Flower Field is an extension of Hanami's innate technique. Its function is to completely erase the fighting spirit of any living being within its range, lulling them into a state of absolute, detached serenity—essentially a "Sage Mode."
Hanami wasn't sure how long this move would hold Hasegumo, but after observing from the shadows for so long, this was the only gamble it could take.
Having seen Jogo's disastrous attempt at a direct confrontation, Hanami harbored no desire for battle. It only wanted to rescue its cherished companion.
But things usually have a way of spiraling toward the worst-case scenario. It's like being halfway to work and suddenly worrying if you locked the front door. You either spend the rest of the day in a state of anxious dread only to find the door wide open when you get home, or you resolve to turn back and check, only to realize you had locked it tight all along.
The heavens love to toy with sentient beings this way. If a god truly exists, it must possess a singularly wicked sense of humor. When you are left paralyzed between the fear of loss and the emptiness of existence, with a sense of contradiction so thick it makes you question your very life—that is when it has likely achieved its goal.
In short, Hanami's timing was impeccable and its plan was sound. Had it been facing almost any other protagonist—Satoru Gojo included—the plan might have actually succeeded.
As the technique activated, the earth—scarred and ravaged by Yuta's previous explosion—was suddenly overtaken by a frantic growth of vines and a sprawling sea of vibrant blossoms. A sweet, elegant fragrance saturated the air. Standing amidst the flowers, Hasegumo caught the scent and instantly put his previous embarrassment behind him, seemingly entranced by the display.
Seizing the moment, Hanami leaped high into the air using a tree trunk as a springboard. Simultaneously, a thick, long vine erupted from the ground beneath Jogo's head, hoisting him upward. Hanami reached out to grab him, preparing to flee the scene like a trapeze artist.
Whew... Even with its stoic temperament, the pressure of snatching a comrade from Hasegumo's reach was immense. Curses of their caliber were the only ones who could truly perceive the sheer lethality Hasegumo radiated.
First, there was the Reverse Cursed Energy that saturated his entire body, suppressed yet ever-present. To any cursed spirit, it was a "touch-and-die" poison; most curses couldn't even stand to be near him.
Second was the speed Hasegumo had demonstrated during his clash with Jogo. Though Hanami hadn't been hit directly by the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva, it had glimpsed the movements that shattered Jogo's Domain Expansion. It was a feat observable only by someone who could compress their own perception of time to the absolute limit. In the infinitesimal window it took to form a hand seal and mobilize cursed energy, the man had simultaneously completed three distinct tasks: a palms-together strike, the delivery of Reverse Cursed Energy to destroy Jogo's physical form, and the condensation of external energy to exorcise Mahito in the sky.
If any other curse had been standing on the perimeter instead of Hanami, and if they had truly understood what Hasegumo had done, they would never have dared to show their face.
But Hanami was different.
It didn't care about the "future of curses" Jogo always preached about. In its eyes, its companions were everything. As long as there was a sliver of hope, Hanami would never stand by and watch its kin perish.
Since Kenjaku had placed the new Curtain, all they had to do was slip out of Hasegumo's line of sight before he snapped out of the trance, then find a way to dismantle the barrier...
Hanami's mind raced, but its body didn't falter. Just as it prepared to propel itself toward the perimeter, two golden palms manifested, sandwiching Hanami and Jogo between them. The Guanyin statue, which usually appeared benevolent, now loomed over them like a reaper. The air around them was so saturated with Reverse Cursed Energy that Hanami froze, not daring to move a muscle.
"Domain Expansion: 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva."
"Even among curses, there are many who value their bonds as much as you do, it seems."
Hasegumo's voice remained airy and light, as if he were still drifting through the sea of flowers, but his silhouette was now seated cross-legged in the center of the Guanyin's palm, looking directly at them.
Both Jogo and Hanami realized that every move they had made was, in fact, within his total control.
"My technique is supposed to strip away the will to fight." Since life and death were now entirely at the man's whim, Hanami simply gave up on resistance. It cradled Jogo's head and asked, "How are you still able to attack?"
It was a question, but Hanami already had a theory. To be immune to its technique, there were only two possibilities: either the opponent used some defensive measure to block the effect and was merely faking it, or... Jogo and Hanami simply weren't considered "enemies" in the man's eyes. They were merely objects to be dealt with. Much like a human doesn't feel a "burning desire for battle" when swatting a mosquito that's sucking their blood, the man simply acted.
But Hasegumo's actual answer startled them. "Ever since I reached my current understanding, I haven't fought a single cursed spirit with anything resembling 'fighting intent'."
"The cycle of the heavens dictates that life and death are part of the natural law. But cursed spirits have no natural lifespan; they do not die on their own. If left unchecked, humanity would eventually go extinct. Yet, the total eradication of curses isn't something I—or this world—desire either."
"Since such an irrational phenomenon exists, I can only conclude that it is my role—Hasegumo's role—to maintain the law. I exorcise the curses that should die to guide and preserve the necessary Balance."
"You view yourself as... some sort of existence above both humans and curses?"
"Think whatever you like." As he spoke, the Guanyin's hands opened slightly, allowing Hanami to land on the ground. Hasegumo hopped down as well, his gaze shifting to Hanami. His tone shifted, as if he were considering showing mercy. "But you're different from this volcano-head. You, the white one—what do they call you?"
"Hanami."
"Hanami-san—no, Hanami-chan. I can sense a lot of things. You haven't killed anyone yet, have you?" Hasegumo gave a thumbs-up. "That's rare. So, as of right now, you aren't a target for my 'maintenance of balance'."
"If you're willing to enter a Binding Vow—and I won't even ask you for intel—just drop that head in your hands and you can walk away. I guarantee that no sorcerer will ever bother you again."
Hanami hesitated for a long moment, then looked down at Jogo. "And what about him?"
"Exactly what you think. Since he's killed, he must have the resolve to be killed in return, right?" Hasegumo looked down and flashed Jogo a smile, though in Jogo's eyes, that smile was pure malice.
"Hanami... go back..." Jogo's mouth opened and closed like a gasping goldfish. His voice was raspy and dry, his large eye shot through with blood. Though the future of his race was paramount to him, the two of them had achieved a telepathic understanding over the centuries. He could accept his friend dying for the cause, but he could not accept them dying for him—especially a death so utterly meaningless.
"Go back to the forest. I promise... that future will come. The future where curses laugh out loud upon the wilderness."
"From the day you came to find me, there was no going back." Hanami's voice echoed only in Jogo's mind. It didn't take a single step back. The firm grip it maintained on Jogo's head was all the answer Hasegumo needed.
"If you two are ever reincarnated with your memories intact, I hope you'll take some time to think. And hey, volcano-head, I wasn't lying to you—I will find a way for curses and humans to coexist." Hasegumo felt a bit like a clichéd villain in this moment, but he wasn't worried about the "villains die because they talk too much" trope.
"In your next life, try not to kill anyone."
"Domain Expansion: Blossoming Light Sea!"
As Hasegumo's final words fell, Hanami tried to put up one last struggle, but it was futile.
Typically, expanding a Domain requires a massive mobilization of cursed energy, starting from the gut to ensure the Domain's demands are met. This process takes time—like a "cast bar" for a powerful spell. Hasegumo's technique allowed him to skip that cast bar entirely, giving him an absolute initiative in a Domain clash. Furthermore, the Guanyin's attack speed matched his own, meaning he could compress his "turn" to a near-instant.
Just like Jogo before it, Hanami didn't even finish its expansion before the 100-Type Guanyin Bodhisattva completed its strike.
The Hanami standing before him and the head in its hands vanished in an instant, as if they had never existed.
"Well... I killed one more than I planned, but no matter." Even though the two Special Grades had just shared a touching, tragic farewell, Hasegumo didn't feel much. As he said: if you kill, you must be ready to be killed. He had offered Hanami a choice; since it chose to stay, he wouldn't force it to live.
He turned to walk toward the other side of the battlefield, glancing up at a passing crow. "The important thing is to enjoy life... Huh?"
The pitch-black Curtain overhead was beginning to dissolve. He didn't stop walking, but he muttered under his breath, "Exorcised already? Your 'girl power' is off the charts, Nagasawa."
On Hasegumo's side, three Special Grade curses had been wiped out. Though the description was long, the actual events had taken less than half an hour, most of which was spent chatting.
Rewinding the clock slightly: after the two split up, Nagasawa had used Hasegumo's "Buddha Palm" launch to fly directly toward the other battlefield.
"This one looks a bit different. An octopus?" Nagasawa arrived just in time to punch Dagon—who was currently in a grappling match with Panda—straight across the clearing. Maki stood nearby, clutching her katana and acting as backup.
At first glance, Nagasawa's assessment of Dagon was: "He's actually kind of cute~"
Compared to Jogo and Hanami, Dagon was still under-developed. It usually stayed in its Cursed Womb state, looking like a plump, red octopus with big, blinking eyes. It was almost adorable.
But as a member of the three disasters and a Special Grade curse, the seemingly innocent Dagon was no pushover. The moment Hisazakuro Nagasawa arrived, it realized this newcomer wasn't a weakling like the previous two opponents.
Ugh... Dagon's octopus face contorted into an expression of intense strain, followed by a massive "purge." A literal sea of human skeletons erupted from its mouth.
The small, red skin sloughed off as its true form manifested in mid-air: a lean, muscled humanoid with a red-and-white body and two tiny, vestigial wings on its lower back. The most jarring change was its face—it was no longer "cute." From the nose down, it was a mass of writhing tentacles, a sight that immediately brought certain Lovecraftian horrors to mind.
"Oh ho~" Nagasawa wasn't surprised. This form finally matched the chibi icon she saw on her HUD. "That is a serious hit to my Sanity Points. But hey, at least I won't feel bad about killing you now."