The moment the Curtain descended—
The sky above the forest turned a dark, unnatural brown.
Unlike the normal barrier used to hide jujutsu activity from civilians—
This one carried a clear restrictive condition.
"Only Satoru Gojo is prohibited from entering.
All others may pass freely."
It was a rule designed with a single purpose.
Seal the strongest sorcerer outside.
Outside the Curtain
Standing before the barrier, Satoru Gojo reached out and poked the surface with one finger.
The moment his skin touched it—
His finger was pushed back.
The barrier pulsed with dark cursed energy.
A hostile glow flowed across its surface.
"Oh?"
Gojo tilted his head.
"So I'm the only one not invited."
Even through his blindfold, the Six Eyes analyzed the barrier instantly.
Its cursed energy structure was extremely precise.
A targeted barrier technique.
Someone had prepared this specifically to stall him.
Beside him, Utahime Iori looked furious.
"Gojo!"
"This isn't the time to be joking!"
"There's a Special Grade cursed spirit inside!"
"The students are trapped in there!"
But Gojo simply sighed.
Then sat down casually against a tree.
He even pulled out his phone.
"Relax."
Utahime stared at him in disbelief.
"…Are you serious right now?"
Instead of answering immediately—
Gojo glanced toward the Curtain.
A faint smile appeared.
"The ones we should worry about…"
"…aren't the students."
"They're the idiots who snuck inside."
Utahime frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Gojo pointed lazily toward the barrier.
"They think locking me outside will give them freedom."
"But they made a mistake."
He chuckled softly.
"They locked themselves inside…"
"…with someone even more dangerous."
Utahime blinked.
"…More dangerous than you?"
Gojo grinned.
"Yagami Sora."
"And he's already bored."
Inside the Curtain
Deep within the forest—
The arrival of Hanami instantly turned the exchange event into a battlefield.
The air filled with a strange floral scent.
It came from the overwhelming cursed energy stimulating plant life.
But hidden within that fragrance—
Was poison.
A normal human would collapse after inhaling it.
Standing cautiously nearby were several students:
Megumi FushiguroToge InumakiNoritoshi Kamo (barely recovered from his earlier defeat)
The cursed energy pressure made breathing difficult.
Their instincts screamed danger.
"…This is a Special Grade?"
Kamo wiped blood from his mouth.
The pressure felt suffocating.
Yet something about it felt different.
"The aura feels similar…"
"…but different from Yagami Sora."
Hanami's presence was overwhelming.
Like standing before a natural disaster.
But Sora's presence—
Was something else entirely.
An abyss.
"If you don't want to die…"
Megumi summoned his shikigami.
"Stay behind me."
From the shadows—
Divine Dog: Totality emerged.
It stood protectively in front of them.
Even the shikigami showed signs of tension.
Hanami did not attack immediately.
Instead—
It observed the forest.
"The forest…"
"…is crying."
Its voice echoed directly inside their minds.
Like the whisper of leaves.
Or the groan of the earth itself.
"Humanity is the disease of this planet."
"Only when you disappear…"
"…can the forest live again."
"Enough."
A cold voice cut through the air.
From the trees—
Yagami Sora stepped forward.
He casually tossed a pebble in his hand.
With every step he took—
The wild plants around him withered.
As if instinctively retreating.
"Since you're a plant…"
"…focus on photosynthesis."
"Who gave you permission to lecture humanity?"
Megumi and the others visibly relaxed.
Even if Sora's personality was awful—
At a moment like this—
There was no more reliable ally.
Hanami slowly turned toward him.
For the first time—
A flicker of caution appeared.
As a spirit born from nature—
It possessed an instinct for danger.
And the presence surrounding Sora felt wrong.
The space around him seemed distorted.
Energy flow bent unnaturally.
Nature itself refused to behave normally there.
"Human…"
Hanami spoke.
"Who are you?"
Sora shrugged.
"That's irrelevant."
He flicked the pebble forward.
The moment the stone left his fingers—
The air compressed violently.
A small sonic boom formed around it.
WHOOSH!
The pebble accelerated instantly.
Faster than a bullet.
Before Hanami could react—
BANG.
The projectile tore through its shoulder.
Wood fragments exploded outward.
Green sap sprayed across the ground.
The kinetic force shoved Hanami's massive body backward several meters.
Sora dusted his hands casually.
"What matters…"
"…is that you're about to become firewood."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I've never tested whether a Special Grade cursed spirit burns well."
"Maybe I can roast sweet potatoes with you."
Hanami roared.
The forest answered instantly.
Roots erupted from the earth.
Massive tree roots twisted like giant serpents.
They surged toward Sora from every direction.
Their surfaces hardened into iron-like bark.
The air screamed as they tore forward.
"Return to the earth!"
Hanami declared.
"Your death will nourish the forest!"
The ground trembled violently.
The forest itself became a weapon.
And the battle—
Was about to begin.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.