Smoke and dust filled the air.
The air was thick with the smell of charring.
A massive ravine lay across the center of the forest.
Mechamaru's puppet was completely scrapped.
Caught in the aftershock of "Hollow Purple," it had been blown directly into scattered parts, with only a deformed head rolling off to the side.
Beside a broken tree.
Lynn lay amidst the ruins.
That expensive, high-end custom suit was now in tatters, hanging off him like a rag.
His hair was messy and covered in dust, with a trace of bright red blood clinging to the corner of his mouth.
He looked incredibly miserable.
"Cough, cough..."
Lynn clutched his chest, letting out a weak cough.
Although he was truly injured and it really hurt, it certainly wasn't as life-threatening as it appeared on the surface.
After all, the target of the Hollow Purple wasn't him.
"Are you alright?!"
A familiar voice rang out.
In the next second, the surrounding space warped.
That white-haired figure appeared before Lynn
Satoru Gojo
He wasn't wearing his blindfold.
Those azure "Six Eyes" were like translucent gemstones.
He scanned the surrounding mess.
He saw the destroyed Treasure Vault gate, the remnants of Cursed Spirits on the ground, and finally, his gaze fixed on the gasping Lynn
"Mr. Gojo
Lynn
"I'm sorry... cough... I couldn't stop them."
With a trembling hand, he pointed to the empty Treasure Vault
"There were two... Special Grade
"One guy with stitches all over his face, and another... a one-eyed volcano-head with smoke coming out of the top."
"They... coordinated too well."
"They took all the fingers, and those three sealed Cursed Wombs."
Gojo's gaze lingered on Lynn for a few seconds.
The information fed back by the Six Eyes showed that the Cursed Energy in Lynn's body was nearly depleted, and his internal organs had suffered from the shock; he had indeed been through a life-and-death struggle.
There was no sign of lying.
Gojo's expression darkened, but that gloom was not directed at Lynn.
"Mahito and Jogo, huh..."
He looked at the injuries on Lynn's body, and the chill in his eyes dissipated slightly.
In his view, Lynn was just an "ordinary merchant" with the strength of a First-Grade Sorcerer.
To survive an ambush by two Special Grade Cursed Spirits with Domains and perfect coordination, and to hold out until he arrived...
This was more than just doing his best.
It was a miracle.
"You did well."
Gojo crouched down and reached out to pat Lynn's shoulder.
"To survive in that situation, you've already proven your worth."
"Get some rest."
Gojo stood up, his gaze turning toward the depths of the forest, killing intent surging.
"Leave the rest... to me."
With that, his figure vanished instantly, racing off in pursuit of the remaining traces of Cursed Energy.
Watching the direction Gojo disappeared, the pained curve at the corner of Lynn's mouth changed imperceptibly.
I made it through... A few minutes ago.
On the other side of the forest battlefield.
Hanami was currently locked in a hard-fought battle.
Maki Zen'in, Megumi Fushiguro, Aoi Todo, and Kamo Noritoshi.
This group of students who hadn't even graduated yet were exploding with incredible combat power.
Especially Maki Zen'in.
The Special Grade Cursed Tool [playful cloud] in Maki Zen'in's hands was swung so fast it was airtight, each strike carrying the force of a thousand pounds, smashing heavily against Hanami's hard skin.
*Crack!*
Hanami's proud left arm was snapped clean off by Maki Zen'in, purple blood splattering.
"Damned humans..."
Hanami clutched the severed arm and retreated, alarm bells ringing in its heart.
No matter what, it had to leave!
"Domain Expan—"
Just as Hanami was about to risk everything on a Domain Expansion, it suddenly felt a terrifying killing intent that froze its very soul, locking onto it from afar.
It was a divine majesty... standing above all living creatures.
"Hollow Purple!"
Boom—!!!
It wasn't given any time to react.
A destructive purple beam of light spanned the entire Jujutsu High campus, like a divine judgment, instantly swallowing everything in its path.
Trees, rocks, air.
All annihilated.
"Roar—!!!"
Hanami let out a desperate scream.
It only had time to release its Domain and use all its Cursed Energy for defense.
But before that purple light, its defense was like wet paper.
Half of its body was instantly vaporized.
Relying on its tenacious vitality as a plant-based Cursed Spirit, it put all its effort into burrowing deep underground a split second before being evaporated, fleeing frantically along the roots of the plants.
Satoru Gojo stood high in the sky, looking down at the massive crater on the ground.
"Ran away pretty fast."
He didn't linger to hunt down a heavily injured Cursed Spirit.
The situation at the Treasure Vault was more important... The battle was over.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the scarred Jujutsu High campus, plating the ruins with a blood-colored golden edge.
The alarm was lifted, and the rescue teams began to enter.
Jujutsu High infirmary.
It was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
Ieiri Shoko was wearing a white lab coat, heavy dark circles under her eyes, with an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth.
She skillfully checked Lynn's injuries.
"It's nothing serious."
Shoko wrote quickly in the medical record, her tone languid.
"A bit of shock to the internal organs, two cracked ribs, but mostly severe depletion of Cursed Energy."
"For an average person, they might have to lie in bed for half a month, but for a Jujutsu Sorcerer..."
Shoko glanced at Lynn.
"You'll be fine after a few days of rest."
"Thank you, Ms. Shoko."
Lynn thanked her politely and was about to sit up.
*Thud.*
The door to the infirmary was pushed open.
Satoru Gojo walked in.
He had put his blindfold back on and was carrying a bag of kikufuku, looking like he had returned to his usual carefree self.
"How is it, Mr. Gojo?"
Lynn leaned against the headboard and asked.
"They got away."
Gojo shrugged, his tone light, but the surrounding air pressure was terrifyingly low.
"Those two Cursed Spirits must have had someone else meeting them, and Hanami burrowed into the ground and disappeared."
He walked to the window, looked at the sunset outside, and sighed.
"As for the Treasure Vault..."
"Six fingers are gone, along with numbers one through three of the cursed womb: death painting."
"Those Rotten Oranges will probably be making a huge fuss again."
"I'm sorry."
Lynn lowered his head, apologizing once more.
"It's not your fault."
Gojo turned around and waved his hand.
"To keep your life under two Special Grades and protect Mechamaru, you've done well enough."
"The rest is a job for the adults."
Gojo didn't stay long.
As the strongest, he now had to deal with the questioning from those old fossils in the Higher-Ups and also comfort the students.
"Get some good rest, Lynn."
"Jujutsu High owes you a favor this time."
With that, Gojo pushed the door and left.
Lynn was the only one left in the infirmary.
Ieiri Shoko had also gone next door to tend to other wounded.
The hospital room fell silent.
The weakness and apology on Lynn's face vanished without a trace in that instant.