When Kenmei "saw" through his psychic senses that the Butcher's body was being swallowed by a massive number of Teru Teru Bozu, he knew things had gone south.
This is bad!
"Damn it, I should have just knocked him out."
Relying on the equipment [The Eternal Hunt], Kenmei could share a mental link with the Flesh Hound during missions and command it directly.
Previously, Kenmei had commanded the Flesh Hound to swiftly maul a squad of enemy Sorcerers to the brink of death.
It was entirely because the Butcher, teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, panicked and lost his basic judgment that Kenmei had the Flesh Hound launch a sudden attack.
Its teeth were sharp enough to crush the armor of a main battle tank, so snapping human bones was effortless. Furthermore, the Collar of Khorne around the Flesh Hound's neck granted it a degree of immunity to Cursed Energy attacks. Hiding in a different dimension, it was doubly immune to both physical and magical assaults.
So killing a Curse User who had zero intel on the Flesh Hound and was scared out of his wits was simple.
But out of consideration, Kenmei didn't deliver the killing blow. He only critically wounded him, intending to leave the finishing strike for Yomi-nee.
Because to completely kill a hostile Sorcerer or Curse User, one must use Jujutsu. If killed by a non-Jujutsu attack, the Sorcerer would rapidly degenerate into a Vengeful Cursed Spirit due to the influence of their lingering Cursed Energy.
That would inevitably trigger a terrifying disaster.
"Yomi-nee, the Curse User is dead."
"But he sacrificed his own body to those Teru Teru Bozu."
Kenmei concisely relayed what he saw to Yomi.
"So next, we might be facing..."
A terrifying Cursed Spirit.
Before Kenmei could finish his sentence, the first heavy heartbeat thumped. In the next second, violent Cursed Energy burst the "Curtain" the Butcher had set up while alive.
Without the barrier of the "Curtain," Kenmei instantly felt a profound malice wash over him. He crossed his arms in front of him as if bracing against a gale-force wind; the fierce storm of Cursed Energy pressed down so hard he could barely open his eyes.
Judging solely by this Cursed Energy eruption, it was on par with the lizard-like Cursed Spirit Kenmei's squad had dealt with last time.
And this was a newly born Curse. Once the Cursed Spirit formed from the Butcher adapted to this body, it would become even more terrifying.
The pressure came and went quickly. Just as Kenmei opened his eyes, he was drawn to the screeching sound of metal being forcibly torn apart in the distance.
He saw three bone-white spikes radiating powerful blood-red Cursed Energy pierce straight through the top of the grain silo. Like opening a can, they twisted effortlessly, prying the lid off.
The massive, heavy lid crashed to the ground, shattering the pavement and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
The colossal body crouching inside seemed to be slowly straightening up. The entire steel silo, unable to bear the weight within, groaned and deformed severely, swaying precariously.
A pair of blood-red eyes shone in the darkness like lighthouses. When they spotted Kenmei and Yomi on the hillside not far away, the eyes, filled with filthy aura, instantly lit up.
"Sorcerers!"
"I smell Sorcerers."
Obsessions from his past life filled this newborn Cursed Spirit with hatred for the two people before it!
It wanted nothing more than to tear them to shreds.
"Kill you!"
The giant Cursed Spirit let out a resounding roar. With just a wave of its hand, brute force tore apart the grain silo, which finally gave way with a creaking groan.
Its main body resembled a black "Teru Teru Bozu," but the gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth was anything but benevolent.
THUD—BOOM.
Two heavy claws smashed onto the ground. The Cursed Spirit shifted its body, constantly closing in from the darkness. Beneath it were not feet, but countless tentacles resembling human limbs writhing on the ground. with every step, the tentacles were crushed into a bloody pulp under the heavy pressure, only to regenerate and be crushed again, leaving a trail of blood on the sandy ground.
Under the moonlight, it was a terrifying sight.
Heart pounding, Kenmei really wanted to curse himself to death. If he had just cleanly knocked that bastard out, this mess wouldn't have happened.
But it was too late for regrets. Another Cursed Spirit representing a massive amount of Points—but far beyond Kenmei's ability to handle—had appeared before him.
"Yomi-nee, let's temporarily..."
Akutagawa had always drilled into Kenmei that when facing a Cursed Spirit beyond his capabilities, there was only one choice: run.
Retreat and wait for backup.
But Kenmei swallowed his words when he sensed a similarly surging, terrifying wave of Cursed Energy erupting beside him.
The girl's young and delicate face had subconsciously made Kenmei forget that the person beside him was a genuine Grade 1 Sorcerer in her prime.
He didn't need rescue. The strongest and most powerful support was right next to him.
Yomi Isayama stepped in front of Kenmei without batting an eye. Her violet Cursed Energy boiled like water.
The girl's katana was unsheathed once more. Under the moonlight, a red glint seemed to flash across the cold blade.
ROAR!
A terrifying lion's roar, cold enough to freeze the soul, echoed through the valley again, completely drowning out the mad cries of the Cursed Spirit.
In Kenmei's shocked gaze, like a dry onion pulled from the ground, a massive black figure—even burlier than the Cursed Spirit formed from the Butcher—erupted into existence right before the Cursed Spirit's eyes, carrying the ferocious aura of a savage tiger. It lunged and tackled the Curse directly.
Without suspense, the Cursed Spirit was pinned to the ground. Its heavy body crushed two other grain silos as the giant beast opened its maw, also filled with sharp fangs, and began to tear into it viciously.
On the field, blood-red Cursed Energy and violet Cursed Energy intertwined. Every collision generated tremors that shook the earth and mountains. Hard rocks were easily shattered, and the terrain was being altered every second.
Two colossal monsters engaged in a primal death match right before his eyes. To Kenmei, it felt like a scene from a kaiju movie playing out in real life.
Yomi Isayama had fully released [Nue]'s power, entering combat mode. Whether in size, attack power, strength, or speed, it was far superior to the riding mode Kenmei had experienced earlier.
"Kenmei, get away from here."
Yomi's fair fingers completed several hand signs with incredible speed.
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."
Soon, from high in the sky, a pitch-black curtain descended, completely isolating this place from the world.
A "Curtain" prevents anything happening inside from being seen by humans outside. It is a means to hide the existence of Cursed Spirits and a required course for every Sorcerer.
"I will exorcise this Cursed Spirit."