Dust slowly settled in the hallway of the abandoned school.
Fragments of the shattered porcelain mask of the Exam Curse rolled across the cracked floor.
For a moment, no one moved.
Akira Kurose leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell as the Echo inside him slowly calmed.
Across the hallway,
Megumi Fushiguro withdrew his shadow wolves.
The creatures dissolved into darkness beneath his feet.
Beside him,
Nobara Kugisaki wiped dust from her uniform.
"Well," she said, exhaling. "That was definitely not a normal exam."
The injured student they had rescued stared at the place where the curse had vanished.
"You… destroyed its Domain," he said quietly.
Megumi stood up and looked around the corridor.
"No."
His voice was calm, but serious.
"We only destroyed the surface."
Akira frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Megumi walked slowly toward the end of the hallway.
The air felt heavier there.
The cursed energy had not disappeared.
In fact…
It felt stronger.
Much stronger.
"Megumi?" Nobara called.
He stopped near the staircase leading downward.
His eyes narrowed.
"The cursed energy… is coming from below."
Akira felt it too now.
The Echo inside him trembled again.
A deep vibration spread through his chest.
Like something was calling to it.
He clenched his fist.
"…It's reacting again."
Nobara groaned.
"Please tell me that thing didn't have a second phase."
Megumi looked down the staircase.
The darkness below seemed thicker than normal shadows.
"No," he said.
"I think the Exam Curse was only guarding something."
Akira felt a chill run down his spine.
"Guarding what?"
Megumi didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped toward the stairs.
"Let's find out."
The staircase creaked as they descended.
Each step echoed through the empty building.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Akira's Echo pulsed again.
Stronger.
Faster.
By the time they reached the basement level, the walls were covered in black stains of cursed energy.
Nobara frowned.
"This place wasn't in the mission report."
Megumi nodded.
"It wasn't supposed to be."
At the end of the basement corridor stood a large metal door.
Old.
Rusty.
But something had broken it open from the inside.
Akira stepped closer.
A strange smell drifted from the darkness beyond.
Rotting wood.
Dust.
And something else.
Something ancient.
Megumi placed a hand on the door and pushed it open slowly.
The metal groaned loudly.
Inside the room—
They froze.
Dozens of broken desks and chairs were piled together.
Like a barricade.
But behind the barricade…
The floor had collapsed.
A massive hole stretched downward into darkness.
The cursed energy pouring out of it was overwhelming.
Nobara stared.
"Okay… that's definitely not normal."
Akira stepped closer to the edge.
The Echo inside him surged violently.
His vision blurred for a moment.
Then—
A whisper.
Not in the room.
Inside his head.
"…four."
Akira froze.
He recognized that voice instantly.
Cold.
Calm.
Ancient.
Ryomen Sukuna.
Akira whispered under his breath.
"…What?"
Megumi turned.
"Did you say something?"
Akira shook his head quickly.
But the voice continued.
"Four fingers… now."
Akira's heartbeat accelerated.
He looked down into the hole again.
Something moved far below.
Something enormous.
The Echo reacted violently.
Megumi noticed Akira's expression.
"What is it?"
Akira hesitated.
Then spoke quietly.
"…There's something down there."
Nobara crossed her arms.
"Obviously."
Akira shook his head.
"No… I mean something big."
The floor suddenly trembled.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
A low sound echoed from deep underground.
Like stone grinding against stone.
Megumi's eyes widened.
"That's not a curse we've seen before."
Suddenly—
CRACK.
The ground near the hole shattered further.
A long black arm shot upward from the darkness.
It slammed against the ceiling.
Nobara jumped back.
"What the hell is that?!"
The arm was enormous.
Twisted.
Covered in dark cursed markings.
Then another arm emerged.
And another.
Something massive began climbing out of the pit.
Megumi quickly formed a hand sign.
"Divine Dogs!"
Two shadow wolves burst forward, leaping toward the creature.
But the monster's arm swung violently.
The wolves were knocked back instantly.
The ground shook again.
Then the creature's head rose into the light.
It was enormous.
At least three meters tall.
Its body looked like a mixture of broken desks, chains, and black cursed flesh.
And embedded in its chest—
Four shriveled fingers.
Megumi's expression darkened.
"…Sukuna's fingers."
Akira felt the Echo explode with energy.
The voice in his mind laughed softly.
"Yes."
Sukuna sounded amused.
"Looks like someone tried to collect them."
The creature's eyes opened.
Four glowing red circles.
It looked directly at Akira.
Then it spoke with a distorted voice.
"…Echo… holder."
Akira's heart skipped a beat.
"Why do curses keep saying that…"
The monster climbed fully into the room.
Its massive body crushed desks beneath its weight.
Nobara pulled out several nails.
"Alright. New plan."
Megumi nodded.
"We destroy the fingers."
Akira stepped forward slowly.
The Echo surged around his body.
Dark ripples spread across the floor.
The monster roared and charged forward.
The entire basement shook.
Megumi shouted—
"Now!"
The battle exploded into motion.
And far away—
Inside the halls of
Satoru Gojo's academy—
A faint smile appeared on Gojo's face.
"…So the exam finally reached that stage."
Back in the basement—
Akira raised his fist.
Echo gathered around his arm like vibrating shadows.
The monster swung its massive arm toward him.
Akira didn't move.
He focused.
The rhythm.
The cursed energy.
The pattern.
Echo copied it.
At the last second—
Akira moved.
And the real fight began.