A dazzling bolt of dark red lightning, like a meteor tearing through the darkness, wove frantically through the intricate underground tunnels of Shibuya!
Fast!
Too fast!
With the dual enhancement of the Transparent World and Total Concentration: Constant, Yoru pushed his physical functions to a terrifying limit that even a Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer would find unreachable.
Even those Special Grade Cursed Spirits known for their speed seemed to be moving in slow motion in his eyes.
"You can't escape."
In Yoru's dark red eyes, a bone-chilling killing intent flickered.
In his field of vision, a faint yet nauseatingly foul trail of residual cursed energy snaked through the dark tunnel ahead like a disgusting serpent.
That was the trail left by Kenjaku during his escape!
Though that thousand-year-old monster was extremely cunning, constantly using various barriers and tricks to mask his presence while fleeing...
...in front of Yoru, who had activated the Transparent World, all these disguises were nothing more than burying one's head in the sand.
Yoru could clearly smell that soul-deep, disgusting stench even from ten streets away!
"However..."
Yoru frowned slightly while moving at high speed.
'This Brain really is cautious.'
Just as he was in pursuit.
A skin-crawling rustling sound suddenly echoed from the darkness ahead.
It sounded as if countless massive insects were frantically rubbing their carapaces together in the shadows!
"Buzzzz!"
The next second.
Dozens of cursed spirits, each as large as a car and covered in black barbs and razor-sharp scythes, swarmed out of the tunnels from all directions!
These cursed spirits were all decoys specifically left by Kenjaku to delay Yoru's progress!
While most were only Grade 2 or Grade 1...
...the sheer, overwhelming number—like a locust plague—was enough to drive any ordinary jujutsu sorcerer to despair.
However.
Facing this vast tide of cursed spirits.
Yoru's rapid pace didn't falter for even a second!
"Get in my way, and you die."
The words were spoken with a frigid coldness.
Following them was the deafening hum of a blade!
"Shing!"
Yoru suddenly drew Shiranui from his waist!
In that instant, the aura surrounding him underwent a world-shaking transformation!
If he was a bolt of lightning tearing through the darkness before...
...then now, he was an ancient fire dragon roaring to incinerate everything!
"Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form..."
Yoru's breathing instantly became incredibly long and deep. Massive amounts of oxygen flooded into his lungs like fuel, instantly pushing his blood temperature to a terrifying peak!
A dazzling, deep red flame suddenly erupted from Shiranui's pitch-black blade!
"Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
"Boom!"
With the swing of Yoru's sword, a massive fire dragon condensed from pure Sun Breathing flames roared as it charged into the dense swarm of cursed spirits!
It was too fast!
And far too domineering!
The dragon was like a red-hot blade slicing through butter as it wove through the cursed spirits with unstoppable fury amidst their terrified shrieks!
"Sizzle!"
Everywhere the flames passed.
The once rock-hard black carapaces were instantly incinerated into ash!
Those scythes, sharp as knives, didn't even get a chance to touch the edge of the dragon before they melted completely under the extreme heat!
There were no screams.
Because those cursed spirits didn't even have time to scream before being purified into nothingness by the holy and overbearing flames!
"One strike!"
Just a single strike!
The underground tunnel, which had been completely blocked by dozens of spirits, was instantly cleared into a wide, open path glowing with dark red fire!
Meanwhile, Yoru's figure appeared at the end of the tunnel like a ghost the moment the fire dragon dissipated.
He was even faster than the fire dragon itself!
'Is this... my current power?'
Feeling the surging and smoother power within him—now that his synchronization rate had broken past 55%—a satisfied curve appeared at the corner of Yoru's mouth.
The power of Sun Breathing was even more terrifying than he had imagined!
Especially in such narrow terrain, that extreme heat and destructive force were simply a nightmare for any cursed spirit!
"But using decoys of this level... are you looking down on me?"
Yoru sneered and prepared to continue the pursuit.
"Boom!"
Just then.
A deafening explosion echoed from the corner of the tunnel ahead!
Immediately after.
A massive amount of cursed energy, accompanied by a sickeningly fishy stench, surged out like a tsunami!
"Hmm?"
Yoru's footsteps paused slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his dark red eyes.
'Special Grade?'
Within his Transparent World vision.
Amidst the ruins made a mess by the explosion.
A creature so massive it nearly filled the entire tunnel was slowly crawling out from the dust.
It was an ugly, disgusting insect-type Special Grade Cursed Spirit!
Its body was covered in a thick, solid layer of dark green carapace with a metallic luster.
Around its meat-grinder-like maw filled with countless teeth, several terrifying tentacles were dripping with green venom!
"Roar!"
The Special Grade insect spirit let out an ear-piercing roar.
Its bloodthirsty compound eyes locked onto Yoru.
Clearly.
This was one of the hidden cards Kenjaku had left behind.
A Special Grade Cursed Spirit specifically meant to deal with Yoru—or at least to stall his progress!
"It seems the Brain really went all out to escape."
Yoru looked at the Special Grade spirit radiating a terrifying aura, yet his expression remained unchanged.
He didn't even have the interest to give it a second glance.
"However..."
Yoru slowly tightened his grip on Shiranui.
The flames on the blade instantly condensed, turning into a solid dark red light that looked as if it could slice through space itself.
"In my presence, whether it's Grade 1 or Special Grade..."
"Anyone who blocks my path dies!"
The moment his voice fell.
Yoru's figure vanished from the spot without any warning!
"Roar?"
The Special Grade insect spirit was visibly stunned.
Its proud compound eyes had completely lost track of its target's presence!
Just as it instinctively felt a fatal sense of dread and prepared to activate its technique for defense...
...a bone-chilling voice, sounding as if it came from the depths of hell, suddenly rang out above its head!
"Sun Breathing, Ninth Form..."
"Setting Sun Transformation!"
"Squelch!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion or dazzling flare, only a muffled sound like a blade slicing through tofu.
The Special Grade insect spirit didn't even get a chance to resist.
Its dark green carapace, which not even armor-piercing shells could penetrate, was sliced in half instantly before Yoru's seemingly effortless strike as if it were made of paper!
Not just the carapace.
Even the Special Grade cursed core within its body, radiating massive energy, was instantly evaporated by the extreme heat of that single strike!
"Boom!"
The massive corpse collapsed heavily, kicking up clouds of dust.
An instant kill!
A total, absolute instant kill!
Before this Sword Saint, who had broken past a 55% synchronization rate and reached a new level of mastery over Sun Breathing and the Transparent World...
...even a Special Grade Cursed Spirit could only be cut down in a single blow!
"Too slow."
Yoru gave his blade a light flick, shaking off the non-existent blood, without even glancing at the corpse on the ground.
His gaze remained locked onto the trail of residual cursed energy stretching ahead.
"I hope you've prepared more interesting toys up ahead, Brain."
Yoru's figure turned back into a streak of red lightning and vanished into the depths of the tunnel.
Meanwhile.
In the opposite direction of Yoru's pursuit.
Above ground.
Suguru Geto, leading Kento Nanami, Mei Mei, and Maki Zenin, had also rushed out from the ruins of the subway station.
The true total counter-attack had completely erupted across this Shibuya landscape shrouded in darkness!
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