Amidst the howling wind, a silver giant dragon, approximately three hundred meters long, soared above the frosty sky, like a deity who had strayed into the human world. Its vertical pupils, a mix of azure and gold, instilled fear, and its tens of meters long snow-white antlers further enhanced its supreme draconic majesty.
Under the bright moonlight, its almost transparent body and lifelike details were awe-inspiring. Who would have thought that this giant dragon was entirely composed of ice and snow? Its pure and flawless massive scales exuded an overwhelming chill; merely passing by was enough to freeze all the tiny water droplets contained in the surrounding clouds. Propelled by the wind, it displayed a dazzling silver tail stretching for a kilometer.
Upon closer inspection, a slender figure could be seen standing atop the gigantic, ferocious dragon head, his overcoat lightly frosted due to the low temperature.
But Kenmyo stood on the dragon's head; even the bone-chilling cold emanating from the ice-elemental giant dragon and the high-altitude air currents whistling by could not cool his burning passion.
The dragon-riding knight, Kenmyo, looked at the moon, so close he could almost touch it, and took a deep breath.
"Finally, it's achieved."
Ever since Kenmyo rode Suguru Geto's Rainbow Dragon, a goal had vaguely formed in his heart: Kenmyo must have a dragon of his own!
What others had, Kenmyo wanted too.
Now, Kenmyo had achieved this through Hoshino Ai; this ice-elemental giant dragon, imbued with terrifying Cursed Energy fluctuations, was her embodiment.
Having fully absorbed the life essence of tens of thousands of innocent civilians from the Warhammer World contained in the reagent Kenmyo concocted, as well as her master's blood, Hoshino Ai instantly broke through from a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit to a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit. The terrifying concentration of refined Cursed Energy in this form far surpassed that of an ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Not to mention, the Cursed Technique Hoshino Ai awakened was an extremely rare natural type.
Natural elements, including lightning, wind, and earth, are extremely rare Cursed Spirits. Every Cursed Spirit that wields the authority of nature possesses combat power far exceeding its peers, with cross-tier kills being commonplace.
However, with modern advancements, these natural forces, once feared as gods, can only prostrate themselves before newly discovered dark matter, planetary collapse masses, and other difficult-to-understand concepts explored by scientists.
But setting aside these powerfully abnormal Cursed Techniques, natural-type Cursed Spirits are still stronger than most Cursed Spirits.
Kenmyo suspected that Hoshino Ai's awakened ice and snow Cursed Technique, Rin Winter Frost Heart, grants her authority over winter, one of nature's four seasons, allowing her to manifest and freeze all things ice and snow.
This two-hundred-meter giant dragon was Hoshino Ai's manifestation, shaped by her authority according to Kenmyo's vision.
It wasn't just for show; Hoshino Ai transformed from her seraphic form into a complete ice dragon, equivalent to a super-giant Grade 1 Cursed Spirit with a dragon head as tall as a ten-story building (around 40 meters) and a body length of two hundred meters.
If Suguru Geto's Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the Rainbow Dragon, which was about the length of a small passenger plane (eighty meters), were compared here, it would be the difference between an adult anaconda and an infant—it probably wouldn't even be enough for a snack; its head could be bitten off in one go.
Logically, Hoshino Ai should be the undisputed pinnacle of ice-elemental Cursed Spirits, at the Special Grade level.
However, perhaps due to inherent deficiencies, before breaking through that level and truly gaining Special Grade power, no matter how strong Hoshino Ai was, she could only be considered a pseudo-Special Grade. At least, Kenmyo considered her a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
As for why he didn't immediately give the same treatment to Kenmyo's sister, Isayama Sakura, to elevate her to a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, he had many concerns.
Hoshino Ai was, after all, the initial experimental subject. Whether she would experience rejection or adverse reactions in the future were points Kenmyo needed to consider. He couldn't overlook potential hidden dangers due to a temporary success.
Only when the risk was confirmed to be below thirty percent would Kenmyo perform the advancement ritual for his sister.
Kenmyo's other cousin, Isayama Mei, was not suitable for this process. Her body had been disfigured by the Killing Stone, destined only to consume high-purity Killing Stone.
However, with Hoshino Ai's assistance in combat, Kenmyo felt he could save some mana points in the future.
Now, Kenmyo rode this ice dragon, flying around Tokyo. Below them, the city was a blaze of lights, with a constant flow of traffic, a bustling, extravagant metropolis.
While others were stuck in traffic with their cars, Kenmyo had forever said goodbye to that trouble, because he rode a dragon.
The soaring of a giant dragon in the sky, surpassing fairy tales, combined with the dreamlike urban landscape, made everything seem so surreal. If it had been a few months ago, Kenmyo would never have imagined that one day he would command a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit and soar through the sky like this.
"Almost there."
Kenmyo saw the mansion below and said to the ice dragon beneath his feet,
"Xiao Ai, prepare to land."
Because Yomi-nee had called earlier, saying that his uncle wanted him to come home, Kenmyo decided to test Hoshino Ai's Cursed Technique, Rin Winter Frost Heart. The result far exceeded his expectations.
Hoshino Ai was truly amazing.
Meanwhile, at the Isayama Family home, Isayama Naraku was sitting in the living room, his gaze fixed on a beautifully framed calligraphy piece, occasionally uttering sounds of admiration.
Though only two characters, the calligraphy displayed profound skill, written with powerful and vigorous strokes:
"Justice!"
The fact that Isayama Naraku had specially placed this calligraphy in the most conspicuous position showed how much he cherished it, not just because the seal next to it bore the signature of the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association's president.
This calligraphy was an honor, representing a Jujutsu Family or individual Jujutsu Sorcerer who had made great contributions and were thus commended.
Just like last time, when Kenmyo clashed with the terrifying entity from the cherry tree symbol, the "Killing Stone," a certain white-haired woman (Tengen), who disliked trouble, intervened to conceal it, treating it merely as a "normal" Special Grade Cursed Spirit attack.
The younger generation within the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association, who could carry the future of the entire Jujutsu World, had not yet matured. Therefore, Special Grade Cursed Spirits remained the most terrifying threat, with unimaginable casualty rates for ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerer.
When encountering a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Jujutsu Sorcerer below Second-Grade are essentially doomed. Even First-Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer might perish, and to escape with severed limbs or permanent disability would already be a blessing in disguise.
In this historical context, Kenmyo's expulsion of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit was exceptionally valuable, earning him commendation from the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association headquarters.
Why would the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association not doubt the veracity of this incident, coming from someone who wasn't even a Sorcerer? It was out of respect for Tengen.
An ancient relic who had lived for thousands of years surely wouldn't lie, so Kenmyo's expulsion of the Special Grade Cursed Spirit became an established fact, necessitating an award.
In short, at that time, Special Grade combat power wasn't commonplace, so expelling a Special Grade Cursed Spirit was still a very prestigious feat.
Kenmyo, in a rather mundane manner, accepted the monetary reward from the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association and handed the certificate-like item over to his uncle.
For Isayama Naraku, who always prioritized the continuation and strength of his family, nothing could be more inspiring than this.
"Honestly, Dad just knows how to stare at that plaque and giggle."
Isayama Yomi, wearing an apron and placing dishes on the table, said helplessly,
"I don't know what's so good about it. Kenmyo will be here soon."
Hearing Yomi's complaint, Kazuo, the Isayama Family butler, smiled.
"Miss, the master is happy to see Young Master Kenmyo doing so well."
Kazuo had followed Isayama Naraku for over twenty years; how could he not know the burdens the master carried? Now, seeing Young Master Kenmyo, who originally had no Cursed Energy talent, possess such outstanding strength, how could the master not be pleased?
"That's true. Kenmyo has really been full of surprises lately."
After Aunt Kazuo mentioned it, remembering the increasingly significant events Kenmyo had accomplished, Isayama Yomi felt it was quite surreal.
He had actually fought and defeated Fushiguro Toji, the Sorcerer Killer who made everyone in the Jujutsu World fear for their lives. Recently, he had also gone to Jujutsu High to exorcise a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, and even the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association's reward had been delivered to their home.
Special Grade Cursed Spirits—it was impossible for Isayama Yomi not to have encountered them. She clearly knew how terrifying those beings, who reigned at the apex of all Cursed Spirits, truly were.
The attack of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit on Isayama Yomi's original five-person team, with only two survivors, was a wound that would forever remain in her heart.
Kenmyo's strength during this period had truly grown like a rocket. Such a rapid increase in power was unheard of.
If Isayama Yomi knew that Kenmyo had killed billions of people in another world, she would probably be even more astonished.
"If Sister Mei could see Kenmyo being so accomplished, she would also be very happy."
Thinking this, Isayama Yomi's pupils dimmed slightly. Uncle Isayama Yu and Sister Mei had been missing for over two weeks now. According to the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association's conduct, hope was probably slim, and they had long given up, leaving only the victims' families within the Isayama Family still striving.
Isayama Yomi sighed, just about to go over and talk to her father.
But suddenly, Isayama Yomi, who was extremely sensitive to dangerous auras, found her mouth opening but then suppressed, unable to speak.
Isayama Naraku noticed that his black coffee cup on the coffee table was trembling, shaking incessantly. At first, he thought it was an earthquake and paid it no mind.
After all, typhoons and earthquakes never stopped in this part of the world.
However, when an extremely terrifying and heavy oppressive feeling swept over the three of them from the sky above, their expressions all changed simultaneously.
Amidst unimaginably terrifying Cursed Energy fluctuations, an unimaginably vast, sky-obscuring dark shadow swooped down, carrying a chilling aura that could freeze one's very soul.
"It's a Special Grade!!!"
Isayama Yomi sensed the danger and immediately said to Aunt Kazuo in a very anxious tone,
"Auntie, quickly take Father away!"
But as Aunt Kazuo hurriedly went to help him, Isayama Yomi bit her lower lip, her face turning pale as she perceived the situation in the sky.
"Three kilometers, no, so fast, one kilometer."
The numbers changed almost every second, too quickly to calculate.
Isayama Yomi immediately picked up the family heirloom sword, "Nue," which had been passed down for hundreds of years in the Isayama Family. Only by drawing the blade could she feel a sense of security.
"Damn it, there's no time!"
"It's here."
A heavy downward pressure suddenly caused all the glass in the house to vibrate slightly, and the unease in Isayama Yomi's heart had already reached its peak.
But after a long moment, nothing happened. For some reason, the massive Cursed Spirit, which had been diving, did not destroy the roof and burst in as Isayama Yomi had expected. Instead, it seemed to have landed in a relatively open courtyard.
"It disappeared?"
Isayama Yomi couldn't help but exclaim, thinking her perception abilities were malfunctioning.
"How could such a terrifying Cursed Energy fluctuation just vanish?"
Isayama Yomi, with her extensive knowledge of Cursed Spirit hunting, knew there was only one possibility.
That was, this Cursed Spirit seemed to want to play, letting its prey die in fear and panic.
"Damn Cursed Spirit."
Isayama Yomi, with all her nerves taut, found it the most agonizing. Her hand gripping the hilt of the sword trembled. She knew how painful it was to truly face a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, how immense the mental pressure.
It would truly be more straightforward if a terrifying, ferocious head burst through the roof above. This limbo was too unbearable.
Isayama Yomi simply turned off all the lights in the living room and began to regulate her breathing.
She had already mentally prepared herself to die in battle.
When that terrifying Cursed Spirit appeared, she would immediately summon the Cursed Spirit "Nue" from the treasured sword Lion King, and they would attack together!
"It's here!"
Isayama Yomi could already see with her own eyes that the living room was covered in a thick layer of frost. Her hand, gripping the blade, was white from the force.
"How strange, aren't Yomi-nee and the others home?"
Outside, Kenmyo and Hoshino Ai, who had just arrived, were slowly walking over, completely unaware that due to his family's servant, this foolish idol had accidentally revealed her Cursed Energy fluctuations during her descent, causing chaos throughout the Isayama Family.
"Nue!"
A crack suddenly appeared in the glass to Kenmyo's left, and then the entire large section of the inner wall shattered. A giant hybrid of a monkey and a lion burst out, not only opening its mouth wide to bite at Kenmyo and Hoshino Ai, but also beginning to spit out a golden energy cannon from the center of its mouth.
This was the "Lion's Roar!"
Nue, which was almost at point-blank range, aimed at the uninvited guests' heads, and Kenmyo could even see the internal structure of its wide-open throat.
"Nue?"
Kenmyo, holding some souvenirs, had a look of astonishment on his face. This was clearly Yomi-nee's Nue.
But why did his own Nue look so aggressive, as if it wouldn't stop until it bit off Kenmyo's head?
The fierce, brutal beast, however, could only go so far. In less than a thousandth of a second, Nue's body was directly frozen by frost, along with the Lion's Roar, which had been accumulated and was about to be fired, also frozen solid.
Nue's tragic state was expected, after all, the attacker was definitely a "Special Grade."
Half the house was transformed into an igloo by the burst of frost, with temperatures dropping below zero, but while the Cursed Spirit was frozen, its user was not.
"Damn Cursed Spirit! Die!"
A thrust from a blind spot, at an incredibly tricky angle, was completely unavoidable.
Isayama Yomi, her eyes filled with murderous intent, directly pierced upwards from below.
But when she saw the intruder's face, the murderous intent on Isayama Yomi's face instantly vanished.
"Kenmyo."
"Yomi-nee?"
But the blade could not be stopped.
"Enough!"
Kenmyo shouted, and then he let out a sigh of relief.
Because Isayama Yomi's gleaming blade was now held in Hoshino Ai's hand, who had a frosty expression. At this moment, the blade of the Lion King, just like Nue, was completely frozen and covered with ice infused with chilling cold.
If it weren't for Kenmyo's shout to stop her, Hoshino Ai would probably have brought the terrifying low temperature of over minus one hundred degrees Celsius upon Isayama Yomi.
"Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding."
Kenmyo, holding a wine glass, apologized to his uncle Isayama Naraku, Isayama Yomi, and Aunt Kazuo,
"I'm sorry."
Kenmyo hadn't expected the problem to lie with his own foolish idol, whose leaked high-level Cursed Spirit fluctuations had caused his family to mistakenly believe they were under attack by a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
This was truly, well, he didn't know what to say.
He glanced at the half of the living room that Hoshino Ai had destroyed. It was now sealed with ice, so there was no draft, and the family could still sit there and eat together.
Isayama Yomi also felt she had made a huge fool of herself this time. Because it was a completely unfamiliar Cursed Spirit, she couldn't have imagined it was her brother's Shikigami.
"Alright, Kenmyo."
Isayama Naraku stopped Kenmyo.
"This is no big deal. We'll find someone to fix it tomorrow."
"Oh, and Kenmyo, this is for you."
"It came with the reward last time."
Kenmyo took a small booklet from his uncle's hand and curiously opened it to glance inside.
What met his eyes was a large photo of Kenmyo, with a few lines of text beside it.
He read along the text,
"Second-Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, Kenmyo Isayama?"