Weighing the man-tall battle axe in her hand, Mei Mei looked down at the crowded street below. A sharp gleam flashed in her eyes.
"Cursed spirits below Grade 1 can be used to complete missions for Jujutsu High. Grade 1 ones can be exchanged for a bounty."
"Cursed spirits… I'm starting to like you more and more."
Smiling, Mei Mei leapt down from the sky, bringing the axe crashing down with tremendous force.
A mountain of cursed spirits piled together instantly exploded—turning into a vivid purple fountain within a single second.
Thick blood splattered everywhere, mixed with chunks of shattered stone.
Two and a half minutes later.
"Oh my, oh my~"
Looking at the Grade 1 cursed spirit she had accidentally killed underfoot, Mei Mei frowned slightly.
"This one will just have to be submitted to Jujutsu High for a bonus."
Boom! Boom—BOOM!
Overwhelming cursed energy was compressed to the size of a fingertip.
A crimson spark flashed.
The dozens-of-meters-tall Grade 1 cursed spirit was instantly pulverized into powder.
The terrifying aftershock swept outward—shattering the glass of several nearby buildings and leaving cracks crawling across their outer walls.
Satoru Gojo stared at his opponent. A trace of impatience flickered in his azure eyes.
The Grade 1 cursed spirit he had just obliterated had been no different from crushing an ant.
But the foreign sorcerer wielding a special cursed tool in front of him had already delayed him for several minutes.
BOOOOM—!
A gigantic beast emerged once again from the shadows, diving downward.
Violent lightning crackled as more than a hundred enormous cursed spirits were shredded within seconds, blood spraying everywhere.
Standing atop the head of the shikigami Nue, Zenin Mirai remained completely still.
Not even a strand of hair beneath his beret was disturbed by the raging wind.
Only the fabric at the legs of his pants fluttered violently.
After glancing at Miguel—who was being beaten around like a punching bag by Gojo in the distance—Mirai prepared to withdraw.
On the way, he encountered Mei Mei, who was carrying several Grade 1 cursed spirit heads as trophies.
Suddenly, vast cursed energy erupted into the air beside Mirai.
A gigantic tail resembling a withered tree branch pierced through space itself.
In the instant Mei Mei reacted in shock, the cursed spirit heads she was holding had already been pierced through by the tail.
"Miss Mei Mei, don't misunderstand."
Seeing her tense posture, Mirai narrowed his eyes and smiled lightly.
"These will still count toward your reward."
"I just have something urgent to attend to and need to leave first. My methods were a bit rough—please don't mind."
"I see."
Upon hearing that, Mei Mei's previously tense expression immediately cleared.
"As long as the money isn't reduced."
"I was just thinking these cursed spirits were getting in the way anyway."
Sealing a cursed spirit's body with cursed energy to prevent regeneration required considerable effort.
Unlike sorcerers, cursed spirits could restore damaged bodies without using Reverse Cursed Technique.
Only by destroying the core stored inside their bodies could they truly be reduced to ashes.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
"If Miss Mei Mei obtains more spoils afterward, just hand them over to Zenin clan sorcerers."
"The payment will be settled afterward."
After finishing with a smile, Mirai accelerated straight toward the edge of the barrier.
Watching his departing back, Mei Mei pursed her lips and smiled.
If that sudden attack earlier had been aimed at her instead…
"The Zenin clan head… is quite interesting."
The moment he exited the barrier, Mirai plunged directly into Kamui Space.
Endless darkness stretched out before him, like a road with no end.
In the distance, a faint white glow flickered—extremely conspicuous within the pitch-black void.
Nue flew at full speed toward that light.
Short-distance teleportation was simple—only a single step was required.
But long-distance teleportation was impossible for Mirai before White Zetsu had been created.
Within this profound darkness, even Mirai could not determine which direction corresponded to the real world.
He could only sense the presence of the Gedo Statue, as well as the White Zetsu born from it.
The faint light shining in the darkness marked White Zetsu's location—
Jujutsu High.
Suguru Geto was only concerned about two people:
Gojo.
And Mirai.
As long as those two had not left Jujutsu High, Geto would not act.
But a mere Grade 4 cursed spirit…
Feeling the extremely weak resistance surrounding the white light's location, Mirai pulled back slightly and returned to the real world.
A pitch-black circular barrier trembled faintly—the aftershock of the cursed energy rampaging inside.
The resistance came from the curtain Geto had set up.
At the same moment.
White Zetsu, who had been watching the climax of the spectacle, suddenly turned his head toward a rooftop.
He stood up as if to head outside—then reconsidered and slowly returned to the window.
Looking down at the battle below, Mirai grinned.
"Perfect timing. I can still watch the finale before collecting the spoils."
Especially when his gaze swept across the battered and disheveled Geto—his eyes shone with even greater delight.
Jujutsu High – School Corridor
Aside from Maki Zenin, the others whom Gojo had sent back—
Panda and Toge Inumaki—lay severely injured on the ground.
Tap… Tap…
Inhuman footsteps echoed.
The two humans and one panda shakily climbed to their feet in alarm.
A creature approached them.
Antlers.
Four hooves.
Compound eyes.
Its body was completely white, with intricate patterns across its abdominal muscles.
"Don't worry. That's Mirai-nii's shikigami—Round Deer."
Maki reassured them.
Letting out a long breath of relief, the two and the panda immediately collapsed back onto the ground.
Round Deer lowered its head toward each of them in turn.
A soft glow spread out.
In an instant, everyone was fully healed.
The moment the healing ended, the deer dissolved into pools of ink and sank into the ground.
The three exchanged glances before hurrying to the window to watch the battlefield below.
They were not foolish enough to rush out again and become Yuta's weakness in a fight between Special Grades.
Seeing the blood on Geto's face, the calm expression on Yuta Okkotsu eased their worries slightly.
"Yuta… I love you the most!"
Special Grade Cursed Spirit Rika Orimoto—restriction released!
"You woman-manipulating bastard!"
Geto's face twisted viciously as overwhelming cursed energy surged outward.
Beside him stood the Special Grade Imaginary Vengeful Spirit:
Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnation — restriction released!
Gathering all the cursed spirits currently under his control, Geto unleashed the ultimate technique of Cursed Spirit Manipulation beyond domain techniques.
Like heavy storm clouds swirling within the eye of a tornado, dazzling black light surged.
Cursed Spirit Manipulation: Maximum Technique — Uzumaki!
"That's quite rude…"
"We are pure love."
"Then I represent righteousness!"
Yuta raised his hand slightly.
Infinite cursed energy compressed into a dazzling multicolored sphere swirling at his fingertips.
Madness spread across Geto's face as the long-prepared attack burst forth.
BOOOOM!!!
A thunderous roar like a nuclear explosion shook the air.
Nearby buildings were instantly obliterated in less than a millisecond.
Dust and debris blasted everywhere as white shockwaves rolled into the sky.
With both Special Grade sorcerers going all out, even space itself warped momentarily.
"Hehehe…"
"You're truly powerful, Rika Orimoto."
Clothes torn, his right arm gone, blood covering his face—
Geto leaned against a wall and laughed.
"Next time…"
"Next time I'll definitely obtain you."
Despite his grievous injuries, Geto felt joy instead of anger.
Because Rika Orimoto's existence showed him a possibility—
The possibility of slaughtering the Zenin clan.
The possibility of surpassing Gojo Satoru.
Even the possibility of creating a new world.
The next moment—
The smile on Geto's face suddenly froze.
A voice he both feared and recognized sounded beside his ear.
"Long time no see, Geto."