In the pitch-black forest, dazzling light burst through the shadows as immense Cursed Energy tore the air apart, forming a jagged rift.
Two enormous claws gripped the edges of that crack and forced it open. From within, a grotesque head emerged.
"ROAAAR!!"
The surge of Cursed Energy alone vaporized every low-grade Cursed Spirit nearby in an instant.
This was another Semi–Special Grade Cursed Spirit—and for dealing with one of the same class, Suguru Geto saw no need to waste a Special Grade. That'd just be overkill.
The moment Geto released his own Semi–Special Grade, it lunged forward, claws flashing as it clashed with the Baboon King.
The white-furred creature bared its fangs in rage, a strange flicker of emotion flashing through its bloodshot eyes.
"GRAAAH!!"
Its roar sent a shockwave of Cursed Energy exploding outward, engulfing everything within ten meters.
Jinsuke reacted instantly—one arm around Riko, the other around Nanami—as he leapt backward, pulling them clear.
Then, before any of them could blink, a black sphere enveloped both Geto and the Baboon King.
"Wait—Domain Expansion!?"
Riko's face went pale. This Cursed Spirit could use a Domain? That meant it was way beyond what they could handle.
Nanami's expression hardened. "They sent a semi–Grade 1 and a Grade 2 to handle this? Are the higher-ups insane?"
Or maybe, he thought grimly, they'd known exactly what kind of mission this was—and that's why they'd assigned them a supervisor.
"Relax. It's probably just an incomplete one," Jinsuke said, setting them both down. He studied the black sphere, utterly calm. "So that's a Domain, huh?"
He couldn't sense a thing inside it. Total isolation. But he could gauge its intensity—and this was barely a prototype. A fledgling Domain.
The Baboon King really was unlucky, running into a man who could manipulate Cursed Spirits before it had a chance to finish evolving.
Cursed Spirit Manipulation, huh? Now that was a Cursed Technique with insane potential.
If Geto weren't so reckless, he could've easily become one of the strongest sorcerers in the Jujutsu World.
Think about it—Disaster Curses, the Cursed Wombs: Death Paintings, even Sukuna himself—if Geto ever grew strong enough, he could theoretically control them all. Even Tengen's ultimate evolutionary form leaned toward becoming a Cursed Spirit.
If Geto had just played the long game, stayed patient... apart from someone as freakish as Sukuna, he could've eventually swallowed every other Cursed Spirit on the planet.
As Jinsuke thought this, cracks began to spread across the black sphere.
BOOM!
The Domain shattered like glass.
The Baboon King staggered out, coughing up blood, fury twisting its face.
"For a Semi–Special Grade, you did well," Geto said casually, arms open, a faint smile on his lips.
Beside him floated a plump-faced Cursed Spirit with long flowing hair and narrow, squinting eyes that almost looked cheerful.
A Special Grade vengeful spirit, one of Geto's favorites—its form reminiscent of the legendary Tamamo-no-Mae.
Any Cursed Spirit capable of forming its own Domain was powerful enough to be a valuable addition to his arsenal.
"GRRAAAH!!"
The Baboon King roared, eyes burning with hatred as it glared at Geto.
It had only wanted to live quietly in the mountains, to slowly evolve into a true Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Why did this human have to ruin everything?!
With one last furious cry, it spun and bolted—not at Geto, but straight toward Jinsuke and the others.
Its cunning was clear; it wasn't just a beast. It knew Geto was beyond its reach. But maybe... maybe it could use these three to force him to stop.
It dropped to all fours, tearing through the dirt as it lunged toward them.
Nanami's eyes widened in alarm. He tightened his grip on his short blade—then, catching Riko darting behind their instructor, quietly sheathed it again and stepped back.
He knew his limits. Against a monster like that, he was useless. Best to let Jinsuke handle it—or, more realistically, let him get them out of here alive.
With their teacher's speed, escape shouldn't be a problem.
Jinsuke exhaled through his nose, a wry grin curling his lips. "So it's decided I'm the soft target, huh?"
As the Baboon King came barreling toward them, he slowly drew the crimson three-section staff from his hip.
He hadn't planned to fight today, but this oversized monkey was really pushing its luck.
"Guess you're like those sorcerers who think no Cursed Energy means no threat."
The Baboon King's claws stretched toward his throat, sharp enough to tear through steel. Its killing intent was pure instinct—fast, decisive, merciless.
But something in its mind wavered.
The man before it wasn't afraid. He was smiling. Arms spread slightly, like he was welcoming the attack.
That smile—sharp, feral, confident—sent a jolt of primal fear through the Cursed Spirit's heart.
"Wait! Don't kill it!!"
Geto's shout echoed from afar the moment he saw the glint of red in Jinsuke's hand—Playful Cloud, the Special Grade Cursed Tool worth five billion yen.
He'd finally found a perfect specimen. Don't ruin this for him!
CRACK!!
A deafening impact split the night.
The Baboon King's eyes went glassy. Its consciousness blurred.
In its final moments, visions flashed through its mind—memories from long ago, when it had first been born as a weak Grade 4 Cursed Spirit.
Back then, it had roamed these mountains playfully, harmlessly.
But it had been lonely.
So it went down to the village, hoping to find someone—anyone—who could see it.
The humans screamed. Feared it. And as the years passed, their stories grew darker, more twisted, more cruel.
It grew stronger with every generation of fear. It gave birth to countless others like itself.
And slowly, that loneliness turned to hatred.
It began to hunt the villagers who spread those tales, sending its brood every few years to "remind" them of the terror they'd made it embody.
If they wanted a monster, it thought, then it would become one.
Now, as its body began to fade, clarity returned to its dimming eyes.
So... I'm dead after all.
Its final gaze fell upon the man who had ended it.
The man's eyes were calm—no pity, no triumph. Just cold detachment.
To Jinsuke Zenin, killing it was no more meaningful than crushing an ant.
He was the real monster here.
Gulp.
"Uh... Jinsuke, is it... dead?"
Riko peeked out from behind him, swallowing hard as she stared at the Baboon King's half-shattered corpse dissolving into mist.
That strike... was brutal.
Jinsuke gave Playful Cloud a lazy flick, shaking off the blood. "What else would I do? Let it choke me to death?"
He shrugged, utterly unbothered.
"Come on, I can't just stand there and let it strangle me. That'd be embarrassing."
"Hey! You—!" Geto looked furious. "You just killed my catch! Do you have any idea how rare that thing was?!"
"Ah, my bad," Jinsuke said without an ounce of guilt. "Forgot you could absorb it. Honestly didn't expect it to pop that easily."
But mid-sentence, his expression froze.
A pulse rippled through his body—the scripture within him vibrating violently.
An invisible suction force flared from within, drawing in every shred of the Baboon King's dissipating Cursed Energy.
A moment later, a wave of heat surged through his body, funneling straight into the fifth gate, the Gate of Limit—in his Eight Inner Gates system.
He felt his strength rise noticeably.
On the mental page of the scripture, the text shifted from [Gate of Limit: 1%] to [Gate of Limit: 4%].
Jinsuke's eye twitched.
What the hell?! It could do that this whole time? And it didn't bother telling me?!