"Success!"
Looking at the scene in front of him, Kenjaku couldn't help but let out a triumphant grin.
Since the exchange meeting, he had been preparing for a decisive battle with Nightmare. Of course, when he said "decisive battle," it meant that others would fight Nightmare, and he would only play a supporting role.
The death of Hanami completely ignited the anger of Mahito and Jogo, making them the best pawns to kill Nightmare.
Moreover, he had conducted the flesh-binding ritual on the first to third of Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, allowing them to obtain physical bodies. With these three new bodies, his side had gained three more special-class combatants.
The plan was going smoothly, just as imagined.
After sacrificing a piece of the ancient cursed finger, they had drawn out Nightmare, and the six of them immediately launched their attack.
Under their ferocious assault, no matter how strong Nightmare was, it could only temporarily retreat. The battle had begun with Nightmare falling into a disadvantage.
Thanks to the support from Kenjaku and his group's power, the simple domain that Nightmare had created collapsed as well.
"Mahito, now!"
"No need for your reminder!"
Almost at the same moment that Nightmare simple domain shattered, Mahito, who had been preparing for this moment, immediately made hand seals.
His face was filled with the grim satisfaction of revenge and the mocking expression of someone who had lured their prey into a trap. He unleashed his ultimate trump card, a technique he had painstakingly practiced to avenge Hanami.
"Domain expansion, Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
Black-purple cursed energy erupted from Mahito body, and the ethereal cursed power transformed into a solid form, causing his inner domain to expand into reality.
In an instant, Nightmare was trapped within this domain.
"Human, now is your time to atone!"
Inside the enclosed domain, countless hands stitched together like lotus petals bloomed.
Without any defense, Nightmare was like a fish with its scales stripped away, vulnerable to the attack.
Mahito technique, the 'Idle Transfiguration,' directly targeted the soul. The defense of the physical body was useless before it, and only by using cursed energy to protect one's soul could one avoid the effects of the Idle Transfiguration.
However, few people were able to achieve such defense.
The soul was a concept too intangible, and Mahito had never seen anyone able to control their own soul before.
He wasn't sure if Nightmare could, but it didn't matter. Since Nightmare didn't reveal her techniques and didn't understand the principles of his powers, she would instinctively protect her physical body rather than her soul!
Under the mask, Tokisaki Kurumi expression also became unpleasant. As a traveler, she certainly understood Mahito techniques and their effects.
However, while both spiritual and cursed powers were similar, they were ultimately different forces.
In this world, curse users could use cursed energy to protect their souls, but she couldn't use spiritual power in the same way.
What made things worse was the way her inner power fluctuated in response to the external forces trying to act on her soul. It was as if her spirit was being torn apart.
Now, Tokisaki Kurumi had no plan left.
"Your soul, I'll take it!" Mahito laughed manically as he activated the 'Idle Transfiguration' on her.
In the next moment, his senses penetrated Nightmare physical body and reached her soul.
Without hesitation, Mahito began to manipulate the soul in his hands, intending to shape it just like he had done countless times before.
"What's happening?"
However, as soon as he exerted force, an incomprehensible sensation overwhelmed his mind.
The soul that was supposed to be like dough, easily malleable, felt as hard as steel instead.
This was the first time his technique had failed.
But quickly, he understood the reason.
"Truly worthy of being an ancient being, you've already reached a level of mastery over souls," Mahito thought with a heavy heart.
Nightmare soul was different from any other human soul. It had been shaped by someone, or something.
No, that wasn't the right term. It wasn't just shaped; it had been nailed in place.
As Mahito perception deepened, he quickly discovered a rhomboid, multifaceted crystal embedded within Nightmare body.
"This is your anchor?" Mahito smirked with malevolent delight.
Upon finding Nightmare weakness, he didn't hesitate to apply the 'Idle Transfiguration' on the crystal.
The twisted power of the Idle Transfiguration affected the crystal, causing it to vibrate violently.
"Ding——!"
Mahito consciousness suddenly went blank.
It wasn't an attack that had caused it, but it was as if he had jumped out of the bottom of a well and glimpsed a broader world.
"What an exquisite technique, what a beautiful creation!"
Mahito expression changed from one of malice to one filled with uncontainable joy.
Nightmare control over the soul had reached such an extraordinary level?
By merely touching the crystal's edge, Mahito felt his understanding of the Idle Transfiguration increase significantly.
"If I could fully comprehend this..." Mahito thought, his breath quickening, greed spreading across his face.
He wanted to see more, more of it!
"Ughhhhhh——!"
The spiritual crystal inside Tokisaki Kurumi suddenly stirred, and her face turned pale.
She felt a wave of negative emotions surge from deep within her, causing her mind to destabilize rapidly.
Brutality, madness, and murderous intent replaced her sanity at an alarming rate, and she felt as though her soul was being torn in two.
"No, I can't let this continue!"
Despite her crumbling mental state, Tokisaki Kurumi remaining clarity screamed that she had to stop this immediately.
Although she didn't understand why she didn't turn into a monster immediately, she knew she couldn't abandon her life while she still had the strength to fight, even if she was only a clone!
With a roar, Tokisaki Kurumi grabbed two flintlock pistols and charged toward Mahito.
"Bang, bang!"
Two bullets immediately struck Mahito body.
The intense pain brought Mahito back to his senses, and he instinctively used cursed energy to heal his injuries.
Looking at Tokisaki Kurumi charging toward him, Mahito face changed drastically as he realized the situation.
Nightmare soul had a stronger understanding of its own soul than he did, and she had prepared defenses against his Idle Transfiguration, preventing her from immediately losing her fighting ability.
Now, both of them were trapped in the enclosed domain.
Unable to immediately kill Nightmare, Mahito realized he could only be pursued by Nightmare!
Understanding this, terror gripped his heart.
"Help me! Jogo! Geto!"
Fearful of facing Nightmare alone, he immediately dismissed his domain and fled toward his teammates as fast as he could.
"Huh?"
Kenjaku, watching from a distance, couldn't believe his eyes. Why was Mahito running like a dog after losing control in his own domain?
What in the world had happened?
Panic, fear, anger, and other emotions were all churning within Mahito heart, his mind filled with all kinds of chaotic thoughts, and he couldn't even figure out why he had failed his mission.
But no matter the reason, it no longer mattered at this moment.
Because Mahito had failed to complete his task, and the most crucial part of the plan had collapsed—leading to the entire plan to encircle and kill the Nightmare falling apart!
"Heavenly Envoy Spirit!"
He quickly summoned his most trusted shikigami.
As soon as the giant bird-shaped Cursed Spirit appeared, it carried him on its back and also grabbed Jogo beside him with its claws.
When Mahito approached, the Heavenly Envoy used another claw to seize him as well. With a strong flap of its wings, it soared into the sky, flying away at high speed.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Number One and Number Two of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings—Choso and Eso—stood stunned, watching their teammates fly away into the distance in disbelief.
"Did you guys forget about us?!" Number Two, Eso, shouted anxiously.
"They didn't forget," Number One, Choso, said through gritted teeth, "they're just planning to abandon us as pawns! Just as I expected—those guys are nothing but despicable scum. They wanted us to buy time with our lives!"
Choso could understand the reason for choosing to flee.
Honestly, he wanted to escape too.
But he couldn't.
Because not long ago, their youngest brother, Kechizu, had been severely wounded by the Nightmare, so badly that he couldn't even move anymore.
If both he and Eso chose to flee now, it would mean abandoning Kechizu to certain death.
To the three of them, their brothers' lives were far more important than their own. So even if it cost them their lives, they would never leave one behind.
Choso took a deep breath to calm himself, then turned his burning gaze back to the blood-red figure standing in the distance.
"Rooaar..."
As the Nightmare slowly turned her gaze toward them, her blood-red eyes glowed like torches in the darkness. With just one glance, an immense pressure fell upon them, making even breathing difficult.
Under the weight of that stare, Choso instantly felt like the pressure had more than doubled.
"Damn that Cursed Spirit!"
He cursed Mahito in his heart for being so unreliable.
Running away was one thing.
But to run after giving the enemy a berserk buff—even if he wanted to surrender or negotiate now, that would be impossible.
This level of betrayal was unforgivable!
"We have no choice but to fight now, brother!" Choso took a deep breath. "Maybe while the Nightmare has lost some of her sanity, we can still find a chance to defeat her."
"Can we win, big brother?"
"I don't know... but we have to try!"
Just as the two brothers made up their minds to fight the Nightmare to the death, hurried footsteps echoed through the forest.
"Whoosh—!"
Before Choso and Eso could react, a black shadow shot out from the bushes like a leopard and pounced straight at the Nightmare.
At that moment, with her mind clouded by rage and killing intent, the Nightmare sensed the presence but didn't dodge or evade. She chose to confront the attack head-on.
But the result was obvious.
One of her arms was sliced clean off, and blood sprayed everywhere.
"Looks like you're not doing so well."
Having landed a clean hit, Sukuna immediately backed off, rubbing his chin as he spoke. "To think you'd make such an irrational counterattack... hmm, I suppose you really are unstable right now."
However, he showed no chivalry at all.
He didn't offer her time to recover, nor did he feel that killing her in this state was a pity. On the contrary, he showed a satisfied smile.
"Domain Expansion – Malevolent Shrine."
A closed-type domain pulled the Nightmare inside.
While he was capable of using an open-type domain, with only three fingers' worth of power, it was beyond his current limit.
Still, in this situation, a closed domain was more than enough.
Standing before a demonic, twisted shrine in a world shrouded in a cloud of blood, Sukuna didn't hesitate to launch his attack.
"Slash!"
With the intent to cut her into countless pieces, invisible slashes came from all directions.
Perhaps the pain snapped her back to some sense of clarity—this time, the Nightmare didn't try to tank it, and instead activated a Free-form Domain.
"Buzzzzz—"
The Free-form Domain shuddered violently, but ultimately blocked the entire wave of slashes.
"Looks like... she's burned out."
Watching this, Sukuna let out a soft laugh and uttered a single word: "Eight."
"Slash" was his standard attack—quick and repeatable.
But "Eight" was a precision-adjusted lethal slash, calculated based on the difference in Cursed Energy and strength, capable of killing with a single blow.
After his first probing attack, he had fully gauged this woman's current state.
Just as he had expected, the woman who once humiliated him had now been cleaved in half before him.
"How boring."
With the domain withdrawn, Sukuna felt little satisfaction from this revenge. Instead, he felt an unexpected emptiness.
"So much for the so-called 'worst of the modern era.' In the end, you were just a weakling. I'll probably forget you by tomorrow... Nightmare."
He had been hoping for a more intense, thrilling battle.
But clearly, the Nightmare had spent too much power in the previous fights, even her mind had become unstable.
Under such circumstances, the battle that should have brought him pleasure turned into nothing more than a simple execution.
"Heh... I never expected the King of Curses to be so forgetful."
Just as Sukuna was about to leave, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
Sukuna pupils shrank in shock. He turned and stared in disbelief.
The Nightmare, who had previously been cleaved in half, now stood completely unharmed before him.
Not only was she uninjured, but her mental state was also fully restored.
"Ara ara... Lord Sukuna, the expression on your face right now is truly priceless."
The Nightmare smiled playfully and asked, teasingly.
"Will this moment now be something you'll remember forever?"