Sol did not mind the arrangement.
His perception stretched across the entirety of Shibuya, ready to begin rescue operations at any moment.
Yuji Itadori's group, led by Mei Mei, was heading toward Meiji Jingu to investigate.
Megumi Fushiguro and Kento Nanami were working together, handling evacuations and intercepting threats in the southwest sector.
Meanwhile, Nobara Kugisaki had been assigned to operate alongside Naobito Zenin, dealing with a swarm of flying Cursed Spirits in the northern district.
As for Gojo Satoru, he had already entered the Curtain with one hand in his pocket, looking as though he were taking a leisurely walk.
Sol could sense several extraordinarily powerful sources of cursed energy stirring deep within the Curtain's core. The Special Grade Cursed Spirits had clearly reacted to Gojo's arrival. Their objective was obvious.
For now, however, Sol remained where he was.
His role was to provide support, ensure these students survived long enough to be properly tempered by battle, and protect innocent civilians. As for Gojo Satoru, he did not require anyone's assistance.
Sol vanished silently.
A moment later, he stood atop a skyscraper overlooking the chaos below.
The city resembled a living nightmare.
At Meiji Jingu, Itadori roared as he smashed a Cursed Spirit into a wall. Above him, Mei Mei's crow shikigami circled through the sky before diving underground in search of information.
Elsewhere in Shibuya, Megumi's Nue carried terrified civilians away from danger while avoiding tentacle-like attacks erupting from beneath the streets. Despite still recovering from his injuries, Nanami moved with flawless precision, each strike of his blunt sword cleanly exorcising another Cursed Spirit.
Nobara's situation appeared more dangerous. Using surrounding buildings as cover, she drove nails through the wings of flying Cursed Spirits and sent them crashing to the ground.
Beside her, Naobito's Projection Sorcery allowed him to dominate the battlefield with overwhelming speed. He disrupted the airborne curses, creating opportunities for Nobara to finish them off.
Everything remained within manageable limits.
Then Sol disappeared from the rooftop.
Meiji Jingu Outer Garden.
Itadori drove his fist into a rotten lizard-like Cursed Spirit, slamming it into the pavement and scattering chunks of stone in every direction.
Breathing heavily, he looked toward Mei Mei, who was directing her crow shikigami nearby.
"Mei Mei! There's something underground!" Itadori shouted. His instincts had picked up a disturbing tremor beneath the surface.
One of Mei Mei's crows had just entered a ventilation shaft. She closed her eyes briefly and focused.
"You're right," she said, her brow furrowing. "Several cursed energy signatures are moving rapidly below us. They're targeting the evacuation routes."
Before she could finish speaking, the ground ahead exploded.
The pavement ruptured as several gigantic worm-like Cursed Spirits burst from underground. Their mouths were lined with rows of jagged teeth as they lunged toward a group of civilians fleeing under police guidance.
"Damn it!"
Itadori's eyes widened.
The distance was too great. He would not reach them in time.
Then everything stopped.
The charging Cursed Spirits suddenly slammed into something invisible.
Their bodies halted completely.
Their snapping jaws stopped mere centimeters from the nearest girl's back, producing harsh clicking sounds as they struggled against an unseen obstacle.
The next instant, their enormous bodies compressed inward.
It was as if a giant invisible hand had seized them.
Splat.
A dull burst echoed through the street.
The Cursed Spirits were crushed instantly, collapsing into foul cursed energy residue that rapidly dissipated without leaving behind even a scream.
The civilians never understood what had happened.
A powerful gust swept past them.
The monsters vanished.
The scenery blurred.
Suddenly, they found themselves outside Meiji Jingu and safely beyond the danger zone.
Confused but alive, they continued running under police instructions.
Itadori stood frozen.
"What was that...?"
Mei Mei opened her eyes and looked into the distance.
A subtle smile appeared on her face.
"It seems our free agent is doing his job."
She had sensed no obvious cursed energy fluctuations, but such clean and overwhelming intervention immediately brought one person to mind.
Itadori quickly reached the same conclusion.
"Sol!"
Relief washed over him.
Then his fighting spirit surged even higher.
"Good! We can't fall behind either! Mei Mei, let's keep moving!"
Southwest District, near a subway entrance.
Megumi directed Nue to carry an elderly civilian away from danger while avoiding shadowy claws striking from the side.
"Divine Dogs!"
The black and white shikigami leaped forward, tearing apart a Cursed Spirit hiding beneath the shadow of a station advertisement.
Nearby, Nanami continued cutting through enemies despite the lingering paleness in his face.
"Nanami! Three more from the left!"
Megumi formed hand signs, preparing another summon.
Nanami adjusted his glasses.
The lenses reflected the grotesque figures rushing toward them.
Just as he prepared to attack, the three Cursed Spirits abruptly froze.
It was as though they had sunk into invisible quicksand.
Their movements slowed to a crawl.
Then their bodies began disappearing.
Starting from the head, they were erased piece by piece until nothing remained.
No residue.
No remains.
Nothing.
Megumi's summoning incantation stopped halfway.
His eyes widened slightly.
Nanami appeared considerably less surprised.
Sheathing his weapon, he said matter-of-factly, "Highly efficient. It seems Sol has been fulfilling his responsibilities quite well."
He glanced toward Megumi.
"Stay focused. Continue the evacuation."
Megumi nodded and pushed aside his surprise.
Knowing Sol was watching over the battlefield certainly made the situation feel less overwhelming.
Northern District, rooftop platform of a commercial building.
Nobara narrowly avoided a stream of acid fired by a flying Cursed Spirit.
The corrosive liquid struck the floor, immediately burning holes into the concrete.
"So annoying!" she shouted. "Stop flying around!"
She searched for an opening to throw another nail.
Naobito took a drink from his sake flask and laughed.
"Watch carefully, girl."
His Projection Sorcery activated.
In an instant, his figure appeared above one of the flying curses.
Boom!
A powerful kick infused with cursed energy launched the creature directly toward Nobara.
"Now!"
Nobara reacted immediately.
A nail wrapped in cursed energy shot from her hand and pierced the curse's core.
The creature exploded.
However, before they could celebrate, two more flying Cursed Spirits descended from their blind spots.
Their claws targeted the back of Nobara's head and Naobito's back.
The angle was perfect.
The attack was too fast.
Nobara only heard the sharp whistle of air behind her.
There was no time to turn around.
Naobito sensed the danger as well, but his previous movement had already committed his momentum elsewhere.
Then the attack stopped.
The two Cursed Spirits slammed into an invisible barrier.
Dull impacts echoed through the air.
Their dive came to a complete halt.
All of their momentum disappeared as though swallowed by an unseen force.
A second later, that same force redirected them.
The two creatures were hurled toward each other at even greater speed.
Bang!
Like two vehicles colliding head-on, the Cursed Spirits exploded upon impact and dissolved into black smoke.
Nobara spun around.
Only drifting smoke and fading cursed energy remained.
She paused briefly before understanding exactly what had happened.
"Thanks, Sol!"
Her voice echoed across the rooftop.
Naobito took another drink and stroked his beard.
"Tch. That Gojo brat really did find himself an extraordinary student."
===
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