"BOOM—!!!"
A deafening, earth-shaking roar erupted.
A mountain-sized Special Grade Cursed Spirit, its body covered in festering pustules and writhing tentacles, let out a piercing shriek of agony.
In an instant, its massive frame was pulverized into a spray of minced meat by a force of terrifying proportions!
Foul-smelling black blood rained down like a torrential storm, sizzling as it corroded the vast primeval forest below.
Amidst this downpour of blood.
A tall woman with long blonde hair, dressed in black leather and riding a heavy motorcycle, skidded to a stylish halt at the edge of the ruins.
She pulled off her helmet and shook out her dazzling golden hair, revealing a strikingly beautiful face that exuded both heroic spirit and a touch of wildness.
Beside her, a bizarre, bone-dragon-like shikigami named Garuda let out an excited hiss.
Special Grade Sorcerer—Yuki Tsukumo!
As one of only four Special Grade Sorcerers in the jujutsu world, Yuki Tsukumo had always been an extreme outlier.
She refused to accept missions assigned by the higher-ups, ignored all commands, and spent her years traveling the world on her motorcycle.
In the original timeline, in her quest to completely eradicate curses, she had even proposed a truly insane concept—
To slaughter every non-sorcerer in the world!
Her logic was that if there were no ordinary people to leak negative emotions, curses would naturally cease to exist.
It was this very ideology that, to some extent, acted as the catalyst for Suguru Geto's descent into darkness.
But now.
Everything had undergone a tectonic shift because of the appearance of a youth named Yoru!
Yuki Tsukumo leaned against her motorcycle and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag and exhaling a plume of swirling smoke.
Within her mind, those startlingly prophetic words Yoru had spoken to her months ago in that remote village surfaced once again.
"A massive disaster is coming. A monster named Kenjaku, who has lived for over a thousand years, is going to make his move."
"The higher-ups will sacrifice everything for their own interests, and Riko's existence will become a core vulnerability."
"Your ideology will only push those young sorcerers who harbor a desire to protect into a bottomless abyss."
"As for me, I will forge a third path—one that requires neither the sacrifice of innocents nor the genocide of ordinary people."
Recalling Yoru's deep, certain gaze that seemed to pierce through both past and future.
A playful, intrigued smile curled at the corners of Yuki Tsukumo's lips.
"A third path, huh...?"
"Yoru, you freak without a shred of cursed energy, you really have given me one hell of a surprise."
After receiving that sharp wake-up call from Yoru, Yuki Tsukumo hadn't remained stubborn as she might have in the past.
As a Special Grade Sorcerer, her vision and perspective far exceeded those of ordinary people.
Now that Yoru had pointed out a massive conspiracy hidden within a thousand years of jujutsu history, there was no way she could remain a bystander!
Over these past few months, Yuki Tsukumo had temporarily set aside her fanatical research into 'eradicating all non-sorcerers.'
She began leveraging her global network and her authority as a Special Grade.
She scoured ancient ruins, hidden documents, and the private libraries of the great jujutsu clans across the world, searching frantically for information regarding the 'Immortality Technique' and 'Kenjaku.'
*Buzz... buzz...*
Right then, the specialized encrypted phone in Yuki Tsukumo's pocket suddenly vibrated.
She pulled out the phone and tapped rapidly on the screen, sending a file of freshly compiled top-secret intelligence through a multi-layered encrypted network to a highly clandestine email address.
At the same time.
Inside Yoru's dormitory at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
A red email notification suddenly popped up on the screen of a somewhat bulky laptop.
Yoru, who was currently enduring the soul-rending agony of worldline rejection, forced down the sensation of his spirit being torn apart and reached out to click the email open.
The sender had no name, only a bold motorcycle icon.
It was Yuki Tsukumo's unique signature.
Yoru's dark red eyes grew increasingly bright as he scanned the contents of the email.
"Yoru, I've found something regarding the leads you gave me."
"That guy Kenjaku has swapped bodies at least a dozen times over the last thousand years. The core of his technique isn't just simple possession; it's the absolute mastery over the connection between the soul and the body."
"I also discovered that during the Heian period, he entered into unknown binding vows with several extremely powerful ancient sorcerers. If these contracts are ever activated, the consequences will be unthinkable."
"However, what interests me most is the 'Culling Game' concept you mentioned in your letter."
"If Kenjaku truly intends to use Master Tengen's barriers to force the awakening of cursed energy in ordinary people across Japan for a massive survival game of mutual slaughter..."
"Then this isn't just a disaster for the jujutsu world—it's the end of mankind!"
Toward the end of the email, Yuki's tone became more serious than ever, even tinged with a hint of wild excitement.
"Yoru, I don't care how you know about these terrifying future events."
"I only know that since you've dared to declare war on this shitty world, I don't mind joining you for a bit of madness!"
"I've compiled all my research on the soul and will send it to you in batches. This data might help you find a way to sever the connection between Kenjaku and his hosts."
"Let me see if that third path of yours can really smash this rotten chessboard to pieces!"
As he read the text on the screen, Yoru's furrowed brow finally relaxed.
He knew that with the assistance of a top-tier combatant like Yuki Tsukumo acting as his external support, he had gained another heavy ace for his hand against Kenjaku!
In the original story, despite being a Special Grade, Yuki Tsukumo was largely absent from major events due to her ideological differences and exclusion by the higher-ups.
She didn't arrive until the very end of the Shibuya Incident, far too late to change the outcome.
Even later, during the Culling Game, she fell into Kenjaku's trap while trying to protect Master Tengen and met a tragic end, being cut in half in battle.
But now, due to Yoru's early intervention and guidance.
This wild and powerful woman had stood firmly on their side!
Her profound research into the soul, her mastery over ancient cursed tools from around the world, and her terrifying combat power that could rival any Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
All of these would become key factors capable of turning the tide in the earth-shattering confrontation to come!
"Kenjaku, your hidden cards are being flipped over one by one."
Yoru closed his laptop and walked to the window.
Feeling the increasingly intense rejection force within his body, his lips curled into a cold, sharp arc.
"And our cards are only just beginning to stack up."
"Let us settle this once and for all in that hell called the Culling Game!"
Outside the window, the moonlight was completely swallowed by heavy black clouds, plunging the entire school into a suffocating darkness.
Yoru braced a hand against his heaving chest, feeling the waves of fragmentation echoing from the depths of his soul, yet his smile remained composed.
He knew that the expulsion by the world's will was now unstoppable.
But before his final departure, he had already planted the most lethal seeds upon that decaying chessboard.
All the bonds and schemes were now quietly intertwining, and the ultimate gambit spanning a thousand years had officially begun its bloody ascent!