Yajin, Kitasato, Nishii, Kondo, Anyun... nearly every major Jujutsu master family on Kyushu Island had sent a representative. More than a dozen clans stood united in a single mission.
No one spared a glance at Shigemo Jin, whose body lay crumpled to the side, unmoving. Their cold gazes were fixed solely on James.
"I'm genuinely curious," James said, his voice calm despite the tension. "What exactly did I do to earn such overwhelming hatred from you all?"
It was a fair question. He had never set foot on Kyushu Island before. He had no past dealings with these families, no known grudges.
Did I dig up all your ancestors' graves or something? he wondered.
Then he shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'll ask your corpses once I'm finished with you."
A terrifying surge of cursed energy erupted from him. The air twisted from the sheer pressure as James drew his long sword. The pale blade reflected a dozen hostile faces.
He moved.
In an instant, James exploded forward, cursed energy condensed beneath his feet. One breath later, he was in front of an enemy—sword raised—then slash!
Blood painted the air.
Before the others could react, James spun to face a flurry of incoming attacks.
Boom!
The ground shattered. Explosions tore the battlefield apart. But James was already gone, blurring between his enemies, appearing behind one after another. Headless bodies fell like dominoes.
Then—
Buzz!
A strange invisible ripple swept the battlefield. James's body stiffened. It lasted only a moment, but it was long enough.
A steel wire shot toward his face like a bullet.
Whizz!
He dodged by the slimmest margin, the wire slicing a few strands of his hair. More wires followed—dozens—forcing him to raise his blade and block.
Sparks flew wildly as steel met steel. The blade clashed against the threads in a brilliant, fiery display.
Suddenly, from beneath him, dozens of black shadow arms burst from the earth, grabbing at his feet.
Overhead, lava orbs detonated.
BOOM!!
Heat surged. Magma burst outward, waves of fire washing over the battlefield. Buildings incinerated. Smoke and ash filled the sky.
James appeared just outside the blast zone—barely. His body was riddled with bloody punctures from high-speed wires.
But moments later, his wounds closed. Flesh wriggled and repaired itself.
"Reversed cursed technique... Damn it."
In the distance, several sorcerers chanted in unison. Binding signs formed in the air, locking James's body down.
They were slowing him. Hindering his speed.
James's response? Two massive bolts of black lightning exploded from his shoulders, flooding his body with cursed energy.
Open!
The ground beneath him collapsed. Gravity twisted space itself, forming a crater like a miniature neutron star. The shockwaves shattered structures and flung enemy sorcerers into the sky.
Shadow arms tried to reform—but James crushed them the moment they touched his feet.
He burst forward again, wind howling. Every step threatened to rip the battlefield apart. He was fast, but still not at full speed—the sealing spells continued limiting him.
Steel wires wove into deadly nets ahead. The web shimmered in the sunlight, dozens of arms forming beneath it.
Above them, a dark mass loomed.
A massive water orb hung in the sky—churning, boiling, infused with magma.
It descended.
This was their trump card—a sealing spell crafted by multiple families. Any creature caught inside would be paralyzed, suffocated, and boiled alive.
James looked up.
"Let's cut a path."
He leapt, spinning, sword sweeping in a wide arc.
SLASH!
A circular wave of sword energy burst outward. Several nearby enemies were sliced in two. The ruins and rubble split cleanly, their edges smooth.
The blade met steel wire—clang! clang!—a discordant symphony of steel and death.
But the orb continued falling.
James took a deep breath. His sword glowed blue-hot. The temperature beneath his feet crystallized the dirt.
He slashed.
The ground split open. Even the eldest sorcerer, the Steel Wire Clan leader, faltered, coughing blood.
"That sword... it cut my wire?! Impossible!"
He cursed as his steel threads snapped like twigs.
Without the web to trap him, the spellcasters were exposed. They stumbled back in panic.
James felt the sluggishness leave his limbs. Energy flowed freely once more.
Their end had come.
Black lightning sparked.
More than a dozen heads flew skyward.
The Steel Wire Clan leader gritted his teeth, fighting to reforge the wires—but they were shorter now. Weaker.
Meanwhile, the boiling orb descended.
Close.
But not close enough.
James, now unbound, was death incarnate. Each movement killed. Each strike maimed. No one could match him.
One punch sent a Jujutsu master flying. A second crushed an attacker's ribs. A third obliterated a man's leg.
Their counter-attack spells seemed to reflect power—absorbing and returning his strength.
Interesting.
"Let's see you absorb this."
Open!
His left hand clenched. Lightning exploded.
"One Bone."
The calm declaration echoed like a judgment.
BOOM!!!
Everything shattered. A ravine split the earth. Blood mist painted the horizon.
James stood alone.
Above, the orb hovered.
Dozens of sorcerers controlled it, scattered along the battlefield's edges.
A bit too far...
James's eyes spun. The ice-blue lotus between his brows disappeared.
"Time for the ritual."
He formed a hand seal. A curtain of blue light washed across the field. Every enemy now bore a glowing blue diamond mark.
James raised his sword.
Swing.
Several enemies froze mid-motion. Their eyes turned dull. Their bodies collapsed.
"Wh-What technique is that...?" the old leader croaked.
"Magic Formula—Spirit Curse."
The Spirit Curse attacked the soul directly. It ignored the body, bypassed defense, and had no range limitation.
Powerful—but not without drawbacks:
1. If the enemy's soul outclassed yours, you couldn't mark them.
2. The target gained the same range-ignoring advantage.
3. The spell had a long cooldown after use.
James rarely used it. But now—when he outnumbered them, when he was faster, stronger—it was perfect.
The old man dropped his hand seal.
"We... lost."
A bitter sigh escaped him.
"If I may... please let our clan leave behind some bloodline—"
"What do you think?" James replied flatly.
"...That's what I thought."
One by one, they fell.
Twenty lifeless bodies. Silence reclaimed the land.
Amidst broken walls and smoking ruins, Kyushu Island welcomed its new ruler.
One man had faced dozens—and triumphed.
Once more, James stood dominant in the Jujutsu world.
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