All the strands of black hair gathered beside the monstrous girl.
They coiled and twisted, forming the shape of a massive black python. Under her control, the python opened its enormous maw and lunged toward Dominica, intent on crushing her completely.
But just as it was about to strike, Dominica raised her hands. Her palms were flat and level before her face.
In the next instant, she turned her palms upright and swiftly brought them together.
With that motion, the earth on both sides of the monstrous girl surged upward. Two colossal hands of solidified mud rose from the ground, one on either side of her.
Dominica clapped her hands together.
"Boom!"
The massive mud hands slammed shut, trapping the monstrous girl between them. Her black hair, her twisted body, and even the attic of the building she stood on were caught in the crushing grip.
A deafening, piercing screech filled the air, more intense than anything that had come before.
Dominica didn't stop there. She began rubbing her hands together, and the colossal mud palms followed suit, grinding against one another with the monstrous girl caught between them.
Kaizen's mind raced. He thought of a grinding mill—Dominica was using her mud palms to pulverize the girl, ensuring there was no chance of survival.
Powder began to spill from the gaps between the enormous palms. It was hard to discern what the powder was, but Kaizen could sense the girl's aura fading, growing weaker with every passing moment.
Finally, Dominica released her hands.
The mud palms dissolved back into the earth, and a figure fell to the ground. It was the monstrous girl, her body broken and unrecognizable, but she clung to the last shred of consciousness.
Kaizen and Wendy leapt to Dominica's side.
"Why?" The monstrous girl's voice was faint as she looked skyward.
"Why is it so hard to love someone? I just wanted to be with him. Why did it have to end like this? Did I do something wrong?"
Dominica gazed down at her with cold detachment.
"You didn't do anything wrong," she replied. "But turning the person you love into a puppet isn't love. Your death will be your release."
A massive clump of earth rose above the monstrous girl.
"Boom!"
It crashed down, obliterating her body until only her head remained.
Dominica took out a finely crafted book. A strange energy began to emanate from its pages, and moments later, a black aura rose from the monstrous girl's body, spiraling into the book.
The monstrous girl's aura vanished entirely—she was dead.
Some residual deathly aura was drawn toward Kaizen's blade at his waist.
Dominica and Wendy both turned their gaze toward the weapon.
"This is my Nen tool," Kaizen explained briefly.
Dominica's eyes narrowed as she studied the blade.
"A weapon capable of absorbing the aura of death... Was it forged during the disasters on Meteor City?"
Kaizen nodded. "Yes. One of the disasters caused by the Kuto Thieves left behind magical materials. I managed to claim one of them, which became this knife."
"It's a powerful tool," Dominica remarked. "With proper cultivation, it will serve you well."
With the death of the monstrous girl, the town fell silent—not peaceful silence, but an eerie, lifeless stillness.
Everyone in the town was already dead. The moment the monstrous girl turned them into her puppets, their spirits had been extinguished. When she withdrew her black hair, their bodies perished as well.
"Let's go," Dominica said, leading Kaizen and Wendy out of the ruined town.
Kaizen glanced back over his shoulder, gripping the handle of the Dead Knife.
A vivid image flashed through his mind—a memory that wasn't his.
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