The dust slowly settled. Juzo Kumiya climbed up from the ground, his apron covered in wood chips and dirt.
"Ptooi."
He spat out a mouthful of bloody froth mixed with a tooth and raised his hand to wipe his lips.
This brat can land a Black Flash so easily? Are you kidding me? That bastard Geto didn't tell me this at all!
Tch, my tooth...
"I still have to go find Satoru Gojo later. You two brats—don't waste my time!"
"...Find Gojo-sensei?"
Yuji was puzzled.
"That's right. I'm going to turn Satoru Gojo into a coat rack. With his height, he'll surely make a fine one."
A wicked smile appeared on Juzo Kumiya's face.
"You've angered me, brat. After I capture you, I've decided to torture you thoroughly before reuniting you with your teacher."
Juzo Kumiya was a complete pervert. He would bring men with large builds and strong skeletons to his home, skin them, extract and clean their bones, and then turn them into coat racks.
Even to Yuji Itadori—who never killed humans—this guy was an unforgivable existence.
For some reason, the curse user forces Kenjaku sent to this exchange event were stronger than in his past life. If nothing unexpected happened, Megumi Fushiguro, Maki Zenin, and the others should have encountered Hanami by now.
Yuji had to hurry over to support them.
Therefore, this time—even against two humans—he wouldn't hold back or show any mercy.
Yuji and Aoi Todo turned sideways together, both taking a half step back, bending their knees, assuming fighting stances.
"..."
Meanwhile, Jiro Awasaka also stood up from another pile of rubble. He patted the dust off his body—but to Yuji and Aoi Todo's surprise, besides some dust...
"Unharmed?"
Aoi Todo was shocked.
"Impossible. I kicked him with full force just now."
"I'm a bounty hunter." Jiro Awasaka snorted coldly. "If I didn't have some skills, I would've died eight hundred times over."
Not just Aoi Todo—Yuji was also surprised.
However, considering he was a Grade 1 curse user, having such an ability was normal.
"It's probably the effect of his innate technique. Likely something that grants immunity to physical attacks."
Yuji was experienced enough now to guess the guy's technique type in a single encounter.
I feel like I've seen this guy somewhere before...
Jiro Awasaka looked up, eyes sinister and sharp like a provoked vulture.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Oh, he seems angry." Yuji said.
"Obviously. Probably because you mocked the hole in his sock." Aoi Todo smiled and nodded.
"But seriously, a haramaki with white socks looks a bit like a sumo wrestler."
"Not really. Sumo wrestlers wear a mawashi, not a haramaki. And they don't wear white socks."
"Hm... then he's not seasoned enough."
Yuji shook his head. Unlike him—who'd been seasoned for sixty-eight years and could now elbow Mahito and subdue Sukuna.
"Seasoned my ass!"
Under the relentless verbal barrage, Jiro Awasaka finally snapped. "Damn it! Are you two bastards ignoring my existence? Sumo wrestler? I have a samurai topknot! You two ignorant brats!"
He grabbed his cursed tool knife and charged at them in a rage.
"I'll cut your mouths off!"
Jiro Awasaka sprinted right in front of Aoi Todo. Because he was somewhat immune to physical attacks, his fighting style was extremely reckless. Perhaps he didn't know that Aoi Todo's clapping swap had absolutely no cooldown—it only required completing the action of clapping.
Just as Jiro Awasaka arrived, Aoi Todo raised his hands.
CLAP!
He swapped the positions of Jiro Awasaka and Juzo Kumiya.
Jiro Awasaka, swapped away, lost his balance and fell flat on his face. The clapping swap was so fast that Juzo Kumiya didn't even have time to react before Yuji's fists were covered in a layer of blood armor, cyan cursed energy burning like flames.
Juzo Kumiya's eyes widened in astonishment.
No way? Me again?!
"Black Flash!"
BANG!
Yuji smashed his fist into Juzo Kumiya's abdomen. The latter's face instantly twisted in pain, his torso arching like a shrimp. A large mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth.
"BLERGH—!"
"Not done yet!"
BANG!
Aoi Todo landed a hook on Juzo Kumiya's jaw, sending his head snapping to the side.
Yuji followed up again. He grabbed Juzo Kumiya's shoulder, pulled his head down toward his raised knee, and delivered a vicious knee strike—
"Black Flash!"
BANG!
Juzo Kumiya saw stars, eyes rolling back. The moment Yuji let go, his body fell backward uncontrollably.
But before he could fall as he wished, Todo kicked him in the back of the head.
BANG!
Juzo Kumiya's world spun from the kick. Before he could recover, Yuji's Black Flash arrived.
"Black Flash!"
BANG!
The two attacked from left and right, alternating punches and kicks. Juzo Kumiya's body bounced back and forth between Yuji and Todo like a ping-pong ball being smashed by two champions.
"Black Flash!"
BANG!
You want to make coat racks?
"Black Flash!"
BANG!
You want to fight Satoru Gojo?
"Black Flash, Black Flash, Black Flash!"
You're a soldier brought by Kenjaku?
"Damn! Enemy! Damn! Enemy! Hit him!"
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG—!
Under the double-teaming, Juzo Kumiya completely lost consciousness. Yuji raised his fist, landing the final blow on his chest.
BANG—!
An invisible shockwave exploded in the air, sending surrounding rubble flying into the sky. Juzo Kumiya flew backward like a ragdoll, smashing through several tree trunks and rocks before collapsing unconscious beside a tree.
Unable to fight anymore.
"So weak. Is this guy really a Grade 1 curse user? He feels far inferior to Naoya Zenin... maybe on the same level as Fushiguro."
Yuji casually dusted off his hands. Todo gave a thumbs-up and wiped blood off his face.
"I think you're overestimating that Fushiguro kid a bit."
Todo had also met Megumi Fushiguro earlier. He felt that the so-called genius who'd enrolled as a Grade 2 sorcerer was nothing special.
Not as good as his Grade 1 sorcerer brother who'd only been enrolled for five days.
"Fushiguro is strong too. He just needs time to get seasoned."
After Yuji finished speaking, the two looked at Jiro Awasaka.
"Your turn."
They spoke in unison. Even though their tone was flat, it gave off the feeling of being targeted by demons.
"..."
Two perverts.
Cold sweat slid down Jiro Awasaka's forehead and dripped from his chin. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
Damn it. What exactly is the origin of this gorilla's technique?
And that Juzo Kumiya—isn't he a Grade 1 curse user? Going down so easily...
At this moment, only one thought remained in Jiro Awasaka's mind.
Shhh... can we make peace?
On the other side of the forest.
"Damn it! Why would a Special Grade curse suddenly appear here?!"
Three figures were running frantically through the forest. Megumi Fushiguro ran in the middle, Maki Zenin in front, and Noritoshi Kamo—who had just been fighting Megumi moments ago—brought up the rear.
As for why the three had suddenly stopped fighting...
It all stemmed from the completely pale Special Grade curse, Hanami, closely tailing them.
A curse born from humanity's fear of forests.
Hanami silently raised its right hand, gently tracing a line in the air with its fingertip. A thick tree root burst from the ground, whipping toward the three like a giant python.
"Dodge!"
The three clumsily evaded the whipping attacks. Megumi stumbled, then continued running desperately forward.
Clearly, the three were also playing "Run, Kasumi Miwa, Run."
"Turn left!"
At an upcoming corner, Noritoshi Kamo directed the other two to hide in the bushes on the left.
"This won't work if we keep going like this!" Noritoshi Kamo panted, voice hoarse. "It's faster than us. We'll be caught sooner or later."
"I'll try to use Piercing Blood to stop it. You guys go first!"
Noritoshi Kamo stopped abruptly, his left foot carving a long mark in the ground as he braked. He turned around, clapping his hands together.
"Convergence."
"Piercing Blood!"
Scarlet blood gathered into an orb in his hands, then condensed into a slender blood arrow.
The blood arrow tore through the air, flying straight for Hanami's head.
BANG!
Crack...
But the move seemed ineffective. Unlike Yuji's Piercing Blood, Noritoshi Kamo's only managed to leave a small gash on Hanami's face.
"Damn it..."
Noritoshi Kamo wanted to turn and run again—but at that moment, he felt a tightening sensation around his ankle.
He looked down. A tree branch as thick as an arm had emerged from the ground at some point, wrapping around his calf like a snake.
"Kamo-senpai!"
Megumi's shout came from nearby. When Noritoshi Kamo looked up again, a shadow loomed over his head.
The two-meter-tall, completely pale humanoid Special Grade curse arrived in front of him. A fist larger than his head came crashing down—
BANG!
The tree root on Noritoshi Kamo's ankle snapped from the impact. He was sent flying by Hanami's swinging punch, eventually crashing into the distant bushes and falling unconscious.
"Hey! Kamo-senpai!"
Seeing this, Megumi and Maki quickly stopped. Both their faces were covered in cold sweat.
"Damn it. Even though I don't like that guy either—we can't just leave him and run."
Maki gripped her cursed tool katana tightly, expression solemn.
If we keep running like this, we'll be caught sooner or later. We might as well risk it...
Megumi gritted his teeth.
No—the gap in strength is too big. This thing is a Special Grade curse.
But if this continues, not just Kamo-senpai—Maki-senpai will die too...
Is the pressure on me?
The spiky-haired boy hesitated, forming the hand sign symbolizing Mahoraga's subjugation ritual.
At least if I do this, I'll be the only one to die.
Megumi fell into hesitation.
Itadori must be having a hard time protecting himself over there. I can't count on him... I originally wanted to go help him, but now I can't even protect myself. Damn it! Gojo-sensei's presence is gone too—he might be trapped outside the Curtain. We've been running for so long. There shouldn't be any other students nearby who can help.
In other words, my only choice now is to exorcise this Special Grade curse.
Should I do it? Here?
Damn it...
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