"So, what's your choice?"
Nozomi stood silently before the grotesque Tree of Human Heads. The air was thick with cursed energy, and the pressure weighed heavily on James. It was like a blade hanging over his head—one wrong move, and it would fall.
But James ignored him.
Instead, he turned to Fushiguro Shigeki, who was still slowly retreating.
"Let's work together. I'll split my bounty with you—however much it is."
Shigeki paused for just a moment but kept stepping back.
James added calmly, "I'll throw in Gojo Satoru's share too."
Snap.
Fushiguro's foot cracked a rock beneath him. He stopped.
He began thinking fast.
"How do I know you won't kill me after we finish him off?"
"We can bind the deal," James said without hesitation.
Shigeki glanced at Nozomi, then back at James. He quickly calculated the odds and realized something important—this deal was doable. The gap in strength between the sides was widening by the second.
"…Deal."
Boom!
He raised the Tensakiboko high above his head, cursed energy flaring.
"So, my choice is to blow you up!"
James flashed forward instantly, appearing beside Shigeki. Nozomi's face twisted in alarm. An immense gravitational wave pulsed outward—within a hundred meters, the ground cracked and compressed, flattened like metal under pressure.
The sky fell.
But both James and Shigeki—now standing side by side—were untouched.
Despite the guaranteed-hit nature of Nozomi's gravity technique, the Tensakiboko nullified it on contact.
The technique did hit. But its effects were completely canceled.
That sword… It's overpowered. Definitely a special-grade cursed tool.
There was no doubt—Tensakiboko was insane. If Fushiguro Shigeki's body was a legendary weapon, then Tensakiboko was the invincible shield that kept him alive. Especially considering Shigeki had no ability to reverse cursed techniques—once hurt, he stayed hurt.
Nozomi had seen that sword deflect James's attacks earlier. But he had no time to admire it now.
The two advanced—like two war machines barreling toward him. Their oppressive force distorted the air.
If that sword touches me, my technique is gone. But what if they can't reach me?
Suddenly, the battlefield changed.
Chunks of earth, loosened by earlier quakes, floated into the air. Rocks as large as cars hovered like balloons.
Nozomi thrust both arms forward, and with explosive force, the rocks were launched straight at the duo like missiles.
Let's see how long you can rely on that blade!
If they stopped using Tensakiboko, he could crush them outright. But if they kept using it, he could spam gravity attacks.
Just because something floats doesn't mean it lacks mass.
And mass… hurts.
Sword energy burst out from both James and Shigeki. Giant rocks were cleaved into shrapnel—but even then, smaller fragments still flew at them like razor blades.
The two slowed slightly to dodge.
Nozomi grinned.
Gravity Shift!
The floating stones in the sky came crashing down like meteor showers. Large ones smashed into the earth like cannonballs. Smaller pieces screamed like bullets.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
James felt a sting as a sharp shard cut across his cheek.
"Revolving Heaven!"
A vortex of sword energy burst around him. The high-speed spin deflected every incoming object, creating a barrier of wind and light.
But Nozomi changed gravity again, and more stone storms fell from above.
I'll crush you to exhaustion!
Dust and debris engulfed the battlefield. To the untrained eye, it looked like a modern military airstrike.
The ground was a minefield of craters.
Suddenly, a silhouette burst from the smoke—Fushiguro Shigeki, grinning wildly.
The cursed spirit on his shoulder spat out a second sword—long and stained crimson.
He now held Tensakiboko in his left hand and a new sword in his right.
The Soul-Devouring Blade.
A cursed tool that ignored physical defenses and slashed directly at the soul.
Nozomi's instincts screamed in warning.
That sword… if it hits me, I'm finished!
Why didn't he use that earlier!?
He cursed internally, but he had no time to dwell. He triggered another gravity reversal.
The ground splintered. Everyone floated—hopping across levitating stones, each step drawing them closer to him.
And yet, he still scoffed. Who were they fighting? James? Fushiguro Shigeki? So what? I'm Nozomi. I don't lose to brawlers! I manipulate the battlefield!
The Soul-Devouring Blade carved through boulders like butter, sending massive dust clouds into the air.
With the constant switching of gravity, dust now hung midair. It didn't rise. It didn't fall. Visibility dropped to near zero.
Nozomi used gravity to block Shigeki's advance, but he never lost focus—because…
James had vanished.
Multiple techniques layered. Even with James's durability, he should've been heavily injured.
But in the swirling dust, James crouched low, forming a seal.
A dim blue aura shimmered around him.
Simple Domain.
It couldn't attack. Only defend. But it had huge advantages—easier to master, and most importantly, it didn't consume cursed energy like a full Domain Expansion.
No spell meltdown. No drawbacks.
Rumble. Boom. Crack!
Explosions echoed nearby. Shigeki was in a full-blown fight with Nozomi.
James, however, could see it all clearly.
His Transparent World vision cut through the fog. He could see Shigeki's wounds—each one small, but stacking up.
He crouched lower, erasing his presence.
Quietly. Steadily. He moved in.
Then, with a whisper, he spoke:
"If you keep this up, you're going to die. How about you just walk away? Everybody wins."
Nozomi, sensing danger, tried one last time to negotiate with Shigeki.
But Shigeki stared at him like he was stupid.
With Tensakiboko, he could defend or attack. As long as James paid, he'd make enough money to coast for a long time.
Not that he needed money, but still—money's money.
He wasn't good at making money with this stitched-up face anyway. That was a side effect of his technique—a curse that forced his possession power to come with a cost: unmistakable, disfiguring stitches.
It's balance, James would say later. The uglier you are, the stronger the curse.
Then—
Warning bells exploded in Nozomi's mind.
Death was close.
In the fog—James struck.
With Shunshin, two black lightning bolts flared from his shoulders like wings.
His fists clenched. Cursed energy flooded both arms.
Shunpo!
"I'll elbow you to death."
"Double Bones!"
The voice was cold—calm—deadly.
Nozomi froze, as if thrown into an ice bath. He saw it—the end.
He panicked, opened his skull, and launched his brain upward, like a fighter jet's escape capsule.
BOOM.
Two fists kissed his body.
A light tap.
A pause.
Then—
KABOOOOOM!!!!!
The world exploded.
Everything within hundreds of meters was reduced to ash.
The shockwave flattened everything.
Dust rolled across the land like a tsunami.
Even Shigeki had to brace against the wind.
James stood calmly, brushing dust from his sleeve.
Satisfying.
Nozomi never even had a chance to awaken the cursed fetus. Any hesitation—0.01 seconds—and he was dust.
From behind, Shigeki approached with a smirk.
"So… how are we doing this? Cash or card?"
James sighed.
Of course, he was Fushiguro Megumi's father—same dumb attitude.
Sure, I said I'd pay, but I never said I wouldn't beat you up afterward…
James thought for a second, then let it go.
Fine. For Megumi's sake.
"Actually, I've got a favor."
---
Later...
"Huh? He sent you here… with this bill?"
Gojo Satoru was lounging with Geto Suguru and Tenno Riko when Shigeki arrived without ceremony.
The letter was simple.
Just one word, inked boldly across the paper:
"Come."
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