The Dark Evil Spirit emitted a sharp shriek, sensing a lethal threat. Countless black threads shot forth like a rainstorm.
Simultaneously, a huge fissure split open at the center of its dark form, unleashing a suction force attempting to devour the flames.
The Hairless Giant Fox also roared, its bloodied body erupting with green fire mixed with grubs, forming a filthy torrent charging at Sukuna.
Sukuna's gaze was cold. Miko's right hand, gripping the flame longbow, made a drawing motion.
There was no arrow. But as he drew the string, the surrounding space's light, heat, even the drifting curses and demonic power, all frantically gathered and compressed onto that pale flame bowstring.
At the center of the bowstring, an intensely brilliant light point containing destructive energy rapidly expanded, transforming into the phantom of a flame arrow composed purely of highly condensed 'incineration' concept and annihilative energy, its tip aimed directly at the two evil spirits.
With another thought, he invoked a Binding Vow.
[At the cost of constraining this arrow's explosion radius to within ten meters of the targets, the damage inflicted upon these two targets is amplified.]
Intangible rule shackles descended, resonating with the flame arrow's power.
The arrow's light seemed to dim slightly, but the destructive force contained within suddenly became intensely concentrated and lethal, like a spear of judgment forged specifically to tear apart spiritual cores.
Not enough yet.
Sukuna's four crimson eyes blazed brightly. His control over the 'domain' of this temporary battlefield increased once more.
He used his Cursed Energy and rules to erode and reshape the spatial structure within a hundred meters around himself as the core, forming a temporary, one-way spatial sealing barrier.
Plus, the Cursed Energy dust permeating the air served as detonating material.
All preparations were completed in the blink of an eye.
"Disappear, trash."
Sukuna released the 'bowstring.'
There was no sound. Or rather, sound was swallowed by the extreme energy outburst.
That flame arrow vanished. The next instant, it simultaneously appeared at the core positions of the Dark Evil Spirit and the Hairless Giant Fox—as if teleporting, ignoring all defenses and distance.
Then—
Explode!
The light was indescribable.
Not the typical spread of flames and shockwaves from an explosion.
Under the dual constraints of Sukuna's Binding Vow and spatial seal, two precisely ten-meter-diameter, intensely condensed pale suns formed.
Inside these suns, countless microscopic yet extremely violent flames of Cursed Energy were engaged in a chain-reaction-like frenzy of tearing and incineration, specifically targeting spiritual essence and demonic cores.
The Dark Evil Spirit emitted a soundless, soul-piercing shriek of agony. Its dark form, countless eyes, and those black threads melted like snow within the pale suns, erased bit by bit from the level of existence by that specialized spiritual-damage power.
The Hairless Giant Fox's green fire and flesh grubs couldn't offer even a shred of resistance, vaporizing in the extreme light and heat, its demonic core instantly annihilated.
The two pale suns lasted less than a second before abruptly collapsing inward and vanishing, not a shred of energy leaking out.
In their place remained only two deep, meter-deep pits, edges smooth as mirrors, emitting wisps of smoke and residual intense heat. The Dark Evil Spirit and the Hairless Giant Fox, along with all their aura, and traces of existence, were completely exorcised, without a trace.
The spatial seal was lifted.
In usual battles, Sukuna rarely used this Cursed Technique. Its wind-up is too long, requiring many Binding Vows to be established, making it difficult to be effective in battles against peers.
The night wind blew, carrying away the residual scorching heat.
In the utterly ruined shrine grounds, looking as if locally struck by a meteor, Sukuna's will receded like a tide from Miko's body.
Miko's body went limp and she fell forward, caught swiftly by the quick-reacting Hana.
"Miko! Miko, are you okay?!" Hana shouted, her own face pale and body weak.
The impact of signing the contract and witnessing that world-obliterating strike had left her almost drained.
Miko slowly opened her eyes in Hana's embrace. Her own brown eyes were filled with the daze of having survived a catastrophe.
A bone-deep weariness, and a trace of indelible aftershock from the terrifying power she had briefly wielded—power enough to incinerate everything.
She could feel something new within her body.
Sukuna's consciousness had already returned to his main body, leaving only the faintest, barely perceptible connection.
He felt satisfied with the slight growth in his soul and Cursed Energy, and the nascent form of his newly acquired 'Flesh Creation' skill.
Miko and Hana had officially become his 'collectibles.'
Inside Utaha's body.
Within Malevolent Shrine, the rules of time and space are entirely controlled by Sukuna.
Though only an instant might have passed in the outside world, within the domain, it was enough time for Sukuna to complete the reckoning and digestion of this 'hunt'.
Before the shrine permeated with bloody Cursed Energy, Sukuna's core consciousness was immersed in examining his own power.
The Soul Devouring talent operated at full capacity, completely stripping away, crushing, and absorbing the pure Cursed Energy and soul essence of the evil spirits he had just exorcised.
These two energies, vastly different in nature yet both extremely powerful, poured into Sukuna's bottomless sea of Cursed Energy like surging rivers.
More crucially, through the contract signed with Hana, her immense life energy was continuously injecting an unprecedented vitality into Sukuna's 'soul engine' via the contract link.
This not only accelerated his fusion with the newly absorbed power but also, in a sense, optimized the process of his power recovery.
Cold notifications appeared one by one.
[Confirmed successful absorption and digestion of Evil Spirit 'Fox Demon' (Mutant form)... Total Cursed Energy significantly increased...]
[Confirmed successful absorption and digestion of Evil Spirit 'Collective'... Soul essence strengthened... Understanding of 'Fear Concept: Decay/Parasitism' deepened...]
[Detected continuous supply from stable High-Tier Life Energy Source (Yurikawa Hana)... Recovery efficiency increased by 35%... Soul and Cursed Energy fusion optimized...]
[Comprehensive Assessment: Current Cursed Energy level and Soul Strength have stably reached the Sixteen-Finger standard.]
Sixteen-Fingers!
Only four fingers away from the peak state of Twenty-Fingers.
In Sukuna's four scarlet eyes flickered a light that was both delighted and cruel.
The rapid return of power made his thousand-year-old desire for destruction burn even fiercer.