Time seemed to stretch into infinity at this very moment.
The smell of blood in the air, the pungent miasma, and the bone spikes tearing through the air with shrill screeches became incredibly clear in Kento Nanami's senses.
*Squelch!*
The dull sound of flesh being pierced was exceptionally piercing in the deathly silence of the ruins.
The standard-issue long sword in Yu Haibara's hand, its edge already chipped, shattered like fragile glass the moment it blocked the first bone spike.
Immediately following that.
The second bone spike grazed his cheek, leaving a trail of crimson droplets.
The third bone spike pierced through his left shoulder without resistance, the massive impact throwing his frail body backward.
"Ugh—!"
Yu Haibara let out a muffled groan of pain.
But he did not fall.
This young man, who usually wore a carefree smile and seemed full of goodwill toward the entire world, displayed a shocking tenacity in this moment.
He used the remaining half of his broken sword to prop himself firmly against the ground.
His right knee slammed heavily onto the moss, forcefully halting his backward momentum.
Even though blood had already stained his Jujutsu High uniform and his left arm hung limply.
He still stood like a battered but unyielding shield, firmly blocking the path in front of Kento Nanami.
"Haibara..."
Kento Nanami lay in a pool of blood. His goggles were long since shattered, and the eyes that always reflected logic and detachment were now filled with an indescribable despair.
Excruciating pain.
Broken ribs had already punctured his lungs. Every breath brought a stabbing pain like a twisting knife, and blood bubbles continuously welled up in his throat.
But the physical agony was far from the tearing sensation in his heart!
Why? Why did things end up like this?!
In Kento Nanami's mind, the mission briefing he had seen before they left replayed frantically.
[MISSION RANK: GRADE 2]
[TARGET: EXORCISE MUTATED LAND DEITY]
[DANGER LEVEL: LOW]
'Liars...'
'They're all damn liars!!!'
Kento Nanami let out a beast-like roar of despair in his heart.
How could this mountain-sized monster, radiating a suffocating stench and pressure, be a mere Grade 2?!
The sheer volume of cursed energy was enough to almost warp the surrounding space, and its terrifying defense couldn't be breached even slightly by his Ratio Technique.
This was a monster that was already infinitely close to Special Grade, even having one foot across the threshold!
Those higher-ups sitting in General Headquarters sipping expensive sake couldn't possibly be unaware of the true situation here!
They did this on purpose!
They deliberately withheld information, intentionally sending two inexperienced first-years into this deathtrap!
They were treated as sacrificial pawns!
Cannon fodder used by the higher-ups to test the limits of Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto!
"Damn it... Damn it all!"
Kento Nanami gripped the earth tightly, his fingernails cracking from the force, blood and soil filling the gaps.
He loathed those higher-ups who treated human lives like grass! But he loathed his own weakness even more!
Just a few minutes ago, he had naively thought that with the Ratio Technique he was so proud of, he would have a chance even against a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
But reality had dealt him a resounding slap in the face.
In the face of an absolute difference in cursed energy, his technique was as laughable as a child's toy!
He couldn't even cut through the monster's hide; instead, he was rendered a cripple by a single casual blow!
"Nanami..."
In front of him came Yu Haibara's weak yet still gentle voice.
Yu Haibara turned his head with difficulty. On that face covered in blood, he managed a smile that looked more painful than crying.
"Take this chance... run..."
"This monster's target is me... I can still... hold it off for a little longer..."
"You have to... survive..."
Looking at that familiar smiling face, Kento Nanami's heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand.
"You idiot..."
Kento Nanami's tears finally burst forth, mixing with the blood on his face and dripping onto the ground.
"You can't even stand steady... how are you going to hold it off!"
Roar!!!
As if to confirm Kento Nanami's despair.
The Mutated Land Deity cursed spirit did not rush to deliver a killing blow. Its giant, eerie green eyes flickered with a very human-like mockery and cruelty.
It was enjoying itself—enjoying the terror of its prey struggling on the brink of death!
It slowly raised its massive head.
The toxic miasma and black cursed energy permeating the surroundings began to gather in its mouth at a terrifying speed!
Crack, crack, crack—!
Accompanied by the soul-chilling sound of bones grinding together.
Massive bone spears, several meters long and covered in poisonous barbs, quickly took shape in front of it!
This was no longer a casual probe like before.
Instead, it was the ultimate strike, containing all the malice of a Semi-Special Grade cursed spirit, enough to completely level the temple ruins along with both of them!
The terrifying pressure, as if the sky were falling, caused the surrounding trees to wither instantly.
"Move..."
"Move, damn it!!!"
Kento Nanami gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
He forced every last drop of his depleted cursed energy into the blunt blade lying beside him.
His broken ribs made a harsh scraping sound against his muscles as he moved.
Blood leaked from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
But he forced himself to stand up, swaying, using the blunt blade to prop himself up against the ground!
"Nanami! Are you crazy?!"
Yu Haibara looked at his standing comrade, his eyes full of shock.
"Shut up, you idiot."
Kento Nanami yanked Yu Haibara behind him.
He gripped the blunt blade, which didn't even have an edge, with both hands and stared fixedly at the massive bone spears formed in the air.
"I, Kento Nanami, though I hate overtime and think being a jujutsu sorcerer is a shitty job..."
"But I will never let a comrade die in front of me!"
Boom—!!!
The Mutated Land Deity let out a roar that shook the forest.
Those massive bone spears, carrying a world-ending power, slammed down toward the two of them like falling meteors!
The sonic booms tore through the air.
The wild winds kicked up debris and toxic miasma, instantly blinding them.
In this moment, time truly seemed to stop.
Kento Nanami closed his eyes in despair.
He knew it was all over.
Whether it was his technique or Haibara's persistence, they were all pale and powerless in the face of this absolute strength.
'The jujutsu world is a piece of shit...'
This was the last thought that flashed through Kento Nanami's mind.
The shadow of death had completely swallowed them.
However.
Just as the bone spears that could crush them into meat paste were less than ten centimeters from Kento Nanami's forehead.
At the critical moment!
A sword's hum, crisp to the extreme and not belonging to this battlefield, suddenly exploded in the abyss of despair!