Chapter 94: The Final Act of the Eternal Stone Coffin Garden
"[Eternal Stone Coffin Garden]."
The moment the Cursed Spirit's voice fell, the invisible Domain completely swallowed everyone like a tide.
The next second, the ground beneath everyone's feet suddenly changed. The originally messy Kyoto streets vanished, replaced by a strange, deathly silent space.
The sky was an impenetrable, inky black, pressing down heavily overhead, not allowing even a faint ray of light to penetrate. Only the pale black Cursed Energy swirling around Rin barely illuminated a few meters of the surrounding area.
Countless stone statues stood densely packed all around. The expression on every statue was lifelike, as if they would break free from their stone shells the next second and let out heart-rending cries.
"Is this... a Domain?"
Zenin Mai's voice trembled. She subconsciously tightened her grip on the Short Gun in her hand, only to find that the gun barrel was covered in a thin layer of white frost, and the cold sensation spread from her fingertips to her heart.
Everyone stood rooted to the spot, their eyes filled with confusion and shock. Even their breathing became cautious, as if the slightest mistake would turn them into one of the countless stone statues.
Todo Aoi's heart sank abruptly. He had heard of Cursed Spirits capable of deploying Domains, but he never expected Rin to have such a Special Grade hidden next to him!
Without time to think, he immediately raised his hand, preparing to activate "Boogie Woogie" to swap places with Rin, even if it only served to disrupt the opponent's rhythm.
But when his hands clapped together, a strange stiffness came from his palms. When the Cursed Energy flowed through his body to his arms, it seemed to hit an invisible barrier, unable to condense.
"What's going on?"
Aoi Todo lowered his head to look at his hands, his pupils contracting sharply.
His palms were covered in a layer of pale stone film, which was spreading upwards at a visible speed, climbing past his wrists toward his forearms. Everywhere it passed, the skin lost sensation, leaving only cold stiffness.
"Is this... the Guaranteed Hit Effect?"
Aoi Todo's voice was filled with unbelievable horror.
He suddenly looked up at the people beside him, his heart instantly sinking into an ice cellar. Everything below Zenin Mai's shoulders had completely turned into a stone statue; only her head could still move slightly, her eyes filled with despair.
Kasumi Miwa's legs were covered in a stone shell where they connected to her torso. She tried to lift her Long Sword, but her arms remained motionless. Tears slid down her cheeks, hitting her petrified hands with a crisp 'tap-tap' sound.
The only one in a slightly better condition was Kamo Noritoshi, but his legs were already encased in the stone film, like stone pillars rooted to the ground, preventing him from even moving a step.
He looked down at his petrified knees, his eyes filled with helplessness. The Blood Arrow he condensed at his fingertips was frozen by the stone film the moment it appeared, turning into dark red ice crystals that shattered on the ground.
In the entire Domain, only Rin and the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Gargoyle beside him were completely unharmed.
The Gargoyle spread its massive wings, protecting Rin behind it. The patterns on its wings glowed with a faint black light, forming a harsh contrast with the deathly blackness surrounding them.
Rin stood among the statues, watching everything before him with cold eyes, devoid of any pity, as if he were watching a play whose ending was already determined.
"No... don't..."
Kasumi Miwa's voice was choked with sobs, tears blurring her vision.
She could clearly feel the speed of petrification accelerating. The cold stiffness was spreading up her neck, making even breathing increasingly difficult.
Zenin Mai gritted her teeth, trying to use Cursed Energy to break through the stone shell, but the Cursed Energy in her body felt as if it had been drained away. She couldn't even cause a ripple, and could only watch helplessly as her body slowly lost control.
Kamo Noritoshi slowly closed his eyes, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyelids.
He knew it was over. In the end, they failed to stall Rin, nor did they force him to deploy his Domain.
Despair drowned him like a tide, extinguishing even the strength to struggle.
Just then, Todo Aoi's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the atmosphere of deathly silence.
Everything below his chest had been petrified, yet he still struggled to straighten his back, his head held high, showing no sign of yielding.
He even managed with difficulty to shove his arms into his pockets, maintaining his usual composure, staring sharply at Rin. His voice was slightly hoarse but exceptionally firm:
"Someone will come and defeat you."
Aoi Todo paused, the corner of his mouth curving into an unyielding smile.
"And we, at least, managed to exhaust one of your trump cards. You won't be able to use this 'Eternal Stone Coffin Garden' again anytime soon, right?"
The moment his voice fell, the last trace of stone film crept onto his cheek.
Aoi Todo's gaze solidified in that final determination. His body completely transformed into a stone statue, maintaining the pose of hands in pockets and head held high, forming a stark contrast with the terrified statues surrounding him.
Almost simultaneously, Zenin Mai, Kasumi Miwa, and Kamo Noritoshi were also completely petrified. In the entire Domain, only Rin and the Gargoyle remained.
"Buzz!"
A faint ripple of Cursed Energy sounded, and the "Eternal Stone Coffin Garden" receded like a tide. The petrified figures reappeared on the streets of Kyoto, blending into the surrounding ruins.
Rin looked at the lifelike statues before him, his black trench coat swaying gently in the wind. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of vague expectation as it dissipated into the air:
"Next time, perhaps. I'm in a hurry."
The crows in the sky continued to circle. In their sharp cries, there seemed to be an added, indescribable meaning.
The battlefield in Kyoto returned to deathly silence, leaving behind only a few cold statues.
Inside the temporary shelter at the Rendezvous Point, the air was thick with tension and anxiety.
Jujutsu Sorcerers from Jujutsu High and the Jujutsu Alliance gathered in small groups. Some leaned against broken walls, wiping their Cursed Tools, while others checked their communicator signals.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the entrance. According to the plan, the Jujutsu High Assistant would raise the protective Curtain at this moment to cover their phased withdrawal from the Kyoto battlefield and away from Rin's threat.
"Get ready! The Curtain is going up!"
The Jujutsu High Assistant's voice sounded. He formed hand signs, and a semi-transparent Curtain slowly rose, enveloping the Rendezvous Point. The edges of the Curtain glowed softly, which should have been a symbol of "safety" in everyone's eyes.
But the next second, everyone's smiles froze on their faces.
Someone subconsciously reached out to touch the Curtain wall, only to find that the sensation transmitted to their fingertips was not the familiar soft Cursed Energy, but a cold, hard barrier.
Looking outward through their own Curtain wall, a layer of deep black, unfamiliar Curtain was tightly wrapped around the outside, like an airtight iron shell, completely trapping the entire Rendezvous Point.
The two Curtains, one blue and one black, formed a bizarre nesting structure in the air, like a cage within a cage.
"What is going on?!"
A member of the Jujutsu Alliance cried out in alarm, instinctively taking a step back, his eyes full of panic:
"Why is there another Curtain outside ours?"
The Jujutsu High Assistant was also stunned. He repeatedly formed hand signs, trying to control their Curtain to penetrate the outer barrier, but the moment his Cursed Energy touched the black Curtain wall, it instantly vanished as if a clay ox had sunk into the sea.
"I don't know..."
His voice trembled, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead:
"This wasn't set up by us, nor is it a Cursed Technique from the Jujutsu Alliance. I have never seen the Cursed Energy fluctuation of this Curtain before!"
Panic spread rapidly like a plague.
Someone reluctantly raised a Cursed Tool and attacked the black Curtain wall, only leaving behind a shallow white mark.
A Long Sword slashed onto it, producing a crisp 'clang' that left the user's hand numb.
Some Jujutsu Sorcerers even released their signature Cursed Techniques, but the attacks failed to cause even a ripple on the Curtain wall. Instead, they were repelled by the Curtain, sending back a weak residual wave of Cursed Energy that left everyone feeling tightness in their chests.
"It's useless! This Curtain is too strong!"
Someone cried out in despair, their hands shaking as they held their Cursed Tool. Without the ability to break through the Curtain, they were no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered.