With Tengen's technique activated, the entire Tombs of the Star became her territory. The movements of Satoru and Toji were instantly suppressed.
Satoru's Six Eyes scanned the area, searching for weaknesses in the barrier and waiting for the right moment to act, but Tengen's voice abruptly shifted everyone's attention.
"You can see for yourselves. Satoshi is about to begin his battle."
As Tengen expanded the barrier, a projection appeared before them.
The image was nearly as vivid as an IMAX screen from the future.
As Satoshi appeared, everyone focused their gaze on the projection.
That person looks exactly like the boy in front of me. Are they twins?
Is this the one Lord Tengen has been preparing for all this time?
Geto Suguru was stunned once again.
To him, Satoru was already incredibly powerful, yet Tengen had shown no concern about him.
So then, what kind of existence was the young man in this image?
...
Satoshi held his Zanpakutō, his expression serious.
As soon as the Cursed Womb began to hatch, he had already recited the Shikai chant for Sode no Shirayuki, even preparing to activate Bankai.
But to his surprise, Sode no Shirayuki didn't respond at all.
At the same time, a rule clearly formed in his mind.
[In this space, ice and snow are prohibited.]
Satoshi frowned. Ice and snow techniques were sealed? That meant his strongest combat power—Sode no Shirayuki—was completely blocked.
Was this a specially crafted prohibition?
So this is Tengen's doing?
What was she planning by doing this?
At that moment, the cursed spirit born from the Cursed Womb emerged.
It had a bald, round head, pale blue skin, and a large single eye in the center of its face.
"A one-eyed monk?"
Satoshi muttered instinctively, recalling a certain yokai. But a strange familiarity crept in as he stared at the cursed spirit, like he had seen it somewhere before.
An odd feeling.
Still, the spirit's power was undeniable. Despite just being born, it already radiated Special Grade strength.
And not just a normal Special Grade, but one that stood among the top of them.
Sensing Satoshi's presence, the blue-skinned cursed spirit locked on.
Though its awareness was minimal, it knew instantly—Satoshi wasn't its kind.
So, without hesitation, it charged and threw a powerful punch directly at him.
The blow was immense, but Satoshi wasn't fazed. After all, he had refined his Shunpo considerably.
That brute-force attack wouldn't work on him.
Even without Sode no Shirayuki, he still had Hakuda, Hohō, and Zanjutsu training. He might not be able to kill it yet, but he could easily hold out until Toji and Satoru arrived.
He dodged the attack and prepared to counter.
But just as he was about to strike, he felt a sudden heat rise from beneath his feet.
Something's wrong.
Satoshi used Shunpo to evade.
The next second, a crater burst open where he stood, thick magma surging out.
His brows furrowed as the cursed spirit's figure began to overlap with a memory—one he hadn't thought about for a long time.
This crater, the power of fire...
So Jogo was born at this moment?
But why here in the Tombs of the Star?
It was too perfect, too staged—like someone had orchestrated this entire encounter.
And in this domain, the only person capable of that… was Tengen.
Satoshi narrowed his eyes. With her mysterious identity and domain control, had she somehow discovered he was a reincarnator?
If so, what should he do?
He stopped overthinking. In the end, there were only two sides—enemy or ally.
If Tengen was friendly, then he'd forge her a suitable Zanpakutō and treat it like a trial run.
But if she was hostile, he wouldn't hesitate to bring Toji and tear the Tombs of the Star apart.
...
Tengen and the others observing from outside had no idea what was running through Satoshi's mind. They were focused entirely on the projection.
"Why isn't he using Sode no Shirayuki? Based on its properties, that cursed spirit should be vulnerable to it, right?" Satoru asked first, noticing something off.
So far, Satoshi hadn't used any Zanpakutō abilities. Not even Shikai.
Toji frowned too. He knew Satoshi wasn't holding back, so the most likely explanation was that the Tombs of the Star had hidden restrictions.
Yuto hadn't seen Satoshi in a while, but he knew how strong Sode no Shirayuki was and nodded in agreement with Satoru.
Geto, however, didn't understand what they were talking about.
As for Yuki, her gaze stayed fixed on Tengen. In her mind, a previous conversation replayed.
---
Tengen: Yuki, this cursed spirit was born from Mount Fuji. You told me before that Satoshi has a flame-type Zanpakutō, but he's always struggled to release its power.
Tengen: This Special Grade cursed spirit is his opportunity. If he can use that flame-type Zanpakutō to defeat it, everything will become easier.
Yuki: But Lord Tengen, how can you be sure he'll use the fire-type one?
Yuki: With his current strength, he doesn't need it. Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai is more than enough.
Tengen: I'll seal his ability to use ice and snow. That way, he'll have no choice but to use the other Zanpakutō.
---
It was all part of Tengen's plan.
But none of them had expected that Satoshi could actually hold off a Special Grade cursed spirit without relying on any Cursed Technique or Zanpakutō ability.
(To be continued.)
***
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