Mount Fuji.
Recently, Mount Fuji had been releasing thick smoke, and large sections of snow on the mountain had already melted. Experts predicted that this ancient volcano could erupt again at any time. Once it happened, earthquakes and tsunamis were very likely to follow.
Because of this, the people living nearby were terrified, and many families had already evacuated.
In such an atmosphere, fear and despair became the perfect nourishment for cursed spirits.
Inside the flowing magma, the left arm that Jogo had lost when Shion cut it off with the Inverted Spear of Heaven slowly regenerated.
"Fear. Resentment. Madness."
"Humans really are foolish creatures."
Jogo laughed loudly. "Lowly humans actually think they rule the world."
"Just wait. In a hundred years, the ones laughing on the wasteland will be us cursed spirits."
As Jogo roared, Mount Fuji seemed to tremble. Boiling magma spilled outward like a rising tide.
At that moment, a black package fell from the sky and landed beside him.
The moment it touched the magma, it caught fire.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Hm? What is this supposed to be?"
Jogo leaned closer.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted, and a pillar of blue light shot into the sky. The entire peak of Mount Fuji glowed faintly in the darkness.
Boom.
A battered Jogo flew out of the crater and landed on the rocky ground.
"Who threw that firecracker?"
Toji Fushiguro walked out slowly, holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven, his face full of disappointment.
"Didn't work? That was supposed to be a special bomb made for cursed spirits."
Jogo stared at him carefully. He could not sense even a trace of cursed energy from the man.
"Oh. So you're Toji Fushiguro."
"What, surprised?"
Toji shrugged casually. "Weren't you the one who wanted a fight?"
"Hahaha. Of course."
Jogo sneered. "I just didn't expect you to actually show up."
"A useless human without cursed energy thinks he can face me alone. You really want to die."
It was not arrogance. Jogo genuinely could not feel any cursed energy or threat from him.
He was one of the four great disaster curses. Even though he had already lost to Shion and Geto Suguru, those two were monsters who could not be judged by normal standards.
Even Yuta Okkotsu and Yuki Tsukumo might earn a little respect from him because they were special grade sorcerers.
But only a little.
In Jogo's mind, Yuta and Yuki were special grade because they reached that level of strength.
Shion and Geto Suguru were different. They were special grade because the highest rank in the world only went up to special grade.
A special grade meant having the power to destroy a nation, and Jogo believed he could do that too.
So in his eyes, he might not match the strongest monsters, but he was still on the same level as Yuta Okkotsu and Yuki Tsukumo.
But Toji Fushiguro?
He was not even a special grade, and he did not have a single trace of cursed energy in his body.
Even if Kenjaku had said his physical abilities were incredible, how strong could a body without cursed energy reinforcement really be?
After fighting so many high level enemies, he could finally crush someone weaker and regain some confidence.
Jogo was very pleased.
Seeing the contempt on Jogo's face, Toji smiled slightly.
"Looks like you really don't take me seriously."
Jogo sneered. "Of course. A useless hu—"
BOOM!
Toji vanished.
A sonic boom echoed across the mountain as he shot forward at terrifying speed.
"So fast…"
"No. This isn't just fast."
The Inverted Spear of Heaven cut through the air with a violent whistling sound.
Slash.
A huge wound opened across Jogo's chest, and purple blood sprayed out violently.
Jogo's eyes widened as he jumped back.
Why is it another monster again?
Flames burst out instantly, forming a burning barrier in front of him. Even someone with Toji's abnormal body was scorched red under that heat.
Jogo was about to smile when a strange sound suddenly came from behind him.
The blade of the Dragon Bone sword vibrated violently at high speed, creating a deep roaring sound.
Maki Zen'in attacked.
Because she also had no cursed energy, Jogo had not sensed her presence at all.
"Another one?"
Jogo's expression twisted as he turned around in a panic.
He tried to catch the sword with his bare hands, but the violent vibration made his arms go numb, and Maki's strength was too much.
Slash.
The blade cut across Jogo's chest again. If his hands had not blocked part of the attack, the strike would have cut him in half.
Bang.
With two massive wounds crossing his chest, Jogo was thrown backward and smashed into a huge rock.
Blood burst from his mouth, and even his soul felt pain.
Both the Inverted Spear of Heaven and the Dragon Bone sword could ignore durability and directly damage the soul.
Jogo had barely stood up when Toji was already in front of him again, swinging down with a cruel smile.
Jogo desperately jumped backward, and the blade struck the ground between his legs.
Maki followed instantly, swinging her sword toward his neck again.
The two of them attacked in perfect rhythm. One forced him back while the other struck. Jogo could barely defend, and he did not even have time to use his cursed technique properly.
His greatest strength was large scale cursed energy attacks, but now he was being forced into close combat.
This is bad. If this continues, I will be worn down.
He needed distance.
The plan sounded simple, but it was impossible to carry out.
Toji and Maki stayed on him like shadows. Even if he forced one of them back with flames, the other would rush in immediately.
"Damn it!"
Jogo finally made a decision. He formed hand seals and released a magma blast toward Toji.
The attack forced Toji back, but before Jogo could react again, Maki had already reached him.
This time, Jogo deliberately grabbed the blade with his left hand.
The sword tore through his arm like paper, but the tip got stuck in his flesh.
Jogo smiled coldly.
Flames exploded from his right hand and swallowed Maki instantly.
At the cost of one arm, he launched a desperate counterattack.
For the future he dreamed of, Jogo did not hesitate at all.
The explosion sent Maki flying. She slid across the ground, using her sword to stop herself while shaking off the flames.
Her long hair had been burned short, and her body was covered in burn wounds.
But her eyes were still cold and sharp.
At the same time, Jogo had already regenerated his arm and formed hand seals again.
"Domain Expansion, Coffin of the Iron Mountain."