Chapter 86: Tsumiki — The Queen of Armaments
The ammunition belts spun wildly as streams of metal bullets poured out like a raging storm, sweeping across the field. In less than a second, every one of the "Unknown Abyss" shikigami was riddled with holes, dissolving into ink-like shadows that scattered and vanished into the air.
The deafening gunfire abruptly ceased.
Tsumiki rested a hand on one of the machine guns in front of her. Thin curls of smoke still rose from its barrel as she lightly traced it with her fingers, sensing the scorching heat through her cursed energy. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Megumi… I know you don't want to hurt your sister," she said gently. "But if you want to defeat me, you'll have to give it your all."
Megumi frowned. His hands formed a bird-shaped seal, and a large orange, human-faced bird shikigami flapped its wings, grabbing his shoulders and lifting him high into the sky.
"That won't work," Tsumiki said with a soft smile, watching him rise higher. "Megumi… come back down."
Behind her, a massive anti-aircraft cannon—taller than two people—materialized out of thin air. Its barrel rotated with a low mechanical hum, locking onto the sky… yet it didn't fire.
"I haven't mastered constructing jet-powered flight armor yet," she added lightly. "If I use this, I might accidentally hurt you."
"Max Elephant!"
A massive pink elephant marked with golden patterns descended from the sky, trumpeting loudly. Even before it landed, the sheer pressure of its body stirred up violent winds, sending dust and debris spiraling across the field.
"What is that—?"
A giant missile suddenly appeared behind Tsumiki, its spiraling fins spinning rapidly as flames roared from its tail. A deep sense of dread surged through Megumi.
"A deep-penetration bomb," Tsumiki explained calmly. "Commonly known as a bunker buster. It can pierce through twenty meters of reinforced concrete."
"…?!!"
—
Several minutes later, after exhausting every technique he had, Megumi crawled out from beneath the battered body of Divine Dog: Totality.
He was completely spent.
His face was smeared with soot, his hair full of dust and debris, clothes torn in multiple places. He looked utterly disheveled.
Gasping for breath, he formed a hand seal, trying to dispel Divine Dog before it was completely destroyed.
But a hollow weakness surged from deep within his body.
His cursed energy had run dry.
Before he could complete the technique, the shikigami collapsed on its own, dissolving into nothingness.
A fierce wind swept across the field as the smoke slowly cleared.
On the opposite side of the training ground, Tsumiki stood exactly where she had been at the start, calmly brushing the dust off her skirt.
"Megumi," she said softly, looking at Megumi, whose shoulders were heaving as he struggled to breathe, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"And your shikigami… they weren't completely destroyed, right?"
Megumi clenched his teeth. Humiliation burned across his face as he lifted his head and shook it.
"…No."
"That's good." Tsumiki visibly relaxed. She walked over quickly, reaching out to support him—but Megumi turned his body and avoided her hand.
Watching him lower his head, refusing even to look at her, Tsumiki seemed to understand.
"Megumi, you don't have to be like this."
"You're already amazing. There's no need to feel down."
"I only looked relaxed on the surface. Construction Techniques consume a tremendous amount of cursed energy."
"In fact… after that fight, I've almost run out myself."
She turned to Ren, who was jogging over.
"Right, Ren-senpai?"
At that moment, she placed a hand lightly over her chest, parted her lips, and took a few shallow breaths, as if exhausted.
But her smooth forehead bore not a single drop of sweat, and her face showed no trace of flushing—making the act rather unconvincing.
Ren met her eyes for a moment and immediately understood.
"That's true, Fushiguro," he said seriously. "Construction Techniques are extremely taxing."
…As for whether she had actually run out of cursed energy—that was another matter entirely.
"In other words," Tsumiki continued gently, "you were just a tiny bit—just a tiny bit—away from defeating me."
"I suppose I was just slightly luckier."
Megumi let out a low grunt and brushed away her hand again when she tried to help him.
The more she spoke like that—like an adult comforting a child—the more unbearable it felt.
"I don't need help. I can walk," he said stiffly.
"Then… about me officially becoming a jujutsu sorcerer…" Tsumiki asked softly, hands clasped behind her back.
"Don't ask me," Megumi replied flatly, his tone bitter. "It's not like I have a say anyway…"
"I'll take that as you agreeing, then," she said, as if she hadn't noticed his displeasure. Looking up, her expression brightened with anticipation.
"Ever since I awakened this power… I've been looking forward to this day."
"The day I can fight alongside you, Megumi."
"…What?"
Megumi's steps faltered for a moment. A faint flush returned to his face.
"…So that's what you meant…" he muttered, his voice softening slightly.
"Mm." Tsumiki nodded, glancing at her own hand. "I've always believed that if I was given this power… it must be to protect the people I care about."
Megumi's face reddened again, though his tone was no longer as harsh.
"I don't need your protection."
By then, the others had gathered around.
Nobara and Yuji crowded around Tsumiki, praising her excitedly.
"Tsumiki, that was incredible!" Nobara exclaimed. "Is this really the level of someone who's only been learning jujutsu for a few weeks? That's insane—first-year genius!"
"Genius!" Yuji raised both hands enthusiastically. "Fushiguro, you've gotta work harder!"
Megumi clenched his fists, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand.
Ren stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. His Reverse Cursed Technique surged into action, instantly healing the small cuts left by flying debris.
Toge Inumaki and Panda also gathered around, marveling.
After all, achieving this level of strength in just a few weeks… was nothing short of extraordinary.
Tsumiki, meanwhile, modestly attributed everything to her brother and Ren.
"Especially Ren-senpai," she added, casting him a bright, meaningful look.
It was the two of them who had guided her tirelessly during her time in the hospital.
For a moment, the atmosphere was warm and lively.
Everyone was smiling.
…Everyone except Maki Zen'in.
She sat alone on a stone bench at the edge of the field, staring silently at the devastated training ground—the massive craters, the scorched earth…
"…So this is how powerful Construction Techniques can be…"
She bit her lip, murmuring to herself.
In her mind, the image of a girl with short dark-green hair flickered.
If it weren't for me…
If I hadn't held her back…
Would Mai… have been this strong too?