Aspect Two: Fire Armor!
Dagon's massive fist, charged with inhuman strength, crashed down upon me. The flame armor I had deliberately formed around my forearms was nearly obliterated by the blow. Now, only a thin membrane of orange fire covered my arms. But, considering the circumstances, this wasn't my most pressing concern. The sheer force of Dagon's strike sent me flying, my feet lifting off the ground, which meant I was no longer maintaining my Simple Domain. Moreover, it seemed that after raising his domain, Dagon had grown stronger... or perhaps he had just unlocked his potential. Either way, neither scenario was good news.
I didn't have the luxury to ponder this further – mere seconds after Dagon sent me flying, his shikigami attacked from all sides.
Damn leeches! They were part of this aquatic nightmare too.
I summoned my cursed energy again, but this time, the Flame Armor enveloped my entire body. The armor protected me from the razor-sharp teeth of the shikigami, preventing unnecessary bloodshed, but it lacked offensive power. The shikigami could easily bite through the armor, tearing off chunks, but new flames formed from cursed energy would fill the gaps, healing the breaches. This continuous cycle of regeneration would persist as long as Dagon and I had enough cursed energy.
However, I wasn't about to sit idle, staring into the gaping maw of one of the shikigami. As soon as I stabilized, landing softly on the ground, my cursed energy flared with renewed vigor.
Aspect Three: Conjure Flames
A sword, formed from the Flame Weapon, always materialized in my hand. Its first victim was an unlucky carp attacking me from the right. Judging by the sensation, I had skewered it completely. Following this, I swept the blade along my body. The air filled with the sound of sizzling flesh, and the scent of grilled fish surrounded me. In the next moment, almost all the shikigami around me vanished into nothingness. Only one, resembling a flounder, was still trying to bite my backside. Well, it wasn't trying anymore…
Quickly glancing around, I noticed that Dagon, taking advantage of my brief distraction, was in the midst of beating up the old man... a true manifestation of pension reform in action.
Realizing this was my chance, I gripped my sword tightly, pulling the blade slightly behind my back, and dashed towards the massive curse. A swift swing of the sword sliced through the air, releasing a whirlwind of fiery sparks. With monstrous speed, Dagon dodged the attack, leaping to a safe distance. Clearly displeased that I had so quickly freed myself from the clutches of his shikigami, he frowned, or at least, as much as his face allowed.
"Sukehiro Yami," his raspy voice cut through the silence between us. "I've heard of you…"
While he admired me, I took the opportunity to check on my comrades: Naobito was fighting a shoals of fish, Nanami was almost unscathed just a couple of scratches, likely because Dagon hadn't paid much attention to him, and Maki… she stood behind me, and even without seeing her, I could feel her glaring at me. Save her, she'd be annoyed; don't save her, she'd still be annoyed!
I couldn't help but sigh. "Women…"
"What did you say?!" Maki snapped.
Thank goodness Dagon chose that moment to launch an attack, distracting us from a potential argument. Yes, fighting a special-grade curse was better than arguing with a woman, especially Maki.
The curse's attack was lightning-fast – a fist the size of my head shot towards my face. I calmly blocked the punch, deflecting it to the side, then took advantage of the moment to counterattack with my flaming sword. But halfway through, the blade met Dagon's palm. I hadn't expected the curse to defend so actively, so the sword hadn't gained enough momentum and got stuck in his hand.
My eyebrows raised slightly. This guy was tougher than Mahito…
But I didn't care how strong Dagon was, because I was stronger. In the next moment, I dissolved the flaming sword stuck in the curse's hand and just as quickly created a new one, slashing at Dagon's chest. However, instead of hitting the curse's body, the blade met one of the shikigami Dagon had summoned. He could even act this way… This place was essentially an aquarium for his shikigami, meaning they could appear from anywhere. The synergy of his technique and domain was incredible! And the combination of his amazing physical strength and this combat strategy made him almost unbeatable. But, unfortunately for him, he was up against a special-grade Sorcerer.
Undeterred by my failed attempt, I launched myself into another attack, swinging my sword upward. Dagon leaned back slightly, dodging the blade by mere millimeters. Instead of raising my sword for another strike, I dissolved the blade into a stream of fire that flowed into my hand.
First Major Technique: Palm Strike!
Immediately, my hand heated up immensely, glowing like red-hot steel. I took a step forward, entering close combat range with Dagon. My heart pounded faster than a car's pistons, pumping blood and heat throughout my body. Feeling the power surging within me, I struck with the edge of my hand like a sword, leaving a long diagonal wound and a trail of purple blood. Even the water shield, instinctively created by the curse, evaporated instantly upon contact with my hand.
"AAAAH!" It was a scream of anger, not pain.
A slight shiver ran through my soul, prompting me to leap back.
Instead of feeling joy or satisfaction, I sensed a torrent of shikigami crashing into me from the side, like a marine tsunami. I had to stop, grounding myself, and activated my Simple Domain. Thanks to my quick reaction, I managed to spring to Maki's side, otherwise the wave of shikigami would have swept her away.
At that moment, my eyes caught movement from the side – Dagon, with a deep wound on his chest, was using my brief distraction to attack Nanami. Rage, a thirst for revenge, and hatred for humans consumed him, and he wasn't holding back. It even seemed like he had become stronger, which was probably true, since negative emotions always helped Sorcerers in battle. Why should a curse like Dagon be any different?
In a split second, the short exchange between Dagon and Nanami ended with Nanami being thrown back, coughing up a pint of blood. It became clear that if I didn't intervene, our "hard worker" wouldn't see the next dawn.
However, before I could do anything, a new player entered the scene!
Dagon's domain trembled as if it was under immense pressure and about to collapse. In the next moment, a black vortex appeared over the sea, with Megumi standing at its center.
"Maki!" His shout caught our attention.
At the same moment, something landed at our feet – a hybrid of a staff and nunchaku, painted red.
Playful Cloud…
"Hey," I said, grabbing the cursed weapon and turning to Maki. "I'm borrowing this for a bit."
"What am I supposed to fight with?" she frowned, but I could tell most of her annoyance was just an act.
"With nothing," I smirked cheekily. "Just like you keep ditching me on dates, I'm ditching you on a good fight."
Clutching Playful Cloud in my hands, I fixed my gaze on Dagon, leaving a stunned Maki behind.
At that moment, Megumi's and Dagon's domains were clashing for dominance, temporarily nullifying the guaranteed hit property, giving Nanami a chance to catch his breath. Despite his wounds, Nanami's fighting spirit remained unbroken, and his eyes were still sharp. This meant my plan had worked! I hadn't revealed my domain, conserving cursed energy, and now I had the opportunity to deal with the curse without worrying about the others.
I swung one end of Playful Cloud.
So, what did I know about this guy… A dangerous special-grade curse with mastery over water: creating water shields and compressed water balls. Not to mention his ability to levitate within the open area of his "Domain." Speaking of Domain Expansion, I had to accept that although it no longer had the guaranteed hit property, it still gave him room to maneuver. Among other things, the "Deadly Swarm" could create numerous problems, being an endless stream of shikigami, meaning no matter how many I burned, they wouldn't diminish.
Time wasn't on my side either. Megumi, despite growing at an incredible pace and proving his title as a genius and a Sorcerer who could rival Satoru, wouldn't be able to hold off the enemy for long. And revealing my own Domain Expansion was the last thing I wanted to do.
Considering all this, along with having comrades who were determined and fully capable, I could conclude that our victory was inevitable!
"So, shall we dance?" I asked provocatively, baring a wild grin and locking eyes with Dagon.