The deeper they pushed into the nest—
the stranger things became.
The cursed spirits were getting stronger now.
Larger.
Smarter.
More aggressive.
The kind that normally required coordinated teams and careful strategy.
Unfortunately for them—
they were fighting Takeru and Geto.
A massive curse burst from underground with six arms and a distorted screaming face.
Before anyone else could react—
Takeru kicked straight through its torso.
Black Flash.
BOOM.
The curse condensed instantly into an orb.
Takeru caught it.
Crunch.
"…Cherry cola."
Geto destroyed another curse beside him.
Orb.
Crunch.
"…Root beer."
Takeru pointed immediately.
"TRADE."
"Agreed."
They swapped again without slowing down.
Meanwhile—
the others were still trying to fight normally.
Yuji punched a curse into a tree.
"…WHY ARE THEY ENJOYING THIS."
Megumi summoned Divine Dogs while dodging debris.
"They adapted too hard."
Nobara slammed nails through a curse.
"THEY SHOULD NOT BE THIS COMFORTABLE."
Another wave of curses appeared.
Dozens this time.
Hakari grinned.
"Finally."
The battlefield erupted again.
Cursed techniques flashed through the forest.
Explosions lit the trees.
Shadows twisted.
Black Flash impacts shook the ground.
And somehow—
right in the middle of all of it—
Takeru and Geto continued their cursed snack exchange.
Geto absorbed three curses at once.
Three orbs.
He paused.
Looked down.
"…Interesting."
Takeru glanced over while elbowing a curse hard enough to split it apart.
"What flavor?"
"…One tastes like grape soda."
Takeru gasped dramatically.
"YOU FOUND THE PURPLE PACK."
Geto tossed one immediately.
Takeru caught it.
Crunch.
"…OH THAT IS ELITE."
Nanami stared blankly from nearby.
"…I can physically feel my sanity deteriorating."
Haibara looked weirdly invested now.
"…Okay but now I wanna know what flavor mine would be."
Nanami immediately pointed at him.
"No."
Tiny Yuji was keeping a mental list now.
"…Blue equals good."
Tiny Takeru nodded seriously.
"…Avoid brown unless you like coffee."
Sukuna looked genuinely disappointed in humanity.
"…Sorcerers used to fear curses."
Older Gojo laughed loudly nearby.
"Evolution, Unc."
"…Do not call me that."
Then—
a Special Grade curse finally emerged from deeper in the forest.
Huge.
Towering.
Covered in eyes.
The cursed energy pressure immediately changed the atmosphere.
The younger students stiffened instantly.
"…That one's bad," Megumi muttered.
The curse roared—
only for Takeru and Geto to slowly turn toward it simultaneously.
Then both smiled slightly.
"…Big orb," Takeru said.
"…Probably premium flavor," Geto agreed.
The Special Grade visibly hesitated.
For the first time in its existence—
the curse looked afraid.
And then the two of them rushed forward together.