"Domain Expansion: Coffin of the Iron Mountain!"
Toji immediately drew the Inverted Spear of Heaven and sneered. "Domain Expansion? That will not work on us."
A sharp crack echoed.
In the very next instant, before Toji could break through the domain, Jogo dispelled it himself.
This was a 0.2-second Domain Expansion, something he had learned from Shion.
Jogo grinned, his expression twisted with confidence.
"Heavenly Restriction cannot be detected by a Domain, and the Inverted Spear of Heaven can destroy it, forcing me into cursed technique burnout."
"So why would I make such an obvious mistake?"
"What I need is the sure-hit effect in that instant."
"In such a short time, you did not even think to move. Even if the Domain cannot detect you, I can still see you with my own eyes."
"This is my method, an active sure-hit, not the passive one bound to a Domain."
"Do not underestimate me, you damn humans!"
Jogo roared. The moment the Domain vanished, he unleashed his attack.
"Hollow Technique, Zenith, Meteor!"
A massive flaming meteor descended from the sky, its heat suffocating, crashing toward Toji and Maki almost instantly.
At the last moment, Maki felt a sudden force shove her away.
Her body was thrown backward, completely out of the meteor's range.
Toji tightened his grip on the Inverted Spear of Heaven, a savage grin spreading across his burned face as he swung upward with everything he had.
"Get up!"
Veins bulged along his arms. His clothes burned away, and even his hair caught fire.
The blade struck the meteor, sparks erupting violently as flames swallowed his body.
Boom!
The explosion shook the area. Fire and debris surged outward, and visibility dropped to nothing.
Jogo watched coldly.
"Even the strongest body cannot withstand that."
"Burn to ashes, you lowly humans."
As the smoke cleared, a massive crater remained.
At its center stood Toji.
His body was barely intact. His clothes were gone, the Inverted Spear of Heaven shattered in two. His arms were burned down to charred bone, and his face was so damaged it was almost unrecognizable.
Only the faint breath escaping his mouth proved he was still alive.
"Oh? Still alive?" Jogo chuckled. "Impressive. But that woman should already be ashes."
"Then I will send you to join her."
Flames gathered in his palm as he aimed at Toji.
A sudden roar cut through the air.
Before Jogo could react, Maki appeared behind him, swinging the True Steel Lacerator in a wide arc.
The slash tore across his chest, nearly splitting him in half.
Jogo reacted instantly, grabbing the blade with his left hand despite the damage, attempting to trade injury for a killing blow.
The blade sank into his palm, but at that same moment, Maki released it.
Jogo froze.
A different weapon appeared in her hand.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven.
Another strike came immediately.
At such close range, Jogo had no time to activate his technique. With one blade stuck in each hand, he could only raise his right arm to block.
Splat.
The spear pierced through his palm. Pain surged through him, but he laughed.
"Now you have no cursed tools left, do you?"
With both hands occupied, Jogo opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of flames toward Maki.
Clank, clank, clank.
Chains?
Jogo glanced down.
His legs were bound.
Ushi clung to Maki's back, spitting out the Heavenly Rope, which had wrapped tightly around Jogo's feet.
Maki gripped the rope, her expression cold. With a sharp pull, she swung him like a weapon.
Jogo lost all balance and was hurled through the air.
As he spun helplessly, a figure stepped forward into his path.
Jogo's eyes widened.
Toji.
His ruined body moved forward, a feral grin on his disfigured face. He held the broken half of the Inverted Spear of Heaven in his mouth.
He lunged.
Twisting his neck unnaturally, he drove the blade straight into Jogo's single eye.
Then he twisted further.
The blade churned inside.
Splat.
"Ahhh!"
Jogo's scream tore through the air.
Maki rushed in without hesitation. She ripped both weapons free and struck again, cutting Jogo apart completely.
Clang.
The broken spear fragment fell to the ground.
Toji and Maki both stood there, breathing heavily.
"What a troublesome bastard," Maki muttered.
She glanced at Toji, her expression tightening. "Hey, are you even alive in that condition?"
Toji's exposed bones shifted as he forced a grin.
"Still breathing."
"I have had worse injuries fighting those three before."
Maki let out a breath. "Good. If you died, I would not know how to explain it to Megumi."
She moved to support him, preparing to leave.
Then both of them stopped.
They turned at the same time.
Jogo's remains were not fading.
Instead, they were gathering, reforming.
"Still not dead?" Maki picked up both weapons again, ready to strike.
But before she could move, a spectral form appeared before them.
Jogo's spirit.
His gaze burned with hatred.
"Humans. Filthy humans."
"Even in death, I will not let you escape."
"This is my last strength."
"Let us die together."
"Hollow Technique, Zenith, Meteor!"
Another meteor formed in the sky.
Toji and Maki braced themselves.
But it did not fall toward them.
Instead, it plunged directly into Mount Fuji's crater.
Both of them froze.
Jogo's spirit laughed wildly.
"Killing just the two of you is not enough."
"I want millions of humans buried with me."
"The future belongs to cursed spirits. A wasteland where we laugh a hundred years from now."
His laughter echoed as his form faded.
At the same time, the mountain trembled.
Rumbling grew louder. Lava surged upward. Smoke and ash filled the sky, glowing orange-red as heat consumed the night.
Then it erupted.
Boom!
Mount Fuji exploded back to life after three hundred years of silence.
Maki cursed under her breath.
"This just got out of control."
Without hesitation, she lifted Toji onto her back and sprinted down the mountain at full speed.
___
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