Jujutsu Kaisen: Nozomi no Sora

Stepping into the hall, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.

The walls along the corridor were covered with faded health posters, and the overhead lights were malfunctioning, emitting occasional faint buzzing sounds. Deeper into the corridor, dark shadows occasionally darted around the corners.

Along the way, they encountered many curses.

There were black worms crawling on the ceiling, thin shadows curled up in corners, and lowly fly heads buzzing around like a swarm of rotting flies.

But as soon as those things sensed the fluctuations of the two people's magical power, they all shrank back and did not rush forward.

"Is it okay to leave these things unattended?"

Xuan Yi asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing," Nishimiya Sousuke replied, glancing around. "There are more powerful cursed spirits nearby. Attracted by that guy's cursed power, these lower-level cursed spirits gathered here. However, they only dare to stay on the edge and won't get too close."

He paused.

"Once we've dealt with the biggest one, we can slowly clean up the rest."

As they continued upstairs, the low-level curses roaming the corridors gradually decreased.

However, the sense of oppression grew stronger and stronger.

It's as if the building's actual "stomach" is located there, and they are gradually walking into the body of a living creature.

"It's roughly around here."

Nishimiya Sousuke stopped, took a folded piece of paper from his pocket, and flicked his fingers slightly.

The power of the spell was infused into it.

The next second, the piece of paper unfolded on its own, transforming into a small paper doll shikigami the size of a palm. It wobbled to the ground and then hopped quickly into the depths of the corridor.

The two immediately followed.

As they walked, Nishimiya Sōsuke took out a black pendant from his collar and handed it to Genichi.

"Xuan Yi, you only recently awakened your magical power, so fighting bare-handed is too much for you. Use this instead!"

Xuan Yi was stunned for a moment, then quickly took it.

"Eh? But if that's the case, Mr. Nishimiya, you won't have a weapon, will you?"

"Who said that the Tsukumogami technique can only infuse one type of object with magical power?"

Nishimiya Sousuke casually lifted his suit jacket.

Xuan Yi then noticed that several daggers of varying lengths were neatly tied to the leather belt around his waist, their rusted blades gleaming with a cold light.

"This is more than enough for me."

After saying that, he skillfully tapped a cigarette out of the cigarette box and put it in his mouth.

"Come on." He lowered his head, clicked the lighter, and the flame flashed in the dim corridor. "Try to finish this within five minutes."

Xuan Yi nodded seriously.

But at that very moment—

The paper doll shikigami that was scouting ahead suddenly burst into flames.

Flames suddenly shot up and, in the blink of an eye, burned the little paper figure to ashes, which scattered on the ground.

Nishimiya Sousuke narrowed his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of white air that didn't smell like smoke.

"They're here."

The voice just fell.

The black pendant in Xuan Yi's hand trembled violently. The next second, thick black mist swirled out from his palm and instantly transformed into a huge black scythe almost as tall as him.

Before Xuan Yi could even adjust to the heavy and cold feel of the hand, he suddenly heard a whooshing sound.

whoosh-

Several thin, cold glints flashed past them and embedded themselves in the wall at the end of the corridor ahead.

"This is……"

Xuan took a closer look.

It turned out to be strands of grayish-white thread.

Like yarn used for knitting sweaters.

Don't get distracted!

Nishimiya Sousuke suddenly shouted in a low voice.

Almost immediately, the yarn that had been limp and hanging on the ground suddenly taut as if it had been given life, and then several huge balls of yarn, each half a person tall, rolled over with a rumble along the trajectory!

They were incredibly fast, and in their wake, even the paving stones were crushed and cracked.

Xuan instinctively swung the scythe, channeling his inner magical power into the blade. The black scythe drew a sharp arc in the air, and with a ripping sound, the balls of yarn were cleaved in two, spilling out large amounts of yellowed and blackened cotton and dirty water.

But before he could even catch his breath...

Suddenly, something lunged out from the shadows ahead!

It was a huge cat-shaped monster.

But to say it looks like a cat would be an insult to the "cat" as a creature.

Its body was bloated and twisted, its fur looked like clumps of dirty felt after being soaked in sewage, and its skin hung loosely, like countless old people's wrinkled skin forcibly sewn onto the same body.

Its face lacked normal features, consisting only of a wide, gaping mouth that stretched to its ears, with the corners of its mouth extending to its rotting cheeks, revealing jagged, yellowed, needle-like teeth. Its claws were neither bone nor flesh, but rather rusty knitting needles that rubbed against each other with each movement, producing a teeth-grinding metallic sound.

It leaped up, and several sharp claws made of knitting needles stabbed straight at the two of them!

Just as Xuan Yi raised his sickle, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from above his head.

I looked up and saw—

Countless gray-white ropes are hanging down from the ceiling!

The threads slithered like snakes, instantly wrapping around his wrists and shoulders, tightening in a flash, and binding his arms firmly.

"Oh no!"

The enormous scythe was simply ineffective at this distance.

Just as the cat-shaped cursed spirit's claws were about to pierce his eyes, several cold glints suddenly flashed past Xuan Yi's ears!

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

Several daggers imbued with magical power precisely severed the ropes binding him.

Nishimiya Sousuke had already taken a step forward, and his whole body rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow.

He leaped high into the air, holding a dagger in each hand, his movements so swift and agile that he seemed nothing like an investigator who had long been engaged in clerical work.

However, at that moment, the cursed spirit suddenly flipped open its abdomen.

Xuan Yi's pupils contracted.

Beneath that tangled mass of filthy hair, another face was hidden—

Equally aged, loose, and twisted, it looked as if a dying old man had been crumpled up and stuffed into its belly. The grotesque face opened its mouth wide, and the next second, a huge amount of filth and debris suddenly gushed out like a flood!

Clothes, letters, medicine boxes, syringes, diapers, broken lunch boxes...

There were also stark white human bones.

The torrent of garbage sent Nishimiya Sousuke flying, crashing heavily into a pile of debris at the other end of the corridor.

Xuan Yi's stomach suddenly churned.

This guy...

Did they eat all those missing elderly people?

"Don't worry about me!" From the other side of the ruins, Nishimiya Sousuke gritted his teeth, propped himself up, and shouted, "Genichi, just go for it!"

Xuan Yi gritted his teeth and suddenly broke free of the remaining ropes.

He unleashed magical power beneath his feet, propelling himself forward at breakneck speed. His black scythe sliced ​​through the air with a heavy, sharp arc of light, slashing directly at the cursed spirit!

The monster raised a claw to block.

click-

Xuan Yi severed his entire arm!

"Gaaaaaaah!!!"

The cursed spirit let out a piercing and sharp scream, its body twisting wildly, and murky sewage and black curses gushing out from its severed arm.

Xuan Yi ducked to dodge the attack, his body almost sliding along the ground.

The next instant, he swung his scythe horizontally.

"laugh--!"

The black blade sliced ​​through a large patch of rotting flesh on the cursed spirit's abdomen, like cutting open a swollen sac filled with sewage.

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh—it hurts!!!"

The monster let out a broken, human-like roar, sharp and hoarse, as if the throats of several people had been squeezed together at the same time.

"I've had enough... these old bastards...!"

"At this age... you still want to live... you still want to drag me down with you...!"

"Just die already... leave all that wealth... to me!!"

Xuan Yi paused slightly.

These words...

Curses are created by negative emotions.

This extremely sticky and vicious curse is the evil thought of those greedy, hateful, and unfilial descendants who wish for their loved ones to die sooner! These evil thoughts twisted and fermented in the loneliness, fear, and resentment of the elderly as they approached death, and finally turned into this disgusting monster before our eyes.

However, the cursed spirit suddenly stopped moving.

The next second, its sunken and distorted eyes suddenly turned to Nishimiya Sousuke not far away, and then it pounced on all fours like a deformed giant cat!

"Mr. Nishimiya! Watch out!"

Sousuke Nishimiya had just freed himself from the pile of clutter. His suit was covered in dirty water and dust, and there was a cut on the corner of his mouth, but his expression remained frighteningly calm.

He watched the approaching cursed spirit, raised two fingers, and whispered:

"The art of mourning—a fence made of rusted bones."

The words fell.

The daggers he had thrown earlier seemed to be suddenly drawn by some invisible force, trembled, and then returned at a speed far exceeding that of when they were thrown!

A cold light tore through the air.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

Several daggers appeared behind the cursed spirit in an instant, piercing its neck, back, abdomen, and the junction of its limbs at tricky angles!

"Roar!!"

The monster suddenly let out a roar, its movements abruptly slowed down for a moment.

Nishimiya Sousuke then threw out all the remaining daggers from his waist in one go!

The sharp blades clashed and embedded themselves in the walls, floor, and ceiling of the corridor, forming a tightly closed encirclement.

Sosuke formed a hand seal with one hand, and the cigarette in his mouth flickered slightly.

"Bound".

The next moment—

A dark, magical power suddenly surged from all the daggers.

The cursed powers intertwined and condensed in the air into black chains covered with fine thorns, like countless thorns that suddenly tightened, instantly binding the cursed spirit tightly!

The chains tightened, their sharp edges digging deep into the monster's rotting, bloated body, making a series of tearing sounds.

It's not simply about manipulating a single cursed tool, but rather using multiple long-nurtured old objects as nodes, then connecting them with cursed power to form a higher-level binding structure!

"It worked...!"

The thought had barely crossed Xuan Yi's mind when his expression suddenly changed.

The cigarette in Nishimiya Sousuke's mouth went out.

Have five minutes already passed?

No!

Only a minute has passed!

Could it be... that the power of this curse is related to time?

Is it a special ability similar to accelerating the flow of time around oneself, thereby reducing the attributes of enemies?

Although the effect is not very obvious, if that is the case, even just three minutes would be a fatal threat to Nishimiya Sousuke, who is currently in the "burning" state!

Xuan Yi's brain was working at lightning speed!

Almost at the same time, the chains binding the cursed spirit trembled violently, and the edges began to crumble rapidly!

"Gaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!"

As if seizing this fleeting opening, the monster unleashed a surge of magical power, forcefully shattering the already unstable chains. Several daggers embedded in its body were flung away by the magical force, clattering and crashing to the ground.

The next second, it raised its claw, made of knitting needles, high into the air, and grinned, revealing an extremely vicious smile.

too close.

It's so close!

Given Xuan Yi's current position, even if he rushed over at full speed, it wouldn't be enough time. But if left unattended, this attack would be enough to pin Nishimiya Sōsuke to the ground!

What should I do?

What to do?!

Xuan Yi's heart was pounding, but his mind became incredibly clear in that instant.

Gojo Satoru's fist.

That irresistible gravitational pull.

The feeling of space being crushed.

Like scooping up a glowing stone from calm river water—

Don't overthink it!

There is only one road now.

Believe in yourself!

He held up two fingers.

"Spell sequence reversed—'Azure'!!"

A bright blue halo suddenly bloomed between Nishimiya Sousuke and the cursed spirit!

A powerful, almost brutal attraction suddenly erupted, and the cursed spirit rushing forward was as if it were being violently pulled from the front. Its entire body lost its balance and crashed to the ground with a thud, even dragging the floor tiles and leaving a long crack!

"What?!?"

Nishimiya Sousuke was clearly stunned.

Xuan Yi seized this fleeting opportunity, unleashing his magical power and charging forward, delivering a powerful punch to the monster's cheek!

boom!

The cursed spirit was sent flying backward by the punch, its limbs raised high, letting out an angry and painful scream.

Xuan Yi landed and gasped for breath, cold sweat trickling down his face.

The "Azure" attack just now was significantly less powerful than the one in the training hall, but it was more than enough in this life-or-death situation.

However, Nishimiya Sousuke's technique was broken.

The sickle in his hand had already transformed back into a pendant after that attack.

Xuanyi glanced at the black pendant in his hand, and the words that Gojo Satoru had said that morning flashed through his mind.

"...Xuan Yi's inscription is more like working backward from the solution process based on a ready-made answer..."

"This guy's spellcasting is fully automatic!"

"Just like AI, AI!"

Stop joking around, who cares about AI at a time like this!

But it was precisely these words that, at this most crucial moment, suddenly gave him an almost intuitive sense of direction.

Mr. Nishimiya has already demonstrated it!

All I have to do now is pick up another shining stone from this calm river!

found it!

Xuan's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he gripped the pendant tightly in his hand.

"The Art of Funeral Rituals"

Black magical power surged from his palm.

The small pendant instantly disintegrated in his hand, transforming into a thick, fog-like shell of magical energy, before solidifying and expanding once more—

A jet-black handle and a huge, curved, sharp blade.

A heavy, cold scythe, carrying a strong sense of antiquity, once again appeared in Xuan Yi's hands!

Nishimiya Sousuke, standing to the side, was completely stunned.

"How...how could this be?"

Xuan Yi didn't explain anything; his body had already moved.

He took a step forward, gripped the scythe handle tightly with both hands, and rapidly gathered his magical power towards the "glowing stone." Then, he swung it down fiercely at the spirit that had not yet fully gotten up!

"The Scythe's Strange Strike!"

A black, slicing light tore through the corridor.

The next instant, the bloated and ugly cat-shaped cursed spirit abruptly stopped moving.

It seemed not to have realized what had happened yet, its twisted and sagging face still bearing that vicious grin.

Then--

A deep black line runs diagonally across its body from shoulder to abdomen.

puff!

Thick, black, foul liquid gushed out of the crack.

Immediately afterwards, his entire body snapped in two and crashed heavily to the ground.

The curse has vanished!

A large amount of black magical energy dissipated outwards like bursting smoke, and the chill in the corridor began to dissipate rapidly at that moment.

The entire floor finally quieted down.

Xuan Yi stood there, gripping the still slightly trembling black scythe in both hands. He felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, gasping for breath, unable to utter a single word.

Nishimiya Sousuke stared at him silently for a long time.

Finally, he raised his hand, covered his face heavily, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously... what kind of monster did I just pick up...?"