Meiji-Jingumae Station — Basement Level 2
The underground passage was thick with a nauseating smell of blood and damp concrete.
The air felt heavy.
Oppressive.
Yuji Itadori sprinted through the tunnel.
His breathing was fast—but controlled.
Every step carried explosive power.
His objective was clear:
Destroy the barrier root supporting the curtain.
If the root collapsed, the barrier sealing Shibuya would weaken.
"I'm close!"
Yuji muttered.
"I can feel that disgusting cursed energy!"
He burst into a wide underground corridor.
And immediately stopped.
Blocking the path—
Was a grotesque creature.
A massive insect-like cursed spirit.
Its body resembled a giant locust.
Four powerful arms.
A thick chitinous exoskeleton.
Compound eyes reflecting a predatory intelligence.
A Special Grade cursed spirit.
Known simply as Locust.
"So you're the intruder."
The creature tilted its head.
Its voice shrill and mocking.
"Human."
"If you answer my question correctly…"
"I might let you pass."
Yuji didn't even slow down.
"Yeah, no thanks."
He stomped forward.
The concrete floor cracked beneath his feet.
"Talking with curses isn't really my hobby!"
Yuji launched forward.
His fist pulled back.
"Divergent Fist!"
BANG!
The punch slammed into the curse's chest.
Delayed cursed energy detonated a split second later.
But—
The curse only slid back slightly.
Its exoskeleton remained intact.
"…Hard."
Yuji blinked.
That punch could punch through steel.
The curse laughed loudly.
"Because I'm a locust!"
"I have four arms."
"You only have two."
"I have armor."
"You're just soft flesh."
"How could you possibly defeat me?"
The curse attacked instantly.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Four fists shot forward like machine-gun fire.
Yuji raised his arms to block.
Each hit slammed into him with brutal force.
His muscles trembled.
"This thing…"
Yuji thought.
"…It's not just strong."
"It knows how to fight."
Yuji's eyes sharpened.
"But fighting isn't about who has more arms."
"Brains matter too."
He suddenly ducked.
Spinning around a pillar.
The locust curse's punch smashed through concrete.
Chunks of stone exploded across the corridor.
Yuji used the environment instantly.
Walls.
Pillars.
Ceiling beams.
He moved through the confined space like a parkour athlete.
Fast.
Fluid.
Every attack from the curse missed by centimeters.
"Stop running!"
The curse roared.
"You flea!"
Then—
For one brief moment—
The curse overextended.
Yuji saw it instantly.
"Now!"
His breathing slowed.
His mind sharpened.
The world seemed to slow down.
He felt the flow of cursed energy inside his body.
No longer chaotic.
No longer unstable.
Controlled.
He remembered the lessons of Kento Nanami.
And the brutal training with Aoi Todo.
Cursed energy.
Physical impact.
Perfect synchronization.
Within 0.000001 seconds.
"Black Flash!"
BOOOOM!!!
Black lightning exploded from Yuji's fist.
Space itself warped for a brief instant.
The punch struck the joint beneath the curse's abdomen.
The weakest point in its armor.
CRACK.
The exoskeleton shattered instantly.
Like glass under a hammer.
Green blood erupted outward.
The impact blasted the curse backward.
Its body smashed through the wall behind it.
The locust curse collapsed.
Kneeling.
Staring at the hole in its torso.
"…Impossible…"
"You're just a human…"
"How can you be this strong…?"
Yuji lowered his fist.
His expression calm.
Determined.
"Because I'm Itadori Yuji."
"And I'm not fighting alone."
At that moment—
A voice crackled through his communicator.
"Nice work, Yuji."
It was Yagami Sora.
"That Black Flash was clean."
Yuji's eyes widened.
"Sora-nii?!"
"You saw that?!"
"Yeah."
Sora's voice sounded relaxed.
"I was passing by and caught the last part."
"The barrier root has been destroyed."
"You did great."
Yuji grinned.
Hearing praise from Sora filled him with energy.
"Next destination."
Sora continued.
"B5F — Shibuya Station."
"We're heading in to support Gojo Satoru."
His tone turned serious.
"The fight ahead…"
"…will be a hundred times worse than this one."
Yuji wiped sweat from his forehead.
Clenched his fist.
"Got it."
"No matter how bad it gets…"
"I'm not backing down."
He began running deeper into the underground tunnels.
The road ahead was dangerous.
Unknown.
Deadly.
But Yuji wasn't afraid.
Because he knew—
Behind him stood his strongest allies.
And he was growing stronger.
Step by step.
Someone capable of fighting beside them.
This was the bond between comrades.
This was the beginning of Yuji Itadori's Shibuya battle.
And his true trial—
Had only just begun.
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