Sol's figure disappeared into the writhing black sphere, thick with the stench of seawater, Dagon's Domain Expansion, Horizon of the Captivating Skandha.
The scenery shifted in an instant.
Beneath his feet lay damp, fine white sand. Before him stretched an endless, unnaturally vibrant ocean beneath a bizarre pink and purple sky. The humid air clung to his lungs, making every breath feel heavy.
At the center of the domain, the battle raged.
Megumi Fushiguro's Nue circled overhead, repeatedly diving to disrupt Dagon while attempting to damage the barrier from within.
Nanami Kento was covered in blood, yet his expression remained composed. His blunt sword sliced through seawater tentacles formed by Cursed Energy while his free arm shielded the heavily injured Maki Zenin.
Naobito Zenin's sake flask was already empty, and an uncommon seriousness filled his face. Every activation of Projection Sorcery made the surrounding air crackle as he shattered charging Cursed Spirits, though the strain on his body was becoming increasingly apparent.
Their opponent was Dagon, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit and master of the domain.
Its grotesque, deep-sea creature-like body floated above the colorful ocean as countless twisted tentacles and enormous fanged mouths burst from the water, relentlessly assaulting everyone inside.
The most eye-catching figure, however, was Toji Fushiguro.
He flashed across the battlefield like a phantom, appearing at Dagon's weakest angles with uncanny precision. The sharpened ends of the three section staff, Playful Cloud, pierced relentlessly into Dagon's body.
There wasn't the slightest trace of Cursed Energy around him.
Everything relied solely on overwhelming physical ability and monstrous combat instincts.
Even so, every strike inflicted tremendous damage, forcing Dagon into furious roars that shook the entire domain while violent waves surged with Cursed Energy.
Megumi's Max Elephant unleashed a massive torrent of water that slammed into Dagon's lower body, creating openings for everyone else to capitalize on.
Under immense pressure, their teamwork became increasingly synchronized.
Sol's arrival initially went unnoticed by everyone except Toji Fushiguro.
The Heavenly Restriction user's muscles tightened almost imperceptibly the instant Sol stepped into the domain. His beast-like instincts immediately recognized the approach of an overwhelmingly dangerous presence. The sensation was unmistakably familiar. It was the young man he had fought earlier.
Yet Toji never slowed.
Instead, his attacks became even more ferocious, venting that newfound vigilance directly onto Dagon.
Dagon sensed Sol as well.
The newly arrived human radiated an unnaturally composed aura that stood in complete contrast to the boiling Cursed Energy and murderous atmosphere filling the domain.
It instinctively recognized him as a threat.
With an enraged roar, Dagon abandoned its current targets and slammed its enormous armored tentacles into the sand.
Boom!
White sand erupted into the air as the entire domain trembled violently.
Countless seawater Cursed Spirits, shaped entirely from Cursed Energy, burst from both the sand and the ocean, swarming everyone like an unstoppable tide.
"Tch, annoying pests!" Maki cursed as her spear swept through several fish-like Cursed Spirits.
Nanami adjusted his glasses, his blade flashing with greater speed.
"Clear the lesser Cursed Spirits first. Don't let them interfere with attacks on Dagon."
Megumi immediately changed tactics.
"Nue! Divine Dogs! Clear the area!"
The Shikigami charged into the tide of monsters while Naobito joined them, Projection Sorcery tearing through entire groups of Cursed Spirits with explosive bursts of speed.
Toji ignored every one of them.
His eyes remained fixed solely on Dagon.
Playful Cloud traced elegant arcs through the air, slipping past sweeping tentacles before driving toward Dagon's core once more.
Meanwhile, Sol remained exactly where he stood.
Every Cursed Spirit that approached him silently dissolved before reaching him, as though an invisible barrier erased them from existence. None could come close enough to touch even the edge of his clothes.
He simply watched.
Most of his attention rested on Toji Fushiguro and Dagon.
The battle continued.
Gradually, Dagon began losing ground beneath the relentless assault, particularly from Toji, whose attacks consistently struck the creature's weakest points.
Still, Dagon was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Within its own domain, its regeneration and overall strength were dramatically enhanced.
Suddenly, it inhaled deeply.
Its chest expanded as the surrounding seawater rushed toward it at frightening speed.
"Watch out!" Naobito shouted. "It's preparing something big!"
The next instant, Dagon opened its enormous mouth.
A highly compressed blast of water infused with Cursed Energy erupted toward Toji, the greatest threat on the battlefield.
The beam distorted the surrounding space as it tore through the domain with terrifying speed.
Toji's eyes narrowed.
Even he had no intention of taking that attack head-on.
His legs exploded with power as he launched himself sideways.
Boom!
The blast barely grazed him before crashing into the sea behind him, detonating into towering waves. The resulting shockwave nearly knocked Maki and Nanami off their feet.
Although Toji avoided a direct hit, the explosion's aftermath disrupted his balance, sending him tumbling sideways.
The moment he was about to land, a giant sea anemone-like Cursed Spirit that had been lying in wait burst from the sand beneath him, its massive maw opening wide to swallow him whole.
Without hesitation, Toji twisted unnaturally in midair.
Defying all expectations, he shifted his center of gravity and drove one end of Playful Cloud straight into the creature's open mouth.
Using it as leverage, he flipped gracefully through the air before landing solidly on both feet.
"Tch, that was close."
He flicked the slime from Playful Cloud before instinctively glancing toward where Sol had been standing.
The spot was empty.
The battle showed no sign of slowing.
After its attack failed, Dagon let out another furious roar.
Even more seawater Cursed Spirits poured in from every direction, their relentless assault becoming fiercer than ever.