If it were released, Jogo would surely use his signature Fire Technique in that instant, incinerating them in a heartbeat.
Jogo had mentioned killing them multiple times and was clearly already anticipating the end of Love Rendezvous.
I can't release it, Kirara thought.
Even though I'm confident I could help Kinji if I rushed to his side now, my Cursed Technique is better suited for support and assistance than a frontal confrontation like this; I wouldn't be able to display my true strength at all.
But if I release the technique now, I'm dead.
If I don't release it, I can still bet on Kinji pulling himself together while at a disadvantage and ultimately defeating the King of Curses.
If I release it now, I'll be burned to death in an instant because I can't react to Jogo's Fire Technique at all; the difference in our ranks is just too great.
On the contrary, if I don't release it here, Jogo won't waste his Cursed Energy on a Domain Expansion since the King of Curses currently has the advantage.
He still intends to help Mahito and won't easily squander such a massive amount of Cursed Energy.
Therefore...
...the most correct course of action right now is to wait.
I must never release the technique.
That was what they thought.
Then, they took a step forward—
Love Rendezvous, released.
"How could I ever gamble with Kinji's life?!"
they roared, their entire body surging with Cursed Energy reinforcement as they jumped into the massive pit.
The logic was simple:
since they couldn't react in time, they wouldn't try to.
They would use Cursed Energy reinforcement to tank the hit.
As long as they didn't die, as long as they didn't lose consciousness, and as long as their technique could still function, they could help Kinji even if their limbs were broken or their body was burned so painfully, they couldn't move.
This was their resolve.
"You...!"
Jogo was caught off guard, only subconsciously unleashing a wave of fire, but in an instant, Kirara had already vanished.
Jogo was both shocked and enraged.
If he had been fully prepared, he never would have given Kirara the chance, but he hadn't expected them to be so decisive and forward-charging.
In his eyes, all humans were defined by lies and deception; whenever their own lives were at stake, they would inevitably betray others out of fear, with no exceptions.
But today, Kirara had taught him a lesson:
even a human defined by lies and deception could act for a greater cause just like a Cursed Spirit.
"Hanami! Follow them!"
"We must not let Mahito's battlefield be disturbed!"
"Even if it costs our lives, we must pave the way to victory for Mahito!"
Jogo roared, jumping into the giant pit.
Accompanied by a thunderous crash, the kick that had pierced all the way from the rooftop to the underground fighting arena finally came to a halt.
Mahito stepped on Kinji Hakari, and with them as the center, a massive shockwave rippled outward.
Even the entire fighting arena suffered a huge impact, shaking as if from an earthquake as dust billowed wildly, obscuring the entire space.
Kinji Hakari let out a violent roar, reaching out to grab Mahito's foot, but before he could, Mahito had already pulled his foot away from Kinji's chest.
Mahito retreated rapidly, his hands transforming into wings as he flapped them in the dust, creating a fierce wind that dispersed the smoke and debris.
There were countless floors between the rooftop and here, and all the corridors in between had been smashed through, yet this impact still hadn't heavily injured Kinji Hakari.
He stood up in the dust, Cursed Energy permeating and boiling around him.
Cursed Energy reinforcement had allowed him to minimize the damage he received to the greatest extent possible, but despite this, he felt a dull ache throughout his body—
the frequent impacts and the final heavy blow had likely caused his internal organs to shift.
But that wasn't the biggest problem.
The biggest problem was...
"So, you also have a Cursed Technique that can blind eyes," he said.
During their brief contact, his eyes had suddenly gone blind mid-battle.
If he weren't so tough and resilient, this sudden blindness alone would have been enough to kill him.
Mahito had no intention of showing mercy, clearly knowing that a Special Grade combatant like Kinji Hakari was not an opponent to be underestimated; he had been going all out from the start, hitting him while he was down.
"I thought we had already decided the outcome."
Mahito exhaled slowly, waving away the haze with a calm tone.
"How much longer until you can use Domain Expansion again?"
After any Jujutsu Sorcerer uses Domain Expansion, there is a period where they cannot use their Innate Technique.
This phenomenon is known as Technique Burnout.
Even Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna cannot avoid this.
In the entire world, only Kinji Hakari can violate this principle; although it takes some time, he can perform consecutive Domain Expansions in a short period, even if he doesn't hit a jackpot.
"30 seconds," Kinji Hakari said.
Mahito was stunned.
He thought the man would prevaricate or lie, but he hadn't expected Kinji Hakari to answer so seriously at this moment.
"I guess your technique to stop me from hitting a jackpot isn't free to use."
"You probably need to prepare it in advance; otherwise, you would have used it during my first Domain Expansion."
"You wouldn't have waited until my second Domain Expansion to use it."
"In other words, as long as I hold out for these 30 seconds, I can turn the tables."
The corners of Kinji Hakari's mouth curled up.
"But I'm not going to do that."
"You're not?"
"Because, wouldn't that just be too boring!"
Kinji Hakari suddenly let out a massive roar, his voice like thunder.
Amidst his boiling Cursed Energy, he laughed loudly.
"My fever is rising!"
"Using brute force and every ounce of cunning—since you desire to defeat me so much, the only path left for me is to respond with equal passion, isn't it?"
Thump.
Kinji Hakari's foot hit the ground as he dropped into a horse stance, one hand bent at his side and the other clenched into a fist pointing directly at Mahito.
This was a traditional martial arts stance.
At this point, he had finally set aside all prejudice and viewed Mahito as his true opponent.
He roared loudly,
"Come! Let me witness you… the new King of Curses!"
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