Chapter 174
Suguru Geto had never been the sort of person who believed in giving an opponent room to breathe.
Especially not when fighting cursed spirits.
His philosophy was simple: once the enemy showed weakness, finish them before they could recover.
So the instant Jogo’s surprise created the smallest opening, Geto seized it and turned that momentary mistake into a complete collapse.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Backed by Geto’s strength and skill, the special-grade cursed tool Playful Cloud unleashed terrifying destructive force.
One strike followed another like an unending tidal wave, each blow flowing seamlessly into the next.
Even Jogo’s exceptionally tough flesh and bones could not withstand the assault forever.
Bones shattered across his body.
Large sections of muscle tore apart.
Even his internal organs suffered considerable damage.
One mistake had led to another, and now Jogo was trapped in an increasingly desperate position.
Hidden nearby, Hanami watched the scene with growing panic.
She had originally wanted to attack alongside Jogo, believing that fighting together would be safer.
Jogo, however, had refused.
His temper was already boiling, and he wanted the satisfaction of beating the human himself.
Hanami placed great importance on the wishes of her companions, so when Jogo insisted, she reluctantly agreed.
That did not mean she intended to stand aside and do nothing.
Born from humanity’s fear of forests, Hanami possessed a powerful affinity with nature, resembling a spirit of the wilderness more than an ordinary curse.
Her presence felt less like cursed energy and more like the trees, flowers, and grass surrounding her.
Within a forest, she could conceal herself almost perfectly.
Even if an enemy sensed her, they would likely dismiss the presence as nothing more than another plant.
Hanami had therefore remained hidden, prepared to assist Jogo if necessary.
If the enemy proved too powerful, she could also intervene and rescue him.
That second possibility had now become reality.
She had never imagined that such an unremarkable-looking man could be so formidable.
Despite being human, Geto had completely suppressed the violent and powerful Jogo in close combat.
Had Hanami not been present, Jogo might genuinely have died here.
What she did not know was that Geto’s crushing defeat at Toji Fushiguro’s hands ten years earlier had left a deep impression on him.
Being humiliated by a monster built almost entirely from overwhelming physical ability had forced Geto to recognize the weakness in his own close combat.
He had trained relentlessly ever since.
Geto had already been an exceptionally talented martial artist in his youth.
After ten years of dedicated training, his skill was naturally far beyond that of Jogo, a curse born with great power but little true combat experience.
Exceptional martial arts, a powerful cursed tool, and an endless variety of curses supporting him from every angle—
Jogo’s position deteriorated rapidly.
At this rate, defeat was inevitable.
’I have to intervene.’
Hanami raised one hand and scattered a vast field of flowers across the ground.
Their fragrance relaxed the mind, lowered vigilance, and eased hostile intent. It was the perfect technique for creating an opportunity to rescue someone.
"Flowers..."
Geto’s expression softened.
"What a beautiful flowers."
The fierce barrage from Playful Cloud abruptly stopped as he stared at the blooming field in admiration.
Hanami relaxed slightly.
She charged forward, reaching down to grab Jogo and escape.
Just as she believed the rescue had succeeded—Bang!
A palm struck her from behind.
The combination of tremendous physical force and a vast surge of cursed energy slammed into her back, causing Hanami to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"What?!"
She forced the trees beneath the earth to grow violently.
Sharp wooden spikes erupted toward the attacker behind her, but struck nothing.
The counterattack still bought Hanami enough time to recover her balance and finally see what had ambushed her.
A female cursed spirit floated in the air!
She wore an ornate kimono, and long black hair flowed down her back like ink. A faint, mocking smile rested upon her face as she looked down at Hanami.
’A cursed spirit...’
Hanami’s heart sank.
’Special grade?’
She had assumed Geto’s army consisted mostly of Grade 2 curses and weaker fodder.
She had not expected him to keep something this dangerous hidden at his side.
While Hanami was horrified, Geto was delighted.
He had considered himself fortunate merely to find Jogo.
He had never expected another special grade to appear as a bonus.
One of them was even exceptionally skilled at concealment.
Had Geto not stationed Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate nearby—a curse particularly sensitive to malicious intent—he might never have noticed Hanami before she struck.
"Excellent."
Geto smiled.
"Tamamo-no-Mae, keep her occupied. Under no circumstances are you to let her escape."
He also ordered his Grade 1 and Grade 2 curses to surround the entire area.
They did not need to enter a battle between special grades.
Their presence alone created pressure.
And if Hanami tried to escape at a crucial moment, even a brief obstruction could decide the outcome.
Hanami stared grimly at Tamamo-no-Mae.
This human was cautious, calculating, and possessed an apparently endless supply of cursed spirits.
She and Jogo needed to escape immediately, or they would both fall here.
’I have no choice. I need to use everything—’
A wave of dizziness suddenly struck her.
Hanami staggered and nearly collapsed.
’This feeling... poison?’
She looked up at Tamamo-no-Mae, who still hovered calmly in the air.
The poison was remarkably powerful.
Even Hanami’s body, which possessed the resilience of a natural spirit, had already begun displaying obvious symptoms.
She had wondered why Tamamo-no-Mae had not immediately continued attacking.
Now she understood.
The curse had simply been waiting for the poison to spread.
Given a peaceful location and enough time, Hanami could remove it without much difficulty.
Tamamo-no-Mae had no intention of giving her either.
Whoosh!
The kimono-clad curse rushed forward, and the two special grades collided.
Hanami lacked overwhelming offensive power, but her body was exceptionally durable.
Tamamo-no-Mae relied on poison and illusions to steadily weaken her, layering one debilitating effect after another and slowly grinding away her endurance.
"Hanami..."
On the other side of the battlefield, Jogo had believed Hanami’s arrival would allow him to escape.
Instead, the situation had worsened in an instant.
Not only had she failed to rescue him, but she was now trapped in danger because of his arrogance.
’Damn it...’
’If I were stronger...’
’If I hadn’t insisted on fighting alone...’
For the first time, Jogo felt genuine regret.
He still had Maximum: Meteor.
He still possessed his Domain Expansion.
Either technique could have reversed the battle.
But in his current condition, he would never receive the chance to activate them.
It was not that Jogo lacked strength.
The human sorcerer was simply too cunning.
He was a sorcerer, yet his close-combat ability was absurdly powerful.
He had appeared empty-handed, only to suddenly draw out a devastating cursed tool.
He had released countless weak curses into the forest, yet secretly kept a special grade hidden beside him.
"Humans... are really despicable creatures..."
Jogo’s consciousness blurred as he muttered the words without thinking.
"I can’t disagree with you there."
Geto nodded with complete sincerity.
Once, he too had been an upright, cheerful young man filled with compassion.
Then Toji Fushiguro had taught him a memorable lesson.
Over the years that followed, Geto had gradually learned the value of careful planning, deception, and ambushes.
During his battle with Kiriya, he had fallen into the old habit of underestimating his opponent and suffered heavily for it.
After reflecting on that failure, Geto decided that he would take strategy to its absolute limit from now on.
Who cared if his methods were dirty?
If they produced victory, then it was called intelligence.
Eventually, Jogo’s battered body could endure no more.
He lost consciousness completely.
Geto extended one hand and activated Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
Jogo’s body compressed into a dark sphere and fell neatly into his palm.
Geto looked down at his newest acquisition with a satisfied smile.
Special-grade cursed spirit Jogo—Captured!