Yoru tilted his head slightly.
On the Nichirin Sword in his hand, crimson flames burned quietly, pushing back the chilling aura of the cemetery by several meters.
"The bounty on a Special Grade Cursed Spirit is indeed substantial, but to me, it's just trash blocking the way."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Smallpox Deity, its spellcasting interrupted, let out a piercing shriek.
As a Special Grade Specific Disease Cursed Spirit, it lacked high intelligence.
However, its murderous intent toward the living was at its purest.
The ground shook violently once more.
This time, it wasn't just a single coffin.
Dozens, hundreds of coffins sprouted from the earth like bamboo shoots after a rain, surrounding Yoru in an instant.
Domain Sure-hit Effect: [BURIAL].
"Careful! Its technique is mandatory!"
Mei Mei warned loudly, her large axe already held in a defensive stance.
Though she had confidence in Yoru's strength, they were inside a domain.
However, Yoru's figure began to blur where he stood.
"A sure-hit? As long as I'm not at those coordinates the moment the technique's activation is determined, it won't matter."
Yoru's breathing rhythm changed abruptly; his originally fierce and fiery aura suddenly became ethereal and fleeting.
Total Concentration: Sun Breathing, Fourth Form—Fake Rainbow.
At that moment, a bizarre sight appeared in the Smallpox Deity's vision.
It had clearly locked onto Yoru's presence, and the coffins had closed precisely on that spot, but the moment the lids shut, there was no one there.
Only a slowly dissipating crimson afterimage remained.
Was it an illusion?
No, it was speed pushed to the absolute limit.
He used visual persistence and high-temperature air distortion to create high-speed movement.
Whish! Whish! Whish!
Seven or eight afterimages of Yoru were left in the air.
Each one was lifelike, appearing as if it were a physical entity.
The Smallpox Deity frantically controlled the tombstones to smash down, crushing the afterimages one by one.
But every single one was empty.
"Where are you looking?"
A cold voice abruptly rang out from above the cursed spirit's head.
The Smallpox Deity looked up in terror, only to see a brilliant red sun rapidly expanding in its field of vision.
It was the edge of Yoru's blade.
There were no flashy tricks, only extreme speed and a temperature capable of incinerating everything.
"It's over."
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance.
A perfect circular arc of light flashed through the air.
The crimson blade light sliced through the Smallpox Deity's neck without any resistance, like a hot knife through butter.
Immediately after, the searing solar flames ignited its pustule-covered body.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
A shrill scream echoed through the domain.
The regenerative abilities the Special Grade Cursed Spirit prided itself on were useless against Sun Breathing.
Those gold-red flames acted as the natural enemy of curses.
They clung to the wound and burned ferociously, completely incinerating the source of its cursed energy.
Crack... Shatter...
With the destruction of the cursed spirit's body, the sinister cemetery domain began to shatter like a mirror.
The original tiled walls of the subway station were revealed once more.
From the moment Yoru struck to the end of the battle, barely ten seconds had passed. Mei Mei stood to the side, her large axe not even having had the chance to swing a second time.
She looked at the youth standing amidst the ashes, slowly sheathing his sword, and the light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
A regular Grade 1 sorcerer, or even an ordinary Special Grade, would find such a rule-based domain troublesome.
But Yoru... he was a complete steamroller.
This overwhelming dominance came not just from power, but from an irrationality that seemed capable of severing all rules.
Clap, clap, clap.
Mei Mei clapped softly, her face wearing her trademark business smile as she stepped forward.
"That was a magnificent exorcism."
"Yoru-kun, your strength is even more terrifying than the rumors suggest."
She took out her phone, her fingers sliding quickly across the screen.
She was canceling her pre-booked flight to Kuala Lumpur. Her original plan was simple:
If the situation turned sour, she would immediately use Ui Ui's technique to flee abroad, avoiding this Shibuya Incident where death was a high probability.
But now, she had changed her mind.
"You flatter me."
Yoru's expression remained calm.
"It was just a matter of elemental advantage."
"Being too humble will lower your market value."
Mei Mei walked to Yoru's side, her eyes—which seemed capable of seeing through a person's soul—staring fixedly at him.
"That strike just now would be worth at least this much on the black market."
She made a hand gesture.
"Furthermore, I will make sure to remember the debt of saving my life."
Yoru glanced at her.
He didn't dislike this money-grubbing woman.
Dealing with people who purely pursued profit was often much easier than dealing with those high-ups who spoke constantly of righteousness.
"In that case, please continue to stand guard here, Miss Mei Mei."
Yoru turned to look into the depths of the tunnel.
"There is even bigger trouble waiting below."
"Oh? You're going to the fifth basement floor?"
Mei Mei raised an eyebrow.
"That's Satoru Gojo's battlefield."
"Precisely because it is his battlefield, I must go."
Yoru's figure vanished from the spot instantly, leaving only a single sentence echoing in the air.
"If the 'strongest' gets sealed, you'll lose everything on this deal."
Hearing those words, Mei Mei's pupils contracted slightly.
"Seal Satoru Gojo...?"
She glanced at Ui Ui beside her, a playful smile curling onto her lips.
"It seems we are about to witness history, Ui Ui."
"Yes, Sister."
Meanwhile, at the Meiji-jingumae Station ticket gates.
"Black Flash!"
BOOM—!!!
Yuji Itadori held his punching posture, the black sparks of cursed energy still crackling on his fist.
Before him, the arrogant Grasshopper Curse had been blasted apart, with only half its body remaining as it rapidly dissipated.
"Huff... huff..."
Yuji panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
That Black Flash just now had allowed him to reclaim the feeling he had during the Goodwill Event.
"We won!"
Ino ran over excitedly.
"That was amazing, Itadori! That was a Grade 1 curse!"
Megumi Fushiguro also breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he didn't let down his guard. Instead, he looked at the strange device the Grasshopper Curse had been guarding—one of the Curtain's spikes.
"Let's destroy this first."
Megumi summoned his Divine Dog, which smashed the talisman-wrapped stake with a single claw swipe.
As the spike was destroyed, the Curtain shrouding the area instantly lifted.
"We did it!"
"Don't celebrate too early."
Yuji looked at the message Ijichi had sent to his phone, his expression turning grave.
"This was just the perimeter. The real battle is in the center of Shibuya."
He looked up toward the direction of Shibuya Hills.
There, a suffocating pressure of cursed energy was continuously rising.
"Gojo-sensei..."
Yuji clenched his fists.
"Let's go! We need to rendezvous with Yoru-senpai!"
Fukutoshin Line, Basement Level 5.
This was the deepest subway platform in Shibuya.
Currently, it had turned into a living hell.
Thousands upon thousands of civilians were crammed onto the narrow platform, screaming and pushing in terror.
In the gaps between the crowds, several figures radiating terrifying auras stood silently.
The one-eyed cursed spirit with fire erupting from its head, Jogo.
The forest cursed spirit with branches for eyes, Hanami.
And...
The eldest son of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, Choso, wearing his red vest with a complex expression.
"He's here."
Jogo's singular giant eye snapped toward the stairwell.
There, a tall figure wearing a black blindfold and with his hands in his pockets was slowly walking down the steps.
Even facing three Special Grade Cursed Spirits and thousands of civilian hostages, the man's pace remained as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll.
Satoru Gojo.
He stopped at the edge of the platform and tilted his head up slightly.
Through the blindfold, he seemed to be scrutinizing every cursed spirit present.
"Though I expected it would turn out like this..."
Gojo reached out and slowly pulled off his blindfold.
His azure Six Eyes shone brilliantly in the dark underground space, radiating a divine glow that was impossible to look at directly.
"Actually seeing you use such underhanded tactics is still making me pretty pissed off."
An invisible, terrifying aura exploded outward with Gojo at the center.
The surrounding air seemed to solidify.
Even a Special Grade like Jogo felt a sudden pang of dread.
"Don't let him intimidate you!"
Jogo roared, bolstering his companions' spirits.
"As long as we seal his technique, he's nothing more than an ordinary human!"
"Is that so?"
A cold, chilling smile curled on Gojo's lips.
"Then let's give it a try."
"Let's see who's the one being hunted."
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