Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine-Chapter 178 - ⟴ The Mountain’s Shadow

A massive mountain range blocked out the sun's radiance. An incomparable pressure loomed over Tokyo as shadows enveloped the entire city.

The Prime Minister was already drenched in sweat at this sight.

Maki Zen'in from Tokyo Jujutsu High looked up at the towering mountain range, her pupils constricting — what kind of power was this?

Supporting an entire mountain range with one hand, then instantly teleporting it above Tokyo... Even if she developed her Heavenly Restriction to its limits, against this Jujutsu Inspector General's power, she'd be lucky to land even a single strike.

Even more terrifying was the Cursed Energy radiating from his body — she had sensed it before, but now it was different.

"Can you feel it?" Behind his sunglasses, Masamichi's eyes trembled as he fought back his fear.

Sitting in his wheelchair pushed by Yūta, Satoru's expression was grave — the Cursed Energy he sensed now was worlds apart from before.

If Daiki's Cursed Energy was once like raging mountains and seas, now it was like a vast, boundless ocean surface: dead silent, calm, and profound. The bottomless Cursed Energy's unintentional pressure alone could freeze ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerers in place.

"Stronger than before... or perhaps, never used full power before?"

Even with his Limitless technique, Satoru didn't think he could withstand his fist — the power it represented was simply too terrifying.

He clenched his fist, then released it, sighing helplessly before slumping in his wheelchair as if all strength had left his body.

"Say, this level of attack won't affect us, right?" Megumi gazed at the mountain range that blotted out the sky, "If it came crashing down without restraint, the casualties and damage would be catastrophic."

"Daiki... Inspector General Daiki wouldn't do this without reason. His arrival above Tokyo is likely because someone called him."

Masamichi was a top figure in the Jujutsu World, nominally a Grade 1 Sorcerer whose mastery of Cursed Corpse Techniques had once been feared. Having spent years dealing with various factions, he knew the situation well.

"Hmm? Could it be... ha, they've really hit a wall this time." Satoru had some familiarity with Tōma Amakasu.

He was a master of Ninjutsu, particularly renowned for his extraordinary concealment abilities. Even with Satoru's Six Eyes, it required intense concentration to detect even a trace of his presence — and that might not have been his full capability.

With the backing of the national-level Mage Association, his influence surpassed both Public Safety's Devil Hunter Division and the Bureau of Onmyō.

Even Satoru had been humbled when that absurd concealment technique had challenged his supposedly all-seeing Six Eyes. The memory still rankled him.

"But won't this harm innocent people~?" Shoko Ieiri asked with concern.

Satoru's lips curved into a malicious grin, "Well, you'd have to ask our dear Inspector General if he cares about that."

His words were met with dead silence.

Indeed, Daiki seemed indifferent to civilian casualties.

{T/N: This is their impression, not the definitive reality.}

After all, he'd already transported an entire mountain range here — who would dare speak up now and risk being crushed?

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Meanwhile, Daiki, hovering in Tokyo's sky, had contacted the Prime Minister.

"Ins... Inspector General Daiki... what... what can I do for you?" The Prime Minister stammered, wiping sweat from his brow, his demeanor utterly submissive.

He had already reached out to Makima, but she'd declared herself powerless to intervene. Someone capable of transporting mountain ranges likely possessed other formidable abilities, and her goal of world peace remained unfulfilled.

Tenma Unomiya, leader of the Bureau of Onmyō's Twelve Guardians, was known to split mountain peaks with a single strike and stood as the strongest among the Guardians.

Yet even he declined to fight, admitting he doubted his ability to penetrate Daiki's grey mist defense. Besides, the Bureau of Onmyō was preoccupied with preventing the Magano's seal from further deteriorating.

They delivered more dire news to the Prime Minister.

Mount Fuji was on the verge of eruption!

As this information sank in, the Prime Minister's scalp tingled with dread. What catastrophic era had he stumbled into?!

When the Fujiwara Family held the Prime Minister position, why weren't there so many problems, but now that it was his turn, all the difficulties came at once? He could even imagine the Fujiwara Family head laughing behind his back now, mockingly criticizing his actions and measures.

"Though Makima's power maintains balance between the Onmyō and Jujutsu Worlds, we've reached our limit. With Daiki Tsukasa's ascension, the jujutsu world will inevitably return to its Heian-period Golden Age, shattering the existing equilibrium. If only I had more power and connections to win him over... wait — win him over? Just to keep my position?"

The Prime Minister's thoughts drifted to the Jujutsu Golden Age of the Heian period, when they deified Ryōmen Sukuna to appease the King of Curses!

Before he could pursue this thought, Daiki's call interrupted him.

Despite his black crows' shared vision, Daiki couldn't penetrate the barrier concealing Tōma's Mage Association base. He turned to the Prime Minister for answers.

The Prime Minister perked up at this request for help.

"Inspector General Dai... Daiki-kun, you're putting me in a difficult position! You must understand, Tōma Amakasu represents a national-level Mage Association. Even if you're the strongest in the Jujutsu World today, still..." The Prime Minister feigned reluctance, planning to help regardless — a calculated move to curry favor.

His strategy seemed flawless.

But Daiki didn't negotiate — he demolished the table entirely.

"Heh, I might not know where Tōma is, but I definitely know where you are."

An eerie disturbance rippled through the air.

The Prime Minister looked up to see black crows raining down, their pitch-black eyes blazing with murderous intent.

These crows, he knew, would kill without hesitation.

"Hii...!" Goosebumps erupted across his body as he hastily revealed everything.

Armed with this information, Daiki's Far Sight locked onto the area. Under the Sunshine Grace, the barrier began to dissolve.

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In the History Compilation Committe room, Tōma's composure crumbled.

"Impossible! Has he lost his mind? This is Japan's most prosperous district! He wouldn't dare — he absolutely wouldn't dare! He'd become a sinner!" His pupils contracted in terror.

Daiki's audacity had exceeded his darkest fears.

Staring into those merciless eyes, he pleaded, "Inspector General, wait! Let's negotiate — aren't you afraid of becoming a sinner?"

When Daiki remained unmoved, Tōma activated his concealment technique, believing his abilities would ensure his escape.

But he had gravely miscalculated his opponent's power.

Daiki merged Far Sight with Insight, his enhanced vision cutting through layers of concealment like a dimensional radar, filtering out civilian presence while tracking traces of Cursed Energy.

Through Phantom Sight, he analyzed the unique signature of Tōma's concealment technique, identifying subtle distortions in the spiritual landscape. His Future Sight provided glimpses of possible locations where the target might attempt to relocate, allowing him to triangulate the exact position.

"Found you..." With a slight smile, Daiki activated all his Cursed Energy.

BOOOOMMM!!!!

A devastating wave of Cursed Energy rippled through Tokyo, its raw spiritual pressure forcing even experienced sorcerers to their knees. Reality itself seemed to bend and warp under the weight of such immense power.

A massive pillar of iridescent light erupted skyward, its intensity tearing through the clouds and leaving behind a swirling vortex of darkness that devoured the heavens. The air crackled with residual energy, creating phantom-like afterimages that danced across everyone's vision.

۞ Ghost Hand ⟴ True Several Thousand Hands! ۞

With a ghostly glow, tens of thousands of phantom hands extended from Daiki like tendrils of darkness, visible to those with Spirit Sight or other supernatural perception.

These hands stretched skyward, forming a giant wall of invisible radiance before descending like divine lightning upon Tokyo's startled crowd.

۞ Innate Technique ⟴ Long-Distance Teleportation! ۞

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At the hands' touch, people vanished — men, women, children, even animals — leaving the city eerily empty in their wake.

These same people reappeared in distant locations, atop buildings and apartments, confused but unharmed. From their new vantage points, they could still see the colossal mountain suspended by what appeared to be a mere black dot.

And what about those who remained?

"Heh... always wanted to test something." Daiki's eyes blazed with sacred light as the mountain above rose higher, lifted by the returning Ghost Hands.

۞ Gun Construction ⟴ World Treasure: Heavenly Arsenal! ۞

Using a long-forgotten Innate Technique, his Cursed Energy spread across the sky. Points of darkness transformed into weapons — red and black revolvers as menacing as the devil's own fingers.

A yellow glow manifested in Daiki's eye, forming a clock.

۞ Time Angel ⟴ Seventh Bullet Zayin: Time Stop! ۞

A rain of bullets!

As they fell, every member of the History Compilation Committee froze in place — literally stopped in time.

Meanwhile, Tōma remained hidden behind his concealment technique, unaware that Daiki had already found him.

In an instant, the ground beneath his feet shot skyward!

A massive rock formation surged upward like a half-open hand, carrying everything above with it until it reached its peak.

Daiki and Tōma now faced each other across a hundred-meter gap.

Gazing down at the empty city, Tōma saw his organization's members frozen in time. His mind reeled — in mere seconds, Daiki had evacuated every civilian and immobilized all his subordinates.

"You... are you even human?" He asked, his voice quavering as he met those cold eyes.

"Human?" Daiki tilted his head, a dark smile playing across his face, "It doesn't matter what I am. What matters is that you're exactly where I want you."

The mountain in his grasp began to pulse with golden light, and Tōma's blood ran cold. He sensed it — this was no longer merely a mountain, but a weapon charged with enough Cursed Energy to annihilate everything for kilometers.

"Was threatening me worth it?" Daiki asked, his dark smile widening.

Tōma swallowed hard, his mind racing through possibilities. He had gravely underestimated this man — no, this monster wearing human skin.

"Wait, Inspector General! We can negotiate! Think about the political consequences—"

"Consequences?" Daiki cut in, dark amusement lacing his voice, "You dare speak of consequences after threatening me?"

The mountain's glow intensified, golden cracks spreading across its surface like luminous veins.

"You know the difference between us, Tōma?" Daiki continued, his eyes blazing with supernatural light, "You hide behind your Mage Association and fading glory. I simply do what must be done."

The air vibrated with unbearable intensity, reality warping around them.

"Now, let's see if your ninjutsu can protect you from this..."

۞ Yin-Yang Magic ⟴ Earth Dragon! ۞

Golden light erupted from the mountain, coalescing into a celestial dragon. Its scales blazed with ancestral power as it coiled around the peak, leaving trails of pure energy in its wake.

Tōma's heart seized in his chest. The spiritual pressure was so overwhelming he could barely draw breath.

The dragon's roar shook the heavens, its golden eyes locking onto Tōma with predatory intensity.

"You know..." Daiki said casually, as if discussing the weather rather than preparing to unleash city-destroying power, "They say a celestial dragon can peer into a person's true nature. Shall we see what it discovers in you?"

The dragon's jaws parted to reveal an abyss of golden light. As the mountain began to crumble, each fragment was drawn into the dragon's maw, transmuting into pure energy.

ROOOOAAAAARRRR!!!

With earth-shattering force, the celestial dragon lunged at Tōma, its massive jaws poised to consume everything in their path.

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