"Excuse me… do you like red bean bread?"
Just as Yagami Sora and Hana Kurusu had reached a tentative agreement—and the atmosphere was still slightly tense—a very abrupt voice suddenly broke the silence.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.
A man wearing a ridiculous red-and-blue bodysuit and strange face paint had appeared nearby.
His appearance was unbelievably bizarre.
He was half-naked, wearing tight pants, holding a folding paper fan like a stage prop.
"…Who is that?"
Megumi Fushiguro's lips twitched.
Inside the Culling Game barrier—where ancient sorcerers and murderous players fought to the death—the sudden appearance of someone who looked like a circus clown felt completely surreal.
"Looks like a pervert."
Hana Kurusu commented bluntly.
She even stepped back subconsciously.
"Hey! Don't be so cold!"
The man—Fumihiko Takaba—dramatically clutched his chest like a wounded actor.
"I'm a champion of justice! Born to bring laughter to this despair-filled world!"
"Although… my stage name hasn't been decided yet."
"But that's fine! As long as everyone laughs!"
He suddenly made an exaggerated face.
"Pfft—"
Silence.
Total silence.
No one laughed.
Even the wind stopped.
Somewhere overhead, a crow awkwardly flew past.
"…."
Takaba froze.
A drop of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead.
"Uh… looks like that joke bombed."
He scratched his head awkwardly.
Then suddenly—
"Hahahaha!"
A burst of loud laughter echoed across the ruins.
Everyone turned in shock.
The person laughing…
Was Yagami Sora.
"That's pretty funny."
Sora clapped his hands, laughing openly.
"The nonsensical opening line actually works."
"Really?!"
Takaba's eyes sparkled instantly.
"You think so too?!"
"That was my carefully crafted 'Red Bean Bread Superman Falls From The Sky' gag!"
"Very creative."
Sora nodded.
But deep inside his eyes—
A calculating glint flashed.
Because unlike everyone else—
He could sense it.
The cursed energy surrounding Takaba was… wrong.
It didn't behave like normal cursed energy.
It behaved like a rule.
A terrifying rule capable of distorting reality itself.
Comedian.
Takaba's cursed technique.
A conceptual ability so powerful that anything Takaba genuinely believes is funny becomes reality.
Even events that defy logic or cursed energy mechanics.
Unfortunately…
The user himself had absolutely no idea how broken his power was.
"Since you appreciate my humor!"
Takaba excitedly waved his paper fan.
"I'll perform a special trick that'll make you laugh until your stomach explodes!"
Right then—
BOOM!
A massive explosion interrupted him.
A gigantic fireball descended from the sky.
"Watch out!"
Megumi's expression changed as he prepared to summon shikigami.
But Yagami Sora didn't move.
Instead—
He kept watching Takaba with interest.
"O-OUCH!"
Takaba jumped in surprise.
His paper fan flew out of his hand.
"W-wait! Are those special effects?!"
He stared at the gigantic incoming fireball.
Then a strange thought crossed his mind.
"If this is stage effects… it's incredibly realistic!"
"And if a fireball that big burns a hole through my pants and exposes my butt…"
"…that'd be super embarrassing!"
"Pfft."
The moment that thought formed—
The massive destructive fireball—
Capable of leveling an entire building—
Suddenly transformed.
Into a giant pink cotton candy.
Plop.
The cotton candy bounced harmlessly on the ground.
A sweet strawberry scent filled the air.
Silence.
Megumi froze.
Hana Kurusu froze.
Yuji Itadori froze.
Even the ancient sorcerer who launched the attack—
A reincarnated player who controlled fire—
Stood completely dumbfounded.
"W-WHAT?!"
He rushed out from behind the ruins.
"My Exploding Inferno technique…!"
"How did it turn into cotton candy?!"
"What kind of cursed technique is that?!"
"Ooooh! Cotton candy!"
Takaba ran over excitedly.
He tore off a piece and ate it.
"Mmm!"
"Strawberry flavor!"
"Delicious!"
"YOU DARE HUMILIATE ME!"
The ancient sorcerer roared in rage.
His cursed energy surged violently.
"Burn to ashes!"
"Domain Expansion—"
"Scorching Inferno!"
BOOM!
The surroundings transformed instantly.
Temperature skyrocketed.
The ground melted into magma.
Countless serpents of flame coiled through the air.
This was a true Domain Expansion.
Inside a domain—
The user's cursed technique is guaranteed to hit.
"Oh no—"
Megumi's expression turned serious.
"Yagami! Counter with a domain!"
But Sora remained completely calm.
Instead he turned toward Takaba.
With a mischievous grin.
"Hey, comedian."
"Doesn't this scene feel like a tokusatsu movie?"
Takaba blinked.
"A tokusatsu movie?"
Then realization struck.
"Oh yeah!"
"A monster appears and traps the hero in a sea of flames!"
"According to the script…"
"It should start raining now!"
"And not just rain!"
"Super dramatic torrential rain that puts out all the fire!"
"And there should definitely be sad background music!"
As his words ended—
The sky changed.
Dark clouds gathered instantly.
Then—
WHOOSH.
A torrential downpour began.
But this rain was strange.
Every drop carried an intense chill.
"Sssss—"
The blazing fire serpents were instantly extinguished.
Even the Domain Expansion itself began collapsing.
The raging inferno vanished beneath the unnatural storm.
The ancient sorcerer stared in horror.
"My domain…!"
"…was extinguished by rain?!"
"What kind of ridiculous logic is this?!"
"It's not over yet."
Sora pointed at the stunned sorcerer.
Grinning mischievously.
"Look at his face."
"Doesn't he look like a guy who forgot his umbrella and got completely soaked?"
"PFFT—!"
Takaba burst into hysterical laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"That's perfect!"
"And look at his hair!"
"It's all messed up by the rain!"
"He looks like wet seaweed!"
"And—"
Takaba's imagination continued running wild.
"If he suddenly slipped and fell flat on his face…"
"…that would be hilarious!"
Right then—
"Ow!"
The ancient sorcerer suddenly slipped.
On perfectly flat ground.
Despite being a centuries-old battle veteran.
He flew forward like someone who stepped on a banana peel.
CRASH.
Face first.
Directly into a muddy puddle.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Takaba rolled on the ground laughing.
"This is the best slapstick scene of the year!"
The unlucky sorcerer lay face-down in the mud.
His entire body twitched.
When he tried to stand—
He realized something terrifying.
His cursed energy was gone.
As if the fall had erased it completely.
"This… what kind of technique…"
That was the final thought before he lost consciousness.
It was absurd.
Illogical.
Utterly unreasonable.
"Alright."
Yagami Sora snapped his fingers.
The strange rain immediately stopped.
He walked toward Takaba and extended his hand.
"Excellent performance."
"Interested in joining our troupe?"
"We're planning to save the world."
"And along the way…"
"…turn the strongest final boss into a punchline."
Takaba blinked.
Then grabbed Sora's hand enthusiastically.
"Of course!"
"Saving the world is such a cliché script!"
"But with my jokes…"
"It'll become hilarious!"
Watching this unfold—
Megumi and Hana exchanged stunned looks.
They suddenly realized something.
Compared to Sukuna—
These two together…
Were far more terrifying.
A comedian who could rewrite reality.
And a monster who controlled every vector in existence.
This combination…
Was absolutely unstoppable.