Bang!
Toji opened the door to the emergency exit. Sensing the Cursed Spirit's presence moving quickly towards the lower floors, he immediately leaped through the space between the staircases.
Skipping down several floors in an instant, Toji stood in front of the Cursed Spirit. It had a massive skull for a face and its arms were sharp like a mantis', resembling swords. The Cursed Spirit cackled at Toji.
"Such appearance... You must be of the Zenin bloodline."
Toji's expression twisted. It was unlikely for an ordinary Cursed Spirit to know about the Zenin. It must be a special Cursed Spirit that lived long enough to know about Zenin, or else.
"Were you originally a sorcerer turned Cursed Spirit?"
"I, know, still, a sorcerer now!"
Shick!
The mantis Cursed Spirit swung its sharp arms towards Toji.
When a sorcerer dies from an attack infused with cursed energy or due to other causes, they can transform into a posthumous Cursed Spirit.
That's why in families teeming with sorcerers like the Zenin, there are sorcerers assigned the role of killing those close to death with cursed energy, to prevent them from becoming Cursed Spirit themselves. Becoming the very thing they hunted all their lives would be the ultimate disgrace for a sorcerer.
Just like this Cursed Spirit in front of him.
"I, did, not, die. Became, stronger!"
The Cursed Spirit swung its arms rapidly as if wielding a sword. Each swing sliced through the metal stairs as if they were butter.
Boom!
Toji dodged the slashes by moving his head. The wall of the emergency exit split in half following the Cursed Spirit's attack.
'No special techniques, just raw power and cursed energy.'
While it had the power of a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, if officially assessed by the Sorcerer's Association, it might be classified as Grade 2 due to the lack of techniques. The Association places a high value on the possession of techniques when grading Cursed Spirit.
Then it's easy. Toji drew the Split Soul Katana from the arsenal spirit's mouth.
"Any last words?"
"Youuu, will die!"
"...Sorry, but I know someone who's better with a sword than you."
Swoosh!
Toji cleanly sliced the Cursed Spirit's neck with the Split Soul Katana. He casually wiped the splattered red fluid from his face onto his black T-shirt.
It was time to go back. Just as Toji was about to store the Split Soul Katana back into the arsenal spirit.
—!!!
Sensing the overwhelming cursed energy emanating from the direction where Zoro was, Toji froze for a fraction of a second before immediately rushing to open the emergency exit door on the floor where Zoro was.
Or, he tried to.
Bang!
Faced with a strong resistance from the door, Toji contorted his face in frustration.
This is, so to say...
'A barrier... no, different. A Domain?!'
If it were the essence of sorcery known as Domain Expansion, Toji's face drained of color in an instant.
Toji pulled out a Inverted Spear of Heaven from the arsenal spirit with his other hand. He wrapped it in imbued black rope and thrust it into the door forming the Domain.
When the function of the Inverted Spear of Heaven, which is supposed to deactivate any active techniques, didn't activate, Toji's eyes widened.
'There's no imposed technique?'
For the moment, that was a relief. If the Domain was simply overlaying a natural-born Domain over the space without any imposed techniques, then at least it wouldn't have guaranteed hit or killing blow effects. It would just be isolating an entire floor as its Domain.
"..."
Or at least, he had to believe that was the case. Otherwise, he might just lose his mind right here and now.
'What do you, a monkey, know about Domains to be so sure?'
What else could there be that you're assuming?
Toji pushed aside the sneering whispers in one corner of his mind. Now was not the time to wallow in self-loathing.
'Even if there are no techniques or guaranteed hits, kills, I can't be at ease.'
Even if just manifesting a natural-born Domain was its limit, no Cursed Spirit below Grade 1 could do even that.
Meaning, the Cursed Spirit present here was Special Grade.
Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish!
Toji rapidly swung the Split Soul Katana. The door shattered into pieces, and a gap appeared in the Domain. Domains fundamentally focus on confinement. They are weak to external shocks.
The sight of the department store distorted into pitch-black darkness due to the Domain entered Toji's vision. He quickly jumped into the gap into the Domain.
"This... damn it!"
Entering the Domain, Toji cursed as he surveyed his surroundings with his Heavenly Sight.
Even with his extraordinary vision, nothing was visible in this darkness. Moreover, the already vast department store had its space distorted by the natural-born Domain, making it absurdly large. As a result, the range of his Heavenly Sight didn't reach the end of the Domain, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the children.
Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to run and find them. He focused as much as he could on their scents or sounds, though even that was faintly obscured by the natural-born Domain. He had to find them somehow.
Toji gritted his teeth. He carried the life signal cards of Zoro and Megumi in his pocket, but he couldn't bring himself to check them.
'Just hang on a little longer.'
Toji ran through the Domain at full speed, desperately hoping he wasn't too late.
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