Chapter 48: Auction (4)
[Domain Expansion: Absolute Authority!]
Malenia didn't exactly understand what was going on but she knew that something troublesome was happening. She had to kill Arai in this moment.
The curse energy formed into chains encasing them in dome. Nothing was apparent but she understood that a domain expansion had been made.
Her sword had touched Arai's neck and a line of blood was made but before she could continue Arai's domain had been fully formed. The surroundings have been turned into something tangible.
What she had found before her was walls made of amber being formed around her. Four pillars made out of marble in each direction with a white flame dangling at the top. But what caught her eyes the most was the throne in front of her.
Made of what seemed to be clouds and water not flowing down like gravity should make it do so. But just staying there in a still state, with no movements. An odd empty throne.
Arai who had his clothes changed into a light blue colored kimono with a dark blue edge, a maroon colored samurai type shoulder pads and black shoes. The same clothes he wore when entering one's mind.
At that time, just when the blade was about to cut his head off-
[Rule: No conflict within the next minute.]
Arai said with a distorted voice echoing everywhere. Malenia widened her eyes in surprise and confusion. She had felt it, deep inside her mind that something was engraved within it. That something was placed into her soul.
A pact.
It had been place into her.
She immediately stopped her blade that was going for his neck and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed down at Arai who did not move during this ordeal.
"What did you do?"
"A little negotiation with you but one without your consent." Arai said with a smirk.
The two did not move knowing that if they break the pact than sever damage would be placed upon them. Arai who had been feeling happy to achieve a domain began analyzing his technique the moment he activated it.
'So this is my domain, how grand just like I want it. Seems like my guarantee-hit effect is the ability to place pacts on anyone no matter their say is but in exchange I have to place it on me as well. I can't even break the pact like I normally can which sucks but that would be too strong. Well, beggars can't be choosers, this effect is already good enough.'
"You seem happy but our fight has not ended. When the timer runs out, your fate will be the same."
Arai turned his attention to her, seeing her not attacking him. He could finally have the time to properly think about what this woman was doing.
What was her goal?
Her origin?
Her goal? She was clearly here for the hairpin and it had the effect to nullify pain felt by the one who is pricked by it while retaining their other senses. Now why would she need of an item with such effects?
It was quite obvious.
"You... your own body is being affected by your technique. I did notice parts of your body affected by your own rot, you can't stop that can you? So instead you opted to take this item letting you at least be free from the pain."
Malenia clenched her fist hearing this. "What do you know. Don't try acting like you understand me. I know about you as well, your body is weak to rot. The rot is taking effect on your body faster than everyone I have seen."
'Well she's not wrong, due to my heavenly pact, my skin is weak to things like heat, cold and rot. Thankfully I turned that Heavenly Pact off when I realized it. So I may have less cursed energy than normal but losing the ability to store things in my ear for rot being less effective is a good exchange.' Arai thought.
Arai then began walking towards her making her own guard.
She understood that both he and her were under the effects of the pact but she did not know what else he had under his sleeve.
15 seconds...
"Well you are correct, I don't understand you nor do I want to." His steps getting closer to her, she had stepped back but the barrier created by the domain had made her unable to get away.
She had turned off her butterflies and rot fearing hurting him and invoking the pact.
"But I do understand this, you are not human nor curse." Her eyes widened as she looked at Arai in disbelief, as he circled her. "It's obvious, really. Your technique runs on your blood and yet you haven't passed out of anemia. You may have a physical body like humans but your body is not acting according to one. If you wanted to use that technique as a human reverse cursed technique would need to be used which you haven't. I heard of something that occurred in the past, a human curse spirit hybrid. I heard they were all top grades 'beings'. What were they called again?"
3...
"Ah right, I remember now." Arai looked at her, their eyes locked with one another.
2...
Her eyes looking at him whilst twitching, the red veins in her eyes made it seem as if they were bleeding. Showing the absolute anger that she held within them.
1...
"The offspring of Noritoshi Kamo, the 'Death Paintings'."
0...
Immediately when the minute finished, her entire being was wrapped in a crimson lotus. Exploding outwards forcing Arai to jump backwards to avoid the radius of rot.
"You... really know how to push my buttons." Malenia said while clenching her teeth.
"You're just too easy of a woman, no wonder your father ditched you. He must be so disappointed." Arai scoffed and took his sword out.
She rushed at him at blinding speed with her wings out making it so her speed increased. Arai dodged the strike aimed at his head. He slashed diagonally at her body making them clash. Her sword channeled with her rot should of been overpowering him but that was not what had happened.
Instead they were locked and no one could overpower the other.
Indeed the Domain Expansion increased one's manipulation of cursed technique. Arai's cursed technique was not a power to be made visibly powerful at first. His was a technique that utilized pacts and with his Heavenly Pacts being powered up.
His senses had broadened.
His output had increased.
And his invisibility had started to instead of just making his cursed energy invisible also made her vision blurry when looking at him.
He had become a new powerhouse in the world.
After clash and chasing one another for a moment, Malenia calmed down and noted her observations. She had understood the new powers being shown and had adapted to them. The blurriness was not a big ordeal and his output had only made him equal to her to physical combat. Though in range, she had much more power.
But the fact is, something kept nagging her. Arai's behavior was off-putting to say, he was fighting her, yes. Engaging in close combat but most of the time he spent it on running, dodging blows and clashing with her blade.
No real attack had been made on her yet.
She cut with her blade arm once more at Arai only for him to block it and jump back gaining some distance. 'What is he trying to do? Is he making this a battle of endurance? I don't know how much cursed energy he has so maybe he has more than I do. If he is then I need to end this fast, with this next moment I'll make sure to kill him.'
Arai could feel the cursed energy being gathered by Malenia as the lotus flower began blooming again with butterflies flying all over the dome. Malenia jumped in the air and let her wings carry her, her sword pulled back to use the [Waterfowl Dance] one last time.
'About time.' Arai thought.
He got into his stance and used [Anti Domain: Falling Blossom Emotion].
Unlike last time, Arai had immediately used his technique and did not wait for the last stage of Malenia's technique.
Malenia who understood this frowned. 'So you're trying to take this head on, fine by me. I'll cut your head off.'
Malenia with her army of butterflies and crimson lotus rushed down at Arai. Arai who was prepared to engage in combat held the hilt of his sword tighter, cursed energy was gathering at a rapid pace.
And just as the two were about to clash unbeknownst to her, Arai had not focused his curse on his sword but on his body. The cursed energy fueled his technique and he utilized it at that moment.
[Rule-]
Her eyes widened as she realized it, Arai could make more than one rule. He had been biding his time waiting for an opportunity, and she fell right into his trap.
[No Innate Cursed Technique allowed within the next minute.]
In an instant, the butterflies she had created transformed into droplets of blood making the wings she had created disappear. Her body fell from the air, diving towards Arai who still had his sword in his sheath, ready to cut her apart.
'He just undid all cursed technique inside. Biding his time for the right moment to strike, this is bad!'
Arai's eyes glowed green, indicating his use of his innate cursed technique. With Malenia having no control of the air anymore, the rest was easy. He had cut her stomach and chest leaving trails of blood flying in the air.
Her body fell down to the floor still twitching, Malenia coughed up blood and touched the wounds on her. The cuts were deep enough to kill a normal human being but to a hybrid like her, it was not fatal but sever damage was made on her.
Without her technique, she could not close the wounds nor control her blood. Though the innate body of her was able to transform cursed energy into blood making her not pass out of anemia but her cursed energy was running out.
"Damn it." She muttered only to see a shadow loom over her.
She covered her body only to feel a foot smash her face down to the ground creating a spiderweb in the ground with blood splattered. Arai had sheathed his blade and burrowed her deep in the ground with his foot. "A battle between sorcerers is one of deception. Who can fool the other better, is the key to victory."
He grabbed her head and slammed it into the ground breaking the helmet covering her face and leaving her face covered with her own blood. The blow left her with a concussion making her dizzy. He lifted her up by her hair leaving a pool of blood in the ground.
"I guess Noritoshi Kamo didn't teach you that, now did he. Well that's about what I'd expect from a member of the big three clans."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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