Moonlight pierced the darkness of the forest like a deep and chilling blade.
Under the moonlight, the trees twisted into eerie shapes, their branches stretching toward the sky like ghostly claws, casting ominous shadows.
Beneath the moonlight and above the shadows, Nightmare mismatched golden and crimson eyes shimmered with a sinister gleam, instilling a deep-rooted fear in the hearts of all who looked.
Scarlet blood seeped from her forehead, staining half her face a vivid red, adding a tinge of bloodthirsty madness to her already terrifying presence.
Facing the now completely exhilarated Nightmare, everyone present felt their hearts clench in their throats, eyes fixed intently on her every move.
However, Yuji Itadori, who was sharing vision with Sukuna, was now dumbfoundedly staring at Nightmare true face.
It was an exceptionally beautiful face—even marred by blood and filth, its beauty could not be concealed.
Strangely, Itadori felt he had seen this face somewhere before.
No, he was sure he had seen it somewhere.
A ridiculous feeling began to rise within Itadori heart, gradually overlapping Nightmare appearance with that of another person from his memories.
"Why… why does Nightmare look exactly like Tokisaki?!"
He stared at Nightmare in disbelief, trying desperately to find any differences.
But the more he looked, the more Nightmare and Tokisaki Kurumi features overlapped.
In the end, no matter how much Itadori refused to accept it, he had to admit the truth.
This formidable being, hailed as the most malevolent cursed user of the modern era, actually looked exactly like his classmate, Tokisaki Kurumi!
"No… no no no, this can't be."
An ominous feeling enveloped his heart as he forced himself to believe, "I must not have seen Tokisaki real face in so long that my memory's gotten fuzzy—that's why I'm mistaking Nightmare face."
In truth, over the past month of being with Tokisaki Kurumi, Itadori hadn't seen her real face many times.
Ever since the incident at the Juvenile Detention Center, Tokisaki had worn a human-skin mask to hide her true appearance.
Even though he tried to convince himself, his eyes couldn't help but glance at Megumi Fushiguro behind him.
An eye grew on the back of Sukuna head, and Itadori anxiously looked toward where Fushiguro was standing.
If Fushiguro didn't react strangely, then it really would mean that Itadori had simply forgotten Tokisaki real appearance.
However, Fushiguro reaction shattered that last shred of hope.
Because this usually calm and composed classmate was now just as visibly shocked and bewildered as he was.
"This has to be a joke… right?"
Fushiguro stared in disbelief at Nightmare true face, his Adam's apple bobbing hard.
He had already suspected during the exchange event that Tokisaki Kurumi and Nightmare might share some sort of connection.
But upon seeing that Nightmare and Tokisaki Kurumi had exactly the same face, he was still rendered speechless by the shock.
His gaze involuntarily shifted toward the girl beside him.
At this moment, Tokisaki Kurumi pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes filled with a complex emotion as she looked at Nightmare—one that Fushiguro couldn't comprehend.
"Tokisaki…"
Fushiguro lips moved as if he wanted to ask something.
But when the words reached his mouth, he didn't know how to begin.
"At this point, there's no meaning in hiding it anymore."
Tokisaki Kurumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if summoning tremendous courage to make a decision.
But when she opened her eyes again, they held only determination.
"Nightmare true name is Tokisaki Kurumi," she said, enunciating each word clearly. "And I… am one of the many clones she created through her own technique."
With Tokisaki Kurumi personally revealing her identity, Fushiguro was completely dumbfounded.
Tokisaki… is Nightmare?!
Honestly, ever since the exchange event, he had come up with countless theories about Tokisaki Kurumi identity.
Enemy? Mentor? Blood relative?
But no matter what he thought, he never expected this.
If Tokisaki hadn't said it herself, no one would've guessed it!
Now that her secret was out, many of Fushiguro questions found logical explanations.
So the reason Nightmare couldn't be killed wasn't because she was immortal—it was because she had the ability to create clones!
The Nightmare that Satoru Gojo had killed before… had only been a clone!
And the reason Tokisaki Kurumi had always been avoiding Nightmare… was because Nightmare had been hunting her all along!
Old questions were answered, but new doubts quickly took their place.
"But… Tokisaki, why is Nightmare trying to kill you?" Fushiguro asked, puzzled. "Why are you two enemies?"
"Because of an accident."
Tokisaki gaze drifted, falling into a deep recollection.
Under her narration, Fushiguro soon understood the reason Tokisaki had betrayed Nightmare.
Once, she had fought against a sorcerer who possessed a Domain of the Soul technique.
The outcome was clear: she won.
However, before that sorcerer died, they sacrificed everything to cast a curse upon her.
A curse named [Goodness].
Since then, the kindness and conscience buried deep within Nightmare had gradually overtaken the evil and madness, making this clone an anomaly in the eyes of the others.
She could no longer continue her former acts of cruelty, and thus chose to break away from the group, becoming the only traitor.
After learning the truth about Tokisaki betrayal, Fushiguro felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Moments ago, he had still doubted whether Tokisaki kindness and gentleness were just an act to deceive them.
Now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
The clone before him was the last remnant of Nightmare buried goodness, brought to life.
"If that's true, then you must also know—"
Just as Fushiguro was about to ask more, a heart-wrenching scream came from the battlefield in the distance.
Fushiguro jerked his head around, and the sight caused his pupils to constrict.
Among the four special-grade sorcerers fighting Nightmare, Choso had completely lost the ability to fight and lay on the ground, his fate unknown.
The formation the four had built crumbled rapidly with Choso's fall.
"They were already struggling just to fight Nightmare as four. Now that one is down… they won't last much longer!"
A sense of panic overtook Fushiguro, and he swallowed the question he wanted to ask, replacing it with another: "What about Gojo-sensei? Hasn't he responded to you yet?"
"No."
Tokisaki Kurumi expression turned stormy as she bit her lip. "His phone's busy, and he hasn't replied to my messages either…"
"Damn it! What the hell is he doing?!"
Fushiguro clenched his fists tightly, his frustration and anxiety beyond words.
He had known Satoru Gojo since elementary school.
And he had long understood just how unreliable this so-called strongest sorcerer truly was.
"Just this once… please, Gojo-sensei, I'm begging you to be reliable!"
Fushiguro prayed silently.
But clearly, his prayers were in vain.
As each second passed, even the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna—fighting on the frontlines—began to show signs of fatigue.
"Grragh—!"
Catching a momentary lapse in Sukuna defense, Nightmare struck his unguarded chest with a heavy blow.
The impact snapped several of Sukuna ribs, and he coughed up blood.
Though he immediately activated Reverse Cursed Technique, it was clear to all that he was a spent force.
Choso was already out of the fight.
Uraume and Eso, who had been assisting on the sidelines, had also exhausted themselves and were probably worse off than Sukuna.
They wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
But Satoru Gojo still hadn't shown up, and Yuji Itadori could no longer stay calm—his mindset collapsed entirely.
He couldn't escape anymore.
But at the very least, he had to ensure that Fushiguro and Tokisaki Kurumi got away.
Only, right after he shouted those words, Fushiguro face changed instantly.
"Idiot! Didn't Gojo-sensei specifically tell us not to say Tokisaki name in front of Nightmare?!"
Fushiguro screamed in his heart, desperate.
Before, when the connection between Tokisaki Kurumi and Nightmare wasn't clear, he only vaguely understood why Gojo had warned them.
But now, after learning the full truth about their relationship, he understood Gojo warning on a much deeper level.
Unfortunately, Yuji Itadori had already lost his composure—and forgotten Gojo instructions.
"Tokisaki…?"
The Nightmare, who was pressing the advantage, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
The excitement and madness on her face faded almost instantly. She examined Yuji Itadori with an appraising gaze.
Then, her attention shifted to Megumi Fushiguro and Tokisaki Kurumi not far away.
"Heh… Hahahahaha!"
The Nightmare let out a low chuckle.
However, the suppressed laughter quickly turned into unrestrained hysterics, her mad laughter echoing through the entire forest.
"This really is like a treasure falling right into my lap."
The Nightmare wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes from laughing and focused her attention on Tokisaki Kurumi.
"Stop her!"
Megumi Fushiguro shouted angrily. He formed hand seals, intending to summon a shikigami.
Sukuna had already understood Tokisaki Kurumi true identity the moment the Nightmare revealed her true self. He knew how important she was.
He didn't need Megumi reminder. Using the last of his strength, he charged forward.
Although Choso and Eso didn't know exactly what was going on, the tense atmosphere made it clear what they needed to do.
At that moment, they abandoned their ranged support positions entirely and pounced forward together with Sukuna.
"Domain Expansion."
A smile curled at the corners of the Nightmare mouth. She said calmly, "City of Devoured Time."
In an instant, the shadow beneath her feet boiled and surged in all directions.
A crimson barrier expanded and engulfed everyone present, plunging them into this nightmare-like space.
In this battle, Choso and Eso had expended too much cursed energy. A powerful and irresistible drowsiness flooded their nerves, and they could no longer control their bodies.
They barely managed to stay conscious for a moment before collapsing.
"Kid, help me stay conscious."
Sukuna voice now carried a hint of weakness.
To remain conscious, he had to return control of the body to Yuji Itadori.
The shikigami summoned by Megumi Fushiguro, the owl-like Nue, appeared but seemed drained of all energy. Though it flapped its wings, it couldn't take flight.
"In that case…"
Determination flashed in Megumi eyes. He changed the hand seals, and his entire aura shifted from within.
"I absolutely won't let you…"
Yuji Itadori gaze turned fierce. His fists became shrouded in dark blue cursed energy as he charged toward the Nightmare at full speed.
They had made up their minds.
Even if it cost their lives, they would ensure Tokisaki Kurumi left this place alive!
However, just as they were about to unleash their most powerful attacks—
The Nightmare suddenly uttered two words:
"Qikuo."
In the next moment, both Yuji Itadori mid-charge and Megumi in the middle of changing hand seals suddenly froze as if someone had pressed pause on their bodies.
They could only watch helplessly as the Nightmare slowly walked toward Tokisaki Kurumi—unable to do anything.
A deep despair flooded their hearts.
Back at the Juvenile Detention Center, they had once formed a binding pact with the Nightmare.
When the Nightmare spoke the words [Qikuo], their bodies would, for one minute, obey her unconditionally.
During that one minute, the Nightmare would not kill or harm anyone, nor would she use their bodies to do anything evil.
And indeed, the Nightmare didn't manipulate their bodies to commit any wrongs—she simply froze them in place.
She also didn't kill anyone.
Because the person she was about to kill… was herself.
Yuji Itadori and Megumi wanted to roar in rage, but their paralyzed bodies wouldn't even allow that.
"Let's see how many faces you have."
The Nightmare stepped up beside Tokisaki Kurumi, the corner of her mouth curled into a mocking smile like a cat toying with a mouse.
With a gentle swipe of her finger, the human-skin mask peeled away, revealing Tokisaki Kurumi true face.
"Regret it?" the Nightmare asked with a half-smile. "If you had kept hiding in the shadows, maybe I really wouldn't have found you so soon."
"That would have just been waiting for death anyway."
"True enough," the Nightmare said ambiguously. "So… are you going to resist?"
"Kill me. I won't fight back," Tokisaki Kurumi said, with a trace of pleading in her voice. "But please… I beg you to spare Yuji and Megumi."
"After all, it's a request from me, right? Of course, the kind-hearted Nightmare lady will agree."
"…Thank you."
Tokisaki Kurumi turned to look at Megumi and Yuji. Her eyes dimmed as she said softly:
"I'm sorry. Because of me, you've been dragged into all of this."
Yuji Itadori and Megumi eyes burned with helpless rage, but they could not respond.
Soon, Tokisaki Kurumi forced out one final smile.
"But still… thank you."
Within that smile was a sincere warmth from the bottom of her heart.
"These past days… I've truly been happy."