42 Properly executing a kekkaiku

Nobara POV​

An area that looked like an arena from ancient Rome erupted around us, four walls and a roof surrounding the massive dirt-floored room. The air crackled with anticipation, the silence broken only by the faint hum of cursed energy my breathing.

"Stay back!" I demanded, my voice ringing with an authority that surprised even myself. Zack and Miu, poised to join the fray, hesitated, their eyes meeting mine with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"No," I whispered, the tremor in my voice betraying the fear that gnawed at me. "No more," I continued, steeling my resolve. "This is my fight. I refuse to remain a burden. I'll prove my worth, even if it kills me."

Zack's brow furrowed with concern. "Nobara, are you sure? This is a special grade cursed spirit. We can handle it together."

"I mean what I said, alright?" I managed a shaky grin, trying to mask the doubt that threatened to consume me.

Miu nodded, a flicker of admiration in her eyes. "Alright, Nobara. We'll be here if you need us."

Zack followed suit, and they both retreated to the empty stands, their presence a silent promise of support should things take a turn for the worse.

With a deep breath, I unleashed my cursed energy, the arena filling with the manifestation of my will. Six hundred miniature straw dolls, each a perfect replica of my original, materialized around me, their bodies painted in a kaleidoscope of colors, their blank eyes fixed on Hanami with an unnerving soulless gaze.

"Welcome to my dollhouse," I declared, a smirk playing on my lips as I watched the cursed spirit's reaction. "Let's see how you like playing with my toys."

The miniature dolls surged forward like a swarm of angry wasps, their tiny limbs flailing and their mouths open in silent screams.

Hanami, his mouth wide with surprise and disgust, leaped back, his body contorting as he narrowly avoided their grasping mitts.

"Clever girl," he hissed, his voice a raspy thing, neither male nor female. "Separating me from the embrace of nature... but you cannot escape the wrath of the earth!"

The air crackled as thousands of sure-hit cursed energy nails erupted from my fingertips, each one finding its mark on Hanami's body.

The damage was minimal, mere scratches and dents against his toughened hide, but the constant barrage served its purpose.

This domain was designed for attrition, for slowly chipping away at his defenses and energy until an opportunity for a decisive blow presented itself.

Forty-five seconds had passed, and massive spiked vines continued to surge towards me, their thorns glistening with a venomous sheen.

I weaved and dodged, my body moving with a grace and agility honed through years of training. Each vine missed its mark, the ground erupting in showers of dirt and debris as they slammed into the arena floor.

I smirked as another vine whizzed past my head. "That's all?" I taunted, my voice laced with a confidence I didn't entirely feel.

Enraged by my defiance, Hanami lunged forward, his movements fueled by fury rather than strategy.

This was the opening I had been waiting for. One acid-infused doll and one explosive doll latched onto his left leg, their tiny bodies clinging like parasitic insects.

Just as the arena began to distort, signaling the transition to the next room, the dolls detonated.

Acrid smoke filled the air as the acid burned through Hanami's flesh, while the explosion sent him staggering backward, a pained roar escaping his bleach white lips.

The room blurred and shifted, the remaining dolls vanishing as the surroundings transformed into a massive boxing ring, its dimensions stretching three hundred meters on each side.

Four colossal straw dolls, each easily ten times my size, materialized in each corner, their imposing figures casting long shadows across the dirt floor.

"Well, now this is getting interesting!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the vast space.

Hanami, his expression grim, shed his tattered cloak, revealing a massive, pulsating flower construct grafted onto his arm. "I guess I have no choice," he growled, his voice filled with a dark determination. "Domain Expansion: Ceremonial Sea of Light!"

But instead of the expected transformation, the parasitic flower on his arm withered and crumbled into dust, its life force extinguished. Purple curse blood seeped from the wounds inflicted by the exploding dolls, staining his body with a sickly hue.

"WHAT?!" Hanami roared, his voice filled with disbelief and frustration.

I smiled, raising my hand and revealing my palm. "It seems your Domain is weaker than mine," I explained, enjoying the look of confusion and fear that crossed his face. "But that's not all..."

Extending a single finger towards him, I began to unveil the true power of my Domain.

"Listen closely, cursed spirit of earth-shifting! I, Nobara Kugisaki, the badass, shall unveil the true nature of my power. These dolls, these seemingly simple constructs, are more than just puppets. They are vessels of my will, extensions of my cursed energy, capable of channeling a multitude of effects. From explosive force to paralyzing shocks, each doll holds a unique surprise, in fact..."

As I spoke, the four colossal dolls surrounding Hanami surged forward, their movements swift and coordinated despite their massive size.

One doll slammed into him with the force of a battering ram, its impact sending him flying across the ring.

Another doll unleashed a torrent of electrical energy, its sparks crackling and dancing across his body, leaving his flesh charred and smoking.

The remaining dolls moved in, their forms blurring as they pummeled him with a relentless stream of blows.

"If you are unable to move when the boiler room appears after sixty seconds..." I continued, my voice ringing with a chilling calm, "you will only have six seconds to kill me... OR!"

All of the Massive Straw dolls latched onto him.

The boxing ring dissolved, replaced by the oppressive heat and metallic clangor of a massive boiler room.

A single, ancient boiler, its surface blackened with age and grime, dominated the center of the room.

Cursed energy, drawn from Hanami's weakened form, swirled and pulsed around the boiler, fueling its infernal furnace.

"You," I counted down, my voice steady and unwavering,

5.

"Can."

4.

"Just."

3.

"Go."

2.

"To."

1

Theboiler groaned and shuddered, its metal plates glowing red hot as the pressure built within.

"HELL!"

0.

With a deafening roar, the boiler exploded, its fiery energy directed solely at Hanami, consuming him in a maelstrom of heat and destruction.

His body disintegrated into ash, his twisted form erased from existence.

Silence descended upon the boiler room, the echoes of the explosion fading into the oppressive stillness. I stood there, panting, my body trembling with exhaustion and the lingering adrenaline of the battle.

I had done it. I had defeated a special grade cursed spirit. And I had done it on my own.

A wave of relief washed over me, followed by a surge of pride.

The world tilted, a bit, but I won right?

I collapsed onto the floor, all of my cursed energy spent.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep were the concerned looks of my two romantic partners.

Sleep is nice right now.