
Hanami’s calm voice came from nearby, allowing Jogo to relax.
"Well, hello there."
Geto’s voice followed.
It still sounded every bit as irritating as before.
Strangely, however, Jogo could no longer summon the hatred and fury that had previously made him want to tear the human apart.
Not even a trace remained.
’What’s happening?’
A flicker of panic entered his eye.
This was not like him at all.
"My technique is called Cursed Spirit Manipulation," Geto explained with a gentle smile. "If a curse is at least two grades below me, I can absorb it without much resistance."
"But for a Grade 1 or a curse on roughly the same level as me, I first need to beat it until it completely loses consciousness."
He paused, then gave the two expressionless curses a playful wink.
"In exchange, once a spirit has been subdued by Cursed Spirit Manipulation, both its body and mind become completely obedient to me."
"Impressive, isn’t it?"
"I never imagined humanity could produce a monster like you."
Hanami gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"We believed ourselves to be powerful, but it seems we were far too quick to underestimate the world."
She studied him carefully.
"You must be the strongest human sorcerer of this era."
"Me?"
Geto shook his head.
"I’m strong, certainly, but I’m nowhere close to the strongest."
"Even setting that man aside, there are already younger sorcerers beginning to catch up with me."
"What?"
Jogo and Hanami stared at him in shock.
A human this powerful was not the strongest?
There was someone far beyond him?
And even members of the younger generation were approaching his level?
Was the human world really that terrifying?
"That’s exactly why I came looking for you."
Geto clasped his hands behind his back.
"I need to increase my fighting strength so I can accomplish a particular objective."
"What objective?"
Jogo and Hanami asked at the same time.
"To defeat someone without killing him."
Geto’s expression became serious.
"Is it the sorcerer who stands far above you?" they asked together.
"No. If it were Satoru, even all of us attacking together wouldn’t have a chance."
Geto smiled.
There was helplessness in that smile, but also unmistakable pride.
Jogo and Hanami both had the same thought.
’Why does he look so strangely pleased about that?’
Ding.
Before Geto could continue, the phone in his robes chimed.
He checked the new message, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.
[The host of the Queen of Curses has appeared in Tokyo.]
"Excellent. That gives me another target."
Geto rose and stretched his shoulders.
"I’ll need one more powerful ally."
"You have another target?"
Jogo and Hanami were stunned.
Finding two intelligent special-grade cursed spirits like them was already extraordinary luck.
This man somehow knew where to find a third?
"Yes. This one is still young, and it lives in the ocean."
Geto glanced back at them with a smile.
"It’s only a cursed womb at the moment, so I’ll need you two experienced senpai to help raise it properly."
Jogo and Hanami could only respond with resignation.
Neither wanted to help a human.
But Cursed Spirit Manipulation’s control was absolute. Even with their strength, they could not resist Geto’s commands and had no choice but to obey.
’Hopefully that little one is lucky enough to avoid being found by this monster.’
Both curses silently prayed for the unborn spirit.
...
At the training field of Tokyo Jujutsu High, Kiriya and Maki stood facing one another.
Kiriya’s expression was unusually serious as he looked at her.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah."
Maki nodded firmly.
"Then begin."
Kiriya smiled faintly.
He was looking forward to seeing what kind of result would come from combining an incomplete Heavenly Restriction with the Eight Gates.
"Hey, Inumaki," Panda whispered as he leaned closer. "What do you think is going to happen to Maki?"
"Her body’s already become ridiculously strong. Once she opens these ’gates’ she keeps talking about, won’t she turn into an actual monster?"
"Spicy cod roe."
Inumaki immediately moved farther away.
Panda did not understand why until a short staff flew across the field and struck him in the head.
He instantly shut his mouth.
"What’s wrong, Panda?"
Maki pulled one corner of her mouth into a dangerous smile.
"Do you want to spar with me?"
"Arrggh. I’ve fainted."
Panda rolled his eyes back and dropped to the ground on the spot.
"Focus," Kiriya reminded her. "Clear your mind."
"Right."
Maki drew a deep breath and clenched both fists.
Following the method Kiriya had taught her, she guided the chakra inside her body toward the hidden gates that restricted her physical potential.
"First Gate, the Gate of Opening... open!"
"Second Gate, the Gate of Healing... open!"
"Third Gate, the Gate of Life... open!"
As all three gates opened within her body, a violent surge of chakra erupted outward.
The energy shook the surrounding air and whipped up fierce winds that battered everyone watching from the sidelines.
"Th-That pressure..."
Panda’s eyes widened.
"Is that really Maki?"
If the gale had not been striking him directly in the face, he might have believed he was seeing an illusion.
"Bonito flakes?"
Even Inumaki could hardly believe his eyes.
"So this is... the Eight Gates."
Maki stared down at her own hands.
The vibration of chakra and air made her voice sound unnaturally deep, giving every word a heavy, intimidating force.
Pain tore through her muscles as though they were being ripped apart.
But after enduring the hellish training of the past two months, her body was fully capable of withstanding it.
Because she could endure the pain, she was able to appreciate the transformation far more clearly.
’So this is what opening the gates feels like.’
A fierce smile appeared on her face.
’Power... it just keeps pouring out.’
The explosive strength inside her demanded an outlet.
She wanted to fight.
To throw herself into the most intense battle possible.
Kiriya felt the burning desire in her gaze and smiled.
He opened the first three gates as well.
"Come on."
Before the final word had even left his mouth, Maki launched herself forward.
She became a streak of motion hurtling straight toward him.
Her speed broke the sound barrier.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The air filled with the deafening thunder of fists colliding.
Each impact produced violent shock waves, sending blast after blast across the training field.
Panda and Inumaki’s cheeks rippled beneath the pressure, matching the turmoil in their minds.
"Is this really speed and strength a human can possess?"
Panda’s thoughts nearly stopped functioning.
A casual burst of movement already carried Maki beyond the speed of sound.
Every ordinary punch struck with the force of heavy artillery.
With nothing more than her fists, the current Maki could probably defeat over ninety percent of all sorcerers.
"What do we do, Inumaki?"
Panda watched the exchange with growing despair.
"At this rate, aren’t we going to become nothing more than mascots?"
He paused.
Then his expression brightened.
"Actually... that doesn’t sound too bad."
"Bonito flakes."
Inumaki continued staring at Maki as she displayed her new power, gradually becoming lost in thought.
Maki had found her path.
What about him?
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