Seeing the monstrous flames approaching him, the purple cursed spirit could only gather all his Cursed Energy in its purest form and attack with all his might to defend himself.
Afterward, the purple cursed spirit used his last ounce of strength to concentrate his Cursed Energy in the center of the flames, finally managing to split the unstoppable attack heading toward him. The flames flew apart in both directions, intensifying the heat even more.
Boom!
Molten steel rained down from the height of the building, which was entirely made of metal, illuminating the surroundings and giving the domain the feeling of being inside the sun itself. All the steel was slowly melting, and this place could collapse at any moment if things continued like this.
It was as if the building itself was generating massive explosions of flames on its own.
The purple cursed spirit had barely managed to split the flames. Even with that enormous amount of cursed energy, today he had seen a weakness in himself that he had never noticed before. He could see his powerful domain melting away.
Even with his strong physique, if the flames weren't extinguished somehow, he would end up cremated in this sea of fire.
The skin of the cursed spirit began to burn, releasing steam. His metal weapons were reduced to nothing more than molten steel, and his arrogance was seriously shattered. He looked around as his domain was destroyed and muttered, "Flames... Can they reach this level?"
"Ordinary flames, of course, couldn't reach such a level, but these flames hidden within my sword can reach the temperature of the sun."
The sun's temperature is around six thousand degrees.
At that temperature, it's evident that steel will melt and eventually turn to ash, as it was doing here. There are very few things in the world that can withstand that level of heat.
If Hisagi had discovered a single disadvantage in his power, it would be that it's so overwhelming that the damage couldn't be controlled. Of course, he knew where that power came from, and only now did he understand why Yamamoto hadn't used it much. The same concerns Yamamoto had were now Hisagi's—the damage was so extensive that it was impossible to distinguish between friend and foe.
"It can't be!"
The purple cursed spirit, who believed he was in control of his world, had been brought to ruin by a mere boy. Although he hadn't lost the ability to fight, the scene had left him frozen.
"Die!" Hisagi shouted as he used his maximum speed to reach the cursed spirit. There was nothing holding him back now, and his priority was to completely eliminate this cursed spirit.
"Sword Art: Ryodan!"
With a swift movement of the flames, Hisagi attacked without hesitation, determined not to let his enemy escape. The collapsing domain around them was Hisagi's chance to destroy his enemy.
"You won't beat me without taking my final attack!" The cursed spirit prepared himself, pressing his hands to the ground. Behind his back, a spike shot toward Hisagi.
But this was Hisagi's moment to eliminate his enemy, and without concern for taking some damage, he struck.
Boom!
The flames and cursed energy exploded, creating an impact that completely destroyed the domain they were in. Once they appeared in the building, it was obliterated entirely.
Boom!
The blade of Hisagi's sword sliced the purple cursed spirit in half, though he wasn't unharmed—some sort of spike had pierced his leg. However, with the adrenaline of battle still coursing through his veins, he saw how the purple cursed spirit was consumed by the flames.
Cough! Cough!
Hisagi glanced down at the wound in his leg. Fortunately, the battle hadn't resulted in something worse, but his body was exhausted. He had prolonged the fight and engaged in close combat, leaving him in a weakened state.
[You have slain a weakened first-class spirit, earning 8000 Soul Points!]
Fight with honor and bleed in battle. You have obtained the mark of a fire demon; your flames increase in power and intensity, and you gain the right to release flames in small quantities without using your Shikai!
At that moment, when Hisagi lost consciousness, he heard a shattering sound and saw a flash of light, but by then, he had already fainted.
"Damn sorcerer, when I break free from these chains, I will cut you into a thousand sins!"
Hisagi sheathed his sword, and the flames that had spread throughout the building slowly faded.
"It seems I've reached my limit..." Hisagi couldn't identify the voice that had echoed in his ears and was too exhausted to figure out what would happen next.
...
Hisagi didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes, he was in a private hospital room.
His body ached as though every part of him was about to fall apart.
"You're awake?"
A soft voice sounded in the room, and Hisagi's still blurry eyes began to focus. It was only then that he saw Gojo Satoru sitting beside him.
"What happened?" Hisagi sat up in bed, confused. He looked at his sword to the side and his bandaged right hand, recalling the battle where he had faced a Special Grade cursed spirit.
Gojo Satoru stroked his chin and gave Hisagi a significant look. "Not long since I met you, but I didn't think you were brave and strong enough to face a Special Grade cursed spirit. How are you this powerful?"
Although Hisagi's body was screaming in pain, he was thoughtful about how to answer. Realizing the question would eventually come, he responded truthfully.
"What was the outcome of the fight?" Hisagi asked, concerned. He wanted to know if the Special Grade cursed spirit had truly died.
"You killed it. What do you think those old geezers in the magical world will say when they find out a seventeen-year-old boy killed a Special Grade cursed spirit?" Gojo Satoru smiled with excitement, eager to hear the young Hisagi's response.
"I hope if you reveal my power to your superiors, you can ensure they won't become my enemies... The person who trained me said I harbor great power in my soul and that I'm different from others. His name was Yamamoto, and he taught me many techniques before he disappeared and left me his sword."
Hisagi took his sword, Ryujin Jakka, and placed it on his lap. "This sword was inherited from my master. He said I couldn't reveal my power until I was strong enough to defeat a Special Grade cursed spirit without any trouble."
After hearing the story, Gojo Satoru wasn't particularly impressed, though he didn't know anyone named Yamamoto. The power Hisagi possessed wasn't awe-inspiring but was indeed stronger than others. It was that old man from the Zein family who used fire in his sword, but comparing the flames he had seen to those of that elder—they were nothing alike.
Gojo Satoru had seen the wounds covering Hisagi's body and knew he had fought hand-to-hand first because he didn't want losses from the clash with the cursed spirit. That said a lot about the young man.
"Well, your story is as special as the energy you wield. I'm truly intrigued." With his Six Eyes ability, Gojo Satoru could sense and see that the spiritual energy Hisagi controlled was different, so he thought it might be hereditary.
"By the way, Gojo, how did you bring me back?" Hisagi wondered. Had he been watched from the start?