At Yuki Tsukumo's command, the shikigami Hōrin manifested instantly.
However, at this moment, Yuki had not yet realized the true danger of allowing Mahito to get close.
Mahito immediately deactivated Idle Transfiguration and thrust his palm toward Yuki Tsukumo's chest.
Compared to Hōrin, which was still midair and unable to react in time, Yuki Tsukumo responded directly, kicking toward Mahito's incoming palm.
Sensing the fluctuations in her Cursed Energy, Mahito instantly understood that she had infused the kick with her Cursed Technique, Star Rage.
Anyone who knew that Star Rage was overwhelmingly destructive would normally avoid a direct clash. Even Kenjaku had chosen to evade its force before expanding his Domain in the original timeline.
But Mahito's victory condition was different.
He only needed a single touch.
The instant Yuki Tsukumo's kick blew apart Mahito's right hand, Idle Transfiguration had already activated.
A violent pain surged from the depths of Yuki Tsukumo's soul. In the next second, her right calf exploded into fragments of flesh and bone.
What!?
The force of her own kick, combined with the sudden loss of her calf, caused her to lose balance immediately.
The sentient Hōrin, desperate to protect its master, charged toward Mahito in an attempt to drive him back.
Mahito twisted his body grotesquely using Idle Transfiguration, bending in an exaggerated, almost cartoonish motion to avoid the impact. His torso shifted nearly half a meter aside, allowing Hōrin to pass harmlessly.
"So even a Special Grade Sorcerer is this shy?" Mahito said with a smile.
He gave Yuki no chance to activate Reverse Cursed Technique. His hand reached out again, touching her right shoulder.
Idle Transfiguration triggered once more.
Yuki Tsukumo's right arm exploded from the shoulder. Blood and fragments of flesh scattered instantly.
"In that case, you won't be able to use Domain Expansion, right?"
Because Mahito was standing so close to Yuki, Hōrin could not attack recklessly. If Mahito twisted his body again, the strike might land on its own master instead.
Yuki Tsukumo hesitated.
Should she pay an enormous price to drag Mahito down with her?
If she did not, could she escape safely in her current state?
Since she possessed Reverse Cursed Technique, regenerating lost limbs was not difficult for her. She only needed time.
At that moment, Mahito began speaking in a low voice. His words forced Yuki to focus on him, and what he said shook her to the core.
"Your Cursed Technique, Star Rage, allows you to assign imaginary mass to yourself and to Hōrin. That mass has no upper limit. In theory, you can even create a black hole. Of course, you would not be able to escape it yourself."
He smiled faintly.
"You're not considering taking me down with you, are you? What if I told you I'm just a clone? Creating a black hole would only kill you."
"You…!"
Yuki was momentarily stunned.
Mahito took advantage of that instant and placed his hand on her head.
"Just kidding."
…
Outside, as he waited for the Curtain to fall, Satoru Gojo suddenly sensed a considerable amount of Cursed Energy entering the vicinity of Tokyo Jujutsu High from beyond the barrier.
The Cursed Energy signature was much weaker than the Jogo he had encountered before. That only made it stranger. Why would someone of this level approach so brazenly instead of sneaking in like those inside the Curtain?
Mei Mei emerged from within the Curtain and reported the situation with a frown.
"It's not looking good. There are already casualties. All the crows I used for surveillance have been destroyed. The enemy likely knows details about my Cursed Technique. Gojo, where are you going?"
Gojo did not look back. He simply waved a hand.
"I found another rat outside. The Curtain is still up, so I'll deal with this one first. No need to keep updating me. Go back in and assist them. I'll handle the outside."
Mei Mei pulled out her phone, opened her calculator, and tapped rapidly.
"Unknown enemy count. They dare to act right in front of you, the strongest sorcerer. They might also know about my Cursed Technique. This mission carries risk. I could get involved…"
Gojo knew her personality well. Before she could finish inflating her price, he interrupted.
"I'll transfer ten million afterward."
"Deal."
Mei Mei glanced at the number she had calculated. It was far lower than ten million. With a satisfied expression, she hummed softly and reentered the Curtain.
Meanwhile, Satoru Gojo arrived at the entrance of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
At once, he saw a Cursed Spirit ascending the long staircase below.
Another humanoid Cursed Spirit?
Truly humanlike Cursed Spirits were rare. Most possessed only partial humanoid traits or grotesque mutations. Maintaining fully human proportions was uncommon.
Since Cursed Spirits are born from curses or fear directed toward specific concepts, unless the fear itself relates to humans, spirits like Mahito are exceedingly rare.
As the Cursed Spirit walked, it gnawed on what appeared to be human flesh, seemingly replenishing its energy.
The gray suit it wore was stained red with blood.
Gojo frowned.
The blood soaked hair faintly revealed a trace of blond beneath it. A strip of blue lining was visible under the ruined suit jacket.
No…
Something so absurd could not be happening.
He had personally confirmed the body that day. It had been covered in Cursed Residue. How could this be…?
For a brief moment, Gojo stood stunned.
The Cursed Spirit below seemed to sense his gaze. It lowered the half devoured corpse in its hands and looked up.
"Are you Gojo?"
Now Gojo could clearly see the blood smeared face.
It was Cursed Spirit Nanami.
In that instant, Gojo recalled Megumi Fushiguro's guilt when he had confessed to exorcising Cursed Spirit Kiyotaka Ijichi.
Megumi had stared at his own hands, conflicted.
"On the way back, I kept thinking. Was it wrong to exorcise Senior Ijichi? I could have left through the shadows of that fake Curtain. If I had, maybe he could have continued existing as a Cursed Spirit."
"No one knows whether an afterlife exists. As a Cursed Spirit, maybe he could have lived longer."
At the time, Gojo had understood Megumi's feelings. But exorcising Ijichi had unquestionably been the right decision.
Even after later considering Megumi's description of Ijichi's actions and location, wondering if Ijichi had been trying to return to their agreed meeting place to keep his promise, Gojo still believed that exorcising him was correct.
But now, standing here himself, facing this situation, Gojo hesitated.
He could no longer remain as calm as he had been when advising Megumi.
Gojo clenched his teeth. His voice carried anger, grief, and a flicker of helplessness.
"Damn it. How did it come to this? Who would do something like this?"
...
Read advance chapters on p@treon
[email protected]/guilt_free_daoist
Join disc0rd link in synopsis.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.