Yuki Tsukumo stood her ground, one hand on her hip, her cascading blonde hair swaying behind her.
Pouting slightly, she blew a kiss toward the distant Toji and Kenjaku, winking playfully.
Seeing her sudden appearance, Kenjaku's brow furrowed, his expression souring.
In such a dire moment, he hadn't expected the usually lazy Special Grade sorcerer to show up.
It was nothing but more chaos added to the fire.
Unlike him, the Kyoto students, Kusakabe, and Panda were all pinned to the ground by that previous invisible force, their faces twisted in agony.
Itadori being taken meant Sukuna could be resurrected at any moment.
Just as they were falling into despair, Yuki Tsukumo's arrival was a beacon of hope.
"Great! It's Yuki Tsukumo! We're saved!"
"No matter how lazy she is, she's still a Special Grade!"
"With a powerhouse like her here, we still have a chance."
"Maybe we can save Itadori after all."
As Yuki made her grand entrance, Toji tightened his grip, a crisp crack echoing through the air.
The Uraume he held by the neck stopped struggling instantly, their head lolling limply.
Tossing the corpse aside like trash, Toji looked at Yuki with a mocking sneer.
"How should I put this? You're a beauty, for sure, but not my type."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on the corpse at Toji's feet with a look of regret.
"What a shame."
It was unclear what she was referring to.
She opened her mouth to speak again, but her pupils suddenly shrank.
The figure of the Tyrant had vanished from her sight, leaving only the white-haired monk's corpse on the ground.
He disappeared?!
When did that happen? She hadn't seen him move at all!
Before surprise could even register on her face, a wave of pure, cold dread washed over her, as if she'd been plunged into a frozen lake.
'Shit, he's coming for me!'
Feeling the murderous intent clinging to her like a parasite, she whipped her head around, following her instinct.
An incredibly oppressive figure suddenly materialized right beside her.
Toji still wore that same mocking smirk. With one hand in his pocket, he swung his other hand—now a blade—carelessly toward her.
Such incredible speed! So this was the physical prowess of a Heavenly Pact user!
She had no time for any complex reaction and could only instinctively command the serpent-bone shikigami circling her to shield her front.
Yet instead of feeling safe, her soul trembled in terror.
Faced with Yuki's defense, Toji's disdain only grew. He didn't slow down; instead, his hand-blade strike became even more ferocious.
Bang!
A heavy thud sounded, followed by the faint sound of bones snapping.
Yuki's body, along with the bone serpent, was sent hurtling backward!
'How can he possess such monstrous strength?!'
She crashed onto the ground, sliding through the dirt and carving a deep trench before tumbling several times and finally coming to a halt.
"Pfft!"
Feeling her internal organs screaming in pain, Yuki vomited blood. She could no longer support herself and lay collapsed on the ground.
As her consciousness flickered, her eyes lost focus, and her vision became blurred as if covered by a thick mist.
Toji's figure in the distance began to double and triple.
One hit!
A single blow had completely defeated her, leaving her no time to even activate her technique!
To think he was this powerful!
How did Gojo Satoru ever manage to beat this man back then?!
"Hm? Not dead after one hit, I see."
Sensing that Yuki was still alive, Toji looked a bit surprised. He stared at his hand and flexed his grip a couple of times.
He quickly realized what happened.
"That bone snake must have soaked up most of the impact. You got lucky."
"Whatever. You're just trash not worth my time anyway."
The exchange between them couldn't even be called a fight; it was an utterly boring, one-sided annihilation.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
The other sorcerers on the field hadn't even processed it, let alone seen it clearly.
They lay on the ground, eyes wide with disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
"What... what just happened?"
"I couldn't even see what Zen'in Toji did!"
"Yuki Tsukumo was defeated?"
"How is that possible? She's a Special Grade!"
All they saw was Toji blur and vanish, only for Yuki to be sent flying, now lying still with her life hanging by a thread.
Meanwhile, Toji had instantly appeared right where she had been standing.
Seeing Toji defeat Yuki with a casual wave of his hand, Kenjaku's face darkened.
Even with the physical gifts of the Heavenly Pact, defeating a world-class Special Grade in a single instant was too much.
Based on Geto Suguru's memories, the Zen'in Toji of the past was strong, but clearly nowhere near this level.
Could it be... that after dying, he gained a new power from the Soul Reaper?
It had to be. There was no other explanation!
That was the only way Zen'in Toji could possess power that transcended the Heavenly Pact!
Defeating a Special Grade was just a casual task for Toji, nothing to dwell on.
He withdrew his hand and, with a flicker of movement, appeared beside Uchiha Ming.
Glancing at the struggling Itadori Yuji, Toji looked dissatisfied.
"We've got Sukuna now. Where's that money-grubbing girl? She hasn't arrived yet?"
"How much longer are we supposed to wait?"
Uchiha Ming casually set Itadori down, his face as calm as ever.
"I saw her in Shibuya earlier. She should be here any moment."
"Then we wait a bit longer. She'd better not keep me waiting much more."
Toji grumbled, kicking the prone Mahito.
"Mmph... hngh..."
Mahito squeezed out a pained moan from his throat, his face a miserable mess of blood and tears.
The other sorcerers were too far away to hear Toji's voice clearly; they only saw him speaking to the empty air beside him.
But Kenjaku was close enough. Though he couldn't hear Uchiha Ming, he heard Toji perfectly.
'A money-grubbing woman... does he mean Mei Mei?'
'Why mention her? And what does the Soul Reaper want with Sukuna and Mahito?'
He lacked too much information. He knew nothing about the Soul Reapers, Toji, or the others, making it impossible to analyze the situation.
If anything, there was a more pressing matter right in front of him.
'Toji's group clearly isn't interested in me right now. Should I take the chance to leave?'
If he left now, Sukuna and Mahito would remain in their hands. The thought of leaving them behind left a bitter taste in his mouth.
But if it came to a fight, he stood no chance.
'What should I do...'
'I have to run.'
Though losing Sukuna and Mahito was a massive blow, if he died here, his ideals would be extinguished forever.
As long as he lived, there was hope!
Having made his decision, Kenjaku didn't hesitate. He took a soft step back, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid drawing attention.
But the moment he moved, a voice that sounded like Takehito Koyasu's rang out.
"Hold it. Where do you think you're going?"
"You're not allowed to leave yet. Stay right where you are."
Kenjaku's movements were subtle, but they couldn't escape Toji's superhuman senses.
The instant Kenjaku took a step, Toji caught the slight sound, turned his head, and barked the order.
Kenjaku wasn't part of the requested targets, but the man was clearly unique. Better to keep him around.
He might prove useful later.
Seeing Toji's cold, mocking gaze fixed on him, Kenjaku froze in his tracks and slowly raised his hands.
"I'm not moving... I won't go anywhere!"
This was bad!
He was being held by the Soul Reaper's side!
Toji nodded in satisfaction at Kenjaku's compliance.
Beside him, Uchiha Ming said, "It's good to keep him. Mayuri Kurotsuchi will likely find him very interesting."
"Who doesn't that freak find interesting?"
At the mention of that name, Toji's face darkened.
He still had vivid memories of that madman strapping him to an operating table for "treatment" while performing all sorts of experiments on him.
The post-op results were good, but the process was... hard to accept.
If Mayuri weren't useful and held some status in Ren's eyes, Toji would have given him a piece of his mind long ago!
He seemed to remember something and turned to Uchiha Ming.
"From the sounds of it, that lunatic is coming too?"
"Yes." Uchiha Ming nodded, kicking Mahito at his feet. "He's quite intrigued by Mahito's soul-altering technique."
After a pause, he continued, "Not just him. I received word earlier that Lord Ren himself will be descending upon this world."
"The Boss? Why is he coming?"
Toji looked surprised, a hint of reminiscence appearing on his face.
"I thought his kid was about to be born? Instead of staying home to keep watch, he's coming all the way out here."
He then looked down at the grounded Itadori Yuji.
"Is it for this kid?"
"Most likely."
The two spoke in low tones.
Suddenly, Toji raised his hand, signaling Ming to stop talking.
He turned his head to look into the distance, his eyebrows arching.
"The girl is here."
Uchiha Ming followed Toji's gaze. Though he couldn't see her yet, he could feel a presence rapidly approaching.
Before long, a figure carrying a massive battle-axe appeared in their field of vision.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
Accompanied by the cries of crows, Mei Mei walked out of the dim distance.
The sorcerers had mixed reactions upon seeing her.
"Miss Mei Mei! She's here!"
"Mei Mei is strong, but..."
"Even Yuki Tsukumo was beaten. What difference can she make?"
"Wait, she's heading the wrong way! Is she not on our side?"
To the shock of the onlookers, Mei Mei carried her axe with an elegant stride and walked straight up to Toji.
"My apologies, gentlemen. I'm late."
She glanced at Kenjaku with a smile.
"This classmate of Geto's caused me quite a bit of trouble, but fortunately, everything has been settled."
Seeing Mei Mei's stance, Kenjaku grit his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm.
His guess had been right.
The person Toji spoke of was indeed Mei Mei!
It seemed she had cleared out the horde of cursed spirits he'd left behind before coming here.
However, it was clear that Mei Mei and Toji had planned this encounter in advance. But what was their goal?
Mei Mei lowered her eyes slightly, her gaze passing over Mahito before settling on Itadori Yuji.
"Young Itadori, we meet again after parting ways at the station."
"Ugh... mmmph!"
With his mouth sealed, Itadori could only manage low growls.
His bloody, determined face was filled with utter disbelief.
He stared intensely at Mei Mei, his eyes screaming a silent question.
Mei Mei seemed to read the intent in his gaze and gave a light chuckle.
"Don't worry, young Itadori. I'm not going to hurt you."
"In fact, this might be your precious chance to escape this sea of suffering."
Toji stepped forward, interrupting them.
He looked at Mei Mei and asked, "Since you kept us waiting so long, I assume you brought it?"
"Of course."
Mei Mei slammed her axe into the ground and pulled a bulky paper-wrapped package from her clothes.
Upon opening it, the contents were revealed.
Two fingers, larger than a normal human's, deep red in color with sharp black nails, their surfaces coated in a layer of waxy oil.
Sukuna's fingers!
Seeing the two fingers, Kenjaku's eyes widened as he turned to look at Itadori on the ground.
The situation was clear: the Soul Reapers' target was Sukuna!
Mei Mei said, "I've spent quite a bit of effort over the years to find these two in secret."
"Once Itadori consumes these, he should have seventeen fingers. I simply couldn't find the remaining three on such short notice."
Toji picked one up to examine it, looking disgusted.
"So this is Sukuna's finger? It looks revolting."
He crouched down to look at the struggling Itadori, a hint of admiration on his face.
"You actually ate these things? You've got guts."
Uchiha Ming crossed his arms, sounding hesitant. "Three are still missing. I wonder if the Lord will be satisfied..."
"Why not just ask him when he gets here?"
As Toji spoke, he suddenly stood up and looked toward the sky.
"He's coming."
Uchiha Ming sensed a peculiar ripple in the air and followed suit, snapping his head upward.
"This feeling... the Lord is descending!"
The night sky had sparse clouds, and the waning moon hung high above, its light dimmed by a thin veil of mist.
In the gloomy expanse, it felt as if something was about to manifest.
Having heard Toji's words clearly, Kenjaku's anxiety spiked.
'What... who is coming? Is it really a Soul Reaper?'
'A Soul Reaper is descending to the mortal world?!'
He too looked up, following Toji's gaze, but saw only the hazy moon.
At that moment, the sky underwent a bizarre transformation.
The curtain of the night sky began to peel back, revealing curved folds.
Even the moon above was affected, distorting in an impossible manner.
"The atmosphere... no, space itself is warping!"
"How can such a thing be possible..."
Kenjaku's eyes trembled, and goosebumps broke out across his skin as cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
As the sky was pulled back like a curtain, a pitch-black, chaotic void was revealed.
The sorcerers on the field all gasped, their faces filled with pure shock.
"W-what is that?"
"Is it some kind of natural phenomenon?"
"...Or does it have something to do with Zen'in Toji?"
"What will happen to us... to the world?"
To be able to manipulate the very sky—even Gojo Satoru, the strongest they knew, likely couldn't achieve such a feat.
Hidden from their sight, the Soul Reaper was descending upon this world once more!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]