The gauntlet-wearing sorcerer pinned the gargoyle-like curse to the ground, his fists trembling with the strain. "Hey!" he shouted, his voice hoarse. "One of you, help me kill this thing!"
Furōkawa and the centipede-tattooed sorcerer didn't even glance his way. Their attention was locked solely on each other. The centipede man smirked, a crazed gleam in his eyes. He let out a maniacal laugh that echoed across the street, growing louder and more unhinged.
"We're all going to die now," the man cackled, his hands snapping together into a rapid hand seal.
Furō's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he raised his arm to materialize a cursed energy spear, hurling it toward the centipede man with deadly speed.
But it was too late.
"Domain Expansion: Kodoku Ritual."
A massive, shimmering bubble formed in an instant, engulfing Furōkawa, the gauntlet sorcerer, and the gargoyle curse. The air warped, and the scenery shifted into a crimson-tinted mirror of the city, a distorted 1:1 version of the real world. Furō felt a sharp pang in his abdomen, a stabbing pain that was both unfamiliar and unsettling.
"What the hell…" Furō muttered, lifting his shirt slightly. A centipede tattoo had begun forming just above his belly button, wriggling unnaturally as it expanded.
"The same tattoo as those mind-controlled sorcerers," he realized grimly.
The centipede sorcerer was nowhere to be seen, and Furō's focus was snapped back to the present as the gargoyle curse broke free from gauntlet-guy's grip, clawing and shrieking violently.
"Damn it!" Gauntlet-guy cursed, stumbling backward as the curse lunged for him.
"Too much is happening right now," Furō muttered, pulling Onamazu into its whip form. He cracked the weapon through the air and snagged the gargoyle mid-flight, yanking it backward and slamming it into the side of a building. Dust and debris exploded outward, but Furō gritted his teeth as the pain in his stomach increased, the tattoo spreading further.
Gauntlet-guy, still catching his breath, looked at Furō and extended a hand. "Thanks for that… I've been fighting that thing for like.. two hours."
Furō blinked. "Two hours?!" His expression flattened. "Either you're really weak or that thing is really strong."
"Definitely the latter," Gauntlet-guy shot back. "Its shell is stupidly tough."
Furō shrugged and shifted Onamazu into its axe form. "Let's see how tough." The blade gleamed as Furō tightened his grip, bracing for the gargoyle to emerge from the wreckage.
When it did, the gargoyle curse blasted forward using its wings, its claws outstretched. Gauntlet-guy and Furō moved in sync to dodge, but both winced as the cursed energy stirred by their movements caused the centipede tattoos to crawl further up their bodies.
"Damn it, this hurts…" Furō muttered. Despite the pain, he caught one of the gargoyle's claws mid-air with his bare hand, his arm trembling under the weight. With a snarl, he swung Onamazu's broad axe blade forward, landing a devastating blow that sent the gargoyle reeling.
"How'd you like that, you slab of stone?!" Furō shouted, his arm visibly shaking from the impact.
The gargoyle slid back, its tail anchoring into the ground to keep it from falling. Before it could recover, gauntlet-guy dashed in from the side, his gauntlets glowing faintly as he delivered a powerful axe kick to the gargoyle's head. The vibration was unnaturally intense, and the force sent the gargoyle crashing into the asphalt.
"Nice moves," Furō complimented, a grin breaking through the tension.
"Thanks, you too," he replied, dusting off his hands as he stood next to Furō.
"What's your name?" Furō asked, keeping his eyes on the gargoyle.
"Hinami. Yours?"
"You can call me Furō, Hinami."
"Alright, Furō."
They turned back to the gargoyle, which twitched unnervingly as it began to rise again. A visible crack had formed on the top of its head, but otherwise, it was still intact.
"See what I mean? This bastard is ungodly sturdy," Hinami muttered.
"I might have something for it," Furō said, spawning a cursed energy spear in his right hand. Before he could make his move, a voice echoed through the domain—familiar and taunting.
"Not sure you want to do that!" The centipede sorcerer's voice reverberated all around them, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.
Furō's eyes narrowed. "Come out, centipede man! I promise I'll be quick and merciful!" he shouted into the crimson-tinted air.
"Like hell!" the voice snapped back. "I saw what you did to my acolytes! And that other sorcerer with the sound! You're crazy!"
Hinami shot Furō a wary glance. "Uh… what did you do?"
"…" Furō stood silent, refusing to elaborate.
The centipede sorcerer's voice grew sinister again. "In this domain, all people trapped—except myself—will gain a tattoo. Once the tattoo reaches your face, your body will start to rapidly decay until there's nothing left but bones! And anyone who releases cursed energy speeds up this process for everyone in the ritual!"
Hinami's expression darkened. "And the bastard explained it out loud, which means we've already lost even more time. This is really bad."
Furō glanced down. The centipede tattoo had climbed further up his chest. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the unease twisting in his gut. The gargoyle curse stood fully upright now, its chest marked with the same cursed tattoo. Its predatory glare locked onto both sorcerers.
"Focus up, Hinami," Furō muttered, raising Onamazu in preparation.
Hinami clashed his gauntlets, stepping into a fighting stance. "Right."
The gargoyle let out a feral screech, its wings opening up as it prepared another charge. Both Furōkawa and Hinami stood firm, ready to face the oncoming onslaught. The tattoo's searing pain was a constant reminder of their dwindling time.