Chapter 36. Encounter with the "Dragons" (Part 7)

My initial burst from the starting position was swift. Each step evaporated water beneath me, and each heartbeat echoed in my ears like the drums of a warrior's march. Playful Cloud in my hands began to spin, its red segments glinting in the air.

I swung one part of Playful Cloud, aiming its brutal strike at the curse's head. Dagon, driven by instinct, leaned back at the last moment, dodging the inevitable blow. But now my weapon was not just a means of attack; it had become a tool of war, cunning and multifaceted.

"I hope you're watching, Maki, because I'm about to show the true power of this weapon," the thought flickered in my mind.

Taking a step forward and keeping the "striking" part of Playful Cloud from losing speed, I brought the other end of the weapon into its path. A loud clang of metal resounded in the air as Playful Cloud ricocheted back towards Dagon. The curse, unable to dodge in time, raised a block. It was the worst of his possible decisions, yet the only one. In the next instant, Playful Cloud shattered the limb that tried to block the strike, and the curse was sent flying a hundred meters, if not more.

But I didn't stop. Gripping the cursed weapon more comfortably, I launched into another attack. Though Dagon might have been injured, he was still clear-headed, and my path was inevitably blocked by a torrent of shikigami. With Dagon's territory no longer guaranteeing a hit, I could see the entire aquarium rushing at me like water from a fire hose before they reached my body.

He was trying to buy time.

"If you think this will help you, you're gravely mistaken!" I muttered under my breath, feeling a surge of adrenaline and confidence.

Grasping the central section of the cursed weapon tighter, I began to spin the other two sections of Playful Cloud with such force and speed that they seemed like helicopter blades. Though it was merely a staff, in my hands, it became a lethal instrument of destruction. With each swing of the weapon, the generated whirlwind repelled and shredded the shikigami, reducing them to nothing.

The speed and power of Playful Cloud allowed me not only to defend but also to attack, giving the "sea gang" no chance to get close. Each whirlwind of the weapon brought devastation, clearing everything in its path and opening the way to Dagon.

In less than a second, I was in front of the battered curse. Twirling the front part of Playful Cloud, I feigned an attack, forcing Dagon to attempt a dodge. The poor and naive curse fell for this trick like a child enticed by the promise of tasting all the flavors of Mountain Dew. Instantly switching my grip on the weapon and using its rotational force, I directed the back section straight into Dagon's ribs. The curse had no time to dodge or block and was sent flying again. However, this time, it didn't go as far because I appeared halfway and, with a spin of Playful Cloud, drove the curse into the ground—or rather, into the water.

Playful Cloud... how much pleasure these two words bring me! The distinctive feature of Playful Cloud was that it was devoid of cursed energy, making it unique among cursed weapons. Its power entirely depended on the physical strength of its wielder. This explained why it suited Maki so perfectly and why Toji Fushiguro could so effortlessly disembowel Dagon.

Holding this weapon in my hands, I felt my own power growing with every second, fueling each new swing more and more. At this moment, my physical strength was somewhere between Maki and Toji. Based on my guesses, to reach Toji's level of power, I needed to maintain the state of "Enhancement" for over twenty minutes. However, this didn't matter because even my current level of "strength" should be enough to banish Dagon.

I refocused on the battle, swinging Playful Cloud with renewed force. Dagon slowly rose, wiping blood from his tentacles with a hand. I could have incinerated him in a hundred different ways, but this was the time to show Dagon what pure physical power was. In every swing, in every movement, I used all the strength hidden within my body. Yes, one could say I decided to humiliate him, but it was the least I could do to repay him for everything he and his group did today in Shibuya. Even a Conspirator has a heart!

"Why did you stop?" growled Dagon.

"If I said I felt sorry for you, would you believe me?" I replied with a smirk.

"You… Sorcerers treat us with the same disdain and hatred as we curses treat ordinary people," Dagon began. "I'm becoming more and more convinced of Jogo and Mahito's righteousness."

"I stopped feeling anything towards you a long time ago," I decided to play along a bit. "However, today… today I'm exceptionally emotional. Why do you think that is?"

"Why ask such a—"

He didn't have time to finish, as Playful Cloud slammed into his jaw.

Maybe a Conspirator does have a heart, but a Conspirator is still a bastard and a scoundrel!

Right after the strike, taking advantage of the curse's brief hesitation, I was beside him, my hand behind my back, hiding Playful Cloud from Dagon's sight. The next swift swing marked the end of the maneuver. At this moment, the curse must have realized it was trapped: dodging was impossible, as Playful Cloud was long enough, and approaching me only promised unknown dangers.

"Well, the choice is yours: familiar pain or unknown difficulties," the thought flickered in my mind as I stared into the curse's eyes.

And Dagon didn't disappoint, responding with a furious lunge towards me and a scream that tore through the air. I quickly pulled Playful Cloud towards me, manipulating it so that it wrapped around Dagon's back, then one of the weapon's segments ended up in my left hand. Dagon's counterstrike, aimed at my head, I calmly took, smirking defiantly. Not that I was a psycho… maybe just a little. But with such a direct realization of my strength, the curse was momentarily stunned.

Taking advantage of his confusion, I delivered a precise blow to the curse's knee, twisting his leg inward, causing him to stagger slightly, bringing our faces to the same level. Following up, without losing momentum, I headbutted Dagon in the face, reinforcing myself with cursed energy. The combination of physical strength and the impact of cursed energy caused the curse to become dizzy and disoriented. As the curse lost focus, I leaped over him and deftly wrapped Playful Cloud around his neck.

With a shout, I yanked the weapon, bringing the curse down into the water. Holding the weapon around his neck, I tightened it, immobilizing the opponent and depriving him of the ability to continue the attack. However, I continued to tighten my grip, and Playful Cloud kept digging into Dagon's neck.

"My grandfather always thought it was foolish that I prayed after each exorcism of a curse," I began, watching as Playful Cloud slowly bit into Dagon's neck. "He didn't consider you living beings, not even livestock. You were merely manifestations of human vices to him, condensed cursed energy. But that's precisely why I used to pray for those like you. If you were created by us, humans, then we should take responsibility for it in some way, not deny our involvement by equating you to mere forms of cursed energy."At the moment I finally managed to sever Dagon's head, I wasted no time and thrust one end of Playful Cloud into his neck, piercing the curse's brain completely.

"However, after one particular mission, I realized there was no one to pray for. No. Rather, my prayer had no meaning," I continued, crouching in front of the dying Dagon, staring into his eyes. "That night, I stopped feeling anything towards you and finally understood my grandfather. We are two different species, unfortunately for both of us, each possessing the worst qualities of humanity and only one the best. Therefore, any display of emotion is unnecessary."

◊◊◊

"All special grade Sorcerers are damn psychos," Naobito smirked, watching Sukehiro Yami choke the curse with a wide grin on his face.

"You're lucky that psycho is on your side today," Maki grumbled, casting a glance full of complex emotions at Sukehiro.

"I can barely track his movements, let alone keep up with him," Megumi murmured.

"You're not the only one," Nanami replied with a frown.

"Is he really okay?" Megumi asked.

"Don't worry about him. If anything can break him, it won't be the loss of Satoru. Where are the other two?" Despite his concern for the boy's emotional state, Nanami decided to focus on the matter at hand, turning to Megumi.

"While I was taking the captives to Kiyotaka, Yuji and Ino went to help Mei Mei," Megumi replied, maintaining his domain. He was relieved that Sukehiro had finished the fight so quickly, despite the crazy smile on his face. After all, their strength wasn't infinite.

"No," came Kokichi's voice through Megumi's earpiece.

"What do you mean?" Megumi's odd behavior drew confused looks from the group.

"Itadori Yuji separated from Takuma Ino and is now fighting one of the opponents at the station," Kokichi explained through the loudspeaker.

"Mechamaru?" Nanami was surprised.

"It's a long story, but I'll say this: it's all thanks to Satoru Gojo and Sukehiro," Kokichi replied quickly.

"Where is Yuji now?" Megumi asked.

Before Kokichi could respond, their surroundings suddenly changed. Dagon's domain expansion was canceled, leaving the group in a new, unknown situation, urging them to take their next actions.