Beating an octopus (75)

Pov Change.

Maki strode confidently through the area, a bowstaff tightly gripped in her hand, emanating an aura of strength. By her side were Nanami, Nobara, and Naobito Zenin. The atmosphere hinted at an impending mission, yet Naobito appeared disinterested, a drink in hand, as if he had more important matters to attend to.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else right now, Maki?" Naobito slurred his words, his drunken demeanor contrasting with Maki's focused stance.

"No, I'm exactly where I need to be," Maki retorted, her response sharp and direct. The annoyance in her expression revealed a tension between duty and personal sentiments, a conflict that seemed to simmer beneath the surface.

Naobito chuckled, taking another sip of his drink as if he found Maki's response amusing. His nonchalant demeanor clashed with the gravity of their surroundings.

"Perfect place, huh?" Naobito's words were slurred with drunkenness, and a sneer played on his lips. "I didn't think they would let someone as weak as you on the battlefield."

Maki's grip on her weapon tightened, her annoyance palpable, yet she restrained herself from responding. Nobara, observing from behind, could sense the tension and a hint of anger that likely fueled Maki's disdain for the Zenin clan.

As they continued forward, their path intersected with an unexpected adversary – an octopus-like curse. Maki's eyes glinted with anticipation. "Finally something to do," she muttered, readying herself for combat.

Before Maki could reach the creature, Naobito surged forward, displaying a surprising burst of speed. "You are slow," he said, freezing the curse creature in a momentary frame before delivering a powerful punch that sent it sprawling.

The cursed creature, seemingly harmless at first glance, staggered back to its feet. Then, unexpectedly, it emitted a mournful cry before regurgitating a torrent of water. To everyone's horror, the water contained the skeletal remains of numerous human victims – evidence of the creature's gruesome activities, a hidden menace that had taken the lives of countless innocent people.

Nobara, Maki, and Nanami stared at the grotesque display, a chilling reminder of the horrors they faced on the battlefield. The seemingly harmless creature had, in reality, been a harbinger of death, and the grim reality of their mission settled heavily upon the team.

"How many people did you eat?" Naobito's question hung in the air, but the creature offered no direct response. Instead, it began chanting the names of its fallen comrades, a macabre litany that spoke volumes about its grisly deeds.

Nobara, visibly disgusted by the revelation, couldn't fathom the cruelty the curse had unleashed. The creature, seemingly provoked by Naobito's question, erupted in a rage, accusing them of killing someone named Hanami. In a bizarre twist, the creature began tearing itself apart, undergoing a grotesque transformation.

"No wonder you were so weak... You were just a curse womb," Naobito remarked, his gaze piercing through the creature's newfound form.

The curse spirit had evolved, towering above them with a humanoid shape. Its head now resembled that of an octopus, adorned with black dots and blank green eyes. The creature's color palette had shifted, its arms, thighs, hips, and chest taking on a vibrant red hue. The inner sections of these areas were tan, and its midsection turned a deep black. Wings sprouted from its lower back, granting it an eerie levitation.

The battlefield had transformed, and the team found themselves facing a formidable adversary, a once seemingly harmless creature now reborn into a more potent and malevolent form. The true test of their abilities awaited as they prepared to confront this evolved curse spirit.

The creature unleashed a torrent of water, a deadly wave that the team skillfully dodged.

In the midst of the chaos, the curse spirit embarked on a rant about names, vehemently objecting to being referred to simply as a "curse spirit." It asserted that every special-grade curse spirit had a name, a distinction that it deemed crucial.

While the creature vented its grievances, Naobito seized the opportunity to explain his technique, Projection Sorcery. He revealed the intricate details of this sorcery, the ability to divide one second into twenty-four frames, each frame representing a predetermined set of movements. Anything touched by Naobito's palm during this time frame would be frozen for one second inside an animation frame. The sorcery allowed him to move seemingly faster than the eye could perceive and incapacitate adversaries unable to match his speed.

As Naobito delved into his explanation, Nanami seized the moment to strike. His sword flashed, aiming for the curse named Dagon. The creature attempted to block, but a barrage of nails penetrated its skin, momentarily distracting it. Before it could react, a forceful blow struck its head, wielded by none other than Maki with her bowstaff.

The impact felt like it had crushed some of Dagon's organs, yet the creature pressed on, creating more water to distance itself from the assault. However, the calculated distraction had allowed Nanami to unleash a powerful counterattack. Dagon found himself frozen mid-action as Naobito enforced his Projection Sorcery, the creature having failed to abide by the meticulous rhythm of twenty-four frames per second.

With Dagon suspended in the air, Maki seized the opportunity. A swift downward slash sent the curse spirit hurtling back to the ground. The coordinated efforts of the team had turned the tide of battle, their synergy evident as they confronted the evolved and enraged curse spirit.

Nanami, ever the calculated sorcerer, executed a precise strike using his 7/3 Cursed Technique. His sword cut through the air, and with a swift, calculated motion, he managed to sever Dagon's hands. The dismembered limbs tumbled through the air, a testament to Nanami's precision.

, Dagon didn't seem perturbed by the loss. The curse spirit's regenerative abilities were on full display, and before their eyes, the severed hand began to reform like it was never gone to begin with. Dagon's regeneration was swift, as if the injury had been nothing more than a temporary inconvenience.

Nanami, unfazed by the unexpected resilience, maintained his focus on the ongoing battle. The severed hands, In a strategic move, he threw one of the reformed hands toward Nobara, who met the unexpected projectile with a mischievous smile.

"Resonance"Was all Dagon heard as a bunch of spike seemed to appeared outside as he was being attacked,he didnt know how exatcly but this attack was dangerous...he needed to get rid of whoever could lauch it and quickly.

Dagon didnt have time to think as Naobito was already on his ass.

On a last ditch effort,Dagon try to opened his domain but Naobito stopped him by beating his ass but as Naobito looked at the beaten up body of Dagon he had noticed something.....

He was to late.

"Domain expansion,Horizon of the captivating Skanda"

As soon as the domain opened,Nobara immediatly open her simple domain....