Chapter 180: Failed Subjugation?
The terrifying gravitational pull unleashed by the black sphere shredded everything within a radius of more than ten meters.
Everything—except Mahoraga.
The shikigami struggled wildly within the distortion, its shattered body continuously breaking apart and reforming, like an undying monster that refused to perish.
At her current level, Zen'in Kaon simply could not create a true black hole with her own hands.
Although the black point's destructive power was far from weak, it still fell just within Mahoraga's tolerance. It wasn't enough to deliver a decisive, one-hit kill.
As the black sphere dissipated, the horrifying attraction faded with it. Debris that hadn't been pulverized midair rained back down onto the ground.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
All that remained was a massive crater more than ten meters wide carved into the earth.
Mahoraga's torn body rapidly regenerated. Behind it, the halo shuddered—and then slowly rotated once.
Adaptation complete.
It had fully adapted to Star Rage.
If the same technique were used again, it would no longer cause even the slightest damage.
"…I'm screwed."
Kaon's heart sank as she stared at Mahoraga's state.
If only she hadn't rushed it.
Now that Mahoraga had adapted to her trump card, was there even a chance left to subjugate this final shikigami?
Step.
Mahoraga straightened its towering body. With a casual motion, the Sword of Extermination reappeared in its hand.
Once the subjugation ritual begins, there are only two outcomes—
Either the shikigami dies.
Or the summoner does.
Unless a third party intervenes.
Seeing this, Fushiguro Megumi shouted urgently from the distance:
"Dad—now's the time. You can step in!"
The moment he spoke, the air itself seemed to tense.
___
This subjugation had already been declared a failure.
At this point, the priority was no longer the ritual itself—but eliminating Mahoraga first, and only then considering the aftermath.
Before Fushiguro Megumi could finish speaking, Toji's figure had already vanished from where he stood.
---
On the other side, Zen'in Kaon had exhausted nearly all of her cursed energy. She no longer had the strength to continue fighting Mahoraga.
All she could do was watch as it charged toward her—calmly waiting for her cousin and her uncle to intervene.
Just as she was wondering how her uncle planned to deal with this final shikigami—
A figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
White mist coiled around his body as he lifted one foot and stepped forward.
In the blink of an eye, the figure crossed the distance as if space itself had folded, arriving directly before Mahoraga.
Under Kaon's focused gaze, she thought she saw her uncle's back flicker several times—
And then vanish completely.
BOOM—!!
In the next instant, Mahoraga's massive body exploded.
Sparks burst from the shredded flesh, and with a thunderous roar, flames engulfed it completely—burning everything away until not even ash remained.
Not a single fragment survived.
"???"
Zen'in Kaon collapsed onto the ground, utterly stunned.
What… just happened?
Mahoraga was… gone?
Just like that?
Was that figure she saw really her uncle?
Before she could sort through the chaos in her head, Megumi and Toji were already standing beside her.
"Don't be discouraged," Toji said calmly.
"The first subjugation failed—but there will be another chance."
Megumi followed up immediately:
"Mahoraga has already completed its adaptation. The next attempt will be even harder.
But if your next attack far exceeds this one, subjugation is still possible."
Kaon, still dazed, slowly stood up.
"But… I think I already succeeded."
"…Huh?"
Megumi frowned sharply.
"Kaon, this isn't a joke."
Toji, however, remained composed.
"Go on," he said. "Explain."
Kaon knew words wouldn't be enough.
She formed a hand seal, channeling the small amount of cursed energy she had just recovered, and activated the summoning ritual once more.
"Mahoraga."
The next second—
Mahoraga appeared behind her.
Silent. Motionless.
Standing like a loyal guardian.
"I don't know why," Kaon said honestly, still confused herself.
"But just now… I suddenly felt the subjugation complete."
She hadn't defeated Mahoraga herself.
So why had the ritual succeeded?
Luck?
Megumi stared, deeply unsettled.
"For a shikigami to be subjugated, it must be defeated by the summoner.
If a third party interferes, this result shouldn't be possible."
Kaon hesitated, then asked:
"Could it be because of Uncle?
And… are you sure he really has no cursed energy?
How can someone with no cursed energy be this strong?"
She hadn't even seen his movements before the fight ended.
Only now did she fully understand what Okkotsu Kaguya once told her—
Having no cursed energy doesn't mean you're ordinary.
At that moment, a wild thought surfaced in her mind.
Could my dad actually be a monster too…?
Toji sighed, rubbing his temple.
"That guy really didn't tell you anything, huh…"
"My situation is… special," he said flatly.
"You'll understand eventually."
Megumi's eyes narrowed as realization dawned.
"…That might actually explain it."
"What do you mean?" Kaon asked quickly.
Megumi spoke slowly, laying out his theory:
"Simply put—dad has no cursed energy. He isn't a sorcerer."
"To Mahoraga, he's no different from a moving building."
"So when he defeated Mahoraga, the ritual counted it as your victory."
"…That actually works?" Kaon was stunned.
Megumi's thoughts spiraled further.
"Then maybe… when I subjugated Mahoraga back then, it wasn't Sukuna who truly did it…"
A terrifying possibility formed.
Maybe Sukuna merely suppressed Mahoraga temporarily.
And the real finishing blow…
…came from his uncle's fists.
"No wonder no Zen'in head ever managed to subjugate Mahoraga."
Megumi muttered under his breath, a bold hypothesis taking shape.
What if—
The very reason the Zen'in clan produced Heavenly Restriction individuals
was to help those who inherited the Ten Shadows Technique subjugate the final shikigami?
His father had the Heavenly Restriction.
He himself possessed the Ten Shadows.
His uncle also had Heavenly Restriction—
And his daughter, Zen'in Kaon, also inherited the Ten Shadows.
Perhaps this was the true bond between Heavenly Restriction
and the Ten Shadows Technique.
But because the Zen'in clan worshipped cursed energy and techniques—
Those born without cursed energy were scorned, rejected, erased.
And that…
Might be why, until this era,
no one in the Zen'in clan had ever successfully subjugated Mahoraga.