"Stop, foolish child. You've killed Barb Croc—your sin is grave. I only wish to protect this planet…"
"Cut the crap!" Hayashi didn't buy Hanami's weird voice. He swung Black Steel hard—he remembered this thing's skin was tough, probably on par with Barb Croc.
Clang!
Hanami blocked the slash with an arm. Sure enough, it left just a shallow mark.
Black Steel had limits. Against regular special-grades? Fine. Theoretically, it ranked as a special-grade cursed tool.
If it were Bankai Black Steel, Hanami might not hold up.
Hayashi kept swinging, clashing with Hanami. It defended while spouting odd words. Even unwilling, the sound wormed into his head.
Brain Shield kicked in—coating his mind, blocking the noise out.
Combat efficiency spiked. He was fighting Hanami like this to recover cursed energy.
Maxed-out cursed energy wasn't a joke. The Barb Croc fight drained a ton, but with some left, he'd bounce back fast.
Now, he was recharging. Once full, he'd take Hanami down.
But cursed spirits aren't dumb. Hanami saw the play—killing Barb Croc cost Hayashi, and it knew it.
So it went wild, hammering Hayashi.
Roots burst from the soil, sharp spikes stabbing at his Crimson Armor.
No dice—couldn't pierce him. Crimson Armor, an upgrade from the base version, could tank mid-tier special-grade attacks.
That's why Hayashi could brawl up close like this. Anyone else? Too reckless—except Gojo Satoru, some freaky sorcerers, and him.
Hanami realized its strikes barely scratched him. With a wave, wooden spikes stabbed into the ground. Flower buds bloomed atop branches, drowning the area in a floral sea.
His heart thudded oddly. In a second, Hayashi activated Heart Mirror—a technique from Longyuan, learned before returning to Japan.
He'd spent his remaining points on it—to counter Hanami's mind-bending tricks.
Worked like a charm.
Hayashi stayed clear-headed—brain and heart unshaken.
"How?" Hanami faltered. Its technique worked on anyone—even Gojo got briefly dazed.
That split-second was enough to reap lives. Yet Hayashi didn't flinch for a moment—like he ignored it entirely.
Unheard of. Unthinkable.
"Close enough," Hayashi said. Cursed energy nearly full—time for round two.
"Black Steel—Azure Black Flash!"
Black Steel surged with cursed energy, slashing at Hanami's head.
A blue-black blade shadow stretched over ten meters—like a curtain crashing down, gleaming fiercely.
Hanami dodged back—still caught in the arc.
No escape? Fine—don't run.
Roots erupted, wrapping Hanami in layers upon layers.
Boom, boom, boom!
The blade curtain fell, slicing through layer after layer, finally hitting Hanami's arm.
That tough limb nearly split, dangling.
But Hanami's regeneration was nuts—next moment, the arm healed.
Then it tore off the white cloth on its other arm—its big gun, saved for clutch moments.
A vivid red flower bud sprouted on its brown arm—eerie as hell.
"Getting serious?" Hayashi's face hardened. Hanami like this was new—could he match it? Hard to say.
"Rise!"
Hanami waved both hands. A giant seed burst from the ground, blooming in a second—packed with countless cursed carnivorous flower seeds.
Hayashi's gut sank—bad vibes.
Swish, swish, swish!
Cursed seeds shot from the bud, homing on him.
Hayashi wasn't standing still for that—Time Blink dodged them, landing aside.
But the onslaught kept coming. Endless seeds tracked him—wherever he blinked, they followed.
Hanami waved relentlessly. It was set on dropping Hayashi—or Barb Croc died for nothing.
Swish!
Vines snagged his legs. Black Steel slashed down—too slow. Five cursed seeds latched onto his Crimson Armor.
Instantly, Hayashi felt his cursed energy draining—sucked off and fed back to Hanami.
"What a cursed energy haul," Hanami buzzed, power surging like an endless stream.
"Damn it—this thing's a perfect counter," Hayashi cursed. Hanami was trickier than most—loaded with sneaky moves.
Unlike other spirits relying on brute force and raw power, this was a different beast—unique technique structure.
This was just the start—a real threat. Future foes? Weirder cursed spirits and curse users with wild techniques and talents awaited.
Hanami had to go. Even Gojo would prioritize it—its threat level was sky-high.
The seeds kept siphoning his endless cursed energy. He wasn't dumb enough to let it.
Next moment, he dropped the Crimson Armor—body stripped of cursed energy.
The seeds lost their target, shriveling up.
He plucked them off, back to normal.
Thwip, thwip!
Two sharp branches shot up, piercing him—one through his back to chest, another through his thigh.
They hoisted him skyward, dangling in the air.
More spikes erupted—dozens. A death trap.
Clap!
Todo Aoi slapped his hands. A startled rabbit swapped with Hayashi—Hayashi crashed at Todo's feet.
"You okay?" Todo hooked an arm around his neck, steadying him.
Blood gushed from Hayashi's chest—gruesome, heart-stopping.