Chapter 25: Malevolent Shrine
Facing this violent attack, which was enough to instantly kill a Special Grade Sorcerer, Toho Hiroshi stood still, not even making a move to defend or dodge.
He just stood quietly, the Mangekyo in his eyes slowly rotating.
The next moment, a scene that Sukuna found unbelievable occurred.
All the slashes, whether from the front, side, or back, instantly passed through Toho Hiroshi's body as if cutting into a void phantom, penetrating without obstruction. They struck the Barrier of the Domain, slicing the entire incomplete Domain into shreds and causing violent tremors, yet failing to harm Toho Hiroshi in the slightest.
[Phasing]
This Dojutsu, which allows the user to freely shift between physical and void states, perfectly circumvented all direct attacks, whether physical or Cursed Energy in nature.
"How is that possible!"
The composure on Sukuna's face vanished completely, replaced by a twisted expression mixing astonishment and fury. "What exactly is your Cursed Technique?"
This kind of complete nullification ability was simply unheard of.
"King of Curses, is this all you amount to?"
Toho Hiroshi's voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of disappointment. "If this is all you have, then this boring farce should end now."
Toho Hiroshi's contemptuous words were like boiling oil poured into ice water, instantly igniting the arrogance and rage Ryomen Sukuna had accumulated over a thousand years.
"A mere mongrel dares to repeatedly blaspheme the dignity of this King!"
Sukuna's four eyes became bloodshot and crimson with fury. He was no longer satisfied with this illusory form; the massive flesh cocoon belonging to the Special Grade Cursed Womb violently pulsed, forcibly commandeered and assimilated by him.
"I will use this barely adequate vessel to make you feel true despair!"
Dark red Cursed Energy, like actual blood, frantically poured into the Cursed Womb.
The Cursed Womb let out a groan of being overwhelmed. Its form drastically changed under the forceful distortion of Sukuna's will. Flesh surged, bones were misplaced and reformed, eventually condensing into a twisted yet resilient temporary body—a monster with four arms and facial features vaguely resembling Sukuna.
Simultaneously, unparalleled Cursed Energy erupted violently from this temporary body, instantly covering, devouring, and rewriting the entire incomplete Innate Domain.
[Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine]
The scene drastically changed again.
The dilapidated shrine completely vanished. Toho Hiroshi found himself standing on an endless expanse of dark red water composed of solidified blood, reflecting a bizarre, twisted sky. Surrounding him were mountains of gigantic, pale beast bones, forming gruesome decorations.
At the center of the Domain was a massive shrine constructed from countless piled-up skulls. Ryomen Sukuna, occupying the temporary body, stood atop the shrine, his four arms spread wide. Icy killing intent and the dignity of a King filled every corner of the space.
Most fatally, the absolute rule of the "Open-Style Domain that doesn't require a Barrier" had descended.
"Within my Shrine, slashes will descend."
Sukuna announced with a sinister laugh, "Let's see how long you can maintain that boring trick! [Dismantle] [Cleave]"
An invisible storm of slashes, ten times denser and a hundred times sharper than before, instantly generated.
This time, the slashes did not originate from Sukuna's gestures but appeared without warning, based directly on the Domain's rules, from every angle in all directions, completely submerging the space where Toho Hiroshi stood.
The [Dismantle] slash storm covered every blind spot, and the even more terrifying [Cleave]—the guaranteed one-hit kill slash that performs "Forced Subjugation" based on the target's strength, texture, and Cursed Energy—was also concealed within, possessing the absolute attribute of "guaranteed hit," aiming directly for Toho Hiroshi's core.
Faced with this unavoidable killing blow, which originated from the very rules of the world, the Cursed Energy within Toho Hiroshi surged wildly.
"Susanoo"
Cursed Energy, vast as the sea, shot up into the sky, and deep purple light instantly condensed.
Amidst the storm of endless slashes from the Malevolent Shrine, the deep purple Susanoo stood firm.
The Second Form of the Susanoo was a half-body skeleton, covered in meridians and flesh. It swung its massive arms, precisely blocking and shattering the invisible slashes attacking from all directions.
Bang bang bang—
Massive clanging sounds, like metal striking metal, and the explosions of Cursed Energy annihilation echoed incessantly within the Domain. Each collision caused the Susanoo's body to tremble slightly, sending purple energy fragments flying everywhere.
Although the slashes could not instantly break through the Susanoo's defense, the relentless attacks originating from the Domain's rules were continuously draining Toho Hiroshi's vast Cursed Energy.
"I must attack the Domain's core!"
Toho Hiroshi's Mangekyo spun rapidly, observing the structure of this Open-Style Domain.
His gaze locked onto the shrine built from countless skulls beneath Sukuna's feet—that was the central hub for the Domain's Cursed Energy flow, and the core of the "Malevolent Shrine."
Susanoo's free arm suddenly lifted. Massive Cursed Energy rapidly condensed, forming an arrow composed purely of high-density Cursed Energy, shining with dazzling purple light, its tip pointed directly at the shrine beneath Sukuna's feet.
"Whoosh—"
The purple arrow tore through the air with a sharp whistle, shooting toward the shrine like a purple meteor.
"Trivial tricks!"
Sukuna sneered and didn't even move a step.
With a single thought, the endless slashing rules within the Domain instantly responded.
Countless [Dismantle] slashes appeared out of thin air in front of the purple arrow, forming an impenetrable net of blades.
Chichichichi—
After breaking through dozens of layers of slashes, the powerful Cursed Energy arrow finally ran out of power, was completely shredded and annihilated by the continuous stream of subsequent slashes, turning into scattered purple light particles filling the air.
"Utterly ridiculous!"
Sukuna stood atop the shrine, four arms crossed, his eyes full of mockery and derision. "Within my Domain, any attack is futile. You are like a fly caught in a spiderweb; struggling will only make your death more painful. Struggle all you want, until your Cursed Energy is exhausted!"
However, facing Sukuna's mockery, Toho Hiroshi showed no sign of dejection; instead, a cold expression appeared on his face.
"The warm-up should be over now."
He muttered to himself, the Mangekyo pattern in his eyes suddenly bursting with an even more ominous light. "I don't have time to keep playing with you."
Boom—
Even more terrifying, nearly tangible Cursed Energy erupted from Toho Hiroshi's body.
The Susanoo covering his entire body let out a violent roar, and its form underwent a tremendous change once again.
The bones became thicker and harder, and the meridians and flesh rapidly grew, finally resulting in a set of ancient and majestic armor, resembling a Karasu Tengu, quickly covering the entire Susanoo. The face beneath the helmet appeared even more ferocious and imposing.
Susanoo: Third Form • Karasu Tengu Armor
Although it was still a half-body, the level of solidity and the oppressive aura it emitted were worlds apart from the Second Form.
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