Chapter 186: Calling in a Substitute
BOOM—!!
The battle raged on, the clash gradually pushing everyone deeper into the forest.
Zen'in Kaon wasn't the only one looking to seize an opening amid the chaos and take down a Special-Grade curse—Boses' side was thinking the exact same thing.
Once they entered the Special-Grade's territory, the fight would escalate yet again.
Boses deliberately slowed his attacks, subtly guiding the battlefield toward the curse's domain. With seven people on his side, their chances of exorcising the curse were far higher than theirs.
"So it was intentional," Kaon realized.
She darted through the trees, arriving in an open clearing. A shallow stream flowed beside her, and the air itself was thick with a terrifying presence.
She had entered the Special-Grade's hunting ground.
From nearby came bursts of violent movement—Gojo Kamui and the others had likely reached the area as well.
Through her link to Divine Dogs and Nue, she could tell: the three Simurian warriors had already begun fighting the Special-Grade curse.
"We're here already," Boses said calmly, his boots submerged in the shallow stream as his gaze locked onto Kaon.
"So how exactly do you plan to get past me and exorcise the curse?"
"Don't expect your teammates to break free from our warriors," he continued coolly.
"Even if you possess top-tier strength, you won't defeat all seven of us."
Cursed energy surged violently from Boses' body. The third eye on his forehead glimmered faintly.
"Right now, your only option is to defeat me. Otherwise—this match is already over for you."
In the next instant, Kaon felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on her.
Her knees buckled. The ground beneath her feet caved in, forming a shallow crater.
She couldn't move at all.
"…What a troublesome technique."
Kaon frowned. There had been no warning—no buildup. The effect had been applied directly to her body.
Disgustingly effective.
And worse… his cursed energy reserves were absurd.
Staring at Boses, who radiated crushing power from just a short distance away, Kaon couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy.
If she had that much cursed energy, she wouldn't need to be so careful with her techniques.
"You should still be able to summon something… dangerous, right?"
Boses' voice was calm—almost curious.
Boses did not rush to attack after restricting Zen'in Kaon's movement. Instead, he questioned her calmly.
He remembered their previous sparring match with Fushiguro Megumi. If Alice hadn't intervened back then, he might already have witnessed that shikigami.
"So even you know about it," Kaon said with a faint smile, forcing her arms up against the crushing pressure as she assumed a summoning stance.
In a situation like this, she had no choice but to call in her strongest substitute.
"Buru-bu… Yura-yura…"
"Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General—Mahoraga!"
Cursed energy surged violently.
A massive figure materialized beside Kaon, radiating overwhelming pressure the moment it appeared.
Mahoraga moved instantly—charging straight at Boses.
Facing the towering shikigami, a spark of interest flashed in Boses' eyes.
"This big guy looks strong."
The eye on his forehead flared again, and the terrifying pressure he had placed on Kaon shifted entirely onto Mahoraga.
The sudden weight caused Mahoraga to falter, its massive body sinking as one knee hit the ground.
"…That's it?"
Boses sounded disappointed. "If this is all it has, then this fight is over."
From a distance, Kaon looked completely relaxed.
"Mahoraga," she said lightly, "be a good host."
Without another glance, she turned and sprinted toward the direction of Divine Dogs and Nue.
With Mahoraga handling this troublesome opponent, she could finally free up her hands and go steal the Special-Grade kill.
"Trying to leave?"
Boses raised his palm toward her, preparing to activate another technique—
—but in the next instant, a massive white figure filled his vision.
His pupils contracted.
Before he could react, the Sword of Extermination cleaved through half his body.
Slash!
The sheer force sent Boses flying, smashing through several trees before finally coming to a stop.
Moments later, he stood back up. The horrific gash across his chest began regenerating rapidly. He stared at Mahoraga, frowning.
What was going on?
His pressure wasn't working anymore.
Unwilling to believe it, Boses opened the eye on his forehead wide, pouring out an even greater volume of cursed energy. The crushing force slammed down on Mahoraga once more.
But Mahoraga didn't slow in the slightest.
Its body coiled like a drawn bow, charging forward like a feral beast.
Pressure-based techniques were simply too easy for it to adapt to.
Boses had no time to think about how Mahoraga was ignoring his technique. He stepped forward and met the attack head-on.
BOOM!!
Their fists collided in a blur—one towering, one compact. The shockwaves obliterated the surrounding trees and shattered the ground.
The two figures clashed through the forest, leaping from earth to sky and crashing back down again. Afterimages slammed together repeatedly, the explosive sounds guiding Todo Joi and the others straight to the battlefield.
"…Are we really supposed to get involved in that?"
Kusakabe muttered, feeling the violent cursed energy rippling from afar.
Suddenly, exorcising low-level curses on the outskirts didn't sound so bad.
"As if! This kind of fight is way more exciting!"
Todo grinned, veins bulging as he accelerated forward.
Kamo Oka followed, shrugging.
"Well, nobody's dying. Might as well try—if we win, it's glory for Earth."
"Tch… leave the glory to the adults," Kusakabe sighed.
Still, since this was only an exchange match, he steeled himself and followed.
If this were a real battlefield? He'd already be hiding somewhere far away.
---
At the same time, the Simurian spectators were stunned.
Boses—being held back by a summoned creature, and seemingly unable to break through.
"Well now," Leo said with a narrowed smile, sounding almost amused.
"This is different from what we were told last time."
"That's my cousin," Fushiguro Megumi replied casually.
"She lived overseas with her parents and only joined the jujutsu world recently. Even I was shocked when I learned about her talent."
"So she's your cousin," Dex said with a smile of admiration.
"No wonder she's pushed Boses this far."
As he turned his attention back to the screen, Dex noticed something else.
Aside from Zen'in Kaon, several of Earth's young warriors were exceptionally strong.
And once again, it reinforced his belief—
Peaceful coexistence with humanity was not only possible…
it was worth pursuing.
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