"BOOM!!!"
The thorn-covered ground was packed with straw dolls impaled through their bodies by steel nails!
Ripples spread through the air as hundreds—no, thousands—of rusted nails shot into the sky!
It was a clash between two closed-barrier Domains!
Nobara Kugisaki stood within a darkened world, a gigantic black rose blooming behind her.
Opposing her was the ancient sorcerer Takako Uro.
Her Domain,Mirror Canon of Yama, was a space constructed entirely from mirrors.
There was no distinction between heaven and earth; above, below, left, and right were all filled with endless blue skies and drifting clouds.
Standing atop the clouds, Uro floated gracefully through the air. Beside her hovered a translucent mirror half the height of a person.
Decorated with white clouds and star patterns around its frame, it resembled the magical mirror of a fairy-tale queen.
The countless iron nails sweeping forward like machine-gun fire were instantly absorbed into the mirror the moment they invaded Uro's Domain!
The next instant—
"BOOM!!!"
The nails, now infused with Nobara's cursed energy, were reinforced by an additional layer of Uro's cursed energy!
Their size doubled, and they shot back toward Nobara's Domain with even greater force!
After inheriting the memories of her current vessel, Uro had developed her own understanding of this era.
No need to battle cursed spirits every day.
No need to wage endless wars against rival sorcerer factions.
No need to constantly fear whether one would survive to see tomorrow...
Most ordinary humans didn't even know cursed spirits existed.
Compared to the age she once lived in, modern society was practically heaven.
Completely at ease, Uro looked down at the three below her with amused disdain.
"You little brats born in the comfort of the modern age..."
"Do you even understand what it means to be a sorcerer?"
"Don't preach to me!"
Breathing slightly heavily, Nobara shouted back furiously:
"I don't care about your ancient era or the modern one!"
"I just can't stand looking at an old hag like you, so I came here to beat the crap out of you!"
As someone from a thousand years ago herself, the Angel had naturally recognized Uro's true identity.
Before Nobara and the others joined the battle, they had already received intelligence from the Angel.
And both Angel and Tokyo Jujutsu High had evaluated Uro's strength as—
Special Grade.
Even among Special Grades, there were differences in power.
Uro wasn't on the level of Zen'in Mirai or Gojo Satoru.
But in a one-on-one fight, none of the Grade 1 sorcerers on the school's side could defeat her.
She was an existence on the same level as Domain-enhanced Kinji Hakari or a normal-state Hajime Kashimo.
"Old hag...?"
Veins bulged across Uro's face as she thrust one hand into the mirror beside her!
"You insolent little brat—watch me tear that filthy mouth of yours apart!"
As her hand stirred the mirror's surface, the blue sky above distorted with layer after layer of warped space!
Like a curtain being violently twisted, the distorted space rapidly spread toward Nobara's Domain.
Grinding her teeth, Nobara poured every last bit of her remaining cursed energy into reinforcing the shell of her Domain!
Nearby, Panda crouched low while Toge Inumaki covered his mouth.
The man and the panda—both already prepared to die—gathered all their cursed energy, waiting for the briefest instant when Uro exposed an opening!
With the amplification effects of a Domain in play, even Inumaki's Cursed Speech would simply rebound back at him.
Only when Uro fully committed herself to shattering Nobara's Domain would there be even the slightest chance of affecting her.
The fact that the three of them had been sent to fight a Special Grade like Uro only proved how desperately short-handed the school's side had become.
As for the assistant supervisors skilled only in barrier techniques—
They probably wouldn't even survive the shockwaves of the battle.
Crack... crack...
As expected, the outer shell of Nobara's Domain began collapsing first!
Just as victory appeared on Uro's face—
A familiar cold voice suddenly echoed through both Domains at once.
"Drop what you're doing and come here. Prepare yourselves."
Zen'in Mirai's voice...
Panda, Inumaki, and Nobara froze for a brief moment, a strange fear rising within their hearts.
Wasn't that monster fighting Sukuna and Gojo Satoru?
What exactly had happened during these few short minutes inside the Domain...?
Uro was stunned at first, then shot the three below her an unwilling glare!
Even one more minute would have been enough for her to tear all three of them apart!
But disobeying Mirai's orders...
Uro immediately dispelled her Domain and rushed silently toward the central battlefield.
Meanwhile—
On another battlefield entirely.
After experiencing an undersea world, nightclub dancing, selling melons at Erxian Bridge, and gang fights in Causeway Bay...
Fumihiko Takaba and the White Zetsu had finally stepped onto the stage of a comedy competition.
Brilliant spotlights flashed overhead!
Seated at the judges' table were Japan's three most famous comedians.
Below the stage stretched a sea of people waving glowing fan signs bearing Takaba Fumihiko's name.
This was precisely the scene Takaba had always dreamed of.
Halfway through the performance, having finally relaxed a little, Takaba pulled out one of the old jokes he had prepared long ago.
"President White, do you know why Superman wears tights?"
The White Zetsu spread his hands dramatically.
"Maybe Superman can't fart, so he likes wearing them."
"No, no, no!"
Takaba shook his head and replied in an exaggerated voice:
"Because when he saves people, everything has to be tight!"
Seeing that the audience below failed to erupt into the explosive laughter he imagined, Takaba hurriedly threw out another joke.
"A mushroom was walking down the street when an orange bumped into it."
"The mushroom angrily said, 'Blind idiot, go die!'"
"And then the orange actually died. President White, why do you think that happened?"
The White Zetsu sighed lazily while inspecting his fingernails.
"Because when the mushroom wants the orange dead, the orange has no choice but to die."
A bead of sweat slid down Takaba's forehead.
"Y-you-you—how did you know that one too?!"
"Takaba-san, your material is way too old."
"No... impossible! Absolutely impossible!!!"
Tears streaming down his face, Takaba covered his mouth dramatically. Diamonds spilled from his eyes and clattered noisily against the stage floor.
After sobbing for three seconds, Takaba suddenly revealed a determined expression, as if making a final stand.
"Do you know what animal is the quietest?"
The White Zetsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head.
Takaba smiled victoriously, revealing a mouthful of rainbow-colored teeth.
"A gorilla!"
The White Zetsu cooperatively asked:
"Why?"
Takaba proudly puffed out his chest.
"Because when gorillas get angry... they knock quietly!"
(His punchline relies on a Japanese wordplay joke.)
"Haha—hahahahaha!"
Half the audience burst into laughter.
Glancing at the other half—who still looked expectant but hadn't laughed yet—
The White Zetsu raised an eyebrow at Takaba.
"Those weren't great. Let me tell one instead."
"A family was sitting on the couch watching TV. The little girl copied the show and asked her dad, 'Daddy, where are we going?'"
"Her father ignored her, but the mother beside him started laughing."
"The little girl turned and asked, 'Mommy, what are you laughing at?'"
"The mother's face darkened and she said nothing, but the older brother's wife beside them started laughing too."
The White Zetsu handed the microphone to Takaba.
"Guess what the little girl said to her next."
Takaba blinked blankly.
"'Sis-in-law... why are you laughing too?'"
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