Kyushu Island.
The resort beach, once alive with laughter and sunbathers, now lay completely abandoned. Mountains of human skeletons littered the sand.
Above, the sky was gray and heavy with storm clouds. Strong winds whipped the coast, and occasional thunderclaps rolled across the horizon.
Through the thick fog, Shion sensed a tremendous surge of Cursed Energy emanating from the sea several kilometers away.
"Dagon? After devouring all those humans, it's evolved beyond its Cursed Womb form into its true body," he muttered, eyes narrowing.
Shion ascended slowly into the air before shooting forward like an arrow toward the source.
Soon, Dagon came into view.
It stood upon the churning sea, its gaze cold and calculating as it stepped toward Shion.
"Oh? Not running away? Actually coming toward me?" Shion said, a faint smirk playing across his lips.
Dagon's low, muffled voice answered, "Why should I run? This is the sea—my domain."
"Shion, I will kill you!" it bellowed.
Shion's eye twitched. "Had a little too much to drink?"
Dagon didn't respond, but the surge of Cursed Energy radiating from it spoke volumes.
As the last of the four Great Natural Disasters, Dagon was often overlooked. If Jogo acted as a father, Hanami as a mother, and Mahito as the older brother, Dagon was the younger sibling in need of guidance. But Dagon had never wanted just protection. He craved proving himself, using his power to aid his siblings.
Then came the day Jogo and Hanami returned grievously injured. For the first time, Dagon had seen Hanami, his 'mother,' nearly die. From that moment, a deep hatred toward Shion took root, a thirst for vengeance burning like wildfire.
Shion paused, a slow smile curling his lips.
"I see your determination. Very well, let's go."
Boom!
Dagon's steps on the sea sent huge sprays of water shooting upward like cannon fire. A supercharged punch smashed against Shion's Infinity, creating waves tens of meters high.
"Is that all?" Shion shook his head. "Hey, show some drive. Weren't you going to kill me?"
Provoked, Dagon roared, smashing his Cursed Energy-infused fists against Shion again and again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each impact cracked the air, sending seawater flying in violent bursts.
"Muda muda muda..." Shion crossed his arms, watching coldly, refusing to retaliate.
"Is this really all you've got?"
His taunts drove Dagon toward madness. The speed of his strikes increased, nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Shion snorted, suddenly grabbing Dagon's fist and delivering a vicious counterpunch. Black lightning crackled along his arm, and the strike hit with the intensity of a soul-shaking Black Flash.
Bang!
Dagon was slammed in the abdomen, launched like a missile across the waves, skipping across the sea like a stone thrown in a pond.
As Dagon struggled to rise, Shion was already there, delivering another precise Black Flash to his face.
Dagon spun like a top before crashing into the water, waves surging over ten meters high.
"You disappoint me! Is this your resolve? Not nearly enough!" Shion's mocking voice cut through the storm.
Despite two smoking indentations marking his abdomen and face, Dagon forced himself to stand. Fury erupted within him like a volcano.
"Bastard! Don't underestimate the bond between me and my family!"
Bang!
Dagon's speed increased further. His next punch, fueled by a torrent of Cursed Energy, burned with a black lightning aura, slightly warping the space around him.
"Black Flash!"
The strike collided with Shion, detonating like a torpedo on the sea. Waves shot skyward, forming a hundred-meter-high spray, the aftershocks generating a massive vacuum at the center.
Dagon panted, struggling to lift his head.
Yet Shion had barely raised a finger, effortlessly absorbing the full force of the attack. Though Dagon towered over him, Shion's gaze made him feel small, insignificant.
"Is that all? Weak! Did you really think you could kill me with just that?" Shion's presence radiated authority and menace.
Dagon clenched his teeth and retreated, unable to comprehend how, even after mastering Black Flash, he had been utterly overpowered. This was the monster who had defeated Hanami. His strength was unreasonable.
"Cursed Technique Release: Death Swarm!"
Countless giant moray eels surged toward Shion, jaws snapping violently.
Shion's lips curved slightly. "This is the best you can do?"
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."
The blue vacuum materialized, sucking in the eels and shredding them instantly.
Shion approached Dagon, Cursed Energy coalescing around him.
"Is that all your tricks? Did you really think you could kill me with this?"
"You disappoint me! Where is your Cursed Technique? Where is your Domain Expansion? Use everything and let me see!"
Dagon grimaced, unwilling to deploy his Domain Expansion. The previous fight between Jogo and Shion had been a lesson: challenging Shion's Domain was suicide.
But he refused to surrender.
Rumble!
A bolt of lightning split the sky. The clouds thickened, and the gale intensified, strong enough to sweep a person off their feet.
Hahaha!
Dagon's wild laugh echoed across the stormy sea.
"It's here! Finally here! Shion, I will kill you! Do you know why I lured you to the middle of the sea? This is the answer!"