Chapter 173
Deep within a hidden valley, a short, powerfully built cursed spirit paced back and forth in agitation.
It had a single eye and a head shaped like the mouth of a volcano.
"That bastard is provoking us!"
"He’s deliberately provoking us!"
"To think he would command cursed spirits like pets... unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable!"
This was Jogo, an intelligent special-grade cursed spirit born from humanity’s fear of the earth and volcanic disasters.
As his anger rose, the temperature around him climbed visibly. Nearby plants withered, blackened, and eventually burst into flames.
"Calm down, Jogo," Hanami said gently from nearby. "If you continue like this, you’ll reveal our location."
Hanami’s tall figure remained perfectly still despite the growing heat.
"Then let him find us," Jogo replied dismissively. "What can one insignificant human possibly do against us?"
"We’re still in a crucial period of accumulating power. There’s no reason to provoke conflict with human sorcerers yet."
Hanami remained calm.
"Besides, that man’s presence... he isn’t weak."
The two of them had existed for some time, but they had spent most of those years concealed within nature, quietly absorbing cursed energy and strengthening themselves.
They had rarely come into contact with human sorcerers, so neither knew Suguru Geto’s identity or the true extent of his power.
Even so, Hanami’s unusual instincts warned that he was dangerous.
"Building our strength is important, but there’s no reason to endure this humiliation."
A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Jogo’s face.
"If we kill him, no one will ever learn we were here."
"Besides, do you truly believe the two of us together could lose to a single human?"
His confidence was absolute.
When he saw Hanami beginning to consider it, Jogo pressed the advantage.
"That man is controlling an enormous number of cursed spirits. This place is no longer safe."
"If we remain here, sooner or later his servants will uncover some trace of us."
Jogo extended one hand and slowly closed his fingers into a fist.
"Rather than play this endless game of hiding, I prefer to remove the cause of the problem."
"We kill him."
"Very well."
Hanami finally nodded, though a note of caution remained in that gentle voice.
"But we must still be careful. There is something unusual about that human."
"Haha. You worry too much."
Jogo chuckled confidently.
"We aren’t ordinary opponents either."
...
Beside a large boulder in a mountain clearing, the special-grade cursed spirit Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate remained hidden nearby as a guard.
Geto sat with his eyes closed, receiving information from the curses scattered throughout the surrounding forest.
His brow gradually tightened.
"Still nothing?"
"He certainly knows how to hide."
Time passed, and Geto’s patience slowly wore thin.
He even began to doubt his own judgment.
’Were the clues wrong?’
’Perhaps they’ve already left this region.’
Just as he considered ending the search for the night, his expression abruptly changed.
Geto launched himself away from the boulder.
One second later, a miniature volcanic opening appeared across its surface and erupted with a pillar of blazing fire.
The flames tore through earth and stone, reducing the surrounding vegetation to ash.
’That cursed energy... and a fire-based technique.’
Geto smiled while still in midair.
’It really is him.’
His efforts over the past several days had finally produced results.
The bait had drawn out his target.
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly descended from above and drove a fist toward Geto’s temple.
A direct hit would have ended the fight immediately.
Bang!
Geto raised both arms and blocked.
Cursed energy reinforced his body, allowing him to survive the blow, but the impact still sent him sliding more than ten meters across the ground.
His feet carved a deep trench through the earth before he finally stopped.
"Heh. You managed to survive two of my attacks."
Jogo stood with his hands folded behind his back, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"You’re not entirely useless, human."
"My, my."
Geto’s smile widened as he studied the curse.
"Enormous physical strength, immense cursed energy, and the ability to speak."
"Excellent. Coming here was absolutely worthwhile."
He summoned the Inventory Curse and reached into its mouth, drawing out the special-grade cursed tool Playful Cloud.
His satisfaction was impossible to conceal.
"Yes. This is exactly the sort of quality worthy of my collection."
"Collection?"
Jogo looked at him with contempt.
"You think you’re worthy?"
"There’s only one way to find out."
Geto raised Playful Cloud.
"I spent several days wandering through these mountains looking for you. Try not to disappoint me."
"Don’t worry."
Jogo clenched his fists.
"You won’t live long enough to feel disappointed."
He kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His fists collided repeatedly with Playful Cloud, each impact sending violent shock waves through the forest.
A fierce battle erupted among the trees.
Jogo had been born from humanity’s terror of the earth, volcanoes, and fire.
His existence possessed an exceptionally high level of power, granting him enormous reserves of cursed energy and the ability to produce flames of devastating temperature.
An ordinary sorcerer would have lasted only a few exchanges before being reduced to ash.
But Jogo was not facing an ordinary sorcerer.
Suguru Geto was one of only four special-grade sorcerers known among humanity.
His skill in close combat ranked among the very best, and he wielded the three-section staff with extraordinary precision.
After several exchanges, Jogo failed to gain any advantage.
Instead, Geto steadily forced him backward.
Bang!
Geto swept Playful Cloud across Jogo’s chest and sent him flying.
A relaxed smile remained on his face.
"It seems your fists aren’t nearly as formidable as your mouth."
"Come on. Show me your cursed technique."
"If you wait much longer, you may not get another chance."
"You bastard..."
Jogo had already been furious about losing in close combat.
Geto’s provocation pushed him completely over the edge.
Flames erupted from the top of his head and rose several meters into the air.
He was quite literally burning with rage.
"Oh?"
Geto showed no fear. If anything, he appeared more relaxed.
"You really are hot-tempered. A few words are all it takes to make you lose control."
That was excellent.
An emotional opponent was far easier to manipulate.
"I’ll burn you to ashes!"
Jogo roared as flames enveloped both fists, then charged again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions thundered repeatedly through the forest.
Flames and shock waves consumed vast stretches of trees, leaving long black scars carved through the greenery when viewed from above.
Yet Geto continued to defend himself with Playful Cloud and his superior close-combat skill, calmly neutralizing one attack after another.
"Is that really all you can do?" Geto mocked.
"Stop looking down on me!"
Jogo swept one arm forward.
A swarm of Ember Insects burst out and flew toward Geto like arrows and serpents.
Their needle-like mouths were sharp enough to punch large holes through human flesh.
That was only the first stage of their attack.
Even if an opponent managed to block them, the creatures could release a piercing sound before detonating, creating a three-part assault that was extremely difficult to defend against.
’Calling for reinforcements?’
Geto almost laughed.
When it came to fighting with numbers, he feared no one!
"Go."
With a wave of his hand, he summoned several enormous insect-like curses.
They opened their mouths and sprayed torrents of corrosive acid.
The Ember Insects barely had time to shriek before their bodies dissolved completely.
"What—"
Jogo froze for a fraction of a second.
Geto immediately closed the distance and swung Playful Cloud with tremendous force, striking him again and again.
"It appears my reinforcements are superior."
Geto laughed freely as he continued the assault.