Chapter 124 (Patreon)

Cursed Energy spread beneath Suguru Geto’s feet.

As the black tide expanded across the ground, placenta-like growths emerged from its surface at intervals of one meter.

“Riko, don’t worry. I’m going to save you.”

However, Geto’s body had yet to fully adapt to Cursed Energy. As a result, the barrier failed to close properly, transforming what should have been a conventional Domain Expansion into an open-barrier domain.

“Domain Expansion?!”

Hanami stared at Geto in disbelief.

Only moments ago, he had been no more than an ordinary human without even a trace of Cursed Energy. Yet not only had he unleashed a Black Flash, he had now manifested a Domain Expansion as well.

Crack!

The womb-like growths covering the ground split open one after another.

Five hundred ghost-type cursed spirits emerged from within, their piercing shrieks echoing across the battlefield.

In the blink of an eye, countless wisps of black smoke filled the sky. Every strand of smoke concealed a ghost under Geto’s control.

At his command, several of them swept toward Nanako Hasaba and Mimiko Hasaba, tearing apart the restraints that bound them.

“Geto-sama... I—I knew you would come...”

“Geto-sama...”

Geto gave them a quiet nod. The ghosts gently lifted the two girls and carried them away from the battlefield, setting them down somewhere safe.

Once he was certain they were no longer in danger, Geto raised his head.

“How long do you intend to keep hiding?” he called out. “Why don’t you come down and show yourself?”

“Good grief. Domain Expansion really is a useful ability.”

A figure slowly descended from the sky.

Geto narrowed his eyes as he watched him approach.

“Ragnar... You’ve been watching this entire time?”

Ragnar Kagenou nodded.

“It seems your outlook has changed considerably over the past few months.”

“I’ve simply come to understand a few things.” Geto looked directly at him. “You didn’t completely erase the Cursed Energy inside me. Did you leave it behind because you knew this would happen?”

“Perhaps.”

Ragnar considered the question for a moment before continuing.

“Or perhaps your own will was what allowed you to reclaim the power you had lost.”

“You could have appeared sooner, you know.” Geto let out a tired breath. “This isn’t a manga. Waiting until the perfect moment to make your entrance is a terrible habit.”

The weight pressing against Geto’s heart had finally begun to ease. Despite everything that had happened, he could even joke with Ragnar again.

“I trusted you,” Ragnar replied. “And you dealt with the situation rather well, didn’t you?”

“Honestly... we can discuss that later.”

Geto turned his gaze back toward Riko.

“There’s still one problem left.”

His expression became serious.

“Can you exorcise the cursed spirit possessing Riko?”

The corners of Ragnar’s lips rose.

“Who do you think you’re speaking to? Once this king decides upon something, there is nothing he cannot accomplish.”

Geto stared at him in silence for a moment.

“After all these years, you still speak like a self-proclaimed demon king. I can’t decide whether I should praise you for remaining true to yourself or declare your condition terminal.”

“Who can say?”

Ragnar turned his attention toward Hanami.

“Geto, restrain Riko. Leave everything else to me.”

“No problem.”

Geto directed his cursed spirits forward.

How long has it been...?

I never imagined I would see something like this again.

I thought this part of me had disappeared forever.

But this time...

I won’t fail the people who placed their faith in me.

“Binding Vow.”

The ghosts responded immediately.

Their bodies dissolved into a vast mass of darkness before surging toward Hanami like a pitch-black storm cloud.

Hanami’s expression twisted with fury.

“You... will not interfere!”

The ground changed in an instant.

Flowers bloomed across the battlefield, transforming the ruined earth into a vast flower field. A sweet fragrance filled the air, soothing the mind and dulling the will to fight.

At the same time, Hanami scattered numerous Cursed Buds into the air.

Geto’s eyes immediately caught the movement.

“Ragnar! That cursed spirit released something!”

“Don’t worry. Something that insignificant cannot harm me.”

Golden ripples spread through the air behind Ragnar.

Within moments, the radiant portals surrounded the entire battlefield, sealing off every possible escape route.

“This time, you won’t be getting away.”

A seven-petaled shield of light unfolded before Ragnar.

“Rho Aias.”

The Seven Rings that Cover the Burning Heavens blossomed into existence.

The Cursed Buds struck the shield one after another, but none could penetrate even its outermost layer.

“Still as dazzling as ever...”

Geto watched Ragnar standing amid the golden radiance.

Meanwhile, Hanami’s roots were being torn apart by Geto’s ghosts. The cursed spirits swarmed over them, shredding the wooden tendrils before they could spread across the battlefield.

Hanami’s expression changed.

“This is bad—!”

Geto did not allow the special-grade cursed spirit another moment to react.

The ghosts transformed into strands of black mist and wrapped themselves tightly around Hanami’s limbs, locking the cursed spirit—and Riko’s body—in place.

“Ragnar! I’ve restrained it!”

The black mist tightened further, leaving Hanami unable to move.

“Release me!”

“Excellent work.”

Ragnar walked toward Riko.

“Now it’s my turn.”

He stopped directly in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Riko. In the end, I still allowed you to become involved in this.”

Hanami continued shouting in the strange language spoken by cursed spirits.

Then Riko Amanai’s remaining eye regained its clarity.

She had seized control of her body once more.

“Ragnar... this isn’t your fault.”

Her voice was weak, but her gaze remained steady.

“Once someone becomes involved with this world, they can’t simply return to an ordinary life. I’ve understood that for a long time.”

She paused, her fingers trembling slightly.

“I just... never expected the end to come this quickly.”

“I understand.”

Ragnar summoned a strangely shaped dagger from the Gate of Babylon.

“Bear with it for a moment. I’m going to kill that thing now.”

“Okay.”

Ragnar gripped the dagger.

It was Rule Breaker—the Noble Phantasm capable of severing magical connections and returning them to the state they possessed before they were formed.

Without hesitation, he drove Rule Breaker into Riko Amanai’s body.

The blade did not spill her blood.

Instead, it pierced the invisible bond connecting her soul and flesh to Hanami.

The connection began to unravel.

“No!”

Hanami screamed as the cursed spirit’s existence was forcibly separated from Riko’s body.

“You cannot do this!”

Hanami poured out Cursed Energy in a desperate attempt to resist. However, no matter how violently that power surged, it could not prevent Rule Breaker from severing the bond.

Little by little, Hanami was peeled away from Riko.

After some time, Geto approached Ragnar and noticed the slight frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“The flower created by this cursed spirit has already connected itself to Riko’s brain,” Ragnar answered. “If I remove it carelessly, the damage could have serious consequences.”

Geto’s expression darkened.

“In other words... you can’t exorcise the cursed spirit?”

The eye embedded within the flower suddenly turned toward Ragnar.

Hanami’s voice was transmitted directly through Cursed Energy.

“You cannot exorcise me. If you do, this girl’s brain will die.”

Ragnar’s eyes grew cold.

“You appear to have misunderstood the situation.”

His voice contained no trace of amusement.

“Do you truly believe I have no means of dealing with you?”

“That is the truth,” Hanami replied. “If you exorcise me, she will be buried alongside me.”

Riko looked toward Ragnar with unwavering determination.

“Don’t worry about me, Ragnar.”

She clenched her hands.

“Exorcise it... even if I have to die with it.”

Smack!

Ragnar struck her lightly on the forehead.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Stop talking about dying whenever something goes wrong. I never said there was no solution.”

Riko rubbed her forehead and looked up at him.

“Really?”

“There will most likely be an aftereffect,” Geto said. “Otherwise, Ragnar would have dealt with it already.”

“That’s correct,” Ragnar confirmed.

“An aftereffect?”

Riko fell silent for only a moment.

“That doesn’t matter. Do whatever you have to do. I trust you, Ragnar.”

“Are you certain you don’t want to reconsider?”

“I’m certain.”

Ragnar stared into her eye before releasing a quiet sigh.

“Very well. Since you have already made your decision, it would be unbecoming of me to hesitate.”

He resumed the separation process.

Rule Breaker gradually peeled Hanami away from Riko, severing the cursed spirit’s connection piece by piece. However, because the flower had fused with parts of Riko’s brain, the process inevitably left damage behind.

Before that damage could spread, Ragnar summoned a second dagger from the Gate of Babylon.

Its shape was unusual, bearing a resemblance to Rule Breaker while radiating a fundamentally different power.

“Pain Breaker.”

All Wounds Must Be Repaired.

As Rule Breaker severed the connection, Pain Breaker restored the wounds left behind. One dagger destroyed the unnatural bond while the other repaired the damage caused by its removal.

After several tense moments, Hanami was finally separated from Riko Amanai completely.

Ragnar immediately returned Pain Breaker to the treasury and summoned a divine spear from another golden ripple.

Ama-no-Sakahoko.

Hanami’s remaining form trembled.

“No! Stop!”

Ragnar drove the spear forward.

Hanami’s existence was severed from the World.

The special-grade cursed spirit vanished completely, leaving behind neither a trace of Cursed Energy nor the smallest fragment of its body.

However, the rose embedded within Riko’s eye socket remained.

“Is... is it over?” Riko asked carefully.

Ragnar lowered the spear.

“Yes. The cursed spirit has been exorcised.”

Riko waited for pain or discomfort to follow, but felt nothing unusual.

Then she blinked.

“Wait...”

She carefully touched the flower growing from her eye socket before turning toward a broken mirror lying nearby.

Her reflection stared back at her.

“So this is the aftereffect...”

Riko examined the rose from several angles.

“It doesn’t look bad. It’s actually rather pretty.”

Geto studied the flower thoughtfully.

“It has an unconventional sort of beauty.”

“That isn’t all,” Ragnar said.

Riko and Geto both looked toward him.

“Hanami’s Cursed Technique remains engraved within that flower.”

Ragnar’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“In other words, Riko should now be capable of using it herself.”