Even Kenjaku's composed stride was forced back half a step by the sudden impact.
"Who is it?!"
Yuji Itadori's pupils constricted instantly.
Even though he had just endured a soul-draining deathmatch, he suppressed the agonizing pain of his fractured bones and instinctively crossed his arms in a defensive stance.
Aoi Todo's expression was equally grim, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on the center of the cursed energy eruption.
It was a terrifying pressure far beyond a Grade 1 sorcerer, surpassing even that of an ordinary Special Grade!
The mere natural release of her aura made the surrounding air feel as thick and heavy as mercury.
The dust slowly cleared.
A tall, wild figure slowly rose from the center of the massive crater.
Long blonde hair fluttered wildly in the wind.
A black biker jacket hugged her explosive, curvaceous figure, and long legs clad in heavy tactical boots stepped forward with an overwhelming sense of dread.
Circling her was a bone-like shikigami that resembled a flying dragon, radiating an eerie aura.
One of the four Special Grade sorcerers, Yuki Tsukumo!
"Phew... looks like my timing was just right."
Yuki Tsukumo stretched, her bones letting out a series of audible cracks.
Her sharp eyes scanned the devastated ruins of Shibuya, glancing at the lingering blood of Mahito nearby, and then at Kenjaku on the building above, whose expression had shifted slightly.
Finally, her gaze locked onto Yoru, who was kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with Shiranui.
"So, you're Yoru?"
Yuki Tsukumo strode forward on her long legs, stopping directly in front of Yoru to look him up and down.
For some reason, looking at the blood-stained youth who still stood as straight as a spear, fragmented images suddenly flashed through Yuki Tsukumo's mind.
In those hazy memories, there seemed to be a similar boy standing on a dark-red sword hilt, lecturing her and Suguru Geto about some 'third path.'
The prickling sense of familiarity grew even stronger as her eyes fell upon Shiranui, still radiating heat in Yoru's hand.
'What a strange feeling...'
Yuki Tsukumo whispered to herself before shaking her head, pushing the odd sensation aside.
"You must be Yoru, right?"
There wasn't a trace of hostility in her eyes; instead, they were filled with blatant fervor and admiration.
"I felt a terrifying, pure ripple from afar that didn't belong to the cursed energy system at all, so I rushed here at full speed to back you up."
"I didn't expect to run into someone trying to backstab the heroes who saved this city as soon as I arrived."
Yuki Tsukumo turned her head, her cold gaze fixed on Kenjaku in the distance, her voice dripping with mockery.
"Even though you've swapped into an unremarkable skin, that nauseating stench of brains can be smelled from several blocks away, Kenjaku."
"You should know better than anyone that I hate being a pawn on someone else's chessboard."
Seeing Yuki Tsukumo's sudden arrival, Kenjaku frowned slightly, and the cursed energy gathering in his palm slowly dissipated.
"Special Grade sorcerer, Yuki Tsukumo..."
A hint of wariness flashed in Kenjaku's eyes.
His current body was far weaker than Suguru Geto's, and although he had absorbed Mahito, he was not at his peak.
Facing a pristine Special Grade and the exhausted but still unpredictable Yoru, the risk of continuing the execution was too high.
"It seems the plan to eliminate these loose ends must be put on hold."
Kenjaku shrugged helplessly, returning to his usual calm smile.
Meanwhile...
Yoru looked up, his crimson eyes reflecting the flames as he calmly watched the woman.
Though his body was pushed to its absolute limit and every breath tasted like blood, his back remained straight, like an unbreakable sword.
"Special Grade sorcerer, Yuki Tsukumo."
Yoru's voice was raspy but steady.
"That's right. Although I feel like I've seen you somewhere before—especially that sword and your tone—it is indeed our first meeting, boy."
Yuki Tsukumo's lips curled into a wild grin, and she suddenly asked her signature question without warning.
"So, what's your type?"
"..."
This sudden shift in logic left the battle-ready Yuji and Todo stunned.
Even the oppressive atmosphere of the life-and-death struggle seemed to grind to a bizarre halt.
Yoru's expression didn't waver in the slightest as he replied flatly.
"I'm only interested in cutting down curses."
"Hahaha! What a boring yet incredibly pure answer!"
Yuki Tsukumo burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the empty ruins.
"However, I don't dislike people like you."
Her laughter subsided, and her gaze grew deep.
"No cursed energy whatsoever, yet you can unleash destructive power that terrifies even Special Grade cursed spirits."
"Toji was the ultimate case of a physical Heavenly Restriction, but you..."
Yuki Tsukumo looked at Shiranui, still warm in Yoru's hand.
"It's as if a sun is hidden inside your body."
"This transcends the logic of jujutsu; it's a completely new power capable of utterly eradicating causality."
"Save the catching up for later."
From the top of the distant building, Kenjaku suddenly interrupted them.
He held up the Prison Realm, a crazed smile spreading across his face.
"Since an uninvited guest has crashed the party, I'll take my leave."
"But before I go, I must announce the arrival of a new era to you and to this world."
*Vrrr—!*
Following Kenjaku's words, the distorted light in his hand shot into the sky, transforming into countless meteors that scattered wildly across all of Japan!
It was a long-range, large-scale activation of Idle Transfiguration!
In that instant, the brain structures of thousands upon thousands of ordinary people previously marked by Kenjaku were forcibly altered, and their dormant cursed energy was violently awakened!
"November 1st, 00:00."
Kenjaku's voice became fanatical and high-pitched, as if chanting an ancient hymn.
"An unprecedented battle royale between jujutsu sorcerers—the Culling Game."
"Is about to begin!"
*Boom!*
Above Shibuya, a massive translucent barrier began to materialize, completely sealing the area off from the outside world.
Identical barriers were rising simultaneously in ten locations across Japan!
"Consider this a preview, and my gift to this world."
Kenjaku stowed the Prison Realm and turned away, half his body already submerged in a pitch-black rift in space.
He cast one last glance at Yoru, his eyes flickering with blatant provocation.
"Try your best to survive. I'll be waiting for you at the end of the new world."
*Shwa!*
The rift snapped shut.
Kenjaku's presence vanished completely without a trace.
All that remained were the empty buildings and the terrifying barrier continuing to spread across the sky.
"Dammit!"
Yoru slammed his fist into the rubble beside him, the sharp stones slicing his knuckles and drawing blood.
He gritted his teeth, his crimson eyes burning with intense fury and frustration.
"The Culling Game..."
"What the hell is this thing?!"
Yuki Tsukumo looked at the massive barrier forming in the sky, her expression incredibly grim.
"A catastrophe."
She spoke through gritted teeth.
"An ultimate disaster capable of plunging all of Japan—and even the world—into an eternal abyss!"
Satoru Gojo had been sealed, and the mastermind had escaped with the most terrifying technique.
On the eve of a dawn where order had utterly collapsed.
What kind of desperate baptism would the so-called Culling Game bring to this world?